Brainstorming Session - Rubi-Ka

[trousers]

Brainstorming Index

Disclaimer: The Brainstorming Sessions are an attempt to cover specific topics which sometimes come across as a little gray. They will be presented with cited facts at the top which players can refer to for concrete information on the topic. Following the facts will be speculations on the topic which may or may not be true due to a lack of information. Until concrete information on a topic is made available please feel free to comment on the speculative ideas, post your own, or even adopt them into your story.

Facts:
__________

• Rubi-Ka is in the Outer Arm: 25,000 LY from Earth (+/- 5,000LY) [1]
• Rubi-Ka has Three Moons:
  
  • Celuloe [2]
  • Glamiea [2]
  • Zandriel [2]
• Rubi-Ka Orbits two stars:
  
  • Animus [3]
  • Amicus [3]
• Rubi-Ka's Offical Capital is the city of Omni-1 [1]
• Rubi-Ka is broken up into five Regions: [16]
  
  • Omni-Tek Controlled [4][8]
  • The West [4][8]
  • The Endless Plains [4][8]
  • Rebel Plains [4][8]
  • The Territories [4][8]
• Rubi-Ka has 47 Distinct 'Zones' which Exist in the Terraformed World [9]
• Omni-Tek holds Lease-ownership of the whole of Rubi-Ka with the exception of Newland City.[5][6][7]
• Rubi-Ka is the only planet which possesses the mineral MTG-411-6, commonly known as Notum. [10]

Speculation:
__________
Definitions: Still a Work in Progress due to volume

• Omni-Tek Controlled
• The West
• The Endless Plains
• Rebel Plains
• The Territories

The Kyr'Ozch Control one or more of Rubi-Ka's moons.

Despite the deployment of Goliath Class Orbital Battlestations [12] to protect Rubi-Ka from the invading alien forces the Kyr'Ozch continue to breech the Rubi-Kan defenses to attack Human Cities and Outposts on the surface as well establishing their own footholds in the Outzones [13].

Rubi-Kan Space is defended by Omni-Tek Navel Assets [14]. Kyr'Ozch forces able regularly able to Overpower, outmaneuver or outsmart to test the planetary defenses of Rubi-Ka, which have been proven ineffective at preventing the invasions.

The three moons of Rubi-Ka are uninhabited and would lack the planetary defenses that Rubi-Ka possesses. Since the Kyr'Ozch have proven that they can withstand extreme conditions which Humans cannot, it is worth considering that the Kyr'Ozch's Battle Suits may also allow them to survive in the harsh conditions of open space and successfully occupy one or more of Rubi-Ka's Moons for the purpose of aiding in the invasion of Rubi-Ka.

Roman's Bunker Still Occupied and Operational

Roman was visited by the Unredeemed Vanya in his subterranean bunker on Rubi-Ka in 29479 (2001) [15]. At the end of the exchange it was indicated that Roman's equipment was largely operational and that Him, and his work, was of a great importance. There was no indication that Roman was whisked away to the Shadowlands with Vanya, or that Roman had any intention or reason to stop his work. This would lead one to believe that Roman is still alive and well, hidden somewhere on Rubi-Ka and might serve as an Interesting contact/character for interactions with those who are devoted to the Omega/Unredeemed cause.

Citing:
__________

01. Homepage Archives
02. Anarchy Online Forums
03. Anarchy Online Forums
04. Homepage Archives
05. Homepage Archives
06. Offical Homepage
07. Anarchy Online Forums
08. Old Map of Rubi-Ka
09. Zone Map of Anarchy-Online
10. Item Database
11. FJRK
12. Offical Timeline
13. Offical Timeline
14. Brainstorming Session - Omni-Tek Law & Order
15. Prophet Without Honour
16. Political Map of Rubi-Ka

[trousers]

• Omni-Tek Controlled* - All cities and outposts in this area are controlled by the mega-corporation. Omni-Tek has several military outposts that fend off monsters from the wasteland, but abandoned mines are still haunted by mutants from Omni-Med laboratories. Omni-1 is the biggest city on Rubi-Ka. The clans have undercover activity in the area, but they are very careful not to provoke Omni-Tek until they will be able to win a confrontation.
  
  
  
  • Omni-1 - Being the main city of a frontier planet, Omni-1 is not a big place compared to the megacities of Earth and other core worlds. However, even jaded galaxy travelers find Omni-1 to be a place of endless dreams and opportunities. Here you will encounter the shadiest characters, the most proficient Nano technicians and the most bloodthirsty mutants in the whole galaxy. And everybody wants a piece of the valuable ore that is shipped off-planet through Omni-1, adding to the bustle in an already hectic and exotic city.
    
    • Omni-Tek Headquarters - All of the planet's Omni-Tek offices were moved to this district in Omni-1 after the rebels took over Omni-2/Athen. This part of the city may look dull, but devious plots are hatched behind the towering facades; all part of the never-ceasing power struggle to reach or stay at the top of the Omni-Tek hierarchy.
    • Trader District - Independent shops, inns and taverns abound in this part of the city. Both the galaxy-wide chain of Emporium-stores and the primitive cyber-shops run by veterans experience considerable success in this district. It is also renowned for its central and open marketplace where people from all over the planet barter in weapons, nano technology and treasures.
    • Entertainment District - This spacious park and fair was constructed by Omni-Tek to entertain the workers in Omni-1. It's a popular hangout for workers and adventurers alike. Fighting is prohibited here, the Arena being the sole exception.
    • Slum - Enter at your own peril! The Slum is a seedy cluster of houses where the criminals of Omni-1 thrive. Even Omni-Tek® police tend to keep out of the Slum. There are always rumors about people getting kidnapped from the inns, or being killed in the sewers by strange mutant creatures, claimed to be escapees from Omni-Med facilities. Also notorious are the to-the-death fights in the Arena.
    
    
    
  • Clon**** Omni-Mine - The first mining outpost on Rubi-Ka has now grown out of control. The very rich ore is supporting a society that is more densely populated than most of the clan cities, and not all of the inhabitants have any dealings with Omni-Tek. The proximity to a big deposit of Notum has made this the best place to get nano technology. Jobe is more interesting for trading in these exclusive goods, but the Jobeans are too protective to be accessible to the general public (and adventurers). Clon**** is a strange boom town with intense trade activity - perhaps the most hectic city in the Omni-Tek area, considering how small the area is. The slums are very small, but in seediness and illegal trade they are able to compete with Omni-1. There are constant rumors that Karl Montani, the leader of the Omni-Tek controlled city Rome, plans to clean up the city and turn it into a respected business center for trade in ore and nano technology.
    
    
  • Rome - This city was established after Omni-2. Rome is the brainchild of Omni-Tek director Karl Montani. He had a vision of a city that was planned to be perfect from the start. Montani planned the architecture, organisations and people needed in great detail, together with the best and most ambitious people in the mega-corporation. Karl Montani is called ’The Emperor’ by everybody because of his visionary plan and implementation of it. Everything is run on schedule in Rome; no clan members are allowed to be in the city and every corner is watched by a vigilant police force.
    
    • Background - Omni-Tek leaders would never have allowed the building of Rome, unless they believed it was profitable. Before the founding of Rome, Omni-1 was becoming too big and difficult to handle, because of the neutral Trader district and the unruly slums. The population stress became too much to handle for one city alone. The initial idea was that Omni-1 should handle the outposts and acitivy in the Territories, but this has not been as profitable as expected. The experiment to establish Omni-2 as a city to handle outposts in the west failed, however, because of lax security and the proximity to the clan controlled area of the north. Today the clans have taken over Omni-2, and call it Athen. Today, there is need of a city closer to the West, and Rome is in a good geographical position to administer everything necessary for the outposts in this active area. The communications to Kapar are very good.
    • The Three Districts - Rome is divided into three districts called Red, Green and Blue. They all have a police station, shops, bars, living areas and offices. Karl Montani wants to avoid the divisions of the city that makes each district too unique. Nevertheless, each district has its distinct feel.
      
      • Red is the area where the Emperor palace is situated. Although the description of Rome from a clan member makes it sound like a police state, The Emperor is very concerned about the appearance of a city. The district is filled with parks, statues and lovely houses. Although the Emperor loves law and order, he arranges feasts of legendary proportions in his palace on the big holidays.
      • In the Green sector, Omni-Reform has a vast office space. This department is considering to move their headquarters to Rome... they just love the atmosphere of the city! Information booths and rumours are commodity number one in Green.
      • Blue sector is controlled by Omni-Pol. They think the idea of Rome makes sense, and their cooperation with the leader of the city is very close. Blue is filled with police; this area is perhaps the safest place on all of Rubika… that is, for a loyal and honest Omni-Tek employee...
    
    
    
  • Jobe - The training of nano mages is hard and difficult; it is almost a prerequisite of an expert nano technologic to have a streak of independence. This is not something that goes well with the Omni-Tek attitude of law and order. Some years ago, all the best and most proficient nano mages deserted the mega-corporation in a non-violent manner. They established the city Jobe, out in the ocean south of Rome and the Reck outpost. Today they have a very fragile nonaggression pact with both Omni-Tek and the clans, while they do their best to create new and exciting nano formulas. The nano mages on Jobe seem to like the clans better than Omni-Tek, although some of the more militaristic clans are hard to accept for the disciplined but freedom-loving Jobeans. All the big breakthrough inventions in nano technology of the last 20 years were discovered in Jobe.
    
    
  • Stret River - Where the Three Rivers meet New Mississippi, the river is called Stret. In general, Omni-Tek has absolute control over this waterway. It is used mainly to transport goods and people in a simple and cheap way between the more civilized areas and the frontiers of Rubi-Ka.
    
    
  • Plains of Divaad† - This is the edge of civilization. The farther you get away from the Omni-Tek and West landscape, the more monsters are likely to attack. At a certain point, mountains tower up from the desert and block all travel. There are big natural caverns with mutant lairs at this endpoint of civilization. West of these mountains, the land is without any water or vegetation. The air is very thin, and characters with weak constitution will have to use breathing aids to be able to survive. There are tales of clans that have established big domed cities in the wasteland, but it is impossible to find anybody that has discovered such a city.
    
    
  • 3HO Outpost (3rd Head Office)† - The soldiers in this military outpost are mainly used to quell feuds between the 4 Holes villagers. Defensive actions toward clans or mutants are only necessary occasionally. The soldiers have made their mark on the entertainment district of 4 Holes. Soldiers like to use their money on cheap drinks and entertainment on their time off. Mutant and monster activity is quite low. Omni-Tek is considering to redirect the resources of 3HO to other places on Rubi-Ka, such as the Territories or forts in the mining villages of the West. Soldiers usually prefer to be placed in 2HO if they want action or Roulette if they are lazy.
    
    
  • 4 Holes -

    Voice of Freedom – Breaking News
    May 30, 29480 - [Global]
    
    In a shock development the Unionist Clan has seized control of the 4 Holes Mining operations in a hostile action against Omni-Tek. It would appear from initial reports that the Unionist forces took advantage of Omni-Pol troop redeployments towards Borealis to forcibly remove Omni-Tek security forces from the area and effectively take full control of the facility.
    
    Satellite news feeds recorded multiple outbreaks of small arms fire and some explosions from in and around the facility during the early hours of yesterday morning. It would appear that up to thirty clan members might have been involved in the operation. No casualty figures were available this morning and Omni-Tek has yet to comment on the losses at the time of this report. Eyewitness accounts filtering in through the grid-feed do suggest however that up to ten Omni-Pol personnel may have had to involuntarily reclaim.
    
    This morning it would appear that the facility is firmly under Unionist control and Omni personnel were being denied access to the facility at gunpoint. Mining operations appeared to be continuing as normal although reports suggest that no notum was actually leaving the facility.
    
    The Unionists motives have yet to be confirmed but given their long-term hostility to Omni-Mining operations it is unlikely that their choice of target is a co-incidence and they certainly have the expertise within their membership to keep the mining operation running, however quite what they intend to do with any notum they can mine remains to be seen.

    [11]
    Deprecated Description
    
    
  • Harry's - The Harry empire was the leading Rubi-ka-generated business outside Omni-Tek - until the clan-led Omni-2 invasion. A majority of the shops, bars and inns of the empire were located in this city. All that, plus an enormous stock of weapon, food and other goods, was either destroyed or confiscated by the clans during the creation of Athen as a clan-town. Ironically, Harry was a clan sympathizer; he had even assisted some of the more moderate clan leaders in their struggle. That has changed. Although his resources in the Omni-Tek account weren't lost, Harry feels that the freedom fighters are more like bandits out of control after they hurt his business. Harry can be a dangerous opponent to the clans in the battle for the moderates. Harry's Trading is now turning into a political center for the neutral traders and independent forces on Rubi-ka. The scales are tipping in favor of Omni-Tek. This outpost is more known for the political activity than the trade, but it has a respectable selection of all standard goods.
    
    
  • Lush Hills - This landscape is covered with vegetation, a very rare sight on Rubi-ka. The Lush Hills are used for relaxing and hiking by the inhabitants of Omni-1, Rome and Omni-Mine. There are few monsters here, but stray mutants and bandits always seem to be able to sneak in. Assisting in keeping the Lush Hills safe could be a challenging job for novice characters of all breeds and professions. Another problem is that romantic city people attempt to live off the land. The guards employed by The Lush Hill Resort Centre are constantly trying to fend off pushy frontier people.
    
    • Lush Hill Resort Center - This is a little garrison of adventurers that guard the hiking area. It has some of the best inns and restaurants on Rubi-Ka. It is an expensive place to live - but an interesting place to meet the rich and powerful of Omni-Tek. It is always possible to find a simple quest here to chase away the mutants that are trying to live off the tourist trade.
    
    
    
  • Galway Castle - The frontier dream has determined the fate of many people on Rubi-Ka - such as Galway. He was a former manager high up in the Emporium mega-corporation. Galway had always dreamed about the Old West on Earth and the colonization of Mars. Early in his very successful career, he sold all his possessions and started this trading outpost in Omni-Tek-controlled land. It is very successful, and could be even more successful if he decided to expand. However, he thinks that this would go against the reason why he moved to Rubi-Ka, - but perhaps he will decide to relocate to the West or even the Territories. Re-establishing Hard Luck would be a challenge for Galway. He is a fierce Omni-Tek supporter.
    
    
  • The Reck† - This peninsula is the most dangerous place in Omni-Tek-controlled territory. Misplaced monsters from summon formulas and nano energy have caused hundreds of strange and exotic mutants to spread all across the land. The Reck trading outpost itself and the adjacent road are quite safe. One can always find a crowd of nano mages or other people hoping to catch a glimpse of Jobe, or one of their legendary nano mages at the local village inn. The owner seems to have good connections with the Jobe inhabitants, but he uses most of his time trying to stop crazy people from swimming to the island of Jobe.
    
    
  • 1HO Outpost (1st Head Office)† - This area has become more civilized in recent years. This means fewer mutants, fewer bandits and less clan action. Two years ago, Omni-Tek decided to relocate the resources of 1HO to the Territories and the mining outposts of the West. The big barracks of this military outpost are deserted by all except a small contingent of Omni-Tek forces. The way from Rome to Kapar goes past 1HO.

* Political Influence indicated by Color
† Not Currently In-Game.

[trousers]

• The West* - The majority of the immigrants move to mining outposts in the west, along the New Missi river. Omni-Tek controls the resources, the trade and export of ore from the area. In this way, they are able to control popular opinion on the frontier. At the same time they give the inhabitants a feeling of freedom through limited local self-government and intense propaganda. The inhabitants are not very interested in clan activity, they are quite satisfied with Omni-Tek, but it is impossible to control what happens in isolated villages, so there are more openings for clans in The West than in Omni-Tek area proper. Kapar is a city that was founded by clans. Now independent intergalactic traders run much of the city. Omni-Tek is also lurking around the area. This makes the city a hotbed of intrigue and plots.
  
  
  
  • Kapar† - A miniature version of the Rubi-Ka conflict can be found in Kapar. The clans, with Radiman as their central figure, established the city 25 years ago. This happened before Omni-Tek gained control of all of the West. Slowly, almost without notice, the mega-corporation took over all small trading outposts and villages. Then they established the last of the big military outposts, 4HO. When neutral traders discovered that the West was safe, they began to expand their services to the new frontier men. This Omni-Tek takeover would not have succeeded if they had tried to bully their way into Kapar. By softening the inhabitants with neutrals, they have been able to put their stamp on the city. Today Kapar is a prosperous city and a focal-point of the West, including the Endless Plains area. The city is governed by a leader with clan sympathies. He leads a council which consists of councellors from Omni-Tek, the traders and the clans. This is the typical clan organisation, if not the typical members. However, clans outside Kapar are concerned that the leaders of the city are forgetting their goal as rebels. The active clans of the city resemble a political party in a parliament, rather than leaders of a revolution. Sometimes they appear to be willing to sell out their cause for political power.
    
    
  • Nebula Mountains† - Between New Missi and Dam River lie the Nebula Mountains. This is a very humid area, where moss and strange algae cover the local mountains. There are few large animals in the area besides the mutant ants that infest Rubi-Ka. On the other hand, there are some types of giant insects here, that cannot be found elsewhere. The ecology of the plant and animal life is strange and unexplored. This is perhaps one of Omni-Med's most successful ’fast evolution’ experiments. A lot of interesting developments are happening, without growing out of control (like in the Territories). In addition to Notum, there seems to be strange, poisonous gases inside the Nebula Mountains that probably influence the wildlife.
    
    
  • The Gangly Mountains† - Terraforming sounds like a good idea, but sometimes it changes the landscape in the wrong direction. These big Gangly Mountains have become porous and fragile due to the changed atmosphere and heightened moisture. Stone avalanches occur frequently. There is little wild life in the Gangly Mountains, but all animals that live here are big and strong, thus able to withstand constant changes in the landscape. Old mines and natural caves are constantly being revealed in this changing landscape. The Larynx mining outpost lies in this part of the land, and its inhabitants are fighting a constant struggle to prevent the tunnels from collapsing.
    
    
  • New Missi - There are no big steam-boats on this river, but two facts are certain: 1) Inhabitants of the West love to evoke the frontier feeling of the old Earth Mississippi. 2) Much activity can be found along the river. Boats and other vehicles drive up and down the river with goods and passengers. Omni-Tek maintains strict control of the waterways along New Missi and Stret River.
    
    
  • Roulette Military Outpost† - Omni-Tek officials complain about lax attitudes in the Roulette military outpost. People in high places have discussed relocating the resources to the border clan area, mining outpost or the hard-pressed 2HO outpost of the Territories. This area has been quite safe for several years, so there isn't much activity here. This could change with new clan activity arising, but the clans do not seem very interested. The soldiers have focused more on getting really good entertainment. Omni-1, Tir and this small military outpost are the only places with casinos on Rubi-Ka. A small community is starting to build up around the gambling industry of this military outpost.
    
    
  • 4HO Outpost (4th Head Office)† - This is the only military outpost that is really busy in the West and Omni-Tek area - not because of clan and mutant unrest, but because they administer a decentralized system of small military forts to Kapar and all the small mining outposts in the area. Traffic flows in and out of the village all the time. This is also the biggest military installation on Rubi-Ka (if not the most powerful) because all basic training is done in this location. For these reasons 4HO (and the very hectic 2HO) are the only military outposts that are looked upon with admiration in the Omni-Tek management.
    
    
  • Mutant, Deserted Mining Outpost† - This was one of the first mining outposts in the West, established before the area was rid of mutants and monsters. One night the whole place was ravaged - presumably - by monsters. Nobody has lived there since. Omni-Tek is talking about reviving the outpost. Both the military and adventure teams have been on missions to scout the area and clean out the old mine of lurking monsters. This could be the last big monster hunt of the West before the whole area becomes civilized for real.
    
    
  • Dynamite, Deserted Mining Outpost† - The proudest and most Omni-Tek-friendly mining outposts in the West were demolished in a Sentinel attack many years ago. The mega-corporation used the incident for all it was worth to blame all the clans. As a consequence, for the first time the Council of Truth began to lose their trust in one of their allies. They considered the Sentinels an important part of the rebellion, but they also understood how the killings of innocent people could ruin their credibility outside Rubi-Ka. Ever since this terrorist attack, the Sentinels have been placed on the sidelines in the mainstream clan hierarchy, but they still recruit frustrated rebels who think that Rubi-Ka needs more decisive action to become free. The sabotage occurred during a rush of intense activity across the West to establish new mines. Now the discovery of new big ores has ceased in this area of Rubi-Ka, and Omni-Tek has begun to discuss the possibility of re-opening Dynamite.
    
    
  • Parrot's Death Mining Outpost† - Some traditions die hard. The name of this outpost alludes to the old custom of having canary birds in the mines, to warn the workers of poisonous gas leaks. Omni-Tek uses more advanced equipment in Parrot's Death, but gas masks are a part of the standard protection gear in this mine. Throughout the mountains, there are pockets of gas that could kill a man on the spot. Another problem is the giant insect lairs in the Nebula Mountains. Even with extensive use of motion-trackers, ants and other dangerous mutants invade the new mine shafts with regular intervals. A sizeable part of the expenses of the mining outpost is spent paying adventure teams to clean up ant-infested mining shafts.
    
    
  • Larynx Mining Outpost† - You will find the longest shifts and hardest work on Larynx, but also the best pay. The miners are constantly struggling to keep the mining shafts from collapsing in the Gangly Mountains. When the miners want to relax from work, they go to the inns and bars in the village below the mines and barracks. They have a tendency to be a bit too wild. Thus, the life of peaceful citizens is endangered all the time. City-dwellers who earn money on the mines and Omni-Tek don’t want to curb the wild life, though, and the other inhabitants are so used to all the commotion that they accept the fighting and damage. The town could use a strong person to turn the corrupt leadership around.
    
    
  • Beatrix Mining Outpost† - In some Rubi-Ka mining outposts, daily life resembles the clichès of macho-men who fight and party. Is it possible to make a utopian mining outpost? Omni-Reform will try. Their goal is to transform Beatrix into a family-friendly environment where people like to work. Documentaries from the outpost are used for propaganda on Rubi-Ka and to recruit workers from other planets. The clans are convinced that the village is used for dangerous experiments in crowd control and brainwashing. Nothing has been proved, but one thing is certain: Beatrix looks like the nicest place to live in the West.
    
    
  • Silver Bell Mining Outpost† - Clan territory is right around the corner for Silver Bell. The mood in the city is paranoid in the extreme. Recently, Omni-Tek was able to catch a group of ’clan terrorists’ from the Knights that planned to blow up a building with many children. The population acted like a lynch mob and killed the accused men in their jail. Afterwards, witnesses admitted the men killed had not been carrying swords, and had been mistakenly accused of being Knights. This has caused some people to accuse Omni-Tek of a propaganda blitzkrieg against the clans, where the mega-corporations are willing to use every dirty trick to get to the clans. The mood in Silver Bell among the general population is still very shaky, and visitors should be careful not to brag about their clan connections.
    
    
  • Borealis

* Political Influence indicated by Color
† Not Currently In-Game.

[trousers]

• The Endless Plains* - The Endless Plains are a wasteland where people can live only in a few oases and craters that contain water. The most militant clans have their stronghold in Sparta, a quite large city modeled after the old Greek city-state. People who move to this area support the strictest clans that violently oppose Omni-Tek. The leader of Sparta, Al Kolokotronis, tries to restrict the level of violence against civilian targets with a code of honor.
  
  
  
  • Sparta† - The rebellion has many strands that run together in Athen and The Council of Truth. One of the strongest, if not the prettiest, is Sparta. All the clans with a strong military bent are gathered here. Their discipline is exceedingly strict. In fact, the penal system of Sparta is even more effective than the one in Omni-1. Nobody without a clan membership is allowed into the city at all. Their trade is not very large, but the price and quality of their weapons is the best on Rubi-Ka. Alistair Kolokotronis is the leader of the city and charter leader of the Honor Squad clan. Through hard work, a charismatic personality and and a talent for diplomacy he has worked his way up from chieftain of a small clan to leader of Sparta and a mighty clan confederacy. His background is very traditional for a clan member: recruited from the slums on Earth Minor to work on Rub-Ka, he entered Omni-Pol, then deserted it and escaped to the Endless Plains. His extraordinary success as a leader is unique.
    
    
  • The Big One† - This huge crater was created millions of years ago in the planet's prehistory, but it is still quite visible to the eye; it resembles a giant valley in the middle of the desert. Geologists claim that there are huge amounts of water beneath the crater, with a thick layer of stone between the surface and the underground lake. Some caverns lead to this enormous water reservoir, but the crater remains very dry. Some explorers are said to have found signs of an alien civilization below the crater. Inside the crater lives a strange animal called Tris; its life-cycle consists of three stages. The Tris start out their life in the underground lake as amphibian creatures, then develop into a snake-like form while living in the caverns, and finally glide through the air above the crater in flocks - this is their most evolved stage. After living in this way for some months, the Tris change back to their snake-form and return to their amphibian existence. Biologists assume that the Tris breed in the water. It is still a mystery from what creature they have evolved. There are rumors of a plan by the Sparta clans to trigger an earthquake and force the subterranean water-depot out in the open. They hope this will make the area more habitable for farmers and other settlers. The Eco Warriors are very skeptical to these plans, because they are afraid that this could destroy the habitat of the unique Tris in the crater.
    
    
  • Stria Rubi Desert† - This long stretch of desert consists of densely packed, dry earth and dust. Very little vegetation grows here. The Drilling Flowers move silently around the desert to try and reach the small amounts of water available. This plant/animal mutant is unique to The Endless Plains, and originated from something the Eco Warriors clan freed from a lab in Omni-1. They are almost impossible to kill, but a whole ecology of different animals live in close symbiosis with the big plant/animal. Some of these could be very dangerous. Their genes mutate in interesting and unpredictable ways, and their evolution seems to be speeded up wherever Drilling Flowers are nearby.
    
    
  • Camelot - Camelot is the obvious name for this headquarter of a clan modeled after King Arthur's knights. Many people find Camelot's code of chivalry ridiculous and outdated. However, they are cunningly efficient in their missions, and no force is able to beat them in swordplay. Their main problem is that they expect their enemies to follow an outdated chivalry code - and who fights with swords today? The leader of the clan calls himself simply Lord Galahad. Where he came from, nobody knows. He is rumored to be half crazy; however, no one doubts his dedication to the rebellion. A few years back he became a member of the Council of Truth.

* Political Influence indicated by Color
† Not Currently In-Game.

[trousers]

• Rebel Plains* - The majority of the clan activity is situated in this part of the planet. Athen is the clan capital of Rubika. Freedom-loving rebels dominate all the villages along the Three Rivers and on the plains. In addition to the moderate clans, outlaws from both Omni-Tek and the clans are located in Salty Hell. The terrain consists of a wide expanse of dry plains with smaller oases. Besides humans of all breeds, the Spawn breed dominates the rebel plains.
  
  
  
  • Athen (Omni-2) - 75 years ago, Omni-Tek planned to expand their operations into the northern plains. Omni-2 was constructed to administer and assist the mining outposts planned for the north. Several departments even prepared to set up their Rubi-Ka headquarters in Omni-2. The west had been under control for the last 100 years, and, with the exception of some undercover clan activity and the Sentinels attack against the Dynamite Mine 10 years back, there had been no major incidents. At that time, the north was close to being under clan control. Omni-2 was their primary short-term goal in the war against Omni-Tek. This quickly made Omni-2 a hotbed of political activity and violent unrest. There are two versions of what happened later. The clans claim that their combined forces threw out Omni-Tek. Usually, there is much in-fighting among the clans, but in this confrontation they all worked together. Athen, Omni-2's new name, will now be made into a clan utopia and an example for rebels all over the universe. The Omni-Tek version of events is different: The city was no longer profitable, and they pulled out for economic reasons. Omni-Tek does not like that the Council of Truth controls the city, and is using Athen as an example of how bad a clan-controlled planet would be. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. Omni-Tek would have preferred to keep their city. Several of its departments, that had deep investments in Omni-2, are very bitter at the management's perceived betrayal, to decide to evacuate the city. The successful clan activity is the most important reason that the city no longer was profitable. There are good and bad things to say about the city of Athen. The level of freedom has increased, and it is quite safe for its inhabitants. Because of this, a multitude of citizens who previously supported Omni-Tek are now clan members. On the other hand, several Omni-Tek organisations and structures are not working as efficiently as under the ousted Omni-Tek administration. What concerns the clans the most, is that the evacuation was part of a new Omni-Tek strategy. Omni-InternOp has devised a plan to undermine clan control of the north, by infiltrating Athen and Kapar. The divisions among the clans on several important issues have made his scheme surprisingly successful.
    
    
  • The Plains of Salt† - This is perhaps the most dismal area of the terraformed part of Rubika. There is a sour smell in the air from the acidic minerals that cover the area, and moss-like plants live on these minerals. Also part of the local ecosystem are big mutant worms, that eat the plants and minerals. Their excrement in turn feed the plants, and change the minerals. This closed ecology has no place for humans. However, a playful worm is quite likely to kill a party of humans. To make matters worse, roving bandits from Salty Hell are even more dangerous than the wildlife. Nothing in this salty wasteland is edible for humans; it is a miracle that the outlaws in Salty Hell in the middle of the plains are able to survive.
    
    
  • Mort Crater - Early meteoric activity has created several craters on the planet. Mort is one of the very few such places that emit poisonous radiation. The crater is filled with radioactive material that will poison anyone who walks into certain areas. The only civilization in the vicinity is the Sentinel HQ, that is located on a safe peninsula stretching out into the radiation fields. Some say that there are other safe islands with strange monsters in the crater, but this rumor has not been proved. The only known monster that lives in the hot radiation terrain around Mort Crater is the Drak animal. This is a silicon-based life form that breeds by cloning itself, and survives by eating the radioactive minerals. The heat produced by the minerals provides the energy these creatures need to sustain life. The Draks are not able to move more than a few kilometers away from the crater; the farther away they are from the crater, the slower they will move. There is a large circle of rocks around the crater a few kilometers from it. The rocks are in fact Draks that have moved too far away from the safe crater and become petrified. Adventurers say that it is possible to wake them up by bringing the radiation material to them, but this is not easy and few dare to try. It is important to note that in recent years Cyborgs have infested the area surrounding the crater for unknown reasons.
    
    
  • Last Ditch - An unofficial border between clan territory and Omni-Tek interest area goes through the Last Ditch. Neutral traders hesitate to travel further out in the wilderness, so independent warrior merchants use this as a place to buy goods from Omni-Tek (or from all over the galaxy) for quick profit in the clan city and villages to the north. Last Ditch is a lively frontier trading-center with a high activity level. Prices are a bit on the high side, but the mix of neutral traders, Omni-Tek and clan people make this feel like an interesting and fun outpost.
    
    
  • Newland -The village of Newland is a typical boom-town that has more activity than it can contain. Several clans have moved to Newland, and even more clans have been founded in the last few years. The clan house/business ratio is quite high. It is always possible to get what you want if you have the credits, but prices can run very high. The neutral traders do not dare to go this far out in the wilderness, so independent merchants could earn good money selling equipment in Newland.
    
    
  • MeetMe Dere - This village has become almost a ghost town. Most of the clans that built this city have left for other cities and places. After the conquest of Omni-2/Athen, the most active clans decided to put up headquarters in the new City of Freedom. The more sceptical clans moved to Newland. The continuing attacks from bandits located in Salty Hell have not helped MeetMe Dere either. Nevertheless, the village is still a popular meeting-place and starting-point for adventure in the wilderness. The prices and availability of adventure gear are very good in MeetMe Dere.
    
    
  • Stolts' Trading Post
    
    
  • Sentinels - The buildings in the Sentinel village are protected from heat and radiation from the Mort Crater by special materials and strong air-condition systems. Energy is no problem, since the clan uses the crater radiation as a source of energy. It is almost impossible to survive in the area without nano protection or special equipment. This gives the headquarters good protection from surprise attacks. Sentinels use terrorism and violence in their fight against Omni-Tek. This is the most extreme clan in their disregard for civilians, and a majority of the clans feels that their activity hurts the fight for freedom on Rubika. The leader, Simon Silverstone, is one of the very few inhabitants who did not arrive on the planet through Omni-Tek. 30 years ago, he managed to sneak past the planetary defenses and started a small farm close to where Tir is today. He and his family lived happily on the land and their frontier dreams for 5 years - until Omni-Tek decided to make an example out of him, to scare romantics from settling in the wilderness without the company's knowledge. Omni-Tek only wants civilization around the mining towns or on their own installations. 25 years into the past, they still had a chance of achieving this objective. Simon Silverstone was accused of several murders and crimes on Rubika that he didn’t commit. His family was then killed in the ensuing manhunt, and he barely managed to escape into the wilderness. His anger drove him to live up to the lies Omni-Tek manufactured about him. At first, The Sentinels was a tiny gang that only raided small installations. Their breakthrough was the destruction of the Dynamite Mine. During recent years, they have even been able to carry out operations in Omni-1, and bomb threats from New Dawn are taken very seriously in Omni-Tek all over Rubika. In secret, Silverstone is romantically involved with the leader of New Dawn, Ruth Montezuma. New Dawn is a political clan; the majority of their activity lies in the cities and with emphasis on diplomacy. If this relationship became known, both Omni-Tek and The Council of Truth would be uncertain about what this could mean. Are the Sentinels going to become more moderate? Or is New Dawn just a cover for terrorism?
    
    
  • Salty Hell† - The worst crooks, murderers and bandits that everybody else avoids can be found in this desolate place. It is a bounty hunter's heaven - if the hunter can escape alive with his bounty. Violence is not prevalent in the village though, it is quite peaceful. The only way to survive in this area is to steal food from caravans, teams and villages close to the Plains of Salt. Food prices are very high, due to the lack of farms and hunting game in the Plains of Salt. A brave fighting merchant could earn a lot of money by bringing food to Salty Hell.

* Political Influence indicated by Color
† Not Currently In-Game.

[trousers]

• The Territories* - Omni-Tek and the clans very often underestimate the dangers of the Territories. The selection of monsters, mutants and animals is dazzling and extremely dangerous. Hunters from all over the galaxy travel to Rubi-Ka to hunt in the Territories. Several times, Omni-Tek has attempted to colonize and establish outposts, but all have been destroyed through accidents and monster attacks. The clans find it ironic that these monsters are the result of escaped and failed experiments of the Omni-Med Lab. Some escaped on their own, others with the help of scientists or the Eco Warrior clan. The strangest phenomenon of the Territories are the highly intelligent races called Enigma and Savage Medusa. They seem to have their own unexplainable agenda that makes them very unpredictable.
  
  
  
  • Tir - Clans are established in Tir, and sympathies for the rebellion on Rubi-Ka run high among the population. The problem is that the Council of Truth finds it difficult to take the leader of the city seriously. The Homo Opifex female Sally Raleigh (aka Slippery Sally) is leading the city with great enthusiasm. Her power in the city is limited, because Tir inhabitants expect to have all the freedom in the world. Tir is really an anarchy. The citizens of Tir do not sense the need for institutions, and nobody tries to force their will upon anybody else. To a certain degree this system seems to work. - People seem to trust each other. The police force is hardly the most efficient organization on the planet, but as people want the system to succeed, the inhabitants of Tir tend to behave responsibly. The ruling philosophy is: If nobody is hurt and complains, nobody will ask questions. There are casinos, shops for illegal stims and a dedicated assassins' guild. All the goods that could get you arrested anywhere else on Rubi-Ka, can be found here. Even so, the majority of the inhabitants are serious people and the city is mostly peaceful. Several places are very seedy. Even with the overall positive attitude, it is difficult to avoid violence in establishments with daily gladiator fights and stim sales. Stories are whispered about innocent visitors who are sent on dangerous quests in the Tir underworld - never to be seen again. Among adventurers, Tir is seen as a perfect starting-place for expeditions to the Territories.
    
    
  • Artery Valley - The only forested area of Rubika is located along the Witch River in Artery Valley. This region is a wild stretch of rivers, streams, swamps and jungles. Some of the most prominent monsters beside giant poisonous insects and the flying cuckoo snake are:
    
    • Enigmas and Savage Medusa are rumoured to be one and the same race. Their DNA are very different, however, and they never act together. They seem very intelligent, have a complex religion and appear to have some kind of innate nano mage abilities. Both sexes carry with them strange artifacts with arcane uses. Several adventurers have told how they were helped by the races in a crisis, but there are even more stories about slaughtering innocent people who could be no threat to anybody. The agenda of Enigmas and Savas Medusas is very puzzling.
    • Anzesaurus, a 'fun' Omni-Tek experiment in gene-engineering that resulted in a cunning, armoured, carnivorous dinosaur.
    • Boarman, a violent, but not very intelligent, mutant. It remains unclear what purpose Omni-Med had in mind for this mutant breed. They have escaped from the laboratory that made them, possibly with the help of Eco Warriors. The Boarmen work very well together in bigger groups.
    • Tyranno Mutants combine the savage instincts of the Tyrannosaurus Rex with the cunning of a human. If they were able to work together in groups, they would be a very dangerous enemy for humans on Rubika. Rumours have it that a group of 5 Tyranno Mutants slaughtered the well-armed Hard Luck trading outpost with close to 150 adventurers, 50 traders and a 20 person Omni-Mil squad.
    
    
    Luckily, the monsters of The Territories stay in one area in the eastern part of Rubika. Both Omni-Tek and the clans get nervous when they think about the monsters that occupy this area.
    
    
  • 2HO Military Outpost (2nd Head Office) - This is the most hectic Omni-Tek military outpost on Rubi-Ka. The rest of the HO-series of military outposts are based safely in Omni-Tek-controlled territory. There are no military outposts in the contested clan-controlled areas. A recruit sent to 2HO could expect active combat and patrol duty. Constant mutant attacks from Medusas and Enigmas are also a burden to reckon with. Some soldiers like the duty for the excitement, but to most people this is one of the worst places on Rubi-Ka. Constant attacks, long watches and a high body count are not what all recruits hope to get out of their military duty.
    
    
  • Wine Mining Outpost - The Territories are teeming with vegetation; the region is one big oasis compared to the rest of the planet. Nevertheless, Wine is often called the oasis of the Territories. It is one of the few peaceful places the monsters and mutants seem to leave alone. Is this just the proverbial silence before the storm, or is there something the monsters fear about the area? - Or have the leaders of the outpost made a pact with the devil?
    
    
  • 20K Trade outpost - The independent traders were initially very skeptical of building outposts in the Territories. When Hard Luck was devastated by a massive mutant attack, all the big neutral organizations decided to keep out of there - and the business was not all that good. Only a minority of suicidal adventurers entered the jungle. One local veteran merchant, Milo Chatter, established this trading outpost with the assistance of Omni-Tek. The Medusas and Enigmas tend to leave the village alone, and even do some trading with Milo. Everybody is very surprised by his success. There are rumors that Milo has discovered some of the secrets of the mysterious mutant breeds that live in the Territories. He refuses to comment this, and nobody dares to ask the mutants. This is a popular starting point for hunting trips into the Territories.
    
    
  • Hard Luck - Emporium tried to start this outpost a few years back. With solid support from Omni-Mil they established the place close to Omni-1, in an area everybody found quite safe. A few months later the place was totally destroyed by a big attack from an assorted selection of Territories mutants. Now Hard Luck is only a ruin. Teams that have explored the area tell that they have observed great mass meetings of mutants in the village. This makes Omni-Tek quite nervous, because the outpost is quite close to the main city of the planet.

* Political Influence indicated by Color
† Not Currently In-Game.

[Namiru]

• Omni-Tek Controlled - All cities and outposts in this area are controlled by the mega-corporation. Omni-Tek has several military outposts that fend off monsters from the wasteland, but abandoned mines are still haunted by mutants from Omni-Med laboratories. Omni-1 is the biggest city on Rubi-Ka. The clans have undercover activity in the area, but they are very careful not to provoke Omni-Tek until they will be able to win a confrontation.

Might want to add a OOC sidebar listing what zones the OT control area consists of. If my memory serves, it was originally Omni-HQ, Omni-Entertainment, Omni-Trade, Rome-Red, Rome-Green, Rome-Blue, Omni Forest, Greater Omni Forest, Galway Shire, Galway County, Clon****, Lush Fields, Pleasant Meadows, Andromeda, Milky Way, The Longest Road, 4 Holes, Stret West Bank, Holes in the Wall, Borealis, Since then, Andromeda became ICC HQ and is now technically Neutral. Milky Way has fallen to Prisoners and Cyborgs and is "uncontrolled", Stret West Bank and Holes in the Wall is pretty much considered a Neutral Annex, 4 Holes has been taken over by Clan. Boraelis was abandoned by OT, Claimed by Neutrals, and reoccupied by OT "for the Neutrals own safety".

• • Clon**** Omni-Mine - The first mining outpost on Rubi-Ka has now grown out of control. The very rich ore is supporting a society that is more densely populated than most of the clan cities, and not all of the inhabitants have any dealings with Omni-Tek. The proximity to a big deposit of Notum has made this the best place to get nano technology. Jobe is more interesting for trading in these exclusive goods, but the Jobeans are too protective to be accessible to the general public (and adventurers). Clon**** is a strange boom town with intense trade activity - perhaps the most hectic city in the Omni-Tek area, considering how small the area is. The slums are very small, but in seediness and illegal trade they are able to compete with Omni-1. There are constant rumors that Karl Montani, the leader of the Omni-Tek controlled city Rome, plans to clean up the city and turn it into a respected business center for trade in ore and nano technology.

Strike that, since the RetCon of Jobe it's now accessible,

• • Stret River - Where the Three Rivers meet New Mississippi, the river is called Stret. In general, Omni-Tek has absolute control over this waterway. It is used mainly to transport goods and people in a simple and cheap way between the more civilized areas and the frontiers of Rubi-Ka.

Might want to add information about the community of Borealis in this section, or would that be under "Rebel Territories"?

• • 3HO Outpost (3rd Head Office) - The soldiers in this military outpost are mainly used to quell feuds between the 4 Holes villagers. Defensive actions toward clans or mutants are only necessary occasionally. The soldiers have made their mark on the entertainment district of 4 Holes. Soldiers like to use their money on cheap drinks and entertainment on their time off. Mutant and monster activity is quite low. Omni-Tek is considering to redirect the resources of 3HO to other places on Rubi-Ka, such as the Territories or forts in the mining villages of the West. Soldiers usually prefer to be placed in 2HO if they want action or Roulette if they are lazy.

I take it this is the Omni-Tek Outpost in Southern Stret West Bank? A lot of this information may have changed since the 4 Holes Takeover by the Unionists, I would suspect 3HO is now an OT Priority. It was probably also the "staging area" for the OT occupation of Borealis.

• • 4 Holes - [11]
    Deprecated Description

You might what to condense this information, mention what 4 Holes used to be, THEN mention the Unionist Takeover.

• • The Reck - This peninsula is the most dangerous place in Omni-Tek-controlled territory. Misplaced monsters from summon formulas and nano energy have caused hundreds of strange and exotic mutants to spread all across the land. The Reck trading outpost itself and the adjacent road are quite safe. One can always find a crowd of nano mages or other people hoping to catch a glimpse of Jobe, or one of their legendary nano mages at the local village inn. The owner seems to have good connections with the Jobe inhabitants, but he uses most of his time trying to stop crazy people from swimming to the island of Jobe.

You might want to add an OOC sidebar here to mention that The Reck technically is between Rome and Broken Shores, but was never put in game.

[Namiru]

[list][*]The West - The majority of the immigrants move to mining outposts in the west, along the New Missi river. Omni-Tek controls the resources, the trade and export of ore from the area. In this way, they are able to control popular opinion on the frontier. At the same time they give the inhabitants a feeling of freedom through limited local self-government and intense propaganda. The inhabitants are not very interested in clan activity, they are quite satisfied with Omni-Tek, but it is impossible to control what happens in isolated villages, so there are more openings for clans in The West than in Omni-Tek area proper. Kapar is a city that was founded by clans. Now independent intergalactic traders run much of the city. Omni-Tek is also lurking around the area. This makes the city a hotbed of intrigue and plots.

*snip*

Was any of this put in game? I THINK this refers to zones north of Broken Shores, which the original developers had much plans for, but either quit or were let go before they could release them.

[Namiru]

• The Endless Plains - The Endless Plains are a wasteland where people can live only in a few oases and craters that contain water. The most militant clans have their stronghold in Sparta, a quite large city modeled after the old Greek city-state. People who move to this area support the strictest clans that violently oppose Omni-Tek. The leader of Sparta, Al Kolokotronis, tries to restrict the level of violence against civilian targets with a code of honor.
  
  
  
  • Sparta - *snip*
    
    
  • The Big One - *snip*
  • Stria Rubi Desert - *snip*

Was ANY of this put in game? I don't think so. I think some of it was areas W of Avalon, and some of it was the original 3 craters, which was obliterated when Means and Kintaii decided to turn it into a Org City Map. >_<

• • Camelot - Camelot is the obvious name for this headquarter of a clan modeled after King Arthur's knights. Many people find Camelot's code of chivalry ridiculous and outdated. However, they are cunningly efficient in their missions, and no force is able to beat them in swordplay. Their main problem is that they expect their enemies to follow an outdated chivalry code - and who fights with swords today? The leader of the clan calls himself simply Lord Galahad. Where he came from, nobody knows. He is rumored to be half crazy; however, no one doubts his dedication to the rebellion. A few years back he became a member of the Council of Truth.

Outdated info, I think. In 29477, I think, Lord Galahad left the Council to explore the newly discovered Shadowlands, He was not heard from again. (Technically, the Avalon "Lord Galahad" and Inferno's "Lord Galahad" are supposed to be the same person, I think. He just reached "Enlightenment".)

[Namiru]

• Rebel Plains - The majority of the clan activity is situated in this part of the planet. Athen is the clan capital of Rubika. Freedom-loving rebels dominate all the villages along the Three Rivers and on the plains. In addition to the moderate clans, outlaws from both Omni-Tek and the clans are located in Salty Hell. The terrain consists of a wide expanse of dry plains with smaller oases. Besides humans of all breeds, the Spawn breed dominates the rebel plains.

Might want to consider OOC sidebars telling people what zones make up The Rebel Plains. By the looks of things, Most of what's discussed here is Mort, Newland Desert, and "The Plains of Salt" zone that was never put in game.

• • Athen (Omni-2) - 75 years ago, Omni-Tek planned to expand their operations into the northern plains. Omni-2 was constructed to administer and assist the mining outposts planned for the north. Several departments even prepared to set up their Rubi-Ka headquarters in Omni-2. The west had been under control for the last 100 years, and, with the exception of some undercover clan activity and the Sentinels attack against the Dynamite Mine 10 years back, there had been no major incidents. At that time, the north was close to being under clan control. Omni-2 was their primary short-term goal in the war against Omni-Tek. This quickly made Omni-2 a hotbed of political activity and violent unrest. There are two versions of what happened later. The clans claim that their combined forces threw out Omni-Tek. Usually, there is much in-fighting among the clans, but in this confrontation they all worked together. Athen, Omni-2's new name, will now be made into a clan utopia and an example for rebels all over the universe. The Omni-Tek version of events is different: The city was no longer profitable, and they pulled out for economic reasons. Omni-Tek does not like that the Council of Truth controls the city, and is using Athen as an example of how bad a clan-controlled planet would be. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. Omni-Tek would have preferred to keep their city. Several of its departments, that had deep investments in Omni-2, are very bitter at the management's perceived betrayal, to decide to evacuate the city. The successful clan activity is the most important reason that the city no longer was profitable. There are good and bad things to say about the city of Athen. The level of freedom has increased, and it is quite safe for its inhabitants. Because of this, a multitude of citizens who previously supported Omni-Tek are now clan members. On the other hand, several Omni-Tek organisations and structures are not working as efficiently as under the ousted Omni-Tek administration. What concerns the clans the most, is that the evacuation was part of a new Omni-Tek strategy. Omni-InternOp has devised a plan to undermine clan control of the north, by infiltrating Athen and Kapar. The divisions among the clans on several important issues have made his scheme surprisingly successful.

Technically, Athen is in the Northern Stret River Valley, and not in the same area as the other territories, save "Last Ditch. Also, no mention of West Athen?

• • The Plains of Salt - This is perhaps the most dismal area of the terraformed part of Rubika. There is a sour smell in the air from the acidic minerals that cover the area, and moss-like plants live on these minerals. Also part of the local ecosystem are big mutant worms, that eat the plants and minerals. Their excrement in turn feed the plants, and change the minerals. This closed ecology has no place for humans. However, a playful worm is quite likely to kill a party of humans. To make matters worse, roving bandits from Salty Hell are even more dangerous than the wildlife. Nothing in this salty wasteland is edible for humans; it is a miracle that the outlaws in Salty Hell in the middle of the plains are able to survive.

The most we get to see of the Plains of Salt is the very Southern tip of it, which is in NW Greater Tir County. The area N of GTC was supposed to be the true Plains of Salt (which included Salty Hell) and that playfield was never added.

• • Mort Crater - Early metoritic activity has created several craters on the planet. Mort is one of the very few such places that emit poisonous radiation. The crater is filled with radioactive material that will posion anyone who walks into certain areas. The only civilisation in the vicinity is the Sentinel HQ, that is located on a safe pensinula stretching out into the radiation fields. Some say that there are other safe islands with strange monsters in the crater, but this rumor has not been proved. The only known monster that lives in the hot radiation terrain around Mort Crater is the Drak animal. This is a silicon-based lifeform that breeds by cloning itself, and survives by eating the radioactive minerals. The heat produced by the minerals provides the energy these creatures need to sustain life. The Draks are not able to move more than a few kilometers away from the crater; the farther away they are from the crater, the slower they will move. There is a large circle of rocks around the crater a few kilometers from it. The rocks are in fact Draks that have moved too far away from the safe crater and become petrified. Adventurers say that it is possible to wake them up by bringing the radiation material to them, but this is not easy and few dare to try.

Might want to add that the southern edge of the crater has been infested by Cyborgs in recent years.

• • Last Ditch - An unofficial border between clan territory and Omni-Tek interest area goes through the Last Ditch. Neutral traders hesitate to travel further out in the wilderness, so independent warrior merchants use this as a place to buy goods from Omni-Tek (or from all over the galaxy) for quick profit in the clan city and villages to the north. Last Ditch is a lively frontier trading-center with a high activity level. Prices are a bit on the high side, but the mix of neutral traders, Omni-Tek and clan people make this feel like an interesting and fun outpost.

Not bad, but I don't think this is in the Rebel Plains. Last Ditch is S of Athen in Stret West Bank.

Also you might want to add mention of Reet's Retreat, which was added after this info was written, apparently..

• • Newland -The village of Newland is a typical boom-town that has more activity than it can contain. Several clans have moved to Newland, and even more clans have been founded in the last few years. The clan house/business ratio is quite high. It is always possible to get what you want if you have the credits, but prices can run very high. The neutral traders do not dare to go this far out in the wilderness, so independent merchants could earn good money selling equipment in Newland.

Okay, apparently this information was written back in BETA. The area of Newland, Newland City and Newland Desert was ceded to the Neutrals by the Clans (and notarized by OT) back before release, so pretty much this whole information is a load of bollocks.

Newland
Located in the centre of the clan-controlled north, Newland is considered a neutral city, although the area itself still harbours tensions that are only being kept in check with the proverbial rubber bands. the peace between the human population and the Omni-Med created Rhinomen - the dominant non-human breed - is quite fragile, though the Rhinomen will not attack unless someone in their tribe is threatened or provoked. The former trade outpost Meetme Dere is home to an Omni-Tek "Wom-pa", and a clan-run trading station near the city acts as a bridgehead for clan expansion, but in general the area offers habitats that are open to all, regardless of breed or affiliation. The Newland Terrain is mostly arid desert and oasis with corresponding wildlife, including the aforementioned Rhinomen.

The trading post referred to is Stolts, I think, which has been retconned to neutral.

• • MeetMe Dere - This village has become almost a ghost town. Most of the clans that built this city have left for other cities and places. After the conquest of Omni-2/Athen, the most active clans decided to put up headquarters in the new City of Freedom. The more sceptical clans moved to Newland. The continuing attacks from bandits located in Salty Hell have not helped MeetMe Dere either. Nevertheless, the village is still a popular meeting-place and starting-point for adventure in the wilderness. The prices and availability of adventure gear are very good in MeetMe Dere.

Might want to make note that The ICC moved into MeetMeDere (God, I love that name) sometime in 29476, and a trader by the name of "Uncle Bazzit" moved in and opened shop.

• • Salty Hell - The worst crooks, murderers and bandits that everybody else avoids can be found in this desolate place. It is a bounty hunter's heaven - if the hunter can escape alive with his bounty. Violence is not prevalent in the village though, it is quite peaceful. The only way to survive in this area is to steal food from caravans, teams and villages close to the Plains of Salt. Food prices are very high, due to the lack of farms and hunting game in the Plains of Salt. A brave fighting merchant could earn a lot of money by bringing food to Salty Hell.

Might want to put this as a sub bullet of "Plains of Salt" as it was supposed to be there. Not implimented.

[trousers]

Thanks dude, The original info is all copied from old AO sources, and as you're pointing out needs to come up to date. I'll peruse your posts a little bit later and we'll start to get this beast hashed up and brought up to speed for everyone.

Just note: Unimplemented doesn't mean non-canon. The approach I am taking is that, anything that can be cited back to an official source is canon unless a more recent source is available to overrule the old source (deprecating the old source) or if FC makes a post in an official capacity officially nix'ing something.

So, for Example. While we may never, ever, see Sparta. Lore wise it should still exist. Just for whatever reason, we can't physically go there. Now, if Kintaii posts and says "We've removed Sparta from the Lore" everything related to it would instantly become deprecated.

[Namiru]

I never said it shouldn't. However, I think that stuff not impliments should have a little OOC sidebar not noting that, so people that read it don't go looking for it.

[Namiru]

• The Territories - Omni-Tek and the clans very often underestimate the dangers of the Territories. The selection of monsters, mutants and animals is dazzling and extremely dangerous. Hunters from all over the galaxy travel to Rubi-Ka to hunt in the Territories. Several times, Omni-Tek has attempted to colonize and establish outposts, but all have been destroyed through accidents and monster attacks. The clans find it ironic that these monsters are the result of escaped and failed experiments of the Omni-Med Lab. Some escaped on their own, others with the help of scientists or the Eco Warrior clan. The strangest phenomenon of the Territories are the highly intelligent races called Enigma and Savage Medusa. They seem to have their own unexplainable agenda that makes them very unpredictable.

And again, what areas define the territories? If you are referring to the disputed or "unclaimed" zones, these would be Stret East Bank, Upper Stret East Bank, Central Artery Valley, Deep Artery Valley, Southern Artery Valley, Belial Forest, and Eastern Foul Plains. Since that time Southern Fouls Hills and Milky Way can be added to that list.

• • Tir - Clans are established in Tir, and sympathies for the rebellion on Rubi-Ka run high among the population. The problem is that the Council of Truth finds it difficult to take the leader of the city seriously. The Homo Opifex female Sally Raleigh (aka Slippery Sally) is leading the city with great enthusiasm. Her power in the city is limited, because Tir inhabitants expect to have all the freedom in the world. Tir is really an anarchy. The citizens of Tir do not sense the need for institutions, and nobody tries to force their will upon anybody else. To a certain degree this system seems to work. - People seem to trust each other. The police force is hardly the most efficient organization on the planet, but as people want the system to succeed, the inhabitants of Tir tend to behave responsibly. The ruling philosophy is: If nobody is hurt and complains, nobody will ask questions. There are casinos, shops for illegal stims and a dedicated assassins' guild. All the goods that could get you arrested anywhere else on Rubi-Ka, can be found here. Even so, the majority of the inhabitants are serious people and the city is mostly peaceful. Several places are very seedy. Even with the overall positive attitude, it is difficult to avoid violence in establishments with daily gladiator fights and stim sales. Stories are whispered about innocent visitors who are sent on dangerous quests in the Tir underworld - never to be seen again. Among adventurers, Tir is seen as a perfect starting-place for expeditions to the Territories.

This would be the case if it wasn't for a large, impassable mountain wall (and zone border) that seperates Tir and Varmit Woods from the Artery Valley Region.

Also, I'm not sure Slippery Sally is in charge anymore. Simon Silverstone and the clan Sentinels took over Tir in 29476 and declared the city Clan only, ordering Neutrals shot on sight. Later accords were reached with the whompah moved from it's old location (atop the store in the center of Tir) to the new location (near the Council of Truth). Neutrals are allowed access to Tir, but any neutral attempting to enter or leave via the entrances will be killed on sight.

• • 20K Trade outpost - The independent traders were initially very skeptical of building outposts in the Territories. When Hard Luck was devastated by a massive mutant attack, all the big neutral organizations decided to keep out of there - and the business was not all that good. Only a minority of suicidal adventurers entered the jungle. One local veteran merchant, Milo Chatter, established this trading outpost with the assistance of Omni-Tek. The Medusas and Enigmas tend to leave the village alone, and even do some trading with Milo. Everybody is very surprised by his success. There are rumors that Milo has discovered some of the secrets of the mysterious mutant breeds that live in the Territories. He refuses to comment this, and nobody dares to ask the mutants. This is a popular starting point for hunting trips into the Territories.

This should be in "Omni Controlled Territory", as Pleasant Meadows is definately OT controlled.

• • Hard Luck - Emporium tried to start this outpost a few years back. With solid support from Omni-Mil they established the place close to Omni-1, in an area everybody found quite safe. A few months later the place was totally destroyed by a big attack from an assorted selection of Territories mutants. Now Hard Luck is only a ruin. Teams that have explored the area tell that they have observed great mass meetings of mutants in the village. This makes Omni-Tek quite nervous, because the outpost is quite close to the main city of the planet.

Finally some information on Hard Luck. The AO Wiki actually doesn't have this info. What's your source?

[trousers]

Might want to add a OOC sidebar listing what zones the OT control area consists of. If my memory serves, it was originally Omni-HQ, Omni-Entertainment, Omni-Trade, Rome-Red, Rome-Green, Rome-Blue, Omni Forest, Greater Omni Forest, Galway Shire, Galway County, Clon****, Lush Fields, Pleasant Meadows, Andromeda, Milky Way, The Longest Road, 4 Holes, Stret West Bank, Holes in the Wall, Borealis, Since then, Andromeda became ICC HQ and is now technically Neutral. Milky Way has fallen to Prisoners and Cyborgs and is "uncontrolled", Stret West Bank and Holes in the Wall is pretty much considered a Neutral Annex, 4 Holes has been taken over by Clan. Boraelis was abandoned by OT, Claimed by Neutrals, and reoccupied by OT "for the Neutrals own safety".

I don't want to make a zone by zone list because there are zones which have multiple spheres of influence. The Regions are painted with a broad brush to simply serve as a reference. Much like how Newland is in the Rebel Plains, but is most certainty not a rebel city.

Strike that, since the RetCon of Jobe it's now accessible,

Struck from the record.

Might want to add information about the community of Borealis in this section, or would that be under "Rebel Territories"?

Added Borealis to “The West” since it seems to fit geographically.

I take it this is the Omni-Tek Outpost in Southern Stret West Bank? A lot of this information may have changed since the 4 Holes Takeover by the Unionists, I would suspect 3HO is now an OT Priority. It was probably also the "staging area" for the OT occupation of Borealis.

3HO is supposed to be West of the Stret River and South of the New Mississippi. If it should be anywhere, it should be in the vicinity of 5C in Stret West Bank. If someone could scope the area out for any signs of what might be or been a military base, that's be cool.

You might what to condense this information, mention what 4 Holes used to be, THEN mention the Unionist Takeover.

I did. You can click the Link for what it use to be.

You might want to add an OOC sidebar here to mention that The Reck technically is between Rome and Broken Shores, but was never put in game.

Modified in the first section, I will propagate it to the rest shortly.

Was any of this put in game? I THINK this refers to zones north of Broken Shores, which the original developers had much plans for, but either quit or were let go before they could release them.

with the Exception of the Stret River and Borealis (which I added there), No. None of this has been implemented.

Was ANY of this put in game? I don't think so. I think some of it was areas W of Avalon, and some of it was the original 3 craters, which was obliterated when Means and Kintaii decided to turn it into a Org City Map. >_<

Nope, none of this made it In-Game. But, until it's officially deprecated by an official source we should treat it like it does exist in the world.

Outdated info, I think. In 29477, I think, Lord Galahad left the Council to explore the newly discovered Shadowlands, He was not heard from again. (Technically, the Avalon "Lord Galahad" and Inferno's "Lord Galahad" are supposed to be the same person, I think. He just reached "Enlightenment".)

Post an official source for any or all of this and I will deprecate it accordingly.

Might want to consider OOC sidebars telling people what zones make up The Rebel Plains. By the looks of things, Most of what's discussed here is Mort, Newland Desert, and "The Plains of Salt" zone that was never put in game.

See broad brush comment above.

Technically, Athen is in the Northern Stret River Valley, and not in the same area as the other territories, save "Last Ditch. Also, no mention of West Athen?

But that's not one of the larger geopolitical regions. Also, is West Athen technically considered it's own town, or an extention of Athen? If you can cite me something that indicates that it is its own town I will gladly add it.

The most we get to see of the Plains of Salt is the very Southern tip of it, which is in NW Greater Tir County. The area N of GTC was supposed to be the true Plains of Salt (which included Salty Hell) and that playfield was never added.

Will annotate this as not in game.

Might want to add that the southern edge of the crater has been infested by Cyborgs in recent years.

Done.

Not bad, but I don't think this is in the Rebel Plains. Last Ditch is S of Athen in Stret West Bank.

Also you might want to add mention of Reet's Retreat, which was added after this info was written, apparently..

Last Ditch is placed based off the Atlas' Information on where it resides.

I will try to go in later and add in sub-bullets for each of the night clubs.

Okay, apparently this information was written back in BETA. The area of Newland, Newland City and Newland Desert was ceded to the Neutrals by the Clans (and notarized by OT) back before release, so pretty much this whole information is a load of bollocks.

It's more like Omni-Tek came in and threw the Clans out. The Transition of Newland from Clan Occupied to Militia Occupied is kind of lengthy, I will strike the current text out and work to update it soon.

The trading post referred to is Stolts, I think, which has been retconned to neutral.

Looking at the RK map, I'm inclined to agree with you. Added an entry for it to be filled out.

Might want to make note that The ICC moved into MeetMeDere (God, I love that name) sometime in 29476, and a trader by the name of "Uncle Bazzit" moved in and opened shop.

I will check to see if I can find any official sources to cite for when these developments occurred.

Might want to put this as a sub bullet of "Plains of Salt" as it was supposed to be there. Not implimented.

will annotate accordingly.

And again, what areas define the territories? If you are referring to the disputed or "unclaimed" zones, these would be Stret East Bank, Upper Stret East Bank, Central Artery Valley, Deep Artery Valley, Southern Artery Valley, Belial Forest, and Eastern Foul Plains. Since that time Southern Fouls Hills and Milky Way can be added to that list.

The Atlas defines this information.

This would be the case if it wasn't for a large, impassable mountain wall (and zone border) that seperates Tir and Varmit Woods from the Artery Valley Region.

Varmint Woods would technically be the Northern Artery Valley, according to the Atlas, and stupid impassible walls are OOC elements of the game considering we have flying cars that can fly higher than the mountains themselves.

Also, I'm not sure Slippery Sally is in charge anymore. Simon Silverstone and the clan Sentinels took over Tir in 29476 and declared the city Clan only, ordering Neutrals shot on sight. Later accords were reached with the whompah moved from it's old location (atop the store in the center of Tir) to the new location (near the Council of Truth). Neutrals are allowed access to Tir, but any neutral attempting to enter or leave via the entrances will be killed on sight.

I'm not sure either if when Simon moved in he threw the existing government out on its ass, or, if he moved in and made arrangements with the government on the sents being the muscle while Sally continues to run the administrative side of things. Any info you can find on this topic would be extremely useful.

This should be in "Omni Controlled Territory", as Pleasant Meadows is definately OT controlled.

The atlas says otherwise.

Finally some information on Hard Luck. The AO Wiki actually doesn't have this info. What's your source?

All of this information is available from the citations.

[Namiru]

I will check to see if I can find any official sources to cite for when these developments occurred.


I'm not sure either if when Simon moved in he threw the existing government out on its ass, or, if he moved in and made arrangements with the government on the sents being the muscle while Sally continues to run the administrative side of things. Any info you can find on this topic would be extremely useful.

Would personal experience count?

I was in game for both events. I don't remember the exact dates, but my account was activated in Jan 2002 and Suspended in Dec of the same year, which 29476 on RK, and I remember both the Sentinel Takeover of Tir and the ICC Landing and conversion of MMD from a 25% zone to what it is today. I do NOT remember if Bazzit went in at that time, though.

As far as my memory serves, Silverstone got upset at the CoT for it's lack of dedication (read: inability to agree on the smallest things) and pretty much declared Martial Law in Tir. If ANYONE can find backup on this, I'd appreciate it. We didn't have IRRK news feeds back then, and the old IR News Website went down years ago.


EDIT:

From AO Main Website Timeline, Page 9, Article 7

CoT disappears without trace

The Council of Truth disappears amid rumours of a coup d’état. All Council offices are emptied and all representatives go AWOL.

UniClanCast
12:00 September 18, 29476 RST

TIR (UCC) – As of this morning, the Council of Truth is no more. Rumours began spreading in the clan community early yesterday evening about the possible fall of the Council, and the Council remains incommunicado at this time.

While little real information has been garnered yet, witnesses say that the Council's headquarters in Tir have been completely abandoned by all delegates and officials, as well as most or all Council employees and volunteers.

The Council's armed forces have also left Tir, possibly to escort Council delegates away from the city under guard.

Developing story

It's not yet known what or who triggered this dramatic development in the Council's rapidly intensifying crisis, or when or why the decision was made to disband the Council.

Rumours that there was a military coup d'état on the Council in the early hours of this morning, and that Henry Radiman and his closest associates have been arrested or forced to flee Tir, remain unconfirmed.

UCC will follow this developing story throughout the day.

From AO Main Website Timeline, Page 9, Article 6

ICC Peacekeepers make planetfall

ICC Peacekeepers make planetfall after weeks of deliberation pending the ICC’s processing of Omni-Tek’s formal complaint.

Rubi-Ka Headline Services
13:30 September 18, 29476 RST

BOREALIS (ARKP) – After numerous delays, the ICC Peacekeepers have made planetfall and are being rapidly deployed to their permanent stations. Initial deployment is expected to be complete within a few hours.

The Peacekeepers will primarily be deployed in neutral territories, to guarantee the protection of civilians in what the ICC has labelled a "progressively destabilising situation".

The Peacekeepers' broad mandate also includes ensuring the continued mining and processing of notum, and delivery of processed notum to off-world shipping facilities for further distribution.

While no Peacekeepers are to get involved in direct confrontations between clan-members and Corporation employees, there is some debate regarding the scope of the ICC's involvement, which may include the containment of large-scale armed conflicts if and when civilian lives may be under threat, or notum mines, processing facilities, or shipments may be at risk.

Commenting on the ongoing deployment of Peacekeepers, ICC Secretary General Isidra Derousse said that the Confederation is "pleased that the precarious political situation on Rubi-Kan can finally be monitored and controlled, and we're confident the Peacekeepers will fulfil their directives without undue interference to local affairs."

Updated: Breaking news

Following substantiated rumours that the Council of Truth may have fallen, and the revelation that Tir may no longer have an active guard force, it's now increasingly likely that ICC Peacekeepers will be immediately deployed to Tir County to prevent any outbreak of violence.

The Council's disbandment may trigger the annulment of the Tir Accord, giving Omni-Tek the authority to re-enter clan territories without prior consent or motive. The ICC will in all likelihood attempt to contain the situation while a short-term solution can be found, and negotiations for a long-term settlement can begin.

No ICC representatives will comment at this point, and no Council officials could be reached.

From AO Main Website Timeline, Page 9, Article 3
The Sentinels take back Tir

After the abolition of the Tir Accord, the city of Tir experienced a rush of Omni-Tek employees walking freely around the city. The militaristic, proactive clan Sentinels - often branded terrorists - led by Simon Silverstone, ousted the ICC Peacekeepers and took control of the city. Both Omni-Tek employees and neutral citizens were killed on sight by the new guards.

UniClanCast
17:13 November 22, 29476 RST

TIR (UCC) – The Sentinels, led by Simon Silverstone, launched an attack on Tir this afternoon and has taken control of the city.

Yesterday, Silverstone was spotted in Tir talking to several clan leaders and local residents, and witnesses say he was preparing and rallying for the attack.

“Tir has been invaded, violated by the black tide of the Corporate machine and been reduced to just another cog in the wheel,” he was quoted as saying by our reporter in Tir before he continued. “Tomorrow, Tir will again be standing proud for its citizens, lighted up by the indestructible commitment of people with nothing left to lose, and the Omni-Tek rubbish will be thrown into the bin where they belong.”

Now it’s a fact. Tir has been “liberated” from the ICC Peacekeepers and the visiting Omni-Tek employees by soldiers from the Sentinels.

It is still unclear what Silverstone’s intentions are, whether he plans to install himself as “governor” or whether his sole intention was to bring it back under a unified clan control.

Okay, so I was half right. It was Lord Galahad that got fed up by the Council's bickering and left the council. (Page 9, Article 10, and that's the last Timeline reference to Lord Galahad.) The the Council vanished without a trace. We can assume Sally was with them. Tir descended into Anarchy. OT Abolished the Tir Accord, and after 2 months, Silverstone got fed up with the OT Intrusion and took over.

The only further information I can find regarding Lord Galahad is in the bio of Tristram Solis, the Knights of Avalon representative to the Council of Truth (AO Website - People - The Clans., bottom of page). There it talks a little of Lord Galahad's "Fight against Omni-Tek and the Unredeemed")

[Namiru]

Okay, I'm looking at the "Ancient Map of Rubi-ka" you been quoting as a resource, and I'm not sure how canonical it is. It's an VERY old map. Pre-relese, and early beta. It's a CONCEPT map, and a lot of those concepts never made it to the game, or were DRASTICALLY altered before they were.

from the originator's Website:

October 1, 2004 - Ah, memories. In chatting with someone about the long-ago days of AO (back in beta), we were looking over the old map of Rubi-Ka. It's interesting, in a historical way, to see the "preliminary" plans for some of the zones that never opened (like the Plains of Salt) and how some areas changed between concept and use (like MeetMeDere and Jobe). I found an old link to this map and have it stored on the server; you can find it by clicking on "Ancient map of Rubi-Ka" to the left.

Becsuse this map is so old, everything on it from locations to descriptions, must be taken with a grain of salt.

Thus said, The New Mississippe forms the border between Stret West and 4 Holes. There is NO OT Outpost that would work as 3HO South of it and N of 4 Holes. No place, even for the remains of one. There IS, however, an outpost NORTH of the New Mississippi, by a stonesthrow in SWB. It is my su****ion this is 3HO or what 3HO got turned into.

[Namiru]

BTW, I found a map with the zones CLEARLY marked off for use.

http://www.gatecentral.com/ao/doc/rubika_l1.php

[trousers]

I'm looking for some assistance on this one:

I'm citing an old promo that states:

"Anarchy Online covers 480.000.000 square meters of land, in addition to dynamic dungeons. That?s 5 billion square feet, or 185 square miles."

This is Pre-Alien Invasion, so only Rubi-Ka and Shadowlands.

The only lore i found seems to state that the Bio Sphere is actually "several hundred thousand square miles"

Since 185 isn't "Several hundred thousand square miles" it got me thinking...

Is the lore citing Meters and not miles?

Here is an image I am using as a reference:

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/7211/65881091.png

If Rubi-Ka makes up half of the 185 Square Miles and the Shadowlands Makes up the other Half we have Rubi-Ka being 92.5 Square Miles, or 9.6 miles by 9.6 miles.

Broken out into meters, that's 15,449.7 meters by 15,449.7 meters or 238,693,230.09 Square Meters (not miles).

Do you think makes enough sense to cite Rubi-Ka's Terraformed Region as 92.5 Square Miles?

EDIT: The images says "92.16 Square Miles" because of rounding. 92.5 would be the official number I would like to use.

[Esssch]

Something worth noting, I can think of what they're talking about when they say the biodome wall, you can see it on the far eastern edge of some zones, but I don't recall seeing the same on the western edge. I'm thinking that most likely the biodome extends much further than the ingame world. Seems the several hundred thousand square miles is lore-only, while the 185 square miles is ingame.

[trousers]

Two thoughts on that.

When the Pilgrims left, it stated that they left civilization (Tir and Athen) to head to the Outzone which isn't terraformed.

Assuming the biosphere is Hundreds of Thousands of square miles, using 200,000 (which is the smallest size that number could be) they would have had to walk the entirely of the white space, and that seems a tad exaggerated.

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/8159/85211995.png