USS FEARLESS FAQ

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Introduction

USS FEARLESS is the first in a new class of Warship Heavy Cruiser, designed to put the Xf phaser into general deployment and replace the venerable CAESAR AUGUSTUS-class in production.

Backstory

The Klingon Empire. For centuries it has stood, the unified will of the Klingon people, forged by the great Kahless. Kahless knew his people were hot-blooded, and designed their rule accordingly. Along with his honor code, he founded the High Council, composed of the leaders of the greatest Houses, and appointed one to rule those who ruled: The Chancellor. The Chancellor played the houses off one another, wetting the Klingon appetite for conflict without allowing it to flare into civil war, and uniting the Houses when the need came.

The need came soon. Warp capability was a blessing and a curse for the Klingons: A blessing in that it allowed the Houses to spread from Qo'noS, lessening the strife of being pressed together on one world. A curse in that they soon found others that were not themselves among the stars. They conquered the first race they met, and so began their militaristic expansion across the stars.

With other races to vent their bloodlust upon, they set their internal feuds aside, and for decades conquered unchecked. Then one day they met the one race that refused to yield: Humanity.

Humans frustrated the Klingons, sowing the seeds of discontent. Shortly after the Humans came the Romulans and Cardassians, and suddenly the Empire was surrounded on three sides by opponents who would not fall before their might. The final blow came when the Organians intervened in their abortive full scale war with the young Federation. Expansion of the Empire had stopped.

The trouble began when they began making peace. First came the Federation, then the Romulans and Cardassians in the wake of the first Dominion war. For the first time in centuries, Chancellors were having to manage House Feuds, desperate to keep the aggression within the Klingon heart from sundering the Empire.

And twice, they failed. The first was the First Klingon Civil War in 2367, and was a mere shadow of what was to come. This first war sowed the seeds of the Empire's destruction, for the House of Duras had neither been destroyed nor lost all their influence. By 2412, the leader of the House of Duras gained enough power to seize the High Council, execute the Council's entire membership, install himself as Emperor, and kick off the Second Klingon Civil War.

Fortunately, through the heroic intervention of a lone Federation starship, the Duras Emperor was killed and their hold on the Empire shattered. But those left to re-create the High Council had no experience in how to manage their society... But they *did* know of feuding.

It is now 2417, and the Klingon Empire has spent the past five years in total isolation. The other galactic powers had assumed that they'd wanted to get their affairs in order.

They were wrong.

For those five years feuding took on a new meaning in the High Council. Kahless' code of honor was set aside, and through deception and deceit a new Chancellor has arisen to power, one that the rest of the Empire sees is without honor.

Now the Federation has been called to witness the installation of this new Chancellor, and a new ship with an untested crew has been sent, the USS FEARLESS. Little to they know, the honorable Klingons that remain aren't about to stand for it...

Thus began the Third Klingon Civil War.

Unit Philosophy

The focus of this unit will be epic storytelling, specifically dealing with the Klingons, whom haven't been featured in a major ASR plotline in over five years. The unit will deal with easily identifiable 'classic' races such as the Klingons, Romulans, and Cardassians, to help create a rich foundation to lay a story upon.

This unit will be the story of the Third Klingon Civil war, and as such missions will be of diplomatic and military nature. As such, scientific inquiry will be at a minimum, and the writing position of Science Officer (SCI/CSciO)will be eliminated and placed as a function of Operations (OPS).

Players will be encouraged to create protected non-player characters from the other races, as these characters will likely be revisited from mission to mission. Missions will be designed around a basic plot outline, but will be subject to change as the story is written by the players.

Unit Structure

Unit structure will be that of standard ASR units, with several changes. First change would be the removal of Science Officer as a writing billet. Instead, a billet of mission specialist/ambassador is proposed.

In addition to the standard roles, unit members will be encouraged to create protected non-player characters from the other major powers, these being Honorable Klingon, Dishonorable Klingon, Romulan, and Cardassian. These characters are likely to be seen regularly from mission to mission and will help with the richness and continuity of the story.

Role Playing Structure

Missions:

Missions will be of three primary types: Diplomatic, Military, and Humanitarian. Each mission would be designed to last three to a maximum of six months in real time. These missions will be designed according to a story outline and as such will be designed towards a specific end, but will be flexible to player input and response.

Feasibility Questions and Answers

How many people will be required to start/maintain this unit?

Critical mass for starting this unit will be set at six people. If the unit falls below four members, it will be disbanded.

How will interest in this unit be maintained?

This unit will recruit members interested in epic storytelling and strong characterization. Each member will have the opportunity to create major non-player characters and make significant contributions to the story. After the initial story has run its course (estimated two to three years in real time), another will be designed along similar lines.

What will be this unit's Area of Operations (AO)?

Its AO will be the length and breadth of the Klingon Empire, from the border with the Cardassian Empire to the border with the Romulan Empire. This is traditional GREEN Fleet territory. Future stories could occur in GOLD jurisdiction.