Externals in Savage Star Frontiers
Working on an idea to expand the Sathars and merge them with the Star*Drive Externals. In my new campaign, I am going to make the Sathars agents of the Externals (I am undecided about whether I am going to make them originally part of the Exeat/Theocracy or newly inducted).
To start with, I want to convert what exists of the Externals to Savage Worlds. Then I want to figure out how the Sathar’s fit into the overall plan. I want to take my version of the Frontier downa different path, and not to the inevitable second Sathar War. Playing on some meta-gaming where many players – either through knowledge of the original setting or hints I have laid out – assume a second war is inevitable. But it’s not the Sathar’s they have to worry about. I kind of like the idea that the Sathar’s were on their own at first but now have new friends – the Externals. I am leaning towards that.
I am also carrying over some terms from Shatterzone. Bolter is a term used for aliens with no apparent homeworld “bolting” from something beyond the ‘Zone. Well, some Externals can be characterized as such. The I’Krl Exeat also have some similarities to the Armagons. Another good question is how would the Symbiots of Fading Suns fit into this? That’s another project.
First and foremost, in this conversion and integration, I am assuming that the region of space that contains the I’Krl is far away and hard to get to (perhaps behind an anomaly like the Shatterzone). So the only way to reach them is through things like precursor stargate technology. I have also simplified the concepts of the Kroath, Magus and the N’sss all similar origins in terms of their armor and tech. All three are similar in form and concept so basically making them all similar in origin simplifies everything.
For those that don’t know, the Externals were the basis for the primary campaign story in the Star*Drive setting of the old generic sci-fi game called Alternity back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Star*Drive was a great setting, despite the system. I have been integrating as much of it as I could to Star Frontiers. Imagine one part arachnids from Heinlein’s Starship trooper, one part Lovecraftian Old Ones, and one part HR Giger Alien/Aliens all wrapped up into one.
They were an alien menace that was invading known space in the Star*Drive setting. However, these creatures here are only the tip of the iceberg. The overall menaces was later revealed in an online PDF that was released about the External War. The first aliens introduced were only foot soldiers of a greater plot – The I’krl Theocracy. This Theocracy was dedicated to theses Lovecraftian “Dark Gods” that are extra-dimensionally imprisoned. The External sourcebook illustrated the greater hierarchy of this theocratic empire and their desire to rule the Verge and beyond. My plan is to keep that entire storyline intact with some subtle changes.
(Alien art taken from Alternity Star*Drive supplement Alien Compendium and D20 Future Menace Manual.
