The Badlands

2.1 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY The great deserts of the Badlands are part of a large frontier territory that is both a geographical and a political region. Technically, they are the nigh-infernal wastelands that ring Terra  Nova between roughly 20° North and South latitude. More generally, they are the political  neutral zone that separates the two polar confederations, the Confederated Northern City States and the Allied Southern Territories. In effect, their role is comparable to that played by  Earth’s international waters many centuries ago, and like them, the Badlands enjoy a special  territorial status. Three major mountain ranges cross the Badlands from North to South. Although they are all  somewhat active geologically, the Westridge range counts most of the important volcanoes. The edges of the great Badlands deserts are made up of several thousands of square kilometers  of savannah which act as an interface between the scorching heat of the Equator and the  more temperate regions of both hemispheres. Most Terranovans agree to consider the  savannahs as part of the Badlands and its political buffer zone, even though the leagues’  official (or at least claimed) borders often encompass most of them. 2.1.1 THE BADLANDS DESERTS The equatorial band consists of four different deserts. All share extreme temperatures (reaching 50° C during the day) and near  complete aridity. The water-rich MacAllen cave network is buried under hundreds of meters of rock and sand, accessible only  through occasional natural fissures that spawn precious oases. Vegetation is limited to adapted species like Ross lichen that lives  under the sand and waterroot, with its huge root networks that reach down to the MacAllen caves. Each desert, however, have its  unique features. The Barrington Basin is a uniform sand desert characterized by endless dunes — many of which are 400 meters high — and  raging sandstorms. Tempests form as the great easterly winds crash into the Serpentine mountains. Due to these factors, habitation is limited, though a few large city-states, such as Port Arthur, are located there. The Western Desert features sandy soil and rough scrub and is banded by wide savannas. Ancient geological upheavals have left  many water-rich fissures and spawned volcanic activity. One volcanic chain north of the Saragossa Range spews tons of corrosive  white sand, creating the so-called Great White Desert around it. Despite this, the relatively plentiful water supply makes the  Western Desert the most attractive for homesteaders. The Karaq Wastes is a desert of rock and stone more than sand. Dune seas are broken by mesas and small mountain ranges. The  mesas provide easy access to mineral resources and water, with the right equipment, and the region is characterized by many  mining camps and company towns, including Peace River. Thanks to early colonial surveys, the Eastern Desert is the site of the oldest mineral extraction efforts in the Badlands. This desert  is characterized by sand-swept stony plateaus that are nearly level with, or buried by, the surrounding sand. Noonday Sun, Midnight Frost Unlike other Terranovans, Badlanders divide the 36-hour day into two 18-hour half days, sleeping six hours around midday and midnight to avoid  the temperature extremes. At the equator, midday temperatures regularly rise above 50° C, making moving around without shelter impossible.  Conversely, the extreme aridity means that the temperature crashes at night, approaching freezing (0° C) by midnight.  To deal with these conditions, Badlanders usually wear a reversible poncho over a layer of skintight, moisture-trapping clothing, The day side is  light colored to keep cool, while the night side features attachment points for an additional warm lining. Similarly, desert dwellings are usually half  buried to keep at least one floor isolated and comfortable. MARCHING SAND In the Barrington Basin and other dune seas with high winds,  life is made very difficult by the shifting sands. Immense dunes,  sometimes reaching up to 400 meters in height, can advance  hundreds of meters each cycle, easily burying whole  communities. Without the protection of rocky outcroppings,  only large Oasis Towers and massive fortifications are feasible,  permanent structures. Even these towers get buried, but the  inhabitants are usually able to dig themselves out with  engineering Gears and vehicles. Usually, but not always. 2.1.2 THE SAVANNAHS The Badlands are framed to the north and south by large belts of semi-arid savannah that feature regular rainfall, widespread johar  grass, temperatures averaging 35°C and a shallowing of the MacAllen cave network that translates to frequent watering holes and  oases. The savannah fringes are highly variable and ill-defined, slowly transforming into grassland toward the poles and fading  into desert toward the equator. On average, the savannahs start at the political borders of the polar confederations and extend 200  km toward the equator. The savannahs have been developed as both farmland and pasture. Johar grass and waterroots are cultivated, although the threat  of desertification means that intensive farming is almost impossible. The savannahs are most frequently used as grazing land for  various reptilian beasts of burden, notably Springers and Barnabus lizards . Ranchers maintain herds of a dozen to a hundred that  graze over several hundred kilometers during a season. 2.1.3 THE MOUNTAIN RANGES The Badlands are separated by three major mountain ranges running north to south. The Serpentine and Pacifica Ranges, the  result of geologically recent tectonic activity, are characterized by dizzying heights and sharp peaks. The tallest cliff face on Terra  Nova — the so-called Dead Man’s Fall — is a 4.75-kilometer cliff on the east face of Mount Pacific, just south of the equator. The  alpha maglev line passes along the Pacifica ridge, giving passengers a spectacular view of the Karaq Wastes. Both ranges are  also resource rich, with veins of various minerals ready to be mined. The Eastridge and Westridge mountains are much older,  lower, more rounded and less resource-rich.  The mountains are characterized by cooler temperatures at the higher altitudes, reaching the freezing point on several peaks. While most of the mountains are bare — populated only by small mining camps and a few breeds of grass and insects — the  eastern foothills of the Serpentine and Pacifica Ranges are ideal for cawfee growing because the mountains force easterly winds  to an altitude where what little humidity they contain becomes rain. THE WESTRIDGE TRENCH The generally rounded peaks and sloping hills of the Westridge  Range are sharply contrasted with the great trench that snakes  its way through the range for hundreds of kilometers. The  result of a huge MacAllen branch that collapsed thousands of  cycles ago, the trench reaches depths and widths of over a  kilometer, providing a sheltered micro-climate. However, winds  funnel down the trench and can reach tempest strength with  very little warning. As a result, the trench remains spectacular, but largely uninhabited.

2.2 BADLANDS HISTORY The history of Terra Nova’s equatorial region is a story of hard struggle and survival versus both the environment and the greed of polar and local governments. The harsh deserts are avoided by most Terranovans, but the call of plentiful and valuable resources has continued to lure many hardy souls to the equator. Historians often compare the Badlands to the Old West of the 19th Century or the Australian Outback of the early 20th: a dry, desolate place populated by tough, practical pioneers who have hopes and dreams. The Badlands are the new frontier, where legends are created and fortunes made. Eking out a living in this dry wasteland is a difficult task. Yet, throughout the hardships, these pioneers forged a lifestyle based on independence, resourcefulness and pride. Faced with political pressure from the planet’s hemispheres, Badlanders have struggled through the years to maintain their identity and freedom. For the most part, they have succeeded. 2.2.1 EARLY DEVELOPMENT (TN 493-1581) During the colonial period, the Badlands were the site of several oil-drilling and mining operations, mostly in the Eastern Desert. Employees worked for ten-year terms, returning to Earth or settling at the poles when their contracts were up. A very few rugged souls established independent villages on the fringes of the mining camps. When the last ships left for Earth in TN 1455, the Badlands were stripped of their population as most corporate workers left for home or the polar cities. The few independent settlers and abandoned workers took over the camps or reverted to a tribal lifestyle, growing to communities of over 1,500 people in some cases. Only limited trade over the desert wastes was possible, and only those communities with communication links to the poles remained tied to the rest of Terra Nova. GENERAL BARNABUS COLLINS Remembered as the first true Badlander, Barnabus Collins oversaw the construction of the colonial spaceport at Baja from TN 740 to 750. He surveyed much of the surrounding land — discovering and naming the barnabus lizard and the armadillo beast — and learned to love the region and its people. He listened to worker complaints and enforced directives for humane conditions. He also developed the Collins Color System that enabled travelers and settlements to communicate with colored flags. Veteran Badlanders still carry a row of knotted pieces of cloth, unfurling them as needed: white for help, green for safe passage, red for danger, orange for quarantine, blue for a face to face meeting. General Collins disappeared during a tempest on 3 Spring TN 789 while heading a relief convoy sent to a severely damaged outpost. The caravan and his body were never recovered. Badlanders commemorate the general’s memory on 3 Spring , now called Barnabus Day , which serves as a sort of national holiday for all Badlanders. THE GREAT TEMPEST TN 1520 saw the worst tempest in Terra Nova’s history. The great storm began in the Barrington Basin and pushed into the Eastern Desert where it merged with other storms. The tempest encircled the equator over the course of the cycle, burying whole settlements forever. In the fall, the storm swept through the Great White Desert, picking up millions of tons of corrosive white sand. When the storm hit the gamma maglev line that winter, it eroded away 250 km of track and the Monroe settlement. When the line was rebuilt, the ruins of Monroe became a dumping ground for Khayr ad-Din . Norlight meteorologist Marsa Garcia has recently pointed to records of other powerful tempests in TN 721 and TN 1096 to argue that the storms are part of a pattern of growing destruction. She expects an apocalyptic storm to hit within her lifetime. 2.2.2 EMERGING CITY-STATES (TN 1581-1692) The transformation of the Badlands from sleepy backwater to vibrant frontier came with the expansion of the polar leagues. By TN 1581, all seven leagues had formed and became interested in procuring resources from the Badlands. Dissidents and fortune hunters also came to the equator. Benefiting from the polar hunger for oil, uranium, mineral ores and precious metals, Badlands communities exploded. Populations rose into the tens — or even hundreds — of thousands. Since most military conflicts were between leagues from the same pole, the Badlands were able to avoid getting caught in the middle. This period saw the development of extensive transportation links between the major resource sites and the poles, with railroads and desert highways supplementing the maglev lines. This was also the golden age of prospecting, with thousands trekking across the wastes in search of the next big find. Armed conflicts were not uncommon around the richest veins, but no large scale military operations were feasible due to the great distances involved. As a result, most communities remained firmly independent from the leagues. In the most famous case, Elayu repelled a takeover attempt by the Emirates in TN 1675 and has been fervently independent ever since. THE TRICITY FUEL EMBARGO Oil-rich Vladivostok , Bannerton and New Yukon — the so called Tricity of the western savannah — proved the power of the Badlands settlements in TN 1650 when they announced an embargo against their clients in the Western Frontier Protectorate. Supported by the United Mercantile Front, Tricity brought WFP manufacturing and transportation to a halt until they agreed to higher prices. Political scientists point to the embargo as a critical factor in the WFP’s entrance into the CNCS in TN 1692. Indeed, when Tricity launched another embargo in TN 1694, the other leagues refused to support them and the oil fields were occupied after a bloody Western “police action.” Tricity residents observe the Bannerton Massacre yearly, but continue to sell 95% of their oil to the WFP at favorable prices. 2.2.3 POLAR CONFLICT (TN 1692-1913) With the formation of the CNCS and the AST, the stakes increased as the deserts became a buffer zone between antagonistic superpowers. North and South remained dependent on equatorial resources, but the hard-line tactics of the past would no longer serve Badlanders. Polar military power came into play as never before and communities that could not play subtle political games were easily crushed. This period also saw the growth of trade networks within the Badlands to help diversify the region's economy. • St. Vincent’s War (TN 1723-1729) In TN 1723, the danger of North-South conflict became frighteningly real as a minor skirmish in the Eastern Desert released St. Vincent’s Plague , a deadly virus that targeted children. The plague wiped out a whole generation of Badlanders and thousands of children at both poles. Blaming each other, the superpowers entered into a bloody war of revenge that ended only with both economies in ruin. The famed Badlander survival instinct was tested to the limit as many of the fiercest battles were fought at the equator. The collapse of the polar economies was a blessing in disguise for the Badlands. It gave settlements time to rebuild and put them in a position to compete with the crippled polar industry. Paxton Arms gained its supremacy at this time. • The Judas Syndrome (TN 1910-1913) It took until TN 1910 for the tensions between the major leagues on Terra Nova to return to the boiling point. Military clashes were common, mostly on the borders, but were eclipsed by the complex webs of deceit and espionage that entangled all of Terra Nova. Double and even triple agents tried to maximize their personal profit before the destructive war they saw coming, selling information and offering warnings to the highest bidder. Old-fashioned concepts like ethics and honor fell out of favor as this “Judas Syndrome” transformed the Badlands underworld into a multi-million mark/dinar industry, turning small-time hoods into wealthy kingpins overnight. Smuggler havens like Westphalia , Khayr ad-Din and Wounded Knee swarmed with spies and information brokers, each trying to outdo the other. Those who learned to play the information game, or learned to keep their secrets well hidden, profited enormously. Those who ignored the web of spies became caught in it against their wishes and often turned up dead. It was into this murky atmosphere that Earth's Colonial Expeditionary Force arrived to conquer Terra Nova. NICOSA RENAULT In a time of spies, Nicosa Renault was the best there was. Born the illegitimate child of Northern Brigadier Luk Renault in TN 1869, she was raised in Massada by the Revisionist church orphanage. She escaped the sisters’ care at the age of eighteen and ended up in Wounded Knee. By TN 1900, she was the power behind several underworld thrones. Information was her game, and she played it very well. She saw the profit to be made by trading in political secrets and worked her way into the confidence of CNCS commanders in the region while offering safe passage to spies and informants. By the time the Earth forces arrived in TN 1913, Wounded Knee had become an information clearing house. It is rumored that Nicosa arranged for the covert meeting between Southern MILICIA Prefect Arland Longchamps and Northern Guard Field Marshal Anders von Breslau that paved the way for the North-South coalition against the Earth invasion. Most believe that Renault was killed in TN 1916 when she was caught in the carnage of the Baja campaign. Others swear they have received coded messages from her in the last few months. The truth  remains unknown. 2.2.4 THE WAR OF THE ALLIANCE (TN 1913-1917) The return of Earth forces to Terra Nova in TN 1913 sent a shock through the Badlands. In short order, 400,000 Earth troops had established a ground base in the desert and began their march to the poles. While Terranovan military tactics would eventually prove superior, there was little chance that the lightly armed desert settlements could resist the columns of massive hover-tanks and GREL supersoldiers that descended upon them. Only the mining town of Mount Kiev refused to submit to the occupation and was brutally subjugated as an example to others. Some brave Terranovans took off into the deserts to carry on a guerrilla-style resistance, often hooking up with rover gangs caught up in the patriotic fervor. Although minor, this resistance did force the Terran army to divert resources to maintain a rear guard. Badlanders who remained at home buried their arms somewhere safe and waited for a chance to act. They also resisted in small ways, ranging from work slowdowns to “lost” strategic items. COLLABORATION A minority of Badlanders collaborated with the Earth occupiers in exchange for power. Many settlement leaders bowed down unflinchingly to colonial commanders. Others provided information on hidden weapons caches and guerrilla fighters. When the tide of war reversed, collaborators found themselves in dire straits. Some changed with the tide and doublecrossed their Terran masters, while others simply disappeared. The most infamous collaborators, however, had few avenues of escape. Revenge squads were born spontaneously and summary executions were all too common. Unfortunately, the number of collaborators who escaped street justice is surpassed only by the number of innocents who fell to the mob’s bloodlust in their stead. • The Peace River Army Paxton Arms shocked Terra Nova by declaring its neutrality in TN 1913. Despite contemporary charges of treason, it is now clear that the arms conglomerate did so to buy itself some time. In TN 1913, a colonial landing near Peace River was a distinct possibility and Paxton was not ready. Between TN 1913 and TN 1916, they covertly kept up production, leaking some arms to local guerrillas and polar forces, and stockpiling the rest. At the end of TN 1916, Paxton finally acted. Gathering together the rag-tag resistance fighters who had been operating alone for several cycles and recruiting from their own population, the conglomerate fielded the Peace River Army and waded into the War of the Alliance. The Army grew in leaps and bounds as weapons caches were emptied and able-bodied Badlanders flocked to the Peace River banner to take back their homes. Compared to the Northern and Southern forces, the Peace River Army was piece-meal at best. Paxton fielded a single brigade and most troops were untrained and untested. Nevertheless, this group of homesteaders, rovers and miners turned the tide of the War. The Army forced the Colonial Expeditionary Force to divert significant troops to the Badlands, allowing the polar forces to finally push the invaders out of their territory. The Peace River Army’s determination and intimate knowledge of the ground they were fighting on also gave them an edge. In TN 1917, the main body of the Army was within sight of the colonial command center of Port Arthur when the surrender was announced. In the aftermath, the Peace River Army was dismantled. Many units became Rovers and the Paxton core was transformed into the Peace River Defense Force . Common Badlanders remember the Army with pride as a symbol of their independence. 2.3 DESERT LIFE The sixteen million Terranovans in the deserts and savannahs of the Badlands live harsh and rugged lives. They are tough and independent, scraping out a life for themselves and their loved ones in a world of crushing aridity, unpredictable sandstorms, dangerous rovers and vicious desert wildlife. Extracting water, growing food and defending oneself against predators — human or otherwise — all require cooperation, and Badlanders gather together in tightly knit communities ranging from isolated homesteads sheltering extended families to full-fledged city-states safely hidden behind high armored walls. Badlands settlements can be divided into five major classes: homesteads, towns and villages, oasis towers, city-states and caravans. Each of these has its own social organization and rules of conduct to ensure the well-being and prosperity of its inhabitants. 2.3.1 HOMESTEADS A homestead is the typical Badlands community, equivalent to a farm in more fertile areas. Often consisting of a single extended family working the land together, homesteads derive their sustenance from small water sources, moisture traps and desert agriculture. Waterroots, lichens, cactus-like plants and limited animal husbandry are the staples of the homestead subsistence economy, with small surpluses used for trade. Homesteads are extremely self-reliant, but unite to form counties to facilitate cooperation between families in times of need. These counties usually consist of one or two dozen homesteads around a small town and are led by a council of family elders who rule through tradition and common consent. One factor causing great change in isolated homestead society is the Hermes 72 satellite system abandoned by Earth forces in TN 1917. Satellite dishes are inexpensive, and now rest atop many homesteads and small-town bars. Exposure to programming from across the globe has prompted many young people to leave their homes in search of the glamour they see on the vidscreen. Some fear that soon there will no longer be enough people to maintain the homesteads, and a few counties have banned satellite dishes as a dangerous influence. • County Law Many homestead councils employ one or more people to enforce justice in the county. These people — called marshals and deputies — work under the direction of the county council of elders. They investigate crimes and generally keep an eye out for troublemakers or outsiders. Crimes are tried by the elders and often punished harshly. Only short term imprisonment is possible in these isolated communities, so serious offenses often result in sale into indentured servitude, banishment, or execution. 2.3.2 TOWNS AND VILLAGES Far more common than full-fledged cities, Badlands towns or villages, with anywhere from a dozen to several thousand inhabitants, generally serve as business and trade centers for homestead counties. Even the smallest will have a general store and a mechanic, and other services — doctors, veterinarians, leather workers, schools and seed-storage silos — are often available as well. In general, townsfolk are more open to strangers than their brothers on the homestead, but remain suspicious. Caravans and their wares are welcomed, but city-folk and soldiers are likely to receive a cold shoulder. Desert towns rarely have a major water source and so remain very small. Savannah towns develop around water holes and are usually larger, geared to provide for the herds of local ranchers as well as local homesteaders. Many shops are only open when a herd arrives in town. Other towns develop near corporate camps to serve miners and oil workers. They feature stores, bars, brothels and various entertainment centers. Laws are enforced only by the local corporation, which often owns the town outright. A few of these “company towns” have risen to the status of small cities and house the conglomerates that built them. THE HUNT FOR WATER The MacAllen cave network lies deep under the desert sand and is inaccessible for many Badlands communities. Even those with wells often need to supplement their water supply, usually by farming waterroot. The rugged desert plants have enormous root networks that gather water over a large area and concentrate it in bulbs. A more sophisticated technique involves using moisture traps — massive, electrically cooled, ultra-fine nets — to condense moisture carried on the wind. No Badlands community, no matter how water-rich, wastes water. Waste liquids — human or otherwise — are distilled and purified; baths and showers are often replaced by scrubbing with extremely fine silicate dust. DESERT POWER The most common and obvious source of power for Badlanders is the sun, and solar panels top almost all buildings on the equator. The lack of cloud cover and the intense radiation makes Helios an excellent power source. Some settlements supplement their power supply with great wind mills and/or more traditional petroleum power plants. All communities have some sort of backup generator, such as a wind mill or fuel engine, since during tempests and sandstorms the sky is dark and solar power is unavailable.

Khayr ad-Din The crime and poverty of living on the planet’s greatest rubbish pile only added insult to injury for the colonial-era settlement of Monroe . For centuries, that city thrived in the Badlands until, one day, a storm of white corrosive sand eroded it into near non-existence. Centuries passed where the poor inhabitants of what became know as Khayr ad-Din , built on the vestiges of Monroe,  eked out meager existences recycling and reclaiming what they could form the global trash trade. These “Trashers” formed the economy.  The end of the war and the rise of the crime lord Saddik “The Spider” Jahmoon lead to a new business opportunity: gear dueling . In the span of a decade, the trash city became a global hub of gambling and tourism as terranovans from all over came to see the machines duel. The added revenue from broadcasting rights over the Hermes 72 has only increased The Spider’s wealth and the city’s renown. Despite its newfound pride in the duelists,  Khayr ad-Din remains the trash city . The Gamma maglev hauls huge containers of trash into the heart of the urban area, the TNTR tower , and from there dispatches it to the Heaps - 27 square kilometers of refuse where a large number of trashers and generally underprivileged badlanders survive day to day in a city with no government and no services. The City breaks down into roughly four neighbourhoods. In the center is the TNTR tower. Gleaming and surrounded by thick walls, the Terra Nova Trans Rail corporation displays its full clout here where there is no local government to placate. The bureau director, Basyl Paleologus , runs the business compound like a viceroy. With a tight grip on travel via the gamma maglev, the trash business and with the assistance of his own Security Command (SecCom) under the capable hands of Eileen Gudbransson and her protegee Nadia Demeter , Paleogus is answerable to nearly no one. Nearly. Just south of the fortified TNTR tower is the Core . This densely concentrated part of Khayr ad-Din has built up around the Spider’s wealth and dueling. Khayr ad-Din’s crime lord has built a city and an industry. At its heart is the web arena. Although the streets are unpaved, the lawgivers keep it safe for tourists. Conditions are generally good and here you’ll find the Sand Stone club run by Marice Fryzel , Jackie Housa’s Oasis hotel and Tom Chamber’s  Lucky Shot  casino . Then there are the polar trade offices separated by large independent customs brokers. Add to these Trader’s Way where trashers exchange their goods and the Bazaar where Badlands caravans congregate and your form a respectable little city. The richest inhabitants and the most privileged tourist stay in the Spider’s lair , the crime boss’ enclave of luxury. North of the TNTR and the Core is the Pit , a sunken section of the city where those who have climbed out of the Heaps but not quite enough to reside in the Core make their way. This area is beholden to crime and shady exchanges. The notable hotspots are the Hammer bar and the Gallow’s pool . These infamous places are ideal locations to hire someone to kill a person and a place to get rid of the body afterwards, respectively. South of the Core is Ghost Town , the only part of the city where any of the original buildings of Monroe have escaped being buried under mounds of trash. There, the truly neglected live.  Nestled between Ghost Town and the Core, on a mound directly adjacent to the Westphalia-Azov trade road is the Badlands Caravan Guild compound. There one finds  Hotel Bravo , the BCG's home base.

NuCoal The New Coalition (NuCoal) was born in TN 1932. Initially it was a trade alliance between city states in the Westridge Range and Barrington Basin areas of Terra Nova. With the Interpolar War,  it is quickly becoming a security and protection alliance. Its seven sword logo represents the seven city states that make up the league. The large central sword for Port Arthur and its military might; the 6 smaller swords for Fort Neil, Prince Gable, Lance Point, Temple Heights, Erech & Nineveh, and Khayr Ad-Din. The forces of the NSDF comprise the NuCoal Self Defence Force regiments as well as the Port Arthur Korps (PAK) and KADA , the Khayr Ad-Din Army.

  GLADIATORIAL DUELS In the darkest corner of the dueling world lies the underground gladiatorial duel. Banking on the mystique of military duels and the popularity of professional sport Gear battles, criminal kingpins and opportunistic promoters across the Badlands and the poles establish illegal arenas where anything goes. Immensely popular in the huge fringe out of sight of polar law, underground dueling pits pilots against each other in dangerous and often deadly combats for the pleasure of gamblers and combat fans, and for the profit of underworld organizers. Like professional dueling, gladiatorial combat is often quite distant in form from the traditional battles of the military, but the sense of pride and deadly dangers tie the two traditions together. Obviously rigged duels are commonplace in the ruthless world of the underground, but the top circuits keep it to a well-regulated minimum. The kingpins make most of their money off of gambling, and high-stakes gamblers quickly learn to avoid circuits in which they stand no chance of winning big. Gladiatorial Duelists of the highest order also rarely stand for extensive duel fixing. These men and women consider themselves to be part of the same tradition as their military counterparts and value their honor on the battlefield. It is mainly because of this common attitude that even the most brutal of underground arena fights can still claim the status of duel. The modicum of honesty in the major arenas attracts large numbers of fans, who come to the Badlands or other areas to see Gear combat at its most visceral. While most organizers understand the value of keeping their best pilots alive, rare is the illegal arena that has not seen its fair share of spilled blood. Unlike sport dueling, underground weapons are live and audience members can and do get hurt by ricochets and wild fire. The few truly large underground arenas — such as the Web Arena in Khayr ad-Din — take precautions to avoid fatalities, but occasional accidents are unavoidable. The most important of the these arenas are located in the Badlands, where polar legal codes are meaningless, but smaller dueling circuits exist at both poles, often deep in the countryside, but sometimes just under the noses of law enforcement authorities. 2.5.1 BATTLE CONDITIONS Very little can be taken for granted in the world of gladiatorial dueling. Kingpins and match organizers usually set the battle conditions, forming a series of recognized games, but the tension of the military challenge is also prized. As such, individual Duelists are also given the opportunity to set conditions when challenging each other, especially in the case of long-standing rivalries which are likely to attract large audiences. Death is an ever-present possibility in underground duels. The sporting weapons used in professional circuits are completely absent and the reduced armaments often featured in military circuits are used only to increase skill and tension. It is an unfortunate fact that audiences enjoy blood and firepower, and many young pilots have sacrificed their lives to sate the crowd's desire for extreme entertainment. Almost all gladiatorial duels happen in tight arenas, ensuring both proximity to the on-site audience and quick and dirty battles. It is not uncommon for uneven gladiatorial duels to be timed in the seconds, rather than minutes. The best arenas also feature nasty surprises for the participants, such as camouflaged smoke machines, ECM generators and weapon pods. The most observant duel watchers have come to realize that it is these systems which are used for subtle battle manipulation by organizers. The hidden obstacles will favor one pilot over another on the controller's whim. Duelists themselves seem to put up with this manipulation as long as it is done subtly to increase entertainment value, rather than to ensure a result on the battlefield. 2.5.2 GAMES OF BLOOD Kingpins of underground dueling rings are more than willing to use any and all types of combat that provide betting opportunities and plenty of entertainment value. Most of the military and professional battle types find their place in the gladiatorial arena, but always with nastier additions. The classic close-combat duel is amplified by ram-plates, chassis reinforcements, spike guns and huge vibroaxes, for example. Similarly the shoot-out is often played in a version where each Gear is armed only with a heavy grenade launcher. Some exotic and outrageously violent games, however, have been developed to deal particularly with the needs of the underground circuits.

Jade struggled with her Jäger's controls as she slid down a large slope. Sand billowed around her as autocannon fire ripped into the fine silicate. Darting through smaller dunes, she watched in horror as Bart's Elan took a direct hit from a Northern rocket. The buggy exploded in an orange ball of death. She was next. Spinning on the Gear's foot-mounted wheels, she emptied her pack-gun into the Jaguar coming over the crest. Thick smoke started pumping out of the attacker's side and Jade allowed herself a grim smile. It faded as two Hunters appeared to cover their wounded commander. Tracer shells zipped past her viewscreen and she slammed her Gear into a zigzagging run. It wasn't enough. A high-caliber shell cracked her Jäger's V-engine housing just before Jade got behind cover. Fuel oil poured onto the sand and all her gages slammed into the red, but the dry well was right where she remembered. She pulled the manual release, grabbed her canteen and rifle, slipped out of her Gear and jumped into the fissure in less than a minute. From there, she could make it out of the battle unseen. They may have won the first encounter, but the Northern Guard hadn't heard the last of the Desert Wolves.

HERDING SPRINGER The principal herding animal of the Badlands, the springer is found in great numbers across the savannahs. A peaceful herbivore, the herding springer grazes in large herds or in small groups of a dozen or less. The springer was domesticated early in the planet’s colonial history, when settlers exploring the Badlands discovered that its meat was edible once treated by the proper enzymes. With the colonial boom that followed, great ranches were established to supply the new population centers with fresh meat. Over time, new species were bred by the homesteaders, many of which became naturally edible once an enzyme-producing bacteria was supplied in the beasts’ diet. The tusks growing out of the cartilaginous hump on the springer’s back, used for protection against predators in the wild, were “edited out” through careful breeding. Still, modern homesteaders often have to file down the tusks to prevent the handlers (or the animals) from hurting themselves.

RIDING SPRINGER The result of a dedicated breeding efforts over the centuries, the riding springer is a leaner and stronger cousin of the herding springer. Ranchers, savannah and tribesmen often ride this creature. The Sand Riders are also especially fond of the springers, although they ride it a bit less than “civilized” Terranovans because the animals dislike the heavy protective gear required for protection against the white sand. Instead of having the cumbersome side leg and less flexible hip structure of the herding springer, the riding springer has legs that go almost straight down the body, helping them better support the weight of the body and rider, and making them better runners. Riding springers are well-trained and easy to control. They are harnessed with a small saddle that fits just behind the dorsal cartilage plates. The rest of the harness is very similar to the one used for an Earth horse, and is often decorated and worked with delicate care.

Azov Azov is a city with curious allegiances. It lies north of the equator, at the north end of the Westphalia-KAD-Azov trail, and yet it is a member of the Allied Southern Territories. The reason  for this lies in the city’s history. Azov was once the largest mining town in the Badlands, with over half a million people living within  its city limits. Around TN 1300, the local mineral lodes began to run out and Azov slowly went into decline. By the time Earth abandoned  Terra Nova, Azov was already a ghost town. With the removal of the old colonial corporations, the Badlands suddenly became a very dangerous place. Azov’s closest neighbors  began arming themselves and waging war on each other. Fearing the growing power of the nearby city-states, Azov joined the first  major Terranovan confederation at the earliest opportunity. In TN 1681, while the Northern powers were still debating over the  formation of the CNCS, Azov voluntarily became a member of the AST. Today, Azov is no more than a corpse city. A few thousand people still inhabit the ruins of what was once a major metropolis. Entire  skyscrapers are often occupied by one or two families. A few of the old mines are still in operation, providing a meager income for the  remains of this great city. About one-quarter of the city’s population consists of the Southern MILICIA garrison force permanently  stationed there. Most of the city’s economy is now geared toward supplying and entertaining these soldiers. Azovites tend to be xenophobic and have a gloomy outlook on life. The entire city seems to project an aura of defeat. Most residents  believe that it is only a matter of time before the desert sands swallow up the remains of Azov. Few Azovians like to interact with their  compatriots and usually mind their own businesses. As such, Azov has become a perfect hideout for renegade soldiers or criminals. One  exception to this rule is Balthazar Caro, the “oldest man on Terra Nova.” A crotchety, withered Badlander, Caro lives near Azov and  claims to be older than the hills. Anyone foolish enough to pay attention to him, will be stuck listening to stories of walking  Stoneheads, seas in the Badlands, and the true Terranovans — alien descendants of the Prime Knights. Vital Statistics  Founding Date: TN 689 Joined AST: TN 1681 Method of Government: Anarchy (formerly Representative Democracy) Head of Government: Mayor Elonias Thorne Population: 30,000 including 7,500 MILICIA Principal Industries: Trade, service (for AST Garrison)

The SLEDGE By the beginning of 1916 it was becoming clear to CEF command that their ground forces were slowly becoming exhausted. They needed  reinforcement and resupply and the Terranovans needed to be hit where they were weak. Braving the hail of killer satellites, the fleet  returned to close orbit and dropped 80,000 fresh troops (under the command of Colonel Helena Agrippa ) onto the Badlands city-state  of Port Baja , the equator’s only space port. Among these 80,000 soldiers were the first of the SLEDGE  (Second-Line Elite Division GREL Experiments), an advanced genetically re-engineered combat clone intended for greater strength, endurance, and intelligence than the standard GREL. However, with these attributes came greater capacity for independent thought. Of the 3,000 SLEDGE landed on Terra Nova at Port Baja, by war's end in AU 1917 fully half of the 1,868 SLEDGE not killed in combat had deserted their commands, surrendered, or otherwise left CEF authority. There are even reports of SLEDGE soldiers turning their guns on their human commanders - something almost literally impossible for a GREL Mordred or Morgana. Naturally, these SLEDGE were not among the CEF evacuees at war's end. The majority joined the Port Arthur colony, but some SLEDGE have integrated more or less successfully into human societies in the Badlands and border regions, particularly in Ashington and Westphalia. SLEDGE  are smaller, quicker and better trained in their field than standard GREL. They also appear completely human (externally, at least) and are meant to blend in with the populace as potential "sleeper" agents. With the second-line GREL, EGL placed more emphasis on imaginative tactics and survival rather than on obeying orders blindly. In addition, it trained SLEDGE in multiple but related specializations. Classes of SLEDGE on Terra Nova 1. Ra-class Command SLEDGE Ra-class SLEDGEs have male bodies. As SLEDGE unit commanders, Ras are the best-trained second-line GRELs. They have the same basic combat training as the Bastet "grunts" as well as an advanced leadership-programming regimen that incorporates elements from the CEFs lieutenant training course. Some early subjects have even undergone captain training, although there are no plans currently in the works to put a Ra at the head of an entire company of soldiers. In addition to leading troops into battle, Ras also strive to understand everything about their enemy. This knowledge includes history, culture, reactions and fears. Knowledge is the Ra's greatest weapon. 2. Isis-class Intel SLEDGE Isis-class SLEDGEs have female bodies.  Isis-class soldiers handle counter-intelligence and information gathering. They are quintessential messengers, spies and saboteurs, and their skills complement those of the Set-class SLEDGE; most plans for Set deployment call for an Isis as the Set's "handler" and mission controller, working behind the scenes via remote commlinks. Isis SLEDGEs will also be deployed in the battlefield roles currently reserved for Kassandra-class GRELs: electronic warfare, signals intelligence and C3 operations. In a move consistent with next-generation programming, the Isis soldiers are fully capable of servicing and repairing their equipment, further obviating the need for a dedicated technician soldier. 3. Bes-class Vehicle Specialist SLEDGE Bes-class SLEDGEs have female bodies. Combining the best features of the Minerva-, Maxwell- and Isaac-class GRELs, the Bes-class SLEDGE is a master of vehicular combat. Not only can it pilot nearly any vehicle the CEF fields, it has the ability to perform field repairs and routine maintenance as well. By integrating the maintenance and operation of a vehicle into the neural programming of a single soldier, EGL has created a fighter that is, in many ways, "one with its machine." Current Bes programming focuses strongly on the NEC's new Battle Frames, but later regimens will include hovertank, aerospace fighter and submarine operations variants. 4. Osiris-class Tactical SLEDGEs Osiris-class SLEDGEs have male bodies. The Osiris SLEDGEs are the second-best trained of the new generation of soldiers. They are jacks-of-all-trades, designed not to be as specialized as any one member of their teams, but knowledgeable enough to cover another SLEDGE's duties if the need arises. The CEF refers to them as wild cards since they are highly adaptive and imaginative. They are the ones most likely to come up with non-linear solutions to problems in the field, and their uncanny insights into tactical challenges surprises most conventional strategists. An Osiris SLEDGE's tactical skills paired with a Ra SLEDGE's leadership skills is proving to be a powerful combination. 5. Set-class Infiltrator SLEDGE Set-class SLEDGEs have female bodies.  Set-class soldiers are infiltrators and quiet assassins. They are adept at handling most social situations, with strong emphasis on seduction and body language, a characteristic at sharp odds with most preconceived notions of the CEF's super-soldiers. Sets are well versed in a broad field of "mundane" knowledge, and EGL's engineers refer to them as "masters of interesting small-talk." Although neither the CEF nor EGL has ever admitted to the existence of a Jezebel-class GREL, the Set will be perfectly capable of taking on the roles associated with the mythical soldiers. Rumor even suggests the Set-class SLEDGE is the Jezebel-class GREL finally made public. 6. Bastet-class Close-Quarters Specialist SLEDGE Bastet-class SLEDGEs have female bodies. The Bastet SLEDGEs are designed to be able to use any type of hand-held weapon - from simple stone knives to complex infantry lasers. Many of the early test subjects of this class have even taken up archery, despite the apparent lack of need for it on a modern battlefield. In addition to the use of weapons, Bastet soldiers are adept at mechanical work and can repair or scratch-build most common field weapons. EGL chose to incorporate such programming into the Bastet regimen (and other SLEDGE training) in order to phase out the dedicated technician class. Not only does doing so reduce the number of specialists in the program, it also fosters a stronger appreciation in a soldier for his weapon. Even without their weapons, however, Bastet SLEDGEs are powerful unarmed fighters.

CNCS BORDER TERRITORIES Although the league concept came about rather early in the independent political history of the planet, not all city-states have seen fit  to formally ally themselves with others for trade and protection. Three of the Confederated Northern City-States’s members are not part  of any league, but rather associate directly with the confederation as a whole. The city-states of Red Sands, Wounded Knee and Timmins  are located beyond the edges of the confederation, in the Badlands. These settlements, along with the land they control around them,  form the Border Territories of the Confederation. Each city-state has its own government and is free to control its internal policies. The territories surrounding each settlement are  officially under the nominal protection of the Northern Guard , the CNCS joint military. In truth, the Guard does little more than keep the  peace, letting each city-state govern itself and its holding as it wishes, as long as it contributes to the CNCS’ coffers. The border territories are wild places where life is much rougher than anywhere else in the confederation. Although the city-states  claim total control over the land and settlements surrounding them, the truth is that the real power in the countryside is held by  local chiefs, land owners and petty tyrants, many of whom keep the Northern Guard off their back by paying a seasonal tribute to the  local Guard commander. For protection, the city-states are hidden behind large makeshift fortifications (or holed up inside a crashed spaceship hulk, like  Wounded Knee) and tightly control who and what come and go through their armored gates. Most of the habitations are simpler and  more functional in both looks and design than the houses and estates found in the city-states further up north. Generally, the  habitations are all huddled together in the shadow of the city’s great walls like frightened little children behind their mother’s skirt. CNCS Border Territories Vital Statistics   Founding Date: TN 1724 Method of Government: CNCS Protectorates Head of Government: Grand Marshal Victoria Edden-Smythe Members: Massada (non-voting), Red Sands, Timmins, Wounded Knee, various smaller desert communities Population: 2.4 million (approximately) Anthem: none Roads Far from the main axes of transportation, the small communities of the border territories must make  do with an extensive network of summarily maintained roads that criss-cross the countryside from  one town to the other. While each city-state is theoretically responsible for the maintenance of the  roads in the region they control, in practice there is little done. Paved roads, often ill-maintained, extend from the main border territories into the savannahs and  dunes of the Badlands. These fade into packed sand, gravel and cleared sections of desert rock several  hours out of the main city-states. The major roads through the Badlands joining these communities  are also caravan routes and the traders undertake some effort at maintenance, if only to ensure they  can get through to market. Massada is a special case because it is the nexus of pilgrimage routes from  the North and Badlands (and a few from the South). The main routes — leading to Peace River and  Kossuth — are well-maintained and guarded by citadels of the Dorothean Order of Revisionist monks  (see p. 47). With current tensions, major roads are also now often patrolled by Northern Guard forces. Border Clashes The Border Territories are a volatile place when compared with the relatively peaceful regions  controlled by the city-states further North. Much of the land surrounding the settlements is a  barren wilderness with little signs of human presence. The Border Territories naturally are a haven  for hi-tech bandits, petty dictators and power-mongers of all sorts. While the situation is not as  extreme as in the Badlands, the voyager soon learns that caution is not a luxury in these parts,  and neither is a sidearm or rifle. The Border Territories also serve as an excellent arena for shows of force, because they have very little  overall strategic importance to the leagues and any collateral damage will be minimal. What’s more,  the Border Territories are a very discrete place. Often, groups will come here to oppose each other  over a worthless piece of land or a local lord’s “empire,” fighting the northern and southern leagues’  wars by proxy — often unknowingly. Also, much to the CNCS’ chagrin, many people in the Border  Territories hold only a passing loyalty to the Northern confederation. Usually, profit is what counts.