Beholderspace -- The Resistance, The Government.

  Here are some notes I was using on Beholderspace.  I have upated them
somewhat because my PC's waited a few years to get a fleet together.

 Please comment! I have enjoyed the attention and the criticism and have
used some of your ideas in all the postings so far.


                The Resistance
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   Since the destruction of Naredla, Nivay, and Ronde by the Imperial Sra
Swords and the Decisive defeat of the rebels at Thought outpost The
resistance has been shattered into several splinter groups which are little
better than pirate bands at this point.
   They are engaged in hitting supply bases, Beholder brood ships (remember
the edict that required all beholders to return to Cascade for procreation?)
The various trade routes etc.  The plunder they can scrape together and
irregular mining of asteroids are the only means left to support the
Resistance.

   The last five years has seen a decline in the popularity of the
Resistance since most of the butchery is finished and slavery has been
established long enough for an entire generation of humans to live in the
repressive regime and for enslavement to gain acceptance.  The Empire has
purged almost all rebel resources from the main systems and so the remaining
groups hide in the periphery. Many that would have fought now lack the
courage since the planetary demolition.

   The Resistance is made up of the remnants of the Imperial Armada of this
sphere and a motley collection of Human, Gnomish, and Aarockra ships. There
are a few Dwarven Citadels but their ponderousness has proven to be deadly
to them against the Imperial Attack Cruisers.  The Resistance is composed of
a high percentage of spellcasters as the beholders have a very repressive
for new research.  The beholders have lessened their need for truely skilled
spellcasters with the beginning of their pilot training program.  Some
insiders say that the Academy will drop teaching spells altogether and focus
on the mental discipline they believe can be taught without teaching actual
spells.

  The periphery is a VERY large place that is extremely difficult to
navigate for the huge ships of the Imperium and still not an easy task for
the smaller craft of the resistance.
  All sorts make their home out here.  The proximity of some firebodies here
make some large asteroids habitable for some time. Few asteriods actually
orbit these stars and instead flow chaoticaly around them. One can find
churches, miners, farmers, and shipyards near the stars and who knows what
lurks in the darkness. Most of the asteroids near the stars support
breathable air and plantlife.
   The Imperial presence is maintained in garrison bases in known populated
areas and patrol groups of System Security (Carrier Hammers 3/group). There
are a few asteroid bases without groundtroops that hanger a wing of patrol
eye-fighters.

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                       The Empire

  Each Province (20 per planet some are just titles since nothing lives
there) Has a Beholder Governor in charge of his own garrison base (details
to be devoloped shortly) and acts as liason/legislator for the humanoid
population.  Each beholder may assign a government of his choice on the
province he controls.  Many governors have actually embraced a representive
government by the people since it allows the beholder to target those of
seditious intent by the way they vote( A popular beholder belief anyway) and
who their friends are.  This governments only real power is the election of
the humanoids who make up the council that hears the beholder's
instructions.

  The Criminal justice system is efficient.  If you were caught at the scene
and/or with enough evidence to suggest you commited a crime then you are
guilty of the crime.  Their are typically 10 district judges (All beholders)
in prominant cities in each province (again sometimes the position is an
empty title and one may find several judges on a panel in some areas.)
  Only crimes that humanoids have committed are tried by the planetary
judges, beholders accused of crimes (inc genetic deviation or hurtful
mutation) are tried by district judges of the home planet of Cascade.

  For Humanoids a sample set of decisions follows for any given crime:

        Food.  The individual is guilty. I am Hungry.

        Statue. The individual has detracted from the order of society and
so he is now to contribute to society in perpetuity. (The individual was
made to pose as some useful thing and petrified (birdbath, bridge brace ,
etc)
        Fah! The criminal is not worth my time! (Zap! The Accused is now
dust) This sometimes occurs when civil trials are allowed or attempted
either party or both may be judged this way.

       Slavery.  The individual is either sold into slavery or the judge
charms him into a personal servant.


       Fool!  The individual is either very brave or very foolish and the
beholder believes he'll kill himself given time. And so the individual is
let loose.


  Occaisionally a judge will release prisoners for no reason or wait years
to hear a case.  It all depends on what the judge wants.


  Humanoids are allowed their own laws and prisons etc but all life and
death descions may only be made by the Beholder Imperium.  Slave races do
not have this right, instead a keeper race that is responsible for them is
given this status.

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  If anyone has or would like to make some NPC personalities for this sphere
let me know.  I need Smugglers, Traders, Government officials, Splintergroup
leaders etc.

  I am in the midst of fleshing this sphere out and appreciate the input
those of you out there have given so far.



                 --Steven SWenson