Table of Contents
Welcome to James Kemp's Wiki
This is a collaborative web platform that allows people to edit1) the web pages to provide additional content for some of the stories I have written and the roleplaying games that I am involved in, whether as a player or GM.
There are several namespaces operating slightly different wiki subjects. These are, in no particular order:
- Skyss - Story Background - a fantasy novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2016.
- Perfects - background for the near future story and some police roleplaying that I ran in that universe
- Theocracy of Daprav - A D&D campaign that I ran with Glasgow University Games Society around 2002-3.
- Jim Wallman's Universe - a roleplaying by e-mail campaign that I play in, this is an unofficial wiki and none of it is canon unless Jim says it is.
- Interstellar Freelance Unlimited - subset of the Universe pages covering the activities of a mercenary company that we are currently roleplaying every Full Moon.
- Earth Imperium pages. These cover the activities of the Government of the Solar republic (aka Earth Empire) in Jim's Humanity Will Prevail campaign, including the Earth Imperium News Items.
- Free Worlds Alliance - covering the activities of another emerging polity in the Humanity Will Prevail campaign. Mostly contributed by Eric Moroney.
- Universe Background - page collecting the various bits of background info that have come up in various e-mail discussions for the campaigns set in Jim Wallman's Universe.
- Master map of the Universe (6Mb PDF, as at 3212).
- Delta Green - some roleplaying campaigns about horror and conspiracy. The main one was set in Berlin in 1953.
- Free games rules - a collection of free rules for wargames and other sorts of face to face games that I have designed or run.
- Wargames rules - I'm not just a player of games, I also do rules for them from time to time as well as one-off games. A primary outlet for this is through Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group.
- Other free rules - at the moment just those for the 1689 (Orange or Lemon? and Bonnie Dundee, respectively about the debates in the Scots Parliament and then the military campaign of Viscount Dundee during 1689) and The Other Side of the COIN (about what makes people become insurgents). All games that I have have produced for Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group.
- Background for a near future universe where I have written some fiction and also run some roleplaying games in.
Comments and complaints to me at webmaster@full-moon.info please.
James Kemp
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Lamster Summit Meeting
The Lamster Summit (also called the Lamster Conference) was a meeting held between the heads of state of each of the eight worlds of the Seven Worlds Defense Alliance. The meeting was held in the Diet building on Lamster. A Deadlockian Special Representative, The Jolly Reverend Bishop Mercy Dobine was in attendance. Also in attendance was Chairman Jackson from the Council of Defence Ministers.
Conference Agenda
On the agenda for this meeting were the following issues:
1. Renaming the Alliance
2. Joint foreign policy directives, including
a. The Stickney Treaty
b. The Vienna Convention
c. The Saturn Convention
d. Treaty of Geneva
e. The IFF Treaty
f. Developing closer economic ties with the UoX
3. The situation on Lon Chaney
4. Membership of the Human League
5. Application for membership from Deadlock
6. Defence Policy
7. Political Union
1. In light of the addition of an eighth member and possible further expansion of the SWDA, it was decided that the name “Seven Worlds Defense Alliance” was no longer appropriate. The name “Free Worlds Alliance” was chosen, and a new flag was commisioned.
2. a. All worlds agreed to sign Stickney c. There was very strong support for the Saturn Convention. It was unanimously agreed upon.
3. The details of this conversation are secret, but will probably be declassified in a year or two. Evidently, it did not include authorization for an attack on the DCLC colony.
4. Despite Chairman Jackson's strong support, none of the worlds thought this was worthwhile. The five SV cost was far too great for a mission which would take decades. It was generally agreed that this is something that the Major Powers ought to fund. The principle was applauded, but Alliance members had more pressing concerns regionally. First Minister McTavish of Killikrankie said that her government would be offering volunteers to join the Human League expedition, but would be unable to fund them.
5: Deadlockian Special Representative, The Jolly Reverend Bishop Mercy Dobine spoke to the summit on their application. She pointed out the economic benefits of closer links and the need for independent worlds to join together in a dangerous universe. She ended with a prayer. Bishop Devine was questioned closely by the members, particularly on the record of Deadlock on religious intolerance and its less than perfect human rights record. And its democratic processes (which do not really seem to exist). The Bishop withdrew, and the summit was divided on acceptance. In the end, approval was vetoed by Radharikrishnan, and the application formally rejected. The Bishop was told that reapplication was possible should a system of universal suffrage and democracy be introduced in Deadlock. The Bishop explained that this would be impossible as that sort of democracy was counter to 'God's Will'.
6: The Chair of the Council of Defence Ministers reported on Alliance military activity. The details of this report are classified. The Summit approved the policy of proactive engagement, but set outlimits on such activity: - Involvement on the surface of worlds without invitiation was not approved. - 'hot pursuit' of pirates into independent systems was approved So far, FWA operations (such as Operation: Panama) have obeyed these policies.
7: It has become clear that the economic development of the Alliance will require further, closer, economic and political ties between member worlds. President Elliam of Gat proposed the start of negotiations on closer economic and political union between member states. He pointed out that the Alliance already has a de-facto common foreign policy and joint military infrastructure. This was welcomed by the summit, but there was recognition that the process might take a while, particulalry negotiation on the levels of subsidiarity and the legal and political framework needed. It was agreed that this process be started.
The Summit ended with a vote of thanks to Chief Executive Imig of Lamster for hosting the Summit. There followed a press conference and photo opportunities and a reception.
Conversation
President Quinton Diffey of Radharikrishnan: Reverend Dobine, I must tell you that, in light of the frequent human rights abuses by your government and its status as a one party theocracy, the Free Worlds Alliance cannot accept your request for membership in the Alliance.
Jolly Reverend Bishop Mercy Dobine: I am very sorry to hear that you will set such unreasonable demands on membership. I, and all of Deadlock, hope that you will reconsider in the near future. We still believe that we can acomplish much together.
President Diffey: If a system of universal suffrage and democracy is introduced on Deadlock, we will reconsider your application, and indeed I think that under those circumstances it is very likely it will be accepted.
Bishop Dobine: That can never happen. Democracy is contrary to God's Will, and His commandments upon which the Deadlock colony was founded.
Chief Executive Jackson Imig of Lamster: Then I am afraid that we have nothing more to discuss with you.
Bishop Dobine: Very well. (Bishop Dobine stands.) When you realize your mistake, we will happily reapply. (Leaves)
Trivia
Chairman Jackson keeps a photo of himself with the heads of state at the Lamster conference in his office.
~~~DISCUSSION~~~
| this page is a game resource for Jim Wallman's Humanity Will Prevail play by e-mail game. None of the material on this domain is canon unless Jim says so. |
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Free Worlds Alliance
The Free Worlds (originally Seven Worlds Defensive) Alliance is a collection of independent systems in quadrant one and quadrant eight. The original seven systems involved in the alliance are Killiekrankie, Pratt, Nose, Gat, Lamster, Damper and Radhakrishnan. Ankh joined in 3207 and the alliance was subsequently re-named. The Free Worlds Alliance is a member of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. The FWA is allied to the Two Worlds Trade Zone.
Fleets
Garrisons: Each planet is protected by an interstellar destroyer, except Damper, which is protected by an interplanetary destroyer, and Kami, protected by a C5A. These destroyers are fast enough to chase down pirates.
Central Fleet: Central Fleet is the main striking power of the FWA fleet. It was this force that executed Operation PANAMA. It includes two carriers (Starbuck and Alliance), two Battleships, a heavy cruiser, an ALSI, a C1AS and three C5 for logistics support. It is slated to eventually include two destroyers. Central Fleet will launch Operation Line Drive.
South Fleet: South Fleet is a scout fleet, scouting sector BJ to warn of any alien incursions. It consists of eight C1AS and a C5A for logistics. South Fleet is partially funded by Earth.
East Fleet: East Fleet is planned to one day be a full battlefleet like Central Fleet, but for now it is only a paper command. It consists of one C1AS.
Reserves: The FWA has an LSSI in mothballs at Gat and a mothballed C5A at Radhakrishnan.
Other Forces
Ground Forces: The FWA Army comprises one Ground Force Brigade, the FWA Rapid Reaction Brigade. It is transported by a hired ALSI. The FWA Army wear black uniforms. The FWA Marine Corps also has an Independent Marine Regiment. This regiment was sent to Lon Chaney (although it did not see combat) and oversaw ground security for the Lamster conference. It is currently attached to Central Fleet. FWA Marines wear dark green uniforms.
Local Defensive forces: Ground troops not under FWA command include five militia divisions, two ISDs and two Ground Force Divisions. Of particular note is the Prattian army, a GFD. A battalion of the Prattian army saw combat at Lon Chaney, with a handful of troopers being wounded.
Missile Program: The FWA missile program is composed of Interplanetary Interdiction missiles and is currently mothballed on Kami. Other information is classified.
Intelligence Service: FWA intelligence was previously considered quite poor, but Jackson has invested an SV in the service and brought in UoX advisors to improve it. The Head of Alliance Intelligence is Commander Harry Dunne.
Independence Yards
The FWA constructed a shipyard at Damper, which was brought online on 10.055 . It is the first military shipyard built outside of the 'big eight' and the second shipyard of any kind built outside of Q0. The FWA is not bound by the agreements that prevent the 'big eight' powers from building shipyards outside of Q1, so it is perfectly legal. It has constructed an interplanetary destroyer and a CVI. It is currently constructing a DDI and a CAI
The Worlds
Killiekrankie
Killiekrankie has an above average economy which provides a surplus of 30 SV each year, most of its settlers came from Earth. Typically the government invests 12 SV back into the economy. Killiekrankie is protected by a Ground Force Division. More background on Killiekrankie is available.
Pratt
Pratt is has an average economy mainly settled from MAFC systems. They are protected by a Ground Force Division. Pratt by and large supports a very aggressive foreign policy, with President Mathiew recommending that the SWDA invade the DCLC in Operation Wolfhound.
Nose
Nose has an above average economy and was mostly settled from UOX systems. Nose provides the CNO (Admiral Neb.) They have an Internal Security Division.
Gat
Gat is an average economy and was mostly settled from GFA systems. The system is protect by a SBHEWS, an independent Pac squadron and an Internal Security Division. They currently host a nuclear weapons facility that provides nukes to all members of the alliance. Gat is the home of Chairman Jackson.
Lamster
Lamster has a below average economy and is a former member of the Centauri Conglomerate. As the centre of the fourteen systems geographically it hosts the Naval HQ and serves as the FWA’s unofficial capital. Lamster is protected by a Militia Division. A civilian repair yard owned by the Hyama Reconstruction Corporation is located at Lamster.
Damper
Mainly colonized from SSR systems, Damper is the home of the alliance's Marine Training Centre and is supplying marines to all vessels in the alliance fleet. Of all the FWA worlds, Damper has most benefited from the Alliance; when Damper joined it had a Poor economy, and Damper now has a Rich economy, making it the most prosperous world in the FWA. It is protected by two militia divisions. It also supports the FWA’s shipyards, Independence Yards. Damper is the home of High Admiral Xen.
Radhakrishnan
Colonized from RNV systems. It has a Militia Division and an Average economy.
Ankh
Ankh joined the FWA in 3207. They have a below average economy and are protected by a militia division.
Spuk
Spuk joined the FWA in 3210. It is the only FWA member world outside of Quadrant 1. Spuk, Q8 has a below average economy.
Kami
Kami joined the FWA in 3211. Kami has a poor economy. Several Forerunner artifacts were found on Kami.
Charley
Charley joined the FWA in 3211. The FWA provided advisors to Charley’s Defender Squadron for several years before Charley joined the FWA. Charley has a below average economy. The Defender Squadron still operates from Charley.
Checkno
Checkno joined the FWA in 3211. Checkno has a Just Starting economy.
Ragg
A non-member world, Ragg is uninhabited except for a small military outpost called Fort Wilson. The Military Governor of Ragg is Commodore Jenna Hiroshi. Ragg was annexed in 3210.
New Bermuda
A non-member world, New Bermuda was known as T23 until it was annexed by the FWA and renamed. The Military Governor of New Bermuda is Commander Saukam Sutsakhan. There is only a very small FWA outpost on New Bermuda, New El Toro.
Recent events
In 3206 the SWDA acquired its first professionally built warship, a hired CVI named (Starbuck). On 3207.200, the planet of Ankh signed the SWDA Treaty. Shortly afterwards, on 3207.231 High Admiral Jackson, the former head of the SWDA military, was elected Chairman of the Council of Defense Ministers, based on his tough, no-nonsense reputation. He began to hire more professionally built warships. At the Lamster Conference in late 3207, the SWDA was renamed the Free Worlds Alliance. On 3210.061, Spuk in Q8 voted to join the FWA, making the FWA the ninth multi-quadrant power. In 3210, the FWA created an Alliance Free Trade Zone between its members. On 3210.372, the FWA began constructing an outpost on Ragg. In 3211, Charley, Kami and Checkno joined the FWA and New Bermuda was annexed. Tensions were high with Z155.
War!
On 3211.360, the Free Worlds Alliance officially declared war on the Republic of Z155. Jackson predicted that Operation Line Drive, as the war was known, would be a short, decisive campaign.
The Pashtun Tribe
Tribes have existed for millennia in the area that is present-day Afghanistan. They emerged over centuries in various sections of the country, taking form along extended kinship lines. Led by councils of elders, tribes provided their members with protection, financial support, a means to resolve disputes, and punishment of those who had committed crimes or broken tribal codes of conduct.
For Pashtuns, the country’s largest ethnic group and the Taliban’s primary source of support, tribes are particularly important. Successfully turning Pashtun tribes against the Taliban — or perhaps families or sub-tribes if they deal with the government on their own — could deliver a serious blow to the insurgency and potentially create a means of stabilizing the long-suffering country.
However some Afghans see the tribes as inherently anachronistic, sexist and corrupt — a system that further undermines the already extraordinarily difficult task of creating multiethnic, merit-based national institutions. They warn that the country would be thrown into the hands of myriad tribal militias that the central government could never control. A warning that has some basis in the experience following the Soviet withdrawal.
Pashtun heartland
The largest and traditionally most politically powerful ethnic group, the Pashtun (or Pakhtun in northern Pakhtu dialects), is composed of many people (an estimated 10.1 million in 1995). The most numerous sub-groups being the Durrani and the Ghilzai. Like a number of other Afghan ethnic groups, the Pushtun extend beyond Afghanistan into Pakistan where they constitute a major ethnic group of about 14 million.
The Afghan Pashtun heartland roughly covers a large crescent-shaped belt following the Afghan-Pakistani border on the east, southward from Nuristan, across the south, and northward along the Iranian border almost to Herat. Enclaves of Pashtun also live scattered among other ethnic groups throughout the nation, where they have settled at various times since the end of the nineteenth century as shifts in populations occurred in response to political expediency and economic opportunities.
Language & Culture
The Pashtun speak several mutually intelligible dialects of Pashtu; some also speak Dari. Both Pashtu and Dari belong to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. Pashtun are generally Hanafi Sunni Muslims, but some are Ithna Asharia Shia.
Pashtun culture rests on Pushtunwali, a legal and moral code that determines social order and responsibilities. It contains sets of values pertaining to honor (namuz), solidarity (nang), hospitality, mutual support, shame and revenge which determines social order and individual responsibility. The defence of namuz, even unto death, is practically obligatory for every Pashtun. Elements in this code of behavior are often in opposition to the Shariah. Much of the resistance to the largely detribalized leadership of the DRA stemmed from the perception that in attempting to nationalize land and wealth, as well as regulate marriage practices, the DRA was unlawfully violating the prescriptions of Pushtunwali.
History
The Pashtun have provided the central leadership for Afghanistan since the eighteenth century when Ahmad Khan Abdali of Kandahar established the Durrani Empire. This one-time general in Nadir Shah's Persian army was elected to power in 1747 at a tribal jirgah, an assembly which takes decisions by consensus. The legitimacy of his rule was sanctioned at the same time by the ulama (religious scholars). Ahmad Khan assumed the title of Durr-i-Durran (Pearl of Pearls) and was henceforth known as Ahmad Shah Durrani and his tribe, the Pashtun Abdali tribe, as the Durrani. When his successors lost the support of the tribes after Ahmad Shah's death in 1772, control passed to the Mohammadzai lineage within the Barakzai section of the Durrani Pushtun.
Mohammadzai dominance continued from 1826 to 1978, interrupted only for a scant nine months in 1929. Then power shifted to the second largest Pashtun tribe, the Ghilzai, who dominated the leadership of the secular Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) after 1978, although most were essentially detribalized because of their close association with urban life. This regime was in turn replaced in 1992 by the Islamic State of Afghanistan, established by the mujahadeen whose leaders were mostly from the Ghilzai, and a variety of eastern Pashtun tribes, although the President from 1992-1996 was a Tajik.
Once the Soviets left — and in turn the Americans — mujahadeen commanders turned on each other and the Taliban emerged as a force that, though repressive, at least provided law and order. The Taliban emphasized Islam as the organising principle for society and government, not tribes. Across the country, little-known Muslim clerics ran government ministries, provinces and cities. Tribal elders were again ignored.
Since being toppled in 2001, the Taliban have mercilessly targeted tribal elders who support the Karzai government, apparently viewing them as one of their greatest potential rivals. At the same time, President Karzai’s weak government has struggled to protect and strengthen tribal elders, hundreds of whom have been killed in assassinations and bomb attacks.
Occupations
The Pashtun are basically farmers or herdsmen, or combinations of both, although several groups are renowned for specialized occupations. For instance, the monarchy and many government bureaucrats were Durrani Pashtun, the Ahmadzai Ghilzai are consulted for their legal abilities, the Andar Ghilzai specialize in constructing and repairing underground irrigation systems called karez, and the Shinwari of Paktya monopolize the lumber trade.
Who Are the Taliban
this is mostly from a BBC report, but I have edited it a little.
The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s in northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. A predominantly Pashtun movement, the Taliban came to prominence in Afghanistan in the autumn of 1994.
The Taliban's promise - in Pashtun areas straddling Pakistan and Afghanistan - was to restore peace and security and enforce their own austere version of Sharia, or Islamic law, once in power. In both countries they introduced or supported Islamic punishments - such as public executions of convicted murderers and adulterers and amputations of those found guilty of theft.
Men were required to grow beards and women had to wear the all-covering burka. The Taliban showed a similar disdain for television, music and cinema and disapproved of girls aged 10 and over from going to school.
The Taliban in Afghanistan are still believed to be led by Mullah Omar, a village clergyman who lost his right eye fighting the occupying forces of the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Afghans, weary of the mujahideen's excesses and infighting after the Soviets were driven out, generally welcomed the Taliban when they first appeared on the scene.
Their early popularity was largely due to their success in stamping out corruption, curbing lawlessness and making the roads and the areas under their control safe for commerce to flourish. Despite ever higher numbers of foreign troops, the Taliban have steadily extended their influence, rendering vast tracts of Afghanistan insecure, and violence in the country has returned to levels not seen since 2001.
Their retreat earlier this decade enabled them to limit their human and material losses and return with a vengeance.
Free Games Rules
I do more than just wargames, there are a host of other types of games that I design and run, mainly at Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group (CLWG).
About CLWG
Despite the 'wargames' in the title the group runs and plays a host of different political and economic games as well. The group is very much activist focused, and has a far higher level of participation than most groups do. Partly this is down to the requirement on membership that each member must write at least one article for MilMud (the club newsletter - Milmud Archive) and put on at least one game each year.
I've been a member of CLWG since, I think, 1994 or 1995. I do know that it was the Spring games weekend following the megagame “Death of Fascism” when I joined, but I'm not too sure of the actual date. In the just over ten years I've been in the group I've been the admin officer, games organiser and milmud editor. I'm pretty sure I've done at least two terms in each of those posts, but again I haven't been counting. I've also designed and run a fair number of games, some of which I still have the rules/briefings electronically (there were a few games and some design sessions that were done without pre-prepared briefings and never got written up effectively afterwards, so not everything is available).
Games in Progress
I get lots of ideas about games but never quite enough time to actually sit and write them up and do the other necessary preparations for running them. This means that there are some half-finished, or just started projects that lurk in the games folder on my hard disk. One day I will return to them and finish them off.
- Scotland 1689 - In reality there are two games here and one of them has already been run at CLWG back in August 2005. The 'Glorious Revolution' as some people call it was a bit more contested in Scotland than in England, although the extraordinary high level of apathy amongst the population was probably pretty similar. I have gamed (as a 3/4 finished play test) the Highland Campaign of Viscount Dundee 2) and I think that there is probably some mileage in gaming the Convention3) which decided that King James VII had forfeited his crown and that it should be offered to Prince William of Orange.
- The Other Side of the COIN - what makes people become insurgents? Loosely based in modern Afghanistan it is a look at things from the peasant farmer point of view rather than the insurgent or government forces.
