January 2021: Through The Looking Glass

 New Year, new post.

Hopefully bit of an interesting read to start off 2021, namely some alternative takes on the setting of Frozen Skies. Some of these stem from ideas I've had over the years as I developed the setting, others were suggestions offered by folk who had come up with their own interpretations. All of these are pretty fair game for folk to use for their own version of Frozen Skies, though if there is overwhelming interest in a particular one I may see about developing it further.

Islands In The Smog

One of the very very early ideas (pre-2010) I had for what eventually ended up becoming Frozen Skies was floating islands in a void similar to Outland in World of Warcraft but alot more Steampunk in nature. Sundered Skies for Savage Worlds covers this niche pretty well, as does the Warbirds RPG, so it's gonna be tricky to be original here.

That said, if I was to do a version of Frozen Skies based on this concept it would be to have the world slowly drowning in a toxic smog. The survivors would be forced to build new settlements on the tops of mountains to try and stay above the smog, making air travel necessary as the sole means of getting about. Could work as an alternative history version where the Blast created the smog which has been getting larger ever since.

The Kurg

This stems from another early idea, probably right back when I first started designing my own RPG setting. It was basically this horde-like army called the Kurg that was overrunning large parts of the world, proving to be difficult to stop. I had envisioned the Kurg being from a militant society, possibly their own empire, that was set on world conquest. Ultimately this idea got shelved as the setting underwent various revisions until what became Darmonica finally emerged.

If I did the Kurg today in Frozen Skies I'd probably have them be an subterranean species (think something like the Locust Horde in Gears of War) who have captured parts of the surface world, again requiring a dependence on air travel for the surface dwellers. The focus would probably be more combatting the Kurg, attempting to re-claim the surface and perhaps even striking back against their subterranean lairs.

Then again I have teased another power in Darmonica residing in what is considered to be 'uncharted lands', could be the Kurg....

Alternative History

This is something that I've had folk suggest, either as how they've run their own games or comments on how 'real' I've made the world. Basic idea is an alternative version of North America, granted Alyeska is the old Russian name for Alaska so there is some merit. Could do this as either Alaska merging with Canada rather than joining the US or North America being under British control similar to Harry Turtledove's The Two Georges novel.

Real question would be what changed from our own world and timeline?

Downside would be alot of elements I've included in Frozen Skies wouldn't work and I feel this idea would be more restrictive creativity wise as it simply wouldn't be a blank canvas. Whilst alternative history is interesting, I feel there's only so much room you've got to work with.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Well, thats the different ideas I had. Let me know what you think.

November 2020: Skywright's Guild Revamp

This month's post was prompted in part by a rethink of the relationship between skyships and airships in Frozen Skies and in part by a suggestion by user MicaMoo on the Unofficial Savage Worlds Discord. Hopefully this will ultimately expand couple of aspects of the setting and give one or two things greater importance within the world. Overall, something that adds to the setting.

Masters of the Sky

I've already written about the Skywright's Guild, how I've stated that the Guild is the largest builder and operator of aero-vessels in Damonica. This is something I'm going to keep for the most part, though I'm making some changes in relation to the proposed changes to technology behind the skyships.

I'm looking at going with a device known as an Aero-Lift Engine (ALE) that derived from Ancient technology and is used to produce lift for skyships. Thinking the Guild managed to stumble upon an Ancient skyship and reverse-engineered some of it's technology in order to create the first ALEs, thus allowing the Guild to gain a huge edge in the aero-vessel market. Of course the Guild has a strong interest in keeping the ALEs origins a secret and so regularly scout out Ancient skyships and supply their own engineers to maintain ALEs on various skyships. This means whilst anyone can build a skyship, they must accept the fact that they have to lease an ALE from the Guild and have Guild staff on-board.

The Aero-Lift Engines work by vaporising grounded, high-grade glimmer-rock crystals and then driving an electrical current through the resultant gas (dubbed 'Glimgas') to produce a superior lifting capability. Though the process isn't fully understood even by the Guild itself, yet it has actively sought to sabotage efforts by other parties to create their own ALE.

Airships (or gasbags) use a mixture of conventional lifting gas and low-grade glimmer rock that's been ground to dust, though used high-grade Glimgas that's been collected by the Guild and sold as mid-grade is sometimes used. Because Glimgas (regardless of how it's produced) requires an electrical current, it is carried in separate gas cells to helium or hydrogen to reduce fire risk. Due to the poorer quality of this type of Glimgas and the prices charged by the Guild, it's generally used to give a boost to more conventional lifting gases. Those who can afford it, airships that solely use low-grade Glimgas have greater lifting capability compared to conventional gases but this still falls far short of what a skyship is capable of.

Having the monopoly on ALEs, simply due to being the sole supplier, the Guild has a presence in every nation save for the Iron Collective. Guild facilities are well guarded and shipments of ALEs to various aero-shipyards are done under heavy guard, typically the Guild's own aero-marines known as the Skyguard. The Skyguard also accompany Guild personnel on expeditions to crashed Ancient skyships that have been discovered or protect ALEs and have orders to destroy them to protect the Guild's secrets.

When the Iron Collective was first formed, the Guild reluctantly had as many of it's facilities as it could within the former Holy Sodkan Empire destroyed, though one or two facilities are suspected to have fallen into the Collective's hands. To this end, the Guild has been the most vocal about combating the Collective and has gained the support of Sodkan exiles. There are rumours that the Guild has a special Skyguard unit that is sent on raids into the Collective to hinder it's aero-vessel construction capability.

The Iron Collective Revisited

This week it is the turn of the Iron Collective to receive the 'Revisited' treatment. Again this is another nation that I'm largely happy with how it currently stands, save perhaps for tweaks and refinements here and there. Though I do have an idea for a possibly big addition to the lore of the Iron Collective.

Mind Over Matter

The Order of the Great Machine has virtual control over all aspects of life within the Iron Collective, having completely rebuilt Sodkan society after assuming power in the wake of the Holy Sodkan Empire's collapse. The radical changes made by the Order are unheard of in other nations and strangely the Collective's citizens seemingly accepted them without question soon after the Collective was formed.

How, and why?

The secret of the Order's total control pre-dates the founding of the Collective, technically even the Great Darmonican War and possibly even the founding of the Holy Sodkan Empire. At some point in the Order's early existence one its members stumbled across data about the Ancient Terrans' methods of maintaining control over its slave labour force, something that was brought to the attention of the Order's hierarchy. It was revealed that the Ancients used a special chemical in the labourers' food coupled with a combination of radio signal based mind control and subliminal messaging.

It took a series of experiment before the Order managed to replicate the Ancients' technique and a plan was hatched to put the technique into action. By this point the Holy Sodkan Empire was embroiled in the Great Darmonican War and rationing was widespread, being particularly harsh for the Empire's working classes. The Order decided to take advantage of this situation by opening up soup kitchens in various towns and cities, the special control chemical being implanted in the food given out by the kitchens. Once the Order was confident enough that even people had eaten the tainted food, the next phase of the plan was put into action.

Radio transmitters and broadcasts were set up by the Order, gradually increasing in coverage as the soup kitchens were expanded. Soon enough those who'd eaten the tainted food were slowly being brainwashed by the Order, this was helped by widespread disgruntlement of the way the war was going and was something seized upon by the Order. Fuelled by the Order's efforts, unrest began to grow across the Empire as the Order sought to weaken the Imperial Government before seizing control.

The Blast and resultant death of Empress Polinia Serlov came as a surprise to the Order, though it wasted no time in taking over. With much of the citizenry under its control, the Order quickly instituted the Classification system to help realise its ambitions. Though it became apparent that some people were resistant to the Order's mind control techniques, prompting them being called the Unclassified. Whilst those who end up being Declassified stop receiving the tainted food that aids the Order's control over the person in question, usually resulting in people slowly been 'weaned' and thus breaking free of the Order's control. This is typically why the Declassified are either killed on sight or deported to a prison camp to prevent them from openly rebelling against the system.

Even foreigners eating the food within the Collective and staying within range of the many control transmitters are at risk of falling victim to the Order's control, giving rise to a number of so-called 'converts' within the past few years. There are rumours that the Order may be expanding its control outside of the Collective's borders, quietly subverting the populace of neighbouring countries.

The Airman's Gazetteer: Colony of Orduesh

Little bit of a chance of pace, a return to the Airman's Gazetteer series to expand the world of Darmonica. This week is a look at something that has been mentioned previously; the Commonwealth Colony of Orduesh. This desert outpost is surrounded by hostile lands and border skirmishes are a way of life, yet the Commonwealth still holds onto it.

Source: RAF Museum

Desert Days

The Colony of Orduesh is centered round the city of the same name, originally part of the Holy Sodkan Empire but later acquired via treaty by the Commonwealth following a past conflict. It lies at the eastern end of the Mammut Sea, the Commonwealth's only port on that body of water. With the sea to the west, it is bordered on its three other sides by the desolute deserts of the Sultanate of Taramate has grown increasingly hostile to the Commonwealth in recent years.

So why does the Commonwealth maintains this outpost?

The answer is complex.

First and foremost is that Orduesh is a major source of Aerothium for the Commonwealth, providing lift gas for the aero-vessels of the Royal Aero-Fleet and Commonwealth aligned trade consortiums. There are a number of mines were the raw mineral is extracted before being shipped to the refinery in Orduesh City and processed into its gas form. Since it is of such a great strategic importance, elements of the Commonwealth's military guard both related facilities and shipments.

Orduesh is also strategically located, not only on the eastern end of the Mammut Sea but also for its proximity to the Union of Sodkan Republics. This enables the Commonwealth to better maintain relations and even trade with the Republics, in addition to providing a route for Commonwealth agents to get in and out of the Iron Collective. Though it does make the colony vulnerable to sky pirates operating out of the Republics.

Use In Games

Orduesh could provide an interesting alternative to Alyeska, there are more major factions at play and their respective interests clash with one another. There is conflict between the Commonwealth and Taramate, as well as occasional clashes with the Republics and sky pirates. There is also the chance of doing dangerous, but highly profitable, smuggling runs into both the Sultanate and the Iron Collective. Orduesh could also serve as the base for a campaign revolving round Commonwealth operatives taking action against the Collective or getting involved in the politics of the Republics.

Tyland Revisited

By now most folk should be aware that part of my efforts to get Frozen Skies updated to SWADE is going through and revisiting some of the lore of the world. This has included tightening things up a little or completely overhauling and revising others. This week is the turn of the Tyland Free State.

For Freedom And Past Glories!

On the whole, I'm pretty happy with Tyland's history and current situation. There is little I wish to change about a once proud nation that has fallen so low and suffers the humiliation of occupation by a foreign power. I'll delve deeper into Tylanish culture, though that is not the subject of this week's post.

There is a change that I do wish to make to the situation in Tyland, well technically two changes. The first of these is play up a civil war aspect with various factions vying for power with frequent skirmishes. The second change ties in alot with the first, make this civil war a proxy war between the Commonwealth and Artian Confederation as the two former wartime allies have different views concerning the future of Tyland.

Both powers covertly support different functions, usually to undermine the other and also the Provisional Government. Those in authority consider a war between the two nations quite likely, so they seek to influence and dominate what is effectively a buffer state. There are strategic implications that are taken into consideration, especially as the Free State would give the Artians air bases much closer to the Commonwealth's Home Isles from which to launch raids.

So where does this leave Player Characters?

Well they could get directly involved in things as agents working for either the Artians, the Commonwealth, the Free State or one of the militant groups. Heck, they could form their own group and fight for whatever cause they want in what could be an interesting mix of war and politics. The more nefarious could simply partake in activities of questionable legality by smuggling in supplies or even trying to sell arms to one or more of the militants. They could also exploit the chaos for their own ends in other ways by looting banks and mansions.

Hopefully this will all make the Tyland Free State more interesting and provide some fodder for games.

Rogue's Gallery: Andrei Dunlyfe

The world of Darmonica has a wide cast of characters who call it home, some are mere specks by the wayside whilst others exert influence far beyond the reckoning of most folk. Of the latter most are diplomats or heads of states, others work from the shadows to subtly nudge events in a particular direction. Andrei Dunlyfe is a man accustomed to working in the shadows, though currently a so-called 'Broker of Secrets' he was formerly a spymaster of the Kingdom of Tyland.

The Tylanish Shadow

Befitting a man of shadows, Andrei's life is largely unknown. It is generally known that he enetered Tyland's Royal Military College as an officer cadet, completing the infantry officer's course before specialising in military intelligence. He was recruited by the Central Intelligence Bureau, Tyland's external military intelligence agency, and soon proved his worth as he rose up the ranks. Andrei frustrated the efforts of the Commonwealth's intelligence service during the Great Darmonican War and quickly got called the 'Tylanish Shadow'.

After the war had ended, Andrei travelled to Alyeska where he set himself up as a broker of secrets. He trades in information with anyone who has enough coin, though will pick freelancers to give 'free' titbits but otherwise remains strictly neutral. Some do have to question what his motivations and ambitions are, especially since it is known that he has no love for the Commonwealth.

Those who have met him have stated the constant sound of ticking that comes from a supposed clockwork arm, least Andrei stresses that its clockwork but doesn't go into further detail.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Language (Sodkan) d6, Language (Gwentian) d6, Language (Artian) d6, Notice d8+2, Persuasion d8, Research d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Thievery d8+1
Pace: 6, Parry: 8, Toughness: 5
Hindrances: Code of Honor, Curious
Edges: Alertness, Ambidextrous, Assassin, Block, Combat Reflexes, Extraction, Feint, Improved Block, Improved Extraction, Level Headed, Quick, Streetwise, Strong Willed, Thief
Gear: Revolver, Mechanical Arm (+1 Str die & Armor +2 on arm), Short Sword (mounted on mechanical arm, kept retracted until needed).
Languages: Tylanis (Native), Sodkan (d6), Gwentian (d6), Artian (d6)

Frozen Skies Episode 21: Endgame

So after a lunchtime shoot-out in a country pub, the crew prepared themselves for an assault on Spitsworth Manor. Expecting a recreation of the Forlorn Hope or the Charge of the Light Brigade, almost nobody could've expected the explosive finale. It was a night to remember, one filled with ferocious battle, fiery destruction and the fall of many a great name.

Assault on Precinct 13 Spitsworth Manor

Having previously scouted the manor grounds and spotted a company of guards present, thus learning the grim odds against them, the crew decided to go all out. The limo they'd acquired from Edmund Spitsworth was packed with explosives and driven towards the main gates with Gren at the wheel, though he managed to bail out but rolled badly and was left momentarily winded. The Rolls-Royce missile on four wheels hurtled towards the heavy gates,collided with them and then exploded taking one of the guards by the gate with it. Gren, now recovered but with a few aching bruises, sniped the other guard before Jacob ran through the gate before sliding along the wet grass mowing down guards with his pair of machine pistols.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Herbert flew in on the latter's young dragonhawk to provide some aerial support before the crew's airship arrived. It was at this point that the crew discovered the manor was defended by anti-aircraft guns, primarily when one of the guns mysteriously exploded and killed its crew when it tried shooting at the dragonhawk. Sebastian then spotted a couple more AA guns and took one of them out by sniping its pile of ammo. Some of the ratings from the crew's airship then assaulted the main courtyard, only to be cut down to a man by the guards...leaving a chief petty officer called Mick McGuire as the last man standing and with the luck of the devil.

Being the coward that he was, Reginald used his gizmos to turn invisible and ran away.

The third and final AA gun got a shot off that injured the dragonhawk, though Herbert and Sebastian managed to stay on and keep the giant bird in the air. Sebastian sniped the gunner whilst Jacob and Gren took out the rest of the gun's crew in order to capture the gun. The AA gun was turned round to point at the house, the intention to blast a hole in the wall rather than trying to storm any of the doors. Also, the crew's airship arrived...

...only for an explosive fireball to rip through its innards and blast the aero-vessel apart. With the death groan of some great levitation of the sky, the flaming wreckage carried forward and downward towards the manor. With a thundering crash, the wrecked airship smashed into the building and completely destroyed it along with the crew's plans. It was then everyone realized that nobody had seen Alex since leaving the pub earlier and, knowing his character, put two and two together. 

Gren and Jacob vowed to hunt down Alex and have their vengeance on him, the rest decided to scatter to the four winds and strike their own paths.

Epilogue

"Ah, I've been expecting you gentlemen." Andrei smiled as the two men entered his study. "You come seeking information as to the current whereabouts of your...former...compatriot Mr Stondheim haven't you?"

"I thought as much." Replied the Tylander keeper of secrets. "But, I must ask, what do you offer by way of payment?"

* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * 

He had alot of time to think, the sole walker down a lonely country lane with no real destination in mind. He had his pension from the Service after being demobbed, plus he'd put aside some of his wages from the logging company and then the crew. This was cash that he could draw upon for the essentials; food in his belly, a room for the night, new clothes and perhaps a ticket to wherever he wished. His real asset was his winnings from card games amongst the crew and some of the casino tables. Yes, it would be more than enough to buy himself an airship and get together a crew to fly it.

"Life as a free trader, Captain McGuire." Muttered Mick before he smiled. "I like the sound of that."

 * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * 

It was a case that would puzzle the Commonwealth Garda, a crime had been committed...two in fact...but the Powers That Be were quite happy for the matter to be brushed under the rug. A lord, long thought to be a respectable member of the community, turned out to be an infamous crime boss who's influence spread far and wide before he was found dead. Understandably, the Establishment wanted the matter kept quiet and so it was. Though what was curious was that one of the man's offices had been broken into and quite clearly a pair of pistols had been stolen, yet the Garda was told in no uncertain terms that this thief never ever happened.

A short while later, the offices in question burned down.

Short while after that, a certain Elisa Spitsworth received a letter. A smile spread across her face as she read it and a hand rested on her belly.

* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * 

They say in the Alyeskan Outlands there is a man, a supposed doctor, who rides a dragonhawk like a Windryder but is not of those people. He travels the wilderness from settlement to settlement, lending his skills as a medicine man before moving on again. Though they say he lacks in wisdom and his mouth, occasionally, has a habit of running off without him.

* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * 

If you walk the streets of Lindun, or any other town or city in the Home Isles, you'll come across the Glimmer Man. He wears threadbare clothes, but holds with a manner that betrays an aristocratic background. Usually found on street corners trying to entertain passer-bys with displays of his gizmos cobbled together from pieces of scrap so that he could beg for the odd coin or two.

* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * 

A figure, with quite clearly a gun in their hand, stepped into the alley ahead of him whilst another blocked the way behind him. The first figure spoke, a familiar voice echoing across the years and laden with dread. "Hello Alex...remember us?"

"We'd like a word or two..."

It was quite clear that at least one person was going to be leaving the alley in a wooden box. 

Thoughts

What, THAT was most certainly an explosive finale.

Despite all the characters surviving, it was decided by the group that it was a good enough moment to finish the campaign there. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed it and its almost a shame that its over, especially now I have to think extra hard if I wish to continue weekly blog posts. Though my next few posts are likely to be the various plotlines that I wanted to do but didn't get to.

Though a Frozen Skies game may be run on the RPG site SavageRifts at some point in the future.

Commonwealth Revisited: The Garda

Continuing the effort to take another look at the Commonwealth and make revisions where needed, we take a look at the Commonwealth’s national police force; the Garda.

We take a look at the Garda’s origins and how it became the force it is today. In addition, we’ll also take a look at the Garda’s current roles and some ideas for including the Garda in your games of Frozen Skies.

Keepers of the King’s Peace

The Commonwealth Garda has its origins as the Righ Garda, effectively the King’s Guards. To begin with the Garda were little more than bodyguards, though successive monarchs gradually expanded the role and duties of the Garda to help spread the monarch’s influence over what would become the Commonwealth. Charged with upholding the King’s Peace, the Garda was given much wider jurisdiction than the various town and city watches in addition to being ranked above them.

As power shifted from the monarch to the Commonwealth’s parliament, the role and responsibilities of the Garda were formalized. Over time the system of town watches proved to be inadequate and they ended up be gradually absorbed by the Garda until it became the Commonwealth’s main law enforcement agency.

Present Day

Today the Garda provides day-to-day local policing within the Home Isles, though it does have jurisdiction in other territories despite their own local police forces. The main public image of the Garda is of uniformed officers patrolling the streets or, less commonly, in patrol cars. On the whole the Garda is a largely unarmed force, certain units within the Garda do routinely carry firearms but generally the Garda likes to escalate things to the military in instances involving firearms.

The Garda has plain-clothes detectives organized into either the Detective Branch or Special Branch. The former deals with investigation and detective work concerning fighting crime. Special Branch, on the other hand, tends to focus its efforts on counter-intelligence and cases that effect the national interest and security. Unlike the Commonwealth’s intelligence services, Special Branch has the power to arrest spies and is frequently called upon to do so.

Though air security is generally in the hands of the Royal Aero-Fleet, the Garda does maintain its own Air Wing to combat aerial crime within the Home Isles. Blimps of the Garda Air Wing are a common sight over the towns and cities of the Home Isles, though the Air Wing also has a squadron or two of light fighters on its books stationed in the capital of Lindun. Air Wing officers are also placed on passenger airships as effectively sky marshals, particularly if there is an important passenger or valuable cargo onboard.

Use in Games

The most obvious way to use the Garda is as an opponent for the characters, though the Garda could also serve as a useful ally. If the characters go down the sky pirate route there is a good chance that they’ll have a run-in with the Garda sooner or later. Similarly, if the characters commit a high profile crime in the Home Isles they can expect the Garda to come after them. On the flip side, if the characters are working for the Commonwealth they can expect to find a valuable ally in the Garda.

The other way to include the Garda is to run a Garda base campaign with the characters being members of either the Detective Branch, Special Branch or the Air Wing. There is a degree of overlap in the work done by these departments, so it is possible for the characters to work alongside colleagues from other departments or form part of a multi-department team.

Commonwealth Revisited: The Royal Aero-Fleet

Part of an ongoing mini-series where I take a look at the fluff of the wider world of Frozen Skies and possibly revise it. As the main power in Alyeska, it made sense to start with the Commonwealth particularly as there were some parts of it that I wasn’t fully happy with. The next step was looking at the Commonwealth’s military and making changes where I had new ideas, in this instance a complete revision of the Commonwealth’s air forces.

The Royal Aero-Fleet

The Royal Aero-Fleet, RAF for short, is the air arm of the Commonwealth’s military. It has under its command skyships, airships and aircraft of various different types from fighters through to bombers and transport craft. It is organized into a number of different ‘commands’ such as Fleet Command, Fighter Command, Bomber Command, Transport Command, etc. Below the various Commands in descending order there is Fleets or Groups (dependent on aero-vessels or aircraft), Wings, Squadrons and Flights. In addition there are a number of air bases called stations that either come under the control of a specific Command or host units from different Commands. These stations are typically named after the nearest settlement of note, for example Royal Aero-Fleet Station Corbhen (RAF Corbhen for short) is named after the nearby town of Corbhen.

Squadrons of aircraft range from 12 aircraft for a fighter squadron through to nine for a bomber or transport squadron, though they are usually further broken down into flights. Two to three aircraft squadrons typically make up a wing, in turn at least two wings form a group. A wing is normally the largest grouping of aircraft found on an aero-carrier, though groups of multiple wings from different aero-carriers may be formed on a temporary basis for specific missions. Likewise, a wing is also the largest formation that can be found at a RAF station with a number of stations coming under the command of a permanent group HQ.

Overall command of the Royal Aero-Fleet is the Air Ministry, headed by the Lord Air Admiral who is the professional head of the Royal Aero-Fleet. The Lord Air Admiral is a position held by the highest ranking officer in the RAF.

Ranks of the Royal Aero-Fleet

Like any military force, the Royal Aero-Fleet boasts a number of ranks ranging from enlisted ratings through to commission officers.

RAF Officer Ranks

Admiral of the Aero-Fleet – Usually held only by a single person and generally only during wartime.

Air Admiral

Vice Air Admiral

Rear Air Admiral

Air Commodore

Air Captain

Wing Commander

Squadron Leader

Flight Lieutenant

Flight Officer

Pilot Officer

RAF Enlisted Ranks

Warrant Officer

Flight Sergeant

Sergeant

Senior Aircrafthand

Leading Aircrafthand

Aircrafthand

The enlisted ranks will also have a ‘rating’ denoting their specialization such as Machinist’s Mate 2^nd Class for example.

The Royal Aero-Marines

The Royal Aero-Marines, nicknamed the 'Rams',serve as the infantry troops of the Royal Aero-Fleet and serve in a wide range of roles. They serve onboard skyships either to maintain security onboard, take part in boarding actions and even man some of the aero-vessel's weapons. On the ground they protect RAF bases and installations, either by helping to maintain the security of the base or actively defending it by manning anti-aircraft weapons. The Rams are part of the Royal Aero-Fleet, though they use traditional army ranks instead of the RAF's own rank structure. Only differences in ranks is that the Rams use Gunner for the rank of private and Flight Sergeant for its Staff/Colour Sergeants.

The Assault Carbine

Relatively new weapon introduced by the Commonwealth following experiences during the Great Darmonican War, it is used by both the Rams and the Wolfbane Commandos as well as other specialist units. It is effectively a bullpup assault rifle, having a shorter overall length whilst maintaining a full length barrel. It is a compact weapon ideal for the close-quarters that the Rams fight in during boarding actions.

Range: 24/48/96; Damage: 2d8; AP: 2; RoF: 3; Weight: 8; Shots: 20; Min Str: d6