I was going to run a game a while back, and tho I never got to run it, I came up with a lot of background material. I thought maybe someone else could use it. So here for your perusal is The Baron Vel. He's definitely Space Opera. He's been taken from a lot of different elements.
Later,
Scout
BARON MORO VEL
The Baron of Rethe, Ducal heir-apparent, Prince Lord of Nebetos
The Baron Moro Vel was born on Rethe to Duke Hako and Duchess Risa Vel. Moro followed in his father's footsteps in the genetic and biological sciences and became one of the Imperium's leading scientists, with great renown and respect. He married Lareia Somas and began a life with her. When the Fifth Frontier War broke out, he was asked to begin working on experiments to improve the efficiency of the troops. This separated him from his wife. Researching a death cult called the Nebetotic Bond in a remote area of the Spinward Marches, he also began working on an experimental serum to bring back a body from the dead. When news reached him that his wife was caught in an attack, he was devastated and flew into a rage. He took the next ship out. When he reached his wife, she was in a coma.
The Baron petitioned the Imperium to be able to use his experimental serum to try to revive his wife. The Imperium came to a decision. The Baron's newer work was considered ghastly and appalling and was condemned by the Moot. His petition was denied and all of his work was confiscated. Angry at the Imperium, the Baron began to recreate the serum from memory. Unfortunately, he combined molecules from both the efficiency serum and the serum to bring a body back from the dead. And in the last step, the new serum exploded in his face.
This explosion scarred him, and the serum and his hatred are driving him insane. The serum is also very slowly eating him alive due to an interaction with his life force (this happens to all on whom the serum is used while alive). When the Imperium became aware of what happened, they transported Baroness Lareia Vel, alive but in cryogenic freeze, on the fastest ship towards Capitol. His father has now disowned him.
The Baron now wears powered armor to help with movement and life support. He has disappeared from the Imperium, but is festering his hatred and is creating a Death Army, with the help of the Nebetotic Cult he researched for the serum, on a planet the Baron named Perdition in the Pit Nebula. He has a fortress in a cave of a dormant volcano (Perdition's Flame). There is a walkway across bubbling lava to a control room with a generator in the middle, which is where the Baron now commands his army and continues his experiments.
His army consists of four different types of creatures: Troopers are normal dead revived by the serum. They have an armor that circulates a lubricant across the skin to help keep it "alive". This circulation is the reason that a stench of decay surrounds the Troopers. The Trooper serum has some limitations: the recent cadaver must be human. It must be at least 24 hours dead, but not more than 7 days. The serum contains an unknown molecular structure and a protein strain from a potent virus as well as a sedative-like complex. It completely overrides the Life Force of a human if used before the human has died, resulting in the person being eaten alive. Sentinels are modified Troopers and usually act as Regiment Leaders or guards for the Baron. They are stronger and faster than Troopers. Slayers are the last of the "created" Death Troops. They have a powered armor and also have modifications to the serum to make them stronger, faster, and more cunning as well as taller to be towering over beings and reduce their morale. There are also Aberrations, but each one is different as each is the result of a failed experiment.
The Baron has a Lieutenant, a Nebetotic Cultist who dresses in all black, is greasy and arrogant, and has a module to command the Death Troops. The Baron also has a Seer at his command, but she is a masked woman and cannot be identified.
The Baron and his Death Army are trying to: to steal the Darrian Star Trigger and modify it with Ancient technology to produce a partial stellar nova (has already happened), so as to become a heavy threat to the Imperium, to wreak havoc upon the Imperium in revenge for taking his wife, to build his Army larger with troops and equipment, to retrieve the Baroness Vel, to find and abduct the prophesied baby Arcadia - who when old enough, could heal his wife (and himself) and who is prophesied to become the new Empress of the Imperium.
The Baron uses a double, an android modified to look exactly as the Baron used to look. This android acts as the Baron in all matters. No one but the high priests of the Nebetotic Bond is truly aware of his ghastly appearance.
All the Imperium knows is that a new "religious" leader has been reforming certain areas of the Spinward Marches. He is called the Dragon or the Scarred One. Imperial religious leaders have referenced a passage from an old Earth text: "...and the dragon's tail swept a third of the stars from the heavens and cast them to the earth." The dragon in the passage references a demon - only fate knows what may befall the Imperium.
Later,
Scout
BARON MORO VEL
The Baron of Rethe, Ducal heir-apparent, Prince Lord of Nebetos
The Baron Moro Vel was born on Rethe to Duke Hako and Duchess Risa Vel. Moro followed in his father's footsteps in the genetic and biological sciences and became one of the Imperium's leading scientists, with great renown and respect. He married Lareia Somas and began a life with her. When the Fifth Frontier War broke out, he was asked to begin working on experiments to improve the efficiency of the troops. This separated him from his wife. Researching a death cult called the Nebetotic Bond in a remote area of the Spinward Marches, he also began working on an experimental serum to bring back a body from the dead. When news reached him that his wife was caught in an attack, he was devastated and flew into a rage. He took the next ship out. When he reached his wife, she was in a coma.
The Baron petitioned the Imperium to be able to use his experimental serum to try to revive his wife. The Imperium came to a decision. The Baron's newer work was considered ghastly and appalling and was condemned by the Moot. His petition was denied and all of his work was confiscated. Angry at the Imperium, the Baron began to recreate the serum from memory. Unfortunately, he combined molecules from both the efficiency serum and the serum to bring a body back from the dead. And in the last step, the new serum exploded in his face.
This explosion scarred him, and the serum and his hatred are driving him insane. The serum is also very slowly eating him alive due to an interaction with his life force (this happens to all on whom the serum is used while alive). When the Imperium became aware of what happened, they transported Baroness Lareia Vel, alive but in cryogenic freeze, on the fastest ship towards Capitol. His father has now disowned him.
The Baron now wears powered armor to help with movement and life support. He has disappeared from the Imperium, but is festering his hatred and is creating a Death Army, with the help of the Nebetotic Cult he researched for the serum, on a planet the Baron named Perdition in the Pit Nebula. He has a fortress in a cave of a dormant volcano (Perdition's Flame). There is a walkway across bubbling lava to a control room with a generator in the middle, which is where the Baron now commands his army and continues his experiments.
His army consists of four different types of creatures: Troopers are normal dead revived by the serum. They have an armor that circulates a lubricant across the skin to help keep it "alive". This circulation is the reason that a stench of decay surrounds the Troopers. The Trooper serum has some limitations: the recent cadaver must be human. It must be at least 24 hours dead, but not more than 7 days. The serum contains an unknown molecular structure and a protein strain from a potent virus as well as a sedative-like complex. It completely overrides the Life Force of a human if used before the human has died, resulting in the person being eaten alive. Sentinels are modified Troopers and usually act as Regiment Leaders or guards for the Baron. They are stronger and faster than Troopers. Slayers are the last of the "created" Death Troops. They have a powered armor and also have modifications to the serum to make them stronger, faster, and more cunning as well as taller to be towering over beings and reduce their morale. There are also Aberrations, but each one is different as each is the result of a failed experiment.
The Baron has a Lieutenant, a Nebetotic Cultist who dresses in all black, is greasy and arrogant, and has a module to command the Death Troops. The Baron also has a Seer at his command, but she is a masked woman and cannot be identified.
The Baron and his Death Army are trying to: to steal the Darrian Star Trigger and modify it with Ancient technology to produce a partial stellar nova (has already happened), so as to become a heavy threat to the Imperium, to wreak havoc upon the Imperium in revenge for taking his wife, to build his Army larger with troops and equipment, to retrieve the Baroness Vel, to find and abduct the prophesied baby Arcadia - who when old enough, could heal his wife (and himself) and who is prophesied to become the new Empress of the Imperium.
The Baron uses a double, an android modified to look exactly as the Baron used to look. This android acts as the Baron in all matters. No one but the high priests of the Nebetotic Bond is truly aware of his ghastly appearance.
All the Imperium knows is that a new "religious" leader has been reforming certain areas of the Spinward Marches. He is called the Dragon or the Scarred One. Imperial religious leaders have referenced a passage from an old Earth text: "...and the dragon's tail swept a third of the stars from the heavens and cast them to the earth." The dragon in the passage references a demon - only fate knows what may befall the Imperium.
If you could get it published and in bookstores across the countries, it'd be an excellent way to drum up interest in Traveller!
