((So, I was bored and had an idea to get together a sort of encyclopedia for the setting the ADD operate in. I know different people have contributed little bits and pieces of the setting in their own threads and for the sake of continuity (I'm a nut for that kind of thing) I figured I'd put together a database, with the general idea being that other players could contribute bits and pieces of their own that I'd then add to the original post. In short, it would be a quick way for players to look up characters, monsters, planets, technology, or any other little bits and pieces that they might like to fold into their own plots. I think the open ended nature of the setting means there's a lot more potential for story-driven play that isn't quite so easy to do in the main Sho setting, and this would be a good reference source to move in that direction. I've posted a prototype below. I'm hoping to get some opinions from the mods on it and ideally, if it gets approved, I'd like to move it to the "ADD Agents" forum, where it's more likely to be seen by the players involved in game. A table of contents provides bracketed "bookmarks" by which users can jump to a particular section within the document. The first section covers some general aspects of the Directorate's structure, which I'm admittedly making up off the top of my head. It may well contradict data already fleshed out by the moderators or Stormbringer. If so, please don't hesitate to correct me. It's a work in progress, after all. As for the rest of the document, I'm only providing information that I have personally contributed in my own threads. To avoid stepping on any toes, any other details should be provided by the players in question))

Table of Contents

I. Command Structure [[COMS1]]
An inside summary of the political and protocol structure of ADD command.
__A. Officers [[VIPS1]]
____1. Colonel Givens [[GIVE1]]
__B. Divisions
____1. Infantry [[INFA1]]
____2. Motorized Cavalry [[MCAV2]]
____3. Special Forces [[SFOR3]]
II. Human Agents [[HUMA2]]
Brief profiles of active Directorate agents, sorted alphabetically.
__A. Kate Mercury [[KM1]]

III. Non-Human Associates [[ALIA3]]
Briefs of ADD-affiliated allies. This includes diplomats, envoys, and sanctioned alien agents, as well as non-human criminals who pose no discernible military threat.
__A. Tylna Ky'ln [[TK1]]

IV. Criminal Database [[MONS4]]
Status reports on known present-danger alien threats to ADD security.

V. Foreign Species [[ALIE5]]
Profiles of known alien entities, both friendly and hostile.
__A. Ryjel [[RYJE1]]
__B. Tylek [[TYLE2]]

VI. Political Organizations [[ORGA6]]
Comprehensive portfolios on known governments, civilizations, political groups, terrorist organizations, and level VI or larger megacorporations.

VII. Charted Space [[LOCA6]]
An atlas of verified planetary and regional data.
__A. Planets and Artificial Stations [[PLAN1]]
____1. Antares Base [[ANTA1]]
____2. Baltur IV [[BALT2]]
____3. Tarris [[TARR3]]
__B. Settlements and Places of Interest [[CITI2]]
____1. Halogen [[HALO1]]
____2. Shokushu[[SHOK2]]
____3. Tartena [[TART3]]
__c. Known Territories [[REGI3]]
____1. Garamynthe Sector [[GARA1]]
____2. Vanejin VI Slave Pens [[SLAV2]]

VIII. Technology [[TECH7]]
Briefs on known vehicles, technologies, and approved contractors.
__A. Weaponry and Tech [[WEAP1]]
____1. Advanced Neural Network Interface (ANNI) [[ANNI1]]
__B. Vehicles and Ships [[VEHI2]]
____1. Coyote [[COYO1]]
____2. Cricket AX [[CRIC2]]
____3. Nostradamus [[NOST3]]
____4. Sparrow [[SPAR4]]
__C. Directorate Contractors [[CONT3]]
____1. Mercury Engineering [[MERC1]]




I. COMMAND STRUCTURE [[COMS1]]
The Alien Defense Directorate (ADD) is an Earth-based, intergalactic shadow military force operating primarily from within the Vanejin VI galaxy. The Directorate was organized in the early 1980's, shortly following first contact with alien lifeforms. As a safeguard against more advanced or perhaps simply more martial civilizations, Earth politicians secretly negotiated a treaty of appeasement. Earth would colonize the distant planet of Shokushu as a resort plant of sorts for alien life, shipping their most attractive young ladies there under the guise of a private school, to sexually appease the voracious and depraved appetites of the aliens. However, the Earth governments weren't content to trust that this treaty would keep the beasts at bay. Utilizing the alien technology provided to establish Shokushu University, the best and brightest of Earth scientists were assigned to reverse-engineer the technology to make Earth a martial force capable of intergalactic defense. Thus was the ADD formed, an all-female military force designed to protect Earth against invasion.

At present, the Directorate is overseen by a clandestine advisory committee of twenty-five high ranking political, business, and religious leaders. The public is unaware of alien contact or the recent advances made in space travel, much less the existence of Shokushu University or the ADD. Internally, the ADD's strategic operations are handled by thirteen generals, eight operating the defense grid surrounding the Milky Way system and five managing the critical Antares Base in Vanejin VI. Generals all hold equal ranks but are limited in the scope of their power, a realm of influence by which each governs a particular theater of war or internal department.

New recruits are entirely enlisted from Shokushu "graduates" or privately contacted for talent shown in a chosen field on Earth. Recruits are forced to sign stringent non-disclosure agreements. Due to the lack of resources and constant need for manpower, the training program is short, a mere three months under which recruits receive a crash course in combat, firearms, rape training, and in the use of the various technologies required in the field. Depending on the division chosen for the recruit, specialized training sometimes follows but varies depending on the field of specialty.

In a philosophy divergent from most military organizations, Directorate Command explicitly encourages romantic and carnal relationships between agents. Sexual abuse within the military runs rampant and is never investigated, and sexual favors from lower ranking agents are frequent and accepted prerequisites for promotion. On a level of protocol, an open view of sexuality is deemed a necessary component of the training process, a means to prevent psychological collapse in the face of the dangers agents face in the field. Unofficially, the generals and officers are almost wholly a perverse and sexually deviant lot.

Officers of Note [[VIPS1]]

Colonel Givens [[GIVE1]]
A highly decorated officer who climbed the ladder from the rank of combat grunt, Col. Givens is a ruthless leader who commands much of the standing infantry. Having survived a number of grisly suicide missions, Givens now takes great pleasure in the scope of her command, and in torturing agents in divisions outside of the front lines, who she deems as pampered and privileged weaklings. In her early forties, Givens is a muscular woman of Colombian descent, in excellent shape despite her age and time away from the front lines. She keeps her head shaved bald. A scar running from left temple to jaw is a trophy of an eye lost in war, and she keeps a perfectly white glass eye in the socket, a fact which unnerves the more squeamish amongst lower-ranking agents. A personal honor guard of stormtroopers, hand-picked for their ruthlessness and cruelty serve directly under her command, enforcing her orders without hesitation.

Divisions
ADD agents are differentiated into divisions, based on training specializations and capabilities within the field.

Infantry [[INFA1]]

Motorized Cavalry [[MCAV2]]
Utilizing high-velocity bikes and other small transports, the mocav are utilized as recon and occasionally infiltration units. They service the ADD as scouts and couriers and in battle are regularly used as a means to harry and flank enemy forces. Cavalry agents are renowned for their quick reflexes and technical minds. A capacity in engineering is a prerequisite for entrance into the division as cavalry-members are required to service and repair their own vehicles. Many are also trained in sharp-shooting and sniping, a natural fit given their objectives and their prerequisite reflexes. They are generally regarded by the other divisions as cocky and self-superior and are highly competitive amongst each other.

The most elite of the motorized cavalry is the Hellcat squad, led by obnoxious daredevil ace Captain Mercury.

Special Forces [[SFOR3]]

II. Human Agents [[HUMA2]]
Almost all sanctioned agents are human, recruited from the few lucky students who manage to escape Shokushu or personally head-hunted on Earth.

Kate Mercury [[KM1]]
Rank: Captain
Division: Motorized Cavalry
A selfish loudmouth with little respect for authority and a dangerous adrenaline addiction, Captain Mercury is the antithesis of nearly every value the ADD espouses. She was enrolled within the Academy and given status as a Captain as a provisional agreement with prolific vehicle contractor Mercury Engineering (see below). Regardless, she has shown a prodigious genius for engineering and proven a more than capable space jockey. Her unit consistently shows the highest marks amongst the cavalry and her self-tuned gear (to the astonishment and irritation of engineering bay) performs above any reasonable specs. Still, she's a dangerous asset who threatens the stability of morale. Despite sending her repeatedly into suicide scenarios she always seems to return: bruised, sticky, traumatized, but always alive. Command suggests continued deployment in high stress situations until she perishes or cracks. Could be a valuable asset in engineering/design, but proves dangerously volatile when confined exclusively to low-excitement situations.

III. Non-Human Associates [[ALIA3]]
Briefs of ADD-affiliated allies. This includes diplomats, envoys, and sanctioned alien agents, as well as non-human criminals who pose no discernible military threat.

Tylna Ky'ln [[TK1]]

IV. Criminal Database [[MONS4]]
Status reports on known present-danger alien threats to ADD security.

V. Foreign Species [[ALIE5]]
Ryjel [[RYJE1]]
Civilization Level: Primitive Sapient. Pre-Agricultural Tribalism (Mammalian)
Threat Index: Double Zeta
Prevalent Settlements: Tarris IV
Almost entirely unknown in the greater galaxy (ADD logs record only three instances of the species outside the Tylek Imperium), the ryjel are a barely sapient species of bipedal marsupials roughly four feet in height with lush fur and physiology designed for canopy living. Their natural habitat is the rain forests of Tarris IV, where they gather into small, loosely affiliated clans of herbivore scavengers. Their culture is pre-economic and pre-agricultural. The last few generations have seen a sudden and apocalyptic transition in their way of life, as the far more advanced tylek have begun expanding and colonizing the jungles in which the ryjel make their home. As part of this cultural transition, many ryjel have immigrated to the more cities and townships of the Imperium where they have been granted sub-citizen status. Most sustain themselves as indentured servants, prostitutes, or manual laborers.

Given their primitivism and lack of skill sets, the ryjel pose neither threat nor advantage to the Directorate. War game scenarios involving potential skirmishes between Directorate forces and the Imperium suggested the possibility of ryjel use as a means of fostering revolution, but further research deemed the possibility untenable. A of now, our relationship with the Imperium remains cautious but non-hostile. Note that the level of cultural advancement allows us to treat them as live cargo, rather than slaves, under the jurisdiction of the Species Transport Act. Consider their possible use as pets, fodder, or cheap unskilled labor within the Directorate. Even if they are not of particular use to us, the consequent trade ties with the burgeoning Imperium could prove useful in the future.

Tylek [[TYLE2]]
Civilization Level: Expansionist Imperial, Pre-Light Speed Space Travel (Acquired)
Threat Index: Gamma
Prevalent Settlements: Tarris IV and surrounding colonies

VI. Political Organizations [[ORGA6]]
Comprehensive portfolios on known governments, civilizations, political groups, terrorist organizations, and level VI or larger megacorporations.

VII. Charted Space [[LOCA6]]
An atlas of verified planetary and regional data.

Planets and Artificial Stations [[PLAN1]]

Antares Base [[ANTA1]]

Baltur IV [[BALT2]]

Tarris [[TARR3]]

Settlements and Places of Interest [[CITI2]]

Halogen [[HALO1]]

Shokushu [[SHOK2]]

Tartena [[TART3]]

Known Territories [[REGI3]]

Garamynthe Sector [[GARA1]]

Vanejin VI Slave Pens [[SLAV2]]

VIII. Technology [[TECH7]]
Briefs on known vehicles, technologies, and approved contractors.

Weaponry and Tech [[WEAP1]]

Advanced Neural Network Interface (ANNI) [[ANNI1]]

Vehicles and Ships [[VEHI2]]

Coyote [[COYO1]]

Cricket AX [[CRIC2]]

Nostradamus [[NOST3]]

Sparrow [[SPAR4]]

Directorate Contractors [[CONT3]]

Mercury Engineering [[MERC1]]

Any thoughts from ADD/monster players or mods?

Is this something worth pursuing?

I think its a great idea and would be happy to provide information from Yautja and Nallia. Plus I could probably convince the Midrozi Clan to post some stuff up for you.

I was giving it 24 hours or so before starting to work on it so that the mod/s could see it.

I'd be able to put something up. How much detail do you want?

Good! I look forward to it. I guess, just post it here or send it to me in PM and I'll add it to the first post.



Think of it as encyclopedia entries. In terms of monsters, nothing nearly so big as a full profile, but enough to give players an impression of the creature, and under their heading, I'll provide a link to the character profile, like I did with Kate's brief.

In terms of tech/planets/etc. small blurbs should be good, just all the necessary information you want to provide. It's really just a tool for other players to utilize setting elements in their own scenes.

Basically a forum verson of a Wiki?

Precisely!

((Oops! Wrong handle!))

I haven't RPed too much in the space sector, but that's not for lack of interest, and I love the idea of a glossary like what you're proposing. Already I want to write up some relevant data for Marmillion City from my sadly unfinished thread with Dominique. It's a great setting for futuristic psuedo-noir

I don't have any particular problems with installing an actual SHS wiki if there was enough call for it. But I would want to see a *lot* of volunteering to populate and maintain it first.

Oh, that would be awesome! And helpful.

I am a clutz with Wiki though (although I suppose I could learn it..).

I'll volunteer to help with a SHS wiki.

Would have to learn the code for it, but since I'm currently doing a programming course it shouldn't be too hard if I put my mind to it.

As I would understand it, the biggest part is having enough people writing the contents and moderating the edits and additions.

Agreed. Membership is basically in a constant state of flux, with people's attentions waxing and waning at random. I'm as guilty as anyone.

Innnnteresting...I already have experience setting up and maintaining a wiki.

Hm... I should update this.