N
NANNSTEIN, Reinhard: (2100-2142) A Da Vinci-type genius, Nannstein developed the science of gravitics in 2123, financed by a small inheritance he had invested and turned into a fortune. Still working independently, despite many offers from industry and government, he invented hyperdrive in 2125. Working with his friend Cheong Chang, he helped establish the Empire, then designed and supervised the building of the Imperial Palace in Antarctica. He disappeared in 2142 while testing an improvement of the hyperdrive.
NARVON System:
Sector: 16, Virgo No. planets: 12
Subsector: A, Athena Inhabited: 3
Ruled by: Nilssun family
General: Since the Kindred became widespread, in the early 2280s, this is one of the most peaceful systems in the Empire. Random violence, such as natural disasters and accidents, is inevitable--but it is in extremely bad taste to put pictures of the victims on the nightly news. The same with victims of violent crime, much less the crime itself. Violent sports aren't illegal, but they are not organized, and they are considered lower-class. In drama, violence (especially bloody violence) is treated about the way sex was on mid-twentieth-century North American television. Intimacy, emotional and physical, is the primary theme of Narvonese entertainment.
NARVON II:
Sector: 16, Virgo Year:
Subsector: A, Athena Day:
System: Narvon Gravity:
Settled/established: 2219 Axial tilt:
By: Colonists from Narvon III Oxygen:
Satellites: 2 % Water:
Ident code prefix: NAN Continents:
Ruled by:
General: Required minor terraforming.
NARVON III:
Sector: 16, Virgo Year:
Subsector: A, Athena Day:
System: Narvon Gravity:
Settled/established: 2133 Axial tilt:
By: Mostly Scandinavians Oxygen:
Satellites: 2 (Thor, Loki) % Water:
Ident code prefix: NAR Continents:
Ruled by:
General: Undistinguished until 2275, when the nosferatu pseudo-virus
appeared and created a human-variant minority called Kindred of the
Dragon. These are now the system's local nobility.
Sub-planetary jurisdictions are called districts, with District
Administrators in charge.
Dress clothing tends to be loose shirts, fancy (silk or brocade, for
example) culottes with sash, and high boots.
NARVON IV:
Sector: 16, Virgo Year:
Subsector: A, Athena Day:
System: Narvon Gravity:
Settled/established: 2235 Axial tilt:
By: Colonists from Narvon III Oxygen:
Satellites: 1 % Water:
Ident code prefix: NAV Continents:
Ruled by:
General: Required moderate terraforming.
NEED, Sandeman Warriors': The primary physiological change that differentiates warriors from non-warriors. It is controlled by a ductlesss gland which secretes the hormone egerin, beginning at puberty; this begins the need cycle, and increases the warrior's endurance and healing speed beyond even the Sandeman norm.
There are three forms of need: cyclical, induced, and battleprep. Cyclical is involuntary, caused by the normal buildup of egerin, since that hormone cannot be metabolized alone. A warrior's cycle length is individual, and can vary from five to eight days. If the egerin buildup is not interrupted by combat or sex (both of which stimulate adrenalin production to levels that allow interaction with egerin and permit it to be metabolized), about two-thirds of the way through a warrior's cycle he begins to experience heightened sensitivity, both physical and mental. This is the pre-need stage. Need itself begins as further-increased sensitivity that could be described as irritability, at which point patience and self-control are not among the warrior's strong points. This stage, as a rule, lasts for about a day; it is not dependent on the cycle length, and is what is called active need. If it is not satisfied, the warrior starts going into overload; all body systems become hyperactive, and the effect is one of multiple stress diseases. Untreated overload lasts about two days.
The other two forms can be undertaken voluntarily at any stage short of overload. Induced need is the sexual form, stimulated by arousal and manipulation of the need gland. It results in heightened sexual ability and greatly increased fertility; if the warrior's partner is in her fertile period; conception is almost a certainty. If induced need is not resolved, it will abate on its own since it involves only the reproductive organs, speeding the warrior's cycle slightly--though the egerin fluctuations are quite uncomfortable to the warrior. Its resolution results in aftersleep, a near-comatose state that lasts for several hours.
Battleprep is the combat-oriented form of need, induced by mental and physical concentration. Unlike induced need, battle-prep involves the entire body; unless the warrior goes into demanding combat within an hour or two, he will go into overload and die. As this is well known, a warrior will prep only when combat is imminent.
Battleprep is often referred to as a berserker state, but that is only partially correct. The prepped warrior is only marginally, if at all, aware of pain and wounds; blood clots quickly to minimize loss; speed and strength are heightened on the same order as that of someone of average strength who can suddenly lift a car to save an infant. Beyond this, however, the berserker analogy breaks down, because the warrior retains his full intelligence and judgement. This combination makes a battleprepped warrior one of the most dangerous beings in the known universe.
At home, or on any Sandeman-controlled world, a warrior is in no danger of overload unless very unusual circumstances arise. There are always warriors and w'women around. And except in hostile-alien territory, where need is a weakness that must be concealed, keeping even an enemy warrior from dying in overload is as ingrained as their politeness. It is honorable to kill him, imprison him, even torture him for information--but if he goes into active need, he gets treatment. If no w'woman is available or willing, there is a ritual offering of non-hostile life-combat by one or more of the imprisoning clan's warriors.
The need cycle can be disrupted by serious injury or illness; the disruption will last from the time of the injury or illness until the warrior regains near-normal health.
Shaper experiments show that the need cycle can be permanently ended by removal of the need gland; this turns the warrior into an Other man with combat skills but none of the other warrior advantages. Naturally, Sandemans find this idea both repulsive and obscene.
NEEDLER: Sandeman energy handgun. Although it has less raw power than a blaster, the beam is much more finely adjusted, so it has equal or greater effective power. While the narrower beam requires more careful aim, Sandemans prefer its greater precision, most considering the blaster's wider beam unacceptably sloppy.
NEMRA:
Sector: 13, Crater Year:
Subsector: B, Inanna Day:
System: Gilgamesh Gravity:
Settled/established: Axial tilt:
By: Oxygen:
Satellites: % Water:
Ident code prefix: NEM Continents:
Ruled by:
General: Site of the abortive rebellion led by Count Jonathan Kaplan's
son Robert, in which Ranger Esteban Tarlac was injured and David
Scanlon earned his Life Dukedom.
NEPHTHYS, Subsector 15-B:
No. systems: 197 Sector: Auriga
with 3 inhabited planets: 4 Ruled by:
with 2 inhabited planets: 11
with 1 inhabited planet: 22
NEW BAVARIA:
Sector: 6, Scorpio Year:
Subsector: G, Tarlac Day:
System: Fasolt Gravity:
Settled/established: Axial tilt:
By: Germans Oxygen:
Satellites: % Water:
Ident code prefix: NBV Continents:
Ruled by:
General: Most famous product is Doppelbock beer, which is a strong
dark brew that travels well, but is also quite expensive.
NEW ZION:
Sector: 20, Chameleon Year:
Subsector: B, Thoth Day:
System: Solomon Gravity:
Settled/established: Axial tilt:
By: Neo-Christian fundamentalists Oxygen:
Satellites: % Water:
Ident code prefix: NZI Continents:
Ruled by:
NIKE, Subsector 13-A:
No. systems: 181 Sector: Crater
with 3 inhabited planets: 3 Ruled by:
with 2 inhabited planets: 13
with 1 inhabited planet: 22
NIPPON-NI:
Sector: 7, Cygnus Year:
Subsector: A, Kinnison Day:
System: Amaterasu Gravity:
Settled/established: 2129 Axial tilt:
By: Japanese Oxygen:
Satellites: % Water:
Ident code prefix: NIP Continents:
Ruled by:
General: The settlers wanted to return to the glorious old days of the
samurai, without losing modern conveniences or an industrial base.
On-planet, the Baron is called the Shogun.
NOBILITY, COURTESY: Those treated as Imperal nobles, though not strictly speaking nobility themselves, out of courtesy to the noble parent or spouse. This is normally a Life Noble's spouse or a ruling noble's younger children.
NOBILITY, IMPERIAL: Life and ruling nobles. In common usage this term includes the Sovereign and Rangers, though technically speaking they are royalty. See chart below for numbers and the proper ways of referring to and addressing royalty and nobility.
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RANK & NUMBER STYLE & TITLE ADDRESSED AS
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Sovereign (1) His/Her Imperial Majesty Your Majesty or Majesty *
Successor (1) His/Her Royal Highness the Your Highness, Highness,
Crown Prince/ss, or Ranger or Ranger
Ranger (abt. 10) Ranger (rarely, Prince/ss) Ranger (rarely, Your
Highness or Highness)
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Life Duke His/Her Grace the Life Duke Your Grace #
Fullname
Spouse Lord/Lady Firstname My Lord/My Lady
Children No title
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Ruling Duke (22) His/Her Grace Fullname, Duke Your Grace
of Sector _____________
Spouse Duke-Consort Firstname of My Lord/My Lady
Sector ___________
Eldest child Duke-Heir Fullname of Sector My Lord/My Lady
__________
Other children Lord/Lady Fullname Lord/Lady Firstname
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Life Earl The Most Honorable the Life My Lord/My Lady or
Earl Fullname My Lord Earl/
My Lady Earl #
Spouse Lord/Lady Firstname My Lord/My Lady
Children No title
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Ruling Earl (106) The Most Honorable Fullname, My Lord/My Lady or
Earl of Subsector _______ My Lord Earl/
My Lady Earl
Spouse Earl-Consort Firstname of My Lord/My Lady
Subsector ___________
Eldest child Earl-Heir Fullname of My Lord/My Lady
Subsector __________
Other children Lord/Lady Fullname Lord/Lady Firstname
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Life Count The Right Honorable the Life My Lord/My Lady or
Count Fullname My Lord Count/
My Lady Count #
Spouse Lord/Lady Firstname My Lord/My Lady
Children No title
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Ruling Count The Right Honorable Fullname, My Lord/My Lady or
(1431) Count of _______ System My Lord Count/
My Lady Count
Spouse Count-Consort Firstname of My Lord/My Lady
__________ System
Eldest child Count-Heir Fullname of My Lord/My Lady
_________ System
Other children Lord/Lady Fullname Lord/Lady Firstname
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Life Baron The Honorable the Life Baron My Lord/My Lady or
Fullname My Lord Baron/
My Lady Baron #
Spouse Lord/Lady Firstname My Lord/My Lady
Children No title
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Ruling Baron The Honorable Fullname, Baron My Lord/My Lady or
(5596) of ________ My Lord Baron/
My Lady Baron
Spouse Baron-Consort Firstname of My Lord/My Lady
__________
Eldest child Baron-Heir Fullname of My Lord/My Lady
__________
Other children Lord/Lady Fullname Lord/Lady Firstname
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* May also be addressed directly as "Sire", or by Rangers as "Sir".
# Nobles serving in the military are addressed by their military titles
when aboard ship or on duty; when off duty, either military or civil
titles may be used. Also, informal usage allows nobles to be
addressed by title and last name, e.g., "Baron Klaes".
NOBILITY, LIFE: Those who have been ennobled for significant service to the Empire carried out at serious personal cost or risk. The degree of service and risk or cost determine the rank given.
NOBILITY, LOCAL: Nobility other than Imperial Life or ruling nobles. These may be named by any ruling noble within @'s fief and will have whatever status the Imperial noble determines. If a nobility or equivalent already exists on a world joining the Empire, those will retain that status as local nobles. While local nobles have no Imperial status, they are generally given the courtesy title of Excellency.
NOBILITY, RULING: Those born to rule Imperial fiefs, except that the first ruling noble in a new fief will be named by the Sovereign. Technically, only the noble and @'s spouse and heir are Imperial nobles, but @'s younger children are treated so as a courtesy.
Inheritance of rule is by strict primogeniture, except in the few fiefs where, by the Sovereign's dispensation, there is some other qualification or automatic disqualification (e.g., Narvonese nobles must be Dragon-Kindred, while Sandeman nobles cannot be warriors). It is also possible, though rare, for a noble to ask the Sovereign to disqualify @'s firstborn for cause, and confirm someone else as Heir.
Should a ruling noble die without an heir, the Heir to the next higher fief takes over until the Sovereign can select a new ruler. If the fief left vacant is a Sector, a Ranger will take the position temporarily.
NOR: Traiti unit of weight, 0.56 kilograms.
NORVIS:
Sector: 21, Traiti Year:
Subsector: A, Homesun Day:
System: Lantra Gravity:
Settled/established: 2193 Axial tilt:
By: Traiti Oxygen:
Satellites: % Water:
Ident code prefix: NOR Continents:
Ruled by:
General: Clan Ch'kara's main clanhome is here.
NOSFERATU PSEUDO-VIRUS: An organism resembling a virus more closely than anything else its first investigators were aware of. It is capable of infecting approximately one percent of the inhabitants of Narvon System and an unknown but much smaller percentage of Terrans; all others are immune. While very few Terrans are susceptible, that small percentage is extremely so, and all so far known have become Bloodmates. Susceptibility is determined by high empathy, though it may be mostly latent until the Change. Narvonese research has shown that a person with a certain rare "marker" gene configuration is susceptible, but until nearly 2600, the reason is not known. A susceptible person subjected to severe weakening (due to illness or trauma) after exposure will undergo physical and mental changes, becoming a Kin or Bloodmate.
It is the degree of empathy which determines whether the Change is to Kin or Bloodmate, with the more empathic becoming the Bloodmates.
The virus is a collective mind, symbiotic with its hosts, but does not become self-aware or more than marginally conscious until it infects and changes Chee Campbell in 2750. ["Touch of the Dragon">[
NOXI: (Traiti) Homeworld equivalent of rabbits, with ears like beagles. They are about twice the size of Terran rabbits.
NULLGRAV: Nullified, or nullification of, gravity. Used as a drive for spacecraft near planets, and in planetary craft such as airplanes and cars, as well as for exercise facilities, entertainment, medical uses, etc.