Technological wonders abound, and space travel is a common and everyday part of life, with even working class folks being able to take vacations to far away worlds. Dimenional travel is unpredictable and highly regulated, but certainly possible for those who can afford the ride. Medicine borders on magic, and actual Magic thrives between many civilizations and cultures throughout the cosmos.
While it may seem a vastly different place than what we are used to, the Galaxy holds many all-too familiar drawbacks as well, from crime bosses and greedy corporations, to ravenous intergalactic monsters and bloodthirsty space pirates and disgruntled Robots who crave nothing more than the end of the oppressive rule of life forms universe-wide. Far off, the nefarious Reptons try to strangle the forces of good in their scaled and fanged grip.
Luckily, there is order and goodness in the cosmos, and we have a just and fair ruler. Known simply as The Queen of the Galaxy, her Majesty rules justly and with a good heart. She seems to be all powerful and wise, but has never claimed to be a God, even though her rule has extended throughout the fragile thing known as time. The Queen is always protected by her bodyguard of 9 elite Knights, armor clad centurions who ride gleaming steeds through the cosmos in her name, righting wrongs and bringing the vile to justice.
But, hey, there's only so much 9 Knights can do, yaknow?
Seeing that the Galaxy was a super big place, the Queen decided to expand her band of roving good folks, and created an elite organization known as the Bureau of Special Folks, or BSF for short. These badge carrying goodnicks would police the borders of space, helping those who needed it, and bringing justice to the stars.
The BSF accepts any and all good entities who wish to help the cause of goodness, from file clerks to secretaries and administrators, but the most famous members of the organization are undoubtedly The Agents, men and women (and...things) that have graduated from a rigorous training academy and passed an all-important Training Mission to earn themselves a special ship by which to police the cosmos. Agents are akin to rock stars and James Bonds of the cosmos, with movies and heroic stories being told about their action packed exploits. Everyone wants to lead the life of an Agent, but few possess the skill and talents to earn this prestigious right.
Universal Universe puts the player in the shoes of one such elite person, a card (badge) carrying member of the elite Bureau of Special Folks!
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What year is it?
Currently the year is 1997. This never changes, and no one really seems to notice or mind that much.
Where is the BSF Located?
The Headquarters for the BSF is on a giant Moon called...The Moon. Yea, that Moon that you are thinking of. It used to orbit a planet called Urf, but nobody knows what happened to that place.
What kind of beings populate the BSF
The BSF accepts anyone of good nature into their fold, and finds a job for everyone to do regardless of their skills. However, most of the members of the BFS hail from one of the nearby worlds closest to The Moon. This means that the BSF is comprised mainly of Texans, Mutants, Robonoids, Cromags and Gloomlings. That's why these are the available playable races.
What is the ranking structure of the BSF like?
This might take a while...The BSF is divided into 3 distinct Sections. The Command, The Field, and The Office.
The Command is the top of the organization, comprising of the Queen of the Galaxy and her Knights.
The Field is comprised of various ranks of Agents, who are the roving folks of good who serve the BSF in a martial, adventure-like capacity.
The Office is the administrative branch of the BSF, from file clerks and janitors to Ship Repair folks and Commodores who act as overseers to Agents in the field, giving them missions and acting as quartermasters and behind the scenes advocates.
How are Agents ranked?
Members of The Field have ranks that detail their capability and time in serving the BSF. The various ranks of Agent are detailed below.
Cadet: Those few who manage to graduate from the BSF Academy are granted the Rank of Cadet. All player characters begin at this Rank. All Cadets must pass a Training Mission under the supervision of a Special Agent in order to be promoted in Rank. Cadets do not have access to their own Starships.
Agent: Once a Cadet has successfully completed their training Mission, they gain the rank of Agent. Agents are taken to the Shipyards on The Moon at BSF Headquarters, where they have a Starship forged for them. All Agents are granted freedom to do as they please until they get a Mission from a Commodore in The Office.
When one becomes an Agent, they are also presented with their own personalized BSF Badge, bestowed to them personally by the Queen of the Galaxy in a very proper ceremony at the Queen's Castle. The BSF Badge is a sacred and important relic, and bestows special abilities to those who possess it (More on this later).
Due to their general lack of experience in the Field, Agents are normally assigned to work in partnerships or groups called Cells. A Cell of Agents share the same ship and work on Case Files together. Once an Agent is promoted to the Rank of Special Agent, they have the option to go on their own and leave their Cell. Some Cells, however, form a close bond and remain together throughout their entire Careers.
Special Agent: Those who have proven their capability in the field and have completed their fair share of Missions are elevated to the rank of Special Agent, where they gain access to even more dangerous Missions that require the attention of truly devoted sorts. Special Agents also are responsible for accompanying and overseeing Cadets on their Training Mission. Many Special Agents find the process of "Babysitting" a fairly annoying waste of their time...
Star Agent: Those who have served the BSF honorably and for lengthy expanses of time may graduate to the vaunted rank of Star Agent. Star Agents are quite rare in the BSF, and are not those whom should be messed with lightly!
Gold Star Agent: The elite of the elite, Gold Star Agents have saved countless worlds and are regarded as some of the most formidable beings in the Galaxy. There are but a handful of Gold Star Agents at any given time, and rumor has it that once this legendary rank is attained, the Queen of the Galaxy herself approaches the individual and asks them to personally join her retinue of Knights! The fact that the Queen's retinue of Knights has been numbered at 9 for the last 50 years or so should tell you how rarely someone achieves this incredible level of skill.
(Dave Note: The Ranks provided correlate about the same as the Ranks of the Savage Worlds system. For instance, a Novice player is ranked at Cadet, and will most likely be promoted to Agent when they reach Seasoned Rank, and then most likely be promoted to Special Agent once they reach the rank of Veteran, etc.)
"Currently the year is 1997. This never changes, and no one really seems to notice or mind that much."
ReplyDelete"The fact that the Queen's retinue of Knights has been numbered at 9 for the last 50 years or so should tell you how rarely someone achieves this incredible level of skill."
:D