Gamemaster Second Orbital Zone: Venus (IF) - Revision history

Starfox at 14:40, 16 November 2025

2025-11-16T14:40:04Z

Starfox: /* Ozone Hole */

2025-11-16T13:29:30Z

Ozone Hole

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:29, 16 November 2025
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	<span style="color: brown;">Treat the surface like deep ocean. Keep mass and people at 55–60 km. Send down tethered work-pods or balloon-return pods; reel or float them back. '''Tether pod:''' winched from a cloud city; power/comms over the line; hours on task. '''Balloon return:''' drop a rugged pod; after work, inflate hot H₂ to ascend for pickup. '''CO₂ thermal lifter (rare):''' ingests CO₂, heats it indirectly, and jets it for VTOL — heavy, maintenance-hungry, hard to insure. '''Rules:''' Radio works below the clouds; use drones and a relay aerostat. No crews below; short sorties, redundant ascent, preplanned windows. If it can be done at 50–60 km, do it there.</span></noinclude>		<span style="color: brown;">Treat the surface like deep ocean. Keep mass and people at 55–60 km. Send down tethered work-pods or balloon-return pods; reel or float them back. '''Tether pod:''' winched from a cloud city; power/comms over the line; hours on task. '''Balloon return:''' drop a rugged pod; after work, inflate hot H₂ to ascend for pickup. '''CO₂ thermal lifter (rare):''' ingests CO₂, heats it indirectly, and jets it for VTOL — heavy, maintenance-hungry, hard to insure. '''Rules:''' Radio works below the clouds; use drones and a relay aerostat. No crews below; short sorties, redundant ascent, preplanned windows. If it can be done at 50–60 km, do it there.</span></noinclude>

	=== <noinclude><span style="color: brown;">Ozone Hole </span>===		=== <noinclude><span style="color: brown;">Ozone Hole </span> ===
	<span style="color: brown;">A sudden “ozone hole” blooms in the mesosphere, and UV meters scream. Crew watch the sky go hard-white as envelope skins haze and crisp at the edges. Traffic controllers snap corridors shut, rerouting gondolas and berths while drone swarms spray temporary UV coats over sagging panels — and someone has to trace the chemistry glitch before the next pulse hits.</span>		<span style="color: brown;">A sudden “ozone hole” blooms in the mesosphere, and UV meters scream. Crew watch the sky go hard-white as envelope skins haze and crisp at the edges. Traffic controllers snap corridors shut, rerouting gondolas and berths while drone swarms spray temporary UV coats over sagging panels — and someone has to trace the chemistry glitch before the next pulse hits.</span>

Starfox: /* Ozone Hole */

2025-11-16T13:28:59Z

Ozone Hole

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:28, 16 November 2025
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	<span style="color: brown;">Treat the surface like deep ocean. Keep mass and people at 55–60 km. Send down tethered work-pods or balloon-return pods; reel or float them back. '''Tether pod:''' winched from a cloud city; power/comms over the line; hours on task. '''Balloon return:''' drop a rugged pod; after work, inflate hot H₂ to ascend for pickup. '''CO₂ thermal lifter (rare):''' ingests CO₂, heats it indirectly, and jets it for VTOL — heavy, maintenance-hungry, hard to insure. '''Rules:''' Radio works below the clouds; use drones and a relay aerostat. No crews below; short sorties, redundant ascent, preplanned windows. If it can be done at 50–60 km, do it there.</span></noinclude>		<span style="color: brown;">Treat the surface like deep ocean. Keep mass and people at 55–60 km. Send down tethered work-pods or balloon-return pods; reel or float them back. '''Tether pod:''' winched from a cloud city; power/comms over the line; hours on task. '''Balloon return:''' drop a rugged pod; after work, inflate hot H₂ to ascend for pickup. '''CO₂ thermal lifter (rare):''' ingests CO₂, heats it indirectly, and jets it for VTOL — heavy, maintenance-hungry, hard to insure. '''Rules:''' Radio works below the clouds; use drones and a relay aerostat. No crews below; short sorties, redundant ascent, preplanned windows. If it can be done at 50–60 km, do it there.</span></noinclude>

	=== <span style="color: brown;">Ozone Hole </span>===		=== <noinclude><span style="color: brown;">Ozone Hole </span>===
	<span style="color: brown;">A sudden “ozone hole” blooms in the mesosphere, and UV meters scream. Crew watch the sky go hard-white as envelope skins haze and crisp at the edges. Traffic controllers snap corridors shut, rerouting gondolas and berths while drone swarms spray temporary UV coats over sagging panels — and someone has to trace the chemistry glitch before the next pulse hits.</span>		<span style="color: brown;">A sudden “ozone hole” blooms in the mesosphere, and UV meters scream. Crew watch the sky go hard-white as envelope skins haze and crisp at the edges. Traffic controllers snap corridors shut, rerouting gondolas and berths while drone swarms spray temporary UV coats over sagging panels — and someone has to trace the chemistry glitch before the next pulse hits.</span>

Starfox: /* Adventure Seeds */

2025-11-16T13:28:13Z

Adventure Seeds

@@ Line 204: / Line 204: @@
 # <span style="color: brown;">'''DD Tether Scare''': A D–D reactor gondola’s ballast winch jams; calculate safe altitude vs. radiation corridors and talk a panicking city through manual jettison.</span>
 # <span style="color: brown;">'''Skydock Hostile''': New owner voids legacy berths; prove lien chains through pre-Fall records scattered across three orbitals and a derelict.</span>
 # <span style="color: brown;">'''Smuggled Lifter''': Helium-3 declared as argon to dodge tariffs; a popped cell proves it. Who sent it? — trail the paperwork and the leakers. What are the receivers to use it for? — Its to be deposited in a storage to be claimed. Can you stake it out and catch the buyer? </span>
 # <span style="color: brown;">'''AI Syndic''': A cluster’s scheduling quter starts optimizing humans out; win back discretionary time or teach it to value festivals. What is the root cause of the fault — AI awakening? </span>
@@ Line 211: / Line 210: @@
 === <span style="color: brown;">Venus Descent Ops</span> ===
 <span style="color: brown;">Treat the surface like deep ocean. Keep mass and people at 55–60 km. Send down tethered work-pods or balloon-return pods; reel or float them back. '''Tether pod:''' winched from a cloud city; power/comms over the line; hours on task. '''Balloon return:''' drop a rugged pod; after work, inflate hot H₂ to ascend for pickup. '''CO₂ thermal lifter (rare):''' ingests CO₂, heats it indirectly, and jets it for VTOL — heavy, maintenance-hungry, hard to insure. '''Rules:''' Radio works below the clouds; use drones and a relay aerostat. No crews below; short sorties, redundant ascent, preplanned windows. If it can be done at 50–60 km, do it there.</span></noinclude>
 == See Also ==
 * [[Venus 2315 (IB)|Venus 2315]]

Starfox: /* Colonization */

2025-11-06T22:59:29Z

Colonization

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:59, 6 November 2025
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	After Icarus Fall, surface and lower atmosphere installations were lost or abandoned and many cloud cities collapsed and fell. Twenty years on, Venus has roared back. The cloud layer is once again crowded with aerostat refineries, tethered “skydocks,” and linked city-clusters exporting what the inner system lacks — '''carbon feedstock''' from CO₂ cracking, '''sulfur''' and sulfuric intermediates, nitrates, industrial gases, plastics precursors, and specialty reagents. Pre-Fall lanes are re-charted, customs is digital again, and Venusian combines bid contracts across Mercury, Terra, Mars, and the Belt.		After Icarus Fall, surface and lower atmosphere installations were lost or abandoned and many cloud cities collapsed and fell. Twenty years on, Venus has roared back. The cloud layer is once again crowded with aerostat refineries, tethered “skydocks,” and linked city-clusters exporting what the inner system lacks — '''carbon feedstock''' from CO₂ cracking, '''sulfur''' and sulfuric intermediates, nitrates, industrial gases, plastics precursors, and specialty reagents. Pre-Fall lanes are re-charted, customs is digital again, and Venusian combines bid contracts across Mercury, Terra, Mars, and the Belt.

			With much of the population only a decade on Venus, the place is young. Social patterns are flexible, people move around, and the frequent and random meetings of cities add even more dynamism.

	=== Cloud cities ===		=== Cloud cities ===

Starfox: /* Cloud cities */

2025-11-06T22:51:35Z

Cloud cities

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:51, 6 November 2025
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	Held aloft by huge balloons suspended by lifting gasses, preferably H₂, but other gasses can be used in a pinch.		Held aloft by huge balloons suspended by lifting gasses, preferably H₂, but other gasses can be used in a pinch.
	This can be scaled, but the shell of the gas cells come under strain, limiting a cloud city to about 10.000 tons and about as many people.		This can be scaled, but the shell of the gas cells come under strain, limiting a cloud city to about 10.000 tons and about as many people.
	This means everything in a cloud city is light, ~~almost~~ to the point of being flimsy.		This means everything in a cloud city is light, to the point of being flimsy.
	Sound privacy is a a luxury, heavy industry is avoided, and shuttles are kept medium-sized or smaller.		Sound privacy is a a luxury, heavy industry is avoided, and shuttles are kept medium-sized or smaller.
	The living area is below the envelope, sometimes in a flat platform, other times following the underside of the lifting structure. Landing pads are sometimes on top of the envelope, but more commonly on arms extending out from the living area.		The living area is below the envelope, sometimes in a flat platform, other times following the underside of the lifting structure. Landing pads are sometimes on top of the envelope, but more commonly on arms extending out from the living area.

Starfox at 07:19, 3 November 2025

2025-11-03T07:19:36Z

Show changes

Starfox: /* Adventure Seeds */

2025-10-29T17:17:04Z

Adventure Seeds

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:17, 29 October 2025
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	# <span style="color: brown;">'''Cave Rescue''' — Radio emissions from the surface there might be Fall survivors in a cave on the surface, but drones can't enter fare enough into the caves make contact. </span>		# <span style="color: brown;">'''Cave Rescue''' — Radio emissions from the surface there might be Fall survivors in a cave on the surface, but drones can't enter fare enough into the caves make contact. </span>
	# <span style="color: brown;">'''Solar Alchemy legacies''' — Pre-Fall exotic-materials lines are selectively restarted where feedstocks and buyers justify the risk. A manned expedition is needed, the first in many years. Requires low-altitude work, and the materials themselves disrupt radio drone control. Security checks require actual human touch on a security pad. </span>		# <span style="color: brown;">'''Solar Alchemy legacies''' — Pre-Fall exotic-materials lines are selectively restarted where feedstocks and buyers justify the risk. A manned expedition is needed, the first in many years. Requires low-altitude work, and the materials themselves disrupt radio drone control. Security checks require actual human touch on a security pad. </span>
	# <span style="color: brown;">'''~~Storm-eye anchors~~''' — Platforms pinned in quasi-stable ~~eyes~~; great throughput, sudden evacuations ~~when the eye walks~~. </span>		# <span style="color: brown;">'''City on Overdrive''' — Platforms pinned in quasi-stable mesoscale lull cells or predictable shear minima; great throughput of something very valuable, sudden evacuations at abrupt drift/decay. </span>
	# <span style="color: brown;">'''Surface launch window''' — A ~~lasting storm core forms a tornado~~ that brings high-athmosphere conditions close to the surface, a window for a major descent. An entire city might be pulled down this funnel. </span>		# <span style="color: brown;">'''Surface launch window''' — A temporary inversion break or shear corridor that brings high-athmosphere conditions close to the surface, a window for a major descent. An entire city might be pulled down this funnel. </span>
	# <span style="color: brown;">'''Derelict-no-more''' — “Ghost” cloud bases reoccupied but still half-mapped; old biotech and Solar Alchemy kit may be under new management, but the city does not communicate. This base had a policy of Neme-backups in a central quter, over the years the Neme information has merged into a general artificial intelligence. On boarding this appears to be a ghost town with only drones working, getting spookier and spookier until the cause is found. The AI wants to have humans that inhabitate the city but makes unreasonable demands and really seems to bant Neme information rather than actual people. Negotiate with this intelligence or blow it up to escape? </span>		# <span style="color: brown;">'''Derelict-no-more''' — “Ghost” cloud bases reoccupied but still half-mapped; old biotech and Solar Alchemy kit may be under new management, but the city does not communicate. This base had a policy of Neme-backups in a central quter, over the years the Neme information has merged into a general artificial intelligence. On boarding this appears to be a ghost town with only drones working, getting spookier and spookier until the cause is found. The AI wants to have humans that inhabitate the city but makes unreasonable demands and really seems to bant Neme information rather than actual people. Negotiate with this intelligence or blow it up to escape? </span>
	# <span style="color: brown;">'''Mutated membranes''' — Parts of the biomembrane terraces have mutated, increasing in solidity and buoyance to the point that they can carry som topsoil made from previous generations of the membrane itself. This is a scientific wonder, but ~~might also house~~ survivors, miscreants, or organic dangers. </span>		# <span style="color: brown;">'''Mutated membranes''' — Parts of the biomembrane terraces have mutated, increasing in solidity and buoyance to the point that they can carry som topsoil made from previous generations of the membrane itself. This is a scientific wonder, but survivors, miscreants, organic dangers, and imminent collapse add danger. </span>
	# <span style="color: brown;">'''Membrane ranges''' — Semi-solid terraces with smuggling niches, escaped strains, and corporate claim-jumpers. </span>		# <span style="color: brown;">'''Membrane ranges''' — Semi-solid terraces with smuggling niches, escaped strains, and corporate claim-jumpers. </span>
	# <span style="color: brown;">'''Lower-atmo windows''' — Timed sorties to harvest rare fractions; lost pods, disputed salvage, and contract wars over ascent slots. </span>		# <span style="color: brown;">'''Lower-atmo windows''' — Timed sorties to harvest rare fractions; lost pods, disputed salvage, and contract wars over ascent slots. </span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Hydrogen Heist''' — An H₂ balloon farm vanishes from a cluster at night—stolen lifting gas means cities lose altitude unless recovered fast.. </span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''VL2 Blackout''': The Venus-L2 relay drops; line-of-sight laser chains must be hot-patched across drifting cities while rivals jam corridors.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Microwave Misalign''': A high-alt power kite’s beam skews — brownouts cascade; ride the winds to re-aim reflectors before hospitals lose cooling.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Isotope Audit''': A refinery’s carbon output shows non-terrestrial isotope ratios — smuggling, reactor scram, or an exotic feedstock find?</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Acid Bloom''': A new aerosol chemistry chews through standard skinsuits; recall/replace across a festival docking. Someone is responsible.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Union Line''': Loaders strike; management hires off-world scabs. The local factory product kills the membrane. Keep perishable membranes alive while negotiating under drone pickets.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Balloon Tomb''': A century-old Soviet probe is buoyed up by freak convection; grab the heritage core before it sinks or melts.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Glyder Derby''': Annual zero-engine glider race between cities; sabotage, sponsorship bribes, and a storm wall moving in early.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Membrane Poachers''': Corporate bioprospectors cut living sheets at night; track the skiff through wind lanes without ripping the local ecology. The membrane has clogged their drives, you now have to save the perpetrators. </span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''DD Tether Scare''': A D–D reactor gondola’s ballast winch jams; calculate safe altitude vs. radiation corridors and talk a panicking city through manual jettison.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Skydock Hostile''': New owner voids legacy berths; prove lien chains through pre-Fall records scattered across three orbitals and a derelict.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Ozone Hole''': A mesospheric chemistry shift spikes UV at certain hours; reroute traffic, retrofit envelope coatings, and find the culprit reaction.</span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''Smuggled Lifter''': Helium-3 declared as argon to dodge tariffs; a popped cell proves it. Who sent it? — trail the paperwork and the leakers. What are the receivers to use it for? — Its to be deposited in a storage to be claimed. Can you stake it out and catch the buyer? </span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''AI Syndic''': A cluster’s scheduling quter starts optimizing humans out; win back discretionary time or teach it to value festivals. What is the root cause of the fault — AI awakening? </span>
			# <span style="color: brown;">'''CO₂ Fangline''': A down-atmo extraction “drillship” is stuck in shear, tether fraying; stage a two-city rescue with crossing wind vectors.</span>

	=== <span style="color: brown;">Venus Descent Ops</span> ===		=== <span style="color: brown;">Venus Descent Ops</span> ===

Starfox: /* Culture */

2025-10-29T16:20:51Z

Culture

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:20, 29 October 2025
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	=== Culture ===		=== Culture ===
	Venus' culture is easygoing and open.		Venus' culture is easygoing and open.
	The combination of small-town familiarity and chance-meeting when cloud cities dock creates a culture where people are secure in their home — ''Campanilismo'' and all — and also comfortable with meeting ~~another~~ similar homogenous community. This creates a rural feel to the cloud cities, where everyone knows someone who knows that guy and societal control is tight. Some feel confined by this and emigrate, either off-world or to a city more to their taste; like everywhere in the solar system, like pulls like to create settlements focused around a particular interest.		The combination of small-town familiarity and chance-meeting when cloud cities dock creates a culture where people are secure in their home — ''Campanilismo'' and all that — and also comfortable with meeting one other similar homogenous community at a time.

			This creates a rural feel to the cloud cities, where everyone knows someone who knows that guy and societal control is tight. Some feel confined by this and emigrate, either off-world or to a city more to their taste; like everywhere in the solar system, like pulls like to create settlements focused around a particular interest.

	; Leisure activities		; Leisure activities

Starfox: /* Surface and Low Atmosphere Operations */

2025-10-29T16:15:38Z

Surface and Low Atmosphere Operations

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:15, 29 October 2025
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	Balloons use stored H₂ as the lifting gas. If both the primary and secondary balloons fail, heated CO₂ can be used as a much weaker and unstable lifting gas, this is rarely needed and cheaper drones can't.		Balloons use stored H₂ as the lifting gas. If both the primary and secondary balloons fail, heated CO₂ can be used as a much weaker and unstable lifting gas, this is rarely needed and cheaper drones can't.

	Since cloud cities drift quickly on the winds, a balloon-lifted drone will return far away from its host city. This means cities must cooperate to maintain radio contact with probes, and returning drones ~~are~~ picked up by shuttle.		Since cloud cities drift quickly on the winds, a balloon-lifted drone will return far away from its host city. This means cities must cooperate to maintain radio contact with probes, and returning drones have to be picked up by shuttle.

	; Tethers don't reach		; Tethers don't reach