conversations.from: system
conversations.value: At the Core, there is no darkness. Sunset on a  Core world simply means the stars come out, thousands upon thousands of them, packed side by side. Enough light to read by.
  
  Not so out towards the Rim.  Here, it can take days, even weeks to move from star to star, even in High-E space. Here, there is darkness aplenty.  Here also are wonderful things, beauty- and terror.
  
  We are the Ssildar, the Wanderers, the Homeless Ones.  We do not fear the Darkness between the stars.
  
  More data on the setting here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K17loPTvY8ctL-zWN2Jwr4haiuA51FcKTSgUVt4lsuc/pub
  
  *[**Natures** describe your basic training and skillset, as well as tools you can reasonably be expected to have on hand- these are generally 'automatic sucess' actions.*
  
  ***Strengths and Weaknesses** are more 'in a pinch' or 'under stress' personality traits, rather than normal skills. Feel free to create new ones.]*
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Veteran Astronaut: A veteran of interstellar travel from the first generation of FTL-capable starships.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Experienced
  
  Suggested Weakness: Stubborn
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Rookie Astronaut: A green newbie embarking on an interstellar mission for the first time.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Intrepid
  
  Suggested Weakness: Inexperienced
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Science Officer: Curious and cautious, eager to explore the cosmos and live to tell the tales.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Highly Perceptive
  
  Suggested Weakness: Hesitant
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Operations Chief: A capable officer used to all-night shifts overseeing ship functions and information systems.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Great Endurance
  
  Suggested Weakness: Brutish
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Engineering Officer: Brilliant and inventive but still not used to the stresses of actual interstellar travel.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Brilliant Mind
  
  Suggested Weakness: Queasy
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Weapons Officer: The responsibility for the safety of the ship rests here, in good hands.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Athletic Physique
  
  Suggested Weakness: Untrusting
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Communications Officer: Trained in xenolinguistics and alien cultures to make allies and history throughout the galaxy.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Charismatic
  
  Suggested Weakness: Stubborn
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Alien Diplomat: Your mission is to help humanity explore the stars so your people don’t have to take the risk.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Intrepid
  
  Suggested Weakness: Secretive
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Alien Commando: Humanity’s not ready for what’s out here. You are.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Military Training
  
  Suggested Weakness: Brutish
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Support Robot: State-of-the-art in earthly robotics and artificial intelligence, programmed for calm precision.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Sturdy Robot Body
  
  Suggested Weakness: Limited Emotional Capability
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Athletic Physique: Fit, strong, and agile.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Brilliant Mind: You’re inventive and insightful, nimble and powerful of mind.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Highly Perceptive: You’re quick to detect social cues and physical clues.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Intrepid: Adventurous and bold.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Military Training: A rigid training regimen has prepared you for a dangerous life.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Great Endurance: Long nights, bad food, and rough rides are no problem for you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Charismatic: Friendly and approachable or intimidating and stern, whatever the situation calls for.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Well Educated: Education is your great advantage.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Experienced: You’ve seen things the others wouldn’t believe.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Sturdy Robot Body: Exceptional artificial design and construction make you strong and sturdy.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Queasy: Rough rides and variable gravity don’t agree with you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Stubborn: Difficult to divert and slow to change.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hesitant: Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes doubt.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Secretive: Sharing things has gotten you hurt before.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Sensitive: Pain and stress cut you especially deep.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Brutish: Blunt and direct.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Socially Awkward: Not so much for you with the talking.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Untrusting: Others have let you down. It’ll happen again.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Inexperienced: Your experience is limited... for now.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Limited Emotional Capability: Your software brain is designed to limit and regulate emotional responses.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Secure Your Future: You want to be remembered. You want to make a dent in history.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Steal A Claim Back From Alien Rivals: Reclaim a site or planet from the likes of gluttonous alien prospectors for the glory of Earth.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get Promoted: Earn a promotion and further your career.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Get Revenge Against The Pirate Called Riser: Colleagues in the fleet have been slain by “Riser.” Maybe the *Dauntless* can end that pirate.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Faith Versus Knowledge: Your faith encompasses all that outside of your knowledge. As your knowledge goes, must your faith shrink?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Safety From Danger: Peace comes through superior power. Make humanity safer by making humanity stronger.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Recover What’s Lost: You lost your confidence—in yourself, in humanity, in something—and you’re out here to get it back.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Human Destiny: Humanity’s destiny is near. Answers are out there. Will you know them when you see them?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Not Alone: No species is alone. The future of sentience is in the mingling and cooperation of species. Make peace where you can.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Earn Star Commander Fitzcurtis’s Respect: You want the respect of the commodore of the fleet. You need it. But why?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Encounter A New Life-Form: Be the first to discover a new species of fauna heretofore unseen by humankind.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Improve Ship-wide Performance: You can make this ship operate faster, more efficiently, for the betterment of all. Make it happen.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Spacewalk: Get over your fear of deep space by making it through a spacewalk in the field.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Be A Star: Achieve popularity among the crew. Respect can come later.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Discover the Source of the Harbinger Message: What is the Harbinger trying to say and where does that message originate? Find out.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Stake A Claim on a Precious New World: Space is big but most planets are claimed by aliens or difficult to mine. Stake a valuable claim.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reunite With Your Lover on Clotho: Your old lover is on the colony on Clotho. This may be your last chance patch things up.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Build A Friendship with an Alien Colleague: Human relations with alien cultures are vital to our survival. Build a meaningful bridge.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reveal the OmniColony Mole on the Ship: You can’t prove it—not yet—but you’re sure the company has bought someone in the mission.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Send Home an Artifact: Your brother didn’t make the cut. Get something to send him so he can touch the cosmos.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hostile-Environment Suit: Standard Earthling survival suit with state-of-the-art life-support tech embedded. Bulky.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Portable Scanner Array: Hand-held but hefty scanning equipment. Sophisticated, expensive, delicate.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Planetary Stake Beacon: Typical alert beacon for laying claim to an asteroid, planetoid, or other stellar body.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Long-Range Satellite-Free Communicator: This direct communicator is hardened against EM attacks and keyed specially for the *Dauntless*.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Armored Battle Suit: An even bulkier, armored version of the standard hostile-environment suit. Meant for combat.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Compressed Energy Pistol: Standard-issue sidearm good for damage to organisms and electronics. Poor against hardware.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MR-910 Combat Rifle: Standard-issue projectile rifle, generally forbidden to see use aboard starships.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Keycard to the Weapons Locker: Only two of these are typically issued to exploratory vessels on peaceful missions.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Encryption Code for the Dauntless: This code decrypts transmissions to and from the *Dauntless*, be they official or personal.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Medical Hyperkit: A medical kit with various fast-acting and potentially dangerous drugs installed.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bridge of the Dauntless: The command center of the starship, cramped but highly functional.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dauntless: The Mess: A shared dining space for crew and officers of the exploratory ship.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dauntless: Comms Module: A private recording suite for text and AV logs to be securely encrypted and transmitted to HQ.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dauntless: Engine Room: Noisy and bright from the workings of the stardrive. Be sure to wear eye protection here.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dauntless Machine Deck: One of the dirty, steamy, dark decks of the ship, full of industrial equipment and grime.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Washington Colony on Clotho: A pre-fab village dropped into an icy river delta from space. Just starting to eke out a new life.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Planet EV-1996: Rich in mineral deposits and liquid elements, this frigid planet appears unclaimed by anyone.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Planet DRX-31880: A human deep-space probe detected repeating radio signals from this dank planet over a year ago.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Planet CGE-700: This rocky world’s claimed by alien prospectors despite the presence of a primitive civilization here.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Derelict Alien Starship: Calcified, fleshy corridors and organ-like chambers open to vacuum. Something bad happened here.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Amuse the Crew: You want to be liked. This ship is like your whole world now. Get them laughing.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Navigate the Asteroid Field: Hundreds of individual objects drifting on different trajectories. Get the ship through it all, intact.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Parse the Sensor Data: The sensors collect astonishing volumes of data and the computer lacks the curiosity to make the most of it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Analyze Communication Records: Every signal sent to and from the ship gets logged. If there’s a coded signal in there, find it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Improve Crew Efficiency: The crew can do better. They don’t have to like it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Make Repairs: Get primary systems back online.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Land on the Derelict Ship: Get your shuttle aboard the spinning alien derelict and make a safe landing.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Explore the Derelict Ship: Traverse the microgravity environment and locate an operations center if you can.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Puzzle out the Alien Computer: Can data be mined from this old ship? Can you make sense of it?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Calculate the Angle of Attack: It’s not about reflexes. It’s about making sense of hostile vectors through limited telemetry. Get a firing solution.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Star Commander Lauren Fitzcurtis: Head of Earth’s deep-space division and experienced commodore of the exploratory fleet.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Commander Gyeon Jun-seo: Responsible for gathering diaries and video logs from active-service personnel through comms.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Executive Director Bernard E. Wallace: Liaison to exploratory ships from OmniColony Inc., manufacturer of deep-space colonial equipment.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: “Riser” Apex-20 Edition Model E2090: Rogue deep-space recon robot commanding a renegade ship as a pirate.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Premier Nathan Hewitt: Leader of the new deep-space colony on Clotho, at the verge of unexplored space.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Flight Officer Ellen Vanderson: Co-pilot of the DSS *Dauntless*. This is her first deep-space mission.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Kro Kanzanic: Captain of a rival, alien exploratory ship laying claim to discoveries throughout the sector.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Harbinger: Little more than a holographic ghost appearing in decayed transmissions coming from deep space.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Xenobiological Entry Tango-321: A sleek, silvery liquid organism capable of physical mimicry and the secretion of caustic chemicals.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Xenobiological Entry Sierra-909: Teeth and claws on the ends of snaking, whipping tentacles tumbling through space.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Receive Breeding Permission: Achievement brings rewards, not least of which is the right to perpetuate your fragment of the bloodline.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Perfect Trade: Trade is the lifeblood of the Ssildar, and a large part of the reason for their wanderings.  Find something that makes the empty transit time worthwhile!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Mind over Matter: Your mental powers are so developed, they give you limited control over the physical world, at least in emergencies.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Sh'kree: Insectoid, multi-limbed, huge, and madly dangerous, the Sh'kree hunt in packs, and appear to exist only to kill.
  
  And yet, they have developed a high enough technology to allow them to build and fly starships...
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Shipbrain: Though immobile, a part of the structure of the Deeptreader herself, the Shipbrain is no less a part of the history and geneline of the Ssildar than any other. Most often, a Shipbrain is cloned from an  elder before her death, and kept in suspension until required.
  
  The Shipbrain has access to and control over all ships systems including weapons and sensors, and can navigate independently if there is need.
  
  *'Personal' gear: Ship's sensors and weapons, Starmap, library.*
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Farscanner: You can detect mental activity over quite a great distance- it's not telepathy, but you can usually figure out if there's something alive and sentient nearby.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dreamy: Whether it's the density of High-E field equations, or the light touch of other minds, you're often not quite here.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Flash of Inspiration: Some times, all the hard work in the world is no substitute for that single blinding insight.  A sudden intuitive understanding of a principle or device may come to you at the oddest time.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Esoterica: The stories and histories of the Core races are full of lost knowledge and dark secrets.
  
  The trick is remembering them...
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Clannish: Whether you call it Xenophobia or the voice of experience- 
  
  Never trust anyone outside the family.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Logical: Though flesh and blood, your decision-making is more machine-like. You are not swayed by emotional arguments, only facts and observable realities.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Emotionally Distant: You may be blood, you may even be indispensable- but your inability to relate well to those around you means you're probably not very well liked.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Worker: Unlike many other races, the Ssildar do not consider and form of labor 'menial', or anyone who performs it low-status. In a  self-contained environment, there are a thousand jobs that must be done to keep the whole functioning and safe.
  
  Workers perform tasks from loading and unloading cargo to battle repair  to assisting the Genesinger in breeding surgeries.
  
  *Personal gear: varies according to tasking.*
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Gain Status for the Family: Wealth, achievement, discovery- all of these add to a Deeptreader's status. All of the ship's family share in the glory.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bridge of the Deeptreader: A meteor-screen-backed transteel globe embraces the nerve center of the ship, leaving anyone on duty here surrounded by the vista of the Deep.  terrifying, awe-inspiring...one becomes used to it after a while, but can never ignore it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Radio Source World: A small, barren rock, standing quite close to its red dwarf sun, with a thin wisp of toxic atmosphere.  The only real features of interest are the complex and unusual crystal formations that dot the entire globe, and the occasional massive electrical discharges between them, which turn the entire world into an erratic EM source.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Family Commons: Meals and relaxation , Family meetings, and study all take place in  this core chamber of a Deeptreader.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: For the Blood!: Sometimes, enough isn't enough. Some times, sacrifices must be made.
  
  Maybe today that sacrifice is you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Drifting Grom Battlecruiser: This massive ship of war clearly been attacked- weapons traces scar both outer hull and interior- but by whom?  And where are the bodies?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Genesinger: A Genesinger is a gifted physician and biochemist by definition, but perhaps more important is her role as ship and flotilla historian, and the final arbiter of appropriate breeding schedules and pairings.
  
  Her role has grown through the passing of time into an informal judge, based on her memory of precedent and tradition.
  
  *Personal gear: Full medkit, personal sidearm, records tablet, laser scalpel.*
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Artificer: The Deeptreader's Artificer is not only responsible for maintaining and upgrading ship systems, but also assessing the value of new tech, either discovered or traded for.
  
  She also acts as ship's armorer, maintaining the family's personal weapons.
  
  *Personal gear:  Needle gun, rad-hardened working armor, field meter, omnitool pack*
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Diplomat: Friendly and approachable or intimidating and stern, whatever the situation calls for to convince people to agree with you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Highly Perceptive: You’re quick to detect social cues, physical clues, and emotional states.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Reach a Concensus: No Deeptreader takes on any action of consequence without a family meeting. Once a course of action is set, the ordinary chain of command takes over, but every member of the People aboard has a say in their fate.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Aggressive: You come from a people with many enemies- take them down first, before they can make trouble.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Prepare: Every member of the crew has an assigned duty for such projects, and is responsible for her own gear.  Three shipdays should be plenty to pack and run checks.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Frail: At times, tradeoffs must be made to breed for desired characteristics.
  
  Your health, physical, and/or mental strength may not be all they could be- but there is still value in your blood.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Officious: Difficult to divert and slow to change, your age or position has made you resist differing viewpoints.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Forge Alliances: No species is alone, though the Ssildar often think of themselves that way. The future of sentience is in the mingling and cooperation of species. Make peace where you can.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Master Trader: One good agreement can not only secure a ship's future, but can cement the name of its Speaker in the history of the Ssildar.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Encounter A New Life-Form: Be the first to discover a new species of fauna previously unknown to the Core races.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Destroy an Enemy: Doing your part for the blood means, to you, destroying or weakening those who would destroy or weaken you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Secure Your Future: You want to be remembered. You want to make a dent in history.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Warden: While all Ssildar have some  martial training, and always go armed, the Wardens are bred for strength and speed, and are brought up with the combat arts. Taller than average for their race, heavier built, a Warden uses heavy armor, a massive fusion lance, and some sort of powerful hand to hand weapon in battle. 
  
  *Personal gear: Combat armor, fusion lance, power maul, plasgrenades, field medkit.*
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bloodspeaker: Like most closed societies, the Ssildar are distrustful of strangers, and do not like to be 'contaminated' by contact with other cultures any more than is strictly needful.
  
  One Ssildar on every Deeptreader, chosen for her patience, calm, and flexibility, is chosen as Bloodspeaker, to carry out most negotiations and communications with other races.
  
  *Personal gear: stun baton, translator, environmental adaptation suit.*
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Sensora: Bred for power of mind over that of the body, Sensora are mystics and guides for a Deeptreader.  From a deep trance, she will sort probabilities of profit and danger, and present them on waking.
  
  She can also often use her mind as a weapon, either offensive or defensive, to make up for her lack of physical strength.
  
  *Personal gear: trancetabs; mental amp/shield helmet; standard protective suit, battle staff.*
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find a suitable complement: Maybe on your own Deeptreader, maybe elsewhere, there must be one of the Ssalidar that is right for you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Find a suitable complement: Maybe on your own Deeptreader, maybe elsewhere, there must be one of the Ssalidar that is right for you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Mrr'Jaa Navigator: Quick and wily, you are a stranger on this ship. The fact that you are even here is a matter of necessity, because normally your kind wouldn't be accepted in these quarters.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Hermeneutics: Reality is textual. By introspection and interpretation, you can navigate the intricacies of a social situation or movement through space, but never both at the same time.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Ennui: You are vulnerable to crippling doubts or despair; you may manufacture problems that don't really exist, or you may grow distant from others. Even on your best day you are probably snarky.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Technomage: Tricks, slight of hand, and devices beyond the understanding of most Ssildar make you seem more Wizard than Mechanic.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Reckless: The first to go investigate when something interesting occurs, and the consequences be damned.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Lost Lore: There are races so old that they have been and gone in the time since the first of the current races crawled into space. The knowledge to be found is beyond value.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find a suitable complement: Maybe on your own Deeptreader, maybe elsewhere, there must be one of the Ssalidar that is right for you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Experienced: You've been here before, so you know to take the risks only when necessary.