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The Dhaoghissi
Empires The Dhaoghissi are a collection of interstellar empires and dozens of lesser states linked by a common stargate network created over three thousand years ago. At the time of the stargate network’s initial creation, the Dhaoghissi were united under one rule, a hereditary feudal empire based along clan lines. With the assassination of the last Amethyst Emperor in 749 CE (human reckoning), the Dhaoghissi fragmented into two rival super powers, which in turn splintered into five main empires and numerous lesser holdings in a centuries long civil war which by 2361 CE has petered out into a perpetual cold war. The five empires are the Crimson and Alabaster Thrones (the two largest empires), and the Emerald, Saffron, and Amethyst Thrones. The Emerald Throne is a splinter empire of the Alabaster Throne, and the Saffron Throne is a splinter empire of the Crimson Throne. The Amethyst Throne, once the heart of the Dhaoghissi interstellar empire, is now a rump state that serves as a buffer between the two superpower Crimson and Alabaster Throne empires, its Emperor little more than a figurehead from a family deemed acceptable to the two great empires. Scientific progress and technical development have been stifled in the interim, with the few great technical and engineering houses in each main empire that still understand bias drives, stargates, and stardrive technology jealously guarding their secrets, and managing to turn out finished devices in barely sufficient quantities to maintain the current stalemate (and thus preserving their own power). The Dhaoghissi Stargate Network is no longer contiguous across the entire domain of the empires, as the civil war led to the destruction of wormholes (with devastating results) and to the intentional deflation of others in order to cut off hostile transit. What remains is largely intact between empires, but there are almost no stargate links between even relatively friendly empires. Raids and the infrequent major war offensive are often conducted by stardrive jumps across a no-man’s land of star systems that have been reduced to scorched wastes by nearly sixteen centuries of strife. In addition to their perpetual struggle to reunite the Amethyst Throne, the Dhaoghissi have experienced scattered clashes with the Quilah, though they have had few successes, and in many cases have no idea who or what their enemies are. Their recent encounters with humanity have been the result of lesser powers searching for new systems to colonize, and have since drawn the attention of the Most Sublime Emerald Throne. Full Thrust in the Black Magic Project The Dhaoghissi still retain advanced technology, in particular a reactionless Bias Drive that allows them to accelerate without burning reaction mass. In Full Thrust Terms, this is identical to the Advanced Drives of the Kra’Vak. A side effect of the Bias Drive is that the gravitational distortion of space-time around Dhaoghissi vessels will occasionally deflect incoming weapon fire. The Dhaoghissi have learned to optimize the placement of the Bias Drive in order to maximize this defensive aspect on most of their ships. This is represented in Full Thrust as a Defensive Screen. As a special case, Dhaoghissi screens affect all weapon attacks, and not just beams. Dhaoghissi screens affect beam weapons normally. Antiship Missile, Pulse Torpedo, Meson Gun, and Neutral Particle Beam attacks against Level-1 Dhaoghissi screens subtract 1 damage point per die of the attack (thus pulse torpedoes and light antiship missiles will do 1D6-1 damage on a hit, the medium antiship missile will do 2D6-2 damage, and the heavy antiship missile and meson gun will do 3D6-3 damage), and against Level-2 screens will subtract 2 damage points per die of the attack. With Salvo Missile and Fighter Squadron attacks, a 1D6-1 roll is made for Level-1 Screens and a 1D6 roll is made for Level-2 Screens – with the result subtracted from the number of fighters or missiles that may attack. Fighters are not destroyed in this manner, but do not get to attack that turn, while salvo missiles are lost. The defensive screen is operable as long as both it and the Main Drive are operable. A Main Drive which has suffered one threshold hit will reduce the screen by one level - in most cases this will knock out the screen. The Dhaoghissi tend to favor fast, maneuverable vessels with thin if any armor (they depend on their screens for defense) and relatively weak hulls. Their raider class vessels and their fighter carriers will be stealthy, while their major combatants generally are not. They shy away from missiles, though they do carry submunitions, and they also favor carrying fighters on most of their warships. Their primary beam weapon is the free electron laser tuned to the hard ultraviolet or even soft x-ray wavelengths. Dhaoghissi Tech Mass Points Damage Range Bands / Effects Advanced Drives 5% Mass per Thrust Mass x 3 N/A As per Kra'Vak drives Dhaoghissi Screens (1) 5% Mass, Min. of 3 Mass x 6 N/A Affects all weapons Dhaoghissi Screens (2) 10% Mass, Min. of 6 Mass x 6 N/A Affects all weapons |
