The Gaumont Empire

The Gaumont Empire descends from the original human inhabitants of this world who boarded the alien vessel to destroy its core. To the wider world these people are often referred to in legend as the creators, but to themselves they are just humans. While not fully successful they aided in halting the invasion and crashing the world ship.

Territory: 83 hexes (Duchy equivalent)
Population: 24,900 (density 300 p/hex)
Centralized settlement pattern, one shift down on urban table: round to 20% urban = 4,980 urban
Capital: 20% in capital = 996 families

As a society they descend almost fully from people of a military background and even to this day their civilisation reflects this. Strong rule of law, service to the state and resilience are traits of Gaumontians even to this day.

Their empire was founded in the launch hangers of the vessel. The hangers are cavernous structures with roofs from two to six miles high. Buildings hang from this sky top in the mists that would be clouds, these buildings are old abandoned hangers and service structures. The surface layer is generally flat containing various platforms and open spaces for storage and servicing of vehicles. The launch doors themselves were in the floor structure, now buried to the outside world and preventing access to the outside world. In some places where doors were sheared off dirt and rock spilled into the hangers creating areas that to this day reflect hills and fields for the current inhabitants.

District 1 - Surlarr

Closer to the Terran Enclave, Surlarr was always the fallback zone for the Gaumont Empire. Additionally with many of its hangers sheared off and the surface layer containing abundant soil the district serves the roll of the breadbasket of the empire.

Fort Marchal

Throughout the history of the empire this holding has always served as the backup capital, only releasing this role in recent history. Unlike several other cities this one is contained within corridor like structures and lacks open spaces and thoroughfares that many a city desire. But it makes it a tough but to crack. Unfortunately it makes it difficult to manage trade with and less pleasant to live in but through the history of the empire these negatives have been more than worth the benefits of safety.

College of Mechanists: Fort Marchal is home to the empires college of mechanists who maintain the ancient arts of machinery passed down from their ancestors. Here many mechanist items can be purchased or commissioned.

District 2 - Cemat

This district has had a troubled history and has always been the frontline in terms of holding territory in the launch hangers. Supported by the Terran holdings to the south, it fell upon the early Gaumont infantry to push the human holding towards the aft side of the bays. But visitor attack squads and the myriad of rampaging escaped experiments frustrated these efforts to the point that this territory has had to be abandoned and recaptured several times.

In the modern era, the wall was established to help hold the northern front and contain many of the threats to the other side of the wall. Many a theory around these constant attacks over hundreds of years point to the hypothetical existence of some sinister intelligence that drives these beasts and marauders but none have ever found the true source.

Neo Valliswa (Capital)

The establishment of the wall has allowed the original capital of Valliswa to be rebuilt over the last hundred years. Originally little better than a shanty town that was reinforced using grounded abductors as defence turrets, the town has blossomed and features structures of steel and stone that befit its status as a capital. In the great hall the current Emperor sits, descended from a long line of Guamonts who have served the empire.

District 3 - Ferone (Terran Development Zone)

The establishment of this territory was a combined effort working with the Terran Enclave in which it was agreed that the land and people would be ruled by the Guamont Empire. These territories were held by visitor outcasts and marauding scavengers that were fought off in the early establishment of the zone. It has since blossomed into a stable district where many people of mixed heritage live. Benefiting from this union they have drawn on Terran and local Mechanist knowledge to repair and revitalise several habitation chambers in the area.

District 4 - Annex Pontos

This domain was a neighbouring holding that was annexed by the Gaumont Empire only a few hundred years ago. It’s people are from a foreign world having escaped from onboard Vivariums and test laboratories on the world ship after the crash. Since the annexation they have become productive members of the empire.

(Left vague for now, this is a GMs chance to put Elves or some other alien race into the setting)

District 5 - Batylle

The current frontier district of the empire was established by house Avril. It is an untamed land on the edge of the empire, beset by visitor raids and scavengers. People of all walks live here, be they human, half terran, terran and hybrids living in relative harmony in a harsh land.

Watchtower Avril

What passes for a village in the region was infact the original watchtower border fort from house Avril. The scouting house cut deep into the borderlands to establish this beachhead from which they have “civilised” the surrounding region.

Sea Of Life

This massive water reservoir is a cylinder over 70 miles long and 20 miles wide. It contains fresh water that sustains some of the nearby communities, additionally its calm surface is ideal for sailing that enables transportation and fishing, though the lack of winds renders all boats to the use of oars. Beneath its surface all manner of creatures live, many hostile to human life.

Emperor Edmond Guamont

The current Emperor of Gaumont is a young but battle experienced, his former regent serves him loyally as his man-at-arms. He wields a mighty sword built by his ancestors that retracts down to a mere hilt, additionally he wears the crown of the royal guard. This famed ‘guardian crown’ is an heirloom and symbol of the empire, it is said to protect not just the wearer but those who stand with him (as ring of protection +3 with 5’ radius). Legends say that while an Emperor wears the crown the Empire will never fail.

Emperor Edmond Guamont: Fighter 9; Str 13 (+1) [18/+3 with suit], Int 12, Wis 9, Dex 9, Con 12, Cha 13 (+1); Fate points: 5; MV 20’ (60)', AC 10 (Juggernaut suit - Human version of Gnomish bronze armored suit AC 7, the guardian crown +3 with 5’ radius), HD 9, hp 60, Initiative: -1, #AT 5+, Melee - retractable great sword +2 (AT 0+, 1d10+10, x2 MOS 7), Ranged - Plasma pistol (AT5+, range increment 210', 20 shots, 2d4+4), Save F9; Proficiencies: Command, Fighting Style (two-handed weapon), Leadership, Military Strategy x3, Weapon Focus (swords and daggers); Leadership Ability 6, Strategic Ability +3, Morale Modifier +3;
Equipment: Fine Juggernaut under suit, 3xenergy crystals, potion of extra healing, potion of invulnerability, personal security drone.

New item - Retractable great sword +2

When first found this small cylinder item appears to be a two handed sword hilt without a blade. On command it reforms itself into a full two handed sword. For this process inch sized metal fragments retract from the hilt climbing over each other to reconstruct the blade in a few seconds. This retraction feature allows these mighty weapons to be concealed as daggers. Value: 40,000gp (+2 enchantment, one 1st level permanent effect).

New spell - Reduce weapon

Arcane 1
Range: touch
Duration: 6 turns plus 1 per level
Used by assassins and nobility alike this spell allows a weapon to be reduced in size to a miniature object about the size of a coin. This allows for ease of concealment of the weapon in question making it almost undetectable to the most thorough of inspections.

Reduce weapon: Transformation, Handheld object reduced to the size of a coin (25; as grow/reduce), range 0'/Touch* (x0.6), Only affects weapons (x0.5), duration of 6 turns plus 1 per level (x1), arcane (x1), total cost 8 (Level 1)