ExpenseRPG Setting Summary

Core Premise ExpenseRPG is a parody sci-fi world combining elements from Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, The Expanse, and classic sci-fi authors (Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, LeGuin, Dick, Doyle, Wells, Lovecraft, Adams).

Historical Divergence: Timeline split from our reality on September 11, 1777. On that date George Washington died from a Sniper's bullet at battle of Brandywine. History diverged further when Radiation Discovered Abel Niépce de Saint-Victor discovers radiation after observing uranium salts fogging film in 1847. The mysteries of radiation led to a profound interest in combining natural science into the occult, creating a cosmology known as "Tegic" (Technical Magic). Industrial revolution developed differently - nuclear power emerged alongside steam, while internal combustion engines weren't viable until the 1930s. Oil became source for "Quintessence" (magical reagents) rather than energy, making plastics expensive.

Cultural Framework - "Natural Philosophy" = our "science" (considered regressive thinking) - Magic ("Tegic") = primary technological advancement method - Universal Socialism: All space cultures provide food, housing, medical care, education due to space economics - Idle Time Valued: Productivity happens in bursts; downtime essential for magical/artistic development - Sanity Overrated: Higher-level mages expected to have some madness from otherworldly insights

Major Factions Note: All faction names are derived from military wargame antagonist designations (Krasnovians = "Red Force," Circle Trigonists = geometric exercise naming, OPFOR = "Opposing Force")

The Krasnovians (Moon-based) - Territory: Moon surface (entire Hill Sphere), gas giant moons - Origins: Late 19th-century Earth colonies (Prussia, Russia, Britain) cut off during WWI, formed communist revolution - Government: Authoritarian technocracy under "Führer" with competing Ministries/agencies - Culture: Militaristic socialist society (everyone is a "soldier"), kleptoculture (no individual property) - Legal System: ZRE (automated expert system) handles complex regulations; fraud is capital crime (airlock execution) - Human Rights: "UME" complaint system - right to report problems up chain of command - Secret Control: Run by supercomputers using Erwin Rommel clone Auditors ("The Comptroller") - Key Regions: - Oceanus Procellarum (equatorial industrial center) - Polar regions (agriculture, German/Polish/Chinese settlements) - Lethia enclave (only place studying "Tegic" magic)

Circle Trigonists (Inner System Stations) - Territory: Space stations in inner solar system (inside Mars orbit per Treaty of Reykjavík) - Background: Intellectuals/merchants who fled Krasnovian revolution - Government: Varied per station (corporate, monarchist, democratic, criminal) - Culture: Parody of corporate dystopias (Altered Carbon, Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, The Expanse); pirate ship-like "Companies" of hundreds elect captains - Economy: Mercantile traders/raiders/entertainers; Syndicate provides social safety net to prevent labor unrest at tourist ports - Social System: "Crew without Company" get free food, lodging, healthcare, education - Unifying Factor: Complex court system requiring AI assistance - Military: Small court enforcement fleet, station militias with tiny frigates

Organization of Planetary and Freespace Operations and Resettlement (OPFOR) (Outer System) - Territory: Asteroid belt, minor planets beyond Mars - Origins: Earth survivors who developed fusion power to escape debris-filled orbit; coalition of international space programs - Population: Multi-ethnic Earth refugees (explorers/colonists) requiring massive city-scale settlements - Government: Socialist post-scarcity federation with engineered "Protoculture" for conflict resolution - Culture: Public politeness/conformity, private cultural diversity; conflicts resolved through debate, games, or "agreeing to disagree" - Economy: Logarithmic taxation based on market share; utilities as cooperatives; commodities free, expensive items assigned but paid for by OPFOR - Military: Massive planetoid battle stations + tiny frigates (arms treaty limitations) - Capitals: - Psyche System - Planet Controlled by Hitobito ("People of Iron") who worship the planetoid and its spirits - Mining controlled by spiritual leader (Kannushi) consulting spirits and engineers - Originally settled by Imperial Japan (SY 6635) as "Tetsu no sekai" (World of Iron) - Psyche Orbital Ring (main capital around asteroid 16 Psyche) - Outsiders are forbidden from visiting the planet of Psyche - OPFOR stations orbit via tethers/space elevators in Golden Angle pattern - New Franklin Station - Tethered to the planetoid Psyche - Project Perseus stations: 640m diameter cylinders, up to 4 segments, 8-level construction - first Project Perseus station, 3 segments, houses government/education - Capital of the OPFOR government - OPFOR Spacey Academy. Military academy for the armed forces. - Lethian Flying University. Center of learning for Tegic (Magical Technology) - Franklinian Museum. Historical artifacts from the people of Earth.

Key Themes - Bureaucratic absurdity and corporate dystopia - AI/expert system dependency in governance and law - Arms limitation treaties creating military imbalances - Parody of classic sci-fi tropes and governments - Post-apocalyptic humanity adapting to space life - Cultural tensions between industrial centers and resource-producing regions - Magic ("Tegic") vs. technology divide (magic-poor areas industrialize, magic-rich areas remain artisanal) - Alternative industrial development (nuclear power + steam, expensive oil/plastics, limited internal combustion) - Universal space socialism driven by economic necessity - Productivity cycles and the value of "idle time" for magical/creative work