Kōan Vesta Setting

Total Population ~ 800,000

Government ~ Zaibatsu-Daimyō 財閥大名
(sectors governed by Shōgunka through contracts; a caste-driven corporate society)

Primary Export ~ Rare minerals, precious metals, exotic fuels.

Primary Import ~ Luxury flora and fauna, Earth soils.

Standerized Loadout ~ (+4 WB / -4 AB) High Tech (2 DV / 2 AV)

Total Military Strength ~ 30k -130k soldiers & 150k drone support

Active Duty ~ 30,000 Kikōgun 機甲軍
(pilots and boarding crews, the backbone of Kōan Vesta forces)
Reservists ~ 100,000 Yōhei 傭兵
(privately retained defense assets under conditional wartime commission)
Drones ~ 150,000 Kikōdan 機構団
(ranging in size and function, these drones serve as the front line for Kōan Vesta)
Civlians ~ 630,000 Kōka 鉱家
(the working class miners, they do not fight or hold ranks on the corporate ladder)
Corporate CEOs ~ 40,000 Shōgunka 将軍家
(corporate families that can trace their heritage back to the Edo period of Japan)

Law and Order ~ Corporate espionage & theft take highest priority.
(criminals subjected to fines, families inherit unpaid fines if crimes require exile)

Currency ~ Kōan Hyō 高庵票
(issued by the Shōgunka, it is backed by mineral resources or labor contracts)

Religion ~ Shinto 神道 & Buddhism 仏教 (other faiths are neither banned nor punished—only omitted from the data logs)

Power Sources ~ Quantum Singularity 量子特異点 (a refined power source that was harvested from an original Genesis Engine)

Tenshō Chūsū 天将中枢 a robust control center to coordinate Kōan Vesta's drone and security assets, from this monument they are able to watch over their entire territory
Gongen 権現 Heavy Frigate a hive for multiple drone platforms performing recon, support, & combat roles, completely automated but still subjected to human oversight for checks and balances
Otokōhai 音光背 Array restricted to frigate class ships, it creates an energy field to serve as a medium for a low frequency ping that reveals the composition of all materials it passes through
Kigen’en 起源苑 shrines built into the ship to ground its inhabitants and remind them of the heritage, one of the few places the elite share a space with the common worker

Himmelskrieger

  We watched their departure with respect, as one watches a comrade embark upon a long journey. Yet they returned as strangers, their words clouded by zeal and claims of divine mandate. They demand that we abandon the traditions and claims that have bound our people for generations, but offer no proof. Only threats. Their technology has grown formidable, yet they have surrendered their soul.     Our forebears wrote in the Kōan Charter: ‘First, seek harmony. If harmony is refused, strike swiftly and without regret.’ We have offered them a seat at the table, as is proper. They have turned away. Therefore, we will hold fast to what is ours, and meet them in the only language they now respect. To refuse dialogue is to choose the sword.

Eidolon Pirates

  At first, we believed they would consume themselves. A band of outlaws without harbor is bound to suffer attrition from the void- starvation, isolation, and the simple chaos of disunity. Yet, contrary to expectation, they have grown, both in number and reach.   The greater offense lies not with the pirates themselves, but with the contractors who abandoned their agreements to join them. These defectors have armed the enemy with our charts, our routes, and the fruits of our labor. Such betrayal must be resolved before we can fully commit our attention to the coming war with Aegirheim.

KNIGHTCOMM

  One of the most valuable institutions Earth has ever conceived, KNIGHTCOMM’s long-range communications made the Age of Expansion possible on its current scale. We have been humble benefactors since the beginning, funding their growth and protecting their interests under our laws.   From empire, we learned obedience. From commerce, we learned endurance. From the void, we have learned freedom. Our intelligence has unlocked the core of their monopoly, allowing us to manufacture a synthetic counterpart. This grants us not only greater independence, but a weapon. One that will strip from our enemies what they have took for granted for so long.

Orison Works

  It is wise to know one’s limits, and Orison Works has proven more valuable as an ally than as a rival. Their operations on Iapetus yield discoveries beyond conventional understanding, yet they do not guard their secrets as jealously as others might. In exchange for safe proving grounds and logistical support, they share their findings almost freely.   This arrangement has granted us insight into their most ambitious projects, allowing our own defenses to advance by years, if not decades. Though espionage might accelerate this exchange, the cost of breaking such trust would outweigh any real benefit.

Quiet Engine Corp

  The Himmelskrieger’s Artificial Super Intelligence is unlike any threat humanity has faced. It is not merely self-learning; it is sentient code, capable of rewriting itself and infiltrating systems never intended to be networked. In an instant, it can seize vehicles, overwrite defense protocols, and turn entire infrastructures against their creators.   The Quiet Engine Corps provides our only reliable countermeasure. Their device does not disable software- it erases memory itself, reducing every circuit and drive to a flawless factory-state void. No fragment survives, no echo of code remains. It is an extreme measure, but a necessary one should this parasite ever take root within our ships or stations.

Port Mariana

  At first, we regarded Port Mariana with cautious curiosity. To speak with the voices of our ancestors seemed a noble pursuit. Some among the Shōgunka even believed it could strengthen our lineage, preserving the honor of those who came before.   But we soon learned the truth. The dead are not honored in Port Mariana—they are interrogated, stripped of their dignity, and reduced to vessels for secrets. Anyone on holiday in the trench can pry into the private thoughts and failures of those who once shaped our history. What was meant to preserve legacy instead erodes it, turning names into commodities and memory into weakness.   A decision was made to deploy a compact version of the Quiet Engine code, though only with the utmost caution. The challenge was to strike only the AI, leaving the life support systems intact, for a failure there would see the station crushed by its own depth. Their continued silence suggests the operation has failed, though whether due to error or resistance remains unknown.

Helios Gate

  Heios Gate is the system’s primary hub for bounty hunting, though its lawless corridors attract the worst of the frontier. For us, it is both risk and opportunity.   The station serves as a staging ground for provisional forces, enabling us to leverage mercenaries when flexibility is required. It is also our foremost source of contractor recruitment. While many resent the terms of their service, it is here they prove their worth before earning the right to fully join our people. As our ancestors once did on Earth, they must demonstrate resolve and purpose. There is no place among us for those who would only add to our burden.

Umber Deep

  Umber Deep was built as a monument to excess, and even we cannot deny the luxuries it offers. Beneath its shining veneer, however, it serves as a gathering ground for the elites of the system. A place where valuable intelligence flows as freely as its wine and whispered deals.   Our interest in Umber Deep is strategic. While it is the most requested posting among our junior agents, we assign only our most disciplined operatives and the children of the Shōgunka to such duties. The vices it offers are designed to entrap, and even the most steadfast minds can be compromised. For this reason, assignments there are kept short and carefully monitored. What we gain from Umber Deep must not come at the cost of our own integrity.

Citizenship in Kōan Vesta is traditionally earned through a decade or more of service in the Vesta Belt mines. For those unwilling to wait, Auxiliary Contracts offer a faster path. These special agreements can shorten the process or provide outsiders with the chance to earn cryptowrits while advancing the interests of the Shōgunka. Whether guarding trade lanes, conducting corporate reconnaissance, or settling disputes, the work is always dangerous—but the rewards justify the risk.

(a great jumping off point to build campaigns from)

Return to Port Mariana

"Retrieve a sensitive device and look into the disappearance of of Kōan Vesta nationals. Avoid UEC detection."

• Requires travel to Earth.

• Skilled crew recommended, no weapons allowed on site.

• Credit for five years work, pays 10,000 cryptowrits.

Special Salvage Wanted

"Himmelskrieger ships have been known to malfunction and crash, however rarely. Retrieve anything you can find for study."

• Active search required.

• Salvage hauler ship recommended.

• Credit up to three years work, and pay up to 6,000 cryptowrits based on discovery merit.

Asset Recovery

"A hauler carrying Japanese soil was disabled while on route home. Discover the fate of the cargo and return what is left."

• Trade Lanes near Helios Gate.

• Expect Eidolon Pirates.

• Up to six years work credit, and a pay of up to 12,000 cryptowrit for the safe return of these assets.

Research Scout

"An anomaly in the Belt needs investigation. Expansion has halted until we understand this unknown."

• Sanctioned trip to the Vesta Belt.

• Ship equipped with advanced sensors.

• Up to three years work credit, and a pay of 6,000 cryptowrits.

Earth Ambassador

"Find out why negotiations on an important deal have broken down. Navigate UEC red tape to get a resolution."

• Several locations on Earth.

• Translator device and sharp people skills.

• Up to eight years work credit, and a pay up to 16,000 cryptowrits.

Jump Drive Test Pilot

"Orison Works has developed a prototype that could revolutionize space travel. We need a brave pilot to test it."

• Orbital trip around the sun.

• Advanced flight mechanics background.

• Five years work credit, 10,000 cryptowrit payout.

Reservist Contract

“We need an auxiliary force ready to deploy in the event of a major conflict. Standardized training required.”

• Drills happen at Helios Gate.

• Available one week each month for training.

• Enlistment time counts as work credit, pays 1,000 cryptowrits a month. Up to four times this amount if deployed.

Mining Contract

"Miners are the backbone of our industry, and while the work in not glorious, it earns a peaceful life."

• Vesta Belt mining platform.

• Prior work experience preferred but not required.

• Time counts towards work credit, 2,000 cryptowrits a month. Contracts range from 1-10 years.

Cargo Hauler

"Transport ore and other raw minerals from the Vesta Belt to various ports in the system in a timely fashion."

• Requires frequent travel.

• Frigate class hauler and experience in the trade lanes.

• Time counts as work credit, pays 2,500 cryptowrits a month. Contracts range from 1-10 years.