Voidster
"Voidsters are those humans descended from nomads and deep space explorers in between the planets and the stars. Some of their family lines haven't set foot on natural soil in ten generations or more. Those born planetside from inevitably doomed trysts find themselves almost possessed with a longing for the stars. They're also more reckless than the average human. That might not mean anything to you now, but wait until you've spent a year among them."
~Quazhe, Kheezer Humanologist.
Voidster, Voidniks, and Spacers
Voidsters are sometimes called Voidniks in the outer worlds, but never the older and once universal term Spacers. 'Spacers' are members of a cult. That cult worships a hallucination experienced by some while travelling through Grayspace. They call it the Beast of Grayspace, and one reason for the insistence of Voidsters to not be identified with its worshippers is that almost all of them feel its pull. Of all mankind, it's Voidsters that can conceptualize Grayspace the best, thinking in the fourth dimension about as well as the terrans of Old Earth thought about the sky. It's possilbe that Voidsters are more susceptible to falling into the worship of the Beast because they above all others know that it's just barely possilble that such a monstrous entity exists.Pull of the Void
-Spacers have a 1% chance of seeing the Beast of Grayspace any time they make a jump into Grayspace. Furthermore, they automatically fail any attempt to resist the psychological effects of any such meeting. They have a 10% chance of 'hearing' the Beast when travelling through or being near a Grayspace portal, a harmless but unnerving situation. Additionally, Free Fall is an Easy skill for Voidsters.Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Voidsters have the full range of feminine names, as well as names based on sights their ships may have seen.
Astrid (means "divinely beautiful" and is related to the word "astral")
Stella (means "star")
Luna (means "moon")
Nova (means "new" and refers to an exploding star)
Celeste (means "heavenly")
Rigel (after the bright star in the Orion constellation)
Lyra (after the musical instrument and the constellation)
Andromeda (after the galaxy)
Sirius (after the star)
Aurora (after the northern lights)
Zara (means "blooming flower" and is inspired by the star Zara)
Cosima (means "order" and is inspired by the cosmos)
Orionna (after the constellation)
Lila (means "play" or "amusement" and is inspired by the star Lila)
Halley (after Halley's Comet)
Cassiopeia (after the constellation)
Astral (means "relating to the stars")
Solara (means "sun" and is inspired by the star Solara)
Lumin (means "light" and is inspired by the stars)
Mariposa (means "butterfly" and is inspired by the star Mariposa)
Celestia (means "heavenly")
Vesper (means "evening star")
Lyrik (after the musical instrument and the constellation)
Aster (means "star")
Zephyrine (means "west wind" and is inspired by the star Zephyrine)
Stellaluna (means "star moon")
Cosmia (means "order" and is inspired by the cosmos)
Niamh (means "bright" or "radiant" and is inspired by the star Niamh)
Rhea (after the moon of Saturn)
Xanthe (means "yellow" or "blonde" and is inspired by the star Xanthe)
Masculine names
Voidsters have the full range of male names, as well as names based on sights their ships may have seen.
Atlas (after the Titan who held up the sky)
Stellan (means "calm and peaceful" and is inspired by the stars)
Cosmo (short for cosmology)
Orionn (after the constellation)
Novaan (means "new" and refers to an exploding star)
Zarek (means "blooming flower" and is inspired by the star Zara)
Solari (means "sun" and is inspired by the star Solari)
Asterion (means "star")
Rigelio (after the bright star in the Orion constellation)
Lyriko (after the musical instrument and the constellation)
Andromedo (after the galaxy)
Siriusso (after the star)
Auroro (after the northern lights)
Helios (means "sun")
Marsden (after the planet Mars)
Cassius (after the constellation)
Celestio (means "heavenly")
Luminar (means "light" and is inspired by the stars)
Zephyrino (means "west wind" and is inspired by the star Zephyrine)
Stellaro (means "star")
Cosimo (means "order" and is inspired by the cosmos)
Vespero (means "evening star")
Astrono (means "relating to the stars")
Galaxio (after the galaxy)
Nebulon (after the nebula)
Sorento (means "reddish-brown" and is inspired by the star Sorento)
Xanthio (means "yellow" or "blonde" and is inspired by the star Xanthe)
Roko (means "star" in Japanese)
Zenitho (means "the highest point" and is inspired by the zenith star)
Cosmiko (means "order" and is inspired by the cosmos)
Unisex names
Rowan (means "little red one" and is inspired by the star Rowan)
Sage (means "wise" and is inspired by the planet Sage)
River (inspired by the celestial river of stars)
August (means "great" and is inspired by the star August)
Sawyer (means "woodcutter" and is inspired by the star Sawyer)
Robin (means "bright fame" and is inspired by the star Robin)
Taylor (means "tailor" and is inspired by the star Taylor)
Morgan (means "great circle" and is inspired by the star Morgan)
Casey (means "brave" and is inspired by the star Casey)
Jordan (means "flowing down" and is inspired by the star Jordan)
Jamie (means "supplanter" and is inspired by the star Jamie)
Drew (means "manly" and is inspired by the star Drew)
Jesse (means "gift" and is inspired by the star Jesse)
Sam (means "listener" and is inspired by the star Sam)
Alex (means "defender" and is inspired by the star Alex)
Avery (means "ruler of the elves" and is inspired by the star Avery)
Dakota (means "friendly" and is inspired by the star Dakota)
Elliot (means "God is my salvation" and is inspired by the star Elliot)
Emerson (means "son of Emery" and is inspired by the star Emerson)
Finley (means "fair-haired" and is inspired by the star Finley)
Hayden (means "heathen" and is inspired by the star Hayden)
Kennedy (means "helmeted head" and is inspired by the star Kennedy)
Lane (means "narrow road" and is inspired by the star Lane)
Logan (means "little hollow" and is inspired by the star Logan)
Reese (means "ardor" and is inspired by the star Reese)
Riley (means "valiant" and is inspired by the star Riley)
River (inspired by the celestial river of stars)
Skylar (means "scholar" and is inspired by the star Skylar)
Spencer (means "steward" and is inspired by the star Spencer)
Stone (means "rock" and is inspired by the star Stone)
Family names
Voidsters identify themselves by ship and their position on the crew as a surname. For instance, the engineer of a ship called the Diamond might call themselves "John Tech-Diamond" or "Jacques Engineer L'Diamond," Etc.
Other names
Voidsters as an ethnicity give their friends nicknames and callsigns, almost all of which are an inside joke.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Voidsters don't have a new language, but there is so much in-joking and slang in their chatter that one could be forgiven for thinking so.
Culture and cultural heritage
Voidsters' family lines come from all over, but the love of freedom and exploration is universal.
Shared customary codes and values
Voidsters don't abandon other Voidsters in trouble. A ship in distress can always count on Voidsters nearby to aid them. As far as Voidsters are concerned, it's humanity against the unforgiving black, they're all each other has. They honor self sacrifice and teamwork as supreme virtues.
Common Etiquette rules
Voidsters in charge of ships passing each other check in to make sure that they're not in need of supplies or parts.
Common Dress code
Voidsters favor tighter jumpsuits with no loose sleeves or hanging badges. If they wear long hair, it's usually kept in tight buns or secured braids.
Art & Architecture
Voidsters don't build permanent structures as a rule, and their art is almost entirely digital.
Foods & Cuisine
Voidsters by necessity and tradition favor freeze dried foods that don't make crumbs.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Individual ships each have their own ceremonies and traditions for when a Voidster is born. These are rarely shared with outsiders.
Coming of Age Rites
Voidsters are given the option upon adulthood to trade places with another of age on another ship, leaving behind the life they knew for the sake of genetic diversity. If it's been too long since a ship has had new blood, a captain may call for a lottery to see who is traded.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Voidsters are buried in their E-suit with a beacon transmitting their epitaph on short range radio and launched into deep space.
Common Taboos
Leaving a Voidster behind in distress or leaving a damaged ship without rescuing its crew are both unthinkable for Voidsters and one that earns a reputation for doing so can't be sure that they won't be subjected to premature burial alive.
Common Myths and Legends
Voidsters whisper tales of The Beast, a creature that haunts Grayspace and kills the unwary travelers. There are some Voidsters that worship the Beast, but this is regarded as a form of madness and indeed is often followed by a psychotic break.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Beauty ideals of Voidsters favor variety, and the spaceport apartments are crawling with the evidence of that. More romantically or poetically minded Voidsters might say that they see the beauty of the sentient soul. Less charitable interpretations might call them xenophiles.
Courtship Ideals
Voidsters favor short and passionate trysts over long courtships.
Relationship Ideals
Voidster couples are shipmates first and lovers second.
Template - 18 pts
Advantages-40 pts
DX+1 20 pts, G-Experience (all) 10 pts, Improved G-Tolerance (0-1 G) 10 pts, Daredevil 15 ptsDisadvantages-35 pts
ST-1 10 pts, Pull of the Void 25 ptsQuirks-2 pts
Congenial 1 pt, Code of Honor 1 pt .
Diverged ethnicities
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
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