This glossary is generated automatically.
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A (Back to Top)
Affiliation
by Baltar 18 Apr 2018 02:03
While there are numerous factions throughout the 'verse, there are four primary political affiliations.
Areas
by Baltar 08 May 2018 21:42
Space stations are divided into several basic areas. Not every area exists on every station.
Armor
by Baltar 08 May 2018 21:35
It's a rough galaxy out there, and you don't want to be caught unaware wearing nothing but ruins rags. Armor comes in various types and is made from an assortment of materials, ranging from cloth to leather, metal to plastic. Certain types of armor provide protection against specific types of attacks. Energy, Impact, and Piercing weapons all do less damage against suits of armor which are designed to turn aside these types of attacks.
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Barnard’s Star
by Perleone 26 Sep 2018 16:43
Barnard’s Star, a red dwarf, is the next-closest star to Sol after the Alpha Centauri system.
Baseline
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:43
These are standard humans. While they may well modify their existing form to advance their abilities, as far as DNA goes, they remain the original deal. Genetic modification and cloning being as expensive as they are, the vast majority of humanity, or what is left of it, tends to be Baseline. In certain circles, Baseliners do occasionally get mocked by those with more extensive genemods.
Belter
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:45
Originally bred to exist in the low-G environments, of off-world mining Belters have been augmented to be extremely agile and have great stamina (the latter to offset the lack of natural stimulation of muscles by gravity). Belters tend to be weirdly tall and thin and often come across as gangly in normal G environments where, more often than not, they resort to bionic to compensate for their awkwardly lanky frames .
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Careers
by Baltar 04 May 2018 23:44
Career paths may be selected at the Career Advisory in any Employment Center.
Clones
by Baltar 26 Apr 2018 19:42
Normally a Sick Bay can handle any injury, up to and including death. Those unfortunate enough to die on a station without a Sick Bay must instead regenerate into a clone.
Colonist
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:47
Originally, some of the first planets colonized were high-G rocky worlds and the settlers on those worlds were modified to handle these extreme environments. They tend to be short, stocky, and not overly outgoing. As most of them were planet-based, the vast majority of colonists were wiped out during the Catastrophe. For this reason, their culture tends to obsess on the mysteries behind it, driven by a need for some sort of justice. They are sometimes derisively referred to as “landlubbers.”
Combat
by Baltar 09 May 2018 19:32
You would think that after everything humanity has been through that we would have learned to live together in peace. You would, however, be wrong. The chances of someone attacking you are likely, so when you do get into a fight, be careful. If you start a fight on Tau Station, the locals or the security cameras will be sure to call down station security on you, earning you a swift trip to the Brig to think about your choices. You might get away with a firefight or knuckle sandwich on other stations, however. Some stations are tougher on crime than others, and many stations simply don't have the same security resources in place to watch everyone.
CORETECHS
by Perleone 22 Oct 2018 11:51
CORETECHS1, short for COgnitive Recall Enhancer TECHnology Stack, is a communication and computing interface integrated with your vision. In the game it is a top-level navigation element giving you access to the following sections:
Corporations
by Baltar 02 Jul 2019 03:52
Vast multi-system corporate entities now handle a variety of basic needs, including food, healthcare, and armor and weapons.
Currency
by Baltar 22 May 2018 22:27
Tau Station follows the "freemium" model of game design:
- Credits are the standard currency for Tau Station, used for most common transactions.
- Bonds are the premium currency, which may be purchased in the shop for Real World™ money.
The Catastrophe
by Baltar 05 May 2018 01:12
About two hundred cycles ago, civilization was destroyed. No one knows why.
The Consortium
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:25
Officially called ‘The United Consortium of Allied Systems’, this is the largest political entity in the galaxy, with Tau Station as its capital. Operating as a hybrid capitalistic-oligarchic-democracy, the Consortium controls as much as they can. As a powerful economic conglomerate, the Consortium extends its influence through finance and trade. Expansionist in nature, the Consortium excels in propaganda, population surveillance, and control through taxation and monitoring. They work tirelessly to extend their control over all possible stations and systems through heavy economic rebuilding programs and believe only complete Consortium control can protect humanity against the next major attack.
Citizens live with a surfeit of economic and social freedoms, including access to health and education services. Ostensibly, there is political freedom in the form of elections, but candidates vary more in minor personality traits rather than prevailing ideology. Military service is not mandatory but confers social and economic status on those who complete it.
Stations are ruled by appointed governors who tend to have a free hand in how they run things, as long as they meet the government’s requirements for trade, support, and defense. While petty corruption by elected or appointed officials is usually tolerated and even used against the perpetrators as a form of blackmail, treasonable activities and gross misconduct are punishable by death. The Consortium has a first-class surveillance, propaganda, and security department to keep their citizens in line and complacent.
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Department Z
by Baltar 12 Jun 2020 22:05
The Consortium's intelligence agency, typically abbreviated "DZ." No one knows what the "Z" means.
Diary reports
by Baltar 26 Oct 2023 23:42
A personal journey to recover an identity lost in a post catastrophic world.
Discovering myself, my past, my potential, and my future.
by Baltar 26 Oct 2023 23:46
The universe is inscrutable, and we only know a tiny fraction of it.
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FOR AULD LANG SYNE: AN EMBERFEST STORY (Part One)
by Baltar 26 Oct 2023 23:49
(My entry for the Unofficial Tau Station Short Story Contest)
Freebooter
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:20
A pretty word for "pirate." They live dangerous, but profitable, lives and are usually willing to do business with the lowest-bid mercenary to reach their goal. While many are well-established nomadic merchants, some are known as infamous thieves and smugglers.
Like Independents, Freebooter stations aren’t aligned to either of the two major powers. However, unlike Independents, they lack any semblance of central authority and functional administration. Expect anarchic lawlessness, loose notions of private property, and some utterly bizarre fashions. What is dangerous and deranged to outsiders, is simply freedom to ‘booters.
Although a menace, the major powers mostly avoid direct conflict with Freebooter entities, since the latter are disproportionately well-armed. And sometimes these ruffians even prove useful. All sorts of interesting (and sometimes less-than-legal) items can be traded on the Freebooter exchanges. These merchants care little for laws or political stripes, and rather more for hard credits.
First-time visitors to Freebooter stations should be wary; even basic amenities are in short supply here. Rations can only be had from the “government center” by way of bribes; nobody is mad enough to run public shuttle services to these places and security is virtually non-existent. There’s little to discourage the ruthless from preying on the weak and vulnerable. In other words, come ready or not at all.
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Galactic Coordinated Time
by Baltar 29 Nov 2018 00:39
If you’ve been following Tau Station’s progress, you know we’re creating a science fiction universe in Perl for people to enjoy. As of this writing, the time in Tau Station is 194.18/89:189 GCT.
“GCT” stands for “Galactic Coordinated Time” and that’s a variant of metric time. Our software developers wish we had that in the real world, but alas, we don’t.
Gaule Protectorate
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:18
The Gaule Protectorate is the smaller of the two major powers and, as a result, more prone to paranoia and insecurity than the Consortium. The governance model is best described as a benevolent military dictatorship, adopted originally as a temporary response to the Catastrophe, but retained ever since.
The Gaule are deeply suspicious of the Consortium, whom they suspect of at least partial responsibility for the Catastrophe. Their culture is best understood with reference to fear of this more numerous potential enemy. Individual rights are subsumed by a pervasive sense of duty to the collective; military service is compulsory, and significant resources are poured into defense capabilities. Unlike the Consortium, however, the Gaule military has a primarily defense-minded outlook, with expansionism low on the agenda.
On ‘red’ stations, overt patriotism is encouraged and celebrated. Younger citizens are actively indoctrinated to become fiercely-loyal and self-sacrificing servants of the Protectorate. Symbols of Gaule identity are taken seriously and deployed frequently in the rituals of daily life, some of which allegedly derive from old Earth France, the Protectorate’s ancient political ancestor.
But, lest travelers anticipate a boring and defense-obsessed people, it’s worth remembering that the Gaule hold artistic endeavor in the highest of regards. This is also a society of thinkers and poets, even if they happen to trained soldiers too.
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Harsene
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:48
The Harsenes have been engineered to be extremely intelligent and need less sleep than normal, having a great stamina to pursue their scientific curiosity. Culturally they greatly value knowledge and science and tend to be obsessed with finding the cause for anything unknown, especially the Catastrophe. This also brings them quite close to Colonist cultures. Harsenes are identified by large pupils that tend to cover their entire eye with strange amber hues.
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I (Back to Top)
Independent
by Baltar 02 Jul 2019 21:17
A number of stations remain independently governed to this day. Some are run by corporate interests, whose non-affiliation is economically advantageous. Others hold onto the local, less formal, governance which saw them through the Catastrophe’s aftermath and has served them since. Some, due to their relative isolation from the norms of the major powers, will appear downright bizarre to visitors.
Diplomatic relations between Independents and their neighbors vary drastically, but few welcome the courtship of the major powers. The Consortium prefer ‘soft power’ strategies, aimed at creating public support for accepting the blue affiliation. The Gaule, though less likely to convert an independent, are also more heavy-handed when they do, especially in assimilating local populations to Gaule citizenship demands.
Not all Independent people are friendly to one another, but most share a commitment to the cause of perceived freedom and liberty from the overarching yet distant central system of control that the larger powers offer. Many cooperate at least loosely with one another, recognizing a shared self-interest in keeping blue and red at arm’s length.
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L 726-8 A
by Perleone 03 Jan 2019 19:51
Luyten 726-8 A, a red dwarf, is part of a binary star system and one of the closest stars to Sol.
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Mall
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:51
“Mall” is said to be derived from the word “mallet.” As a genotype, Malls tend to be feared and mistrusted by most. They stand around two meters tall and are crafted for strength and stamina. They also tend not to be the sharpest tools in the shed. Oddly, while they can be fiercely loyal to individuals who earn their trust, they have little use for politics or the like. Virtually all Malls have extensive combat training, but little military training. They mistrust those who are quick to resort to violence, a common source of confusion for others.
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Patrician
by Baltar 11 Oct 2018 22:52
Though the genotype name tends to offend, the Patricians nonetheless get on well with almost everyone. Indeed, they were bred to. They usually have large eyes with almost sylvan, youthful looking features, and have a preternatural ability to put people at ease in a one-on-one situation. However, as a group, they tend to be mistrusted. Irrespective of this generalized discrimination, most people are quick to claim they count at least one “patsy” as a friend.
Player Stories
by Baltar 28 Oct 2023 19:34
Players are encouraged to contribute to the lore of Tau Station.
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Quantum Telepheresis
by Baltar 25 Jan 2021 02:27
Quantum Telepheresis allows for instant travel between different stations in the same star system.
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Rations
by Baltar 08 May 2018 21:56
After the Catastrophe, food and water became scarce. To address the ensuing conflict over resources, governments began to supply free rations to each citizen, no questions asked, once a day. It's become part of the daily grind for everyone to trudge over to the Government Center of their home station to pick up their allotment.
Reputation
by Baltar 15 Jun 2018 21:30
Everyone has a reputation with each of the four main affiliations, ranging from "Despised" to "Revered".
Ross 154
by Baltar 04 Feb 2021 02:23
Ross 154 is a red dwarf, the nearest star in the southern zodiac constellation of Sagittarius, and the seventh nearest star to Sol.
Ross 248
by Baltar 25 Sep 2022 18:12
Ross 248 is a small red dwarf star located in the northern constellation of Andromeda. It is predicted to be the nearest star to Sol for a brief time in the future, overtaking Alpha Centauri.
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Sirius A
by Perleone 26 Jun 2020 17:25
Sirius is a binary star system, and the fifth-closest star system to Sol. It is part of the constellation "Canis Major," giving rise to its nickname: the Dog Star. It was the brightest star in the night sky on Old Earth, before the Catastrophe.
Sol
by Baltar 18 Apr 2018 03:14
Home to Old Earth, the Sol system is where most spacefarers begin their journeys.
Special Artefacts Group
by Baltar 05 Nov 2020 22:29
The Gaule Protectorate's intelligence agency, typically abbreviated "SAG."
Statistics
by Baltar 09 May 2018 19:25
Every traveler has three physical statistics (Strength, Agility, and Stamina) and two mental statistics (Intelligence, Social). In addition, every traveler has a limited amount of Focus.
Stim (medical)
by Perleone 10 Oct 2018 18:48
The game sports a seemingly ever-growing variety of stims of the medical kind. They provide a one-time boost to your stats at the cost of a raised toxin level. With appropriate education, players can use stims even during combat.
Syndicates
by Baltar 08 Oct 2018 18:29
The Catastrophe put humanity on the brink of extinction. Two generations later, only a few space stations are habitable and those are still mostly in ruins. Despite the rebirth of the economy, the governments have struggled to keep up. To deal with this, Syndicates where [sic] born. These are public-private partnerships where Syndicates are given a license to a building in the ruins to restore and claim as their own.
Systems
by Baltar 18 Apr 2018 01:55
Before the Catastrophe, humanity spread across many star systems. Much effort is devoted to reconnecting them.
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Tales of the Auld Ones
by Baltar 28 Oct 2023 19:33
Once upon a time, in a space station far, far away…
Tiers
by Baltar 08 Jun 2018 20:42
Every five player levels is grouped into a Tier. At present there are ten tiers, representing a possible 50 levels.
Timeline
by Baltar 28 Oct 2023 19:50
Milestones in the development of Tau Station, from Ser moritz's Tau Station Player's Guide.
Tribute Page
by Baltar 25 Oct 2023 22:49
On October 8, 2023, the creators of Tau Station announced its imminent closure.
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YZ Ceti
by Baltar 27 Feb 2019 04:39
YZ Ceti, also known as Luyten 725-32, is a red dwarf in the constellation Cetus the Whale. It is almost three times closer to its nearest neighbor, Tau Ceti, than Sol is to its nearest neighbor, Alpha Centauri. YZ Ceti is a flare star that intermittently undergoes unpredictable increases in brightness, which creates some challenges for the system's four Consortium space stations (collectively known as the "Iron Quad").
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