Sabmiqys: 1) A quarantined system in the Antares sector occupied by intelligent robots. 2) Any mission with a small chance of survival; a forlorn hope. Term arose from usage among scouts, as initial efforts to contact the main world Sabmiqys resulted in many disappearances. Sabmiqys: Minor race in Sabmiqys (Antares 2117). [Thought extinct. The world is inhabited by their robots; a few hundred live in wastelands.] Saie: "mysterious non-human civilization" long extinct in Reavers' Deep. Sandcasters: project a granular agent which obstructs light; when fired it interferes with incoming laser or energy weapon fire. These defensive weapons dispense small particles which counteract the strength of lasers and protect the ship. The specific particles used are similar to ablat personal armor; replacement canisters of this special sand weigh about 50 kg and cost cr400. Sasthmandra: tropical fruit. Satha: Minor race on Galatea/Inverness (Far Frontiers 3228). Scouts: vessels of up to 200 tons displacement designed for exploration, survey, and courier work. Such ships are pressed into military service in times of war, but have negligible combat value. Sea Bears: Native to Thengo/Chronor, the creature seems to have been used in pre-Imperial colonization projects in the Jewell, Lianic, and massina subsectors. They are not uncommon on many worlds in these regions. Adults are typically 1 to 1.2 meters long, and weigh from 20 to 25 kilograms. The skeleton is calciferous, internal, and generally resembles that of a Terran vertebrate, except in the number of limbs and in the framing of the body cavity. The spinal column runs from the base of the skull dorsally along the body until it reaches the pelvis. Instead of ribs, short lengths of bone join in a geodesic fashion (i.e., as a series of mutually interconnected triangles) to support the body cavity. This very sturdy arrangement provides an excellent protection to the sea bear's internal organs. The most notable external feature is the number of limbs: four pairs, odd for an animal of its size. One posterior locomotive pair, one anterior pair used in defense and acquiring food, and two medial pairs which can serve either purpose. The head is typical, a bony cranium to protect the brain, with paired eyes, ears, nose, and a ventically located mouth. he nose is located well forward, apparently as an adaptation for breathing while partially submerged. Sea bears are carnivorous. Solitary hunters, preying upon a small aquatic and semi-aquatic animal life, are fund along seashores and in shallow off-shore areas of large bodies of water. It usually hunts by swimming slowly along the surface, diving upon its surprised prey. During the mating season, sea bears congregate in huge groups, sometimes of hundreds of individuals. A group settles for several weeks on an island or peninsula, where male and female pairs engage in mating rituals not fully documented. each pair eventually produces one to three young. After six to eight weeks, when the young are ready to travel, the groups break up into family units. When the young can fend for themselves, usually after six months, the family units break up until the next mating season. Some observers report scattered instances of sea bears mating for life, and hunting as a team. Sector: Mapping and administrative unit of the Imperium. Each is further divided into 16 subsectors measuring eight parsecs by ten parsecs. Average density is 500 to 650 worlds per sector. Selika: Minor race that left Reft 0435. Found in Riftspan Reaches, etc. Seneschal: An aide or executive assistant. For high-ranking officials, the wide range of responsibilities of high office are manageable only through computer assistance. Even then, the information flow may be too great. The seneschal is a product of the computer age - an adjutant or assistant with responsibilities in information management. The seneschal has no authority of his own: he manages the massive input of information associated with his superior's position, keeping the official informed, but not overwhelmed. Sharurshid: Vilani megacorporation. Trades in all luxury goods from all parts of the Imperium and many areas beyond. It has very little manufacturing capability -- its starships have always been its major source of income. Sharurshid traces its lineage back to the First Imperium. During the Interstellar Wars, Sharurshid was the major bureau in the First Imperium's rimward sectors. Interests: Trade and speculation, luxury goods. Most rare Terran wines and spirits travel on the starships of Sharurshid. Stock ownership: Sharurshid trust, 46%; Imperial family, 3%; Hortalez et Cie, 14%; Other corporations, 14%; Private, 10%. Shi'awei: Race of aquatic sophonts. Chaosheo/Star Lane (Deneb 0130). Shidaka: semi-mythological Vilani hero of the Long Night. Ship: The term is reserved exclusively for jump-capable vessels. Non- jump-capable vessels are referred to as boats, riders, or monitors. Shriekers: Minor race on 567-908 (Spinward Marches 1031). Shudusham Robotics Conference: The Conference meets every ten years, with the last conference in 1113. Roboticists, manufacturers, heavy robot users, journalists, and other interested parties converge from all over explored space for the one year conference. The Karrigashu Undersea Habitat is used only to host the conference. It can support 300,000 people. About 250,000 of the 400,000 attendees are present at any time. Its Robotics museum, library, and laboratory are popular with attendees. Shugilii: "food-processor" class in Vilani society. Shurshi cloth: This delicate, iridescent material is strong for its weight, and a shurshi garment retains its beauty for many years. This fantastically expensive substance is produced by an insect native to Zurrian/Vland which has been altered and conditioned to spin its webbing in sheets. The cleaned cloth is shipped beyond the sector - for those who can afford it. Attempts to raise these insects elsewhere have failed. Shuulamane: The creature is ugly and rodent-like, with dull greenish- gray fur covering its body, except for the head, which is smooth and has no apparent ears. The most obvious feature of the shuulamane is the product of its two powerful scent glands, used to mask carrion and prevent other species from interfering with its find. Unfortunately, the shuulamane reproduces quickly, with up to four litters of six to ten young each during Vland's long year. The shuulamane can be found in almost every region of Vland with a temperate climate, although eradication of the species in the larger cities has been mostly successful. Native to Khula (Vland 1920), the shuulamane was accidentally introduced to Vland around -2450. The animal is now so common (and so obvious when encountered) that most Vilani do not realize that the shuulamane is not a native species. The shuulamane is the subject of many Vilani proverbs and folktales, all attesting to the animal's vices of stupidity, laziness, cowardice, foul odor, and lack of cleanliness. Encounter statistics: 1 carrion-eater, 3kg, 2/2 hits, no armor, 3 teeth, A9 F3 S3. Signal GK: Abbreviation for Gashimeku Kaalarin, Vilani for 'vessel in distress.' The code signal GK originated on Vland as a distress signal in maritime and aviation activity: it was one of the standard communications codes of the First Imperium. When the Second Imperium succeeded it, signal GK was retained as a distress signal co-equal with the Terran SOS and Mayday signals. The Imperial Navigation Act of 103 requires all vessels, whether military or civilian, to respond to the GK, SOS, or Mayday signals, provided such response does not endanger the ship and crew of the responding vessel. Singularity: A point in space-time at which the space-time curvature becomes infinite. Sinzarmes: A subsector-wide merchant line serving the Regina subsector. It provides feeder service from subsector worlds to the trade route worlds. Small craft: Any spacecraft under 100 tons. Typical types include launch, pinnace, cutter, ship's boat, and shuttle. Small craft are too small to perform jumps. Society for the Protection of Terra: Members recommend that Terra be kept under Imperial rule, and not be allowed self-rule again. They argue that since humaniti originated on Terra, the world should be administered as a preserve by the Imperium, and not be given the chance to rebel again, "endangering our glorious heritage and the planet of our origins." Admiral Donald Mason founded SPT in the 1050s, several decades after the Solomani Rim War. The group is strongest in the Vland sector. Solomani: Strictly, a member of that human race which evolved on Terra from the original human stock (H. sapiens). The term is used to refer to members of the Solomani race (or, more palatably to some, to members of the human race of Solomani descent), or to members of the Solomani political movement. Its original meaning is obscure, but the word seems to have originally meant either men of Sol or sole men. Alternate: The original human race from Terra. The typical Solomani is about 1.8 meters in height and weighs about 75 kilograms. Solomani blood types include A, B, O, M, N, and Z, but A, B, and O are dominant. Many modern Solomani believe that pure Solomani - the true original humans - are superior to all other humans, and thus are best fit to rule the Imperial region. Solomani Party: Common name adopted by political parties dedicated to the doctrine that the Solomani branch of Humaniti is best able to rule the cosmos. The Solomani Party controls government in the Solomani Confederation. Others exist where Solomani feeling is strong. Following the eclipse of Solomani influence in the Imperial court, many ardent Solomani supremacists moved to the frontiers. Most of the settlements lost their extremism in a generation or two. Solomani parties tend to be splinter groups outside the political mainstream. Solomani Security: The Solomani intelligence agency. It has contacts throughout Solomani society, and in many parts of neighboring Imperial society. Because SolSec monitors have independent careers throughout society, SolSec can call upon expertise in wholly diverse fields. Sophont: General term for an intelligent lifeform. SORAG: civilian intelligence agency in Vanguard Reaches. Space-time: The four-dimensional space whose points are events. Spatial dimension: Any of the three dimensions of space-time that are spacelike, that is, any except the time dimension. Spectrum: The splitting of a wave (say, an electro-magnetic wave) into its component frequencies. Sphere world: A spherical shell built to completely enclose a star. This would require incredibly strong materials and also gravity generators for strength and comfort. Such a shell would trap all solar radiation for use by the civilization. With a radius of 149 million kilometers, the internal surface area would equal about one billion Earths. Springers (Arachnofelis var.): eight-limbed quasi-mammalian carnivores found throughout the coreward regions of the Imperium. Originally disseminated by the Ancients, their range was increased considerably by First Imperium colonists, as a means for pest control. Massing between 250 and 500 grams, springers average 15 centimeters in length. The powerful rear legs are adapted to leaping, and the remaining hands are used to cling to prey while poison (from two glands in the mouth) are injected. Glands in the hairless upper chest area excrete silk. Two modified "thumbs" draw the silk from the glands and manipulate the web. The silk is adhesive only when excreted, quickly drying to a thick rope. Webs woven of it are coarse networks which signal the presence and location of prey. Springers are hermaphroditic. Young are born live at any season, in litters of three to five. Since most of their milk glands have evolved into producing silk, springers supplement their youngs' diet with regurgitated, partially digested food. They normally inhabit caves, dense forests, and rock crevices, but can be found in deserted buildings and piles of rubble. While not normally dangerous to humans, the bite is painful and allergic reactions to the venom can be fatal to some individuals. Number & Type Weight Hits Armor Wounds/Wpns Reactions 1 Pouncer .5kg 1/1 none 1 special A7 F4 S3 Ssoyrdelditsu: A son of Yaskoydray who operated bases and complexes on Vland. He wanted to remain neutral in the Final War. Later he joined forces with Yaskoydray against the other sons, but was killed in the last years of the Final War. Yaskoydray awarded his faction (which supported Yaskoydray) a world in his pocket universe when Yaskoydray retreated from the universe we occupy. Starmerc: Mercenary organizations licensed to operate military starships. Licenses range from 10-ton fighters to 5,000-ton vessels, with one charter for a 20,000-ton retired battle-rider used as a SDB. Most vessels are in the 300 to 1,000-ton range. Most organizations obtain their vessels from the Imperial Navy as surplus. Nearly any ship of 50 years or older is an excellent candidate for starmerc services. Starport: Facility for the landing, servicing, refueling, and control of starships. In nearly all cases, a planet will consider that a starport is extraterritorial, and not subject to local law, but will also enforce strict entrance and exit controls. As the primary point where starships interact with a system, starports are usually the location of additional bases (scout or naval), military installations, and shipyards. Starports range in quality from A (the best and most extensive) down to E (the worst, little more than a spot of cleared ground.) Starport ratings of X indicate interdiction, usually Imperial. Most have two components: a surface facility and an orbital facility. Surface facilities include cargo handling installations, a landing field, control towers, and other necessary areas. Surface starport components are frequently called Down, as in Regina Down Starport. Orbital facilities, usually in stationary orbit over the Down component, enable handling of unstreamlined ships and construction of heavy craft in orbit. The Orbital component is usually called Orbital, as in Regina Orbital Starport. Type D and E starports usually do not have extensive orbital facilities, but usually have navigational satellites. Shuttles must be used to service non-streamlined ships at these starports. Starport Authority: Organization responsible for all port operations (ground and orbital), and maintaining the security of the extrality line surrounding every Imperial port. Not present at type E and X starports. The Imperium's Starport Authority bureau runs most starports. Starship: Any spacecraft capable of interstellar travel is known as a starship. Starships may be commercial, private, or military. They must mass 100 tons or more. Starship and Crown, Order of: Common Imperial order of knighthood. Cleon I established it in 17. Stasis: A separation from the time dimension without separation from the spatial dimensions. It is theorized that a field generating such a field would enable a person to "outwait" the universe around him. Sternmetal Horizons: Imperial megacorporation primarily engaged in mining operations and manufacturing. It produces mostly power generation equipment of all types, including power plants for starships, air and ground vehicles, cities, and industrial installations. Additionally, Sternmetal is the largest manufacturer of food synthesis equipment in the Imperium. Interests: Mining, manufacturing, energy supplies, food synthesis. Stock ownership: Imperial family, 2%; Noble families, 18%; Hortalez et Cie, 29%; Antares Holdings, LIC, 19%; Investment trusts, 32%. Strong force: The strongest of the four fundamental forces, with the shortest range of all. It holds the quarks together in protons and neutrons, and holds protons and neutrons together to form atomic nuclei. Sublight travel: interstellar cruising at speeds approaching 80 to 90% of the speed of light. Suerrat: The Suerrat of Volomil/Miitan (Ilelish 1710) have been held to be a minor (human) race, because they achieved interstellar travel used generation ships. Superdense armor: This armor has had its electron structure collapsed, as occurs to a much greater degree in white dwarf stars. Supernova: A explosion inside a star that may tear the star apart. If a remnant exists, it will usually be a neutron star or a black hole. SuSAG, LIC: Imperial megacorporation engaged in a wide range of chemical, pharmaceutical, and geneering activities. It is the Imperium's largest supplier of anagathics. It is unpopular because it maintains psi drug manufacturing facilities in client states outside the Imperium, and its biochemical warfare facilities have a history of accidents. Even though all experimental and dangerous manufacturing plants are on remote, uninhabited planetoids, SuSAG has a bad reputation for safety. Because plant sabotage is widespread and its products are extremely valuable, SuSAG maintains a large paramilitary security force. It uses mercenary units in clandestine military ventures to protect its extra-Imperium interests. Gustav Schunamann founded SuSAG in 252 using the shell of a bankrupt Sylean firm and he financed it from royalties received for his purification processes for various psionic drugs. In 800, the Imperium banned psi drugs. All manufacturing plants were closed, and all stocks confiscated and destroyed. Fortunately for SuSAG, it had diversified. Interests: Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, geneering. Stock ownership: Schunamann family, 52%; Imperial family, 2-1/2%; Hortalez et Cie, 9%; Other corporations, 23-1/2%; Private, 7%; Other, 6%. Syareahtaorl: An aslan word usually translated as quest. Syar means seeking or searching; taorl conveys the idea of esthetic fortune -- honor or fortune rather than money or land. Syleans: Minor human race from Capital/Core. System: A star and its associated companion star(s) (if any), orbiting planets and their satellites. One world in the system is designated the system's mainworld, and its name identifies the system. System Defense Boat (SDB): A non-starship specifically intended for defensive operation in a system. Developed on the principle that a non- starship (because of the increased armament made possible by the lack of jump drives) can normally defeat a starship of equal tonnage. SDBs are typically stationed at the vital points of a system (the gas giant, the asteroid belt, the major world, and so on) and attack invading vessels according to one or more predetermined plans. SDBs range in size from 100 to 5000 tons, and are constructed at all tech levels from 8 to 15. There are hundreds of different types, depending upon the specific mission for which they are designed.