The Cartographers' Guild

One day, a civilisation will look at us, and write myths. I want those myths to be about purpose and community and yes, adventure, but also wisdom. We are not giants, we are not here to take and destroy simply to adorn ourselves. We are cartographers. Here to explore, to uplift each other, to grow from cycle to cycle in hope.

– An extract from the Foreword to Myths and Legends, Fourth Edition.

Ten years after First Contact, whilst the politics of trade deals, borders, exchanges, and defences bickered and churned in the void, a handful of people had their minds not on the squabbles and successes of inter-species agreements, but on the stars. The unknown stars. The stars yet unventured.

These people were scientists, communicators, builders, adventurers. They were also Balra and Sailor, and Android for that matter. Nearly two centuries later, the first Xhuva and Rissi would join their ranks. Together they formed the Cartographers' Guild: a guild to map the unmapped and discover the undiscovered.

In Ventures, all players are members or affiliates of the Cartographers' Guild. Whether political ambassador, hardened explorer, leading researcher, high-profile donor, seasoned engineer, or something else entirely, you have some connection to the Guild. At the least, a reason to check in at their Quarterly meetings. ¹⁾

You attend the Quarterly meetings, held in the Auditorium, either in-person or via an online avatar should this be impossible for you.²⁾ While there is no obligation for members to attend, it is an opportunity to make full use of the Guild's resources and to network with other factions and guilds. It's a place where discoveries are shared and the next project is planned. It is also where station leadership bring matters of importance to general attention for discussion.

Linguists were instrumental in the founding of relations between all homeworlds. They had to learn to go beyond the usual rules of language in order to translate unfamiliar bioluminescence, vocal cords, or sign language.

Balra and Sailors were developing a 'Diplomatic Cant' in the aftermath of First Contact. This rudimentary language was built on by the Cartographers' Guild who developed a con-lang (constructed language) that could be more efficient, technical, and specific to their goals of space exploration. The con-lang (nicknamed 'Carto-speak' by diplomats) used a combination of sign language and tapping noises – which could be replaced by vocal indications or flashing bioluminescence (akin to out-of-universe morse code).

When the Rissi and Xhuva joined, the language grew to incorporate the new concepts and technologies they brought with them. Since then, the con-lang has continued to grow with the Guild's progress. However, in contrast to the early years, where most words were added to capture similar ideas across cultures, increasingly the most frequently added words are entirely new: unique to a discovery made by the Guild.

A language known as 'Galactic Common' has been developing in the past century since contact with Kallimar – 'Carto-speak' can be considered a dialect of this. There is generally mutual (if sometimes impaired) understanding between the dialects of 'Galactic Common' used by different guilds and factions, despite each being unique. That of the Cartographers' Guild especially so: because they are at the cutting edge of technology and exploration, they are also at the cutting edge of language. So much so that the Guild's librarians have to work to stabilise the language, so that those returning after years- or decades-long expeditions don't find the language unintelligible to them.

Work building the station that would become the base of operations proceeded rapidly after the concept was born, utilising the most advanced technology available from both Corico and the Thousand Colours Moon, and funded by wealthy donors – not to mention government departments keen on seeing an inter-species unity project flourish. Over the next 20 years, state-of-the-art facilities were built: and not just laboratories and meeting rooms, but also farms, living quarters, a recreation centre. This was long before the advent of FTL, so being able to live on the station long enough to make progress was an essential. Even now, the majority of projects will remain on the station for whole Quarters, testing and retesting until they have achieved the highest possible standard.

The Cartographers' Guild always needed a range of scientific disciplines. To map those first few moons and planets, all sorts of people were essential: from the geographers and physicists, to the linguists and medics. But as news of the Guild's first successful surveys began to spread, they attracted more and more leading researchers to their cause. As traces of microbes were found on moons, biologists were called in. As samples of never-before-seen mineral formations were brought to the station's labs, chemists were there to untangle their mysteries. As the anticipation of discovering ancient civilizations grew and continues to grow, archaeologists increasingly join the station's ranks.

A particularly significant landmark was first contact with Kallimar, which was initiated by the Cartographers' Guild towards the end of the war. The Guild had discovered their first sapient species, and invited the best and brightest to join them in their goals.

More people and fame resulted in a larger market for making station life convenient and comfortable. Merchants began to see the worth in setting up shops aboard, political factions began to see the Guild's leadership as worthy of negotiating with, and pirates began to see an opportunity in setting up the odd heist along routes to the station. People of all backgrounds began to envy the Guild's zealously guarded databanks – full of the secrets of their rapid progress. This growth of knowledge and people is the reason why various sub-stations, affiliated with various universities and independent organisations, started to appear in orbit around the main station. These provide extra space for research, and enable new groups and their students to gain access to the Cartographers' invaluable library.

The Guild's success is attested to by the recent discovery of FTL, which came from within the Guild's own laboratories. FTL has heralded a new era for the Guild: interest (and funding) for its work has never been higher, bringing new opportunities, tensions, and people to its docks every day.

The leadership within the Cartographers' Guild is distributed in a collective of 9 people. Because of the strong research focus within the Guild, it is no surprise that 5 of the 9 leaders are high-level researchers, representing the fields of physical science, social science, life science, technology, and geographical data science. The other 4 represent more material elements of management, being responsible for managing the archives, communication, living space, digital security, and treasury. They are rarely all seen in the same place at the same time, but have been known to congregate together at the Quarterly meetings.

The principles of modular security are very important to the Cartographers, as single points of failure can be devastating to an expedition. These principles are applied to the station itself (and to the leadership structure), with each component being managed somewhat independently. For instance, although the station AI can interface with the whole station, it can only read to, not write to, the majority of access points. Warning and announcement systems operate across the whole station – this is critical in case of a system failure. Head of Security, Detective Garibaldi, ensures that the station operates smoothly but safely.

To facilitate peaceful and diplomatic cooperation, bringing weapons into the main parts of the station is categorically banned, and everyone coming on board is inspected thoroughly for anything that might be harmful. OC, this means that fights are unlikely to happen in uptime, and with significantly less severity than if they happened in turnsheets.

While the Cartographers' involvement connecting Kallimar with the rest of the known galaxy remains their most influential discovery yet, it is far from their only one. No other organisation has as detailed star maps as the Cartographers do, able to predict and map the movement of celestial bodies with incredible accuracy. Detailed logs of every system survey are kept in the archives and made available to all members, a trove of information that simply doesn't exist anywhere else.

Cartographer research into technology has also been pushing the boundaries of what is possible since their inception. Although FTL travel is an entirely different level of importance, Cartographer ships have been flying faster and further than any other. Cooperation between the various species has lead to great strides in genetic mastery and biological Augmentations. Improvements in making EVA suits more compact and viable laser tools can also be attributed to the Cartographers.

Yet there still remains more to uncover. The existence of three homeworlds where sapient life has evolved, and pre-sapient life evolving elsewhere in the galaxy points towards the idea that there might be more life out there to discover. Travel times have been too long however, and while there are many potential signs of life, none of them are conclusive. The boundaries of what is technologically possible can always be pushed forward, and the Cartographers will remain a part of that.

There are many parts of the station, all serving a vital role in keeping the work of the Guild and habitability on the station going. Listed below are a few of the important ones.

• The Auditorium – This dome has the impeccable acoustics ideal for hosting the Quarterly gatherings (where uptime is held). The room also doubles up as a planetarium, allowing for projects, schematics, or discoveries to be displayed throughout the dome.

• Communications – A central communications node monitors ships entering and exiting the system, as well as running diagnostics across the station itself. A central station AI is used as an interface to communication and helps visitors get their bearings on the station, but is still well regarded by those who have spent a lot of time living there. Communications adhere to the modular security system.

• Docks – The station has numerous docks to allow for ships to embark and disembark. Long-distance sub-light ships and FTL ships are too bulky to dock directly with the station, instead relying on smaller craft to shuttle people backwards and forwards. Once on board, you would need to go through the airlock and a security checkpoint before accessing the rest of the station.

• Labs and research facilities – The station is equipped with all manner of research labs, and just about every possible reagent and sample you can get your hands on. While the labs are technically free to use for any member, space is limited and oversight is tight. You don't want to get on the wrong side on one of the research leads.

• Library – This soaring room is lined floor to ceiling with shelves. Databanks fill one side, physical manuscripts the other. The librarians that work here manage access to research and are cultural and linguistic experts: both on the Guild and the homeworlds of its members. They conserve and manage 'Carto-speak' to ensure efficient communication, curate cultural artefacts donated by Guild members, and are careful record-keepers of station history and logistics.

• Living Quarters – Contains climate controlled sleeping areas for all the species, including an isolated pressurised ammonia environment that Sailors can survive in without suits. Space is limited as a matter of pragmatism, but it is possible for any Guild member to carve out a corner of the station to make their own. There are also expansive hydroponics bays, growing food to supply the population indefinitely. Waste reclamation and air recycling points ensure all required nutrients are passed back where they're needed.

• Medical Ward – Trained to deal with the anatomy of all sapient life through collective knowledge and exposure, the medics on the Cartographers' station are some of the most skilled across the galaxy in terms of their breadth. Rooms filled with equipment, beds, and separate life support systems are housed here.

• Recreation Centre – Holds a dedicated games room for all sorts of digital and analogue setups, allowing people not only to relax, but also to sharpen their skills. There are several virtual reality rigs – suits with full haptic feedback and capacity for 3D locomotion – although sometimes these are booked out for actual training. Other passive entertainment options available include a small selection of viewing screens for films, and a decent selection of fiction and music made available from the library databanks. A handful of shops for both utilities and luxuries are set up here too.

There are many smaller stations near the main one. Some of these are owned directly by the Cartographers for things that would be risky to include as part of the main station, others are owned and run by affiliate groups. Not all are self-sustaining, relying on shuttles backwards and forwards for supplies.

The flesh is weak, and some within the Guild are working to fix that. As well as developments in Android and machine intelligence, the cyberneticists work on technological Augmentations for organic life forms, making them faster, stronger, and better. Rare minerals that may be abundant on other, presently unknown planets might unlock the way for their technology to become even better: smaller and longer lasting.

A team of neuroscientists, biochemists, microbiologists, and surgeons, dedicated to push the boundaries of organic matter. From the generations-long process of genetic engineering to cloning to organ-grafting, they've done it all, and are seeking ways to improve. Exciting new organisms and biological structures from other worlds may prove to be the key.

Home-sickness and “space-sickness”, the feeling of being tired of the unchanging sterility and efficiency and artificiality of a space station, are not uncommon on the Cartographers' Station. Unfortunately, it is really hard to artificially replicate the habitats of the different member species of the Guild – at least just using technology. What you can do is bring dirt and rocks and plants from their home planets, and attempt to recreate these environments that way. This is the Retreat, the place to go to escape from space. It houses convincing replicas of a few scenes from Corico, Kallimar, and the Thousand Colours Moon.