"You do of course realise," said Olsen as he tossed the disrupter between his hands, "that I am entirely - and I mean entirely - without scruples." The tall dark man, dressed sophisticatedly in a velvet suit with matching tie, grinned again and spun his weapon in his palm. "So I suggest that within the next 10 seconds you render unto me all your valuable possessions - time pieces, clothes, jewellery, latinum, account details - anything you might think would be useful to me." His grin dropped from his face rapidly, as he raised his eyebrows in mock remorse. "But if you’re found wanting," he sighed and shook his head, "I’ll just have to kill you. All." His wide toothy grin fanned out across his face. "Of course," he said, "I’m sure you won’t disappoint me."

Introduction

Welcome to ECLIPSE, a world of outlaws and adventure, fortune and infamy!

The ECLIPSE FAQ is a series of commonly asked questions and answers which should help a player understand just what ECLIPSE is all about, and gives directions as to how a player can get a character started in this universe of galactic crimelords, untrustworthy business contacts and space pirates.

So just what is ECLIPSE anyway?

ECLIPSE is a subset of the WORLD WEAVERS' Star Trek universe, as found in the 'alt.shared-reality.sf-and-fantasy' newsgroup on USENET. The WORLD WEAVERS itself is an interactive writing and role-playing environment, where 'players' create 'characters' which interact with other characters, played by other players, in a particular setting. This is not Role-playing in the traditional sense of the term; rather, the players not only control their own characters, but also the environment around them. There are no GameMasters who dictate what happens when; rather, the players all write together to create the plotline, and move the story along.

While the Star Trek Universe of the WORLD WEAVERS is by far the largest and most popular setting, it is by no means the only one existing within the group. Along with ECLIPSE, there exist a multitude of other universes, some of which, like ECLIPSE, interact with the Star Trek universe, while others remain completely separate. For more information on these universes, and the WORLD WEAVERS in general, feel free to take a perusal of the newsgroup, or visit Jason Wellman's WORLD WEAVERS WWW Homepage at

http://www.worldweavers.org

If ECLIPSE is a subset of Star Trek, how is it different?

The characters of ECLIPSE are still present within the universe of Star Trek, and will still have dealings with the myriad of races found there. However, unlike the majority of ships found in Starfleet, or, indeed, the WORLD WEAVERS, the vessels in ECLIPSE are not Starfleet vessels. Rather, they are independent starships crewed by valiant beings who have departed into the infinite void of space in search of adventure and fortune, more probably the latter.

These characters still interact with Starfleet; indeed, they have dealings with all of the major political factions of the galaxy. However, ECLIPSE takes a different slant on the world of Star Trek. Primarily, it focuses on the seedier side of the galactic underworld; getting the right contacts to make a shipment, either legal or illegal; finding the right place for 'special modifications' to a vessel; getting involved with the Crime bosses of the galaxy, among other things.

For a much more detailed description of the ECLIPSE Interactive Writing Environment, you should take a look at the ECLIPSE MANUAL. It provides much more information as to what the genre is, and how standard ECLIPSE vessels are run. If you need a copy, please feel free to email me and ask for one at

llama@verbalchilli.com

or check out the copy that is available on the ECLIPSE Homepage at

http://www.verbalchilli.com/eclipse/

Okay, so ECLIPSE deals with the dark underbelly of the galaxy. But you mostly mentioned stuff about Tramp Freighters. Do you have to play a smuggler or trader to play in ECLIPSE?

Not at all. There is much more to ECLIPSE than Tramp Freighters and Independent Merchant Vessels. The Universe of ECLIPSE stems into all facets of the Galactic Underworld. From Bounty Hunters to Smugglers to Mercenaries to Assassins; ECLIPSE handles and interacts with all of these, and any player who wishes to can have a character that has little to do with the running of an independent starship.

The main reason that ECLIPSE seems to focus so much on starships is simple; interstellar outlaws and their ilk are notorious for being loners, and are scattered across the galaxy. While this makes for wonderful writing, and great reading, it's not conducive to interactive role-play. After all, it's difficult to interact with characters who are all in other star systems! By grouping the characters together on ships, in gives them an environment in which to interact with one another.

If you want to create a character who wouldn't normally be tearing about the galaxy in a independent vessel, it's helpful to come up with a reason as to why he, she or it would be on one. Often, characters who are mercenaries, bounty hunters or the like by trade find themselves in a situation where they wish to 'lay low' for a while; perhaps they were double crossed in a deal, or Starfleet is after them. Several players have used this reason as to why their characters were hired on to an independent starship, and it has worked out exceedingly well. Of course, if you have another idea, that's great too. We always welcome any new and creative ideas.

For a subset, ECLIPSE doesn't seem very much like Star Trek...

You're exactly right. ECLIPSE is very different from the Star Trek we are all familiar with. In fact, as a writing environment, it is a cross between almost all science fiction genres ever used. Basically, it's the space opera of Star Wars and the science fiction of Star Trek combined, with some Cyberpunk, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Anime (Japanese Animation), and even Comic Book Science Fiction thrown in for good measure. We've even used a little of the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy too. This makes ECLIPSE, as a universe, very versatile; there's almost nothing that doesn't fit in somewhere, as long as it's from a science fiction-like genre.

Do I have to be a member of the WORLD WEAVERS already to join ECLIPSE?

Not necessarily. While most of the players in ECLIPSE were already active players in one or more of the other genres of the group before they joined, there are some who only play in ECLIPSE also. Unlike Starfleet and Camp Venture, there is no formalized system of 'training' new characters before they join one of the ships in ECLIPSE. However, all new characters in ECLIPSE go through Wyeth, the Administrative NPC of ECLIPSE, before they go on to a vessel; it is through their interaction with him that players who are new to the WORLD WEAVERS get their first taste of interactive writing. Wyeth, and the part he plays, will be discussed more later.

How do I join?

This is quite simply, actually.

First, what you want to do is create a character for ECLIPSE. As previously mentioned, ECLIPSE, as a universe, is quite versatile, and almost anything can be played as long as it fits into the genre.

However, there are a few limits that we must set.

First, we ask that you not play an super-powered character. By this, we mean a character who has limitless power, like a Q for example, or is the best in the galaxy at what he or she does. It has been our experience, and that of many other players, that the fun in RPing a character comes from their weaknesses rather than their strengths, and while playing an omnipotent character has it's appeal, it quickly becomes boring as there is nothing that he or she cannot accomplish. Also, being super-powered has a tendency to hamper the other characters, as he or she is so much better than they are. While characters can be superhuman, we ask that they are not to powerful, and that you use your own judgment in this.

The only other thing that we ask is that the character not be the worst criminal in the galaxy, or some hugely powerful galactic crimelord. Again, these kinds of characters have a nasty tendency to interfere with the other characters, and their roles are designed for NPCs to fill. While it's perfectly acceptable that a character have contacts and ties to beings such as this, we ask that they themselves not be.

That's it. Within the two parameters, feel free to let your mind go wild :).

Once you've come up with a character, scribble up a bio for him or her. This bio should give a description as to what the character looks like, some insight into their behaviour, and some background information. This helps greatly when other players interact with your character, and gives them some guidelines to follow as to how your character might react to certain situations. The WORLD WEAVERS Manual has guidelines for creating a good character bio, so you may find that helpful. As long as it contains the three things listed above, it can be as detailed as you'd like it to be. Also, for your information, some of our players have created Starfleet Criminal Records for their characters, to help flush out their backgrounds, and give some indication as to the crimes they've been involved in the past (if any). This is by no means a necessity; it's simply an idea that you might like to use.

Once you've created your character bio, you need to email it to some people. They are

Sueanne "Sam" Phillips (4sam@webkorner.com)
Brian Davidson (brianD@indy.net)

Sueanne Phillips is the administrator of ECLIPSE, and Brian is one of the administrators of the WORLD WEAVERS. While none of the World Weaver's Admins are directly involved in anything we do in ECLIPSE, they like to keep abreast of the players and the characters active in the WORLD WEAVERS.

Once Sam gets your character's bio, she'll take a long hard look at it, laugh evilly for a short time, and make any necessary comments, such as where they might fit in best and possible links to some of the background we've established in ECLIPSE. If you have a more specific idea of what you want your character to do, feel free to send her an NRPG (Non Role-Playing) note with your idea, and we can arrange something.

Once this is done, you're all set!

All right, I have my character. Now what?

Now all you have to do is somehow (through whatever creative means you desire) get your character to Space Station Bajor One, located in the Denorios Belt of the Bajoran star system. The Station itself is a center for commerce in the Alpha Quadrant, and a well known waystation for many types of travelers, so getting there shouldn't prove to be too difficult.

Once there, your character needs to find his or her way to the Crossroads Tavern, one of the Stations best known bars. It is well known that many important business dealings, whether legal or illegal, occur there on a daily basis, and many a famous, or infamous, spacer has stopped there for a drink, a little information, or both. Once there, the proprietor of Crossroads, a pale, violet-skinned and indigo haired gentleman by the name of Wyeth, will be more than happy to assist your character in finding... 'gainful employment'.

It's during this stage that the 'informal training' I mentioned will take place. Wyeth will interact with the character, interviewing him or her and possibly testing him or her if he wants to get a better indication of the character's talents. He has many facilities at his disposal, and you'll find his methods intriguing to say the least.

Once Wyeth has discovered what the character's skills are, and where they'd be best suited, he'll then arrange for the transport of the character to the ship he feels would best suit the character's abilities (at no charge).

Once your character arrives on his or her respective ship, email a copy of the character bio to all of the players on the ship (their email addresses will be in the header for Wyeth's post taking your character there). It also is usually a good idea to introduce yourself to the Captain of the ship, but not everyone does [EG].

Once you've arrived, someone (usually the Captain or First Mate) will send you the necessary info you'll need; the Biofile, the Ship's Book and the like.

And that's it! Once the character is on the ship, he or she is free to interact with the crew as the character pleases, and become embroiled in the current plot, whether it be a simple smuggling operation, or a plan to overthrow the Federation council.

Space Station Bajor One?

In case you haven't guessed by now, Space Station Bajor One was once known as Deep Space Nine, and before that, Terek Nor. ECLIPSE, like the Star Trek universe of the WORLD WEAVERS, takes place some 35 years after Star Trek: The Next Generation, in the year 2407. Since that time, much has been built upon the old structure of Deep Space Nine, and almost all of the old Cardassian technology of the Station has since been replaced with newer, more up-to-date Federation technology. SSB1 is considerably larger than DS9 used to be, and save for the three original docking pylons from the old design, is virtually unrecognizable from it's predecessor.

And, yes; the Bajoran Wormhole that links the Alpha Quadrant with the Gamma Quadrant is still there. The Wormhole is the key reason why SSB1 holds such an important place in interstellar commerce and exploration.

Also, as a player, you'll want to note that while the name has changed officially, the occasional spacer will still refer to the Station by its old name. Some things will never change...

If SSB1 used to be DS9, then is Crossroads...?

Yes to that, too. At one time, the tavern known as Crossroads belonged to a Ferengi of some reputation named Quark. He has long departed SSB1, and left the bar in the care of his nephew, Nog. Recently, Nog sold the bar to a gentleman by the name of Wyeth, who has since redesigned it and renamed it Crossroads.

Crossroads has an extensive casino available to it's patrons, where almost all games known to the races of the Alpha, Beta and even Gamma Quadrant are played. Also, the bar is very well stocked, and there is virtually know known drink that cannot be prepared by the tavern's expert bartenders. The tavern's holosuites are also renowned far and wide for their versatile programs and realistic simulations. To quote one satisfied client, 'It was just like being there...'

Further, Crossroads is also hololink capable, and it crosslinked to the galactically famous bar, the Traveller's Rest, at SSE1. Through the wonders of D-Warp technology, a customer in Crossroads who is sitting in one of the holobooths can visit the Traveller's Rest, or any other hololink capable establishment, at the touch of a button. The holosuites are also so equipped, and there is no charge for this service (Wyeth sure is a generous guy, isn't he :)).

Okay, I'm curious. Just who is this Wyeth character anyway?

Wyeth, or, more accurately, Wyeth Kithaine de Danaan to use his full name, is the administrative NPC for ECLIPSE, and the proprietor of the Crossroads Tavern (or 'Proprietor Extrordinaire', as he introduces himself). He is a congenial character, a friendly man with a dashing smile on his lips, pale violet skin, deep indigo hair (cut short with a 'rattail' which runs down the length of his back) and calm, amethyst eyes. He's eccentric in his own way, and will always allude to knowing much more than meets the eye. As mentioned, Wyeth is the one who will interview that character, and transport him or her to their given destination.

Just so you know, Wyeth is also something known as an 'Eshu', which, according to him, translates roughly into the term Wayfarer. He has the ability to open gateways across unlimited distances, and this is the method he uses to transport his clients to their destinations.

Now that I'm ready, what kind of ECLIPSE vessels are available?

To date, three ECLIPSE vessels have been created for the WORLD WEAVERS universe, the Midnight Sun, the Emerald Dragon and the Gryphon. There's loads of positions available on the last two ships and even when these fill up, there's always room for more unorthodox characters, so there may be something there that suits your purposes. For more information on these ships, such as their crew roster and their specifications, you should take a gander at the general links list at the top of this FAQ.

or just email Sam for the info, and I'm sure she'd be happy to send it to you.

If things keep going as they are, more vessels will eventually need to be created for ECLIPSE. Sam will keep all the players updated as to what's happening with this when it becomes necessary.

Is there anything else I should know?

Well, yes. A few small details, actually.

The first is in relation to the headers which are used for ECLIPSE posts. If you're an experienced WORLD WEAVERS player, or you've seen some of the posts on the newsgroup, no doubt you've noted that each ship and universe uses a particular header, in order to identify the universe in which that posts belongs. ECLIPSE is no different.

The header first has the term ECLIPSE, or EC for short, in square brackets, which is followed by the name of the ship you're on and a colon. After the colon goes the post name.

The end result looks like this

[ECLIPSE] SHIP NAME: Post Name

or

[EC] SHIP NAME: Post Name

Either ECLIPSE or EC can be used, and the ship name doesn't have to be in capitals; whatever you prefer.

So, for characters playing on the Midnight Sun, the header looks like

[ECLIPSE] Midnight Sun: Post Name

or

[EC] Midnight Sun: Post Name

This isolates ECLIPSE posts from the other Starfleet posts, and separates the different ships within ECLIPSE as well.

This brings me to the second thing (which will be coming up with the ECLIPSE players soon).

I'll assume by now, having read over either the WORLD WEAVERS FAQ or WORLD WEAVERS MANUAL, or being an experienced player, that you know that we email our posts to each other as well as putting them up on the newsgroup. When you email a post out, no matter what ship you happen to be on, we ask that you send the post to ALL of the players in ECLIPSE, whether they have characters on your ship or not. Even though two respective ships might never encounter each other, doing so will let the players of other ships keep abreast of what's happening on yours, and vice versa. This will allow us to retain a certain element of consistency, and to ensure that we aren't stepping on each other's toes.

And that's it! At least that's everything I can think of. Armed with the information in this FAQ, and the ECLIPSE MANUAL, you're ready to start in a world of excitement and high drama, where fortunes are won and lost, and beings are made and broken within the same instant!

If there's anything I haven't covered, or if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at llama@verbalchilli.com, and I'd be happy to answer any and all queries, either concerning WORLD WEAVERS in general, or ECLIPSE in specific.

Good Luck!

You're gonna need it...[VBEG]

updated by Martin Davies
llama@verbalchilli.com

Originally written by Jason Kee