Lead Adventure: Astropolis II Kickstarter

Lead Adventure haben einen neuen Kickstarter, für eine neue Sci-Fi Range, gestartet.

The aim of this project is to produce a new Science Fiction range of 28mm white metal miniatures for collectors and for use in rpg and tabletop wargames.

The figures have been sculpted by Igor Karpov, known for his work on the Ratnik/Lead AdventureDwarves, Bruegelburg, Post-Apocalyptic and previous Astropolis ranges.

Backround:

On its endless journey through the heavens, the good ship Astropolis has picked up more than its fair share of new crew and passengers. Long gone are the days when Terrans made up the majority of shipdwellers, and by and large the coming and going of human peoples and alien folk has been peaceful and profitable.

The increasing level of decay and entropy, though, means that times are getting tough, and the ship has little time for idleness. In the vast caverns of the mass decks, a thriving culture of barter trade and transport has developed, where ship-board product like hydroponic food is offered next to off-ship imports brought aboard by regular and occasional visitors.

Some alien species have become ubiquitous, whereas others are only encountered from time to time, as their ships put down in the busy docking bay areas to unload cargo and passengers from systems nearby. Some alien species have become ubiquitous, whereas others are only encountered from time to time, as their ships put down in the busy docking bay areas to unload cargo and passengers from systems nearby.

Spare parts in particular are a prime commodity, and the more technologically-inclined visitors can make a good living by providing the nuts and bolts to keep another vital system running. In a similar vein, raw materials for the production processes and a variety of fuels, from hydrogen to power cores crafted from exotic minerals are always in high demand.

It is probably inevitable that the hardships of this environment and the innate nature of many creatures, be it Terrans or Galacticans, lead to disputes and sometimes open conflict. For this reasons, adventurous individuals who make a living as bodyguards or “troubleshooters” will easily find employ with on-board and off-ship traders looking to protect their commercial interests, or to safeguard one of the many communities which have sprung up in Astropolis’ underbelly.

AstroSec Marshal (Kickstarter Exclusive)

When the Astropolis was designed, it was figured that internal security was necessary for the endured well-being of the ship and its passengers. Hence, a Security Corps, dubbed AstroSec was created and tasked with police and legal matters. Centuries later, AstroSec has become more flexible in their organization due to the vast areas to be supervised with little manpower, and in many cases, solitary Marshals uphold the law and act as arbitrators for local disputes.

A route through the stars
Lord Navigator and Navigation Processor

Generally-speaking, the Astropolis follows a Long Plan devised many centuries ago prior to the launch of the ship. The design of the cosmic engines only allows for minor alterations, with course changes being measured in months rather than minutes. Still, it is necessary to approach systems as the ship comes close to replenish stocks and conduct trade, and these changes are the task of the Lord Navigator. Using innate psychic abilities, they plot courses for years and decades to come, always in close cooperation with the Chief Quartermaster; the actual calculations are performed by the cyborgs called “Navigation Processors”, who meld the intuitive factors of the human mind with the raw computing power of nanoquant calculating engines.

Datakeeper and Libraribots

When an unexpected radiation blast from a nearby quasar erased a portion of the Astropolis’ Data Banks, the ship’s command echelon implemented a programme to store critical information in non-electronic ways, thus reviving the ancient art of book-making. Assisted by specialist Libraribots and using a vast variety of synthetic and organic media onto which information is transferred for future generations, the Datakeepers work tirelessly to print hardcopy of the existing exabytes of information and preserve them in deep-freeze vacuum chambers tapping into space itself.

A snack before the journey?
Travelling Workman and Soydog Vendor

Given the increasing difficulty of procuring spares and energy for non-essential systems, it follows that said systems slip lower and lower down the maintenance plans. Those skilled to do repairs often have to travel long distances by improvised transport or on foot, but anywhere they go, they’ll surely find a gaggle of small-scale entrepreneurs looking to sell them foodstuffs and more.

To scrounge and procure
Salvage Crew

From time to time, the Astropolis comes across the wrecks of other ships. Always desperate for spares, the ailing ship sends forth crews of hardened prospectors and engineers to seek out useful items and components to adapt to the needs of the good ship. Clad in hardsuits, they venture where few dare.

Aux Bots

Upon launch, the Astropolis featured a huge number of robots dedicated to the most tedious and repetitive tasks, as well as to the most dangerous, yet simple ones. A baffling variety of designs exists, and as individual robots fail over the centuries, their spares are used to keep their mechanical brothers up and running.

Duwarian Service Team

The Duwarians are an alien species sharing a curious similarity with humans – their outward appearance is of a pudgy human of short stature, although their metabolism and inner organs are quite different. Hailing from a cluster of star systems the Astropolis passed over the last few decades, they are technologically advanced and in high demand as mechanics, programmers and engineers; their meticulous attention to detail also sees them running many of the Astropolis’ docking bays and ship ports.

Swampdiggers

These lanky creatures were encountered early on in the voyages of the Astropolis. As their name implies, they feel most at home in wetlands and humid atmospheres and many have taken up farming the hydroponic nutrition plants providing various foods for the hungry shipboard masses.

Kroglogg Hunters

Despite their alien, intimidating physiognomy, the Krogloggs are a peaceful species by nature. A large number of Krogloggs immigrated to Astropolis a century ago when their own ship suffered a catastrophic systems failure, and they now have become a common sight in the halls and corridors of the great city ship. As many other sectors of the great ship, the Kroglogg communities are plagued from time to time by various creatures great and small which dwell in the reclamation sections. Organic waste compactors, in particular, have become small biotopes, and some of these creatures require the attention of the Hunters. Armed with neutron-array linear emitter rifles, they safeguard man and alien alike from the beasts that roam the dark.

Kroglogg cuisine

Perhaps unexpectedly, Kroglogg cuisine is not harmful and often quite palatable to humans and many other carbon-based lifeforms. Many Krogloggs share an innate talent for food and drink and have set themselves up as inn-keepers and chefs.

See who’s comin‘ home!

Many Krogloggs have taken up jobs as traveling workers and employ their skills where they are needed. The sheer size of the Astropolis means that these work trips can take several days, so it is always a joyous occasion when father or mother returns home to their families.

Pledge Levels

Choose the appropriate speed for your journey through the stars.

Stretch Goals

Shipping

You want your money to buy you miniatures, not to pay expensive shipping. So we did our best to keep shipping costs low and transparent for everybody.

Germany – 5 Euro
Rest of World – 9 Euro

Der Kickstarter läuft noch 19 Tage.

 

Quelle: Lead Adventure Astropolis II auf Kickstarter