Wanderers

Created by: Garry Stahl
Appearance: Starbase 600 game
Number of Members: Unknown
Nature of Members: Outcasts from normal Galactic society, the area now known as "The Shattered Zone". A late Galactic Empire that imploded some several hundred years ago. Wanderers are the misfits and throwaways from a hundred worlds. All they require is that you be willing to live as an equal among them, and to accept the rather generous rules they live under.
Organization: By ship. There isn't even a single "approved" method of choosing the Captain of a ship. Sometimes by family, sometimes by election. Wanderers understand the discipline of the ship, but always remember they are a family. In general Wanderers follow The Code of Prince Nevermore, a much disputed non document made by the legendary founder of the first ship. It's more of a set of guidelines really. The fact that anyone dissatisfied can walk keeps any Captain from becoming abusive. 
World Role: A place for the unwanted.
Game Role: A source of information.
Relative Influence: Minuscule. Wanderers seldom are seen more than one ship at a time, said ship is seldom a threat to a shuttlecraft with a harsh opinion.
Public or Secret?: Yes. Their presence is known, and generally frowned on by Right Thinking people. They themselves play their cards close to the chest because of this.
Publicly Stated Goal: Live life large, see everything.
Relative Wealth: Minuscule. Group assets usually consist of one ship not worth a thing.
Group advantages: Openness. The Wanderer's willingness to accept anyone that will live peacefully with them means that they can call on a broad, if inconsistent, set of skills in any situation.
Special Abilities: Depends on the member and the ship. You might get ships that have members with freaky powers.
Group disadvantages: Poor. Their ships are usually death traps at best, they don't have access to traditional resources.
Special disadvantages: Outcasts. The Galactic societies they have dealt with in the past do not like them. The Trantorian Empire considers them pests, the Zak eat them, Togani call them names. The Senset... (shudder) enough about the Senset. Most places they come into judge by the quality of their gear, and look no further.
Those who favor them: The Federation, they look further.
Those opposed to them: "Right Thinking" people that sit on sticks. Wanderers by nature are anti authoritarian and anti prejudicial. This does not reflect any virtue, but pragmatic survival. They take friends where they find them and don't ask a lot of questions. This result in a lot of fast friends among the "wrong people".
Area of Operation: Coreward of Known Space.
Headquarters Location: none
Public Face: Gypsies, tramps, and thieves.
Notable Members: Prince Nevermore: A handsome dispossessed Prince who founded the first ship. No one could possibly verify the truth of it. But they did. His grave was found on Diaspar. Some space legends are true.
Jolly Rogers or known as the "Beloved Groddy Failure looking for a Place to Happen" by the Chief Engineer. A former liner that had mismatched nacelles. It had been built from four ships of the same class, and one of a different class entirely. A true scrapyard special. The Ship has changed it's name to Renaissance Gift with the gift of the new ship. The original ship is stored at Starbase 600 has an excellent example of fault tolerance.
History of the Organization: A complete history is impossible. Wanderers have existed in this part of the Galaxy for as long as Wanderers, or any civilization present can remember. Wanderer legends speak of civilizations that no longer exist. The Wanderer culture has followed the movements of warp capable races as it moves throughout the Galaxy. 
Wanderers do not leave much in the way of archaeological remains behind them. Their lifestyle is to pick over the future archaeological remains of other cultures, and so what might remain of them is lost in the general noise. However, forensic psychological evaluation of their stories has led sociologists to place the Wanderer culture at 200,000 years of age, +/- 20,000 years. Ironically it makes the Wanderers, outcasts from "normal" society, one of the oldest continuous warp capable cultures in existence.
The Jolly Rogers were the first Wanderer ship to contact Oz. Once the Starfleet engineers were done puking and shaking over encountering their ship, with typical Federation generosity that wouldn't see Packed's dog off on that ship (shudder) they offered to replace it. The Wanderers where confounded with the Aneilogs, and by extension Federation generosity and openness. They, after discussion, accepted the offer and inducted the entire Federation into the Wanderers. A message from the Renaissance Station subspace array was broadcast to the galaxy at large in Wanderer code. 
Category:Groups
Category:Far Sector
Category:Epiphany Trek