SALAMANX

SURVEYOR
CLASS III DABARAN RESEARCH VESSEL

Beneath the gleaming surface is a highly functional but somewhat uneasy

marriage of technology that those in the know may find symbolic. This module
includes everything you need to use this ship concept in play, including
descriptions, general stats, maps for all three decks and a blueprint.
by John Salquist

© 2021 John Salquist

 SALAMANX SURVEYOR
THE SALAMANX
The story of the Salamanx Surveyors begins in the once
prosperous Karimian emirate in the Dabaran lowlands, before
its decline. Dar-Karimian was perhaps more known for his
works of poetry and mathematics than for his leadership, but
his lands attracted many wise and talented people from all
over the region. In the city of Isfahar he founded a scientific
institute, from which ideas and innovation sprung like water
from the nearby spring.
Closest to the dar’s heart were his two daughters. On the
day the youngest was born, the eldest gazed at the night sky
and discerned a mighty spaceship among the stars. The dar
and his family rejoiced over this powerful omen, as did the
people of Isfahar. The daughters grew up to be promising
scientists, one a geologist and cartographer and the other
an engineer and data djinn. The dar watched with pride as
the two followed the paths of their Icons, The Traveller and
the Messenger respectively. He announced to his people that
the quest for knowledge cannot be confined to his emirate.
Like the dars of old and the Zenithians that had arrived on the
eve of his daughter’s birth, the Isfahar Institute must venture
to the stars. Dar-Karimian had awoken to the new era of the
Horizon earlier than most, having witnessed its herald with his
own eyes. At the time of his announcement he had already
visited the grandiose new space station in the Kua system and
established ties with the Zenithian corporations there. Within a
few years the newly established Isfahar shipyard was building
ships from old designs but with new inspiration. The materials
and components they could not themselves produce they
traded for through their new Zenithian contacts. The dar and
his daughters were personally involved, and they named their
most original design after the gas giant Salamanx, the moons
of which they sought to explore. Between CC 21-32, a total of
seven Salamanx Surveyors were assembled.
A late addition to the Salamanx configuration came
about in response to an event that would lead to the downfall
of the dar and his shipyard. By CC 32 the curious gaze of the
Isfahar institute had reached far beyond its home system.
Dar-Karimian was visiting Coriolis station seeking to extend
his trade agreements when bad news reached him. One of his
ships, captained by none other than his youngest daughter,
had been captured and held for a large ransom by bandits in
2
Hamura. The dar turned to his partners in the Consortium for
assistance only to learn that they had recently procured new,
better sources of trade, and the dar’s unfortunate predicament
was now outside the scope of their interests. In order to free
his daughter the dar incurred a massive debt from which he
would never fully recover. The final and bitter project of the
Isfahar shipyard was an attempt to improve the security of its
vessels, all of which were still unarmed. Having broken his ties
with the Zenithians and lost most of his wealth the dar lacked
access to military hardware. Instead he collaborated with his
eldest daughter to design a vicious data meme. Analysts of
the so-called Karimian data meme have said that the code is
so poetically imbued with resentment that it is best described
as an electronic curse.
QUICK FACTS
CLASS: III
SHIPYARD: Isfahar Institute, Dabaran.
TIME OF CONSTRUCTION: CC 21.
CREW: 5
STASIS PODS: 10.
SIZE: Length 60m, Width 21,8m, Height 16,4m.
STANDARD MODEL
ENERGY POINTS: 5
HULL POINTS: 6
MANEUVERABILITY: ±0
SIGNATURE: ±0
ARMOR: 5
SPEED: 2
FEATURES: Atmospheric Entry, Research Computer,
Sensitive Sensors.
MODULES: Docking stations, Chapel, Salvage Station,
Medlab, Cabins (5 standard), Cargo Hold, Stasis Hold,
Workshop, Laboratory, Weapon System (Karimian
Data Meme).
PROBLEM: System Incompatablity (see page 8)
COST: 1 517 500 Birr
SALAMANX SURVEYOR

3
 SALAMANX SURVEYOR

EXTERIOR

4
 SALAMANX SURVEYOR

UPPER DECK

5
 SALAMANX SURVEYOR

MIDDLE DECK

6
 SALAMANX SURVEYOR

LOWER DECK

7
 SALAMANX SURVEYOR
e OVERVIEW
To the casual observer the Salamanx is not too dissimilar to
other ships of Dabaran origin, the most distinguishing features
being the generously sized sapphire glass viewports and
insect-like ‘mouth’. But from an engineering standpoint the
Salamanx is an unusual hybrid of largely Zenithian technology
embedded in an architecture based on Pre-Zenithian designs.
The sensors and control systems bear the mark of the Isfahar
institute, as does the hull which is decorated with stylized motifs
of portal field geometry, but the reactor and power systems
on the other hand were manufactured by Exeter. The flight
performance of the ship is decent. It is steady and responsive
in vacuum but can be a little bit unruly in thick atmospheres,
which is to be expected from the four grav projectors that
are in fact modified versions of the ZL-13 model used in early
Zenithian construction ships.
The Surveyors were not only built to observe and map,
the Isfahar Institute wanted a ship capable of collecting
samples or even fully retrieving what they find. The sampling
and salvaging capabilities both come from the two opposing
and extendable robotic arms, mounted on rail platforms on
either side of the main cargo doors. They are capable of both
precision and force. Large objects can be fed directly into a
depressurized cargo hold, while an integrated retrieval system
enables smaller samples to be transferred inside without
opening the doors. The ship comes equipped with a workshop,
a laboratory and a research computer to facilitate analysis of
collected samples and general scientific field work.
Concealed beneath a large hatch on top of the ship is
the dreaded data meme transmitter which remains the
ships primary means of defense. The Karimian Meme is
exceptionally sophisticated and can target even Required
Modules, howerver doing so incurs a DATA DJINN -3 for the
attack roll and gives the GM 1 DP, regardless of success.
e SHIP PROBLEM
Many technical challenges were overcome as the Isfahar
institute relearned the art of shipbuilding. But one issue still
persists, one that was partly outside their control. An incon-
sistency between the Exeter reactor and the Isfahar control
system can cause otherwise safe fluctuations in the reactor
core to trigger an emergency response. This results in a
decrease of EP equal to the DP spent by the GM. For 3 DP, a
complete shutdown can occur. It only takes a few minutes
and a TECHNOLOGY roll to re-synchronize the systems, but in
case of a shutdown a lengthy restart is also required.
e INTERIOR
Although the ship is a good 60m long, the upper portions
of the hull is only a tenth of that in width. The interior volume is
therefore relatively small, with narrow corridors and restricted
spaces that bring crews together whether they like it or not. To
compensate for this and alleviate potential claustrophobia,
the Isfahar made use of the ship’s verticality and increased
the height of the ceilings. They also did an excellent job with
materials and lighting to make the interior pleasant and
comfortable both to the eye and the touch. Drawing upon the
palette of their surrounding landscape they made heavy use
of sandstone colors, matte ceramic surfaces and a warm,
soothing illumination.
THE UPPER DECK: The stairwell opens up into a spacious
observation deck which offers a near complete view of the
surroundings. Opposite the lab, narrow corridors lead past
the small octagonal chapel to the modest but comfortable
crew quarters.
THE MIDDLE DECK: This is where the bridge is located with its
large curved viewport that almost encompasses the crew
stations. Behind it is a more secluded navigation room with
secure storage lockers. Further back in the ship we find a
custom stasis module with the pods mounted at a 60° angle in
order to fit comfortably in the limited space. Complementing
the stairs, an elevator goes between this and the lower deck
to facilitate logistics, which is fortunate considering that the
medlab is also on this level.​
THE LOWER DECK: The lowest deck is inside the widest part
of the ship which allows for the cargo hold as well as larger
corridors. All entry points to the ship are on this deck, and the
airlocks provide access to both the outside and the cargo
hold for when it is depressurized. Exo suits are stored in alcoves
near the airlocks.
THIS PRODUCT WAS CREATED UNDER LICENSE. CORIOLIS AND ITS LOGO, ARE
TRADEMARKS OF FRIA LIGAN AB.
THIS WORK CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT IS COPYRIGHT FRIA LIGAN AB AND/
OR OTHER AUTHORS. SUCH MATERIAL IS USED WITH PERMISSION UNDER THE
COMMUNITY CONTENT AGREEMENT FOR FREE LEAGUE WORKSHOP.
ALL OTHER ORIGINAL MATERIAL IN THIS WORK IS COPYRIGHT 2021 BY JOHN
SALQUIST AND PUBLISHED UNDER THE COMMUNITY CONTENT AGREEMENT
FOR FREE LEAGUE WORKSHOP.