Field Guide to Castor and Pollux

Hidden in the Sierra Madre line, twelve lightyears from the nearest blinkgate, is a jewel.

In the last days before the Second Committee fell, a final wave of colonies was scattered across Union. They developed in isolation; lost to the reaches of time and space. Twin colonies rose in lockstep sheltered in the solitary system of Quetzal's Flight, . First brothers and then enemies, Castor and Pollux leapt to war in their greed over the system's mineral wealth – until the unthinkable happened.  A catastrophic stellar event left Castor scorched and unlivable, and ended the war before it could start. Their twin left for dead, Pollux became the sole inheritor of Quetzal's Flight.

Now over a century later Pollux is a plutocratic paradise petitioning for Union recognition. However, on their erstwhile twin, long-quiet forces stir. Castor's survivors rebuilt society from bunkers and caves under the radioactive waste of their home. Now they are set to reignite the war that never was; desperate for survival, raging at their abandonment, they hope to strike Pollux down before it can do the same to them. It is in this moment, the last days before the war begins, that this field guide is set.

The Field Guide to Castor and Pollux is an unofficial homebrew supplement for LANCER, the mech RPG by Miguel Lopez and Tom Parkinson Morgan. It contains:

•  A setting guide to the Quetzal's Flight system, including major factions, notable NPCs, and landmark locations across the system.
• A downtime action for players to obtain and upgrade a spaceworthy ship.
• Four new talents for players to choose from the fortification-focused Architect to the versatile mines of the Sapper.
• A new mech manufacturer: Pinnacle Industries - Orion Faction. Colony builders now turned to military manufacturing, PI-OF's offerings are a mix of rugged retrofits with cutting-edge miltech as they turn their sizable assets to R&D. Their catalog contains 6 new core bonuses and 8 mechs. Pilots can pick from the flying, electromagnetic defense of the Lemongrass, the sturdy construction tools of the Star Anise, the robotic beast-mastery of the Fennel, and more.
• One new mech from each of Lancer's Big 4 manufacturers. Draw in foes with the captivating flames of saintly HORUS Couatl; play the eye-in-the-sky with IPS-N's sniper/spotter Pharos; slip into corporate espionage and disruption with the esoterically adept SSC Sicklewing; and burn hot and glorious in the HA Tametomo, a plasma-wreathed martyr.
• 6 new NPC classes and one new NPC template to diversify encounters and represent some of the groups in Quetzal's Flight. Smoke out fortifications with the Vector's punishing lances,  break through battlelines with the disruptive Grenadier, and harass strikers with the speedy Interceptor.
• An lcp file containing all player material and NPCs for use with COMP/CON.

This project would not be possible without the support of the PilotNET Discord – thank you all so much! I can be found there as @hellaspooks#2744 for questions and feedback. Content may change or expand as I get feedback and further develop the setting. Thank you for playing!

The wheel of the galaxy turns inexorable.

Quetzal’s Flight is one grain of sand amidst millions; one spark of humanity in the great bonfire of Union. It teeters at the edge of oblivion, of washing away into the great rushing darkness. There is no certain fate – only the unknown, the moment, the weight of one foot on the scales before the collapse.

Where do you stand, pilot?