Roger's Guide to Colonial Life

[Roger Davis]

The BSG universe is a little different from the world we know. This thread is intended to help you better understand it so you can thus RP better as a character from that universe.



Contents
1) Language
2) Foreign Language
3) Tylium
4) Colonies of Kobol
5) Entertainment
6) Civilian Occupations in the Fleet

[Roger Davis]

Language
Colonial Speech in the BSG Universe varies from what most are used to. There are of course important military and technological terms that might be foreign to most. Many everyday words are also substituted with others unique made-up BSG words. Finally, although not shown prominently in the Re-imagined Series, there are also several different languages in the Twelve Colonies.


Foreign Language
The Colonies are a collection of billions of people living across a dozen worlds and have lived in this manner for over two thousand years. They are not a homogeneous people and thus their language differs. Whether it be merely a characteristic accent or even a completely different language native to that Colony, not everyone sounds the same and often it is quite noticeable where someone is from simply by hearing them talk.

The languages of the Colonies can be found in the next post.

Specialized Terms
From DRADIS to CBDR there is a slew of words, acronyms, and abbreviations that one might need to know to properly RP in the BSG Universe. A full list of these terms can be found here.

Notable Changed Words
Several words are given entirely new names to connote something that actually does exist in modern times. Notably most drugs have special names (e.g. Morphine = Morpha). Below are a few other examples

Wireless
There is no such things as "radio" in BSG. Instead, people communicate via "wireless". A ship is equipped with a wireless, you listen to "talk wireless" not "talk radio", etc. It can be referred to as "comms" or other synonymous words but NEVER "radio".

Fumarella
There is no such thing as "tobacco" in BSG. It is "fumarella" leaf, fumarella products, etc.

Frak
The "F word" is completely replaced by the word "frak" in BSG. It is still as versatile as the word it replaces. Frak you, fraking jerk, that was a clusterfrak, motherfraker, etc.

Krypter
There is no "mayday" distress call. Colonials instead use "Krypter". Like "mayday", "krypter" is announced in a burst of three to signal distress.

The site actually filters some of these words to replace the RL word with the BSG word (pffft, as if we're going to use it to filter out foul language).

Religious Terms
BSG Religion is polytheistic and thus their terms are of a polytheistic nature. "Hell" becomes "Hades", "God" becomes "gods", and "Lord" becomes "Lords". There are monotheists in the minority but they do not share the same Judeo-Christian heritage as we do. Thus, although they might say "God" and "Lord" in the singular, they would never say anything like "Jesus Christ!"

Titles
Another bit of language worth noting is the use of "sir" and "ma'am". The Colonial Fleet is gender neutral in all things. All military personnel in BSG regardless of gender are referred to as "sir". Gender specific titles only come into play for civilian officials. (e.g. Admiral Cain is sir. President Roslin is ma'am.) Therefore, if you play a female character, it is not offensive to be called "sir" (nor does the subordinate need to have the dilemma of whether it might be disrespectful to call her one or the other).

[Roger Davis]

Foreign Language

Although not covered in the Re-imagined Series, the Twelve Colonies are not completely homogeneous in their language. There are at least seven languages spoken by humanity with Caprican as the most dominant. Generally, everyone will speak Caprican at least at a conversational level. Depending on the colony, some will definitely speak their native tongue, might speak only some of it, or know none of it depending on the circumstances. Of course, study of foreign languages is also a possibility for non-native speakers.

In the RP, feel free to use foreign language (Assuming your character actually knows it). It can be used to interject an appropriate foreign phrase, to put someone from that homeplanet at ease, to speak secretly in front of nonspeakers, and to make yourself sound smart. You may either actually write in that language if you can or merely denote that the line of speech is in a foreign language.


The Languages
Below is a list of the languages of the Colonies, their equivalent to our modern languages, and a note on their usage. The list is a combination of canon information with gaps filled in by non-canon guesswork.

Aerilon
Caprican (English) - Strong Irish or English Yorkshire accent.

Aquaria
Caprican (English) - Nearly identical to the "proper dialect" spoken by Capricans. Actually notable for lacking any real regional distinctions, the Aquarian population being so small and keeping the tongue so pure.

Canceron
Caprican (English) - Accent has a tendency to drift away from the "high class" dialect of Caprica and more toward an urban nature. Conjunctions, slang, and minor mispronunciations are common. It's the sort of thing that a normal person would hardly notice but would drive an English teacher insane. The similarities between the two are very close and of course many Capricans might speak in a way more characteristic of Canceron.

Caprica
Caprican (English) - Predominately of an American quality but also occasionally a "Queen's English" quality as well.

Gemenon
Old Gemenese (Romanian) - Infrequently used outside of formal settings. Most Gemenese will only know a few words of their own language.

Leonis
Leonese (French) - Used frequently, the dominant language of Leonis.

Libran
Libran (Italian) - Commonly used on Libran with usage about on par with Caprican.

Picon
Piconian (Latin) - Heavy influence on Caprican but rarely used in and of itself.

Sagittaron
Caprican (English) - Spoken with a distinguishable rural accent much like on Aerilon. This accent has more of an American rural tone than an Irish or English rural quality like the Aerilon dialect.

Scorpia
Caprican (English) and Leonese (French) - Caprican is dominant but the people have a distinctly Libran quality to their dialect. One can analogize it as Librans being French and Scorpians being French Canadian. They speak Libran slightly differently and they both also have slightly different accents when speaking Caprican.

Tauron
Tauron (Greek) - Commonly used on Tauron but still secondary to Caprican. Most Taurons will be fluent in their own tongue if only as a point of pride.

Virgon
Virgon (German) - Heavy influence on Caprican as well. Not a dead language like Piconian but not very common either. Most Virgons will have a strong enough grasp of their native tongue to at least converse in simple conversations. Complete fluency is typically found only in intellectuals or the stubborn and xenophobic.

[Roger Davis]

Tylium

Tylium is the primary fuel source in the BSG Universe. It is mined from ore and converted into a powerful liquid form that powers everything from Vipers to Battlestars.

Stages of Tylium
Tylium comes in three stages and requires refinement before it is usable.

Stage One
First, Tylium must be mined and acquired as hard ore. Tylium can be found on the Twelve Colonies but it is far more common on asteroids. Most Tylium comes from remote mining operations much like modern world deep sea oil rigs.

Stage Two
Once extracted from the ground, Tylium must be broken down into "Tylium Precursor". Precursor is a fine whitish powdery substance. This is the fuel's most powerful but also most volatile state thus making it still unusable.

Stage Three
Finally, the precursor is refined into "Tylium Fuel", a powerful liquid capable of creating immense energy. This versatile fuel then powers everything from small one person vehicles to large thousand person space craft.

Notes About Tylium
It's important to remember that Tylium is unbelievably powerful and is basically nuclear power in more manageable liquid form (no wonder they don't use anything else). Being so powerful, Tylium is also dangerous and can cause massive explosions although not equal to a nuclear detonation. Tylium itself and a Tylium explosion are not radioactive but radiation can actually destroy a batch of unrefined Tylium and render it inert and useless.

Other Fuels
Tylium is for all intents and purposes the only fuel in this universe. It is the only fuel shown and is used by both Cylons and Humans to power everything. Therefore, Tylium is it unless you want to RP the discovery of some other realistic form of power to help the fleet survive on minimal resources. Technically fusion power exists as well but it doesn't seem to be used. This is most likely because Tylium is just so powerful and has so few drawbacks.

[Roger Davis]

Colonies of Kobol
The Humans of BSG are from a star cluster of four separate stars and dozens of planets (collectively called "Colonial Space"). A dozen of those planets are highly colonized, sovereign, and founded approximately two thousand years by one of the "Twelve Tribes of Kobol". Those planets are thus called the Twelve Colonies of Kobol or the Twelve Colonies or just Colonies for short. The Colonies (uppercase C) actually have their own colonies (lowcase C) but they are dependent and subordinate to a parent Colony.

Detailed information on the Colonies and Colonial Space can be found in this thread.

[Roger Davis]

Entertainment

Like any society, the Twelve Colonies had their own forms of entertainment and recreation, some not all too dissimilar from our own. Most of these practices continue even when living aboard a ship.

Wireless and Television
Wireless (AKA Radio - see above post) is not only used for official communication purposes. Music and talk shows are both frequently broadcast from planetary stations as well as directly from ships. This is an easy way for people to stay entertained and also to stay informed.

There is also television but it is not nearly as common in the Fleet as the dominant wireless. For those with the capabilities of receiving it, however, there is still a television broadcast in the Fleet which includes a small library of pre-war films supplemented by somewhat sloppy fleet-made programs: news, documentaries, and Fleet-based TV shows (reality, soap-opera, comedy, etc.).

Drinking, Smoking, and Drugs
Colonial society is filled with the same vice and "bad habits" of our own world. After the Fall, it is even more likely that one would turn to such things for an escape from reality. The supply of such goods is however running low as the demand keeps rising.

Alcohol can be found in many varieties and with many different names in BSG (notably "Ambrosia", a strong greenish liquor) but generally any RL drinks (non-brand specific) exist. Tobacco is called "Fumarella" but in all other respects it is the same. Likewise, most drugs (illegal or otherwise) exist in BSG although their names are frequently changed (Morpha=Morphine, Cota=Marijuana). Some Colonies have strict drug policies while others have very loose policies. The restrictions are mirrored in the Fleet and vary from ship to ship. Restrictions for military personnel can be found under the Military Justice section of the Guide to Military Life.

Sports
The Twelve Colonies have their own sports and athletic competitions, many of which the Colonials attempt to keep alive in the Fleet. It is assumed that every basic form of athletic competition exists in the BSG Universe (e.g. all types of track and field, boxing, etc.). Other sports such as Basketball or Baseball are unlikely to exist, at least with the rules as we understand them. The only major sport we do know of is Pyramid, the pastime of the Colonies. More on Pyramid can be read here.



Games
There are of course less physical ways to compete and have fun. The Colonials have all sorts of card games and board games. The only named game in the series is Triad. More on Triad can be read here.


Technology
If even tangible things are not for you, the Colonies are a technologically advanced society. The Holoband and other technological devices provide yet another potential form of recreation.

Holoband
The Holoband is brought to you by the same Graystone Industries that gave us the Cylons. Their more benign product (created way back in the late 1930s) is, as the name suggest, a band that creates a holographic projection of sorts. The band is worn around the head and eyes much like a pair of glasses. When activated, it projects an artificial virtual world into the wearer's mind. This world can be limited to singular programs or to a much larger massive online virtual community as limitless as the Internet.

The Holoband can be used as a tool for work although it is more commonly used for recreation (with many getting lost in how very real it can seem). The Holoband is also a very useful tool to create simulations, something which has not been lost on the military. Recruits, especially potential pilots, go through portions of their training on holoband. Generally this will be their first taste of training before being let out to use "the real thing" which happens to be a very dangerous and expensive piece of equipment. The more dangerous aspects of training (the types of things that if one were to actual do it live would be considered completely reckless and even potentially criminally so (e.g. live bomb defusal) can also be performed at the end of training, or even beyond in further education, through the Holoband.

Books
Existing in both material and electronic form, thousands of years of Colonial history, knowledge, and creativity exists in an extensive library. Access to physical books might be limited to many, but generally one can access fleet archives for non-classified works.

Music
Most instruments and styles of music exist in the BSG universe. Even in the Fleet there are bound to be some musicians to play live, the wireless broadcasts popular songs, and regular people sing in the shower before going off to work.

[Roger Davis]

Civilian Occupations in the Fleet
I'm sure you're saying to yourself, "This RP is so military focused. What is there for a civilian to do?" Well, I'm glad you asked. This site could certainly use a greater number of civilian PCs to add more depth. Below is a list of "opportunities" for those survivors of Cylon Holocaust who have now found themselves as refugees. It's not a lot of fun just RPing as someone sitting in a cramped freighter for months on end, right?

Colonial Fleet
The most obvious option for a civilian is to join the military. Most people are itching for revenge in the first place. They also feel useless sitting in some cargo hauler and want to be of use to the cause. On top of all this, the accommodations on the warships are generally much better than the average civilian vessel and it can just be a means of escape from squalor and overcrowding.

Many characters are civilians turned soldiers whether that is merely through their history before the RP started or they actually started as civilians and ended up finding their way into service. However, if military life, is the answer for you then reading this guide about how to be a civilian isn't really all that helpful, is it?

Colonial Fleet in a Support Role
There is also an in-between stage for some of the "softer" types who still have that desire to either escape or directly give back. Non-combat occupations include the Quartermaster department, Kitchen Staff, Janitorial Services, Maintenance, and Engineering support (basically contractors to help with repair or the guys who help build replacement Vipers and produce ammo aboard the warships). Technically these people are enlisted and wear a uniform but they'll only ever pick up a weapon to fight if a Cylon centurion kicks down the door of their room.

Pseudo-Military
There are numerous jobs around the fleet that mimic those aboard the warships. For example, there are civilian transport pilots for none military flights between ships. Each civilian ships also has their own engineers, bridge staff, deck crews to maintain and launch shuttles, etc. that crew the dozens of non-military vessels. These people have specifically chosen not to offer their services to the military and instead remain on their own vessels.

Politics
There is tons of room in politics for characters. The Presidential Cabinet, Quorum members, aides, etc. are all pretty much open. Humanity needs strong leadership now more than ever and it's very likely that a few civilians have some pretty strong feelings about the state of affairs. Beyond actual political office, characters can play local politics and be the outsider constantly questioning those in power.

Other Avenues of Leadership
You're not just limited to crewing a civilian ship or running for political office. One could be the captain or other senior member of a ship's crew. You could act as a cooperative member of the fleet or you could throw your weight around particularly if you control a valuable asset like the Tylium refinery.

Private Security
Marines aren't the only fighters in this fleet. Each ship should have some form of security on it. Large ships like the Aerilon Star will likely have an actual organized police force while small ships like the Syracuse will likely have one senior officer with a gun. If there is civil unrest or a Cylon boarding action, it will be the local security that is the first line of defense. There are also private security firms such as the presidential security detail which allow for more high profile interactions.

Fleet Industry
If the above don't appeal and you just want a regular job, well there are some of those to be had as well. The fleet does have a thriving industry base to keep it going beyond the capabilities of the warships to replenish their own stocks. There is a mining ship, a refinery ship, a tanker ship, several manufacturing ships, a water treatment ship, agricultural ships, etc. They're dirty jobs but they're vital to the war effort and it's solid work, better than scrubbing toilets on a luxury ship.

Medical Services
Just about anyone with medical training will be accepted onto Hyperion without requiring them to enlist first. If you don't want to be put to work in the Hyperion sickbay then there are plenty of other ships that need healers. The Asclepius has also become a dedicated medical ship for the treatment of all long term patients and the more serious cases from the civilian fleet that need more expert equipment and care.

Entertainment
The apocalypse is depressing stuff. People need to be entertained now more than ever. There are jobs to be had for radio personalities, TV starts, journalists, comedians, musicians, athletes (see the inter-fleet pyramid league), etc. and all the jobs that revolve around them.

Other Specialization
Still looking for work? There are jobs for scientists aboard Hyperion and also the civilian Athena's Light. Repair crews are needed to maintain the civilian fleet and travel from vessel to vessel providing expert services. If you can think of a job then it can probably be had in the fleet. There may not be tons of people to RP with in that role but the job opportunity exists.

Organized Crime
Military service, politics, or any other form of honest work not really your style? There is always the opportunity to join the seedier side of fleet society. Gambling, prostitution, black market, and even contract killings are within the realm of possibility. Be careful though, it's not so easy to hide under the watchful eye of the military.