Races | Technology | Buildings & Organizations
MORNINGSTAR RELAY STATION
Overview
The Morningstar Relay Station is a vital communication hub within the Shortwave Radio Network. During the Beta Age, it was operated by the Weber Communication Company, responsible for establishing and maintaining the ExoHuman Communication Grid. Since 2631, following the formation of the Federal Confederation, it is under the control of the Federal News Agency. Located in the Industrial Ring of Morningstar, the station ensures stable shortwave transmissions for law enforcement, administrative coordination, and public broadcasts (Beta Age only).
Due to the local weather conditions, the station relies on a combination of wind turbines and solar cells to sustain operations, ensuring uninterrupted service even in adverse conditions. It is one of the key relay points linking Morningstar to the broader ExoHuman Communication Grid, amplifying and stabilizing transmissions from Mount Atrana Communication Outpost.
History
The Morningstar Relay Station was originally constructed in 2626 by the Weber Communication Company as part of its efforts to establish a Shortwave Communication Network that links all exohuman settlements. The station played a pivotal role in extending radio transmissions and enabling inter-settlement communication across VOI 700 D.
Following the founding of the Federal Confederation and the implementation of Communardism in 2631, the Weber Communication Company was nationalized, and the station was placed under the jurisdiction of the Federal News Agency. Since then, it has functioned as a state-controlled relay point, ensuring regulated information flow and real-time communication across settlements.
Architectural Significance
The Morningstar Relay Station reflects the settlement's emphasis on practicality and sustainability in its architectural design.
Construction Materials: Built from locally sourced timber and stone, it integrates seamlessly with Morningstar’s rugged, functional aesthetic. The use of natural insulation materials ensures energy effiiency and resilience to temperature fluctuations.
Wind Turbine: The relay station’s primary wind turbine is constructed from salvaged components of the Last Frontier spaceship, reinforcing the settlers’ commitment to resourceful adaptation and sustainability.
Building Structure
The Morningstar Relay Station is a single-story facility, built for functionality and security. It includes:
Transmission Room: Houses the primary shortwave relay systems and backup communication equipment.
Power Supply Hub: Features solar arrays and wind turbines, ensuring continuous, off-grid power generation.
Storage Unit: Contains spare parts, signal boosters, and repair kits for maintaining station functionality.
Look and Feel
The Morningstar Relay Station sits modestly at the edge of the Industrial Ring, its timber‑and‑stone walls washed in the settlement’s perpetual violet dusk. A constant breeze from the adjacent Federal Weapon Manufactory stirs the blades of the repurposed Last Frontier wind turbine, filling the air with a low, rhythmic whoosh that blends with the distant clang of metal‑working in nearby workshops. Inside, the single‐story hall is warm and dry; sunlight never fully breaks the twilight. The scent of aged lumber mixes with the faint tang of ozone from the solar arrays overhead. Exposed beams overhead are festooned with coils of spare cabling and hand‑scrawled wiring diagrams, while the smooth, stone‑tiled floor bears faint scuffs from technicians’ boots. Outside the locked gate, the hum of distant generators and the echo of trooper patrols on gravel paths lend a sense of constant vigilance. Whenever a burst of static crackles over the shortwave set, or the turbine’s blades catch a stronger gust, the station seems to breathe — alive with the quiet power of Morningstar’s link to the wider ExoHuman network.
Roles and Responsibilties
Technicians (3): Rotating in a shift-model. Responsible for the maintenance, troubleshooting, and operation of the relay station’s systems. In the Gamma Age, these technicians are under the supervision of the Federal News Agency.
Public Access, Operating Hours and Operational Rhythm
Public Access:
All areas of the Relay Station are strictly off‑limits to the general public. Only the front vestibule (for official deliveries) is accessible, and even that requires prior authorization. All technical and transmission spaces require full security clearance.
Operating Hours:
The Relay Station runs 24/7, staffed by three overlapping technician shifts to guarantee uninterrupted service:
Shift 1: 06:00–14:00
Shift 2: 14:00–22:00
Shift 3: 22:00–06:00
Security Measures
To ensure the safety and integrity of the relay station, several security measures are in place:
Perimeter Fence: A 3-meter-high metal fence encloses the facility, deterring unauthorized access.
Locked Gate: Access is strictly controlled, requiring authorized identification for entry.
Restricted Access: Only authorized personnel are permitted in critical areas, such as manufacturing and storage zones. Identity verification is mandatory before granting access.
Analog Alert System (Gamma Age Only): The station is equipped with an
Analog Alert System, which is triggered in case of unauthorized entry or emergencies. The siren is directly linked to the
Local Sheriff’s Office for immediate response.
Deputy Surveillance: In the Gamma Age, Local Sheriff Deputies conduct regular patrols around the Industrial Ring, ensuring security compliance and deterring potential intrusions. During the Beta Age,
Guarding Troopers were responsible for patrols and station security.
Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters
The Relay Station provides a variety of gameplay opportunities, including missions involving sabotage, security breaches, and communication control.
Beta Age Adventure Hook Example:
“Echoes of Rebellion”– At the Morningstar Relay Station, one of the technician grows increasingly erratic. Late one night, she tampers with the control loops — embedding a hidden pulse in the station’s transmission stream. That signal propagates through the Shortwave Network, scrambling Guarding Bots in Morningstar Suddenly, these automatons lock down municipal buildings, take local officials hostage and broadcast demands to “liberate the exohuman essence.” Meanwhile, Combat Drones converge on the relay to protect their “leader”. With the local authorities unable to override the corrupted codes, PCs are dispatched by the Guarding Troopers to infiltrate the station’s fortified perimeter, reboot its power systems, and wrest back control of the network — before the region plunges into full‑scale bot‑driven revolt.
Gamma Adventure Hook Example:
”Coded War Preparations” – While monitoring the shortwave bands of the Morningstar Relay Station, a friend of the PC who works as a Technician in the Station, encrypted signal masked beneath the steady hum of the geothermal feed. The message references clandestine timber shipments rerouted to fund a secret militia in the
Ralar Region. Convinced the local allotment official is corrupt and taking bribes from
Outlaws, he refuses to tip off the
Local Sheriff. Instead, he slips you a copy of the raw beacon logs and begs for your help …
Related Pages and Further Information
Relay Stations within the exohuman Society