The Cambias Digression

(In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day, September 19.) In the late 17th century, the capital city of piracy was Port Royal in Jamaica. It was the biggest city in the Caribbean, and sympathetic governors turned a blind eye to British, Dutch, and French Hugenot pirates preying on the Spanish treasure fleets in exchange…

Three-fourths of Earth's surface is covered by ocean, so it seems almost inevitable that people will someday try to live in the sea. This undersea city is funded by the inevitable eccentric billionaire, but is at least intended to become a self-sustaining, economically viable settlement. It's built in the shallow water atop an undersea plateau…

The city stands at the junction of two great artificial canals bringing life-giving water to the dying seabeds of the Red Planet. Though ruled by an absolute monarch, the city is virtually lawless, as the tyrant cares about nothing beyond the walls of his palace and all his underlings are corrupt. Here, thieves from the…

The Starbase is a big space station in a distant system, serving as a command center and support base for the enterprising exploration ships of a federation of planets which are united. This is where velour-shirted or miniskirted starship crew relax before going where no man has yet gone. Aboard the Starbase one can see…

Sailing the Mediterranean in the Bronze Age was always an adventure, even if you didn't have to worry about angry gods. (And you always have to worry about angry gods.) Roll 1d20 each day when sailing, 1d10 when in port or beached. Roll twice and combine Plot-advancing encounter: Someone or something related to the purpose of…