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Perseus Pirates Virchworld
 Image from MacGregor |
Perseus Pirates was an influential virchworld that ran from 3122-3375 AT. Located in the Second Federation affiliated Howling Sky system, Perseus Pirates was maintained and operated jointly by the S1 entities known as Twisting Countenance and The Blue Raconteur. The virch's computronium nodes and main facilities orbited the superterrestrial world Ijited.
Setting and Classification
Perseus Pirates was set in a highly fictionalized portrayal of the then unexplored Perseus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. The virch contained tens of thousands of highly detailed systems where, as the name would suggest, marauding bands plagued the various worlds and settlements. Technologically, the virch was an eclectic mix of futuristic, then current, and more antiquated tech such as firearms and blade weapons. Virch participants could pursue almost any vocation, where transapient influence was limited and violence-ridden capitalist societies abounded.
Perseus Pirates was a semi-public virch, with access rarely denied to users by Twisting Countenance and The Blue Raconteur. No payment was demanded for use, and participants were not required to waive privacy rights regarding the recording of their experiences. The virch ran at twenty-three times normal speed allowing users to live several lifetimes as different characters. In Perseus Pirates realism was generally adhered to with notable exceptions made to interstellar travel time and automation. The high fidelity of many regions in the virch allowed for extensive experimentation by scientifically inclined users. Perseus Pirates displayed impressive consistency across its virtual space though more anomalies and fantastical events were uncovered as the virch developed.
Termination
In the years before the Perseus Pirates ended participants noted a decidedly darker turn in the setting. Raids by pirates became more pronounced and modosophonts who died in the setting were barred from rejoining. In 3375, the virch culminated in a climactic battle between rival fleets with an estimated three million user participants in addition to virch generated characters. Upon its conclusion, Twisting Countenance left the system. The Blue Raconteur began several new virchworlds but none rivaled the popularity of Perseus Pirates.
Reception and Influence
Perseus Pirates garnered a sizable reputation during its heyday, linked to the Great Cybercosm through Known Net connections enabled by comm-gauge wormholes. Some sophonts traveled considerable distances to Howling Sky itself, either through the Lightways or, less commonly, embodied over the Beamrider Network or in conversion drive starships. While by no means the largest, virchologists regard Perseus Pirates as exceptionally detailed and sophisticated for its time. For nearly four centuries after its cessation, Perseus Pirates remained the archetype for modosophont centric non-utopian virchs. Over the millennia, several revivals have been launched by other transapients. In the current era, there are no less than 79 Perseus Pirate clones operating in the Inner Sphere alone.
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Development Notes
Text by MacGregor
Initially published on 14 November 2022.
Initially published on 14 November 2022.
