Intro
Welcome to a universe where the oppressive corporate dominance of the Alien franchise meets the enigmatic allure of alien technology from Frederik Pohl’s Heechee series, brought to life with the retro-futuristic aesthetic of the 1980s. This hybrid science fiction setting, known as the Àrsaidh Frontier, is a dark and brooding universe where humanity’s ambition collides with the incomprehensible remnants of an ancient alien civilization. It is a place of survival, exploration, and existential dread, where the promise of wealth and discovery is overshadowed by the ever-present specter of death and corporate exploitation.
Inspirations
The crawl mechanics and procedural site generation from Across a Thousand Dead Worlds (ATDW) are integrated to create unpredictable and perilous exploration scenarios.
The Alien Franchise:
The setting draws heavily from the Alien universe, particularly its retro-futuristic design, survival-horror tone, and themes of corporate greed. The oppressive atmosphere, utilitarian technology, and the constant threat of alien horrors are central to the experience.
Drake Industries was just another wannabe company until it stumbled upon the remains of an alien space station. It secured the rights and then revealed what it had found. Drake is now a major mega-corp with a stranglehold on humanity’s exploitation of alien technology.
Frederik Pohl’s Heechee Series:
The concept of humans discovering and using alien technology they do not fully understand is inspired by Pohl’s Gateway. In this setting, the Àrsaidh—a vanished alien race—have left behind mysterious technology that allows for travel to distant, unknowable locations.
Like the Heechee starships, the Àrsaidh technology is both a boon and a curse, offering the promise of riches but at the cost of immense risk.
TTRPG Systems:
The Alien RPG by Free League provides the core mechanics, including the Year Zero Engine and its Stress and Panic system, which heighten the tension and horror of the setting.
Old dog, new dice 