Environmental Survival
| Naval Ancillary Skill | |
| Environmental Survival | |
| Passing achieves: | |
| Survivalist skills | {Surv} |
| Prerequisite for: | |
| Vast Imperial Marine, Tier 3 (Marine Final Exam) | |
The Skill[edit]
Before your character may serve as a Vast Imperial Marine (an elite member of a ship's security forces) with the Vast Empire Navy (in other words, before you may participate in boarding actions or offensive ground strikes against and occupations of surface targets), and before you start the third (and final) tier of the Imperial Marine certification track, you must demonstrate that your character has the basic knowledge necessary to survive extreme environments. This knowledge (and its practical application) is known as the "Environmental Survival" Basic Ancillary Skill, in VEN role-playing parlance. You demonstrate this knowledge (and thereby earn the "Environmental Survival" Ancillary Skill for your character's Bio) by completing the following mission.
An excerpt from the Environmental Survival Primer Text, from the Academy's Wilderness Endurance course:
There are exactly three things that you need to survive in the wilderness: edible food; fresh, clean water; and shelter from inclement weather. In more hazardous areas, finding shelter will be even more important than food and water – exposure in extremes of heat or cold, or even hungry natural predators, can kill you in hours.
You should start looking for somewhere to hide or take shelter at least two hours before it gets dark (or, in deserts, before dawn) this will give you time to spot an area, clear away enough undergrowth or rocks to create a sleeping area, and get the material together to make your shelter. Making a fire has drawbacks and benefits: it creates a reliable source of heat, and allows you to purify water and cook food. But, it gives away your position to predators and enemies, and more heat may not be welcome in some climates.
Once you have a safe place to rest, your highest priority will be finding clean drinking water. In some places, such as winter tundras or highly aqueous planets, this will not be difficult, but in desert environments it can take a long time. Either way, do not drink water until you are sure it is clean! Use water purification tablets to sanitize water, or simply boil it, and avoid eating until after you have found a reliable source of water, as the digestion process can accelerate dehydration.
If you are planning on staying for more than two days, you will also need food. Plants and meat are your two choices, and of the two, plant food is easier to find as it cannot run away. Before a deployment on a world, take the time to read the holonet entry for it, and familiarize yourself with what is edible, and what is not. If you are unsure, it is better to err on the side of caution and pass it up unless you are facing imminent death...
The Mission : "And I thought they smelled bad... on the outside!"[edit]
Write a short story (750 words, minimum) in which your character must survive against the elements in an inhospitable environment (the moon Abrae, home to the VEN, is suitable, as a frozen rock where the Navy runs these types of exercises, but you may also use a baking desert or predatory jungle or any other potentially-fatal location) until a rescue party can arrive. For your story, the most dangerous time of day/night is about to begin, and you have very few supplies (you crashed in an escape pod, or were separated from your unit somehow). Build a shelter and protect yourself from the hazards of your chosen environment for a standard day, until help arrives. You must demonstrate knowledge of at least three life-threatening dangers and how your character avoided/overcame them, as well as showing your character's will to survive. For an extra challenge, you may try surviving for even longer periods of time, in even more extreme environments. When complete, post your short story to a new thread in the Navy ComNet (making sure to mark it as a Mission for the Environmental Survival Ancillary Skill), and wait for review. If a VENA staff member deems that you have satisfied all the mission parameters, you will have earned the Ancillary Skill "Environmental Survival" for your character, and that character may then use the associated knowledge in future story posts.
Good luck.
Links and Resources[edit]
More links forthcoming. PM recommendations to Stormz or Drac.
- Note : The Vast Empire claims no credit for external sites and resources; all information provided is for fictional use only.
