Saturday, November 5, 2016

Rust Duster

While a major slice of the population on Mars (particularly in the Outback) is drawn from Asia and North Africa - there's a certain aesthetic to frontier living which has permeated popular culture, not hurt by the media machine of Elysium or influence from the large North American population in the New Pittsburgh neighborhood of Valles-New Shanghai. This is the style of the classical "Western" of twencen films and TV. And, given some parallels, it's easy to see why a definitive genre grasps the minds of local Martians. Some of these considerations are as much practical as aesthetic, however. Smart Clothing (p. 325 EP) is nigh universal in many habitats for it's versatility and limited protections from temperatures, but is not quite so inexpensive as to be in the hands of literally everyone, especially in far flung corners of Mars away from retail stores. Cold Weather Gear (p. 167 Sunward) is a good alternative for many Martian morphs, but is intrinsically suited for Martian mountains and highlands, and in general is suited for those with a focus on working in extremes of temperatures. For those who live in the plains and lowlands, the Nomads of mars have their own variation.

Rust Duster: Variant on Cold Weather Gear, this outfit looks like a hybrid between a long coat and a rain poncho, and usually comes with a hood, mask or other face-covering. Both the way the coat is designed and the material it is made of is intended to protect the wearer from the dust and dirt common on Mars - both blown in storms and which can be kicked up by everyday movement. It also protects for temperatures as low as -40 C, though this is not it's primary purpose. Equipped with some sturdy gloves and boots, protective eyewear and a breather backpack, even non-adaptive morphs in a Duster can brave common conditions on Mars - though not up in the highlands. The material is also fairly heavy and dense, offering an Armor Value of 2/4 [Trivial]

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