Pins

Or patches, badges, tattoos. This covers a broad category of unofficial trophies that can be earned by a member of a starship crew in the form of some sort of physical mark to be worn. 

They have the following things in common:

• They are awarded by Hands only.
• They are entirely unofficial.
• They open social doors.

Earning a Pin

The story goes that the first Pins were hammered together from scrap metal, awarded to Hands, by Hands, as a jab at the Heads and Officers who would chase medals and wear them with pride. Some ships banned them, but they were still awarded as tattoos hidden away beneath uniforms.

Although tradition still dictates that only Hands can award a Pin, they are now considered universal, with Heads, Officers, and even some Captains ensuring they receive their dues. 

The system is strict, intended to avoid the need for a neutral judge. If somebody can prove they’ve met the requirements for a Pin for the first time, usually through witnesses, then they’re eligible for it, and that’s that. Each Pin can only be earned once.

Pins are usually awarded in batches, in a combination of sacred ritual, hazing ordeal, and rowdy party.

Unofficial Accolades

This whole system has been allowed to flourish because it gives the crew a sense of accomplishment on what can be a rather repetitive life of drudgery. When the Hands are excited about earning some shiny new trinket then they stop considering other career options or asking for a raise.

Bonding and Recognition

The crew already has an unofficial hierarchy of Seniority denoting how well respected they are in their job, with tiers of First down to Third.

Pins are more of a social element. Having lots of Pins won’t earn respect alone, but it can allow access to social events that require a specific Pin. 

The system indulges in faux-grandeur as a winking parody of naval tradition, but the nepotism can be very real. 

Specific Pins

There are twenty-one Pins that are traditionally considered to be the core set, and countless others that are newly created, guarded secrets, or mostly forgotten.

Although designs are not standardised, the name usually gives a hint.

1. Order of the Mole: Travel via a gate.
2. Goat’s Eye: Witness a ship being destroyed.
3. Stone Skull: Suffer a wound from a Warp attack.
4. Red Hand: Comfort another crew member as they die. 
5. Left-Lung Fellowship: Float freely in space with no suit or breather.
6. Electric Eye: Visit a Star outside the Home Cluster.
7. Crossed Axes: Take part in boarding action on another ship.
8. Mark of the Laughing Fool: Make an officer bleed.
9. Black Heart: Get badly injured (Critical Wound) on the job.
10. Maggot Club: Return to the world on which you were born.
11. Court of the Plastic Queen: Make the “big jump” between the Processor and the Titan. 
12. Dusty Band: Set foot on an unoccupied world.
13. Mark of the Violet Chamber: Defend this ship from boarding.
14. Artful Society of Journeyers: Visit all seventeen stars in the Home Cluster. 
15. Bonepile Crew: Catch, kill, and eat an animal living on the ship.
16. Roach Society: Survive the destruction of a vessel.
17. Dead Duck: Endure a Transit of 15 days or more.
18. House Java: Stay the night at Hotel Java on Whiteout in the Dragon System
19. Elder League: Visit a world claiming to be a new Bastion.
20. Clan of Cousins: Spend a whole month on the commons deck only.
21. Golden Star: A picture of the Captain is put on display somewhere only the Hands know. If it remains untouched for a whole month then the Captain has earned this pin.

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