The chief tenet of the Astrnomischen-Rechen Institut is the pursuit of interstellar exploration for the betterment of humanity. A rich and coveted pocket of stars lies a mere 350 light-years away. The time has come to unlock its secrets.

Resting comfortably in the constellation of Tauras in Earth's familiar night sky, the Pleiades have long been an object of awe, worship, and inspiration for different human cultures. To ancient civilizations which placed tremendous importance on the heavily bodies, the unique character of the Pleiades was as compelling as it was puzzling.

To the modern men of the 24th century, however, the Pleiades are very nearly as great prize - a storehouse of young stars just waiting to be tapped for information. The Astrnomischen-Rechen Institut, a foundation pledged to extend the boundaries of human explration and human knowledge, recognizes this potential and has for years been in preparation for the long voyage to this fabled cache of stars.

The vehicle for that mission has been carefully designed and purposefully crewed for the tenuous journey across uncharted stars. The ship is called Bayern.

After Bayern's aborted launch attempt in 2297, the Astrnomischen-Rechen Institut completed repair and redesign on its vital stutterwarp drive system, and the ship was then ready to set off again for the haunting star group. Now as the 24th century dawns on the human race, Commander Leopold Schmidt and his international crew of 110 brave explorers make ready to bid farewell to their friends and families for a journey that will last almost half a decade.

The module Bayern contains all of the background data needed to run an ongoing campaign of adventures based around the monumental voyage of this great craft. The important crewmembers are all detailed, as are the ship's systems, including the computers and the extra vehicular craft used on the Bayern during the mission.

Also included in Bayern are two complete adventure scenarios, Death Throes and The Daughters of Atlas. Each scenario is designed to begin or supplement a continuing campaign covering the unique encounters and adventures that can be found along the long flight of the Bayern.