Azoth-8

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by dcarson

Without a large reactionary movement the civil rights movement might not have as many laws since they are not needed to change things. So a restaurant or other business might still be able to do "whites only" and just suffer the social problems from a society that that is unacceptable in. So a handful of places that who's customers are socially outsiders.

The NAACP had its eyes on changing specific laws for decades. So with post-war prosperity creating and opening they'd take it.
So much of the Sixties was a culmination of things that had been perking along for years.

[Astromancer]

Although Americans, Brits, and Canadians, tend to think of TV as being something that came in in the 1950's (because of when it became big in those countries) in most of the world it was the 1960's when TV became huge. Even in nations like the USSR, where the first TV broadcasts were regularly made in the 1930's, well ahead of national service in the USA, it was the 1960's when TV became culturally important.

Given the weirdness of early TV and the fact that Azoth-8 is a weird Sci Fi and Alchemy setting, TV starting up in new countries could blend tech weirdness and Alchemical Weirdness. Please remember that no less a TV show than Doctor Who was Alchemical Sci Fi in the 1960's. Remember TV shows like the episode of Monkees with the Warlock that was using a captured alien to project mind control waves over the nation's TV sets.

TV, especially in any country were TV is brand new, is a perfect excuse for weirdness.

[Astromancer]

If James Bond had been born when the books say, he'd be retired from field work in this setting. Picture an older, bitter, James Bond, losing the battle with middle aged spread (three martini lunches will do that to you) and training new spies to do it his way.

Problem, James Bond's way of being a spy might make exciting reading but it would be fatal to most spies. Bond tends to be captured more times in a single novel than most spies are in their entire careers. (This is mainly because, for most spies, being caught even once means death or long imprisonment until exchange). So, Sir James' student must both survive his course of instruction and the results of his teachings in the field.

[Astromancer]

If you ever read Rendevous with Rama or read the Planetary issue with the giant spaceship with the weird ecology slowly eating the dead giant, then you've seen a great space weird encounter. A mysterious spaceship on a scale far beyond human comprehension is the kind of mindblower that fits this setting.

[Astromancer]

Given this world is set in 1970 Fashion Sense is a very useful advantage. I'm going to suggest a few perks.

1: Can Tone it Down: Basically, this character can limit or ignore their Fashion Sense to a fine degree. They can be absolutely cutting edge or just aware. They can also be unfashionable if that's needed or just off the mark. This can aid in disguises and going unnoticed or standing out to get attention.

2 Situational: You have a knack for knowing what's fashionable in a given subgroup. This both lets you infiltrate such groups more easily and gives you limited insights into the group's power dynamics.

3 Starting the Trend: Basically, you can use your Fashion Sense and Charisma( you need both to take this Perk) to start new fashion trends or modify them. This isn't fashion mind control, it's an intuitive understanding of what people might imitate and how to make people comfortable in trying a new trend or style.

[Astromancer]

I forgot to say that these special manipulations of Fashion Sense require Cultural Familiarity or Cultural Adaptability to function. Each requires Perception and then Skills rolls on appropriate skills.

Example: To use Starting the Trend you need a Perception roll to see what's possible and a Charisma or Social Skill to get people to imitate you.

One more perk...

4 Targeted: Basically you can choose who sees you as fashionable. This requires both Perception and Connoisseur(Fashion) rolls. Normally it's about making sure a targeted groups sees you as special/important. Though it can be a means of hiding from the same kinds of groups.

[Astromancer]

Minor point; because India is much more prosperous in this world, Indian culture is more widely known/enjoyed in the West. And with the most popular act on the planet The Beatles having an avid Sitar player in the group. Music teachers that can teach sitar are in demand.

This means that any Homeline, Centrum, or Cabalist agent, that can play and teach sitar has a useful cover story. Which can get them into privet homes to teach impressionable young people. Added plus, Sitar music was rumored to aid hypnosis in period. In this world the rumor is true.

[Astromancer]

When reading the Fortean Times yesterday I ran across an article on Miguel Serrano a man so bigoted it boggles the imagination. However, Serranno, who'd be 53 years old in the setting, and his spiritual guide Savtri Devi (Hitler's Cat Lady) who'd be 65, would be excellent sinister doorways into conspiracy and the Fourth Reich.

The article, among other quips, described Serrano as Runey Toons. Given that Serrano publically stated that Hitler didn't die he merely turned into a Vimana, a circle of pure light. In other words, Hitler was now a UFO, a literal Flying Sorcerer. Serrano and Savtri Devi also founded Esoteric Hitlerism (for when Satanism isn't evil enough). Serrano also promoted the story that Hitler lived, when he wasn't a UFO, in Queen Maud Land only Serrano called it New Swabia. Most of the Antarctic Space Nazis trope is Serrano's invention.

As Azoth-8 is a world were magic, especially Alchemy and Weird Science, works, all of Serrano's and Savtri Devi's twisted fancies might be true! If you ever read the Hellboy stories involving Himmelskrieg you know that light can be as sinister as darkness.

But even without Hitler as an evil deity, the Fourth Reich and Hitler worshipers fit beautifully with Super Spies, and as these are Esoteric Super Spies, Esoteric Nazis are perfect villains.

Read up on Serrano first. For a hyper-bigoted nutcase, he had an active diplomatic career and large numbers of highly respected friends and colleagues. He comes off as a model of the kind of monster who is seen as a charming and worthy fellow by high society. You'll be shocked by who knew Serrano, knew he was an actual Nazi, knew he worshiped Hitler as a god, and still liked and respected the man.

All in all, a great villain and/or Conspirator.

[Astromancer]

Just a further note. Both Miguel Serrano and Savtri Devi are deeply evil people, each of them makes Ernst Stavro Blofeld look like a mischievous choirboy. It may be argued that both of these people are proof of La Rochefoucauld's maxim that "
some bad people would be better if they had no good in them at all." Both Serrano and Savtri Devi were too evil to get anything of importance done. However, in a world like Azoth-8 that might not be as limiting.

[Astromancer]

While reading the Fortean Times (their cover article was on the Paul is Dead myth, personally I loved Batman's take on the whole deal;-)) it occured to me that pop culture conspiracies would make fun problems in this setting. Now some of the intensity of such conspiracy mavens would be reduced in a world with lower Cold War tensions, but pop culture felt like it popped up out of nowhere. There were books in the 1960's that accused the Beatles of being mind control agents for Satanic Communism! (Clearly not only the kids were doing drugs back then.)

With or without any truth to the rumors, conspiracy theories can lead to bloodshed.