New Reality Seeds

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Napoleonic era, when Mary Shelly was around, is certainly a good place to put gothic tales.

Uh, for practical purposes, it basically is the Gothic era, if there is one.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

Uh, for practical purposes, it basically is the Gothic era, if there is one.

I thought Ann Radcliffe, Walpole,William Beckford, and Matthew Lewis all wrote there major works a couple of decades earlier. But this is the time of Mary Shelly, E. T.A. Hoffmann and Lady Caroline Lamb, so you're clearly right.

[Phil Masters]

Okay, I was defining "Napoleonic era" a little broadly. Let it run from the French Revolution to the Congress of Vienna and I can almost get away with the generalisation.

Phase 1 of the Long Nineteenth Century, shall we say. The dark shadow of the Age of Romantic Science...

[Astromancer]

Try this one...

On this Q7 parallel, a Cabalist studying Hellenic Alexandria by visiting various parallels were Alexandria is still ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty. While visiting one of the few Q7 parallels with mana (60% no mana/30% low mana/9% Normal mana/1% high mana) the Cabalist in question was offended by the sheer vulgar rudeness of a Centrum Agent (he had been drugged and wasn't his normal restrained self). While still studying the state of the occult arts during the reign of Ptolemy III the Cabalist did some extracurricular activities.

The Cabalist convinced several Greek and Greco-Egyptian scholars that his cousin had journeyed in far lands and would bring him interesting new crops that would bring benefit to the poor and wealth to the kingdom. The Cabalist was careful to pick his audience from the followers of radical philosophers like Democritus. These men bought or rented land and got slaves to farm it.

This allowed the Cabalist to introduce bananas, maize, yams, sweet potatoes, mulberry bushes, silkworms, ginger and pepper trees, among other crops. He also introduced new strains of wheat and rye as well.

That was fairly early in the history of Centrum's panchronomic explorations, years before Homeline even got panchronomic theory. So it has been decades since the change was introduced.

The local year is 180BCE in Homeline terms. Ptolemy VI still rules, but Egypt is richer and more powerful. Silk production is making a major impact on the Mediterranian world. Maize and summer wheat have led to a population boom. Chile peppers have spread from Spain to China. New wealth and greater populations have heated up this world. Will the pot boil over?

Centrum is bitter about the whole thing, This world was an Echo and now it has shifted to Q6! Interworld is furious!

Meanwhile, Homeline has discovered the world they call Ptolemy-9. They have no idea about the Cabal/Centrum spat. Centrum agents will assume that Homeline people are allied with the Cabal, or soon will be. Cabalists will assume Homeline people are can be used as Catspaws fairly easily.

[AlexanderHowl]

On the Q6 parallel of Demon-9, the nations of the Earth are ruled by leaders who have gotten their positions through selling their immortal souls piecemeal to the Demon Lords. While the timeline appears to be equivalent to 1990s Homeline, Infinity and Centrum have discovered evidence of a bewildering array of supernatural entities that fight over mortal politics, though the Demon Lords are dominant. There is also evidence of a skerry of dozens of associated 'dimensions' which the supernatural entities can access but Infinity and Centrum cannot. The Cabal has had particular difficulty here because the magic is based on other principles than mana, and the entire timeline is effectively no mana despite having powerful supernatural creatures.

[Astromancer]

On Kaiser-12, the Kaiser designation covering divergences centering on the German Empire, the Schlieffen plan was actually followed and WORKED!! France was knocked out of the war early and Russia took the main force of the German armies.

However, the German Navy was even more quickly and thoroughly trounced than in Homeline's history. The Kaiser was stunned to find that he'd forced Britain into declaring war. (Historically the Kaiser never got that he'd actually forced the fight). German attempts to force British surrender have alienated both America and Japan. Russia is proving more easily beaten than occupied, and the Tsar keeps fleeing further East and refusing to surrender.

Centrum wants to sustain a long war to militarise and centralize the British Empire. Both the Cabal and Homeline want the war to end without major amounts of death or conquest. Their reasons for this are different and the Cabal doesn't want Homeline discovering why they want peace quickly. They don't want competition.

This is a Q6 low mana world. The Parallel is TL7, but it is about 15 years ahead of where Homeline was at the same time in its history. The local year is 1917.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

This is a Q6 low mana world. The Parallel is TL7, but it is about 15 years ahead of where Homeline was at the same time in its history. The local year is 1917.

WWI fought with early 1930s technology is an interesting divergence in and of itself. Assuming that tanks were still developed (during the Second Boer war, maybe?), that means no lines of trenches that last for years - sure, there'd be temporary trenches, but they'd just be deep foxholes. The war would still be one of manoeuver, with relatively few static positions. Likewise, the air war would be more extensive, with the possibility of bombing campaigns similar to WWII (though the bombers would be a bit smaller).

That's without getting into the mana level, of course. How well-known is magic, locally?

[Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2]

Demon-8 (Q6)

This particular parallel, like the other Demon lines, has it's history defined by demonic onfluencs. In the case of Demon-8, it was an outright annexation.

In September of 1692, the Witch Hunts of Slaem, Crown Colony of Massachusetts, were reaching a peak of frenzy. On September 22, 1692, thirteen "witches" (a different number than the same event on Homeline) were executed.

At the moment of their deaths, a thundering voice proclaimed that in tribute of the innocent souls murdered for greed and bloodlust in blasphemous false righteousness, that Salem and all who lived within were eternally under the jurisdiction of Hell. The skies went dark in a thirteen-miles radius around Salem and never cleared. From inside, the sun looked to be under perpertual eclipse. This would be referred to in later histories as the Salem Damnation.

The territories of Slaem are also called the Land of Eternal Darkness. Any human or animal born within are unable to leave the territory, while persons and beast born outside can pass at will. No individual of True Faith can enter the territory (which is very frustrating and embarrassing to would-be crusaders). The barrier only affects living creatures; people can walk right up to the border and speak to those inside, and messages and goods can be passed.

Within, new plants are cultivated that prosper in the strange light, magical beasts haunt the woods, and demons openly walk the streets. It would be considered a Very High Mana zone with a demonic aspect.

The easy method of telling the difference between actual Faithful and false prophets (take then to the edge of the Salem territory and throw them in) has made most people in New England cynical about religious spokesmen. Slowly, worldwide, the idea that accusing innocents in trials might have supernatural consequences has produced radical reforms in European court practice.

Attempts to make Salem pay taxes to the Crown has been ... it could be called laughable. For all practical intents and purposes, the Salem Damnation has made the Land of Eternal Darkness an independent nation.

In the 1710's human/demon hybrids began leaving the territory, often in black-sailed brigantines out of Salem Harbor. They would travel the world, trading alchemical formulae (magic potions) and strange gold for goods. While many religious types proclaimed crusades and such, the more pragmatic leaders saw profit to be made.

The current year is 1774, with black-sailed ships and scarlet-skinned horned and tailed demonspawn a not-unknown sight in the harbors of the world. Trade in alchemy and magical animal parts has made the Salemites rich. There's also a thriving industry in Massachusetts catering to would-be demon-hunters.

But the increasing tensions with the Mother Country have caused questions to pop up - in case of cutting ties with the British Crown, will Salem side with the Colonies or the Crown? And what does that mean for the side they pick?

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2

Any human or animal born within are unable to leave the territory, while persons and beast born outside can pass at will.

Originally Posted by Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2

In the 1710's human/demon hybrids began leaving the territory, often in black-sailed brigantines out of Salem Harbor.

If they can't leave, how can they leave?

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

WWI fought with early 1930s technology is an interesting divergence in and of itself. Assuming that tanks were still developed (during the Second Boer war, maybe?), that means no lines of trenches that last for years - sure, there'd be temporary trenches, but they'd just be deep foxholes. The war would still be one of manoeuver, with relatively few static positions. Likewise, the air war would be more extensive, with the possibility of bombing campaigns similar to WWII (though the bombers would be a bit smaller).

That's without getting into the mana level, of course. How well-known is magic, locally?

Typical Cabal world. Secret magic and being a known occultist is being a known joke.