07-24-2019, 10:59 AM | #41 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: Azoth-8
One thing to bring up from Spain in this setting. Swordsmen in the 16th and 17th centuries looked to a Hermetic Mathematical system to improve their sword skills. It was meant to be a Western equivalent of the Chinese idea of internal Alchemy (though practitioners of the two systems never heard of each other). In a world were Alchemy works and is known to work, an Alchemical swordsman would be a deadly martial artist.
In game terms the Alchemical swordsmen would be using psi abilities like Precognitive Parry and Combat ESP in a fight. Thus the swordsman could parry bullets. Since Luck can be psionic in this game the chance of an Alchemical Swordsman finding the flaws in a bulletproof vest are scary good.
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Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo Last edited by Astromancer; 07-24-2019 at 07:35 PM. |
07-25-2019, 02:53 AM | #42 | |
Join Date: Jan 2014
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Re: Azoth-8
Quote:
Imagine the colors. |
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07-25-2019, 06:45 AM | #43 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: Azoth-8
The Alcubierre warp is supposed to make the universe look like a stary rainbow while it is in operation. That seems psychedelic to me.
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07-29-2019, 11:31 AM | #44 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: Azoth-8
Because Alchemy is known to work in this world and telepathy is a proven fact all kinds of oddball occult beliefs are seen as plausible even respectable. Some of these are plainly goofy. Any of these are a good cover for the Cabal or for that matter Centrum or Homeline.
One trend that both offends the locals and worries Homeline (and the Cabal truth to tell) is Esoteric Nazism. Given that the point of Esoteric Nazism is to "purify" humanity by Occult means, and that Nazis tend to have nasty ideas about how to "purify" society, Homeline, the Cabal, and the local authorities all fear/despise Esoteric Nazism. Centrum on the other hand sees all Nazis as easily manipulated and disposable scum they can use to distract opponents. They tend to give Nazis unwise amounts of aid because they have such total contempt for them. On a world were black magic can work, underestimating an obsessed and fanatical occultist is not wise. Centrum doesn't see that. Worse, Julius Evola is alive and well on this world. And he seems to be a fairly competent and functional occultist. He might even be in contact with Midwinter Aton the most deeply loathed and hated Cabal renegades in the known multiverse.
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07-30-2019, 04:03 PM | #45 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: Azoth-8
This period saw a surge in interest in anthropology in high culture ( or rather a continuation of such interest from the fifties) and a surge in popular culture interest in Voodoo and the magical practices of South Sea Islanders. The mysterious death of Michael Rockerfeller among others things lending glamour to the subject. Remember that Mick Jagger claimed to practice Voodoo as a religion (he has since said it was the drugs talking but that statement was years later).
Thus is you have GURPS Voodoo you could fit it into this setting. Either as the delusion of a cultist or a real source of power and plot complications.
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08-02-2019, 01:57 PM | #46 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: Azoth-8
In Homeline's 1960's and 70's the British art scene was very interested in Astrology and alchemy. There were songs and albums, even some by major groups that were supposed to be influenced by Alchemy and to have and alchemical effect on those listening to the album. Some experimental films, including a Kenneth Anger film with a score by Mick Jagger were also supposed to have and alchemical effect on the viewers. The same occult circles that both Kenneth Anger and Jack Parsons traveled in had multiple ties to England. Both the Stones and the The Doors in Homeline history preformed occult rituals seriously (although the surviving band members put that down to serious drug consumption).
On Azoth-8, were alchemy works, multiple major bands and filmmakers could create art works meant to "Awaken" the viewer/listener. Some of these might work. Of course, given a certain touch of hit or miss in psychedelic alchemy, the results of a successful alchemical rock album could be strange and scary. Remember that the original idea behind Doctor Who's cybermen was the idea of a group of people going on a journey of enlightenment and coming back...changed. To be truly Enlightened would make someone a sort of superbeing, and probably an alien one. How would alien superbeings see the earth and its peoples? Incense and peppermints anyone?
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Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo Last edited by Astromancer; 08-02-2019 at 07:16 PM. |
08-03-2019, 01:47 PM | #47 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: Azoth-8
The Asteroid belt is a distinctive area in this setting. Most of the population is divided into mining camps and small bases that support and supply the mining camps. In many ways the mood and atmosphere is very much like 1950's Alaska or Northern Canada except of course no hunting or Inuits (although some Inuits might seek a living in the asteroid belt).
The mood of this area is a very working class late 1960's vibe. The Jukebox would be playing Roger Miller, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, and Tammy Wynette. Beer and whiskey are the drugs of choice. Truckers and prospectors in outer Spaaaace!
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Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo Last edited by Astromancer; 07-12-2021 at 02:35 PM. |
08-04-2019, 02:42 AM | #48 |
Join Date: Jan 2014
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Re: Azoth-8
What is smoking like in this timeline?
Would someone from Earths later in the future find smoking everywhere? And what is military tech, ground warfare especially, like in this setting? Would something like drones not really be a thing here? Last edited by warellis; 08-04-2019 at 02:52 AM. |
08-04-2019, 05:18 AM | #49 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: Azoth-8
Anti-smoking campaigns are just beginning to be a thing. Ashtrays and cigarette machines, totally unattended, are everywhere. Packs of Raleigh's still have coupons that you trade in like Greenstamps.
As for military hardware it's a more prosperous 1970 with fewer wars and more R&D money. In some ways the military gear is a decade ahead of our world's gear in 1970. In others, the lack of practical experience makes much of it less practical than it should be. You'll have to figure how that pans out in your world. Drones don't really start to show up until the 1980's. And its a while before they become really practical.
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08-05-2019, 12:12 PM | #50 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: Azoth-8
Mars could be a genre mix in this world. Yes, like the asteroids, much of Mars would have a Working Class vibe. The towns would feel more like those American and Canadian cities that were frontier towns into the 20th century. Think of the small towns of Alaska or the Yukon territory. Isolated bases could easily have the feel of the bases in The Thing from Another World or for that matter The Thing. By that I mean the feel of the bases before all hell breaks loose.
Do remember their are rumors of ancient ruins and cover-ups of the same. It could be wishful thinking like the Bimini Road. Which could set up a new agey tourist trap setting. Or it could be real. Clark Ashton Smith and C. L. Moore did spooky Lovecraftian things with ruins on Mars. Of course crossing the steams and having Eldrich Horrors behind the facade of a tourist trap works too. Just ask the Pines Twins.
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