01-15-2011, 11:53 AM | #1 |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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[Infinite Worlds] Thalassia-1
Greetings, all!
Just a random IW custom world I came up with. You are free and welcome to do whatever you want with it. Code:
Current Affairs: various world civilizations are expanding and colonizing the most lucrative shelves and plateaus. Divergence point: Some time roughly around the split of Pangæa. That is, if you ignore the laws of physics allowing superscience technologies and catastrophic cosmic radiation. Major Civilizations/Great Powers: Australia (democratic federation, CR2-4), Madagascaria (representative democracy; ; CR2), Helena (corporate state/meritocracy, CR4), Lemuria (libertarian confederation; always read the fine print; also, the most likely sanctuary for many pirate groups; CR1), Antarctica (technocracy/meritocracy; noted for being most advanced in terms of equal opportunities and human rights; CR4). Worldline Data TL: 5+2^, but some technologies are more mature than their TL indicates. Mana Level: low to none. Quantum: (pick one) Infinity Class: (pick one) Centrum Zone: (pick one) The world is currently has a roughly 95% hydrographic coverage, but even before, its geography differed from Homeline drastically. Africa, North America, and a large part of eastern Eurasia are absent from the map. The Antarctic continent is somewhat larger, with a peninsula reaching into temperate climates. Australia, South America and Eurasia are splintered, as if their coasts are jagged with hundreds of gargantuan fjords. The areas of Madagascar and what Homeliners know as the Near East are oceanic spaces filled by myriads of islands of various sizes. The Pacific Ocean contains Lemuria, a continent roughly equivalent to our sunken Zealandia. As of now, with the global warming, sea level raised enough to flood most of those continents - but that's a good thing (see below). Brief history: Long story short, the various civilizations went their ways, with some occasional conflict between them. Around TL4-TL5, it is discovered (primarily by pearl-divers) that there are unique mineral and ores deep under the sea level. Further research found that said minerals could be used to greatly improve materials technology, power generation, and some other bits. This pushes most civilizations to focus on underwater mining and research. Most states start sponsoring construction of large, permanent underwater bases dedicated to these economic and scientific pursuits. However, roughly by the time TL5 becomes mature, there is a fast increase in climate warmth. By the assessment of local scientists, this is largely caused by the increased solar activity. With the warming climate, ice caps begin to melt, increasing the ocean level and flooding the smaller/lower islands. Antarctican and Madagascaran islands are the first to suffer from the cataclysm, soon followed by Hellenia and then everybody else. But then It Got Worse: by late TL6 (TL5+1 actually), surface dwellers started reporting gradual global decrease in health, appearance of mutations and reduced birth rates; meanwhile, underwater mine-cities and academic towns were flourishing. This lead to a steady supply of 'volunteers' willing to both invest in further improving the submarine infrastructure, and in actually living underwater on a permanent basis. Roughly in early TL7, all communication with the surface was rather abruptly terminated. Attempts to send people 'up there' ended in in casualties. While the locals are not familiar with the Homeline term for it, and have slightly different laws of physics in this area, it helps to think of the phenomenon as a large radioactive-like bombardment that makes living less than a couple dozen yards below the sea level (or ground . . .) impossible. Technological development: The civilizations are roughly equal in technology, with slight inclines into this or that sphere of tech, and are roughly TL5+2^ or TL7^, with the following notable differences:
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01-15-2011, 12:56 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Kentucky, USA
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] Thalassia-1
Sounds like an interesting setting. I'm thinking it might get classified as a hell parallel, simply due to the surface being wiped out (and probably any scouts, too.) I doubt either Centrum or Infinity would find these civilizations unless they made the first move, or someone like the Cabal showed them for Mysterious Reasons™.
I'm curious, where do the underwater cities get their air? With all surface life and huge amounts of ocean like (like photosynthesizing algae, fish near the surface, all whales and dolphins) wiped out by the bombardment, it seems like a lot of the lower TL resources have been wiped out. Huge underground forest-caves?
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01-15-2011, 02:33 PM | #3 | ||
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: [Infinite Worlds] Thalassia-1
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