Transhuman Space/Mage: the Ascension Crossover

[Astromancer]

In this setting the US is the major space power. Brazil, Indonesia, India, China, and Japan are seriously in the game. The EU claims to be serious about space, however only France puts serious reasources into space, and Britain and Germany have growing pro-Space lobbies. France still intends to get to Mars first.

There are several Moonbases and both the USA and Japan have Asteriod bases. Brazil plans to start an asteriod base soon.

The Trads keep telling the Lab Rats that they want enough space settlements to make it easy to confuse the issue of were someone came from. Thus restabilise their Horizon Zones. This happens to be true, and a perfect cover for their many other motives.

[Astromancer]

I'm wondering, should an even more realistic level of space developement by part of this crossover. More of a Wild West/fronteer days in space kind of thing. This would prevent characters that sliped in from Horizon Zones from being total standouts.

Also, Mages in Space, were paradox is weak but tricky, is so much fun.

Reactions?

[Astromancer]

The Cainite Vampires are in terror. Except for the newest Neonates this world is way to new for them to grasp. Those nations that embraced the transformations tended to embrace egalitarianism in many forms, and Vampires require heirarchy and conformity. All types of Elders are hiding out and ordering the local scourges (vampire enforcers) to crack down on all non-comformists and caitiffs, i.e. kill them. This is sending Vamps scurrying around.

All this activity horrifies the Desk Jocky types (the supernatural might be exposed!) and delights the Garou (the vamps are exposed!).

The Cathayan vampires see social and cultural changes flooding out of the West and across the world (that Asian nations are also engins of change eludes most Cathayan Vamps). The harmonic balance the Cathayans seek is dependant on resortation of an older type of social order. That dream is effectively dead. The Cathayans should have known their dream was dead decades ago, but they are near the edge of admiting this now. This scares them badly.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Ziusudras are a parahuman type in GURPS Transhuman Space: Changing Times. They have plus one to all stats and doubled lifespan (but they mature at the same rate as normal humans). They're a highly fashionable Homo superior genotype in regular THS.

Call them Munchkins.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Call them Munchkins.

Not officially, but as a rude slang term it is a gem. Exactly the thing that would be said to cut them down when a given Ziusudra parahuman is cutting the fool acting as a snob.

[Astromancer]

The Fera have mixed views of the transformation. The general clean-up of planet Earth and the movement to cleaner forms of energy and eco-friendly agriculture is well liked, except by the Were-Rats who want plague and chaos. Most of the Fera see this new world as a realm were the Weaver is dominant over both the Wyrm and the Wyld. Even with the Weaver's people/dupes showing respect and care for Gaia, this can't be good.

The Beast Courts, being centered in the area of the planet most resistant to the tidal waves of change, are in an ambiguous position. They need the new technology to clean-up their lands, but they fear that the sheer rush of change could throw China into a long civil war with various tribes of Lightning folk fighting to the death to hold power in China.

The specific changes in the cities of the West have thrown the Garou nation into chaos. The Glasswalkers, allied with the Bone Gnawlers and the Fianna are riding high. The Shadow Lords, the Silver Fangs, and the Get of Fenris, aren't united, and know that they can't hold onto power without unity. The Children of Gaia, the Black Furies, and the Silent Striders, are friendly to whichever allience promotes a better and more stable set-up, which is generally the Glasswalkers and their group. The Red Talons and Wendingo both ally with the old leadership, but they have little to offer. The Uktena are thinking of simply joining the Glass Walker Allience.

The massive clean-up of most the the world's cities have crashed the world rat population. The WereRats are moving toward seeking and apocolypse. the WereBears are leading the fight to prevent this.

[Astromancer]

The Changelings will take some thought.


On the whole this a a world of hopeful dreams, most Seelie and Unseelie Fay would be delighted. The Unseelie Sidhe are an exception. House Leanhaun is bitter at the improved world, they need a brutal apocolypse to break their curse. House Balor, House Varich, and House Aesin, all see subjugation of humanity as much farther away. Meanwhile the other Unseelie Houses feel that the world is improved, and delightful. Amoung the Seelie House Gwydion fears this new world. Dreams of Kingship and Chivalry seem totally irrelavent in this setting.

Any further ideas on the Changelings?

[Astromancer]

The Were-Coyotes would be a big problem in this setting. These tricksters see the stars and all beautiful places beyond the Earth as the places they defend. If they see humanity leaving Earth in numbers, they'll kill to keep humanity in what they see as humanity's place. The Were-Coyotes tend to be unwilling and mainly unable to listen to anyone. they also see themselves as teaching wisdom through pranks. They don't really care if anyone survives the prank. They are the most self-rightous of the changing breeds, and that is a competetive field.

The Werewolves (since most people can't tell the difference between a werewolf and a were-coyote) would catch the flack for the violence and murders. A running source of conflict.

[Astromancer]

Feel free the jump in with your ideas and quiries.

[Astromancer]

Re-reading the book Lost Paths, it occured to me that the Ali-Batini are fascists. Or at the very least they are as hostile to any form of democracy as the very worst Technocrats.

Normally presented as good guys, the Batini could be the best villains for the setting. Their endless focus on manipulating everybody, their need to eliminate the free will of others by tricks and illustions, they're preference for corrupt dictatorships they can pull the levers on at will, all make the Ali-Batini seriously bad news.

What does anyone reading this think?