ORICHALCUM UNIVERSE: Intro and brief summary...

[Johnny1A.2]

In response to the following suggestion:

Originally Posted by Greg 1

Have you considered writing up an intro to the setting?

It is hard to get a general sense of things.

I have decided that it might not be a bad idea for newcomers or other interested parties if I did just that. So, without further ado...

ORICHALCUM UNIVERSE: Introduction and Brief Summary

The Orichalcum Universe is a gaming and story setting, a complicated and complex cosmic background for various settings. The 'present day' of modern Earth, in 2017, is basically similar in appearance to that of what we laughingly call the real world, but there are many things going on under the surface that are not publically known, and the past and future contain things not widely recognized. Some myths have a foundation in fact, some modern conspiracy theories contains their various germs of truth, (while remaining mostly nonsense).

Psionic powers do exist, and are in fact potent and useful for those who know how to use them and access them. There are other powers that can be tapped as well, some seemingly 'magical', though not truly supernatural, and some magical legends have their origins in these.

In the deep backstory, there is a 'race' called the Eldren. The term race is a misnomer, because they are actually cosmic beings, sapient natural phenomena that arise by the operation of natural processes. The oldest of them are called Primordials, and are vastly more powerful than the younger members of their ilk, but all the Eldren transcend human power.

Over the course of the last few hundred million years, a subfaction of these Eldren terraformed millions of worlds across the Milky Way Galaxy, and beyond, and spread Earth-type life across those worlds. Seventy thousand years ago, when human life (and evolutionary cousins) arose on Earth, this same group of Eldren spread them across the terraformed worlds as well, meaning that the galaxy has a myriad of worlds inhabited by humans, or near-human races. This lays the foundation for Star Trek style gaming and storytelling, complete with interfertile aliens.

Tens of thousands of years ago, far across the galaxy, one of those near-human worlds achieved star flight, and founded an interstellar 'empire', this can be used for SF role playing and stories that don't directly involve Earth. When it fell, it left many legacies, both good and bad, some of which eventually do affect Earth.

There is an ancient alien artificial entity out there, programmed the exterminate all Earth-derived life wherever situate. It had a lot to do with the near-extinction of the dinosaurs on Earth, and it's still dangerous.

For complicated reasons, there is a very small group of 'immortal' beings on Earth, possessed of immense psionic powers and borderline superhuman physical gifts, called Avatars. They have played a significant hidden role in human history, but they don't secretly rule the world. They can serve as hidden Patrons, dangerous Enemies, plot devices, employers, or what have you. They do not always get along with each other, but they all prefer to remain hidden, the more so as time passes, in large part because there are billions of mortal humans and only about 100 of them.

(The preference for secrecy might change in the future.)

Several thousand years ago, there was a large strange island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, upon which rose Earth's first advanced human culture. (What might have existed before that remains unrevealed.) For reasons too complicated to go into in a summary, this society was broadly psionic, and spread all over the world before a chain of wars, bad decisions, and unlucky circumstances led to a world-wide apocalyptic catastrophe that destroyed the society, the island, and left artifacts and knowledge of power scattered here and there around the world. Humanity was thrown back to late Stone Age/early Bronze Age levels, and rebuilt eventually into our world. This is the source of the Atlantis (and many other lost drowned civilization) legends.

This period above can be used for 'fantastical' adventures set in a past with low tech (until toward the end), advanced psionics, monsters, epic nautical adventures, etc.

Some of those 'remnants' remain powerful and dangerous, and can be a source of plot hooks, McGuffins, and dangers for stories and role playing in later eras, suitable for GURPS Rome, for ex, or GURPS Cliffhangers (or pirate in the 17C, or Middle Ages, or ancient China, etc.). Almost given setting for a historical period between 4750 BC (the fall of Atlantis) and today could potentially be a setting in the Orichalcum Universe, if it doesn't contravene the basic rules.

Western Civilization will experience 3 great world wars, of which the first two are World Wars I and II. The third remains in the future. Beyond that war lies a future setting where Earth develops interstellar space flight and FTL travel, and our descendants begin to discover what the Eldren have done out there among the stars. Future historians will refer to the period from World War I to World War II as 'the first interbellum', and the period from WWII to WWIII as the 'second interbellum'. Thus the modern world of 2017 is part of the 'second interbellum'.

By 2100, most of the Earth is ruled by an imperial government, complete with an Empress, in the year 2100. But they don't rule the entire planet, the three largest powers that remain independent are the USA, Australia, and Argentina, often called the 3A Alliance, because they are just that, allied with each other in an effort to retain independence while the Empire seeks to control the entire planet (and the Solar System as a whole). Other independent powers include an Islamic 'empire/theocracy/republic' in the Middle East, which continues to hold Mecca and is rather determined about it, and a now-republican-in-theory China, as well as a scattering of others.

The Empire controls all of Europe except for Switzerland, England, and Scotland, and Vatican State, and a few enclaves like Gibraltar (which is still English-ruled), all of Asia except for China and a handful of tiny enclaves, all of Africa (against except for enclaves, including what is today Liberia), and large swaths of South and North America. The Empire is not an absolute autocracy, though, it's very complicated.

There are cities on the Moon, outposts elsewhere in the Solar System, star flight is permitting the foundation of small colonies elsewhere, and small city-bases dot the floor of the Atlantic. This is the 'classic SFnal' era of the Orichalcum Universe. Beyond it, centuries later, lies another era that I've barely touched upon, for further-future SFnal doings.

It's called the 'Orichalcum' Universe because of the existence and critical importance of 'orichalcum', the strange unknown treasure metal Plato spoke of, which was indeed found in Atlantis. It's an entirely different kind of matter, not part of the Periodic Table, though superficially similar to copper. It has endless psionic and industrial applications at high tech levels, and the reason why there so much activity on the Atlantic ocean floor in 2100 is that it's still possible to mine tiny amounts of orichalcum along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The stuff goes for 90 million dollars a gram in 2100, which is enough to drive a substantial amount of military activity and skullduggery on the sea floor in 2100. Imperial, American, and Scottish submarines stalk each other up and down the Ridge.

Just about anything can be set in the OU, and fit. You can do classic noir private detectives in the 1940s in the OU, and it works there as well as anywhere, though there's always the chance the detective might stumble across something in the shadows that'll be...interesting. American intelligence agents worked against German and Italian agents in the 1930s, seeking remnants of Atlantis and darker things. The Cold War in the 1960s was about more than met the eye, too.

Along with murderous pirates, the 17th Century Caribbean also had monsters.

Some threads of continuity run through all the settings. Events in 2100 are influenced by stuff that happened in 1930...and 4750 BC. There's a little restaurant in Saint Louis, Missouri that's been there since the 1890s, and is still there in 2100. BTW, in 2100, Saint Louis is the capitol of the United States.

For more details, see the list of threads here: http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.p...74&postcount=1

[Greg 1]

Nice intro! I get a much better sense of your cool setting.

You mention a lot of different sorts of games that could be played in it.

Are there sorts of games that you particularly have in mind for players in this setting?

[martinl]

What happened to the Helians?

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by martinl

What happened to the Helians?

It's a brief summary...they're still there.

[D10]

Is Brazil an imperial enclave ?

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by D10

Is Brazil an imperial enclave ?

Yes. In 2100, the Empire rules, directly or indirectly, all of South America except for Argentina and a handful of bits and pieces. In fact, Brazil is an Imperial Dominion, mostly self-governing internally, but subject to the Empress in its external affairs. Brazil is quite wealthy in 2100, but still has problems with the old internal divisions that have haunted in since the 19C.

[warellis]

Originally Posted by Johnny1A.2

Yes. In 2100, the Empire rules, directly or indirectly, all of South America except for Argentina and a handful of bits and pieces. In fact, Brazil is an Imperial Dominion, mostly self-governing internally, but subject to the Empress in its external affairs. Brazil is quite wealthy in 2100, but still has problems with the old internal divisions that have haunted in since the 19C.

Where did the Empire start? What country or land did it first start in?

[Jasonft]

Well, I suppose this is a good place to ask lingering questions. If the question is covered somewhere in one of your threads could you point me to it? (link?)

I remember an odd little thing from your thread on what happened when Atlantis died so spectacularly. The shockwave was noticed by a hidden space station of some sort that sent a message somewhere that, from what you said at the time, seemed well outside the galaxy. For some reason that stuck in my mind and I could never find the explanation - Was it ever explained?

The layers and layers and layers this universe has continually astonish me. It all makes sense from the outside which is even more impressive. Well done. Keep up the good work.

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by warellis

Where did the Empire start? What country or land did it first start in?

That is way too complicated a question for any simple answer. No one country started it, it was a cross-border affair from the start, though it's geographical origins are mostly in Europe. In some ways, it could be said to have started from a business corporation, in another way it could be called a transnational ideological entity, it's very polyglot.

An admiring future American intellectual will one day refer to it as: 'the embodiment of the historical hope for peace and unity, taking a manifest form.'

One future American Senator will describe it (in private) as: 'the illegitimate offspring of a drunken incestuous one night stand between the Holy Roman Empire and the old EU, and midwifed by Rube Goldberg'.

The Senator will be drunk when he says it, though...

Originally Posted by Jasonft

Well, I suppose this is a good place to ask lingering questions. If the question is covered somewhere in one of your threads could you point me to it? (link?)

I remember an odd little thing from your thread on what happened when Atlantis died so spectacularly. The shockwave was noticed by a hidden space station of some sort that sent a message somewhere that, from what you said at the time, seemed well outside the galaxy. For some reason that stuck in my mind and I could never find the explanation - Was it ever explained?

Not yet. But it may be in the very near future.

[D10]

Originally Posted by Jasonft

Well, I suppose this is a good place to ask lingering questions. If the question is covered somewhere in one of your threads could you point me to it? (link?)

I remember an odd little thing from your thread on what happened when Atlantis died so spectacularly. The shockwave was noticed by a hidden space station of some sort that sent a message somewhere that, from what you said at the time, seemed well outside the galaxy. For some reason that stuck in my mind and I could never find the explanation - Was it ever explained?

The layers and layers and layers this universe has continually astonish me. It all makes sense from the outside which is even more impressive. Well done. Keep up the good work.

I suffer from a similar issue
In the thread about Atlantis, it is said that the three Avatar's that founded atlantis were running away from something, and this something is never explained ...

Originally Posted by Johnny1A.2

Yes. In 2100, the Empire rules, directly or indirectly, all of South America except for Argentina and a handful of bits and pieces. In fact, Brazil is an Imperial Dominion, mostly self-governing internally, but subject to the Empress in its external affairs. Brazil is quite wealthy in 2100, but still has problems with the old internal divisions that have haunted in since the 19C.

Hehe, makes sense, we love ourselves a giga-state. If you said Russia was at the head of the empire I was gonna see it as the UED hehe