New Reality Seeds

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Wells-7

Balerearic Islands:

Balearic Islands are pretty much an Anglo-American base with a major Irish interest area. The tourist trade is undeveloped as in it doesn't exist. The fishing is good and the various bases bring in income.

Malta: A British naval base and airship hub.

Sicily:Pretty much a wreck. The Mafia rules openly and harshly. The USA is looking to ally with the local Marxists to overthrow the tyrants. The local mob tries to pull strings with the American Mafia to get the American government off their back.

Sardinia: Petty warring mini-states. Basically, like Everytown in the film but with nicer weather.

Corsica: An on going civil war between two factions each seeking the support of the local Mifias (which have no connection to outside mobs and gangs) to break the other side. Outsiders are the only thing that can unify Corsica. Everybody stabs them together.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Wells-7

Southern Italy: These lands groan under two oppressions the Mafia and the Fascists. Each uses violence and conspiracy to enforce obedience. Otherwise this is the same kind of post-apocalyptic setting as the main source matterial. Just warmer and with more roses.

Northern Italy: These lands are also post-apocalyptic but with the kind of multilayered super sneaky politics that were famous in renaissance Italy. Keeping anyone onside is nearly impossible.

Venice: Always it's own animal, Venice is the most functional community in Italy. It has an alliance with the Western Allies and has recently gotten a fusion generator. Far from it's ancient reputation for duplicity (which was based on a tradition of care and caution not treachery) the Venetians are the most stable and trustworthy folks in Italy. Which is why everyone calls them liars.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Wells-7

The Magheb: Morocco is covered above. This refers to the area between Morocco and Egypt.

The long WWII left this area a mess. This area combines the post-apocalyptic with horror and fantasy elements.


The Cabal and their enemies of Midwinter Aton have summonded Djinni into this area. Because the Djinni don't do well in Low Manna worlds, they tend to cluster in the few High Manna areas in the desert wastelands away from the city and the shore. But the Djinni, to survive in this world need to harvest certain insubstantial essences from human beings. The process need not harm humans, but the Djinni aren't always gentle. The spells of summoning that brought the Djinni to Wells-7 restict them to North Africa. The Djinni can't cross the seas, enter the Holy Lands, or go south of the Sahara and live.

Egypt: Although very much trashed by the long WWII and infested with the Djinni, the Cabal, Midwinter Aton, and Centrum, Egypt is a functioning state. It doesn't function well, but it functions.

The government of Egypt is based around a group of twenty families interwoven in a complex set of client/patron relationships. The Mafia is simpler and less dangerous to work with. Everybody in Egyptian society is either a client or a patron and most likely both in several different relationships. Nothing is straightforward or openly stated. Nothing except the demands of the Western Allies that they be allowed to reopen the Suez canal.

The Egyptians would A) love the canal reopened, B) love the West to pay for it, and C) love to reap the profits of other people's hard work and investment. But between the complex powerplays within Egyptian society and the machinations of Centrum, the Cabal, Midwinter Aton, and the Djinni, unless only one faction gets all the benefits it won't be allowed. And no faction would allow any other faction that much benefit.

Egypt is a focus of special interest to the Cabal. Ireland, Tibet, and Egypt, have the highest percentages of high manna land area on this parallel (the norms are 97% Low Manna/3% High Manna for the parallel as a whole). Most places have less than 3% High Manna, Ireland and Tibet are both 5% High Manna, and Egypt is 8% High Manna. The Cabal has reason to believe that the Ancient Egyptians could manipulate and extend areas of High Manna, as well as permanently raise and lower Manna. These are secrets the Cabal wants badly. Midwinter Aton will kill for these secrets too.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Wells-7

Iran: A post-apocalyptic landscape with a four way war going. The Shah's forces (a different Dynasty than the one that ruled before WWII) are fighting to reinstate monarchy. The Marja has declared an Islamic state, and himself the leader. There is a Russian expeditionary force that claims to rule in the name of the Revolution. Meanwhile a group of democratic factions are becoming the strongest group. The area is TL3

Arabia: Pretty much shapeless chaos and bandits. The area is TL3.

Mesopotamia: Other than the big airbase at Basra it's a western extension of Iran or a northern extension of Arabia. But Basra is a major airbase.

Lately a group calling itself "Wings Over the World" seems to be starting a new international political group in Basra.

Basra is TL7^ and has a fusion generator. The rest of the area is TL3. Because Basra is stable and has plenty of food and water, the Cabal and Centrum have strong bases here. Both groups want to control Wings Over the World.

The Levant and Syria: An area of violence and anarchy. Most people are living at TL1 without even villages or agriculture.

[PTTG]

In 1938, scientists discovered an asteroid that they named Crius, having by this point exhausted the more characterized beings of Greek and Roman mythology. Astronomers were immediately concerned that it may approach Earth closely, and after confirming it would indeed pose a threat, they announced its existence and that it may hit, in either 5 or 11 years, depending on its exact position.

Though there was a brief asteroid scare, most people and newspapers forgot about Crius, even as astronomers regularly updated the forecasted chance of collision -- 5%... 10%... 8%... 13%.... The global march to war eventually overtook the asteroid, and by 1940, one would be excused for thinking this was a normal worldline-- though hidden on the second page of newspapers, perhaps next to the weather forecast, a discrete number may read 59%, or 62%. Rarely did it exceed 70%, and few knowlegable astronomers pegged it below 45%.

The only groups that took Crius seriously were academics. Political and military leaders were entirely concerned with the going of the war; moreover, they came to think of the potential impact as simply a large and unpredictable enemy munition. Businessmen and merchants put aside some wealth to hedge their bets, but they too were focused on the war. And most common folk considered it old news, and too "outer spacey" to be real. Scientists, however, largely recognized the scale of the possible impact, and, too, the likelyhood of the danger. A number of scientists were soundly mocked for their increasingly urgent requests that society deal with the asteroid threat, but quietly, academies and universities the world over put aside what they could spare. (And, thanks to wartime grants, there is a little more to go around than otherwise.)

In February 1942, astronomers announced that the asteroid would surely impact Earth in that July. The news made headlines, but was quickly pushed off the front page, including the dire warnings of the size of Crius and the scale of the devastation. Scientists of nearly every field called for an international ceasefire to prepare for the impact -- even within the Axis -- but to no avail.

The asteroid broke apart and struck several locations, producing tsunamis, a long asteroid winter, earthquakes and aftershocks, and with them, famine, plague, and disorder. The populous at large now considers their governments and ideologies to have lead them astray, and looks to the scientific community -- which had the knowledge and preparedness to provide some shelter in the chaos.

As the soot clears, communication is being re-established among universities to find a changed world. The Axis fell to internal strife, as did the Allies, and around the globe, disillusioned people are turning to the idea of a scientific world order.

[Astromancer]

Interesting turn of events. Centrum would love to get its hooks into this world.

[adm]

Originally Posted by PTTG

In 1938, scientists discovered an asteroid that they named Crius, having by this point exhausted the more characterized beings of Greek and Roman mythology. Astronomers were immediately concerned that it may approach Earth closely, and after confirming it would indeed pose a threat, they announced its existence and that it may hit, in either 5 or 11 years, depending on its exact position.

...

In 1938, other than stockpiling supplies, and digging shelters, what could have been done to prepare for this? Even today, a five year window wouldn't really allow for much more of a response, with ten years and some serious effort, we might be able to change it's orbit enough for it to miss us.

[PTTG]

You're right. It was a matter of collecting supplies and digging shelters. Moving away from coastlines.

The point was that it was a devistating blow which disrupted the old orders, making it possible for an unusual (and probably unstable) academic world order.

[adm]

It will certainly do that.

I thought I might be missing something with super heroes, super science or magic.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by PTTG

The asteroid broke apart and struck several locations, producing tsunamis, a long asteroid winter, earthquakes and aftershocks, and with them, famine, plague, and disorder.

What made it break apart? Earth's atmosphere is pretty shallow. A breakup on atmospheric entry is very possible, but the distance between impact points resulting from that would be tens of miles, not world-wide.