Re: New Reality Seeds
 

Try this one...

Have the Khedive of Egpt in the 1740s (a completely different one than in Homeline History) have a hyper-curious younger brother (whom he deeply loves) who he sends to Europe to spy around. The younger brother gets what is going on in Europe and why the Islamic world needs to catch up. Between them the brothers begin a reform of Egyptian society much like the one Muhammad Ali tried to achieve sixty some years later in Homeline history. Still, the extra decades make a serious difference. The Khedive's son achieves the overthrow of the Sublime Porte and legitimates reform with millitary victory.

The local year on this Q6 low manna parallel is 1844 (the year the Printing Press was made legal in the Ottoman Empire in Homeline History) The Egyptians have built a cannal from the southeastern branches of the Nile in the Delta and they are using the proceeds to build a better and larger canal. Unlike the Suez Cannal in Homeline history, these canals are owned free and clear by the Egyptians.

All the European powers want to control Egypt and the Near East, but this Khedivate of Egypt has a modern army and a functional state. More importantly, the Egyptians are skilled at playing one group of Europeans off another.

Basically, take the complex shadow wars of the Great Game add several new players and transfer all the spy games and diplomatic skullduggery from Afganistan to Egypt and give the whole thing Steampunk trims.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

Try this one...

In this seemingly ordinary Q6 low manna world, which seems almost like an Echo of Homeline, is in fact a world of illuminated conspiracy. However, on the day of the First Moonlanding, someone pulled a fast one. Almost all humans are either natural Mages, powerful psis, or both. But alchemical drugs in the water and air prevent the vast majority of humanity from being able to either be aware of their powers or learn to use them. Someone placed talismans that disrupted these blocks in a 125 miles radius in the cities of New York, San Francisco, Las Angeles, Chicago, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, Rome, Milan, Copenhage, Marrakesh, Cairo, Madras, Mumbai, Tokyo, and, in a sign of true comtempt, Vienna.

Millions of people are now able to use their powers and are thus immune to the drugs and some are able to teach others to turn their powers on in spite of the alchemical drugs. The people are rapidly embracing their new awareness and powers, the conspiracies are enraged and terrified. They will try to do terrible things to secure their power.

Basically, doomsday seems to be going down with some real risks that the threat could go beyond this parallel as worldwalkers from this world in several worlds known to both Homeline and the Cabal. Homeline is seriously concered about the secret, but they also want to prevent cabals of privilaged sorcerers from butchering millions in order to secure their power and privilage.

Centrum smells a final war brewing, they are ready to team up with both Secundus (Homeline) and the Cabal to stop it. They might be evil, but they have standards.

The Cabal thinks some of their allies might have caused this mess. That said, they dispise the local illuminati and will joyfully team up with their competitors against them. They can smell blood.

Don't forget, the local Illuminati are viscious, powerful, and tricky.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

Try this one...

The British Left wanted Unilatereal Disarmament from very early on, there was a basic distrust of America on the British Left (odd because the pre-WWI British Left was normally pro-American), plus they saw Britain ending up as basically the foreward air-strip that would take the brunt of a nuclear war. Fantasies that if the USA and Russia had a nuclear war Britain could escape unscathed continued into the 1980s. Look at V for Vendetta where Britain, unlike America, Europe, and Russia, is untouched by nuclear war (the film changes this). In this world the fantasies of the British hard Left are comming true.

The local year is 1957 one year after the Suez Crisis and Britain is formally leaving NATO. All American millitary bases and most American institutions are being requiered to leave the UK. Britain is getting rid of all its weapons of Mass Destruction and downsizing its millitary.

Basically, it's a classic spy game, heck it's even the perfect time and setting to bring in James Bond and George Smiley to work with the PCs. The Briish actions are wildly upsetting the European Continent. People in later middle age would have lived through both the world wars and are still active adults. You could have the PCs meet active millitary men who had been in WWI, WWII, and the Korean war.

Homeline and Centrum would both want to prevent WWIII, the Cabal would want the Occult Revival of the 1960s to come in on schedule, so whether you fight or work with your foes is up in the air.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

You're also got the situation of East of Suez. The British had a much stronger presence, even without the Empire, east of the Suez Canal in the Middle East and Asia. up until the late 1960s in OTL. ITTL, with the withdrawal of the British back home, you have a power vaccum growing.

I suspect that if they're going the Unilateral Disarmament route that there would be powers rushing to fill that void- the Americans and Soviet Union no doubt, but also you could have some third powers try to fill the void. France and India comes to mind.

There is also the reaction of factions within the United Kingdom itself. In OTL, there were rumors of a possible coup in the late 1960s of various powers within the UK upset over the withdrawal from east of Suez and domestic policy of the Wilson government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold...#The_1968_plot

There could many unexpected players and events in this timeline.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

This would be happening at the same time as the demise of the French Fourth Republic. Western Europe would be in disarray - and also colonial Africa & Caribbean.

DeGaulle's success in France could inspire conservative elements in Britain to rally around a similar WWII era savior, such as Lord Mountbatten (who coup plotters tried to entice in 1968).

Or the pied-noire attempted French coup could be successful on this timeline, maybe inspired to fight against the leftism across the Channel.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

1968, and his fame and profile weren't really comparable to de Gaulle.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

That's the beauty of the setting, alien and familiar at the same time. Perfect Infinite Worlds fodder.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

There was an Avengers episode with Mrs. Keal called the "Mauritius Penny" were Europe's fascists tried to team up to fight democracy. Stead and Keal with as hard on them as Stead and Peal were going to be.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

Here's a link to the Mauritius Penny which involves fascists and codes.

I picked the year of the break when Britain leaves NATO as maximizing both similarity and disruption. So I'm going to reference the ages of various fictional spies at this time.

James Bond probably born in 1920. He'd be 37. Note Flemming's sketch of Bond to see what Bond was supposed to look like.

George Similey would logically be about fifty, but Le Carre did change his age several times, so he could be younger if it suits you.

John Steed is thirty-five years old.

Emma Peel is probably 19 years old and running her dead father's corperation.

Cathy Gale is likely about thirty-two.

Matt Helm is 34 years old. Remember, his job is to hunt and kill dangerous foriegn agents.

Modesty Blaise was born sometime between 1928 and 1930, so she's between 29 and 31. Remember, she remembers nothing before 1945.

Napoleon Solo is likely 25 years old. Remember he's Bond's cousin and far less willing to kill than most on this list.

Illya Kuryakin would be about 24 and probably in the Russian Army. Remember, in this setting he's the foe. A decent man on the other side.

April Dancer would be about 15. She'd be an interesting encounter.

Alexander Waverly is likely younger than the actor who played him. If you assume that Mr. Waverly is as old as Leo G. Carroll then he's 71. I'd make him 60 or so.

Finally, Derek Flint is about 29.

Remember that both Helm and Flint are both parodies of James Bond just like Austin Powers, although with the action/laughs balance tited towards action.

Re: New Reality Seeds
 

The movie Helm is a bad parody. The book Helm is a more realistic version of a a spy with license to kill.