The Campaign Builder's Guild

WE MUST PROTECT THE TURTLE AT ALL COSTS!!!

Loved the subtle cbg references (lime/turtle). This is sounding very awesome and it's cool that you got your players in on it.

Quote from: NomadicWE MUST PROTECT THE TURTLE AT ALL COSTS!!!

Loved the subtle cbg references (lime/turtle). This is sounding very awesome and it's cool that you got your players in on it.

Hahaha, yes! I figured most would catch the Turtle reference, glad you also caught the Lime :)

I somehow missed this the first time around.

I'll also chime in on liking the maps. They're nice to look at, bright and bold, and perhaps a bit spartan, but not in a way that detracts-- more in a way that reflects the character of the setting. That is, they're the kind of thing you'd expect to see on some high-tech device, as opposed to a fantasy map which has more of that "written on a dusty old piece of parchment" feel to it.

I also like the sort of transhumanist future you seem to be presenting. I would like a bit more clarity in the "four races of humanity" section, like, perhaps the actual four races could be bolded or given their own paragraphs or something, so it's easy to tell what they are? I like the feel you've presented but if I had to list the four races I don't think I could tell. Unmodified humans, Artmen, Martians(?) and I couldn't really pick up on the fourth at all.

Your political factions are interesting, though I'm not sure about the Western Alliance. It seems like the US and Canada have (or at least historically have had) greater political connections with Europe than with the countries in the southern part of their own hemisphere. A lot could change between now and the time your setting takes place, though, so this isn't a huge deal-- then I'd just like to know more about how this change came about. From the part about the tension between North and South America in the Alliance maybe there is some of this already, but why didn't North America just align with Europe? Where (in modern terms) is the border between Pan-China and the League of South Asia? It looks like Pan-China controls what was once French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) where the League got the rest. This region, particularly Vietnam, had been conquered and controlled by China at various times in its history, leading to resentment-- so I wonder, how would they feel about Chinese rule now? Is there similar tension to the Western Alliance, and greater perils are what necessitated coming together? How do the nonaligned countries stand up in the face of these very large and presumably very powerful political blocs? I can't quite tell, but it looks like Korea is unified. This in itself would be an interesting story... :)

Quote from: sparkletwistI somehow missed this the first time around.

Now's a good time to jump in since this setting will be updated fairly regularly now :)

Quote from: sparkletwistI'll also chime in on liking the maps. They're nice to look at, bright and bold, and perhaps a bit spartan, but not in a way that detracts-- more in a way that reflects the character of the setting. That is, they're the kind of thing you'd expect to see on some high-tech device, as opposed to a fantasy map which has more of that "written on a dusty old piece of parchment" feel to it.

Thank you. I really struggled with how to represent the setting in map form. I'm glad you like it :)

Quote from: sparkletwistI also like the sort of transhumanist future you seem to be presenting. I would like a bit more clarity in the "four races of humanity" section, like, perhaps the actual four races could be bolded or given their own paragraphs or something, so it's easy to tell what they are? I like the feel you've presented but if I had to list the four races I don't think I could tell. Unmodified humans, Artmen, Martians(?) and I couldn't really pick up on the fourth at all.

Ah yes. I think I could have been a bit overzealous in my declaration of 4 unique races of Man.

Homo Sapiens Exemplar: Are normal (almost) unaltered Humans, often called Naturals. These Humans are either completely natural or have had their genes modified to screen out congenital diseases and deformities. Naturals are most commonly found on Earth and Venus.

Altered: The next race would be those humans who genetically alter themselves to better cope with the rigors of outer-space. These include skeletal and musculature enhancements, larger more efficient lungs, etc. These genetic alterations are strictly regulated within Terran-controlled territories. A derogatory term for Altered is Augmen, however this term has been conflated with the extreme augmentation employed by the Martians. Many people on Earth do not distinguish between simple genetic alterations used by the Altered and the massive genome restructure used by the Martians.

Homo Sapiens Rigisamus: Is the 'species' name used by Martians to describe the sweeping alterations of the human genome. The 'Martian Template' as it is commonly known in the scientific world employs massive changes to the skeleton and musculature which make Martians both taller and stronger than naturals. Further, the Martian Template alters the human brain to increase intelligence and response time. During the Ares War, the people of Earth often used the term 'Augmen' as a derogatory word to describe Martians. The Martians have since taken ownership of this term and use it proudly.

Artmen: Are people who have downloaded their consciousness into an artificial body. This is often done due to a large scale injury. Artmen are fairly common in the Earth Sphere and the Venus Sphere but are disdained in the Mars Sphere. Most of the Artmen bodies emulate normal human forms, however, many eccentric individuals favor more eclectic forms, typically those that emulate animals (principally Squids).
 

Quote from: sparkletwistYour political factions are interesting, though I'm not sure about the Western Alliance. It seems like the US and Canada have (or at least historically have had) greater political connections with Europe than with the countries in the southern part of their own hemisphere. A lot could change between now and the time your setting takes place, though, so this isn't a huge deal-- then I'd just like to know more about how this change came about. From the part about the tension between North and South America in the Alliance maybe there is some of this already, but why didn't North America just align with Europe?

The easiest answer to your question is time, political tensions and anti-United States sentiment. When the 'Space Bubble' popped and the United Nations took control of the world, it diluted the idea of nation-states and forced the creation of Pan-Nation organizations akin to the old European Union. To this end North America and South America were forged. During this waning years of Secretary-General Kim Ki Dong's reign the focus on his administration remained fixed on Africa and its growing freedom moment, which allowed those with in the Americas to work together and secretly construct the arms and ships required to revolt. Since then, the Alliance has been the most powerful military and economic power the Earth Sphere.

The Alliance, however, is not with out its problems. Though the Alliance government successfully controls the foreign policy, domestically North and South America are still very district. The north is more modern and powerful economically, while the south is more rural and focused on eco-tourism. The North is militant and the South peaceful. The current means of holding the union together has been to give large subsidies from North to South America. As most say, money walks...

Quote from: sparkletwistWhere (in modern terms) is the border between Pan-China and the League of South Asia? It looks like Pan-China controls what was once French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) where the League got the rest.

Panchina controls the territory currently claimed by the following countries: Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, half of Kazakhstan, Nepal, Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam.

The League controls the territory currently claimed by the following countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and many islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

 

Quote from: sparkletwistThis region, particularly Vietnam, had been conquered and controlled by China at various times in its history, leading to resentment-- so I wonder, how would they feel about Chinese rule now? Is there similar tension to the Western Alliance, and greater perils are what necessitated coming together? How do the nonaligned countries stand up in the face of these very large and presumably very powerful political blocs? I can't quite tell, but it looks like Korea is unified. This in itself would be an interesting story... :)

Following the world's reorganization after the Space Bubble Burst, the United Nations contained China to the territory it possessed prior to the burst. When the UN was toppled, China took the opportunity to quickly claim new territories to the south (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) and split the lands of Arazistan (Central Asia) with Russia, leaving only Iran (led by a pro-China ultra-conservative government) in place. There is much ethnic troubles with in China but with the ever expanding Han, those troubles will be pacified and fully integrated soon enough.

I have added a new map that shows how the world looked 6 years after the United Nations took control of the Earth.

 [spoiler=Earth c. 2069][/spoiler]

The world was divided into Nine Provinces, each of whom was fashioned from the husks of prior nation-states. The area called Hom was the "Special Administrative Region" administered directly by the Secretary-General's Cabinet. In a sense it was a capital region.

[ooc][ic=Classified Document: Project Hunter, update 2] From: Colonel Jack Berry

To: Division Admiral John Stern


Subj: Project Hunter Mid-Mission Report

Mission Objectives: 1) Capture Peanut, Butter and Jelly; 2) Destroy Lemon; 3) Obtain Lime; 4) ensure survival of Turtle.

---- 2143, August 24th - The squad made contact with Turtle, gained valuable information and successfully maintained his cover up to this point. The Squad entered the East half of the Laboratory Building, successfully utilizing lab coats and a 'malfunctioning' heavy barreled machine gun as a disguise. An accident saw the death of a scientist, which sparked an intense stand off with security. 12 Scientists and 7 security officers were slain until Van Norden was successful in hacking into the mainframe and sending out an all clear sign. Through the use of biometric material and badges, the squad successfully infiltrated the local Island Security Office, 5 additional security personnel were killed. Van Norden deleted all files relating to the squad, especially those captured by security drones while on the barge headed for Santa Anna Island. The squad also delayed the removal of Peanut, Butter and Jelly as well as isolating the traveling dignitary with in the on-island apartments.

Currently the squad is headed for the Mobile Housing Units to destroy the Lemon and to the Offices to obtain Lime.

It is currently 17:30.


[/ic]

[ic=Communique from Outpost 359 in the Epsilon Nomad Sector]"Sir, *ksssssh ksssshhh* Something Appro- *ksssssh ksssshhh* -ing. Unknown *ksssssh ksssshhh* or diamet- *ksssssh ksssshhh*. Interference from *ksssssh ksssshhh*, will investi- *ksssssh ksssshhh*.

==End of Transmission==[/ic]
[/ooc]

[ic= Edward Farthingworthshire III at an art gala in Julius] I believe this piece evokes the terrible struggle we Lunanites have endured over the last century of colonization.  We are the laborers, the thinkers, the oppressed, the forgotten, the banished and the dead yet through all of this we remain sane and beautiful, so, so beautiful'¦ Yes, Luna is the most inhospitable planetoid we have ever truly colonized yet we THRIVE here. Why is that do you think? I say it is we Lunanites, we brothers and sisters of the moon, who have been the beaten and the damned, wretches of the System's super powers, have come together to form a powerful and enduring way if life that transcends national borders '" we are Luna and Luna is we. [/ic]



Luna, the Earth's moon, is often referred to as the '˜stepping stone to Sol.' Humanity went to the moon in the late 20th century and found it a barren, airless wasteland; it would take nearly 60 years for that opinion to change. At the dawn of the new age, Luna became the [note] [/note]obvious target for mining. It was rich with Helium-3 (a rare earth isotope of Helium used in most modern fusion reactors) by comparison to the Earth. In 2032, the United States founded the first He-3 mining facility '" named in honor of the first human to walk on the moon '"   Armstrong. By mid-Decade all of the major global powers had founded their own mining facilities. By the middle of the 2040's those facilities had grown into large domed boomtowns filled with miners, adventure seekers, business tycoons and explorers. However, once Space Colonies were founded and Mars was terraformed, Luna lost much of its appeal to the first generation Lunanites. The next generation would come to settle permanently on Luna and live out their lives in the richness and prosperity of their moon.

When the '˜Space Bubble' popped in 2063, the world's powers laid in economic ruin and the United Nations took control, both on Earth and in Space. The life those second generation Lunanites had founded remained fairly unchanged with the transfer of power. Secretary-General Dong used draconian methods to keep the Space Colonies in line but took a gentler tactic with Luna, for at that time Luna was the principle supplier of He-3. Why risk the Earth's vital supply of fuel to control those who willingly support your regime if left alone?

All around Luna, the solar system was changing '" the floating cities of Venus became firmly established, Mars was fully terraformed, more  [note] [/note] and more Space Colonies were constructed to house political dissidents and other rabble from Earth '" yet Luna stayed the same. Her cities grew and grew, some even surpassing the size of Earth cities (principally Liberty, Armstrong, Putingrad and Yuegang). Then King Du-Klien of the Martian Island-Kingdom of Elysium began the Great Martian Rebellion. With a speed unmatched in history of space, Du-Klien swept across the Solar system, destroying key military targets. Sadly, for Luna, many of those military targets were located on the earth's moon. The worst fighting seen during the Rebellion was had on Luna. Whole cities were torn asunder, or completely destroyed by the fighting. When the Rebellion ended and the United Nations retreated to the EL3 Colony Cluster '" luna lay in shambles.

Old Terran rivalries soon swelled to a boil, as each of the major Blocs parlayed their forbear-country's deeds (and the obvious weakness and weariness of Lunanites in general) into reclaiming the cities of Luna. Those same Blocs drafted and signed the Treaty of Armstrong; the treaty removed an old pillar of inter-planetary Law '" that no country could claim extraterrestrial land in excess of the land it needed for development. With the treaty signed, the entire moon was sectioned off in an instant. Where there was once just One Luna with a diverse cultural heritage, there were now seven Lunas, each beholden to a different Terran Bloc.

The North American Union (and by extention of the Western Alliance) was able to claim the largest swathe of land, thanks to the boomtown mentality of the 2040's, which saw the  United States and Canada found cities all across the surface. Above all, the North American Union was able to gain control of Liberty (the largest city and busiest [note] [/note] port on Luna), Armstrong City and Lunic (which housed a United Nations Shipyard with several half-constructed Carriers).

The Pan Chinese gained the second largest territory, principally Yuegong, which is the second largest city and second busiest port on Luna. The Russians reclaimed the cities that composed '˜Nebo Russia', literally Sky Russia. This was and remains the heart of Russian civilization outside of the Earth. The Europeans, whose former territory was decimated by the Martians, saw their territory reasonably large yet unpopulated. The Japanese reestablished control of their four Lunar Cities, principally Amaterasu which is said to be the most technologically advanced city on the whole Moon.

 Finally, a large swathe of the far side of the Luna was granted to a consortium of interested and powerful Corporations who sought a near-earth base on which to found top secret research facilities. The chief amongst the many corporations were  Kyozai Electronics (Japanese Mobiru manufacturer),  Viejo Electronics (NAU Space Ship manufacturer), Saerouon Corp. (Korean Space Communications manufacturer),  Bianfu (Panchinese mobiru manufacturer) and Doohan Electronics (NAU-EU space ship engine manufacturer).

As time passed Luna rebuilt, old cities expanded, new ones were founded '" then the Ares War began. Once again the Martians threatened the Luna '" this time they spared no expense or remorse. Indiscriminate bombings were a constant threat. The worst came when the Panchinese [note] [/note]entered the war on the side of the Martians, this begat a terrible gorilla war between the Russians and the Panchinese that saw the newly constructed city of Lui handed over to the Russians (who renamed it Gulski after the legendary Leistung Pilot and Hero of Russia). However, if Lunanite killing Lunanite was not bad enough the Martians started a full out offensive on the city of Liberty and eventually captured the city, claiming it and its omni-directional mass launcher ports for their own. The loss of Liberty was a huge blow to the Western Alliance, who desperately sought to reclaim it. By war's end they succeeded but at the terrible cost of thousands of civilian lives and untold damage to the city itself.

Since the war ended, Luna has rebuilt itself, more quickly than before. It is as if, subconsciously, those who live on Luna know another war is coming and understand that it is best to rebuild quickly and enjoy the good times for the bad come again.  

[ic=President Rachel Kent of the Western Alliance speaking at a private fund raiser at her hometown of Picard] My friends, my friends, [note] [/note] '˜tis good to see you all. I do so miss our precious Luna, her gray cratered fields, her endless vistas, her blackened sky and, most of all, her citizens. My Great, Great, Great Grandfather was one of the first settlers on the Moon. His sweat and his blood stains the soft gray clay. We were raised on the best planetoid in the solar system because of their dedication, their strength and their love. Now that the Ares War has ended, it is time for you '" the great citizens of Luna '" to channel the energy of your forbears and rebuild our beautiful moon, for it is precious and dear to our souls.[/ic]

[ooc]DRAT! I need to find more time to do write ups! Sadly, my time is beaing eaten away by Summer School, Warhammer and DMing InnerSOL.

Just to give everyone a little update, I am currently working on a more detailed timeline for the setting. It's proving difficult due to the great length of time that separates us from 2143 AND the sheer amount of things that (apparently) happened in the last 20 years of the setting (i.e. everything, lol).

I am also working on a overview of the Martian Totality and a history of Mars (akin to the Luna article). However, I want to finish the basics of the timeline before I proceed with that so I don't have to retcon/change the timeline/articles if a discrepancy s found.

I'm also working on an article about the major Covert Ops Corps that litter the setting, principally - Guardian, Soldat, Talia Group and Demari.

The Caesarea is also playing a large role in my current Campaign, so I am working on info about them.

Anyways, I just wanted to update everyone and make sure no one thought I lost interest in the setting :)  [/ooc]

[ic]'The fatal flaw of Russia's enemies is that they all lack the will power to wage a war of attrition. If you do not have the stomach to sustain massive casualties then you do not have what it takes to defeat Russia. Napoleon, Hitler, Ki-Dong and Du-Klien all made the mistake of believing they could conquer Russia - none were successful. In fact, I believe it is patently impossible to invade a country like Russia and truly conquer it; even Ki-Dong had to bribe the Russian people with billions of Unos to stay their desire to be free. We are a proud people who will never bow to tyrants, foreign or domestic. Russia will always be free because the collective consciousness of her people wills it. '

~ Vlad Jonkov, Minister of Russian History.
 [/ic]

 
 
General


The Russian Federation was founded following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 20th century. Initially Russia was devastated economically and culturally, as the once great country rose from the ashes and re-discovered itself and its place in the world. America and China were both more advanced and better equipped to begin and sustain the first Lunar Colonies, yet somehow Russia persevered, first founding Putingrad, then nurturing that small mining facility into the roaring metropolitan city it is today. Russia also aided monetarily in the terraforming of Mars but, due to budget constraints, was not endowed with the ability  [note] [/note] to leave an indelible mark on that world (at least not to the extent of the Americans, Chinese and Europeans).

A majority of Russia's big businesses had pegged themselves to man's destiny in the heavens and when the Space Bubble popped, and the world's economies faltered, Russia was hit very hard. Facing the imminent collapse of his country, President Kolikov relinquished sovereignty to the United Nations and its leader '" Secretary General Kim Ki-Dong. Compared to most other nations, Russia was remarkably well loved by Kim Ki-Dong, even at the end of his tyrannical reign, Russia   was given billions of Unos for domestic development; Russia's lunar colonies were expanded and enriched.

When the Martian King of Elysium, Wilhelm Du-Klein, began his rebellion to throw off the UN's yoke, the Russian government was initially uneasy. Russia had done well under UN rule, what would be gained by rebellion? As fate would have it, the Chinese and Iranians presented the Russian President with just such a justification '" the conquest of Arazistan. When the UN took control of the world, it set up 10 provinces, central Asia's was called Arazistan. This Province had long been dominated by the King of Saudi Arabia, much to the dislike of Iran. The Iranians presented the Chinese and Russians with a deal '" use the War against the UN as a cover to [note] [/note]invade central Asia and take control of everything north of Iran. At the same time, bombard Riyadh claiming it as a headquarters for UN forces. Once the UN is defeated, both Russia and China would expand their earth-based territories immeasurably while at the same time giving Iran the time and resources to declare independence.

The Russians, who had long felt the loss of Central Asia following the collapse of the Soviet Union was blight on their collective history, agreed. Under cover of the war, the Chinese and Russians enacted the plan. By war's end, Iran was free; Russia controlled west-central Asia and the Chinese East-central Asia. Though the Europeans and Americans objected vehemently to the land grab, there was little either could do as the war with the UN had consumed much of their resources.

 Following the War of Liberation (as it came to be known) the Russians re-asserted control over their colonies on the moon and bullied their way into controlling several colonies in the EL4 Cluster. The Russian government then spent the interbellum years expanding their military and their presence in space.

No one quite knows what happened in October of 2136, other than a Russian Merchant vessel, called the Toltova, was boarded by Martians. Those Martians slaughtered every crew member then set the autopilot to take the ship, and the corpses, back to Russia. This event sparked the largest and deadliest war [note] [/note]in human history '" the Ares War. The War was initially a mere battle between two opposing countries but quickly expanded to include the whole of Earth and her colonies. The fate of Russia ebbed and flowed, some days were brighter than others, yet through it all the Russian people persevered. At war's end, the Russian economy lay in ruin and the Solar Peace brought nothing save shame to her proud people.

Since the Ares War '" Russia, like all of the great powers, has tried to forget the horrors of the war and pick up the pieces and re-forge her destiny. Principally, this has meant a massive military buildup both to replace those ships lost at ML4 and to counter the Martian's technological superiority. Quantity has always been a Russian quality and that is no different post-war. It is currently estimated that Russia possesses the largest number of Mecha and ships of any Solar Power. Just one conclusion can be drawn from this '" Russia expects another war.
 

[ooc]I really like Google Sites, so I created the official home of InnerSOL! The CBG will still be my main site, I just wanted to make a backup site (I'm always worried the worst will happen and the CBG will suddenly die, my 2 comps will explode, my 2 Flash Drives will melt and, thus, my whole setting will be lost for ever. ! :)  [/ooc]