Carbon Skies

[TheMeanestGuest]

[note]After over a year of thinking about it I feel that I finally have enough worked out to begin posting. I'm not comfortable putting this in homebrews yet as everything is still very WIP. Anyways, without further ado, I present Carbon Skies for your viewing pleasure.[/note]

                           

[ic=The Ensign]
The screams of the dying, plaintive calls for mothers and lovers, then static. Panicked commanders bellowing orders to squadrons that just weren't there anymore, then static. He drifted, his platform charred and limbless, one among thousands of new pieces of orbital wreckage. He focused on Fourth Petal again with his sole remaining camera. It was strangely beautiful. Spread into a thousand glowing pieces slowly floating away from each other. Stars twinkling just beyond. He panned over. Third Petal was still venting the remnants of its atmosphere from the huge rent in its side. In the distance, a chaos of innumerable explosions flared around Second Petal and First Petal. He knew it would be over soon.

   They'd gone out just over half an hour ago; all twelve of them. People were incredulous when the sirens went off. None of the natives could go orbital. Their souls were held down by the ruthless pull of gravity. They didn't feel the same yearning, the same desire to be free, to have something more; they didn't dream the same dreams. Or so he'd been taught. So they'd all been taught. They went out together, platforms gleaming in the sun. When it clawed its way into orbit below them they didn't believe what they were seeing. It was like a great beast out of some primordial dream, reaching out to drag them all back down with it. It was larger than all the Petals put together. The storms it created in its ascent darkened the entire western continent. Then the swarm was on them. A thousand enemies moving as one. Blossom Cluster wasn't the wealthiest member of the Union. It didn't have the defenses that the other Clusters had. That was a thought for the future. Iris Squadron didn't last a minute. They'd never had a chance.

   The channels were silent now. Except for one. He'd ignored it before, but listened now. It spoke in a stilted voice devoid of inflection, as if unfamiliar with human speech. 'The misery and suffering you have brought to the world is now brought back to you. Invaders. Defilers. Leeches. We pass judgment on you. Your reality was untenable. We substitute our own. This war is fought in the name of peace. Our gift to you is grace and chastity.' It started to repeat. Straining, he managed to reach the switch to turn it off.

   His platform's energy reserves were near empty. Everything on his heads-up display was flashing red. He felt tired, so tired. It was getting harder to breathe. He thought back to that morning just a few short hours ago. Or was it a thousand years ago? The streets of Fourth Petal hummed with an indescribable enthusiasm. It was that feeling you only got in a new city. So alien to the bleak oppressiveness of the overcrowded Central Clusters. There was room in Fourth Petal. So much room. You felt like you could actually breathe. It was the sounds too. The sweet trills of birdsong. The gurgling of the river. It was so fresh, he never got tired of it. He remembered the sky. The solar lamp was crisp and white and perfect. Not like the sickly yellow suns of the older cities that were always just too hot to be comfortable. And there were clouds! Fluffy and white and serene. He knew behind the blue it was the same carbon you got in any city, but it felt different in the Petals. He smiled. His thoughts were getting sluggish. There was a muffled thunk against the hull, but he didn't care. He couldn't keep his eyes open, he knew he should, but he couldn't. He closed them wishing he could see those carbon skies again. [/ic]

the world

[spoiler=Warning: Large. It is recommended that you right click and hit view image in order to see the entirety of the map] [/spoiler]

and its peoples

[ic=The Orbital Union]

Weakness is the gravest sin of all. And for our sin we were cast out and hounded across the stars. We could not stand before them. Our greatest Innocents kneeled in supplication. It was not enough. From the silent vaults we brought forth our most ancient weapons. It was not enough. Left naked to the heat of their rage, our Kingdom drifted apart like fine ash on the wind. We fled, for there was naught else that we could do. We knew our escape was folly, we knew we could not avoid our doom. At the Pillars of Heaven our host was met by our enemy. They had lain in wait for us, for all our plans were transparent to them. We were torn asunder. Yet our story did not end on that day. For some few of our ships a pathway opened. By some higher grace we were saved. Before us we found a new world. We have crowned it with what splendor remains to us. The peoples who resist us only delay the inevitable. They will join us, or they will die. We must have all this world has to offer to erase our sin. We must embrace all that we rejected. We must. It is the only way we can again know peace.  

---

Invaders from halfway across the galaxy. Ruled by a reclusive cabal referred to simply as The Innocents. Their cities twinkle in the night sky as if they were new stars. At the moment of their arrival the majority of the world was still ruled by tribal federations and feudal lords. While they have worked to rectify this through the establishment of Colonial Republics, it still holds true seventy four years later. Do not be fooled. It is no noble enterprise they pursue in their patronage of the native peoples, but a pathway to better exploit the resources of the world. Their technological and military prowess is considerable, and is challenged only by the machine intelligences of Zerchimonde and the Immortal Empress of Taia. [/ic]

[ic=The Chezks]

   "Get out dog, you're not wanted here." You did not say that when it was our guns and our blades that stood between you and death. "Whore, thief, go back to your own lands." And where might that be? "I am sorry" - the duke, the prince, the lord would say '" "here is your money, but you must go, my people will not abide you." And we would bow and accept it. That was the way of things.

   We had had enough of the petty squabbles of the dukes. Enough of the hatred that would be found waiting for us at the end of every road. So we set out across the strait. We came to these unfamiliar lands. When we arrived it was barren and lifeless; home to a few bedraggled flocks of sheep and their bedraggled shepherds. And we built, and the land bloomed with the fruit of our effort, and it seemed that we had finally found a home. No. The valley lords of the south came to us. They said it was their land. They said their people would not abide us. They said we must leave. We did not avert our eyes. We did not ask them where we should go. We did not bow to them. They looked at us and muttered darkly and said that they would return. War is in our blood, we said, so come with all your power. We will be waiting, we can go no further. And they did come.

   With all the might of the vales behind them they descended upon our lands. With their great machines they sought to trample our crops. None did they find, for we knew better than they the ravages of hunger, and we would not leave them a single grain. With their cannon they sought to bombard our homes. They could not, for we knew how to build defenses without peer. With the whole of their host they sought to bring us to battle. They could not, for we knew all the ways of war, and would not be goaded into such folly. We harassed them, we savaged them, we bled them. And finally they could bear no more. They struggled through the lakes of mud they had created in their frenzy. They froze as they climbed back up to the passes as the winter gales howled down upon them. A trail of dead marked their way home, and we deemed it just. With quiet pride we repaired our defenses, we put up our rifles and our blades, and we returned to our homes and our fields. We thought to never see them again. No. They returned, naming us devils and beasts, and they tried to drive us into the sea. Again we defied them, and again they climbed back up to their heights. But they returned, they always returned. That was the way of things.

   Now there is peace in the land, brought by peoples more powerful than our foe. We have joined with our neighbours to the west in friendship, for we have learned such opportunities do not come often. We do not think this peace will last. Already blood flows in the streets of the southron cities. War always returns, and we are always ready.

----

The Chezks of Byalsk are a curious people. Unlike the majority of their kin, they have rejected the wandering mercenary lifestyle. Lands are held in common to the various clans, and clan governance is by popular representative council, rotating on five year terms. Having settled the north shore nearly three hundred years ago the Byalsk Chezks are by now nearly entirely sedentary. Capable warriors, the Chezks have honed their skills over many centuries. Having served in the armies of the Almarn lords they were well prepared to defend themselves from the aggression of the Bourgen comtes. They have known relative peace for the past eight decades, but through tradition have managed to maintain their militaristic culture. Men and women are all expected to serve a five year term in one of their clan's military regiments at some point before their thirtieth birthday. They have recently established an alliance with the Sodona Compact. [/ic]  

[ic=The Great Confederacy of the Karax]

We are Midani. We are Karax. We are the first of all men. For ages we served the Stone Kings. For ages this land was ours from the seas to the peaks. Long before the pale man came down from the sky in a rain of fire to take our land from us. Long before the dark eyed man came from beyond the searing dunes to take our land from us. Long before the tall man in his tall ships sailed from across the sea to take our land from us. Even before our ancient foe, the gaunt running man, rose from the grasses of the plain to take our land from us.

   The world we know has become smaller and yet smaller still, and we have found that there is nowhere else to go. Piece by piece what is ours has been taken from us. Soon, the foreigners will not find satisfaction with their lot, and come to bind us and take the last of our land. Who do they think we are? We are not their slaves. It is us who decide when to fight. It is us who grow the wheat and eat it. It is for us that our great armours are forged.

   War is brewing again in this land. As it always has. We have caught the scent of blood on the wind; the tribes bay for war. And for now, just for this singular moment, our foes look away from us. From the high mountains and deep forests we will descend upon them. The time has come for our people to seize the greatness that is rightfully ours. It is our last chance. We will stand up one final time and we will fight. No longer will we be forgotten. The world will remember the ferocity of our rule. For we are strong. As we have always been. We are Midani. We are Karax. We are the first of all men.[/ic]

[ooc]Gundam is of course my primary inspiration, my other main sources of inspiration are: Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Supreme Commander, Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga and Void Trilogy, and of course actual history.  

I thought Salacious Angel had a good idea in posting videos to showcase a general idea of combat. So I am going to do that too! Take a gander if you care to.

Ground Combat should look something like: this , this and this (only the first couple minutes of the latter two, obviously)

Orbital Combat should look something like: this and this

And here's an Orbital landing: orbital landing!

Just to note, the absolute dominance of Gundams in Gundam is not something that I feel is really what I'm going for. I've always preferred regular mobile suits and a less drastic power disparity. There are of course powerful weapons systems, but they are by no means invincible. An infantryman with a well placed rocket or anti-platform round could take out a platform, although that would still be a difficult proposition.

Also, I will recommend MS Igloo to anyone who likes Gundam. I think it does a really great job of portraying the One Year War, probably better than any other Gundam media (not to discount 08th MS Team and War in the Pocket of course, which are pretty close in my estimation). [/ooc]

[TheMeanestGuest]

the alliances

The League of Allied States



The Celestial Concord

[TheMeanestGuest]

I suppose I should reserve at least a post.

Edit: I forgot to mention, feel free to post in this thread! I have no plans for a separate discussion thread.

[Steerpike]

Glad to see some of this getting put up!

I like the contrast between the feudal or even tribal social structures and the much more powerful technology.  Is the idea that the tech belongs to an older time, or is tech still being produced en masse?  Does Earth figure at all into the mythology of the world, or are we dealing with a far future/"long time ago" in which Earth has been forgotten, or simply never existed?

If the tech is currently being produced (which I seem to feel it is), is the economic character of the various regions industrial and quasi-capitalistic, or do serfs still labor in the fields?  Is there any other prominent technology apart from military hardware (genetic engineering, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, etc?)?  Do any of the powers have nuclear or germ weapons, or do super-weapons not exist?

Finally, any religions kicking around?

EDIT: How common/widespread are the various warmachines?  In the feudal zones, are they piloted exclusively by noblemen, or can those of common birth fight in them as well?

[TheMeanestGuest]

Glad to see some of this getting put up!

I like the contrast between the feudal or even tribal social structures and the much more powerful technology.  Is the idea that the tech belongs to an older time, or is tech still being produced en masse?  Does Earth figure at all into the mythology of the world, or are we dealing with a far future/"long time ago" in which Earth has been forgotten, or simply never existed?

If the tech is currently being produced (which I seem to feel it is), is the economic character of the various regions industrial and quasi-capitalistic, or do serfs still labor in the fields?  Is there any other prominent technology apart from military hardware (genetic engineering, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, etc?)?  Do any of the powers have nuclear or germ weapons, or do super-weapons not exist?

Thanks Steerpike!

Earth is pretty irrelevant. That said, I haven't really decided on the exact where and when of this. It could be far in the future, and perhaps the Union has references to it in their vast data stores, but it would be more legendary than factual. The planet in question had been very isolated for a very long time, so none of the native peoples would have any idea whatsoever about it. Or it could take place in an entirely different universe where Earth never existed.

Most technology is still fairly current. The Union does employ some weapons that are versions of much older predecessors, redesigned for current production of course (i.e. the Lowaxe, Bask and Terrordoc are all based on ancient platforms. The Waspeater and Rumble are new designs.) Native high technology is fairly concentrated, the only real 'modern' native capitalist and industrial regions are the core territories of the Taian Empire, the Rose Cities, the Zerchimondii nodes and the Providential-Brantham corridor in the Sodona Compact. The Federated Syndicates are rapidly modernizing though with the assistance of Union overseers and advisers. Technology in the technological areas is generally as advanced as you'd expect based on their military hardware (data networks, mass production and consumption, automation, computerization, etc.). I'll discuss artificial intelligence when I talk about Zerchimonde.

Aside from the above mentioned, the level of industrialization is sort-of 1890s ish at best.. but thats not entirely accurate, as there are some pretty large differences, but I would say it characterizes the feel of technology in the more developed feudal areas (Sarwitz, Tiriol, Byalsk, Corian). My reasoning for the technological disparity in the face of native high technology is that in general, the native technological powers had no interest in spreading their technology. The Taian Empire is huge, but its never been expansionist, it has only expanded in the face of external threat and in general aims to assimilate their enemies, but sort of levels them at a pre-technological level. A peasant from Nomi for example traveling to Jinjiao or Taia would be nearly completely unfamiliar with virtually every aspect of life.  

The question that really gets me (which is one you implied, I think) is how the tribal societies produce their armours and platforms, because I don't really know. A lot of things about CS are still a complete mess in my head. I mean, based on how they live I pretty much have to say its a quasi-magical process. I'm not sure how I'm going to address that yet.

Religion is one of my weak points. I never really think about it. I mean, they obviously have to exist. But I haven't given it any thought at all yet. In 90% of cases in the feudal areas it is a noble that will be piloting a platform, tread or armour.

Sorry my reply is kind of disjointed, but its hard to answer all of those questions together, especially since I don't know the answer to a lot of them! I hope I was informative in some kind of vague way.  

[Steerpike]

Very informative!  And your reply wasn't disjointed.

Maybe the natives assemble pieces of (stolen) higher tech in a ritualistic manner, something like a cargo cult???  Or perhaps they just re-paint stolen enemy mecha/tanks/what=have-you and deck them out with tribal camouflage, glyphs, etc.???  Just random ideas.

Or do the tribes have high-tech stuff they designed themselves?  By the tribes I assume we're speaking about the Karax and Midani, but if that's wrong, correct me!

[TheMeanestGuest]

Well, there are lots of tribal groups. But yeah, generally most of my thinking has been about the Midani. Midani is actually a general term for a cultural grouping. The Karax are the specific branch in question (as well as the only remaining significant branch). On the map the Confederacy of the Karax is the area contained by the blue dotted border around Maxankaraxi. To this point I'd visualized them as using armours (animal-form armours to be specific, which are regarded in the feudal areas and even some of the tribal areas as being kind of old-fashioned) of their own construction, but again, it has troubled me how they would build them. I had imagined some kind of ritual where a warrior would have to hunt down an exemplary member of a particular species to have an armour built in its effigy, maybe with some weird pseudo-magical spirit binding. I'm considering just writing as if from the perspective of an exasperated Union scientist or what have you that their armours in fact should not be able to function, and are animated by an 'unknown compelling force'. Although I do worry about setting a consistent tone, although I should probably be past that, mixing technological epochs as I am.

I do like the idea of stolen or salvaged mechs covered in buckets of tribal paint. I'll have to consider where to use that. I'll have some more stuff up at some point tomorrow (hopefully including some kind of introduction with themes and stuff. how do other people do that anyways?)

[Steerpike]

[blockquote=The Meanest Guest](hopefully including some kind of introduction with themes and stuff. how do other people do that anyways?) [/blockquote]With difficulty.  Often a piece of short fiction can work well, but I seem to usually start with broad thematic overviews, a bird's eye view of the setting. Usually I try to eschew excessive geographical descriptions in my openings (since maps do a better job) and concentrate on how I want a setting to "feel," connecting that feel with brief snippets of imagery, if possible.

I think that Polycarp!'s Clockwork Jungle has one of the best openings on the boards (link for convenience), and Nomadic's opening for Mare Eternus does a great job of making a pretty unorthodox world intelligible.

Alternatively, Light Dragon's Gloria also has a simple but elegant approach, with bold visuals and concise, point-form lists of themes immediately establishing the setting's core dynamics.

[TheMeanestGuest]

I added a small story thing for part of the introduction. Tell me if it doesn't work. I'm still thinking about themes. My thoughts percolate slowly.

[Steerpike]

Poignant!  Gritty and nostalgic and strangely lyrical.

[LordVreeg]

the story works well, actually, and provides mood.