I don't know. Creativity is not really my thing.

[Grandkhan]

11/5/3552

"What do you mean, they slipped past you?!" Gerald screamed, knocking over the cups of tea. Admiral Marus Terrigan looked uncomfortable.

"They had allies in the Iron Fleet. Their skirmishers kept the main fleet distracted, while the body of their force ducked under us and seized Utopia. The Iron fleet let them pass and seized the government as they did it. We couldn't stop them - by the time we realised what was going on, they had Shinies behind our lines as well."

"Inventors!"

"Director Loggan is a damn competent admiral. We shouldn't have underestimated him."

"Oh, its fine to say that now!" said Gerald, "Its all very well and good to be introspective, damn you! The question is: what are you going to do about it?"

"We figured we'd get around the blockade and come here to regroup. We need allies, Gerald. The State's fleet is far bigger than hours, and they've got the Iron Fleet onside too. We need to come back here and get someone onside. Nobody wants the State to get too powerful, but they're all terrified, damn them. Skaians, the League: they don't want to get into a war. They don't to see Statists marching through Yanos, and they're willing to let Utopia fall to preserve that, even if its temporary. We need to make them see just how much of a threat the State is.

"And how long do you think that'll take?"

"Inventors knows."

"Impossible. Every day the State holds the factories of Utopia, they have more time to churn out more Shinies. We can't let them hold it for that long."

"What choice do we have?"

"A very good one, as a matter of fact. Whats the largest ship you have at present?"

"The largest?" Terrigan said. "Probably the Leviathan. Its an old Rusty - oldest vessel in the fleet, at the very least."

"Mmmm?" said the other philosopher.

"How long do you think it will take to get the cannon fitted onto the Leviathan?"

"Two weeks, assuming it will work." Hendricks replied.

"Very well. Admiral Terrigan, we believe we have something to show you..."

 

[Nintz]

1) I guess people are too used to playing one state at a time. Thus they not only feel possessive about their "own" inventions, but also are afraid at intruding on someone "else's" work, even though in a community worldbuilding game like this it should be free for all.

2) Fantasy seems to open it a bit way too far while basing it on the real world keeps it grounded enough to "make sense" but free enough to explore.

I dunno if I, or anyone else, will start a third one. But if I did I'll keep the ground rules here and make it Earth. I think, whether it is i just me or someone else, I will keep a "tally" of basic background info.

I really want people to loosen up and just express themselves WHILE respecting history and other players WITHOUT fearing or limiting themselves BY integrating their own ideas and established traditions together WITHIN a reasonable timeframe. I guess that is the main goal of these attempts.

Both of these worlds are interesting caricatures and I will consider making them into full NESes as they hit my fancy.

Taking this as permission to start an free-form NES. Going to do that now. Because I am bored.

"Game not Found" is now up.

 

[ork75]

OOC: I'm shocked no one has gotten (or at least put in the thread) what the Skaian League is a massive reference to....

OC:

He could hear their thoughts, them in the sky. All around him his minions crawled and slithered. They would, should they reach him first, find this disgusting. Find him first.... Well that would be something to laugh at. If he could laugh...

But why should he emulate those silly fliers? They have never experienced ground, the feel of miles above your head, the heat of this rock's innards.

But either way, they were coming. And, once more, he would feed.

 

[mythmonster2]

OOC: Oh, I got it. Y'know, if my avatar wasn't a big giveaway that I would

 

[Terrance888]

OOC: I have no idea. Nor do I think I do.

 

[Koruga]

I kind of want to be in this, but I'm not sure how I can contribute?
If any of y'all would give me a rough description of the placement of all the countries, I could make a map or something, or maybe sketch a character?
Also, I find it hard to not get the massive reference. If I may suggest a Blue Fleet run by Admiral Zahhak?

 

[Terrance888]

1) However you want. One liners meant to add a different perspectives. Newspaper reports to advance the plot. Backfilling history or moving the date forward. Narrative, paragraph descriptions, pictures, etc all welcome.

2) I might after I get better from this sickness and I update my official NES. There're only 4 pages of stuff to shift through, and the most important change is that the State, with the help of the Iron Fleet, just captured Utopia and their Ion device, and the Scattered Confederation also got a copy of the blueprints.

3) Sure. Remember, over-attachment to just one thing and the inherent tendency of weak individuals to assign that thing endless victories is somewhat frowned upon here but not specifically banned. If you can keep it realistically optimistic/plausible, however, that's perfectly fine. If you want a Mary Sue where your country wins whenever you want and never suffers a set back whatsoever unless you piss off other players, try "Game Not Found".

EDIT: I meant, go ahead.

 

[Grandkhan]

Um, given all the stories I've previously written about the State, I guess writing a story where the Commissioner seizes the Iron Fleet for State control in a coup would probably be pushing it, yes?

 

[Terrance888]

YES!

You can set it up and hope someone else (like me) takes the bait. >.>

Besides, I bet the Iron Fleet is plotting against the State for a big payoff as we speak.

 

[Grandkhan]

02/06/3552

"I believe our payment was already negotiated on, Mr. Moebus." Commissioner Malcolm Terwen said, sitting at his office in Utopia. The office had been redecorated, into Terwen's preferred Spartan style - luxuries were antithetical to the office, after all.

"Its your Lordship to you." the Iron Duke responded curtly. "And yet we still have not been paid. Factoring in the cost of board at Utopia, the cost of the detainment and provision of our prisoners aboard the Homeship and interest on our payments... we think this is more than fair."

"I'd hardly call this 'fair'."

"And then, of course, there is the case of plunder."

"Plunder?" Terwen raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. After all, is it not customary for the victor to take the ships of the vanquished?" replied Moebus smugly.

"Such archaic notions as Custom have no place in the State, Mr. Moebus," replied Terwen curtly, "and, you shall notice, no ships were seized thanks to your... convenient manoeuvre."

"Of course. And as compensation for the lack of ships seized, we request material and funds equivalent to a full third of the Utopian fleet."

"Thats ridiculous," said the Commissioner, "demands such as this will see your contract terminated."

"Oh, I don't think you'd risk losing our fleet," replied the Iron Duke, still smug. "Especially not if the Utopians come back. Alongside thier allies. Who will they recruit? The Skaians, perhaps? The Cartographers Guild? Admit it. Our ships are too valuable for you to lose."

The commissioner rose from his chair. "Perhaps," he said, slowly. He walked from around the desk, and gazed out the window, and then motioned the Duke to join him. His guards stood warily, but Moebus waved them aside. "Look out the window, Mr. Moebus, and tell me what you see?"

"Why, the city of Utopia, of course."

"And that is where you are wrong. I see Manufactory 5, the site where the State shall truly emerge victorious. With the industrial might of this island, we will take another, stronger and larger. And from there, another, even more useful. And so on and so forth, until the State has all the world under its aegis." Terwen smiled. "You see, you and I are very different men. You see nought but today's profit, whereas I see tomorrow's victory. You fight for gold, whereas I fight for the dream of a Greater Future."

"Please, stop with the flattery."

"You see, Mr Moebus, your 'dukedom' is a thing of the past. The State is the future, and in the future, there will be no nomads. The Iron Fleet will be a part of the State, toiling for greater glory and efficiency. Manufactory 5 is only the first step on the path to glory, wheras you see it as an end unto itself. That is why I have prepared for this day. You are obsolete, Mr Moebus. You and your iron fleet."

"Get to the point, Terwen." The Iron duke gritted his teeth.

"You may consider our contract terminated," said Terwen, "And your ships property of the State." He grabbed the vox-caster from the table. "Execute Order 66!"

OOC: Too be continued? Too sleepy now.

 

[Terrance888]

[ALLCAPS]the state attempts to sieze the iron fleet, resulting in a massive explosion from a captured utopian ship, status unknown, half of utopia island is seen descending beneath the clouds[/ALLCAPS]

 

[ork75]

REPUBLIC OF ALMA
On the far frontiers of the Old World, the settled islands of Alma sit at the edge of a vast island grouping, barely explored and exploited even less. One of the few republics in the modern sky, Alma relies on the farming of cash crops for most of their exports and profits. That said, their fertile soil produces what is almost certainly the finest coffee, tea, spices, and fruits in the sky.
Suffering from a deficit in population, Alma was one of the first nations to industrialize and adopt modern weaponry. A close second to agriculture is sale of arms and industrial devices. Alman small arms are common throughout the sky, and the most modern troops, those of the Iron Fleet, have based many of their own designs on those of the Almans.

This last is ironic, as the Iron Fleet and many of those in it hail from Alma. The Ducal family is related to many of the high ranking officials or Alman citizens in good standing. Alma is traditionally neutral.

Of note is that Wilhelm Reiss, Johannes Moebus, and Gottfried Waldecker all have relatives in the Alman government.

03/06/3552
Reiss' combat uniform is soaked through. His hands slip on the rifle as he runs along the deck of the destroyer. He stumbles as on of the main guns booms, and nearly falls. Catching himself, he pushes on.

Gods damn this cuirass! The thing weighs a ton, and most State and Utopian troops can't get close enough to board. Alman machine guns and bolt-actions are completely outclassed by the Iron Fleet's big guns, cannons, and semi-automatics.

He looks to the right; an enemy skiff is closing in. The damned State conscripts don't know when to stop. Already he can hear the cracks from Ironmen at the bow.

The other main gun booms, and the skiff is incinerated. Seeing the skies around him are clear for the moment, he dives down the hatch and collapses inside the ship. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he dashes for the prison room.

"Sergeant, let me see the prisoner!" he shouts.

"How goes it outside?" the trooper replies.

"One homeship down, something like 20 cruisers and destroyers lost."

"By the gods.... And the Statists?"

"Only the gods may know. But for every ship we kill, there are five more in its place. Now let me see the prisoner"

The heavy iron bulkhead is slowly lifted. Reiss slings his weapon over his shoulder.

"Wake up, gods damn you!"

The prisoner slowly rises. A month in this chamber hasn't done him well. A small pile of bedding lies in one corner, in another a pile of books. A half eaten tray of food lies in the center of the small space. Sitting cross legged before it is Gerald, Phd.

"Stand, prisoner!" Reiss yells. His pistol is out now; he won't stand for trickery.

Gerald, more than a little bewildered slowly shifts to his feet. He turns to face Reiss, then croaks out a short question in Flottesprache.

"What is going on outside?"

"A war. Your city is fought over by three armies."

"Will it survive?"

"Doubtfully. But that is why I am here."

"What?"

"Some device exploded. Half the city is sinking. But all the same, I come with a proposition."

"I ask you again the same. What?"

"You are the one high ranking Utopian we have. Yes, we have got some of your comrades, but they won't be able to do what we need done."

"Which is?"

"Two things. First, we need you to communicate with the Skaians. We need them to enter the war now. They are already your allies."

"I will try, but why should they listen to a dishonored man who was meant to receive his degree posthumously?"

"Because that man will be the leader of Utopia. This brings me to your second task. The Statist assault, in the last few hours, has slowed. Perhaps the loss of their veterans has showed them that we will not relent easily. This gives us a rare opportunity. As I have said, Utopia is sinking. Richard is dead. They think you are too. They being your people, those on a sinking island, with nowhere to go and no one to save them. That is, until the State slowed their assault a few minutes ago.
"We have a daring plan that requires you. Your people view us as barbarians who shoot prisoners. As you have observed, we do not. They may want some reassurance, though. You are to accompany a homeship and a Fleet detachment down to Utopia to gather as many survivors as possible. Those who come aboard will be given a choice - stay with the fleet and fight the State, our mutual foe, or go to Alma, where they will be offered full citizenship.
"It has been too long that the Iron Fleet has been the mercenary organization is was. We need allies. As it happens, my brother in the Alman Senate believes the same. Henceforth the Iron Fleet will be the Alman Navy."

Gerald stands for a moment, more than a little confused. This tired, sweaty man in grey battle uniform, a rifle on his shoulder and a pistol in hand, has offered him one last chance at redemption.

"Make your choice, prisoner. But know this - I will follow where you go. If you choose not to try to be the hero of your people, there is a good chance I will go to whatever hell the gods rule. Therefore I will send you first, to metaphorically test the waters. But if you decide to join us, be a hero, possibly save Utopia and start it anew, and bring honor to your family more that you ever could have done before, I will be at your back."

Gerald nods slowly. His preciously small muscles have atrophied somewhat, being cramped in a cell for about a month.

"I will go."

 

[Grandkhan]

Previously...

"Get to the point, Terwen." The Iron duke gritted his teeth.

"You may consider our contract terminated," said Terwen, "And your ships property of the State." He grabbed the vox-caster from the table. "Execute Order 66!"

02/06/3552

The guards around Terwen raised their guns and fired. Moebus' two soldiers died instantly, taken by surprise, as the grey clad statists pointed their guns at him.

"As we speak, Statists are seizing your ships," said Terwen. "Your men are being attacked. Your 'Iron Fleet' is no more. The March of Progress has begun!"

"I anticipated your treachery, Comissioner," the Iron Duke replied, "and I assure you that you will come to regret this. Hidden on every single captured vessel, as well as every Iron Ship fleet is a bomb. If I do not return in an hour to defuse them, they will detonate." He smiled. "Call your men off, or you will lose the entirety of the fleet, along with every captured ship."

"You wouldn't dare risk your life. You are a mercenary - the concept of self-sacrifice means nothing to you."

"I would."

Terwen smiled. "So what would happen if I killed you?"

"It is tied to my hearbeat. If I die, the Iron Fleet detonates."

"Unlikely. You see, Moebus, I know you better than you think. Like all Non-Statists, you cannot see further than your own nose. The loss of an airship is a crime to you people, an unthinkable move that you cannot comprehend. I can see through your lies." Terwen turned to his guards. "Kill him."

Moebus' eyes widened as the soldiers fired.

And then the Iron Fleet detonated.

On a small captured vessel, berthing at Utopia's harbour, the bomb went off, consuming it in a conflagration. A deck below, a large device, pulsing with energy, was also consumed in fire.

Terwen's eyes widened as he heard the explosions. "The fool! He actually lin-"

And then everything was white.

 

[Terrance888]

When two combat pragmatists get together. There will be blood.

I like where this is going. When I get better, I'll see about that Utopian refugee/diplomatic ship getting to the Skaian League.

EDIT: Here's the current situation with the State-Utopian war plotthread.

Utopia is conquered by the state. About 1/5 of the fleet survived the scattering after being crushed and left. These regrouped at either the Skaian League or the Scattered Confederation (which I imagine to have some kind of rivalry, but I never have stated anything.) Gerald in the story at the top of the page was recaptured from the cruiser, and then, I guess, rerecaptured within a short moment of time.

The Leviathan has the crude ion cannon secretly fitted, and I'll leave it up to you guys to decide which port it is docked at.

As for the story about the Alman republic, I'm not certain what's going on, but it is natural to say that, ala murphy's law, not every Iron Fleet ship's bomb was perfectly set, and that battle is of the survivors struggling to regroup and fight their way out, with the destruction of their mates giving them the cover to survive.

 

[ork75]

Hmmm. What I thought was happening was that the Iron Fleet and the State had combined forces to attack Utopia. Moebus and his guards are some of the very few Statists or Ironmen to be on ships of the other faction, do whn fighting breaks out it is a swarming melee of ships, not igniting between soldiers on the same ships.

I'd say that only about half of the bombs work, and Reiss finds himself surrounded by enemies but in command of the remnants of his people. He arranges with his Alman brother to have the Iron Fleet's remains become part of the Alman military. Reiss as a character follows orders regardless of hs own opinions, but has those opinions all the same. Also, he is not so immoral as Moebus as to switch sides do easily.

Gerald was recaptured after the story at the top of the page, but was one of the few elite Utopians not shot after the battle. Reiss wants him to help unite and save the remaining Utopians, both to raise opinions of the Iron Fleet, help the Iron Fleet join the anti-Statists, and for his own conscience.

Also, given that the Skaians, if they enter the war, would side with the Utopians, he wants to have a Utopian bring them in early so as to cover the retreat of the now-refugees from Utopia.

 

[Grandkhan]

So, just to make sure I've got everything;

Gerald built an ion bomb of some kind, and placed it aboard a Utopian cruiser. The cruiser was captured by turncoat Iron Fleet soldiers before the bomb could be detonated.

After the fall of Utopia, the remnants of the Utopian fleet fled to Skaia and the Confederation. Marus fled to the research base, where Gerald and the admiral built a portable ion cannon and fitted it to the Leviathan. The Leviathan made it to Skaia, but Gerald was captured by the Iron Fleet (but not turned over to the Statists - possible wariness on the part of Reiss?).

Duke Moebus met with Commissioner Terwen aboard his new office in Occupied Utopia. Terwen kills the Duke, but the Duke has prepared for this eventuality. 50% (or 80%?) of the ships in the Iron Fleet detonate, including the Ion Bomb. A similar number of Statist ships are destroyed in the Ion blast. Terwen and Moebus are killed in the blast, and the sky-island of Utopia literally breaks in half, and begins to slowly sink.

There is currently a battle raging above Utopia, as the Iron Fleet, now led by Reiss, is fighting the Statists in the confusion left by the destruction of Utopia. Its not even a real battle - its a crazy free-for-all dogfight where nobody has any idea what is going on and they're just firing blindly in the confusion. On Utopia itself, its even worse, as civilians panic and flee from point to point on the sinking island and the terrestrial forces of the State and the Iron Fleet fight it out in a chaotic free-for-all, with little chance of escape.

Gerald descends down to Utopia, to rescue the civilian survivors of the Ion Bomb and flee to Alma before heading to the League and Skaia to build an anti Statist alliance. Reiss is trying to extricate himself and the Iron fleet from the battle in good order, and withdraw to Alma to build its fleet. Terwen is dead, but Director Loggan, admiral of the Statist Fleet, is probably still alive aboard a vessel somewhere in the chaos.

I guess somebody has plans for Gerald's mission to Utopia, so I might do something about the aftermath of the Battle of Utopia in the State's upper echelons at some point in the next few days.

 

[Terrance888]

That's about right. There were three ion machines at start. One blew and started the war, one blew now, and the last one is on the leviathan.

I don't think the entire island of utopia is falling slowmo, more like large chunks with about half falling.