Update One
Events of Spring 1889
Atlas of the Worlds
Ether propeller power values are back to normal.
ARMS RACE PICKS UP IN EUROPE
It seems that every week, another story surfaces that escalates the growing arms race occurring in Europe. Not only has progress in aerial flyer technology been great, but other technologies are beginning to surface. Aerial forts are popping up over major cities and air-lanes. Cities have begun investing in anti-aircraft cannon technologies. Perhaps one of the most impressive new land military technologies is Britain's "battlesphere", a small but powerful armored fighting vehicle designed to protect the front lines of infantry. It is a steel ball with a steam-powered locomotive. It is armed with dual rotating cannons, though it is rumored that there are many designs and variants.
Germany has unleashed several new battle zeppelin variants, armed to the teeth and participating in military parades and military flyer exhibitions. Meanwhile, France's private flyer corps has released three new frigates and has promised to release more. They are considered light-weight and quick, designed to outmaneuver zeppelins. Russia has even unveiled an ether battleship, though its clunky design seems inferior to more streamlined British models.
There is no question that Europe has entered a new era with the discovery of the ether and the innovation coming from inventors. This has resulted in many new peaceful technologies, but it is sincerely hoped that the machines of war that are now being produced will never see action in a true continental war.
BRITISH ARMY RECEIVES MAXIM MACHINEGUNS
The British Army has been using the new Maxim machineguns throughout the Oenotrian War. These machineguns have proven to be the most successful machineguns yet. One person can fire the gun, but it is usually operated by a team of men. The cooling mechanism of the weapon needs a constant supply of water in order to produce a continuous stream of fire, and several men are needed to move or shift its position. The required supply of water has made its use tricky on Mars during the dry season, yet shipments of water from Earth at the beginning of the dry season were largely used on the machineguns, which decimated the Martian lines.
British Players: Any Gatling gun can be replaced by a Maxim machinegun of the same caliber and weight (so there are many variants of the Maxim). They are more efficient than Gatling guns, yet do require some water to be used effectively.
RAVACHOL FOLLOWERS ESCAPE PRISON
In London, as trials commenced on a group of followers who helped Ravachol conduct his "suicide mission" on the HMS
Harbinger, unknown agents infiltrated the heavily guarded prison complex and released the prisoners, helping them escape via aerial flyer. Their current whereabouts are unknown. They are considered extremely dangerous. An investigation is underway, and the situation has become a national embarrassment for the British Empire. Meanwhile, rumors have surfaced that Ravachol is indeed alive and well somewhere in the solar system. Whether or not these are factual or propagated by Ravachol's followers is unknown.
GRUESOME MURDERS IN BERLIN: A LIZARDMAN ON EARTH?
During Spring of 1889, seventeen murders occurred in the German capital city of Berlin. The murders all indicated fierce struggles, bloody scratch marks, and disgusting mutilations. The evidence clearly points to the work of a Lizardman. The Alien Accord of 1869 stipulates that all signed members agree that no alien is to come to Earth unless they are closely guarded and their visit is approved by the government of the host nation. It is a serious offense to bring an extraterrestrial to Earth without consent of the government. The rumored Lizardman running amok in central Berlin has caused the German government to launch strict and thorough searches of aerial checkpoints and docking locations. In addition, the search for the killer continues, with many detectives on the case. It has proven to be a difficult search, and it is rumored that the Lizardman may no longer be in Berlin at this point. The whole of Germany awaits the next killing, and thus the next clue, to the renegade Lizardman's location. Interviews and crackdowns on Venus have all resulted in high respect for the Lizardfolk communities within the Venusian Kolonie. The civilized tribes seem beyond senseless murder, though no one knows what a Lizardman might do amidst human civilization. The more likely scenario is that it is a member of one of the vicious barbarian Lizardfolk tribes. The German government seems mostly concerned with finding the culprits responsible for bringing the beast to Europe.
THE OENOTRIAN WAR
To sum things up, the Oenotrian War goes well for the British. The Battle of Avenel was a bloody one, which ended in a victory for the British and resulted in one of the fiercest aerial battles Mars has seen. Cloudship by cloudship suffered at the hands of British flyers. Fires in Avenel burned for days. This was indeed a major victory for the British, but any gains they have made since have been rather small. They have not yet been able to launch a major offensive against Oenotria itself. Meanwhile, the Oenotrian Empire is finding itself fighting a two-front war, though Fadath has proven itself to be more defensive than anything else. The Oenotrians seem to be testing their defenses, though Fadath has succeeded in winning a few minor skirmishes against their Oenotrian aggressors.
The British Empire is not doing as well in the Astusapes Highlands. They have attempted more gunboat sieges on kraags but have found that many kraags have either been emptied or dug in further. Moreover, many of the High Martians have united under Hattabranx even more than before and have begun to torment British outposts in the highlands. Cloudships filled with European arms have been able to reach the High Martians from Oenotria, making bloody guerilla warfare a grim fact for the Astusapes region. Where these arms have come from originally is a mystery, though British investigations are beginning to reveal that American arms merchants have been a bit more brave in their dealings than they once were.
CLOUDSHIP PIRATES
Because of the Oenotrian War, pirates have developed a highly attuned sense of bravery in the face of the British and Belgian presence on Mars. While not officially siding with the Oenotrians or the Copratian rebels (because sometimes it is their own cloudships that are raided!), the pirates have been a huge nuisance to British aerial shipping lines. Weapons, food, water, and other supplies have been taken, and now pirates have more advanced weaponry and have been able to trade their weapons with more barbaric High Martian kraags. The pirates tend to be a mixture of many kinds of Martians, but they are mostly renegade Canal and Hill Martians. All flyers on Mars should take caution when seeing unidentified cloudships. Pirates are extremely mischievous and often hide cloudships behind hills or mountains. Victims often see a single cloudship hovering, approach it, and are ambushed. Many pirate ships now have British weaponry, as well, making them all the more dangerous. Some pirate ships also have hostages.
A GREATER WAR?
There is some talk on Mars that the Oenotrian Empire and the Copratian Rebels have begun to openly cooperate with one another. This is simply a rumor, yet the prospect for such an alliance is indeed a dangerous one. Were the Oenotrian Empire to unite with the Copratian Rebels, and also have the aid of Hattabranx and the Astusapes kraags, it would indeed be a dangerous coalition. If they were somehow able to coerce the gangs of cloudship pirates currently marauding the skies of Mars, it would be even more dangerous. The prospect of this series of unholy alliances has prompted the British and Belgian governments to work closely together in forming their lines and forming supply chains. Most of this work has been extremely clandestine, yet most of the Martian clans fighting for their planet rarely separate Earthmen from one another and have already assumed that these two sides are working together.
FADATH AND A CONVERTED CATHOLIC PRINCESS
Fadath's decision to break free of the Oenotrian Empire has made grand headlines in Europe and has garnered the Martian city-state much respect from Britain, which has given Fadath British arms and aid. The aid to Princess Anraabu from Britain has further angered the Mrohzanji priests, which have begun to isolate themselves from the affairs of Fadath, much to the dismay of its citizens. The priests claim that the off-world cult responsible for Princess Anraabu's conversion and subsequent decision to go to war with Oenotria has poisoned Fadath and turned Martian against Martian. Their rallying cries have mostly fallen on deaf ears, though some within Princess Anraabu's advising circle have noted the danger the priests are posing.
CULT OF THE WORM
The infamous Cult of the Worm has gained more attention the last few months due to organized attacks on Europeans in some major city-states. This has resulted in the city-state of Melas going under lockdown, with Belgian troops constantly patrolling the streets, looking for perpetrators. Gruesome murders have come in the name of the Cult. Several Belgian civilians have gone missing and are suspected to be in the highlands around the Coprates, kidnapped by High Martian rebels. The different species of Martian are uniting in a show of force against Belgium, resorting to desperate actions. Belgium, however, is not budging and has simply ordered more troops to the Coprates.
THE MELASIAN MASSACRE
The gruesome murders taking place in the city-state of Melas prompted the Belgian colonial military to launch a wide-scale search of priests from the Cult of the Worm. These searches began to be looked down upon by local leaders in the city-state of Melas and resulted in widespread protests. The Belgian military became afraid of open rebellion and opened fire on a crowd of Martians, including rounded up suspect-priests from the Cult of the Worm. The bloody massacre left over two hundred Martians killed, and the Belgian military has since tightened its hold over Melas Lacus. The deposed Prince of Melas, Prince Lyast, has fled the red planet aboard an international civilian ether-liner. His exile was approved by the Siamese government. Prince Lyast now resides in Siam, which has been officially protested by the Belgian government.
THE BLUE ARGO
During Spring, the
Blue Argo and its crew traveled to Mars and delivered crucial supplies to British troops amidst the Battle of Avenel. Their supplies came at such a critical time for British troops that they were rewarded handsomely and paid £200. In addition, they were given a few panels of liftwood, about half of what would be required to make the
Blue Argo float in a stable manner. After bringing supplies, the
Blue Argo received an optional assignment from British commanders there, which involved heading into the Astusapes to scout High Martian kraag locations for the more heavily armed British gunboat fleet. The scouting would be an extremely high-paying, yet dangerous, task. Though the
Blue Argo, which does not look like a ship of the line for the British Empire, would be a perfect scout ship for the Astusapes and the scouting mission would save thousands of lives of British soldiers. Since hearing of this job proposal, the crew of the
Blue Argo has had its suspicions, but has also realized their need for money to fund their amazing invention which should be unveiled in the coming seasons. Beware of a British Empire that has a thorn in its side. Be even more cautious of the force causing that pressure, the High Martians. Should the
Blue Argo accept this mission, the rest of the liftwood required to make the
Blue Argo float in the Martian atmosphere (and every other planetary body other than Venus) would be provided, giving the craft a good backup from its hydrogen power. However, this other half of the liftwood amount would be on loan only and must be returned to the British Empire after the scouting mission.
THE SKYBREAKER
The
Skybreaker landed safely within the Venusian Kolonie and delivered supplies to a lizardfolk village. For their delivery, the German colonial council awarded the ship and its crew £50. In addition, the
Skybreaker received many gifts from the lizardfolk. These include totems from their religion, priceless objects that should fetch a fortune in Europe with cultural dealers. Yet the objects are quite heavy, taking up a total of five tons of cargo space. The totems are currently stored in wooden crates. They are about 3 meters tall each, though some are smaller and others are taller. They have intricately carved depictions of dinosaurs and other beasts and are embedded with jewels and other fabulous ornate decorations. Paint from many of the colorful flowers in the Venusian swamps was used to paint them and they are made from the same sturdy wood that the lizardfolk make weapons out of, called Oma Jolima. In their quick visit to the lizardfolk village, the crew of the
Skybreaker made many acquaintances and "friends" with lizardfolk officials and German colonial officers. They were so impressed with the
Skybreaker's speedy delivery of supplies so much so that they have recommended the ship to be placed in the list of craft that the German colonial council can trust. This could mean future assignments that are a bit more clandestine. German colonial officers did express to the crew of the
Skybreaker their general malcontent involving the Russian acquisition of Cytherian Orchid growths and how the Russian Empire could potentially use their discoveries of that flower to propagate their colonial presence on Venus. The crew of the
Skybreaker took notice of this worry. In addition, the German colonial officers were constantly discussing the threat of wild lizardfolk natives encroaching on the Venusian Kolonie. The colonial officers present also offered to employ to the
Skybreaker one of their pilots currently on Venus.
THE NARCISSUS
The
Narcissus has had quite the eventful season. Kurtz and his crew successfully stole two barrels of water from the British Empire. They have not been officially pursued, though complaints have been filed through all of the "appropriate channels", no doubt from the bastard of a British officer present at the time. Yet the Oenotrian War continues, and there is very little cause to chase after Kurtz and his ether flyer. Kurtz and the crew was awarded £25 per barrel of water, and thus were given £200, even though they only gave six barrels to the British lines. On their way to the Belgian Coprates, Kurtz made a miraculous discovery. Gumme, which was thought to only grow in the Coprates region, had been found around Crocea. The single source of gumme which was mapped out by Kurtz is now his closely kept secret, though it is sure to be a valuable one. The Belgians still have a monopoly on gumme, having subjugated the Coprates for the sole purpose of creating gumme plantations, which they operate using harsh methods of labor for Martians eking a living from Belgium's colonialism. Were the British to realize that a small area around Crocea is capable of growing the resource, they would be able to have their own supply of gumme, however small. Kurtz, being at the same time clever and dangerous, has taken great consideration as to what to do with this newfound knowledge.
In addition to the water shipments, the
Narcissus entered into aerial battle with several cloudships, destroying many and gaining prestige from the Belgians in the Coprates who witnessed the entire battle. For their bravery, the crew of the
Narcissus has received so much respect from that small Belgian corps, that the machinists in the Coprates have (with the permission of the Belgian military) added two tons of space to the
Narcissus, which can be used for additional weaponry. This weaponry will be given to the
Narcissus by the Belgian military.
THE DAITAN SENDATSU
The Japanese
Daitan Sendatsu has landed in Japanese Euxinius Lacus, the scientific research outpost on Mars. Here they were welcomed by a small yet proud group of Japanese civilians hoping to expand their colony. The Japanese craft also brought water with them, fetching £20. The current situation at Euxinus Lacus was interesting, especially amidst the Oenotrian War. The Martian locals, mostly semi-sedentary Hill Martians, have taken quite a liking to the Japanese scientists and civilians, and have even separated them from their human counterparts (Europeans). The Japanese still naturally find themselves superior to these "savages", but have taken care to not upset the delicate balance of trade between the Japanese and these Hill Martiand (and some smaller villages of Canal Martians). Trade has mostly been in liftwood, which grows in abundance within the Arcadian Highlands north of Euxinus Lacus. Hill Martians often obtain this liftwood from battles with High Martians, or even their own cultivation and shipment methods which involves convoys of ruumet breehr. The
Daitan Sendatsu successfully shuttled a group of politicians from Japan to the research outpost and was awarded 1/2 of the necessary amount of liftwood it would take to stabilize the craft's lift (as a backup from their hydrogen power). It is clear that the Japanese scientists here do not know everything yet about the Arcadian or Amazonian Highlands and that there are more growths of liftwood to be discovered. This could be a great boon for Japan on Earth, which is trying to unleash new aerial gunboats and flyers to show their dominance in Asia. Finding more liftwood resources independent of the sometimes scarce trade deals with the local Hill Martians would also enhance Japan's influence on Mars and might even bring more colonists from the Land of the Rising Sun. Yet there are plenty of other interesting exploratory missions for Japan to be found throughout the solar system.
THE HMS PINAFORE
Ah, the HMS
Pinafore. Where would the British morale be in the Oenotrian War without such a fine craft? Deliveries from the
Pinafore all resulted in cheers from British soldiers and civilians alike. Tea and tobacco fetched a pretty penny for the crew of this light, yet fast, flyer. The crew was awarded a total of £200 for these highly coveted luxuries. In addition to the money, the
Pinafore was given 1/4 of its liftwood amount in exchange for trading items to Martian locals in Parhoon. The specific items that interested the Parhoonese were mostly tobacco products and liquors. Yet the Parhoonese did not have much liftwood because of the current war and the High Martian presence in the Astusapes. Therefore, they also gave the crew of the
Pinafore £50. The
Pinafore is currently docked in Syrtis Lapis, the capital city of Syrtis Major, and is considering its next move. The crew has learned much about Syrtis Lapis and the Martians of Parhoon. Through their dealings with the Parhoonese, they even made friends with the Martians most capable of speaking English. The result has been that now major crew members now have a beginner's knowledge of Koline. The Parhoonese have asked certain favors of the
Pinafore. Apparently, many Parhoonese traders have been harassed and even killed by some of the High Martians in the Astusapes. Their plight has been conveyed to the crew of the
Pinafore, but what will happen is yet to be seen.
THE WORTHY ENDEAVOR
The
Worthy Endeavor spent much of its time in the city-state of Fadath, trading goods to the Martians there. Specifically, the Martians in Fadath were interested in Catholic trinkets such as crosses, bibles, and other such oddities, due to their princess having converted to Catholicism. The
Worthy Endeavor, having heard of this strange obsession, brought several Catholic trinkets which were traded for cash (£30), and a few panels of liftwood (specifically, 1/4 the amount that might be needed to provide stable lift for the
Worthy Endeavor, yet it is more plausible the crew will sell the liftwood to wealthy German private aeronauts on Mars in the Western Dioscuria region). In addition to selling Martians Catholic trinkets, the crew of the
Worthy Endeavor was also able to deliver food and weapons to the British in Syrtis Major, acquiring another £50. Perhaps one of the most interesting discoveries made was the existence of Fadath teashops, something that certain major crew members of the
Worthy Endeavor (specifically Captain Seymor and Nakamura) thought was a bit strange. Through further research, it was learned that the north pole of Mars actually has quite decent tea-growing conditions, something initially thought to be a completely absurd notion. But apparently, the tea is grown and harvested during the flow season and then dried and drank during the dry season using clean water left-over from surging canals. The result is a very expensive tea and only of decent quality compared to what Europeans are used to. However, it is a sort of novelty beverage and is considered an "acquired taste" by connoisseurs, who argue that while Mars has a seemingly counter-productive climate for growing tea, the north pole at a specific time of the year creates a unique blend that is unlike anything humans have put into their bodies. Thinking that it could fetch a nice sum on Earth, the crew of the
Worthy Endeavor traded Fadath teashops for two tons of the stuff, which added 2 tons to their cargo and took up space in addition to the other goods acquired and being taken to Earth. Fadath specifically sends trade cloudships to the Martian north pole to harvest this tea and they are one of the only Martian city-states to have perfected the methods of growing, harvesting, and brewing. Some Martian nick-knacks were also acquired, which are basically beaded jewelry pieces, strange earrings, and other such oddities (feel free to use your imagination here).
THE L'INTERNATIONALE
(Karalysia posted a fascinating, well-written story, but there is little to update about involving the
L'Internationale. There is probably one or multiple Lizardman/men aboard the craft at this time, which will prove to be an interesting progression. I believe the ship is headed towards Venus, or may be on Venus at this very time. Once more details are learned, this post will be updated with some more information on the whereabouts and status of this mysterious anarchist ether flyer.)
THE SERENITY
The
Serenity is a sad story. The ether flyer learned that many British goods had been raided by cloudship pirates. The gunboat crews and their goods had since been taken hostage, and the weapons headed for the British were now being used against the British in the Astusapes and at the Oenotrian lines. The
Serenity attempted to take back these goods. When the ship arrived to the Astusapes, they were ambushed by High Martians and more organized Oenotrian Canal Martian cloudships. The result was a destroyed
Serenity. The entire crew is dead or missing.
Current Turn
Summer 1889
(Surge Season on Mars)
Post away!
