Update Two
Events of Summer and Fall 1889
Atlas of the Worlds
The crew of the Daitan Sendatsu
has successfully invented a lighter ether propeller.
The crew of the Skybreaker
has successfully invented a gas-operated automatic-repeating rifle.
ARMS RACE RESULTS IN SKIRMISHES
In Europe, the arms race for ether flyers and aerial gunboats has taken a dangerous turn. Sky skirmishes between France and Germany have taken place, though the fleets involved are not government-aligned. Rather they are private fleets or even pirates. As aerial trade has grown over the years, pirates have new prey, and it is suspected that many governments are hiring pirates to cause mayhem in their enemy's borders, without declaring war. The most recent disaster was a French cargo flyer captured, by what France is saying were mercenaries hired by Germany. Germany has denied these claims, but France has begun to mobilize more of their aero fleet to combat the surge of piracy above European skies.
HENRY SYNSWORTH, AMERICAN SCIENTIST, "MAPS THE BRAIN"
Henry Synsworth is a very, very strange man who resides in Washington, D.C. as a scientist employed by the government. He claims to have recently "mapped the brain", that is to say, he is claiming he has invented ways to implement mind control. Rather, he claims that mind control is "definitely possible", but he has denied claims that he has succeeded in perfecting it or has performed it himself. He has unveiled a strange device to the United States government, one that he believes is the future of mind control. It is a coiled "ray gun" 35 feet in length. When asked if he would patent and sell, Doctor Synsworth simply replied that the patent belongs to America, and that it will never be sold.
STRANGE CRAFT SEEN IN THE SKIES
A massive amount of unidentified flying objects have been spotted in several parts of the world, including above the United States, Japan, Russia, and Europe. The strange craft have been sighted and photographed by aero fleets around the world. They appear more advanced than aerial gunboats currently found on Earth, yet their actions have thus far been benign. Attempting contact with them or getting too close to them simply reveals the amazing speed of the craft, which dart away as if carried by hundreds of steam-powered propellers. Some authorities around the world are claiming that these craft are from a more advanced civilization, or perhaps remnants of Vulcan society. Such preposterous claims have been debunked by archeologists and other scientists working in the asteroid belt, most notably those from the French Empire.
H.M.S. HARBINGER II FULLY OPERATIONAL
The British Empire has formally announced the fully operational
Harbinger II, a massive ether orbital heliograph station which will soon serve "other purposes" beyond orbital heliography. Advances in new technologies from outstanding inventors around the world will soon create a communication revolution, making it easier for the planets to interact with one another.
BERLIN LIZARDMAN MURDERS END ABRUPTLY
The murders in Berlin which were thought to have been caused by a renegade lizardman have abruptly ended, as quickly as they began. The creature is thought to have killed more than one hundred victims. The chief of police in Berlin has resigned his post and has fled Germany, under pursuit by German authorities. He has come forward to American newspapers claiming that the lizardman was captured on Venus against its will and set upon the population of Berlin. The creature, he claims, was starved and tortured. He has begun to speak out against the German Empire and its treatment of lizardmen. He claims that the German Empire was using this lizardman to evoke a response from the German people, thus garnering more public support in the annexing of lizardlands on Venus. This claim has been refuted by the German government, though American authorities have since given the former investigator asylum in New York City, much to the outrage of the Germans. It is rumored that he is soon to be en route to Venus in an independent ether flyer.
BRITISH AND FADATHIAN TROOPS OVERPOWER OENOTRIAN TROOPS
Northeast of Oenotria, a combined force of British and Fadathian troops overpowered the Oenotrian defenses in a savage battle. Newly implemented British weaponry, including new designs of heavy steam-powered machineguns, proved successful in annihilating the bulk of the Oenotrian defense force. The Oenotrian troops have since retreated and have begun to dig in within the city walls of Oenotria itself. Oenotria's allies have all but surrendered. Fadath successfully conquered Astrapsk and extended its influence to the city-state of Crocea. Meanwhile, British forces brutally suppressed small Martian uprisings in Moeris Lacus. The Flood Season (Fall on Earth) proved beneficial for British forces, supplying them with enough water to power through Oenotrian lines. In addition, the launching of the new
Harbinger ether station has proven invaluable to British supply routes.
FADATH ACQUIRES AN ETHER FLYER
The city-state of Fadath has acquired what no other Martian power has been able to: a fully functional ether flyer. A mysterious ether flyer was found crashed outside of city limits. Fadathian scientists retrieved it and were able to re-construct it. They have successfully crafted their own version of the ether flyer, which Princess Anraabu has called the crowning achievement for Martians in this generation. Indeed, the ether flyer has garnered much pride throughout Fadath, and has discredited the disgruntled Mrohzanji priests. Princess Anraabu has personally selected a crew to pilot the ether flyer, called the
Firerock. British authorities, at first dismayed that an alien power had obtained ether flyer capabilities, used the Fadathian discovery to strengthen the British-Fadathian alliance. Britain has thus offered personnel to help train the crew of the
Firerock, if necessary. Princess Anraabu has accepted logistical support, but has claimed that Martian blood contains secrets to advanced technology far beyond Earth, and that it is only natural they teach themselves how to fly through the ether. The ether flyer has also extended Fadath's influence to small Martian settlements beyond the city-state. To many Martians, this represents a great leap forward.
HATTABRANX CONTINUES TO BE SUCCESSFUL
Despite massive British gains over Oenotria, the High Martians continue to pester British forces around the Astusapes Highlands. Several bands of Martian cloud pirates have allied themselves with Hattabranx in exchange for weaponry taken from dead British soldiers. This area of the war has caused great mischief for the British Empire.
MROHZANJI PRIESTS DECLARE PRINCESS ANRAABU UNFIT TO RULE
As suspected, the cunning priests of the Mrohzanji in the city-state of Fadath have declared their Catholic princess unfit to rule. Most citizens have sided with the princess, however, because of her remarkable success in the Oenotrian War and the great profit it has provided Fadath because of British money and supplies. The priests have thus been mostly isolated, and many have gone into hiding.
CULT OF THE WORM UPRISINGS MYSTERIOUSLY END
Throughout Mars, uprisings caused by the Cult of the Worm have mysteriously ended. Just as mysterious, many of the perpetrators are now missing and cannot be found by British or Belgian forces. Cult of the Worm temples are beginning to empty out completely. Almost no one can be found within them at this time, and it is suspected some sort of mass migration has occurred. Scouts from Britain and Belgium have begun to search Mars, but such endeavors have proven deadly as outside of the city-states, Mars can be quite an inhospitable place.
EMPEROR MEIJI ORDERS MORE COLONISTS TO MARS
The emperor of Japan has ordered more than a thousand new colonists to Japan. These colonists have been selected from a variety of backgrounds and most of them are acclaimed scientists. Some soldiers are also accompanying them. It is the emperor's plan to expand the colony of Euxinus Lacus and eventually dig canals from the northern ice caps and settle the footsteps of what are now called the Sapporo Mountains. Japan has formally announced that it has discovered, and claimed, new groves of liftwood. It has apparently been discovered that liftwood can even grow in extremely cold temperatures, near the Martian ice caps (at least near the ones that Japan has now claimed).
RUSSIA FORMALLY ISSUES A COMPLAINT TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
Russian authorities have accused American secret agents of sneaking into a facility on Venus and stealing Cytherian orchids and other "herbs". Noting America's lack of involvement on Venus, American authorities are calling the accusations "ridiculous" and have decried the paranoia present in Russia's governing body. The Russian aero fleet has officially remarked that any American vessel seen on Venus will immediately be apprehended, questioned, and possibly held without release. Such a policy has outraged American politicians, who have begun to speak out against Russian aggression and the encroachment of free trade on the planet of Venus.
LIZARDFOLK TRIBES ON THE VICTORIA PLATEAU REBEL
Many Lizardfolk tribes have organized themselves and have begun to attack British and German settlements on the Victoria Plateau and around the Wilhelm Mountains. This has proven to be extremely troublesome for colonists there, who were just getting used to relatively peaceful lives on the steamy planet. Lizardfolk allies have come to the aid of the Europeans, but the new resistance is remarkably organized and many of the Lizardfolk tribes have obtained European arms. Both the British and German Empire have ordered troops to Venus and Germany has also ordered several ether zeppelins to begin bombardment of the jungles around the Wilhelm Mountains. An investigation into how these Lizardfolk outside the colonies obtained European weaponry is underway by both the British and the Germans.
THE WORTHY ENDEAVOR
The crew of the
Worthy Endeavor spent a few months on Earth. They were responsible for the capture and persecution of the lizardman accused of murdering more than a hundred Berliners. Their discovery of the lizardman came at a time of great danger for one of the crew members, yet in the end the crew was safe. After much deliberation, they turned the lizardman over to authorities and received a whopping £1,000. The money is good for the
Worthy Endeavor, yet the moral implications are quite severe. Some Berliners, including the now-exiled chief of police, believe that the lizardman meant no harm. However, this is an anti-colonial fringe element of German society, one which has developed to desire equality for the beings of other planets. Nonetheless, the turned over lizardman and his subsequent execution weigh heavy on the crew of the
Worthy Endeavor. For this reason, they might want to find the chief of police (a man named Hans Amsel) and perhaps even accompany him to Venus. Or, they could turn their ship from the situation, not caring about the outcome of the lizardfolk around the Wilhelm Mountains, and enjoying the money they have just received.
THE NARCISSUS
Well now, the crew of the
Narcissus got into a fair bit of trouble the last two seasons. The ship is now well-known to Martians as something to be afraid of, and when many cloud pirates find that they have come upon the
Narcissus, they end up fleeing. Even though the ship has instilled fear into the natives and the Cult of the Worm, there is such hatred for Kurtz and his crew that eventually these same elements will stop at nothing to see the
Narcissus burning as it crashes down to the surface of the red planet. Revenge must wait for them, though, as Kurtz and his crew have successfully helped to suppress rebellion throughout the Belgian Coprates. Most temples of the Cult of the Worm have become abandoned, and the reason for this is most definitely the massacre that the
Narcissus committed within and around a temple. In addition to aiding the suppression of rebels, the ship has successfully shuttled many tons of food to Belgian troops fighting fierce battles. The pay was hefty. The Belgian government has provided Kurtz and his crew with £300 for the food, and another £200 for ammunition. In addition to this, the
Narcissus is currently hauling 8 tons of religious artifacts from one of the temples of the Cult of the Worm. To the religious fanatics, this is a severe offense, and many insane fanatics have attempted to attack the
Narcissus and have failed miserably. It is unknown how much money these artifacts will fetch on Earth, but Kurtz hopes it will be a hefty sum. The
Narcissus ended the season at a High Martian cave somewhere in the Coprates (OOC: Location is up to SKILORD). However, instead of encountering resistance from the kraag, the clan leader instead wished to speak to Kurtz and negotiate for European weaponry or perhaps European trinkets. The clan leader, named Korplok, offered logistical support in the highlands surrounding the Coprates in return for such an allegiance.
THE BLUE ARGO
The crew of the
Blue Argo is making great progress on their invention of the first radio. While performing their scientific tests, the
Blue Argo sought out kraags to trade with. There were some successes in the highlands of Meroe near the German presence on Mars. Some kraags there have integrated with Hill Martians to create rather dynamic societies focused on trade and not as murderous as other High Martians. This discovery by the
Blue Argo has been most beneficial, providing the vessel with an opportunity to make more money. The crew of the
Blue Argo has discovered that these kraags are mostly interested in German products. Specifically, they have become enamored with German beer. Kegs of the beer have been sold for hefty sums, but many of the kraag clan leaders are desiring richer, more tasteful beer. Much of the beer traded with them has been warm. One kraag remarked to the crew of the
Blue Argo, "The Germans give us warm beer, thinking we will settle for that. But lately we desire exactly what they drink in the German colony." Many kraag leaders within Meroe are quite intelligent and are prudent merchants. The
Blue Argo was at first frightened of the High Martians they witnessed, but it soon became apparent that they were not violent or desiring bloodshed. Rather, they were desiring goods from Germany. Not only beer, but other crafts and even artwork by German artists. There was a humorous story told to the crew of the
Blue Argo in which some of the kraag leaders had come together to view art, and had specifically enjoyed German paintings and prints, but had thought their French counterparts to be "boring, repetitive, and lacking passion".
THE HMS PINAFORE
The crew of the HMS
Pinafore is currently taking samples of liftwood saplings to synthesize a liftwood essential oil. Such an oil would have unique properties. The oil has proven to be extremely toxic and fatal thus far, as two (minor) members of the
Pinafore crew became seriously ill and subsequently died from their exposure. Therefore, the pure liftwood oil is now being treated under extremely safe conditions. It cannot be put on the skin or and must be applied to surfaces with proper ventilation. In fact, it is better for humans to cover their respiratory system completely while dealing with the oil. As such, the crew of the
Pinafore has developed special gas-mask like devices and gloves to be used while dealing with the oil. Even though the oil cannot be put on humans or on the clothing humans wear, it has successfully levitated other structures, such as steel plates (if the oil is concentrated enough). This alone will make the oil valuable, yet massive quantities of the oil are required to achieve this and they must be taken from young liftwood plants, making it more difficult to find sources without exhausting Martian groves. The applications of this oil, and the potential deadly nature of highly concentrated liftwood, should create interesting innovations. The oil is expected to be completely developed and patented by the summer of 1890. While searching for young liftwood plants in the Martian highlands, specifically in the Shistomik Mountains northeast of Fadath, the
Pinafore came into contact with many hostile High Martian kraag warriors. In addition, these kraags have begun to recognize the
Pinafore as a murderer of liftwood young, and therefore it has become more and more dangerous for the ship to extract the liftwood saplings it requires to finish research. Nonetheless, there are other highlands of Mars to explore and other kraags that do not know of the
Pinafore.
THE DAITAN SENDATSU
Fushima Arata and the crew of the
Daitan Sendatsu continue to obtain massive amounts of prestige and funding from the Japanese government for their valiant duties in finding lands for the Japanese to research and colonize. The most recent gift has been a stipend of £500. In addition, Arata's crew is becoming increasingly loyal to him, respecting his great honor and his sense of duty and friendship. This loyalty came in handy in recent encounters with High Martians. It all happened on the borders of the mountains directly north-northeast of Euxinus Lacus, near the glacial poles. It was an extremely cold evening, yet the crew had encamped near the mountains searching out new lands for the Empire of Japan. It was then that the High Martians came, attacking swiftly. As quickly as they came, they were defeated, and the crew's loyalty to Arata continued to grow from there. The attack proved to be a blessing in disguise. The
Daitan Sendatsu made a subsequent survey of the mountains north of Euxinus Lacus, and christened them the Sapporo Mountains. The survey revealed massive amounts of kraags and High Martians well-adapted to the cold temperatures. The kraags could easily be seen from the high sky from their fires lit below, like fireflies in the tall peaks. The discovery of High Martians and kraags indicates the presence of liftwood. Sure enough, the survey mission revealed several groves of liftwood. As a result, the Japanese Empire has laid claim to the area directly surrounding the mountains, stretching from Euxinus Lacus. The
Daitan Sendatsu has also achieved its fully required amount of liftwood. It can be either be stored in cargo and sold (worth 15 tons total) or attached to the vessel to provide it with an alternative means of lifting. In addition to these remarkable discoveries, the
Daitan Sendatsu crew has also made innovations in ether propeller, creating a smaller, more efficient version that weighs less (instead of weighing 1 ton, its weight is now inconsequential (0 tons) for the
Daitan Sendatsu. The emperor has asked the vessel to retrieve more liftwood and bring it back to Japan, or perhaps bring it back to Euxinus Lacus where cargo vessels can take it back to Japan (thus freeing up the
Daitan Sendatsu's time to continue exploring areas for Japanese colonization). The emperor wishes to establish small settlements around the Sapporo Mountains, though would first like innovations in technology to support life there and perhaps dig canals from the ice caps. In addition, the kraags of High Martians within the mountain range is an extreme concern. They are fierce because of their resilience and adaptation to the cold.
THE SKYBREAKER
On Venus, the crew of the
Skybreaker got into a bit of trouble. After raiding a Russian science outpost near the Aphrodite Mountains, the
Skybreaker obtained 6 tons of Cytherian orchids. This was an amazing find for the
Skybreaker. These can fetch £200 per ton, making a total profit of £1,200 (if sold to the right buyer, which is usually going to be on Earth). Ever since their escape from the Russian science outpost, they have avoided Russian territory and will somehow have to smuggle the orchids back into Earth to make the full profit (getting past British inspection crews based out of the HMS
Harbinger II). The Russians have been searching for the
Skybreaker, but they have no idea what they are looking for, so the search has not been successful. While in the science outpost, the crew of the
Skybreaker made a startling discovery, one that they might wish to inform German authorities of. Within the science outpost, plants were being dissected and "strange men" were seen covered in fluid inside of large glass tubes. The men seemed altered in a way that the crew cannot fully describe. There were Cytherian orchids, yes, but there were also carcasses of killed man-eating plants (which have been called Vineteeth). There were strange tubes and needles and odd experimental equipment lying around the science outpost. The crew of the
Skybreaker has no doubt that something strange was going on. In addition to these discoveries, the crew of the
Skybreaker has also successfully invented and patented a gas-operated automatic-repeating rifle.
Current Turn
Winter 1889-1890
(Flow Season on Mars)
Post away!
