Minescratcher452

Writeup reviews: If I missed yours, let me know. No notes, approved. No notes, approved. I'm not totally sure on the Swords being Exotic Matter rather than, say, Magic Items (or Specialists??), but as long as it makes some sense that they can fuel quantum entanglement, etc. this is approved. No notes, approved. Looks good, no further feedback! Approved. Love the detail! Approved. Terrifying. :p Approved. The only thing here is that, if another Lumber resource turns up, it would also have to be Magical Items. I like the fluff, so if you want to rename the resource to something a bit more specific to reference the second category, I think it would be a good idea. Otherwise approved. Love all of this. Approved. No notes, approved. No notes, approved. No notes, approved. Love this, approved. Also looks good, approved.

Round 8: Begin! Years 2055-2057 of the 99,803rd Era of the Imperial Calendar Round 8 will close on Sunday, May 19th. Announcements! If a country controls regions across the Great Gulf and loses access to technology allowing them to cross, they may still take actions in those regions without the technology, but not in any other regions. Conditional treasure expenditure, for example “spend 1 treasure on X roll if it is opposed”, is not permitted. Treasure spent on a roll must be locked in before the roll is made, and will be ignored otherwise. The following regions have not received writeups. They progress towards unrest. Region 75 (SCM): The Government faction in Region 75 becomes open. The Media faction in Lyla (Region 106) returns to Open. Discovery! Explorations and other news from afar Maps of Tekhum Tekhum Region numbers marked on the overall solar system map above indicate single-region natural and artificial satellites. New space stations and similar regions created during the game will be added to this map. Badal Commissioned by OpenGameArt.org. Sansar Space Needle sprite from . Firmament Not to scale. Aridyin Veehra Mekhala Distances not to scale. Wakinyan Not to scale. The House of Fire is quick to exploit the newly invented Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores to launch one of the first expeditions into the unknown beyond the Great Gulf. Arriving successfully in orbit of Wakinyan, the explorers select the gas giant’s largest moon as their first survey target, thoroughly charting roughly a quarter of its surface. Among the many oddities they report: faults suggesting former tectonic activity; a substantial magnetic field, manifesting as beautiful aurorae in the moon’s tenuous atmosphere; and the ruins of what appear to be an ancient, long-abandoned colony site, which would be the perfect starting point for a new colony on the moon. HOF sends an expedition to Region 116, spending 1 treasure and discovering an uninhabited colonizable region! Predictably, the Llort are also among the first movers in Wakinyan efforts, focusing instead on the planet’s minor moonlets. Telescope observations from Mekhala could not have prepared them for the swarm of satellites in orbit around the gas giant, and though they chart dozens of rocks, amassing data on orbital and rotational periods, geological properties, radiation exposure, and more, they estimate only about half of the planet’s moons have been thoroughly charted - with no signs of life detected, though, like on the largest moon, scraps of evidence for former habitation are found. LSP sends a diplomatic mission to Region 125, spending 1 treasure, and discovering an uninhabited colonizable region! Growth! Expansion, development, unification, and similar forms of growth and prosperity CUS constructs an Arcology, Ouvriead, in Ouvriead (Region 111), with a bonus to Exploration The WTU constructs an Arcology, Southslope Fields, in Region 63 on behalf of SEV (bonus: +1 to Encourage Settlement) SNK presses a Confederation claim on Region 107! SNK gains 1 ground unit! WTP presses a Confederation claim on Region 21! WTP gains 1 ground unit! ISH presses a Confederation claim on Nadiratna (Region 68)! ISH gains 1 ground unit! AVP colonizes Region 72, spending 1 treasure. The new colony gains a desired import of Weapons, Armor, and Munitions and a minority of The Way of Returning HOF prospects Region 80, creating 2 TPs of Superconductors (Conductors and Circuitry) and an open mercantile support ARK prospects Region 100, creating 2 TPs of Regolith Concrete (Construction Materials) and an open mercantile support WTP prospects Region 102, spending 1 treasure and creating 1 TP of Moon Opals (Precious Minerals) and an open mercantile support BCC prospects Region 103, creating 1 TP of Quadrilithium (Exotic Matter) and an open mercantile support CBC prospects the Irisite Archipelago (112), spending 1 treasure and creating 2 TPs of Avvan Warrior Monks (Soldiers/Specialists) and an open mercantile support. The desired import of the Irisite Archipelago changes to Luxury Goods BAF prospects Themis (Region 113), spending 1 treasure and creating 2 TPs of Activated Dark Matter (Exotic Matter/Fuel and Power) and an open mercantile support ARK encourages settlement of Region 100, creating government and media supports BAF encourages settlement of Themis (Region 113), creating government and media supports BCC encourages settlement of Region 103, creating government and media supports CAS encourages settlement of Region 92, creating government and media supports HOF encourages settlement of Region 80, creating government and media supports CBC fails to encourage settlement in the Irisite Archipelago (112), spending 1 treasure Statecraft! Cultural events, diplomatic overtures, foreign relations, and domestic affairs RAT consolidates their holdings as a Merchant Prince! CBC creates a Cultural Identity, Shielding the Lion's Share (2d8 to Resist Thefts)! DIC creates an Embassy with CAS MSQ creates an Embassy with CBC LSP creates an Embassy with MSQ ARK creates an Embassy with GCC TEA establishes a marriage claim on the Khylosen Cluster (89), dispatching Zara Tareta to marry into a Blood Clan! CAS fails to establish a confederation claim on Region 85, spending 1 treasure TEA hosts the First Pan-Tekhum Mageball Competition! - TEA trades Shrewd Business to ILU in exchange for Minor Precognition - TEA trades Pseudogravity Engineering, Badalian Megadirigibles, and Shrewd Business to CAS in exchange for Android Industrialization - TEA trades Shrewd Business to the WTU - ILU vassalizes to TEA! - SEV donates 5 Treasure to EMP for Extraordinary Research Grant Approvals - SEV gifts Shrewd Business and Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores to WTU - SEV gifts Hyperlight Transceivers to CAS, HOB, and MSQ - SEV trades Hyperlight Transceivers to BCC in exchange for E.O.N.S. Projectors - SEV trades Hyperlight Transceivers to GCC in exchange for Tesseractic Storage - SEV trades Hyperlight Transceivers and Pseudogravity Engineering to ILU in exchange for Minor Precognition - SEV trades Hyperlight Transceivers to LSP in exchange for Smart Space Colonizer Suits - SEV trades Hyperlight Transceivers to MIR in exchange for Antigravitational Rail - SEV trades Hyperlight Transceivers to SCM in exchange for Soom-Pattern Rayguns - ILU trades Minor Precognition to HOB in exchange for Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores - ILU gifts Dust Hardening and Minor Precognition to WTP - CAS gifts 1 Treasure, Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, In Vivo Modification, Nuclear Fusion, Xenolinguistic Cataloguing, Thaumonuclear Reaction Cores, Android Industrialization, and Cyclone Phased Laser Arrays to MRP in exchange for Pseudogravity Engineering - CAS trades Android Industrialization to GCC in exchange for Tesseractic Storage - CAS trades Android Industrialization to MIR in exchange for Anti-Gravitational Rail - CAS trades Android Industrialization to LSP in exchange for Smart Space Colonizer Suits - CAS trades Android Industrialization to SCM in exchange for Soom-Pattern Rayguns - CAS trades Android Industrialization to BCC in exchange for EONS Projector - MSQ gifts 1 treasure to COV - MSQ gifts 1 treasure to SCM - MSQ donates 1 treasure to EMP for Extraordinary Research Grant Approvals - LSP donates Smart Space Colonizer Suits and 1 treasure to EMP for Extraordinary Research Grant Approvals - GCC donates 4 treasure to EMP for Extraordinary Research Grant Approvals - GCC gifts Tesseractic Storage and psuedogravity engineering to MSQ - GCC gifts Tesseractic Storage to TWI - GCC trades Tesseractic Storage to HOB in exchange for Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores - HOB donates 5 treasure and Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores to EMP for Extraordinary Research Grant Approvals - SCM donates 1 treasure to EMP for Extraordinary Research Grant Approvals - SCM gifts Soom-Pattern Rayguns to MSQ - SCM trades Soom-Pattern Rayguns to BCC in exchange for EONS Projectors - MIR gifts Anti-Gravitational-Rail to MSQ -TWI donates 1 treasure to EMP for Extraordinary Research Grant Approvals ARK hosts The Meligogue Conclave - ARK gifts Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, Badalian Megadirigibles, Nuclear Fusion, Pseudogravity Engineering, Shrewd Business, Vacuum Adaptation, and Xenolinguistic Cataloguing to COE - ARK gifts Vacuum Adaptation, and Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores, and Region 100 to ALF - ARK donates 3 treasure to EMP for Extraordinary Research Grant Approvals - ARK gifts Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores, Shrewd Business, Vacuum Adaptation, Wet Navy Ships, Badalian Megadirigibles, Pseudogravity Engineering to ISH - ARK gifts Shrewd Business and Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores to GCC - ISH trades Shield Generators to GCC in exchange for Tesseractic Storage RAT sends Shrewd Business, Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, In Vivo Modification, Nuclear Fusion, Xenolinguistic Cataloguing, Badalian Megadirigibles to COV via Trade Route RAT sends 1 Treasure to ARK via Trade Route RAT sends 1 Treasure to WTP via Trade Route LSP sends Smart Space Colonizer Suits to WTP via Trade Route GCC sends Tesseractic Storage to WTP via Embassy ALF sways the Media in Region 35 ALF sways the Media in Region 51 AVP impresses the Government in Region 59 CAS sways the Merchants in the Amiant Cluster (Region 86) COV sways the Government in Region 93 CUS sways the Merchants in Region 28, previously owned by WTU EMP impresses the Government in Region 111 on behalf of CUS HOF sways the Government in Bīt Ereshkigal (Region 22) LSP sways the Government in Et Cetera HQ (Region 91) MIR impresses the Merchants in 75, using Curative Enzymes, spending 1 treasure SCM sways the Government in Mraza (Region 55) SCM sways the Government in Region 106 SNK sways the Government in Region 64 MIR fails to sway the Merchants in Region 56, spending 1 treasure Trade! Buyouts, trade routes, and other economic shenanigans CBC and RAT form a Trade Route! MSQ and RAT form a Trade Route! BIR buys out TP 1 in Region 101 for Helium-3 BIR buys out TP 2 in Grigialfheim (51) for Ryban Fish CAS buys out TP 3 in The Khylosen Cluster (89) for Unrefined Metallic Ores FBC buys out TP 3 in Moonsoul Mountains (44) for Unblemished Wreckage FBC buys out TP 1 in Cannor (31) for Nitrates GCC buys out TP 1 in Zimbir (81) for Lawyers GLO buys out TP 3 in Region 59 for Union Crews from ARK, spending 1 treasure GLO buys out TP1 in Region 27 for Tiny Turtles, spending 1 treasure RAT buys out TP 2 in Wikus Plains (39) for Heroic Adventurers RAT buys out TP 2 in Region 106 for Cornelian Mercenaries RAT buys out TP 2 in Region 101 for Helium-3 RAT buys out TP 1 in Region 104 for Solar Panels RRE buys out TP 2 in The Iron-Clan Halls (95) for Laser Rifles, spending 1 treasure RRE buys out TP 2 in North Way Cluster (2) for Cybernetics and Prosthetics, spending 1 treasure RRE buys out TP 1 in Region 59 for Union Crews RRE buys out TP 2 in Ebon Cove (49) for Glit Limestone RRE buys out TP 1 in The Solarian Plains (43) for Positronic Brains TWI buys out TP 2 in Et Cetera HQ (91) for Gold, spending 1 treasure TWI buys out TP 1 in Region 61 for Tripedal Mecha UHS buys out TP 1 in The Khylosen Cluster (89) for Unrefined Metallic Ores, spending 1 treasure WIC buys out TP 2 in Region 5 for Charnan Cherries, spending 1 treasure WIC buys out TP 1 in Region 48 for Polymetallic Nodules, spending 1 treasure WIC buys out TP 2 in Region 38 for Joint Stock Companies WIC buys out TP 2 in Region 27 for Tiny Turtles TEA fails to buy out TP 1 in Region 31 for Nitrates, spending 1 treasure Treasure Gained ALF gains 1 passive treasure AVP gains 1 passive treasure BAF gains 2 passive treasure BIR gains 2 passive treasure BRB gains 1 passive treasure CAS gains 2 passive treasure COV hoards 1 treasure CUS gains 1 passive treasure DIC gains 1 passive treasure ELD gains 1 passive treasure FBC gains 2 passive treasure GCC gains 1 passive treasure GLO gains 1 passive treasure HOB gains 2 passive treasure HOF gains 1 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Perks of Status LSP gains 1 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Perks of Status MIR gains 2 passive treasure MSQ gains 2 passive treasure RAT gains 3 passive treasure RRE gains 2 passive treasure SCM gains 1 passive treasure SEV gains 2 passive treasure TEA gains 1 treasure from Perks of Status TWI gains 2 passive treasure UHS gains 2 passive treasure WIC gains 2 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Ally of the Union WTP gains 1 treasure from Perks of Status Faith! Conversions, organization, and other such matters of faith BRB introduces a Plurality of Soul’s Fascination in Region 7, displacing Paragonism to Minority level BRB introduces a Majority of Soul’s Fascination in Neo Guleum (12) BRB introduces a Minority of Soul’s Fascination in The Space-Kelp Cluster (87) COE introduces a Minority of Coedd in Gloria (37) COE introduces a Minority of Coedd in Region 48 COE introduces a Minority of Coedd in Lassal (24) COE introduces a Majority of Coedd in The Reserve (25) CUS and HOB replace the Minority of Coedd with Imperial Cult in Caipe Ushere (29) HOB introduces a Plurality of Imperial Cult in Dur-Shalkhir (76), displacing The Communion of Black Sky to Minority level HOB introduces a Minority of Imperial Cult in Mek-01 (77) HOB introduces a Plurality of Imperial Cult in The Parrot's Perch (84), displacing Slingid the Parrot to Minority level ILU introduces a Majority of Soul’s Fascination in Anjahar (11) ILU introduces a Minority of Soul’s Fascination in Taumaru (19) MRP introduces a Plurality of Bardolatry in Region 83 TWI introduces a Minority of Death’s Wheel in The Orochon Shieldplains (63) TWI introduces a Minority of Death’s Wheel in Region 61 UHS expands Forever Self to Plurality in Suaka Beruntung (Region 15), displacing Megachlorians to Minority level UHS introduces a minority of Forever Self in Region 4 Wonder! Miracles and inventions, ancient relics, and spectacular undertakings BRB miracle: merge Fascination and Soul’s Expression! - All NPC regions with either Fascination or Soul's Expression become Soul's Fascination - All Owned Regions with either Fascination or Soul's Expression become Soul's Fascination, if the region owner non-actions acceptance of the merge. - SEV, BCC decline the merge; the next conversion from either Fascination or Soul's Expression in their regions will upgrade to a Soul's Fascination. - Regions that have both Fascination and Soul's Expression in them when the merge to Soul's Fascination occurs move up a step [Minor to Plurality, Plurality to Major, or even Major to Sole though the latter requires there are no other faiths in the region]. For NPC regions, this happens automatically. For owned regions, this increase in step requires an additional non-action acceptance. A player may non-action the merge to Soul's Fascination without accepting the increased Size, but may not non-action the increase Size step without first accepting the merge. - ARK declines the size increase; Soul’s Fascination remains at a minority. - As a non-action of the Miracle, the Size 5 bonus is +1 Buyouts - As a non-action of the Miracle, the Size 10 bonus is +1 Conversions - As a non-action of the Miracle, the Size 20 bonus is 2d8 Resist Conversions SEV creates a Space Habitat, Arbor (Region 134), in the orbit of Veehra! It gains a Desired Import of Chemical Reagents and a minority of Requiem for the Loop SEV invents Hyperlight Transceivers! Harnessing the unique properties of matter from the Loop, Castaway scientists have devised a way to induce a stable state of quantum entanglement between two similar objects, causing them to mirror certain physical properties regardless of distance. The effect is fragile, deteriorating rapidly under gross physical strain or when applied to anything larger than a millimeter in size... but only a tiny circuit is needed to convey information. The ability to project simple binary code instantaneously across vast distances allows real-time communication from one end of Tekhum to the other, provided there is a linked transceiver at both locations. Requires: Exotic Matter. Effect: Once per round, reduce the distance penalty on any non-battle action by 1. BIR invents a technology, currently unfinished! LSP invents Smart Space Colonizer Suits! Spacesuits designed with a deeper integration of assistive devices into the suit and by extension into the cosmonaut themselves directly. They become one with the suit and one with their tools, effectively. This allows those tools to function as an extension of them. It lets them fine-tune their scanning to locate archaeological sites and good sites for colonization efforts. It allows them to survive longer stretches in space to make that colonization happen. It allows them to spend more time on the exploring and colonizing by eschewing all the countless seconds spent on menial tasks that are now automated by them becoming one with their suit. Requires: Vacuum Adaptation technology, any Conductors and Circuitry category resource, any Fabrics and Textile Products category resource (may be the same resource). Effect: This tech takes effect during and after exploring a region, if the region doesn't have any significant sophont population. A successful roll against TN 12 reveals the full details of the region and you reveal any sites of archeological interest or similar unique features in the region that might otherwise be hidden. You get a +1 bonus to the Colonize action taken in the region in the following round. On a great success (TN 18), you may attempt to colonize the region as a non-action on the following round. GCC invents Tesseractic Storage! Inspired by Queen Constance's purple beehive dress, Glim'Bosk figured out how to bend objects into 4D superstructures with Lepkashramov. This technique causes the mass and carrying capacity of an object to scale to a higher exponential degree than implied by volume. Requires: Magical materials, pseudogravity engineering. Effect: -1 to distance penalties for Economy actions. After almost a decade of work, the Wicklund Salvagers restore the Space Elevator in Region 39! The “beanstalk” structure stretches from a secure tether at the surface to the long-unused port facilities on the underside of Firmament, providing cheap access to low orbit in bulk volume to the Salvagers. Regions 39 and 109 are now considered to be adjacent. ISH extends the Peludian rail network to the Highlands of Ishtahnos (Region 65) MIR extends the rail network to the Great Western Waste (Region 62) Might! Military matters of all kinds, be it warfare or strategic developments The House of Fire invents Thaumonuclear Warheads! At the center of the thaumofission explosion, the catastrophic release of magical energy coupled with solar temperatures results in the first instance of Constancy Flux seen since the War of Eternal Bombardments. At the center of the explosion, the scientific constants of gravity, nuclear force, and electromagnetism enter a state of chaotic flux, randomizing and re-randomizing a thousand times in the instant of ignition. As thermal and kinetic energy transfer along the media of atoms, Constancy Flux flows back along the stream of invisible particles binding the universe together. While the decay rate is extraordinary, even the lightest touch of Constancy Flux results in unexpected and lethal mutations in both physical and thaumoperceptual reality. Requires: Arcane Amplification, Nuclear Fusion, Fissile Material resource. Slot: Ship-to-Ship Weapons. Effect: +1 to Space and Combined Front battles The High Kingdom of Ishtahnos invents Shield Generators! Using special Energised Chrysoberyl matrices a resonant field can be produced that, although is in opposition to the initial field, has the same effect and can be projected over a greater distance. This does draw a significant amount of power and requires at least an entire additional fusion reactor, optimised for power rather than particle creation, keeping the matrices charged. Through a series of conduits this resonant field can be directed from around the reactor far away to a series of directional emitters at the periphery of whatever was desired to be shielded. Experimental designs using Haematite, Crystal Weave and even standard high grade electronics were proven to also be viable with only some redesign needed. Requires: Nuclear Fusion, Conductors and Circuitry resource. Slot: Armour and Shields. Effect: +1 to Space and Combined Front battles. The Soom-Clan Marauders invent Soom-Pattern Rayguns! The Soom-Pattern balances a tunable solidstate laser emitter with a high energy yield with a low-energy rangefinding laser in a beamsplitter connected to a complex optical matrix. The rangefinder is calculating optimal range bands at any time the safety is disabled, and when fired the high-yield emitter is tuned automatically to the best frequency determined by the rangefinder. Generally, the tuning is set to a frequency that allows the laser to oscillate "through" atmospheric obstructions such as dust, smoke, or even some types of light armor, dramatically reducing undesirable bloom and beam ablation and rendering this type of weaponry far more effective in-atmosphere than previous models. Requires: Conductors and Circuitry resource OR Laser Rifles. Slot: Man-Portable Weapons. Effect: +1 to ground and Combined Front battles. The Black Cloud Coalition invents the E.O.N.S. Projector! Making use of an admixture of technomancy and electrokinesis, the EONS Projector, true to its name, uses an electromagnetic runic amplifier system to project a networking field over a massive area, up to and including orbital battlefields with large enough deployment systems. This field forcibly networks together local computer systems, advanced electronics, and even certain arcane interfaces, creating a medium through which to conduct otherwise impossible assaults on otherwise inaccessible systems, engage in unorthodox methods of reconnaissance, and intercept enemy communications. Requires: Arcane Amplification, Algorithmic Imagination, Computers resource. Slot: Electronic Warfare & Countermeasures. Effect: +1 to Tactical Maneuvering Rolls The White Pawns perfect the Tactical Doctrine of Complimentary Ideas! Any WTP commander can now use Complimentary Ideas, and WTP gains +1 to Tactical Maneuvering rolls to activate it. SEV recruits a General, Irin Sakar (score: 9)! She can use the Tactical Doctrine UNFINISHED COV recruits an Admiral, Admiral Roobee (score: 8)! They can use the Tactical Doctrine Rock-Solid Command: +2 to battle roll DIC recruits a General, Kent Cumbria (score: 10)! They can use the Tactical Doctrine Undermine their Defenses: negates casualties from landing against an opposed Government Support The Fiorid Principality of Verdalfheim invades Region 38 Becoming a regular sight in the space above Sansar, Hinrik del Fiori leads a small group of elven spacecraft into geosynchronous orbit - the particulars having been worked out long in advance, to begin orbital support for the ground war. Exactly as unopposed as he was expecting. On the ground, Arni del Fiori (Mil 9) leads the remnants of the previous disastrous attack on region 37, supported by fresh reinforcements - four units in total - in an elemental scream of rage disguised as a battle. They are met by the cybernetically enhanced master warlord Colonel Beldhan (Mil 10) and what is left of his army. Outnumbered, but experienced in anti-elven tactics and fighting to defend their home. Colonel Beldhan [NPC] (Mil 10) succeeds in using Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Colonel Beldhan - frequently refusing promotion as his rank has become part of his myth - has fought the elves before, famously, but this attack is different and almost catches him off guard. Arni del Fiori has all but abandoned tactics in favor of a single minded attempt to wipe out the Colonel and his followers, and the relentless savagery might have overwhelmed a less formidable commander. Not the Colonel though - initially unprepared for this new approach his forces retreat under heavy fire, ground and orbit, and regroup. Soon enough though the single-minded determination of the elves can be turned against them. While “destroying all the enemy” is a valid strategic aim, doing so is made easier through the use of, for example, delaying attacks and tactical withdrawals. del Diorir makes little use of these, pushing forces into the fight and only counting enemy casualties not his own. Colonel Beldhan leads elven troops into trap after trap and each one shakes the troops - though not Arni’s - morale. But soldiers need morale as much as ammunition and eventually after a few cataclysmic engagements, even Arni is forced to retreat. The native population celebrate. Beldhan! They chant, perhaps sharp eared elves in the retreating forces can hear it Elfbane! Beldhan! Elfbane! In Colonel Beldhan’s command bunker, though, the mood is a little less exultant. That initial elven attack cost them dear and without reinforcements it is only a matter of time before the butcher’s bill overwhelms them. Native Victory! ALF lose 1 Unit! Natives lose 1 Unit! Natives retain control of region 38! The Eucrus Alliance invades Region 83 One of the Mekhalan asteroids sees an invasion by the Eucrus Alliance as Archon Tangata Roa (Mil 8) leads a mixed force of two spacecraft and three ground units. Beside him on the bridge of his command vessel is the partly mellified body of Taio Wakari, observing this one last battle before his final transition. The forces deployed to repel this invasion are commanded by Maestro Extraordinati (Mil 1). Bardolatry has started to become a major part of the belief of this region and the Maestro is chosen to lead their forces based on his “outstanding”, “a masterpiece”, “inspiring” performance as a semi-mythical general in a recent performance. “How different can acting as a general and actually being a general be?” reason his three units. Archon Tangata Roa [TEA] (Mil 8) succeeds in using Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Really quite different, it turns out. Almost totally dissimilar. Maestro Extraordinati wins the “who gives the most impressive pre-battle speech” competition effortlessly but after that, after posturing and fine words are finished, he is hopelessly, hilariously inept. On reflection, after the event, he seems to have viewed the battle as a narrative. In his worldview, a small unit - hopelessly outgunned but with interesting interpersonal relations - cannot lose. In actuality, they were cut down before the love triangles could be resolved. As Eucrus medics cared for the wounded, a young man with a mysterious birthmark falls when his father’s sword breaks due to inadequate maintenance. Elsewhere a hopelessly overengineered plan - involving a ragtag group of misfits with no reason to trust one another but thrown together by circumstance - fails a few metres short of the first hurdle. It’s not entirely one sided, technically, but what successes the Maestro’s forces have are due to standard tactics and greater facility with Mekhala’s conditions rather than one in a million chances coming through. The battle lasts less than a week and ends with the Maestro’s surrender. The Dwarven Industrial Coalition invades Region 96 Elsewhere in Mekhala, the Dwarven Industrial Coalition attempts to forcefully bring Region 96 into the coalition. Dr Horace Thorne (Mil 10) leads a combined force of five units to action this. TEA Victory! TEA lose 1 Ground Unit! Natives lose 1 Unit! TEA gains region 83! Aetherian Xollum (Mil 4) was not the first choice to lead the defenders’ two units, but he was the last. Xollum is one of a group of five shamen who, with their powers combined, can summon a powerful spirit, an animist personification of the asteroids. Sadly the DIC’s very first shot hit the summoning chamber, killing four of them and leaving Xollum wounded and the ritual unfinished. Xollum was the least prestigious of the five - many people wondering what sort of power “Aether” was anyway - but he was still the most prestigious person left alive and so takes command of the forces. Dr. Horace Thorne [DIC] (Mil 10) succeeds in using Engineered Onslaught (+1 to battle, +10% enemy casualties) What sort of power is aether anyway? Well, inter alia, it’s the power of electricity and was wielded with incredible skill. Dwarven troops find their ships failing, various weapons malfunctioning and arcing electrical sparks skipping through their ranks. Quite possibly this would have been too much for many assaults. But Thorne was an engineer as much as was a general and rapidly sets up field workshops to repurpose and jury rig equipment to remove these vulnerabilities. Had Lithos Gergim been alive then the rocky passages could have been manipulated to crush the dwarves, but he wasn’t. Killis Aeris could have sucked the oxygen from dwarven lungs…any of the other four could have turned this battle. But there was only the Aetherian left and Dr Thorne’s emergency engineering carried the day. DIC Victory! DIC lose 1 Space Unit! Natives lose 1 Unit! DIC gains region 96! Units Raised ALF raises 1 ground unit AVP raises 1 ground unit CBC raises 1 ground unit COV raises 1 ground unit ELD raises 1 ground unit and 1 space unit GLO raises 2 space units MIR raises 1 space unit SNK raises 1 space unit TEA raises 1 ground unit and 1 space unit Schemes! Coercion, betrayals, and spycraft BRB spends 2 treasure on a secret action FBC spends 1 treasure on a secret action GLO creates an Espionage Agency! ELD steals Thaumonuclear Reactors from ARK UHS steals treasure from UNC, spending 1 treasure and stealing 2 treasure ELD coerces TP 2 for Narcotics in Coedd (Region 33) Terror! Violence, upheaval, murder, and destruction One thing unites every strata of the social and physical hierarchy of Taumaru: water. Lack of crucial chemical reagents needed to sterilize the water supply has led to outages, rationing, and minor outbreaks of contagious disease in the highly populated aerostat. The cabinet of ministers, dissatisfied with the Eucrus Alliance’s attempt to curtail their power, have spread rampant rumors among the population that the water troubles are due to new policies authored by the Alliance’s newly installed Chancellor. The Merchants in Taumaru (19) become Unruly due to lack of Chemical Reagents. The Mountain King of the Iron-Clan Halls covets the few functional computers jealously guarded by rival governments under the Champion and the High Priest of War. Unless the Dwarven Industrial Coalition provides the necessary infrastructure to keep the King’s faction operational, their enforced peace over the factitious region will shatter. Already, the Mountain King has begun to ramp up laser rifle production and military recruitment for imminent war. The Merchants in the Iron-Clan Halls (95) become Unruly due to lack of Computers. Core Seer Usun from the House of Brimstone is kidnapped by agents of the Iron Masquerade while attending the Mageball event! Furthermore, Society Consul Hanyeo of the Llort Society Protectorate, Witch Ghaile from the Shattered Coven, and Console-Elect Giovanni from the Illumined Utopian are all seen leaving with the Masquerade delegation of, apparently, their own volition…. Organizations! The Imperial Court With the turning over of a new leaf, COE rises to -2 EMP rep. With the changing of the Society Consul, LSP falls to EMP rep 3. The Illumined Utopians seek assistance in the Wyrmlands. ILU spends 1 Favor, EMP will attempt to Impress Government Support in the Wyrmlands (45) this round. Queen Constance’s campaign efforts fail to impress the Senate. SCM raises rep to 1. Imperial College of Sciences acknowledges the following donations… ARK has donated 3 treasure BAF has donated 2 Treasure GCC has donated 4 Treasure HOB has donated 5 Treasure and their Thaumonuclear Reactor Core technology LSP has donated 1 Treasure and their Smart Space Colonizer Suits technology MSQ has donated 1 treasure SCM has donated 1 treasure SEV has donated 5 Treasure TWI has donated 1 treasure An anonymous donor has donated 2 Treasure 30 Treasure has been donated so far. The Armada recognizes the dueling prowess of the following submissions… BAF BIR BRB CBC The Armada appreciates the efforts of the following Elect toward the compilation of the Coronal Catalogue… BAF (2 Actions) SNK (2 Actions) TEA (2 Actions) TEA spends 1 favor to raise 2 units. UHS gains 1 EMP rep from Tenfold in Blood, rising to EMP rank 1. Pan-Tekhum Worker’s and Trader’s Union The Eucrus Alliance and the Castaways of the Loop teach Union representatives tricks for better negotiation. TEA and SEV grant Shrewd Business to WTU, gaining 1 WTU Favor each. SEV additionally grants Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores to WTU for an additional favor. C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. calls on the Union. CAS exchanges 3 Favor and 1 rep with WTU for an attempted buyout of TP 85.2 and an Arcology in the Amiant Cluster (86). GCC raises rep to 1. SEV gifts TP 62.2 (Todd) to the Worker's and Trader's Union via Organize!, gaining 1 treasure and 1 favor. RAT loses 1 WTU rep for changing leadership while at rank 3. The Basu-Rahman Group As the Basu-Rahman Group regains its footing, their friends in the Parrot’s Perch ask for assistance in return. GCC spends 1 BRG Favor. BRG will attempt to Convert the Coedd Minority in Parrot’s Perch (84) to the Imperial Cult. UHS submits Dirty Secrets to BRG, trading 1 Renown for 1 BRG favor. UHS asks BRG to create an experimental artifact via Research and Development to bolster their economy for 2 BRG favors and 1 BRG rep, falling to rank 2. Artifact details to come with Org actions this round. BCC, ELD, and WIC benefit from Seek Aid from Thanks to Viewers Like You. GCC loses 1 BRG rep from changing Prime Ministers while at rank 3. Renown SCM gains 1 REN from a Grand Army for having the best ground army (5 ground units + 10 General)! GLO gains 1 REN from a Grand Army for having the best space navy (5 space units + 9 Admiral)! Biron proves as unique as it is potent for those that can afford and master it. BIR gains 1 REN for Status and Extravagance. A complicated series of badges and ranks demonstrates the skill of Bafatis Psions. BAF gains 1 REN for Status and Extravagance. A surprise discovery in the Ishtahn labs sees powerful new shielding technology on Veehra. ISH gains 2 REN for Wonders of the 99,803rd Era. An arms race kicks off on the dusty red planet, as the Soom-Clan Marauders develop powerful new rayguns that function despite the less-than-ideal atmosphere of their home! SCM gains 2 REN for Wonders of the 99,803rd Era. The mystical subterfuge of the Glorious Purifiers brings a level of infamy to the Moonsoul Mountains, for those who know to look. GLO gains 2 REN for Eyes in the Skies. RAT gains 2 Renown from Higher Powers for becoming the first Merchant Prince. SEV gains 2 Renown from Eyes in the Sky for launching a Space Habitat. SEV gains 2 Renown from Wonders of the 99,803rd Era for inventing Hyperlight Transceivers. UHS loses 1 Renown from Dirty Secrets. MSQ gains 1 Renown from Ties That Bind for reaching 3 Embassies. BCC gains 2 Renown from Wonders of the 99,803rd Era for inventing E.O.N.S. Projector. CUS loses 1 Renown for changing rulers while at rank 3. LSP loses 1 Renown for changing rulers while at rank 3. LSP gains 2 Renown from Wonders of the 99,803rd Era for inventing Space Colonizer Suits. REN 4 is overcrowded! GLO and BCC remain at REN 4. SCM, SEV, ELD, and TEA drop to REN 3. ISH and LSP drop to REN 2. REN 3 is overcrowded! SCM, SEV, ELD, and TEA are safe. BAF and RAT drop to REN 2. REN 2 is overcrowded! ISH, LSP, BAF, and RAT are safe. SNK, CUS, WTP, and BIR remain at REN 2. MSQ, BRB, and GCC drop to REN 1. Other… Perhaps owing to the overhead of their recent expansionism, the government of U.N.N.C.L.E. finds itself slowing down at a distressing rate. Factionalism skyrockets as the Chief Executive Directors feud, and for three years, not a single 6 Year Plan reaches the threshold of 50% of the vote. The board cannot resolve the conflicts, and the search for a Paragon seemingly now falls to the individual, no longer coordinated by those of greater Prowess…. U.N.N.C.L.E. ceases to be a player country. Region 3 becomes an unowned region with 3 units. Region 4 becomes an unowned region with 3 units. All TPs and Supports owned by UNC become Open. In the wake of this chaos, Cinder Skye of Kinella steps forward to claim the title of Paragon! The Yinassi woman claims to be the living fulfillment of the prophecy of the “Great Blossom”, a prophet who will bring life to the most distant worlds in the solar system and forge a “new empire” beyond the Great Gap. Having apparently visited the Control Center and passed every test of Will put forth by the Kinfolk, she demands to be instated as the rightful Paragon, the pinnacle of existence! While most in U.N.N.C.L.E. deny her status on grounds of species or claims that she in fact failed the tests, her claim stands up to public scrutiny, and Chairman Alchire may have the chance to press it. BIR gains a strong Divine Right claim to Control Center (Region 3)! The Ol' Tavisham Academy may be one of Sansar's oldest magical institutions, but it does not seem to have risen to the level of a state for long. Perhaps the Emperor’s intent was always for the fast-expanding, tinkering Rathakaz to join the Elect instead, but their coup against the mages’ authority and its explosive ending set both groups back at least a hundred years. Though given a brief taste of the stars, it seems that now is a low point for the Ebon Cove, even as its neighbors continue to ascend. TAV ceases to be a player country. Region 49 becomes an unowned region with 3 units. All TPs and Supports owned by TAV become Open. The Dwarven investigation of the force-field generator in Region 92 bears little immediately actionable fruit, but does reveal the basics of the shield system. The core of the projector is located at the exact center of mass of the asteroid, hooked up to a massive network of fusion generators and high-capacity batteries that must have been powering the shield. It appears to function in a similar way to the Ishtahn shields recently invented on Veehra, but at a greater scale; however, lack of access to either Ishtahn shield prototypes or to the full ancient shield system hinders further research, especially as the power array has been thoroughly burned out by the bombardment and the shields can only be reactivated by external power patches. In terms of more archaeological concerns, the investigation also turns up little; effectively the only information available is that the inhabitants were humanoid and human-sized, by inference from the artifacts left behind. With the aid of the Bard, the Merely Players commence an investigation of the “madness plagues” reported to have spread from the shielded asteroid in Region 92. Following up on reports from the past few years, they find few commonalities between individual cases of insanity, but a few patterns do eventually emerge - remarkably, by spacio-graphic region. CASSIOPE organics tend towards exaggerated, extreme distortions of belief, such as paranoia or mania; dwarves, by contrast, usually turn inward, withdrawing to a hallucinatory internal experience. With no magical or supernatural cause readily in sight, and trends indicating the possibility that they are a rejection of local social values, in keeping with the hysteria hypothesis, the Players conclude, “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” However, the outbreaks continue to spread, and as madness sweeps the Amiant Cluster, Mel-Tori, and the Iron-Clan Halls, a different explanation appears. The shield, some affected individuals claim, entrapped a being so far beyond our own reality that to acknowledge it is to invite "insanity" - or, perhaps, true sanity. The outbreaks are not simple coincidence or some absurd mass hysteria; they are the outreach of a confused and abandoned god, searching for its flock. However, no particular hard evidence for this interpretation seems forthcoming, especially in the face of the Players’ investigation. An enterprising Solarian engineer presents their first attempt at an experimental police android to the Eilif Dhaoine, designed for undercover operations while remaining indistinguishable from a human. The fact that every single observer was immediately able to identify it as a robot, ruining its disguise, is surely only a minor setback, easily fixable - assuming, of course, another round of investment…? Olive Marie the 215.7th of the White Pawns travels to their new-acquired colony on Aridyin, accompanied by agents of the Imperial Plenipotentiary, to investigate the Monolith discovered there during its repossession. Originally chosen for her skills in xenolinguistics, she suddenly finds herself feeling superfluous when the Monolith is discovered, during her shuttle to the moon, to be completely smooth to the sub-atomic level. However, she arrives and dutifully carries out her inspection anyway - which may have been all that was needed. Resonating with her presence, or perhaps with her intent to activate it, the Monolith emits a piercing psychic“scream” that deafens observers at the site and a burst of FTL particles aimed along its long axis. The signal’s ultimate destination is certainly not any of the eight known planets of Tekhum: how far beyond the known solar system it will travel and who it will eventually reach is unclear and, perhaps, unknowable. Flashes of light in the Sansar night sky, the unmistakable signs of bombardment, herald an attack on the Firmament! News reaches the Wicklund Salvagers first in a burst of communications from Region 109, followed shortly after by refugees fleeing down the space elevator: a small, ragtag fleet of ships, Khylokian and New Kildoran in design, have begun an all-out assault on the orbital ring. Their leader, sighted multiple times as their mostly mercenary ground forces engage the Junk King’s defenses, seems to be none other than the former Bironian Archknight Yanji Argon, wielding the Sword of Revolutions! No public statement seems forthcoming from the long-lost leader, but he looks to have hardly aged since his escape from the civil war some fifteen standard years ago. It seems Junk King Gref’s concerns about Red-Blade United Profit-Archeology have dramatically been proven more correct than anyone could have expected, as Yanji’s troops use the advantage of surprise to fan out throughout the ring segment, quickly occupying RBUPA salvage camps and processing sites as forward bases from which to scour the region for… something. Archknight Yanji Argon? (Score 10) and a force of 2 space units and 4 ground units invade Region 109, spending 1 treasure! Yanji will attempt the Tactical Doctrine Archaeology by Force: +3 to Tactical Maneuvering. On a battle or Tactical Maneuvering victory, retrieve an archaeological artifact from the region, if one exists to be acquired.

End of Round Seven. No further mechanical edits to action posts may be made! Battles The Fiorid Principality of Verdalfheim invades Region 38 Space Front: Hinrik dei Fiori [ALF] attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Colonel Beldhan [NPC] (Mil 10) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Arni dei Fiori [ALF] (Mil 9) attempting Relentless Butchery (+20% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Colonel Beldhan: 2d6+10 = 20 Arni dei Fiori: 2d6+9 = 14 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+13 (+10 Mil, +3 Units) [+2 if TacMan] = 30 Fiorid Principality of Verdalfheim: 2d10+16 (+9 Mil, +4 Units, +3 Orbital Superiority) = 24 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1 = 40% of 3 units = 1 lost Fiorid Principality of Verdalfheim: 1d3+1d4-1-1 = 30% of 4 units = 1 lost The Eucrus Alliance invades Region 83 Combined Front: Maestro Extraordinati [NPC] (Mil 1) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Archon Tangata Roa [TEA] (Mil 8) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Maestro Extraordinati: 2d6+Score 1 = 9 Archon Tangata Roa: 2d6+8 = 19 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+Score 1 (+3 Units) = 17 Eucrus Alliance: 2d10+10 (+8 Mil, +3 Ground Units +2 Space Units, -3 Distance) [+2 if TacMan] = 24 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1-1 = 30% of 3 units = 1 lost Eucrus Alliance: 1d3+1 =20% of 3 ground units = 1 lost and 20% of 2 space units = 0 lost Additional Effects: Taio Wakari will accompany this battle as a minor character/observer. I would like to roll a separate leader loss to see if he survives, with a self-imposed -3 (plus any normal penalties from the battle) on this check due to frailty. Should he perish, his preserved body will be sent to the ArkHive to finish the process of mellification undertaken prior to the journey. The Dwarven Industrial Coalition invades Region 96 Combined Front: Aetherian Xollum [NPC] mil 4 attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Dr. Horace Thorne [DIC] (Mil 10) attempting Engineered Onslaught (+1 to battle, +10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Aetherian Xollum: 2d6+Score 4 = 9 Dr. Horace Thorne: 2d6+10 = 17 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+2+Score 4 (+2 Units) = 18 Dwarven Industrial Coalition: 2d10+15 (+10 Mil, +2 Ground Units, +3 Space Units) [+1 if TacMan] = 24 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4 = 40% of 2 units = 1 lost Dwarven Industrial Coalition: 1d3 = 20% of 2 ground units = 0 lost and 20% of 3 space units = 1 lost

I'd like to see a little bit of detail on the Paradise Builders faith as well. No other notes before approval!

Round 7: Begin! Years 2052-2054 of the 99,803rd Era of the Imperial Calendar Round 7 will close on Sunday, May 5th. Announcements! Please include the name of the resource in addition to the Trading Post number when performing buyouts, coercions, or sacks. This significantly helps with readability for the GM team and table maintainers. When creating a claim, please specify whether it is a marriage or confederation claim. For marriage claims, please include the name of the character involved. Writeup Unrest: Region 15 (BCC) has an approved writeup that needs to be posted in the Planets of Tekhum thread. Deadline extended 1 round due to extreme illness. Region 37 (ILU) has not received a writeup. The inhabitants hope that their new government will be more attentive to their unique culture. (Deadline extended due to battle.) Region 61 (TWI) has not received a writeup. The Media faction in Region 61 becomes Unruly. If a writeup is submitted this round, they will return to Open. Region 106 (SCM) has not received a writeup. The Media faction in Region 106 becomes Unruly. If a writeup is submitted this round, they will return to Open. Discovery! Explorations and other news from afar Maps of Tekhum Tekhum Region numbers marked on the overall solar system map above indicate single-region natural and artificial satellites. New space stations and similar regions created during the game will be added to this map. Badal Commissioned by OpenGameArt.org. Sansar Space Needle sprite from . Firmament Not to scale. Aridyin Veehra Mekhala Distances not to scale. Wakinyan Not to scale. Survey teams from Caipe Ushere fill in the last gap on Sansar’s southwestern continent, as an expedition crosses the channel from the recently annexed Utattou to map the island. Contact with the inhabitants takes longer than expected, almost leading some to declare the island uninhabited, but once communications are established, they prove to be well-militarized but resource-poor. According to the expedition’s reports, the region’s unique turtles are its most exploitable commodity - a conclusion that leaves some in the homeland scratching their heads, even if establishing a foothold in the turtle trade would be relatively easy given the goodwill the explorers have cultivated. CUS sends an expedition to Region 27, discovering a region with Minorities of Atlanticism and Pacificism, 2 Trade Posts of Tiny Turtles (Fauna), a Desired Import of Fabrics and Textile Products, and 5 units of native defenders! CUS gains a +1 bonus to one Buyout action taken in the region this round! The first technology to cross the Great Gulf into the Outer System has been invented by the House of Brimstone! All actions taken in the Outer System suffer an initial -3 distance penalty regardless of the orbit where the action originates. For each orbit beyond Wakinyan, this penalty increases by 1. The first map of the Outer System, the planet and moons of the gas giant Wakinyan, alongside an astronavigational description of the planet, is available below! Wakinyan’s moons are not adjacent to each other (except 125 and 126), but Vacuum Adaptation may be used to transport ground units between any regions in Wakinyan’s orbit as if they were zero-g. Maps of the other three orbits, Kaua, Oreb, and Huma, will require a player to use an exploration action to conduct and overall survey of the entire orbit. Bonuses to specific regions from this action will not be granted, but the full map of the orbit will be revealed on a success. These rules will be added to the Rules google doc and Atlas shortly. Wakinyan Wakinyan Not to scale. Gas Giant (Oxygen) Average orbital distance: 3.25 AU Diameter: 140,000 klicks Solar day: 0.42 standard days Solar year: 4,333 standard days Habitable layer gravity: 2.6g (freefall conditions approximate ~0g) Atmosphere: Hydrogen-helium (habitable nitrogen-oxygen layer); traces of ammonia and water vapor The fourth planet from Ophon, far beyond Mekhala, Wakinyan is not a small rocky body like the other inhabited worlds, but a colossal gas giant. Its outermost atmospheric layer is composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, an envelope about 30 klicks thick. Below this, in a massive equatorial band stretching thousands of kilometers north and south, is the habitable layer, composed largely of nitrogen and oxygen. Temperatures and pressure in this layer are comparable to those in the colder polar regions of Sansar, and many remarkably complex organisms have adapted to life in freefall. Beneath the habitable layer, the atmosphere is hydrogen and helium once again, stretching into the unknowable depths below. Violent storms unimaginable on smaller planets (some of which are larger than said planets) rampage across Wakinyan with clockwork regularity, forming an insurmountable barrier to the north and south of the habitable zone. The tall outer atmosphere above the habitable layer renders traditional orbital bombardment difficult, while the freefall conditions of the habitable layer itself move combat operations closer to operation in vacuum. Freefall regions, indicated with a green region number, have Combined Fronts like zero-g regions; however, space units may not be contributed to their Combined Fronts until technological innovation enables improved bombardment or the ability to function in Wakinyan’s atmosphere. Wakinyan also possesses several substantial moons observable from the Inner System, along with a swarm of extremely small minor satellites. The three largest are pockmarked rocky worlds larger even than great Aridyin, while the 4th largest is a strange ocean-covered moon which bears detectable biosignatures in spite of its barely-above-freezing temperatures and thin atmosphere. Growth! Expansion, development, unification, and similar forms of growth and prosperity The Eucrus Alliance elevates status to Stellar Power! Eilif Dhaoine elevates status to Stellar Power! The Soom-Clan Marauders establish an Arcology in Region 55, the Red Station (+1 to Sway actions) The Iron Masquerade establishes an Arcology in the City of Narsai, the Skyscrapers of Narsai (+1 to Assassination/Kidnapping actions) The Twilight League establishes an Arcology in Region 61, the Dustwell Factory Complex (+1 to offensive ground battles) WTU establishes an Interplanetary Guildhall (Arcology) in the North Way Cluster (2), providing a bonus to Thefts The Radiant Republic of Erisdor prospects Region 101 of Aridyin, searching for Helium-3. They find two TPs of Helium-3 (Fuel and Power) and the region gains an Open mercantile support UNC presses a Confederation claim to Region 4! UNC gains 1 unit! LSP establishes a marriage claim on the Et Cetera HQ (Region 91), offering the hand of Society Consul Hanyeo's youngest son, Prince Bandayo COV establishes a confederation claim on the Ethen Retreat (93) ISH establishes a confederation claim on Nadiratna (68) WTP establishes a confederation claim on Region 21 ILU completes a Hive Great Project in the Height of Utopia (10), the Cata-Honeycombs! Statecraft! Cultural events, diplomatic overtures, foreign relations, and domestic affairs DIC introduces a Cultural Identity: Industrial Advantage (2d8 to Buyout actions)! WTP introduces a Cultural Identity: Expert Foraging (2d8 to Sack actions)! The Llort Society Protectorate hosts the Mekhala-Veehra Dash of 2050! - ARK shares Pseudogravity Engineering and Shrewd Business with CUS, SEV, and TEA - ARK shares Badalian Megadirigibles with SEV - ARK shares Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, In-Vivo Modification, Pseudogravity Engineering, Xenolinguistic Cataloging, Badalian Megadirigibles, Wet Navy Ships, and Shrewd Business with HOB - ARK shares Pseudogravity Engineering, Badalian Megadirigibles, Wet Navy Ships, and Shrewd Business with DIC - CAS shares Android Industrialization with DIC, HOB, and SEV - CAS shares Algorithmic Imagination with HOB - CAS gives 1 treasure to SEV - DIC shares Cyclone Phased Laser Arrays with CAS and HOB - HOB shares Thaumonuclear Reactors with ARK, CAS, CUS, DIC, HOF, SEV, and LSP - HOB gives 1 treasure to SEV - HOB shares Arcane Amplification and Nuclear Fusion with CAS - LSP shares Pseudogravity Engineering, Shrewd Business and Wet Navy Ships technologies with CUS, DIC, SEV and TEA - LSP shares Badalian Megadirigibles with DIC - SEV shares Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, In Vivo Modification, and Xenolinguistic Cataloguing with CAS - TEA trades control of Region 22 to HOF The Biarbu Society hosts the Grand Opening of the Golden Phoenix Casino! - ARK shares Wet Navy Ships and Pseudogravity Engineering with BRB - BRB shares Vacuum Adaptation with ARK - GCC gives 2 treasure to BRB via gambling - GCC gives the Hammer (General 7) and control of Region 100 to ARK RAT shares Shrewd Business with ALF and WTP via Trade Route RAT sends 1 treasure to ARK via Trade Route BAF, HOB, GCC, and RAT sign the EAT alliance treaty RAT and BCC establish a non-aggression pact hinging upon the supply of superconductors BRB and COE sign a Nine-Year Understanding of mutual non-interference GCC introduces a new Heir: Shadow Minister Dmitr'Hesk (Diplomacy 3, Economy 3, Military 2, Faith 4, Intrigue 2) ILU introduces a new Heir, Console-Elect Giovanni (Diplomacy 5, Military 2, Economy 2, Faith 5, Intrigue 2) CUS impresses the Merchants in Ouvriead using Wine as Luxury Goods HOF sways the Government in Region 81 MIR impresses the Merchants in Region 59 using Davisonian Paints as Luxury Goods, spending 1 treasure SCM sways the Media in Region 75 SEV impresses the Merchants in Region 63 using Charmed Textiles as Fabrics and Textile Products SNK sways the Government in Region 107 TEA sways the Media in Region 19, spending a treasure WIC sways the Media in Region 109 UNC sways the Government of Region 5 BIR spends 1 treasure to sway the Government of Kinella (14), but fails FBC spends 1 treasure to impress the Merchants in Coedd (33), but fails due to lack of Industrial Machinery Trade! Buyouts, trade routes, and other economic shenanigans MIR performs Industrial Investment in Region 34, creating and gaining ownership of a new Trading Post for Curative Enzymes! LSP establishes a Trade Route with WTP COV establishes a Trade Route with RAT ALF buys out TP 1 in Region 37 for Assembly Line Robots, spending 1 treasure and seizing control from ARK ARK buys out TP 1 in Eskor (30) for Eskorian Orchards BAF buys out TP 1 in Region 66 for Spellbooks BAF buys out TP 3 in the City of Narsai (69) for Hematite BAF buys out TP 1 in the Ethen Retreat (93) for Well-Fed Animals BCC buys out TP 3 in Burtzlund (50) for Superconductors and Microcircuits BIR buys out TP 1 in Region 13 for Shadow Silk BIR buys out TP 2 in Region 13 for Shadow Silk BIR buys out TP 1 in Region 85 for Vibrating Crystals, spending 1 treasure COV buys out TP 2 in the Ethen Retreat (93) for Well-Fed Animals, spending a treasure CUS buys out TP 3 in Region 104 for Solar Panels, spending 1 treasure DIC buys out TP 1 in Region 96 for Space Ameobae FBC buys out TP 3 in Anjahar (11) for Synthetic Proteins GCC buys out TP 3 in Verdalfheim (36) for Oil ISH buys out TP 3 in Planum Khassia (74) for Energized Chrysoberyl LSP buys out TP 3 in Shiwa Yun (6) for Electronic Edibles MSQ buys out TP 3 in Voletha (71) for Heavy Machinery RAT buys out TP 2 in the Arkhive Æternal (46) for Honeyed Words RAT buys out TP 1 in Region 1 for XQI RAT buys out TP 2 in Region 1 for XQI RAT buys out TP 3 in Region 1 for XQI RAT buys out TP 3 in Region 95 for Laser Rifles, spending 1 treasure RRE buys out TP 1 in The Emerald Expanse (41) for Uniforms, spending 1 treasure RRE buys out TP 3 in Neo Guleum (12) for Loans SEV buys out TP 2 in Region 104 for Solar Panels, spending a treasure SEV buys out TP 2 in Senkar (16) for Senkar Medicae, spending 1 treasure UHS buys out TP 3 in Region 13 for Shadow Silk UHS buys out TP 1 in Region 4 for Plastic Explosives WIC buys out TP 2 in Region 21 for Portable Communicators WIC buys out TP 2 in Cannor (31) for Nitrates WTU buys out TP 2 in Region 82 for Voidspice on behalf of CAS WIC fails to buy out TP 2 in Region 35 for Dejan Mustard, spending a treasure Treasure Gained ALF gains 1 passive treasure AVP gains 1 passive treasure and hoards 1 treasure BAF gains 2 passive treasure BCC gains 1 passive treasure BIR gains 2 passive treasure BRB gains 1 passive treasure CAS gains 2 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Ally of the Union CUS gains 1 passive treasure DIC gains 1 passive treasure FBC gains 2 passive treasure GCC gains 1 passive treasure GLO gains 1 passive treasure HOB gains 2 passive treasure HOF gains 1 passive treasure LSP gains 1 passive treasure MIR gains 2 passive treasure MSQ gains 2 passive treasure RAT gains 2 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Ally of the Union RRE gains 2 passive treasure SCM gains 1 passive treasure SEV gains 2 passive treasure TAV gains 1 passive treasure TWI gains 1 passive treasure UHS gains 1 passive treasure WIC gains 2 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Ally of the Union Faith! Conversions, organization, and other such matters of faith Coedd becomes Coedd, a Celestial Domain! A Coedd Holy Order, the Choristers of Sian, is founded in Coedd (33) The Illumined Utopians found a Holy Order of Soul’s Expression in the Height of Utopia (10), Prime's Paragon! BRB introduces a Minority of Fascination in Region 1 BRB increases the following of Fascination in Neo Guleum (12) to Plurality, decreasing Psycho-Capitalism to Minority status BRB replaces the Minority of Holy Orders' Vows in the Biron Crosspaths (17) with a Minority of Fascination BRB introduces a Minority of Fascination in Region 62 COE introduces a Minority of Coedd in Region 26 HOB introduces a Minority of Imperial Cult in Dur-Shalkhir (76) LSP increases the following of the Imperial Cult in Verdalfheim (region 36) to Plurality UNC increases the following of Paragonism in Region 4 to Plurality, displacing Mad Science to a Minority UNC introduces a Minority of Paragonism in Region 5 Wonder! Miracles and inventions, ancient relics, and spectacular undertakings The God-King resigns to his holy chambers for several weeks, deep in House Kiniun, bringing his only son, Ilaro Kiniun, with him. There, they establish an intimate spiritual connection with Avva as his earthly vessel. At the end of this meditation, Veehra itself trembles from its core as a beam of light coming directly from the Sun itself strikes the ocean. Powerful waves strike the shorelines of the Agbada, yet all are spared harm... And yet, after all of this, only the Prince returns, and he collapses, exhausted. Astonishingly, a small archipelago of islands emerges from the sea, just within sight of Castle Kiniun. CBC performs a Miracle! They create and automatically colonize Region 112, the Irisite Archipelago, a zero-g region floating high in the atmosphere of Veehra with a Minority of Cult of Avva. It functions similarly to a Space Habitat, requiring both an Encourage Settlement and Prospect action, but does not prevent the Cloudburst Confederation from creating a Space Habitat in the future. The Irisite Archipelago gains a Desired Import of Specialists! The Core Seers have rediscovered the ancient mysteries that fueled their ships in the lost age of expansion. The Core is a miracle of arcane science, a 4-dimensional mesh of runes wrapped into the shell of a fusion reactor to recreate a sun in miniature. In addition to the pure heat that is put to work driving turbines, the Core acts as an artificial leyline producing vast quantities of arcane energy. The Archmage travels to the Veehran-Mekhala Dash in person to demonstrate the power of a properly maintained thaumonuclear reactor core in the extreme race. HOB invents a new technology: Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores! Requirements: Arcane Amplification, Nuclear Fusion, Fuel. Effect: Allows travel beyond the Great Gulf into the outer system With advanced robotic bodies and algorithmic imagination, custom-designed in both hardware and software for their particular tasks, massive leaps in industrial efficiency are possible, for better or for worse. Given a sufficiently attractive offer, independent, sapient AI units may be convinced to settle in your region and join the local workforce. CAS invents a new technology: Android Industrialization! Requirements: Algorithmic Imagination, Industrial Machinery or Conductors and Circuitry; Effect: Allows a three-action Dip/Econ Great Project in a region which gives the effects of the Industrial Investment action taken in that region. A party must own the region's mercantile support and satisfy its current DI in order to begin the project. Upon completion, the mercantile support becomes unowned, and the region's DI changes to a new resource category, either randomly determined or chosen by the GM. Actions toward the project beyond the first may also be taken by parties which do not hold the region's mercantile support, so long as they have this tech, meet its prerequisite and resource requirements, and are granted access by the region owner as a non-action. Additionally, if the region's DI is no longer met or the mercantile support becomes unowned at any point before completion of the Great Project, action progress is reset to zero with no effect. The Bafatis Dynasty launches a Space Habitat, Themis, into orbit around Veehra! They immediately gain control of the new undeveloped colony (Region 113) and introduce a Minority of the Cult of the Mind. Themis gains a Desired Import of Ores and Alloys! The Kingdom of High Ishtahnos produces Tekhum’s first Great Work! The work, The Book of Wonders, is an example of a book of wonders considered so fine and so grand that to name it would detract from its singular magnificence. A book of wonders is a parchment or snakeskin scroll, usually of about two metres, containing a story written out in figurative calligraphy. When unrolled sorcerous power instilled into the characters at the time of inscription causes them to come to life and display scenes from the story within as intangible illusions. From end to end millions of characters of different sizes cover the hide, most are in glittering black ink, but many are coloured or gilded or even colour shifting. The detail is almost fractal, as closer and closer looks reveal yet more characters, some so small they must have been painted with but a single strand of silk with the aid of a microscope. The Twilight League creates a new Artifact, the Charnel Heart for +2 to own leader loss rolls! CBC extends the Veehran railway into Agbada (52) MIR extends the Veehran railway into Nadiratna (68) Might! Military matters of all kinds, be it warfare or strategic developments Nothing beats Dwarven engineering. Networking the targeting and focusing apparatuses of thousands of small laser weapons together and using enhanced shipborne fusion reactors for power creates new energy weapons of increased accuracy and firepower. DIC invents a new technology: Cyclone Phased Laser Arrays! Requires Laser Rifles, Fusion Power. Slot: Ship to Ship Weapons. The Counts of Mirage recruit a new General: Knight Pembroke (score: 9)! Knight Pemproke is known for Twin Rail Tactics, a Tactical Doctrine which grants +3 to battle in regions with a rail line. Skod Qggg Smalengnutepi, Admiral of the STAR RATS, now has a score of 7 and can use the Opportunist for Profit Tactical Doctrine: Grants one free action attempt to buyout a TP in the target zero-g region, or, if the admiral is fighting in a Space Front that affects a regional Ground Front in which this admiral’s country is also fighting, the buyout may target a TP in that region. A maximum of one action attempt can be made on success, regardless of how many regions are affected. ILU raises a Fortress in the Height of Utopia (10), the Labyrinthic Path! The Fiorid Principality of Verdalfheim invades Region 37 with the support of the House of Fire, contested by an invasion by the Glorious Purifiers with the support of the Radiant Republic of Erisdor The skies, ground and space of central Chonkia are consumed with war as local and offworld powers alike clash over the ruins of the Basu-Ramen headquarters. Arni Del Fiori (Mil 9) leads one side of the clash leading a large army of five elven units on the ground while sending Verdalfheim’s navy to work under the command of Admiral Turtanu-Ziqpu Ra'ima of the House of Fire (Mil 8) who controls a combined space fleet of two elven ships along with four cruisers of their own. The Radiant Republic/Glorious Purifiers coalition arrayed against them has its ground troops commanded by Republic Marshal Aine Uistein (Mil 9) who leads two units of Radiant Republic troops along with three units of moonmen, including a ferocious looking artillery detachment under the immediate control of Millenium Zell. In space, one Radiant Republic craft meets up with the four purifier ships already present to receive a briefing on the rules of engagement from Admiral Aka Cascade (Mil 9) Space Front: Admiral Aka Cascade Cascade [GLO] (Mil 9) succeeds in using Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) A gentlemanly accord had been struck between the rival admirals and both move forwards in a measured advance, Admiral Cascade being perhaps slightly more proficient at it. With fusion and other indiscriminate-fire weapons having been disabled or in some cases even removed, the battle is one of precise shots aimed at disabling engines, weapon banks and other combat-critical systems rather than running the risk of targeting crew compartments or the potentially deadly explosions caused by a direct hit on fuel tanks. Both generals are on the top of their game as they meet in high orbit but Admiral Aka has the advantage of having fought in planetary orbit before - Admiral Ra’ima being more used to the very different combat appropriate for Mekhala’s obstruction-high, magnetic-field-low environs. Admiral Aka uses this to their advantage as the terminator brings the region far below from night to day, riding the wave of thermal energy upwards to gain a substantial, if brief boost to acceleration upwards. It’s a risky maneuver as it exposes her craft’s vulnerable underbellies for a few crucial moments - Admiral Ra’ina takes this opportunity to concentrate fire and bring down one of the purifier battleships. However, the House of Fire’s ships now have their (relatively) weapon light top sides exposed and Ra’ina struggles to work the unfamiliar space terrain to rectify the situation. Concentrated fire from the purifiers cripples a House of Fire ship and threatens another two. Ra’ina knows when she is beaten and signals a retreat - broadcasting a congratulatory message to Aka as she leaves. GLO/RRE Space Victory! HOF Lose 1 Unit! GLO Lose 1 Unit! GLO/RRE control the Space Front! Ground Front: Marshal Aine Uistein [RRE] (Mil 9) succeeds in using Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) On the ground, Marshal Uiestein rapidly conducts a briefing to the moonmen troops on standard Erisdor combat doctrines ensuring the two allies can work together effectively. Unwilling to try anything too risky with a disparate force she orders a steady move and fire advance with Glorious Purifier artillery barrages clearing the way. The Verdalfheim forces had marched directly through the mountains and the hazardous terrain there had caused enough losses that Arni had needed to reorganize his forces, losing an entire unit as it is disbanded to reinforce others. These frantic changes to the force organization chart left the elves out of position when battle was joined. When one combines this with the artillery and other material contributed by the Black Foundry in Erisdor, the initial barrage from space and ground based heavy weapons was terrifying, inflicting massive casualties on the still-organizing elven forces. Before they had a chance to regroup, the steady advance of the coalition was on them. Del Fiori is a talented general and few could have deployed their forces as quickly as he did but the initiative, once lost, is hard to regain. Soon it becomes clear that the elves are struggling to hold ground - any position they take up being simply the next target for bombardment and Del Fiori orders his troops into a nearby city, judging that his opponents would be less likely to use explosive barrages in a densely populated civilian area. While he was correct in this judgment the time taken to fall back and reorganize was hampered by the ad hoc nature of some of his units, unused to moving together and it took too long. Del Fiori wasn’t able to deploy behind the defenses left over from the Illuminated Utopian’s recent invasion quick enough and several troops were caught in broad boulevards or open parks, easy pickings for the more numerous coalition forces. Eventually, despite the importance of securing Verdalfheim’s northern border he realizes that living to fight another day was more important than needlessly being cut down and retreats. GLO/RRE Ground Victory! ALF Lose 1 Unit to hostile territory! ALF Lose 2 Units in Battle! GLO gain control of Region 37! The White Pawns and Radiant Republic of Erisdor invade Region 102 A far less populated battle is also fought by the Radiant Republic of Erisdor on Aridyin as they and their White Pawns allies dispatch junior officers to attack Verdalfheim claimed land. Presumably expecting the elves to put up resistance, the combined force have negotiated with the Black cloud Coalition for space support and have spent substantial time drilling for the low gravity combat techniques Aridyin demands. None of which, in the event, was necessary. Distracted by the more strategically important battle on Sansar, the elves do not defend the region. RRE/WTP Victory! WTP gain control of Region 102! The Black Cloud Coalition and the Twilight League invade Region 103 Bordering the joint Erisdor/White Pawns operation, a joint Black Cloud Coalition/Twilight League force moves in on another Verdalfheim region. The space front is commanded by Hǎi Píng & Dǎo-Māo (Mil 10) who spends the bulk of their team looking at sensor readings to see if there will be any need of their surfaces. On the ground, under Violetta (Mil 10) the situation is similar as she spends the bulk reading scout reports all containing some variation of “no enemy contact”. Eventually, satisfied there are no concealed troops waiting to spring an ambush, the region is claimed. Elven plans for moon dominance have taken a hit today BCC/TWI Victory! BCC gain control of Region 103! The Cloudburst Confederation and Iron Masquerade invades Region 53 In the relatively fecund waterside of Veehra, the Cloudburst Confederation once more seek to match wits with the Grandmaster in the game of war. This time, though, a new players has joined as Iron Masquerade troops join. Odolo the Faithful (Mil 10) leads three units of Cloudburst troops supported by an equal number of Masquerade forces in this new challenge of the Grandmaster’s dominance while above the Iron Masquerade Admiral Johanne Faustine controls space. Space Front: Johanne Faustine [MSQ] (Mil 7) succeeds in using Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Ground Front: Olodolo the Faithful [CBC] (Mil 10) succeeds in using Avva's Watchful Eye (On a TM success, may attempt one Conversion action in the region where the battle takes place as a subaction of the battle) The Grandmaster has faced orbital barrages before and Admiral Faustine may have been slightly disappointed with the effective tactics deployed to minimize his fire. However, the Grandmaster had not realized the scale of the invasion, nor the new technology the Cloudburst Coalition was bringing to the battlefield. As the attack starts, the Grandmaster withdraws the bulk of his forces to bunkers constructed for just this purpose to weather the worst of the orbital bombardment. His plan, which he executes with his usual consummate skill, was to use these locations as bases and send out harrying forces. However, the unexpected reinforcements that the Confederation has brought means he struggles to to skirmish effectively, all too often being drawn into ground battles with a numerically superior foe. Soon enough he’s forced to rely on his back up plan - of course he had a back up plan! - and withdraws all his forces to the bunkers to use them as fire points, aiming to mow down the invaders as they advance to claim the land he has relinquished. And for a while this seems to be going well, with both the Cloudburst troops and their allies suffering heavy casualties. But gunners can only fire so fast and only so much ammunition can be stored and eventually the numbers tell on the defenders. At which point, Olodolo deploys the Cloudburst Confederation’s new technological innovations. Popmaize cluster grenades are thrown through the viewing slits of the bunkers causing massive damage to inhabitants as the fragmenting corn rips through the enclosed spaces. The Grandmaster knows how to win but also knows how to lose and sooner than expected Olodolo receives a carefully worded and elegantly calligraphed note of surrender. The other aspect the Grandmaster couldn’t have predicted, though it had less effect on the battle than others, was the elite unit dispatched to the pond of Salmon Steve. They encountered only token resistance as they traveled quickly and quietly to seek out the hermit - noone expected this to be militarily relevant, and the Grandmaster was fighting a somewhat static war - and were able to surround it easily. They hid unseen in the area until certain that the ground war was won, though, as the God King’s instructions had been clear and none wanted to risk moving a live salmon through an active war zone. Once they emerge, though, the hermit shows remarkable acquiescence to the situation, making sure the soldiers are sufficiently fed while claiming that the exact salmon currently in the pond is irrelevant - it’s all a metaphor, after all, and he can just catch another for the pond - as he tries to clarify (to mixed results), the salmon itself is only a piece of the eternal Imperial puzzle - etc., etc. Elsewhere, Cloudburst evangelists quickly move to spread the word of Avva through the native population. MSQ/CBC Victory! Natives Lose 1! CBC Lose 1 Unit! MSQ Lose 1 Unit! CBC gain control of Region 53! The Soom-Clan Marauders, Kingdom of High Ishtahnos, Twilight League, and Sorcerers of New Kildora defend against Rebels in Region 55 It must have seemed like most of Veehra arrived to put down the rebellion, Chieftess Soom can hardly have expected such a response to her call for aid. When the forces are collated, representatives of four different nations are present bearing a wide variety of arms and fighting in a wide variety of styles. Void-Leader Seraphine (Mil 9) commanding the space battle has an easier time of combining her one ship with the one from the Soom clan, 3 from the High Kingdom of Ishtahnos and three from the Sorcerors of New Kildora. With only one enemy squadron predicted to be present this is simply a matter of concentrating fire. General Warlord Sigrid (Mil 10) is presented with a much greater headache though: how to combine the four Soom Clan units with two from the Twilight League, two Ishtahn ones and three from the Sorcerors. Eventually they simply decide not to, splitting their force into four and letting the officer core of each nation have substantial tactical and strategic freedom. The rebels have coalesced under the leadership, for now at least of Colonel R Murrow (Mil 8) and form a ragtag bunch of former soldiers mixed in with civilians driven to violence by Basu Ramen and foreign manipulations. Their numbers are hard to gauge exactly - it’s possible even Colonel Murrow doesn’t know for sure, but an effective fighting force of seven units is certain. He has designated an anarchist activist who goes by the name of Liberalis Maximus (Mil 9) as his admiral - a strange choice given Maximus’ oft-stated disdain for authority and many suspect this was an outgrowth of a personal dislike between the two. However, to everyone’s surprise Maximus turns out to be a highly competent space commander and his numerous small craft are able to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge with flair and aplomb. Space Front: Liberalis Maximus [NPC] (Mil 9) succeeds in using Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) In space, the battle is closer than any would have expected. The highly maneuverable rebel craft are, accidentally, the perfect foil to Void-Leader Seraphine’s disparate armada and for a long time the battle appears to be a stalemate - the light ships can’t penetrate the armour of the coalition craft, the coalition craft can’t target fast enough to hit the light ships. This impasse is not broken until Void-Leader Seraphone calls her allied commanders together and an ad hoc method for combining the processing power of targeting computers is hashed out. It’s an unholy cludge and all present have to spend some time after the battle straightening out their own systems but it works. One by one Liberalis Maximus’s ships are destroyed until, eventually, only he is left. With a radio-broadcast of “Anarchy!” he flees. SCM/TWI/ISH/SNK Space Victory! SCM/TWI/ISH/SNK control the Space Front! Ground Front: General Warlord Sigrid [SCM] (Mil 10) succeeds in using Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) The rebel forces are disorganized, the coalition forces somewhat fragmented. It’s a messy battle, to say the least, and it takes quite some time after the hostilities have ended to draw together a full picture of what happened, even an incomplete one. Twilight League forces certainly took the ruins of the Basu Rahman headquarters, which the rebels had been using as their communications center: although most of the equipment was destroyed it still benefited from an excellent position. If General Warlord Sigrid had expected the neutralization of rebel communications to be decisive, though, they were disappointed as the lack of any central organization made capturing such infrastructure less effective. Magically adept Sorcerors moved in to recapture the central armoury, conjuring giant serpents of sand to chase away the hardened defenders that colonel Murrow had station there. That particular fight could have gone either way had the Ishtahn troops not encountered less-than-expected resistance claiming the railway stations allowing them to reinforce. With their ammo supplies taken, the rebels defending their base in the space port soon sank under the attacks from the Soom Clan itself. Then began the mopping up: with the rebels fighting for ideology and revenge few were inclined to surrender and they were adept at melting back in to the civilian population to regroup and restrike. Kildora Sorcerors proved their worth here, scrying out holdouts and passing that information on to the mobile forces of their allies. A military campaign that lasted only a few days was supplanted by a clean up that took almost a year, but eventually the Soom Clan could announce that the rebellion had been put down - though with Liberalis Maximus doubtless out spreading his anarchic views it would be unwise to be too complacent. SCM/TWI/ISH/SNK Ground Victory! Rebels Lose 2 Units! SCM/TWI/ISH/SNK put down the rebellion! The Arvaxine Populate invades Region 59 The time has come for the Arvaxine Populate to clearly establish the relationship between themselves and the union, and the method they have chosen is invasion of the surrounding region. Leaving the space battle to a newly promoted officer eager to prove his worth in his first command and to avoid casualties to any of the three ships under his command, President Edrajek (Mil 8) himself leads three ground units over the border to make matters clear. They are facing Union President Molluk (Mil 3). Molluk the Mollusc, they call him. He’s not a mollusc of course, he’s as human as most of Tekhum but he certainly shares backbone-related characteristics with them. While he is normally nominally in charge of the local welders union in practice he is buffeted by every wind that passes and tends to agree with the last person who spoke to him. His leadership of the four units under his control follows a similar pattern and de facto control is actually held by various NCOs and loud individuals who either persuade him to agree with them or outright ignore his orders to do their own thing, safe in the knowledge there’ll be no retaliation. There is no contest on the space front and the junior officer’s first command consists mainly of playing solitaire and periodically checking the scanners. Ground Front: President Edrajek [AVP] (Mil 8) succeeds in using Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Given Molluk’s numerous failings as a military leader, President Edrajek would be forgiven for expecting an easy fight. And he got one, at least to start with. There was no coordination amongst the defenders and no ability to devise a strategy, trust the process and follow it through. Arvaxine forces easily conquered key military positions and, had they left it there, could quite easily have claimed the area. However, their war goals were slightly more in depth than just conquest - the WTU had to understand the situation with no room for misunderstanding. When President Edrajek started moving his forces to establish a cordon around the guildhall, the native defenders realized that their union itself might be under threat. Leadership was poor, coordination poor and given their previous losses, morale and position were both poor. But they were union men ‘til the day they died and die they were willing to do. The counterattack to the cordon was brutal in its effectiveness what with many of them being skilled in the use of industrial explosives and many others willing to drive heavy trucks or similar heavy machinery directly at Arvaxine troops. Arvaxine casualties, basically negligible up to that point, started to rack up and President Edrajek was forced to call in reserves he had left unused. Eventually, despite the workers’ best efforts, Edrajek was able to shut down two of the three power stations supplying this area and, at a stroke, remove the industrial machinery Molluk’s troops (such as they were) were reliant on. It was a tougher and longer fight than the Arvaxine Populate had hoped for, but they got the result they wanted. AVP Victory! Natives Lose 2 Units! AVP Lose 1 Unit! AVP gain control of Region 59! Units Raised ALF raises 2 ground units and 1 space unit AVP raises 1 ground unit BCC raises 1 space unit CBC raises 1 ground unit DIC raises 1 ground unit HOF raises 1 space unit MIR raises 1 ground unit SCM raises 1 ground unit SNK raises 2 ground units and 1 space unit TEA raises 1 ground unit and 2 space units Schemes! Coercion, betrayals, and spycraft Coedd creates the Coedd Intelligence Agency, targeting the Arkhive Æternal COE steals 1 treasure from TEA! ELD coerces TP 2 in Region 22 for Roleplaying Games MSQ coerces TP 3 in Region 63 for Veehran Wheat, spending 1 treasure GLO spends 1 treasure on a secret action Rumors leak that the Biarbu Society has apparently begun experimenting with advanced implants after the fashion of Chaebolian innovations! BRB gains Block Chain! Terror! Violence, upheaval, murder, and destruction COE destroys the EMP base in Region 21! COE loses 3 Rep with EMP, dropping to -3! WTP sacks TP 1 for Narcotics in Coedd (33). Coedd does not defend. WTP gains 1 treasure Without external sources of power, the extensive automation, power-hungry manufacturing systems, data servers, and stabilizer systems of Suaka Beruntung begin to break down. Not only does this threaten the local manufacturing industry of integrated circuits, but the megadirgible itself begins to wobble, causing small localized earthquakes that further damage delicate production processes. The Merchants in Suaka Beruntung (Region 15) become Unruly! If they remain Unruly, they may eventually rebel! The native cultural cuisines of the peoples of Ishtahnos are in danger of being lost forever. Parents report that the newest generation refuses to learn bland, boring old recipes in favor of dishes that actually have a taste from foreign lands. Without an infusion of spices to enrich ancient traditions, little can be done. The Merchants in the Highlands of Ishtahnos (Region 65) become Unruly! If they remain Unruly, they may eventually rebel! Broadcasts from CASSIOPE space and the Dwarven Industrial Coalition contain news on a startling new phenomenon described in most external reports, distrubingly vaguely, as “madness plagues”. Apparently originating among organics in CASSIOPE’s colonies in Region 92, localized outbreaks of madness spread to other CASSIOPE organics in the Space-Kelp Cluster and among dwarves in the Central Claims. Manifesting generally as a sudden loss of contact with reality for a day to a week, with the exact nature of the temporary insanity varying from affected person to person, the condition affects entire townships at a time. Many are quick to dismiss the “plague” as a simple case of stellar mass hysteria, a reasonably well-studied phenomenon on much smaller scales, but others point with concern to the force field formerly surrounding the region’s primary asteroid, recently breached by the Dwarven Industrial Coalition…. Organizations! The Imperial Court Outright Treason! Terrorists associated with the entity Coedd have destroyed an Imperial Embassy on Sansar! COE falls to EMP -3! COE is now an Enemy of the State! CUS spends 1 EMP favor to request an Imperial Mandate in Ouvriead (111). EMP will attempt to Impress Government. Queen Chalise Ebonne abandons her post in the Senate! CUS falls to EMP rep 2 TEA spends 1 EMP favor to request the Imperial Armada Imperial College of Sciences acknowledges the following donations… HOF has donated 1 Treasure CUS has donated 1 Treasure COV has donated 1 Treasure FBC has donated 1 Treasure BIR has donated 2 Treasure The Armada recognizes the dueling prowess of the following submissions… LSP GLO ILU UHS ARK rises to EMP rep 2 WTP rises to EMP rep 3 UNC rises to EMP rep 1 Pan-Tekhum Worker’s and Trader’s Union The Radiant Republic sees the Union's brighter vision for the future. RRE gains 2 Treasure and 1 WTU rep for Project Sunrise, rising to WTU 2! The mercantile support in Erisdor is now owned by WTU. The Soom-Clan Marauders charge into the brilliant future. SCM gains 1 Treasure for Project Sunrise. The Union begrudgingly rewards the forward-thinking Masquerade for their efforts. MSQ gains 1 Treasure for Project Sunrise. TWI gains 1 treasure for Project Sunrise SEV indebts themselves 2 Favors to WTU and loses 1 WTU Rep, dropping to Rep 2, to request an Interplanetary Guildhall from the Pan-Tekhum Worker's & Trader's Union (WTU) in [Region 63] providing a bonus to Encourage Settlement. Construction will begin next round The Union begins work comparing plans for replacing Veehra’s most controversial economic system. The following Elect have submitted proposals and gain one treasure each... BAF CAS CBC COE GLO ISH LSP MIR SEV RRE WIC ARK rises to WTU rep 1 The Basu-Rahman Group Coedd reminds the Eucrus Alliance that violence against the Basu-Rahman Group carries consequences. COE repays 1 BRG favor debt. The Houses of Senkar demonstrate that there are some in the empire that still recognize good business and value honest reporting. The Brass Beacon, a Basu-Rahman Group subsidiary, is established under the aegis of the United Houses. UHS gains 2 BRG rep and 1 BRG favor. UHS Rises to BRG rep 4, but loses the rolloff to GLO, who spends 1 treasure on the rolloff. UHS remains at BRG Rep 3. The careful nature of the Glix appeals to the bruised power of the Basu-Rahman Group, and they are pleased to set up a new franchise in the Parrot's Perch. Welcome the Mekhalan Star, the empire's farthest-reaching source of news! GCC gains 2 BRG rep and 1 BRG favor. GCC rises to BRG rep 3! The trust placed in the Purifiers continues to pay dividends for the Group. The strange locale is hardly a concern when so many of the Elect are hunting reporters. New competition for the Heliotrope Broadcast takes shape, and the Moonsoul Dispatch is given the Basu-Rahman blessing. GLO gains 2 BRG favors. ELD spends 1 BRG favor on a secret boon. TWI gives BRG 5 treasure to repay 1 favor debt. Renown Coedd is all - including, apparently, a hive of scum and villainy. COE loses 1 REN. Coedd is known throughout the empire. COE gains 2 REN for Higher Powers. The agents of Coedd spread faster than the vines they represent. COE gains 2 REN from Eyes in the Skies. COE rises to REN 2 The Eucrus Alliance demonstrates to all their might! TEA gains 2 REN from Higher Powers. TEA rises to REN 4. Eilif Dhaoine's rapid, edge-of-a-knife expansion has impressed many across the empire! ELD gains 2 REN from Higher Powers. ELD rises to REN 4. The Labyrinthic Path Fortress demonstrates the Jy'mar will to perservere! ILU gains 1 REN from Built to Last. ILU rises to REN 2 The Book of Wonders astounds and amazes the empire with its artistry and detail! ISH gains 3 REN for Exhibiting a Great Work and from Rising Stars. ISH rises to REN 4. UHS gains 1 REN from Status and Extravagance SCM gains 1 REN from Built to Last WTP gains 1 REN from Rising Stars REN 4 is overcrowded! TEA and ELD remain at REN 4. ISH, LSP, and BCC drop to REN 3. REN 3 is overcrowded! ISH, LSP, and BCC are safe. CUS remains at REN 3. BAF, BRB, SCM, and UHS drop to REN 2. REN 2 is overcrowded! BAF, BRB, SCM, and UHS are safe. GCC, SEV, SNK, and WTP remain at REN 2. COE, DIC, ILU, and MSQ drop to REN 1. Other… The assault on the Basu-Rahman Group, despite its success, proved to be the downfall of Bloodlord Peter. The aimlessness of the attack, when coupled with the spreading thin of Khylokian resources, saw the heads of the major clans secede in rapid succession. First, the Barun broke away with the lion's share of the Reign's smaller clans supporting khy-Oged. The Omnuuds soon followed, taking with them the most well-equipped and -armed of the Reign's deep-space vessels. The Khuid were reticent at first, swearing to fight alongside Peter to the death. News soon broke, though, of dramatic upheaval. The Bloodlord himself was killed by his own guard, loyal Baruns all, and a daring rescue mission into the heart of Peter's estate saw Khuid kho-tuil's children freed. She instantly formed her own insular queendom on the edge of Khylokian space. Each clan quickly formed its own petty Reign. Alliances formed and were rent asunder to drift into the void. The strength of the Khylokian warriors was spent against each other, and the structures put into place by Khylish himself, so many centuries ago, were dismantled in fire and blood. Khylosen is now little more than a war-torn stretch of vacuum, a shifting battlefield of raids and small wars. The philosophy of the Khylokians has come full circle. The death their might brought to countless others has returned upon their own heads. Where others might see irony, the Khylokian leaders see only the reality of their paradigm. Power from blood. Blood from death. Death from void. KRB collapses! The Khylosen Cluster (Region 89) becomes an unowned region with 5 units of defenders. Trade Posts, Supports, and other resources owned by KRB become Open. kha-Ujin’s Siphon vanishes, its current owner unknown. Following up on previous research, Dr. Song Freidman commissions further investigation of the nanotechnology of the Artificial Wings. Additional funding is allocated to study their self-healing properties, which circumstantial evidence suggests are capable of resisting the dangers of the deep Badalian atmosphere. The Wings’ resilience to Badal’s acid clouds is explained by the “sacrifice” of an outer shell of nanoparticles which neutralize the acid and, after reacting, form a skin of corrosion-resistant compound that blocks further acid damage. If damaged, the particles quickly reshuffle to replace the skin. Intense temperatures and pressures are somewhat harder to reliably study, but the scientists reasonably hypothesize that the nanoparticles are able to coordinate a rapid rearrangement of their relative internal positions, optimizing atomic-level space-packing to best distribute external stresses throughout the Wings, shed excess heat energy, and repair larger areas of damage. A number of Region 109’s salvage bands and Junk-Clans have recently consolidated into a single corporate entity, Red-Blade United Profit-Archeology. RBUPA’s combined salvaging operations result in an immediate boost to efficiency, but Junk King Gref confides in some less-than-tight-lipped advisors, sharing his concerns over the untraceable foreign capital backing them. As troops from the Radiant Republic and their White Pawns auxiliaries blitz through the undefended Fiorid colony in Region 102, standard reconnaissance uncovers something bizarre. A massive magnetic anomaly is detected, buried beneath the surface of a crater near Aridyin’s south pole, and though originally thought to be some kind of Fiorid trap, the EOD team sent to sweep the site has excavated a huge featureless slab of some pitch-black material - so far totally inert. Its creators and purpose are as yet unknown, though speculation is rampant, and it is currently being held in a shielded prefab warehouse near the crater. A country that possesses the Xenolinguistic Cataloguing technology may use an unrolled Diplomacy or Intrigue action to attempt to activate the monolith. To do so publicly requires the non-action permission of Region 102’s owner. The consequences that will result from this are unknown.

Apologies for the delay on these, but I'm getting through writeups now. I've left out writeups that I believe are still WIP; let me know if I accidentally overlooked one. The tacdocs awaiting approval should also have been discussed on discord and will go up in the opener. Short but comprehensive. Approved. Excellent! Approved. This looks mostly good, but I'm a little unclear on which belief system described is meant to describe the "Minosians". Clear that up and this is approved. This is more coherent even if still very weird. Approved. I love both of these concepts a lot! However, I would like to see a bit more of a Faith section in both writeups before approval. I'd like to see a sentence or two about the region's Desired Import, but once you have that, Mraza is approved. Asbestos fashion! Approved. I'd like another sentence or so about Magmatic Soul, but no other notes. With that, this would be approved.

End of Round Six. No further mechanical edits to action posts may be made! Battles The Fiorid Principality of Verdalfheim invades Region 37 with the support of the House of Fire, contested by an invasion by the Glorious Purifiers with the support of the Radiant Republic of Erisdor Space Front: Turtanu-Ziqpu Ra'ima [HOF] (Mil 8) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Cascade [GLO] (Mil 9) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Tactical Maneuvering: Turtanu-Ziqpu Ra'ima: 2d6+8 = 15 Cascade: 2d6+9 = 16 Battle: House of Fire: 2d10+12 (+8 Mil, +4 HOF Units, +2 ALF Units, -2 Distance) = 24 Glorious Purifiers: 2d10+14 (+9 Mil, +4 GLO Units, +1 RRE Unit) = 25 Casualties: House of Fire: 2d3-1-1 = 20%: 20% of 4 HOF units = 1 space unit lost and 20% of 2 ALF units = 0 lost Glorious Purifiers: 1d4-1 = 20%: 20% of 4 GLO units = 1 space unit lost and 20% of 1 RRE unit = 0 lost Ground Front: Arni dei Fiori [ALF] (Mil 9) attempting Relentless Butchery (+20% enemy casualties) vs. Marshal Aine Uistein [RRE] (Mil 9) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Tactical Maneuvering: Arni dei Fiori: 2d6+9 = 16 Marshal Aine Uistein: 2d6+9 = 21 Battle: Fiorid Principality: 2d10+15-1 (+9 Mil, +5 ALF Units, +1 Treasure) = 21 Radiant Republic of Erisdor: 2d10+16 (+9 Mil, +3 GLO Units, +2 RRE Units, +1 Treasure, +1 Black Foundry) [+3 Orbital Superiority if GLO victory above] = 34 Casualties: Fiorid Principality: 1d3+1d4+1-1 = 60%: 1 ALF unit lost before battle, 60% of 4 surviving ALF units = 2 ground units lost Radiant Republic of Erisdor: 1d1-1 = 0 Additional Effects: ALF loses 1 Unit prior to battle, incurring a -1. In the event of RRE victory, transfer ownership of the region to GLO. The White Pawns and Radiant Republic of Erisdor invades Region 102 Space Front: White Pawns Sub-Commander [WTP] (Mil 5) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Erisdor Sub-Commander [RRE] (Mil 4) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to Battle, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS No defenders - RRE victory. Region control is transferred to the White Pawns (WTP) The Black Cloud Coalition and Twilight League invades Region 103 Space Front: Hǎi Píng & Dǎo-Māo [BCC] (Mil 10) attempting Electronic Bombardment (On Tactical Maneuvering victory, total Orbital Superiority bonus for Ground Front applies to Ground Front Tactical Maneuvering rolls as well); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Violetta [TWI] (Mil 10) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to Battle, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS No defenders - TWI victory. Region control is transferred to the Black Cloud Coalition (BCC) The Cloudburst Confederation and Iron Masquerade invades Region 53 Space Front: Johanne Faustine [MSQ] (Mil 7) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: The Grandmaster [NPC] (Mil 10) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Olodolo the Faithful [CBC] (Mil 10) attempting Avva's Watchful Eye (On a TM success, may attempt one Conversion action in the region where the battle takes place as a subaction of the battle) Tactical Maneuvering: The Grandmaster: 2d6+10 = 16 Olodolo the Faithful: 2d6+10 = 17 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+15 (+10 Mil, +5 Units) [+2 if TacMan] = 27 Cloudburst Confederation: 2d10+21 (+10 Mil, +3 CBC Units, +3 MSQ Units, +3 Orbital Superiority, +1 Cult of Avva, +1 Popmaize Cluster Grenades) = 38 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4 = 20% of 5 units = 1 lost Cloudburst Confederation: 1d2 = 20% of 3 CBC units = 1 ground unit lost and 20% of 3 MSQ units = 1 ground unit lost Technologies: CBC: Popmaize Cluster Grenades [Man-Portable Weapons] Additional Effects: Cult of Avva conversion attempt in Region 53 if CBC wins TacMan Conversion attempt: 2d6+10 = 16 vs TN 12 The Soom-Clan Marauders, Kingdom of High Ishantos, Twilight League, and Sorcerers of New Kildora defend against Rebels in Region 55 Space Front: Void-Leader Seraphine [TWI] (Mil 9) attempting Master of Arms (+1 to battle) vs. Liberalis Maximus [NPC] (Mil 9) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Void-Leader Seraphine: 2d6+9 = 13 Liberalis Maximus: 2d6+9 = 15 Battle: Twilight League: 2d10+17 (+9 Mil, +1 SCM Unit, +1 TWI Unit, +3 ISH Units, +3 SNK Units) = 22 Rebels: 2d10+10 (+9 Mil, +1 Unit) [+2 if TacMan] = 18 Casualties: Twilight League: 1d4-1 = 0 Rebels: 2d3-1+1 = 40% of 1 unit = 0 lost Ground Front: General Warlord Sigrid [SCM] (Mil 10) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Colonel R. Murrow [NPC] (Mil 8) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: General Warlord Sigrid: 2d6+10 = 22 Colonel R. Murrow: 2d6+8 = 14 Battle: Soom-Clan Marauders: 2d10+21 (+10 Mil, +4 SCM Units, +2 TWI Units, +2 ISH Units, +3 SNK Units) [+3 Orbital Superiority if TWI victorious above] = 30 Rebels: 2d10+15 (+8 Mil, +7 Units) = 25 Casualties: Soom-Clan Marauders: 1d3-1 = 0 Rebels: 1d3+1d4-1-1 = 30% of 7 units = 2 lost The Arvaxine Populate invades Region 59 Space Front: Aravaxin Sub-Commander [AVP] (Mil 4) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Union President Molluk [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 3) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. President Edrajek [AVP] (Mil 8) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: President Molluk: 2d6+3 = 7 President Edrajek: 2d6+8 = 17 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+4+3(+4 Units) = 20 Arvaxine Populate: 2d10+14 (+8 Mil, +3 Units, +3 Orbital Superiority) [+2 if TacMan] = 28 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1-1 = 50% of 4 units = 2 lost Arvaxine Populate: 1d3-1 = 20% of 3 units = 1 lost

Round 6: Begin! Years 2049-2051 of the 99,803rd Era of the Imperial Calendar Round 6 will close on Sunday, April 21st. Announcements! Silent_Interim has stepped down as Org GM. JBarca will be taking over as Org GM. Writeup Unrest: Region 55 (SCM) has not received a writeup. All factions are already in rebellion. Region 86 (CAS) has not received a writeup. The Merchant faction in Region 86 becomes Open. Region 91’s Gold resource’s categories have been updated to Precious Minerals and Luxury Goods to match other Gold TPs. The rules for Fortresses have been reworded to avoid an unintentional and somewhat silly possibility of bypassing Fortress defenses. Old wording: “Additionally, if the defender of a region with a Fortress loses the Space Front, the attacker’s bonus from orbital superiority is reduced from +3 to +1.” New wording: “Additionally, if the defender of a region with a Fortress loses the Space Front, the attacker’s bonus from orbital superiority is reduced by 2, to a minimum of 0.” Discovery! Explorations and other news from afar Maps of Tekhum Tekhum %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2FMgqF6Bg%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FJcXDQ3c%2FTekhum-System-R5.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D Region numbers marked on the overall solar system map above indicate single-region natural and artificial satellites. New space stations and similar regions created during the game will be added to this map. Badal %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2FLrMVvch%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FT1Z9r7q%2F1-Badal.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D%0A%5BI%5D%5BSIZE%3D1%5D%5BURL%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fopengameart.org%2Fcontent%2F16x16-fantasy-pixel-art-vehicles%22%5DAirship%20sprite%20by%20DualR.%5B%2FURL%5D%20Commissioned%20by%20OpenGameArt.org.%5B%2FSIZE%5D%5B%2FI%5D Commissioned by OpenGameArt.org. Sansar %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2Fc8sJQ44%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FSmZNBFF%2F2-Sansar.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D%0A%5BSIZE%3D1%5D%5BI%5DSpace%20Needle%20sprite%20from%20%5BURL%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fgame-icons.net%2F%22%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fgame-icons.net%2F%5B%2FURL%5D.%5B%2FI%5D%5B%2FSIZE%5D Space Needle sprite from . Firmament %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2FgwWbmJw%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FvmdCVkm%2F2-SZ-Firmament.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D%0A%5BI%5D%5BSIZE%3D1%5DNot%20to%20scale.%5B%2FSIZE%5D%5B%2FI%5D Not to scale. Aridyin %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2FccFMKyR%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FBVZdHfv%2F2-SZ-Aridyin.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D Veehra %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2F09ckppF%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FmyGmrrX%2F3-Veehra.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D Mekhala %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2Ff8F0v76%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FXyLJ8T0%2F4-Mekhala.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D%0A%5BI%5D%5BSIZE%3D1%5DDistances%20not%20to%20scale.%5B%2FSIZE%5D%5B%2FI%5D Distances not to scale. Explorers from UNNCLE continue surveying their neighboring aerostats, dispatching a diplomatic mission to make contact with the cluster to their southwest. They encounter a notably religious people who nevertheless get on fairly well with the diplomats, offering them a number of delicacies made from the region’s unique floating cherry orchards. UNC explores Region 5, discovering a region with a Majority of Seven Heavens, 2 Trade Posts of Charnan Cherries (Fruits and Vegetables), a Desired Import of Spices, and 4 units of native defenders! UNC gains a +1 bonus to one Sway action taken in the region this round! Coedd no longer requires its own seedpods to investigate an uncharted corner of Sansar: its followers have grown sufficiently in number to explore the northern islands on their own. Cultists journey through the cold polar seas, recording their travels and collecting as much data as possible. The islands seem to be notably resource-poor, with undersea metal deposits being their most economically interesting export. COE explores Region 48, discovering a region with a Majority of Church of Flame, 1 Trade Post of Polymetallic Nodules (Ores and Alloys), a Desired Import of Chemical Reagents, and 3 units of native defenders! COE discovers the region’s military defenders are led by a commander with score: 3! Dwarven explorers continue charting the last unknown reaches of Mekhala, filling in a gap at the center of their claims. The region is more sparsely populated and less industrialized than its neighbors, with the explorers speculating that the bizarre voidal organisms native to the region may have contributed in some way. DIC explores Region 96, discovering a region with a Majority of Astral Animism, a Minority of Aethertouched, one Trade Post of Space Ameobae (Fauna), a Desired Import of Flora, and 2 units of native defenders! DIC gains a +1 bonus to one Buyout action taken in the region this round! Growth! Expansion, development, unification, and similar forms of growth and prosperity SNK creates a Confederation claim on Region 107, spending 1 treasure! ELD presses a Confederation claim on Region 43! ELD gains 1 ground unit. SEV presses a Confederation claim on Region 63! SEV gains 1 ground unit. ISH presses a Confederation claim on Region 67! ISH gains 1 ground unit. SNK presses a Confederation claim on Region 70! SNK gains 1 ground unit. TEA presses a Confederation claim on Region 105! TEA gains 1 ground unit. HOF colonizes Region 80! Region 80 gains a Desired Import of Fauna. CAS colonizes Region 92! Region 92 gains a Desired Import of Construction Materials. GCC colonizes Region 100! Region 100 gains a Desired Import of Spacecraft. RRE colonizes Region 101! Region 101 gains a Desired Import of Planetary Vehicles. ALF colonizes Region 102! Region 102 gains a Desired Import of Computers. UHS encourages settlement of Region 13, spending 1 treasure! Region 13 can now support faiths above Minority level, and Open Government and Media factions are created! CUS encourages settlement of Ouvriead (Region 111)! Region 111 can now support faiths above Minority level, and Open Government and Media factions are created! CUS prospects Ouvriead (Region 111), spending 1 treasure! Region 111 gains one TP of Recon Corvettes (Spacecraft, Information and Data) and an Open Merchant faction! Statecraft! Cultural events, diplomatic overtures, foreign relations, and domestic affairs The Durats of Burtzland rename themselves to the STAR RATS! HOF introduces a Cultural Identity: Imperial Heritage (2d8 to Sway actions)! ARK hosts the Third Hexenniel! -ARK trades Pseudogravity Engineering and Shrewd Business to LSP -ARK trades Shrewd Business to RAT DIC hosts the Shieldbreaking Party! -DIC signs the EAT Charter -BRB signs the EAT Charter ILU sends Dust Hardening to BCC via Embassy Following the death of Aki Kinuin, Ilaro Kinuin is the new heir to the Cloudburst Confederation! (Dynastic, Dip 1, Mil 4, Eco 2, Faith 4, Int 1) Following the death of Console Prisca Calpurnius, Console Antonius Drusus rises to lead the Illumined Utopian! ALF sways the Government in 35 ALF sways the Government in 51 BAF sways the Government in 66 ELD sways the Government in 108 HOB impresses the Merchants in 77, using Ice as Water SCM sways the Government in 75 SCM impresses the Merchants in 73, using Energized Chrysoberyl as Crystals TEA sways the Government in 18 TEA sways the Government in 19 TEA sways the Government in 22 UNC sways the Government in 4 WIC sways the Merchants in 109 Trade! Buyouts, trade routes, and other economic shenanigans SEV constructs an Arcology in Region 62, the Stevens Research Institute! By Todds, for Todds. Bonus: +1 to Investigations MIR invests in Tripedal Mecha in Region 61, creating and gaining ownership of TP 2 in the region! BIR buys out TP 3 for Noble Metals in the Biron Crosspaths (Region 17) BIR buys out TP 2 for Eskorian Orchards in Eskor (Region 30) DIC buys out TP 1 for Laser Rifles in Region 95 FBC buys out TP 2 for Winged Camels in Region 7 GCC buys out TP 3 for Eskorian Orchards in Eskor (Region 30) HOB buys out TP 3 for Cinnakite in Mek-01 (Region 77) KRB buys out TP 3 for Uranium in Dur-Shalkhir (Region 76) LSP buys out TP 1 for Dragon Eyes in Region 45 MIR buys out TP 1 for Davisonian Paints in Region 64 RAT buys out TP 2 for Embroidered Fabrics in Region 99 RAT buys out TP 1 for Spacer’s Cabbage in Region 108 RAT buys out TP 1 for Salvage Ships in Region 109 RRE buys out TP 2 for Unblemished Wreckages in the Moonsoul Mountains (Region 44) SEV buys out TP 1 for Charmed Textiles in Region 42 TWI buys out TP 1 for Implanted HUDs in Region 75 UHS buys out TP 2 for Uhrayan Aircraft in Region 18 UHS buys out TP 3 for Tungsten in Region 57 WIC buys out TP 1 for Heroic Adventurers in Region 39, spending 1 treasure WIC buys out TP 2 for Bamboo in Utattou (Region 28), spending 1 treasure WIC buys out TP 3 for Bamboo in Utattou (Region 28), spending 1 treasure WTU buys out TP 3 for Joint Stock Companies in Region 38 WTU buys out TP 2 for Davisonian Paints in Region 64 WTU buys out TP 3 for Gold in Region 91 WIC fails to buy out TP 2 for Heroic Adventurers in Region 39, spending 1 treasure Treasure Gained ALF gains 1 passive treasure AVP gains 1 passive treasure BAF gains 1 passive treasure BIR gains 1 passive treasure BRB gains 1 passive treasure CAS gains 1 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Ally of the Union CUS gains 1 passive treasure DIC gains 1 passive treasure FBC gains 2 passive treasure GCC gains 1 passive treasure GLO gains 1 passive treasure HOB gains 2 passive treasure HOF gains 1 passive treasure LSP gains 1 passive treasure MIR gains 2 passive treasure MSQ gains 1 passive treasure RAT gains 2 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Ally of the Union RRE gains 2 passive treasure SCM gains 1 passive treasure SEV gains 1 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Ally of the Union TAV gains 1 passive treasure TWI gains 1 passive treasure UHS gains 1 passive treasure WIC gains 2 passive treasure and 1 treasure from Ally of the Union Faith! Conversions, organization, and other such matters of faith The United Houses of Senkar found a Holy Order, the Grand Seats, in Senkar (Region 16)! The Grand Seats are a massive upside-down dome-like building floating above the spires of the city, the reflective golden surface gleaming above like a close-by star. MRP organizes Bardolatry! MRP sets the Size 5 bonus of Bardolatry to +1 to Sway Faction! CBC sets the Size 10 bonus of Cult of Avva to +1 to Conversions COE sets the Size 10 bonus of Coedd to +1 to conversions in regions there was a battle last round CUS adopts the Imperial Cult! No unrest results. ARK converts the minority of Ancestral Queens in Parrot’s Perch (Region 84) to Coedd BRB introduces a minority of Fascination in Region 7, spending 1 treasure BRB introduces a minority of Fascination in Region 12, spending 1 treasure BRB raises Fascination to a majority in Region 17, spending 1 treasure BRB introduces a minority of Fascination in Region 46, spending 1 treasure CBC increases Cult of Avva to Plurality and lowers Precomputed Traditionalism to Minority in Region 56 CBC increases Cult of Avva to Plurality and lower Dustbound Chivalry to Minority in Region 53 CBC converts the minority of Peludian Cult of Avva to Cult of Avva in Region 57 COE introduces a minority of Coedd in Region 35 COE introduces a minority of Coedd in Region 51 HOB introduces a minority of Imperial Cult in Parrot’s Perch (Region 84) HOB introduces a minority of Imperial Cult in the Khylosen Cluster (Region 89) ILU introduces a minority of Soul’s Expression in Region 18 LSP introduces a minority of Imperial Cult in Region 36 MRP introduces a minority of Bardolatry in Region 83 MRP introduces a minority of Bardolatry in Region 87 MRP introduces a minority of Bardolatry in Region 88 UHS introduces a minority of Forever Self in Region 15 UNC increases Paragonism to Plurality in Region 7 UNC increases Paragonism to Plurality in Region 14 Wonder! Miracles and inventions, ancient relics, and spectacular undertakings The Arkhive Æternal develops a new technology: Shrewd Business. A pioneering compendium of looking good and saying the right thing to an impossible degree. Requires: Honeyed Words, Fabrics and Textiles. Effect: +1 to Buyouts you Assist and +1 to Impress Merchants. The Counts of Mirage expand the Veehran rail network into Regions 64, 58, and 59! The Iron Masquerade expands the rail network into Region 53 and 69! Might! Military matters of all kinds, be it warfare or strategic developments The Cloudburst Confederation develops a new military technology: Popmaize Cluster Grenades! A critical mass of metal-plated maize kernels is loaded into a tiny, circular plastic compartment. The wielder uses easily learned arcane energy to drastically increase the temperature of their hands just prior to use. The bomb is designed to be thrown toward enemy lines before violently erupting as the plastic melts, scattering the covered kernels down upon the foes. Requires: Arcane Amplification, Sun-Kissed Maize. Slot: Man-Portable Weapons. Effect: +1 to battle. The STAR RATS promote an Admiral: Skod Qggg Smalengnutepi! More to come. The Iron Masquerade promotes an Admiral, Johanne Faustine (score: 7)! She can use the Tactical Doctrine Forbid the Enemy Cast a Single Shadow (-2 to enemy's Orbital Superiority Bonus). The Arvaxine Populate builds a Fortress in the Arvax Plains (Region 54)! The Combined Commonwealth of Glix and The Bironian Bulwark invade Region 14 Seeking vengeance for Shi Lithium, the Neon Syndicate calls for aid from the only warrior to have defeated her in tournament combat: Rofl’hesk of the Glix. His arrival alongside the Hammer and four units of Glic soldiers is a strong boon to the Bironians, but they do not move too rashly. Instead, the Hammer directs a calm series of attacks on specific points, steadily pushing back the bulk of the forces under the “Imperial Satrap”. With orbital bombardment overseen by Chairman Alchire, the enemy is finally overcome, with the loyalist Knights taking the brunt of the casualties in the fighting. GCC victory! BIR gains Region 14! GCC loses 1 ground unit! Defenders lose 1 unit! The Black Cloud Coalition invades Region 104 (no fluff) Combined Front: The Wrathful Sculptor [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 2) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Hǎi Píng & Dǎo-Māo [BCC] (Mil 10) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Tactical Maneuvering: The Wrathful Sculptor: 2d6 + 2 = 11 Hǎi Píng & Dǎo-Māo: 2d6+10 = 18 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+2 (+3 Units) = 13 Black Cloud Coalition: 2d10+13 (+10 Mil, +3 Units) = 25 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1 = 60% of 3 ground units = 2 lost Black Cloud Coalition: 1d2-1 = 0% BCC victory! BCC gains Region 104! Defenders lose 2 units! The Radiant Republic of Erisdor invades Region 26 (no fluff) Space Front: Republic Sub-Commander [RRE] (Mil 4) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: The Twin Cedars [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 5) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Marshal Aíne Uistein [RRE] (Mil 9) attempting Boot of Liberty (On a TM success, may attempt one Impress action in the region where the battle takes place as a subaction of the battle) Tactical Maneuvering: The Twin Cedars: 2d6 + 5 = 8 Marshal Aíne Uistein: 2d6+9 = 18 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+5 (+3 Units) = 20 Radiant Republic of Erisdor: 2d10+15 (+9 Mil, +1 Unit, +3 Orbital Superiority, +1 Treasure, +1 The Black Foundry) = 28 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1 = 40% of 3 ground units = 1 lost Radiant Republic of Erisdor: 1d3 = 30% of 1 ground unit = 0 lost Additional Effects: Impress Government Support on Region 26 if RRE wins TacMan RRE victory! RRE gains Region 26! Defenders lose 1 unit! The Twin Cedars is killed! RRE Impresses Government in Region 26! Eilif Dhaoine and the White Pawns invade Region 108 (no fluff) Combined Front: Cabbage Monger Xiu [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 3) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Giomad of Fairnead [ELD] (Mil 8) attempting Bleed Them Dry (+1 battle, +10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Cabbage Monger Xiu: 2d6 + 3 = 13 Giomad of Fairnead: 2d6+8 = 14 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+2+3 (+2 Units) = 10 Eilif Dhaoine: 2d10+15 (+8 Mil, +2 ELD Units, +4 WTP Units, +1 Treasure) [+1 if TacMan] = 25 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4+2 = 80% of 2 units = 2 lost (wipeout) Eilif Dhaoine: 1d1 = 10% of 2 ELD ground units = 0 lost and 10% of 4 WTP ground units = 0 lost The Sorcerers of New Kildora invade Region 64 (no fluff) Space Front: Sorcerous Subcommander [SNK] (Mil 3) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Mother Bastet [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 1) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Doomweaver Serpent [SNK] (Mil 5) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Mother Bastet: 2d6 + 1 = 11 Doomweaver Serpent: 2d6+5 = 8 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+2+1 (+2 Units) = 12 Sorcerers of New Kildora: 2d10+12 (+5 Mil, +2 Unit, +3 Orbital Superiority, +1 Cult of the Mother Serpent, +1 Treasure) = 17 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1-1 = 10% of 2 ground units = 0 lost Sorcerers of New Kildora: 1d3-1 = 10% of 2 ground units = 0 lost The Soom-Clan Marauders invade Region 75 Warlord Sigrid rode from the Plains of her home on the back of a great leviathan. The raiding incursions into the Greenlands were a step in the Clan’s great work but it was a careful measure. One that involved restraint, alliances, and knowing one's limits. The southern march would be a different matter. The full force of the Soom-Clan came crashing down on the eve of the wet season. Rows of retrofitted buggies, scrap-armored crawlers, and saddled beasts lead the charge covered with a conjured sandstorm. The army waiting for them was ill-impressed, for they had no feelings at all, and were little more than a throng of automatons with military history installed within them. The calculating Necrodigitizer Telek-Re had harvested military knowledge, historical data, and forbidden tutelage from the crypts and fallen realms that poxed this land. A conglomeration of weapons, tactics, and forces both familiar and foreign to the Soom-Clan were on full display during the campaign. Several Digitoids even attempted the full body somatic arts of the Marauders after weeks of battle gave enough footage of the warriors turning sand into burning glass swords and implacable walls. Many perished in the protracted confusing battles, their arms and armaments scavenged in real time by the Necrodigitizer, and leading to unfortunate friendly fire in one particularly grim hostage situation. But despite the calculations and artificial perfection of Telek-re the prospect of victory was untenable. The final death knell of their charnel curation came with the combined might of a Sand Serpent the size of legends smashing its conjured head over and over on the bunker Telek-re called home. Collapsing the mountain the bunker nestled inside of entirely upon itself the Soom-Clan stood over the ruins bloodied and triumphant. SCM Victory! SCM gains Region 75! SCM loses 1 unit! Necrodigitizer Telek-re is killed! The White Pawns and the Solar Trade Administrative Regions of Durats invade Region 99 (no fluff) Combined Front: Mother-Superior Zavresta [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 2) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Captain Sekira [WTP] (Mil 9) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Tactical Maneuvering: Mother-Superior Zavresta: 2d6 + 2 = 8 Captain Sekira: 2d6+9 = 13 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+2 (+3 Units) [+2 if TacMan] = 14 White Pawns: 2d10+15 (+9 Mil, +1 WTP Unit, +6 RAT Units, +1 Treasure, -2 Distance) = 26 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1 = 30% of 3 units = 1 lost White Pawns: 1d2-1 = 0% Additional Effects: If victorious, the White Pawns transfer control of the region to the Solar Trade Administrative Regions of Durats. Units Raised ALF raises 1 ground unit BCC raises 1 ground unit CAS raises 2 space units COV raises 2 space units GLO raises 2 space units RRE raises 1 ground unit SNK raises 1 space unit TWI raises 2 ground units and 1 space unit Schemes! Coercion, betrayals, and spycraft BRB establishes an Espionage Agency, the Golden Phoenix Casino! GLO spends 1 treasure on a secret action MSQ spends 1 treasure on a secret action ARV Undermines WTU Merchants in 70, which become Open COE openly builds a Spy Network in GLO FBC roots out spies! No spies are detected and removed. GLO coerces TP 3 for Charmed Textiles in Region 42 ARV coerces TP 2 for Union Crews in Region 59 Terror! Violence, upheaval, murder, and destruction Elite culinary experts sent to Dantenon publish scathings reviews of the local cuisine, declaring it to be the blandest edible substance in all of Tekhum for the fifteenth year in a row. Tourism and national pride take a significant hit when the critique is broadcast on the IntraPlanet. The Merchants in the Highlands of Ishtahnos (Region 65) become Open! If Spices are not acquired, they will become Unruly next round! The Coalition Unified Administration makes a sorrowful emergency announcement: due to widespread materials shortages, the creation and sale of augments for purely cosmetic reasons is temporarily prohibited in order to conserve components for individuals who require prosthesis for medical reasons. The Merchants in the North Way Cluster (Region 2) become Open! If Superconductors are not acquired, they will become Unruly next round! BCC steals 1 Treasure from the Cloudburst Confederation! BCC gains 1 EMP Rep from Tenfold in Blood! While en route to the Reserve following his victory in the Mekhalan Bloodsports, Eighbris of the Eilif Dhaoine is abducted! Unknown assailants hijacked his transport vessel and activated every escape pod. Which pod they took, and therefore Eighbris’s final destination, are unknown…. ELD loses 1 Renown due to Terror in the Shadows. Forces from the Eucrus Alliance have apparently decided to enforce a more lasting radio blackout over Region 19. Basu-Rahman’s Badalian recording and broadcasting studios are invaded and destroyed! TEA destroys the BRG base in Region 19, spending 1 treasure! TEA loses 3 Rep with BRG, dropping to -3! The Media in Region 19 become Open! The armies of the Illumined Utopian are here to settle their grudge with the Basu-Rahman Group’s infamous “Elf Slaves” ad. Overrunning local defenses, Basu-Rahman’s Sansar broadcasting headquarters is blasted into rubble! ILU destroys the BRG base in Region 37! ILU loses 3 Rep with BRG, dropping to -3! The Media in Region 19 become Open! Khylokian raiders, smelling blood in the void, descend upon the Basu-Rahman station coordination center in Mekhala. Among the explosions and destruction, reports filter outward of more targeted looting - stolen datafiles, kidnapped resident experts, and other informational materials. Basu-Rahman InterPlaNet astroturf accounts claim, more angrily than jokingly, that the Khylokians must be such a savage species that they can only learn their alphabet through murder. KRB destroys the BRG base in Region 95! KRB loses 3 Rep with BRG, dropping to -3! As the reverberations of the Soom-Clan’s attack on Basu-Rahman’s former Veehran broadcasting headquarters continue to shake Region 55, the regional government is bombarded with strange documents of at-first mysterious origin. As the paperwork piles and piles higher and higher, it soon becomes clear that parties unknown have contracted with a certain Mekhalan Clerk, paying them a huge sum of money to advocate on behalf of “those employees, citizens, local residents or inhabitants, and other individuals harmed by the Soom-Clan and their unprompted and illegal depredations against internationally recognized Basu-Rahman holdings.” Some in the local administration are swayed by the persuasive legal arguments; others merely frozen by the volume of paperwork. The Government of Region 55 becomes Unruly! Separately and in parallel, Basu-Rahman mobilizes their control of what media remains in Region 55 against the Soom-Clan. Popular unrest grows rapidly against the conquerors, but it is local businesses, many of whom profited significantly from Basu-Rahman’s presence, who first begin to turn against their new rulers. Refusal to serve Clan members and street protests quickly become something more, as the whole region, disaffected by the incident, rises in rebellion…. Region 55’s Government, Media, and Merchants rebel against the Soom-Clan! The rebels demand independence from SCM. The rebels fight with 7 ground units, 1 space unit, a General with a score of 8, and an Admiral with a score of 9. Organizations! The Imperial Court The Empire appreciates the diplomatic outreach of the following… ARK rises to EMP Rep 1. HOF rises to EMP Rep 3. LSP rises to EMP Rep 3. UNC rises to EMP Rep 0. BAF rises to EMP Rep 1. KRB spends 1 treasure, but fails to raise their EMP rep. The Empire appreciates the efforts to reprisal of the following… BCC rises to EMP Rep 2. The Emperor appreciates the meekness of the following… CBC drops to REN 0. CBC gains 1 EMP favor. This favor expires at the end of round 7 and can only be used to remove CBC from the list of Tenfold in Blood targets. [Opportunity] The High and Mighty BCC rises to EMP Rep 3, but is immediately knocked back down to EMP Rep 2. LSP rises to EMP Rep 4. LSP knocks CUS down to EMP Rep 3. LSP is now a Grey Eminence! The Imperial College appreciates the donations of the following… KRB sends 4 Treasure. Pan-Tekhum Worker’s and Trader’s Union The Union thanks the following for their show of solidarity… SEV rises to WTU Rep 3. SEV becomes an Ally of the Union! BAF rises to WTU Rep 1. The Union releases the following impactful inspection results… RRE gains 1 WTU Favour! COE fails inspection and loses 1 WTU Rep, dropping to -1. SNK fails inspection and loses 1 WTU Rep, dropping to -1. KRB fails inspection and loses 1 WTU Rep, dropping to -1. FBC fails inspection and loses 1 WTU Rep, dropping to -1. LSP repays their loan of 3 Treasure. LSP repays 1 Favor and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 1. MIR repays their loan of 3 Treasure. MIR repays 1 Favor and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 1. RAT repays their loan of 3 Treasure. RAT repays 1 Favor and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 3. RAT becomes an Ally of the Union! RRE repays their loan of 4 Treasure. RRE repays 1 Favor and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 1. CAS indebts themselves 1 Favor to WTU, requesting a buyout of TP 2 for Voidspice in Region 78. BCC indebts themselves 2 Favors to WTU and loses 1 WTU Rep, dropping to Rep 2, to request an Interplanetary Guildhall from the Pan-Tekhum Worker's & Trader's Union (WTU) in the North Way Cluster (2), providing a bonus to Thefts SEV claims 1 Treasure from Project Sunrise. AVP’s interference in the Region 70 project loses them 1 WTU Rep! They remain at -2. The Basu-Rahman Group The Basu-Rahman Group opens its offices to certain interested parties… GLO rises to BRG Rep 3, spending 1 treasure. BAF rises to BRG Rep 1. The Basu-Rahman Group deals in connections… GLO spends 1 Favor to rise to BRG Rep 4. GLO becomes a Partner of the Board! BCC indebts themselves 1 Favor to BRG. ELD indebts themselves 1 Favor to BRG. BRB recieves 1 Treasure from BRG. Rampant violence against innocent reporters is condemned throughout Tekhum. TEA falls to BRG Rep -3! TEA is now an Enemy of the Board! ILU falls to BRG Rep -3! ILU is now an Enemy of the Board! KRB falls to BRG Rep -3! KRB is now an Enemy of the Board! ILU rises to BRG Rep -2, as the new Console does not inherit all the sins of the old. Renown SEV claims 1 Renown from Built to Last. CBC claims 2 Renown from Wonders of the 99,803rd Era. BRB claims 2 Renown from Eyes in the Skies. UHS claims 1 Renown from Built to Last. Renown rank 2 is overcrowded... ILU drops to Renown 1. RRE drops to Renown 1. CBC drops to Renown 1. Other… In the space surrounding the ancient forcefield, Dwarven warships stand ready to bombard the invisible barrier. From the flagship’s bridge, Dr. Horace Thorn gives the signal, and at once a truly awe-inspiring barrage of kinetic artillery is unleashed on the asteroid. Bright white flashes appear in the void as the first k-slugs make impact, more and more bursting out against the blackness as the tempo of the bombardment increases. And then, suddenly, nothing. The last wave of slugs meets with no resistance, blasting clouds of gravel into the void, and the Doctor halts the assault. From there, it is a job for xenologists and archaeologists. The dwarves are very careful to ensure complete decontamination procedures before entering and after leaving the asteroid, especially after the failure of first contact protocols. Their final report is rather disturbing: the asteroid was inhabited, once. The tunnels whose openings are visible from space lead into what was clearly once a city of tens of millions of human-scale beings. Artifacts are found: toys, paper books, clothing articles, personal vehicles, whole buildings left in remarkably good condition. But no signs of actual life are present; no living inhabitants, no corpses, not even microorganisms. The empty asteroid city is certainly inhabitable, and no signs of whatever led to its sterilization are found… but whether any would willingly colonize it, even if the shields are reactivated, is a different question entirely. DIC breaches the forcefield in Region 92. Region 92 can now have Encourage Settlement and Prospect actions taken in it, and gains a Fortress: the Ancient Forcefield Generator! With a potentially awkward standoff narrowly resolved, Ishtahn special forces secure the entrance to the bunker in Region 63, remaining as strategic backup for the Vesperite soldiers who continue deeper beneath the great Veehran mountain. The Vesperites proceed cautiously through a labyrinth of tunnels cast in the same grayish paint - a color which proves extremely good at hiding cameras, gunports, pressure plates, flame jets, pit traps, and shock emitters. Two of the latter are found next to the pulverized wreckage of what appears, upon extremely close investigation, to be a remote camera drone of the sort typically used by the Castaways, and the team barely escapes being crushed alongside it by moving walls. By luck or by skill, most of the Vesperite team reaches the heart of the labyrinth intact and alive. The core room is set with relief carvings of devilish faces, one of which appears to be biting down on a faintly glowing green cube covered in strange carvings. Data scrolls retrieved from the same room seem to indicate (in archaic and flowery language) that the cube is a prophecy, or rather a thousand prophecies - hidden at the heart of the mountain, in anticipation of its own rediscovery by a “people of might and glory”. TWI gains an Artifact, the Proof of Destiny! A cube of greenish stone covered in ancient alien hieroglyphs. Said to contain one thousand prophecies concerning the might and glory of the inheritors who would one day rediscover it. +1 to one Raise Reputation action per round. The mysteries of Region 1 and its pipeworks have attracted the attention of the Illumined Utopian, but their initial probing comes to naught. Only the combined mental efforts of several Masters are able to begin rebooting the pipeworks, scurrying on and around the central console. Strangely, their efforts seem to become easier as they continue, far more quickly than would be expected from merely a growing familiarity with the arcane system. It is only after the colony briefly drops out of contact with the Height of Utopia that the truth is discovered: the entire aerostat is a massive production factory for an esoteric intellect-enhancing compound. The colony-spanning pipeworks are part factory, part atmospheric conditioning system, and the colonists seem to have been rapidly “enhanced” as the aerostat was flooded with the compound they now call “XQI” - in fact, re-established radio communications with the colony are disturbingly prone to the person on the other end anticipating questions before they’re asked…. Region 1 gains 3 TPs of XQI (Magic Items, Medicines and Drugs)! Region 1 gains a Majority of Telepathic Transcendance! Region 1 cannot be Prospected, and an Encourage Settlement action will create all three factions. ILU gains a technology, Minor Precognition! Requires: XQI. Effect: +1 to defend 1 opposed roll/round. When used, takes a conversion action towards Telepathic Transcendence in a random owned region (+8 bonus). Cannot be used on battle rolls. Agents of the Iron Monarch travel west of Vesper, to the desert where the ancient terraforming equipment was discovered. Through months of careful study of the control room and pipes - linguistic reconstruction, liquid flow control experiments, “random lever flicking”, and climate model simulation - they are able to divine the machinery’s purpose, operating requirements, and likely effect on Veehra. The owner of Region 60 may reactivate the terraforming equipment with a TN 12 Economy or Intrigue action. This will complete its original directive, terraforming Region 60 - removing its Dust Desert status and Prospecting it for a new resource. If the region owner owns a TP of Water or Ice and a TP of Flora, they may use this action to terraform Region 60 and all regions adjacent to it, removing their internal Dust Desert borders. Unowned regions will have their resources changed; the owner of an affected region may choose to keep the old resource. Alternatively, the owner of Region 60 may scrap the accessible equipment for parts with an unrolled Economy action, gaining two Treasure. Suspecting foul play, Todd 49186 and his partner Rhonda 49199 launch an investigation into the Khylokian raid on New Kildora. They find little evidence remaining at the actual scene of the attack, but one strange thing catches Rhonda’s notice - the exsanguinated corpses recovered from the site seem to have been violently ripped apart before their blood was removed, rather than simultaneously as would be expected of proper Khylokian sanguimancy. While extremely circumstantial, it’s the best evidence they can find - and would suggest that the attack was carried out not by Khylokians, but by non-Khylokians very familiar with their M.O. Probes dispatched below the surface of the Cloud Sea from Neo Guleum transmit details of an increasingly hellish environment as they descend. Temperatures rise over 400 centigrade and atmospheric pressure increases to almost 9000% of that at a livable altitude before the probes are crushed or melted without making landfall. Though the Federation has held the Artificial Wings for decades, a more thorough investigation of them has never been commissioned - an oversight which Dr. Song Freidman seeks to correct. Unfortunately, no leads can be found regarding the original builders of the dragon, but a closer look at the clockwork materials making up the Wings reveals, startlingly, that they could reasonably be described as “alive” - made from a highly adaptive nanotechnology, they reassemble themselves to attach to different types of modern technology and to resist the destructive Badalian atmosphere. The study concludes that the dragon may have been either a relic of a surface civilization, an ancient attempt to explore the surface, or a bizarre natural inhabitant of the planet. Its purpose in whipping up the storm and making contact is, sadly, unanswerable. A mass purchase program sponsored by the Ishtahnos First Minister, assisted by the Doomweaver of New Kildora, sees practically every indentured servant in Kildora freed, many resettling in Ishtahnos and all of them under the protection of the Kingdom! In the northern wilds of Region 53, an old Veehran hermit and his offbeat interpretation of typical Imperial Cult ideas seem to have attracted international attention. On a terrace below his mountain abode, he has constructed a circular pond, with the rings of Ophon inscribed in the earth around it and nine trees planted at equal intervals surrounding the rings. He claims this odd shrine contains within it a perfect representation of the Emperor, though more skeptical visitors claim it houses only some aquatic plants and a somewhat grumpy-looking Veehran salmon. Nevertheless, a few high-profile celebrities seem to find the hermit’s teachings enlightening, and “Salmon Steve” gains in public recognition as the standard years pass.

End of Round Five. No further mechanical edits to action posts may be made! Battles The Combined Commonwealth of Glix and The Bironian Bulwark invade Region 14 Space Front: Chairman Alchire [BIR] (Mil 2) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Imperial Satrap Qil’un [NPC] (Mil 6) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. The Hammer [GCC] (Mil 7) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Tactical Maneuvering: Imperial Satrap Qil’un: 2d6+6 = 12 The Hammer: 2d6+7 = 15 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+11 (+6 Mil, +5 Units) = 22 Combined Commonwealth of Glix: 2d10+15 (+7 Mil, +5 Units, +3 Orbital Superiority) = 27 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-2 = 20% of 5 units = 1 lost Combined Commonwealth of Glix: 1d3-1 = 20% of 1 BIR ground unit = 0 lost and 20% of 4 GCC ground units = 1 lost Additional Effects: If victorious, the Combined Commonwealth transfers control of the region to the Bironian Bulwark. The Black Cloud Coalition invades Region 104 Combined Front: The Wrathful Sculptor [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 2) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Hǎi Píng & Dǎo-Māo [BCC] (Mil 10) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Tactical Maneuvering: The Wrathful Sculptor: 2d6 + 2 = 11 Hǎi Píng & Dǎo-Māo: 2d6+10 = 18 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+2 (+3 Units) = 13 Black Cloud Coalition: 2d10+13 (+10 Mil, +3 Units) = 25 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1 = 60% of 3 ground units = 2 lost Black Cloud Coalition: 1d2-1 = 0% The Radiant Republic of Erisdor invades Region 26 Space Front: Republic Sub-Commander [RRE] (Mil 4) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: The Twin Cedars [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 5) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Marshal Aíne Uistein [RRE] (Mil 9) attempting Boot of Liberty (On a TM success, may attempt one Impress action in the region where the battle takes place as a subaction of the battle) Tactical Maneuvering: The Twin Cedars: 2d6 + 5 = 8 Marshal Aíne Uistein: 2d6+9 = 18 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+5 (+3 Units) = 20 Radiant Republic of Erisdor: 2d10+15 (+9 Mil, +1 Unit, +3 Orbital Superiority, +1 Treasure, +1 The Black Foundry) = 28 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1 = 40% of 3 ground units = 1 lost Radiant Republic of Erisdor: 1d3 = 30% of 1 ground unit = 0 lost Additional Effects: Impress Government Support on Region 26 if RRE wins TacMan The Twin Cedars is lost! Eilif Dhaoine and the White Pawns invade Region 108 Combined Front: Cabbage Monger Xiu [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 3) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Giomad of Fairnead [ELD] (Mil 8) attempting Bleed Them Dry (+1 battle, +10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Cabbage Monger Xiu: 2d6 + 3 = 13 Giomad of Fairnead: 2d6+8 = 14 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+2+3 (+2 Units) = 10 Eilif Dhaoine: 2d10+15 (+8 Mil, +2 ELD Units, +4 WTP Units, +1 Treasure) [+1 if TacMan] = 25 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4+2 = 80% of 2 units = 2 lost (wipeout) Eilif Dhaoine: 1d1 = 10% of 2 ELD ground units = 0 lost and 10% of 4 WTP ground units = 0 lost The Sorcerers of New Kildora invade Region 64 Space Front: Sorcerous Subcommander [SNK] (Mil 3) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Mother Bastet [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 1) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Doomweaver Serpent [SNK] (Mil 5) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Mother Bastet: 2d6 + 1 = 11 Doomweaver Serpent: 2d6+5 = 8 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+2+1 (+2 Units) = 12 Sorcerers of New Kildora: 2d10+12 (+5 Mil, +2 Unit, +3 Orbital Superiority, +1 Cult of the Mother Serpent, +1 Treasure) = 17 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1-1 = 10% of 2 ground units = 0 lost Sorcerers of New Kildora: 1d3-1 = 10% of 2 ground units = 0 lost The Soom-Clan Marauders invade Region 75 Space Front: Palu Soom [SCM] (Mil 4) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) ; AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Necrodigitizer Telek-re [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 5) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Warlord Sigrid [SCM] (Mil 10) attempting Rust, Dust, and Guts (+3 to Battle and +10% own casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Necrodigitizer Telek-re: 2d6 + 5 = 15 Warlord Sigrid: 2d6+10 = 16 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+4+5 (+4 Units) = 16 Soom-Clan Marauders: 2d10+16 (+10 Mil, +2 Units, +3 Orbital Superiority, +1 Cult of the Mother Serpent) [+3 if TacMan] = 24 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1 = 10% of 4 ground units = 0 lost Soom-Clan Marauders: 1d3+1 = 40% of 2 ground units = 1 lost Necrodigitizer Telek-re lost! The White Pawns and the Solar Trade Administrative Regions of Durats invade Region 99 Combined Front: Mother-Superior Zavresta [NPC] (Mil 1d10 = 2) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Captain Sekira [WTP] (Mil 9) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Tactical Maneuvering: Mother-Superior Zavresta: 2d6 + 2 = 8 Captain Sekira: 2d6+9 = 13 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+2 (+3 Units) [+2 if TacMan] = 14 White Pawns: 2d10+15 (+9 Mil, +1 WTP Unit, +6 RAT Units, +1 Treasure, -2 Distance) = 26 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1 = 30% of 3 units = 1 lost White Pawns: 1d2-1 = 0% Additional Effects: If victorious, the White Pawns transfer control of the region to the Solar Trade Administrative Regions of Durats.

Organization Actions Round Five The Imperial Court The Imperial Court consists of those attendants, retainers, and noble courtiers surrounding the Emperor. In addition to their responsibilities in the Imperial Crown, the courtiers act as the Emperor’s representatives in planetary affairs. The Imperial Court consists exclusively of humans, a state of affairs which likely reflects the population of the Imperial Crown itself. From the Imperial Embassies on each planet they enforce the Emperor’s decrees, ensure the loyalty of Imperial states, and tend to the dream that is Empire. Prestigious and powerful rulers will find that the Imperial Court takes a greater interest in them, and those who gain their respect may even find themselves promoted to a seat on the Imperial Senate - a position which grants them both a voice in Imperial policy and the chance to secure the Emperor’s personal attention. [Opportunity] Fivefold in Silver - The Imperial Court believes it has made its point: defiance of the Emperor’s Will and ingratitude for his Generosity are utterly unacceptable, either by the Court or by the other Elect. The punishments will of course continue until their stated end - the Empire is not a soft liege - but should certain wayward subjects recognize the error of their ways and clearly demonstrate as much, perhaps there is a clearer path back to favor. [Until the end of Round 7, any country which may be targeted for Tenfold in Blood may, as a non-action, pay 5 Treasure to the Empire to gain a favor. Alternatively, any such country with Renown 2 or higher may, as a non-action, broadcast a humiliating apology to the Emperor across Tekhum, reducing their Renown to 0 but gaining a favor. As usual, this favor will automatically be consumed to raise reputation if their reputation is negative; otherwise, this favor can only be used to remove the country from the targets of Tenfold in Blood (though it can be used in the same round it is gained) and will expire at the end of Round 7.] [Request] High Culture Demands High Art - The small army of bureaucrats, advisors, and courtiers that occupies each Imperial Embassy to ensure compliance with Imperial Decrees and loyalty to the Emperor often attempts to mimic the latest trends of the Imperial Crown. Certain cultural materials have been difficult to procure given the great gulf of space between many Embassies and Ophon, causing bored courtiers to look elsewhere for inspiration from fine arts. [The Imperial Court seeks Great Works from the Elect! Until the end of Round 8, nations with EMP Rep -1 or higher may take a Diplomacy action to give a Great Work to the Imperial Court for a reward of 1 EMP Rep and 1 EMP favor.] [Decree] Extraordinary Research Grants Approval - The Imperial College of Sciences is putting out a request for… additional funding. [For the next four rounds, any country with EMP Rep -1 or higher may spend an Economy action to donate any amount of Treasure to the college. For every 10 Treasure received, the College will attempt to create one new Technology. Some avenues may turn out to be dead ends in research terms, and some (like starting technologies) may have no appreciable mechanical effect. All donors will receive all technologies successfully created.] The duration of this Decree has been extended for one round due to the lateness of Org actions this round, and, should it ever recur, it will last for three rounds, not four. Non-actions [Senate] Invite Queen Chalise and Archon Tangata Roa’s representative, Kaia Tareta, to join the Senate - An invitation, not just to be a member, but to be present in the halls of power. Ongoing Ongoing Decrees Imperial Outreach Program - +1 to Raise Reputation with EMP until the end of round 5. Close Astronavigational Data Breaches - All countries suffer -1 to all exploration actions during round 5. Requests and Opportunities [Request] Novel Novelties – The secret that the Imperial Courtiers poorly conceal is that they are, almost without exception, extremely bored. It seems that, at the top, there is not much to do, and so the finest distractions available are called for. Some simply look for the finest available leisure, while others plumb the deepest frontiers of science. Either way, there is an ongoing demand for raw material to stave off ennui. [EMP is seeking TPs of Luxury Goods and Exotic Matter. Any country that donates a TP of either resource category to EMP as an Economy action before the end of round 5 gains 1 EMP Favour and 1 Treasure.] [Opportunity] The High and Mighty - The Elect have begun to distinguish themselves from one another, and as the wheat is separated from the chaff, as the cream rises to the top, the Empire can begin to take an interest in the greatest of the great. [At the end of round 5, any countries with Renown 4 will gain 1 EMP Rep, provided they do not have negative EMP Rep.] [Opportunity] Tenfold In Blood - It has come to the attention of the Court that there are those who feel themselves above the laws and taxes of their Emperor. It is not the lack of lucre, but rather the sheer effrontery that has so offended the Court. But it would not do for the Armada to be deployed over such a petty thing. So instead, an awareness is circulated through back-channels that it would please the Court if there were... reprisals. And perhaps some of those so dishonoured could regain the Court's favour by the same means. [Until the end of round 7, each country may gain 1 EMP Rep if they perform a public Sack or Theft action targeting a country which failed to pay the Elect Tax, provided they are successful. If non-hostile Sacks or Thefts are contrived, Rep will not be awarded. Each country can gain this bonus a maximum of two times, and a maximum of once per round. A list of those countries follows. ALF, AVP, CBC, COE, DIC, ELD, FBC, GLO, RRE, UNC. Countries on this list may, as a Diplomacy action, pay 1 Treasure and 1 EMP favour to be removed from it, provided they are at EMP Rep 0 or higher. They may not go into favour debt for this.] Pan-Tekhum Worker's and Trader's Union The Pan-Tekhum Worker's and Trader's Union - usually called the Pan-Tekhum Union or simply the Union - found its start as a loose interplanetary coalition of smaller collectives, guilds, and worker's interest groups who found it expedient to work together to protect their interests. The re-introduction of the Elect catapulted them into prominence, as leadership rapidly centralized to ensure the continued protection of interests for workers and small businesses everywhere. They are now a major player in finance and business throughout the system. Despite their name, the Union actually has more in common with the structure of a medieval guild than the definition of a union proposed by more revolutionary groups in Tekhum, though their ownership structure is more horizontal and they have little interest in maintaining monopolies. [Proclamation] Release Inspection Results The Union has collated the results of their workplace safety audits, and their final decisions are published across InterPlaNet - some surprising, others… less so. Rep loss and favor gain will occur at the end of the round. An Anonymized Compilation of Inspection Report Summaries The ArkHive is a very comfortable and welcoming place, and I feel that overall this is reflected in their treatment of their workers. However, I am concerned by the control offered by their government structure to outside interests, which could easily be employed to put their personnel into situations for which the ArkHive lacks protective measures. The Biarbu have unusual biology by the standard of sophonts, which has led me to focus on the social and mental aspects of safety and welfare. By those metrics, I largely found their systems acceptable, but not particularly notable. Overshadowing all internal labour practices when considering the political situation of the Moonsoul Mountains is the issue of their use of Corvee Labour. While I am hesitant to cast stones given our involvement in the region and our so-far gentle approach to reforming the area, I have serious concerns, especially given the outrage from our partners in the Black Cloud Coalition. I do not feel I can pass judgement, but neither can I offer outright approval. In my time with the dwarves, I have found that while they are not overly concerned with safety, this is more a cultural point than a managerial one. Life is lived to the fullest, often while intoxicated, and there is a limit on how safe things can be. While I would prefer more robust safety protocols, hazard pay, and bereavement pay, overall I found their conditions acceptable after accounting for extenuating factors. The Soom-Clan Marauders live a dangerous lifestyle, out in the desert. Still, I have found their culture to be solidly co-operative and generally equitable, if sometimes harsh. Given the factors that shaped their work culture, it is a wonder they have turned out as well as they have. The importance of community and clan loyalty does sometimes leave holes, and I definitely consider there to be room for improvement, but overall I am pleased with what I have seen. It is unclear to me how to triage injuries to Durats, when so often they involve the permanent death of a pod member, but fortunately, labor conditions are not particularly noteworthy in either direction. I have no issues to denounce, nor specific recommendations to make, save to reiterate the importance of handling semiconductor etching chemicals with caution. Industrial and agricultural conditions in Agbada are acceptable: a work culture of rule-following and diligence among both managers and laborers goes a long way towards ensuring safety, even if I must admit I find their religious mania somewhat unsettling at times. A culture of bribery does not a good first impression make, but despite the oddness of the Glix I found little else to criticize on safety grounds in the Teivosk under inspection. PPE distribution and magical failsafes functioned within parameters. The similarity of this system to a “company town” does raise concerns for me, but I have referred these issues to biosocial experts better equipped to analyze them, whose conclusions are attached in Appendix A. I am generally pleased with Caipe Ushere’s performance upon inspection. The only black mark against them is that I must protest my treatment by certain notable vintners, who claimed to believe I was spying on behalf of their market rivals and forcibly ejected me from their facilities. That said, most typically dangerous jobs are highly automated, and the monarchy seems to devote not inconsiderable effort to sustaining a high standard of living, reflected in general safety conditions and equitability. Danger is the nature of labor in the upper atmosphere of Badal, but I cannot say I am fully confident in the Black Cloud Coalition’s ability to minimize it. While scoring highly in worker treatment, their current usage of cybernetics and PPE can only go so far. My recommendations include investment in remote hazardous environment drones and clearing out or at least increasing protection around hazardous “Violet Zones”. With a new Union Hall in their territory, we may be able to assist with these action items. Though Al-Miraya is a highly hazardous environment, Llort biology goes a long way in ensuring worker safety in the vacuum of space, and many of the worst potential problems luckily require minimal PPE to ward off. Sunglasses are highly recommended. Labor regulations among the Castaways are nonexistent, but in spite of this they seem to have managed an acceptable level of safety, with a high use of remote drones and little exploitation. However, I must strongly recommend we aid them in an immediate standardization initiative - the horizontal bonds between the 17 survivors of the Loop do not scale to the level of a state, and there is a great deal of potential for backsliding. Conditions in the Masklands are strange, in my opinion. Miners are paid well and protected to a higher standard than one might expect, but surface industry seems to be rather neglected by the Counts and left distressingly exposed to dust storms. Though I cannot in good faith suggest a full censure, I must recommend we push for significant expansion of the privileges enjoyed by the miners’ guilds to other industries. I have no particular criticisms to levy at the Bafatis Dynasty. Voletha’s heavy industrialization raised some initial concerns, but labor protection laws a) exist, b) are relatively strong and c) are generally well-enforced. Ishtahnos’s eagerness for inspection was refreshing, but I found no issues their own Ministries were not already aware of. The most significant safety issues were in the butchery industry - Veehran Aurochs are evidently testy creatures - but I was satisfied with the protocols in place to avoid actual injury. I report no notable problems found in my inspection of UNNCLE. Although conditions are generally hot and cramped, they are not significantly more so than other aerostatic industrial sites, and welfare falls within acceptable parameters. I was highly pleased with my findings in the Radiant Republic. Truly, they have lived up to their name. This seems to be an unparalleled era for worker's rights and protections in their territory. RRE gains 1 WTU Favour! Labor conditions on the island of Coedd are highly dubious; I personally observed multiple deceased workers, killed in training-preventable accidents, in my short time here. Coedd’s disregard for its inhabitants rises to a level of callous malice that would be unacceptable in any government, while local employers seem too concerned with profit to avoid blatantly obvious health hazards. COE fails inspection and loses 1 WTU Rep. Kanmarra biology makes an inspection of Anjahar difficult. That being said, safety standards are acceptable and the government seems to maintain a reasonable level of concern for its citizens. I was struck by their willingness to discuss rampant labor issues in Uhra, as well as the action plans they presented, and I see no reason to recommend censure at this time, though periodic re-inspection would be reasonable. While outward-facing labor conditions among the Sorcerers are acceptable, if not standout, the thrall system of New Kildora disgusts this inspector. Debt slavery is sufficiently cruel without custom-building new thinking beings to condemn them to that fate. SNK fails inspection and loses 1 WTU Rep. The Bloodlord made poor excuses for his refusal to allow access to any areas beyond my brief tour, and even on what must presumably have been their “best” behavior, I observed multiple work-related injuries. I cannot recommend censure heartily enough. KRB fails inspection and loses 1 WTU Rep. If we are to judge Kish by its lowest point, it fails utterly; by its highest, it passes with flying colors. This inspector’s opinion is that we cannot reasonably consider a one-size-fits-all response; we must encourage and assist the Archmage in establishing some acceptable form of standardization first. I have few positive things to report from my time in Neo-Guleum. Although safety failures appear uncommon, general welfare is near nonexistent. Workplace discipline appears to be enforced by various forms of torture carried out through mandatory cybernetic implants. FBC fails inspection and loses 1 WTU Rep. The Wicklund realm is so small by the standards of other Elect that it is difficult to compare them on the same scale. However, I can note that the local mono-industry of desert salvaging is relatively well supported, especially with magical temperature control preventing environmental conditions from becoming too taxing. It is difficult for me to offer an unbiased opinion on anything within Narsai, following the Iron Monarch's attempt to detain me. What little I saw was not, however, encouraging. MSQ has already lost 1 WTU Rep. To my surprise, I found the facilities of Senkar met a reasonably high standard for worker safety. Nevertheless, I have concerns; given the delays in their inspection, it is difficult to be certain what they might have swept under the rug. I cannot offer any unreserved praise. It is unsurprising that what little labour occurs under the watch of the custodial units of C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. is done with the utmost concern for safety. I am very pleased with everything I observed during my inspection. Inspection within Vesper proved... complicated. Even with the respect we received as representatives of the Union, this is not a safe place for anyone, even the nanite-infused Vesperites. It is difficult even to assess what "safety standards" mean in this environment. I believe the Twilight League is putting forward its best efforts, but unless circumstances radically change, it is difficult for me to call their best efforts genuinely good. The Neon Syndicate has been friendly with the Union, and I appreciate the efforts the Bironian government has put towards aiding the Union. Still, I am not completely contented with what I witnessed in the Crosspaths, and I have concerns over the class system and conditions for workers. It is complex, assessing the conditions of the Illumined Utopian, in light of their cultural and biological needs compared to other sophonts. On balance, I believe conditions are acceptable but not exceptional; their attempt at bureaucratic runaround does not incentivize me to give their perhaps overly ambitious name the benefit of the doubt. [Reform] The People Want Action - The findings of the First Committee indicate that the trajectory of the Union should be active, not passive, and that they should not be afraid to pick fights with the grandest targets available. Tonight, the question of Corvée Labour. Tomorrow, all the unfree peoples of Tekhum. [The Union is embarking on a project to reform the resources of Region 70. Any interference with this project will result in the loss of WTU Rep. For now, only the administrative groundwork is being laid, and no outside assistance is possible, but the project will be ongoing.] [Economy] Buyout 64.2 Davisonian Paints, 91.3 Gold, 38.3 Joint Stock Companies - The Union focuses on securing the luxury resources necessary to keep Union HQ running smoothly after disruption by Arvax agents, but a short digression into formalizing contracts with Sansarian businesses never hurt anyone. Non-actions Resist HOF buyout of 83.1 Space Opera - Though the Union has no qualms with free trade on the international level, the House of Fire is not a partner they view as sufficiently trustworthy to enter the market. Ongoing Loans Available from the new First Union Bank of Tekhum - One of the first moves Union made in the process of centralization was to begin work on a new, labour-backed currency. In order to encourage adoption and use of it, a bank was formed, and loans are being offered to states among the Elect at highly favourable interest rates, provided they accept it in the form of what is being called the "Union Solid". [Until the end of round 3, any country may (as a non-action) accept a loan of 3 or 4 Treasure from WTU at the cost of 1 favour with WTU. Until the end of round 5, any country that has spent at least as much treasure as they borrowed may repay that favour with the same amount of Treasure initially borrowed as a non-action, and additionally gains one WTU Rep if they do so. If the country fails to spend enough treasure or repay the debt in that time, it must be repaid at standard favour repayment rates and no Rep will be granted.] [Offer] Project Sunrise - Analysts predict that the future of commerce lies in arcologies, and so the Union predicts that their future lies with them as well. Stimulus programs to encourage the proliferation and opening of new arcologies are approved by near unanimous acclaim among the members of the Union, alongside lucrative offers for those. [Any country that takes the Construct Arcology action before the end of Round 6 may gain 1 Treasure as a sub-action. Also until the end of Round 6, any country may offer a Mercantile Support they control in a region with an Arcology to WTU as an Economy action in exchange for 2 Treasure and 1 WTU Rep.] Basu-Rahman Group The Basu-Rahman Group is a Tekhum-wide megacorporation centered on news and entertainment media. Headquartered on their massive city-ship The Maharaj's Dream, their journalism and investigation is renowned across the whole system. Their ruthlessness and cutthroat business practices are also widely known in certain circles, and many a competitor has met a sorry end at the end of a vibroblade paid for by the Basu-Rahman. At least, allegedly; despite numerous lawsuits and criminal charges, crack lawyers ensure that legally, Basu-Rahman is spotless, despite their deep connections to the seedy underbelly of the system. [Retribution] A War Footing - The Basu-Rahman Group has always accepted criticism. No one is perfect all the time! Mistakes happen, and a calm and polite acceptance, acknowledgement, and remediation is the best way to deal with them. Not this outburst of senseless violence… this must never happen again. The Group has dealt with problems of this nature before: the quickest way to a government’s heart is through its people. BRG Incites Treason on BRG Media Support in Region 55. BRG Sparks Rebellion on Unruly Merchant Support in Region 55. [Offer] Emergency Schedule Revisitation - Unfortunately, given our analysts’ strategic misjudgment regarding unanticipated hostility towards our services throughout Tekhum, Badal seems much less safe for the Group than previously. The Maharaja’s Dream will not be setting down next quarter, even if resupply will be needed soon™ - in fact, management will have to revisit our entire outreach plan. Bidders will be appropriately compensated for the inopportune closure of this opportunity. [Opportunity] Head In The Clouds is temporarily canceled; it will become available again once BRG has bases or once resupply becomes unavoidable. The location of the Maharaja's Dream remains unknown, but may still be uncovered through investigation. BRB receives 1 Treasure as compensation for the negation of their bid. The first country which builds a BRG base in a region on Veehra, requiring three Economy or Intrigue actions in any mixture, will receive 2 BRG rep and 1 BRG favor. [Intrigue] Secret - A field reporter’s best friend is the knowledge of when to wave his microphone in someone’s face and when to rely on the microcamera hidden in the brim of his hat. Nonactions [Flavour] Your Regularly Scheduled Programming - ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴀᴅᴠɪsᴏʀʏ: ᴛʜᴇ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʙʀᴏᴀᴅᴄᴀsᴛ ᴍᴀʏ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴ ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɪᴀʟ ɴᴏᴛ sᴜɪᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴇɴsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴇɴᴄᴇs. ᴠɪᴇᴡᴇʀ ᴅɪsᴄʀᴇᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ᴀᴅᴠɪsᴇᴅ. What you are looking at here is satellite imagery of the wreckage of the offices of Agnai Incorporated, a Basu-Rahman subsidiary based within the holdings previously located near other Veehran offices. What remains tells us little of what came before- this wreckage, for all the money that it represents, shows none of the human cost of the brutal Soom-Clan assault. The blood, the sweat, the tears- all gone, all wiped away, just a few short years later. Forensic examination can tell us a great deal about the fate of this building and its inhabitants, but it can tell us next to nothing of the reasons for it. Some believe that there is an afterlife, good or bad, that awaits all those killed during that dark event. Others believe they have been, or will have been, re-incarnated. Still others believe that this was their one mortal life, and those brief flames are now extinguished permanently. Regardless, what happened here was a senseless slaughter. Good people died, terrified and confused. Civilians died who did not choose this, who worked to bring truth and joy to all of Tekhum. Hard-working, honest Veehrans died, all for the basest urges and fears of marauders who loathed and resented them over petty tribalism. It's a lot to take in. Even years after the fact, the echo of the attacks still resonates in our offices, in our homes, and we fear a people we never wronged, fear what they will do next in their madness and rage. It's hard to overstate the damage done, not just to flesh and blood, to mortar and concrete, but to the very spirit. [Flavour] Brought To You By - Coming soon to an asteroid cluster near you: The Khylokian Rain of Blood! [The screen flashes black with stark, bright red splashes across it, mimicking blood splattered across the ground. Canned, tinny rock music plays at a volume almost-but-not-quite sufficient to drown out the narration.] Want to see the stark beauty of Mekhala in person? Need to keep up with the Spacejoneses? Do you need a place to take the family on a slow Ophonsday evening? Do you want your shot at striking it rich through extremely legal gambling? Are your kids talking about Arterial Tear and Gorge Gnasher and you are slowly growing more aware of your age and mortality but aren't quite sure how to connect with your progeny emotionally so you need to find shared interests to earn their respect and buy their love while you still can? DO YOU LOVE BLOODSPORT??? [Three young kids scream and cheer in excitement while their parents smile unconvincingly behind them] Then come on down to the Khylokian Rain of Blood! We've got it all: blood, sport, gambling, and bloooood! [Several gruesome deaths are shown in quick succession as combatants circle each other in zero G] Admission cheaper than mud on Sansar, redder than dirt on Veehra, and infinitely more memorable than that other planet! Wagers are taken at the door. Don't like your odds? Donate blood to your favorite competitor or team! There's no feeling quite like watching your own life-giving fluid turn a man into a RUTHLESS. KILLING. MACHINE!!! [A massively engorged Khylokian screams directly into the camera, then swings a gruesome battleaxe downward, seeming to cut the broadcast in half. A quick stream of words flies by. Careful viewers may note how frequently the wall of text warns that the event organizers are NOT liable for injuries of any kind.] [A brief interval of static….] [A figure in the traditional garb of Eilif Dhaoine stands looking out over the ocean towards the horizon at dusk, while narration plays over the scene.] Sometimes, the simple things in life are best. Ocean sunsets... [The scene cuts to a laughing family, filmed in subtle slow-motion to capture the tears of joy in the eyes of a proud father as he spins his child in the air.] Time with those important to you... [Another cut, this time to a fireworks display, dashing colours against a black sky filled with stars.] The joy of something beautiful and fleeting... [A final cut shows a gleaming and unreasonably large rifle, displayed on a plush red cushion perched atop a pedestal, spotlighted.] And a big gun to defend it all. Arman Armaments: Bigger Is Better. Only in The Reserve. Ongoing [Offer] Updates Down To The Minute - It's a cutthroat world out there. Knowledge is power. Can you afford not to know what your rivals are up to? Basu-Rahman journalists will do whatever is necessary to keep you up-to-date on the activities of other members of the Elect. Within the limits of Imperial law, of course. [Until the end of round 6, any country with at least BRG Rep 0 may pay 1 BRG favour to request BRG take a Build Spy Network action on their behalf. You do not have to publicly state that you are requesting this favour, but you must publicly note that you are requesting a BRG favour.] [Offer] Brought To You By: You! - Do you have a service or product that you're sure will sell, but it's just not reaching its target market? Get in touch with the Basu-Rahman subsidiary Comet Consulting to see if we can help you to share your gifts with Tekhum. Comet Consulting: For A Truly Meteoric Launch. [Any country with at least BRG Rep 0 may pay 1 BRG favour as a non-action to insert an advertisement of your choice into the Brought To You By segment of the Basu-Rahman actions in the following round. This can either be a text submission, ideally no longer than a few hundred words, or a prompt submitted to the org GM to be written up as marketing copy. Either way, this has no mechanical effect. All submissions are subject to approval, and BRG may refuse to run advertising that contradicts its interests.] [Offer] Guiding Lights - Sometimes, authors with truly great material can struggle to get published. At Guiding Lights, we seek to help those authors to get the recognition they deserve. In consultation with our editors, we can help you to get the status appropriate to your work. Guiding Lights Publishing: Editors To The Stars. [Until the end of round 7, any country with at least BRG Rep 0 may spend 2 BRG favours and a Diplomacy action to gain the benefits of an Exhibit Great Work action. The nature of the Great Work must be in the form of a manuscript or similar literary item. This does not count as taking an Exhibit Great Work action for the purposes of the Rising Stars opportunity under Renown.] [Request] Dirty Secrets - Nothing sells like scandal. Everyone has dirty little secrets, but the biggest ones are hidden away where even the most intrepid reporters can't get at them. But the wonderful thing about a patron is that sometimes, they can open doors for you. [Until the end of round 7, any country with at least Renown -1 may open up their secrets as an Intrigue action, trading 1 Renown for 1 BRG Favour. Each country may do this a maximum of two times.] International Renown International Renown is an entity which acts in many respects like a fourth Organization, but it is distinct in a number of key areas. Renown represents the respect, appreciation, envy, and awe a country commands on the world stage, not just from the ruling governments of the country’s peers, but in the broader perception of the influential elite. The only actions International Renown can take are to create tasks, requests, host events, or otherwise create opportunities for countries to demonstrate their wealth, power, and grandeur, and it cannot owe or be owed favors or have its reputation affected by Raise Reputation or Slander actions. A player’s Reputation with International Renown will usually be abbreviated to “Renown”. Renown opportunities that specify a country "may" gain Renown for an action will only grant Renown if it is explicitly noted in their action post that they wish to do so. This applies to previously offered opportunities. [Opportunity] Status and Extravagance - As the resurgence of the Elect makes Tekhum an interplanetary melting pot once more, status symbols are becoming more important than ever. Those cultures whose unique signs of a person’s importance, power, wisdom, and wealth are easily recognizable are certainly the most renowned. [Until the end of Round 8, any country may submit a fluff writeup describing local status symbols, sumptuary laws, or other cultural traditions relating to personal prestige and cultural expectations surrounding powerful figures. A sufficiently detailed writeup (at the judgment of the Org GM) will grant that country 1 REN. This Renown can only be gained once.] [Showcase] Flaunting Stolen Wares - Sometimes the secure and secret ownership of a fine work or magical relic is less important than the message sent by its sudden absence. [Any nation may take a Diplomacy action or Host an Event the round immediately following their successful secret theft of an Artifact or Great Work to publicly flaunt their stolen item. If they do, they gain 1 REN, and impose -1 REN upon the target of the theft, to a minimum of -2.] [Excellency] A Grand Army - Philosophers reserve violence as the exclusive right of the state, and it is those states who are most prepared to do violence who gain respect on the world stage. [At the end of Round 7, the country with the most powerful army and the country with the most powerful navy will gain 1 REN. How powerful an army/navy is will be calculated as the following sum: number of ground/space units + highest score of General/Admiral - 6.] Ongoing [Culture] Rising Stars - The face of Tekhum is changing, and so are the hearts and minds behind it. As ideologies spread and take root, as new titans of the age begin to stand astride the worlds and declaim their truths, as priceless cultural artifacts are unearthed or created, the whole system takes notice. [Each country may gain one Renown the first time they take one of the Create Cultural Identity, Exhibit Great Work, or Organize Faith actions. The first country in each orbit to take each of these actions may gain one additional Renown. Simultaneous actions will result in both countries gaining the Renown.] Bonus Still Available All: Exhibit Great Work [Might] Blood, Ash, and Plasma Residue - Some say war never changes. Some say war is change. Either way, war is coming to Tekhum. Walls rise, bodies fall, and nothing will ever be the same again. [Each country may gain one Renown the first time they win a battle.] [Industry] Built to Last - Not every act of glory is something bright and shining and brief. Sometimes, glory is found in something that will outlast the builder. [Each country may gain one Renown the first time they take one of the Construct Arcology, Found Holy Order, or Raise Fortress actions. The first country in each orbit to take each of these actions may gain one additional Renown. Simultaneous actions will result in both countries gaining the Renown.] Still Available Badal: Found Holy Order Sansar: Found Holy Order, Raise Fortress Veehra: None Mekhala: Found Holy Order [Connection] Ties That Bind - It's not just what you know, it's who you know. Fame brings new opportunities for connection and trade, and then it circulates back to those who have connections and the social capital to exploit them. [The first five countries to reach each threshold of holding 3 Embassies, 6 Embassies, and 9 Embassies may gain 1 Renown.] Still Available All thresholds [Envy] Tough At The Top - For every set of eyes looking to the great with wonder, another looks with jealousy and greed. And of those, many look with cunning calculation- what can be more impressive than tussling with one of the greats and winning? [Any country with at least Renown 0 may, as a sub-action of any non-secret action they take contested by a country with higher Renown, attempt to steal Renown from them. If they are successful, the target loses 1 Renown and the country taking the sub-action gains 1 Renown. No country can lose or gain more than one Renown in this way per round, but multiple countries can steal Renown from a country with higher Renown.] [Wickedness] Hives of Scum and Villainy - Across Tekhum there are places that sensible folks fear to tread. Some of them are simple dive bars; some are the size of entire regions and countries. They are not pleasant places to visit, but there are men, women, and genderless rodent-things of ill repute who can assist with unsavoury activities... for those who pay, and who don't mind being associated with such unsavoury folks. [Until the end of round 6, any country at Renown 1 or less may, as a sub-action of a single hostile Intrigue or Military action, reduce their Renown by 1 for a +1 to that roll. This cannot be done for secret actions or battles. Each country may do this a maximum of once per round and a maximum of three times total, and may not do it while at Renown -3.] [Science] Wonders of the 99,803rd Era - The future of Tekhum and the future of technology are deeply entertwined, and the work of luminaries in engineering and science will have a powerful effect on the shape of politics going forward. [The first time each country takes the Invent Technology or Research Military Technology action may gain 1 Renown. The first five countries to take each of these actions may gain 1 bonus Renown.] [Ascension] Higher Powers - Some people hold that all are created equal, but on the stage of grandeur, certainly not all remain so. The most powerful will always draw eyes towards themselves. [Any country that takes the Elevate Status, Consolidate Holdings, or Exalt Domain actions may gain 1 Renown. The first country to take each of these actions may gain 1 bonus Renown.] [Victimization] Terror in the Shadows - There are terrible things, out in the dark of the void. But there are terrible things closer to the light, too. It is difficult to maintain grandeur when gripped by fear, death, disappearance and betrayal. [Any country that is the target of a successful Assassination/Kidnapping or Incite Betrayal action will lose 1 Renown, to a minimum of 0.] [Illumination] In (Or Out) Of The Spotlight - Great deeds continue to resound across Tekhum, and fame circulates rapidly. As fame becomes more common, it becomes easier for notable occurrences to slip through the cracks- by choice, or by accident. [From now on, Renown opportunities that specify a country "may" gain Renown for an action will only grant Renown if it is explicitly noted in their action post that they wish to do so. This applies to previously offered opportunities.] [Calumny] Everything Not Nailed Down - In the game of nations, there is little that is taboo. If you cannot keep something, ownership is often nothing but an idea enforced only by norms. Even so, there are damages that can be inflicted that may mar opinions. [Any country taking a Sack or public Theft action may lose 1 Renown as a sub-action. This must be declared before rolling. In the case of a Sack, if successful, this will cause the target to lose 1 Treasure and the sacker to gain one additional Treasure. In the case of a successful Theft, this will cause 1 additional Treasure to be stolen, up to the usual maximum if the action was already stealing Treasure. This may not be done while at Renown -3.] [Vision] Eyes in the Skies - From great heights come great views. Whether that is literal or merely metaphorical, those who see the furthest will often see their own fame among the vistas they view. [The first time each country takes the Create Space Habitat or Establish Espionage Agency action, they may gain 1 Renown. The first five countries to take each of these actions may gain 1 bonus Renown.]

A little unclear on the history, but no real issues. Approved. Love this. Approved. I think this is too hyperspecialized to be approved.

Excellent, approved. No notes about this so far, but I will hold off on final approval until it's fully settled. Looks good, approved. Approved with modification as discussed over Discord: Blissful Ignorance: Orbital Superiority Bonus reduced to +1. Ground Battle gets: - Enemies Suffer +10% Casualties - Allies Suffer -10% Casualties - Enemy Leader Loss -3 - Own Leader Loss -1 No notes, approved.

Round 5: Begin! Years 2046-2048 of the 99,803rd Era of the Imperial Calendar Round 5 will close on Sunday, April 7th. Announcements! Please ensure your mechanical actions information is easily readable on the default Myth-Weavers theme. Unformatted or bold black text is suggested. LSP’s Cultural Identity now applies to all types of Exploration action. Discovery! Explorations and other news from afar Maps of Tekhum Tekhum %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2FMgqF6Bg%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FJcXDQ3c%2FTekhum-System-R5.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D Region numbers marked on the overall solar system map above indicate single-region natural and artificial satellites. New space stations and similar regions created during the game will be added to this map. Badal %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2FLrMVvch%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FT1Z9r7q%2F1-Badal.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D%0A%5BI%5D%5BSIZE%3D1%5D%5BURL%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fopengameart.org%2Fcontent%2F16x16-fantasy-pixel-art-vehicles%22%5DAirship%20sprite%20by%20DualR.%5B%2FURL%5D%20Commissioned%20by%20OpenGameArt.org.%5B%2FSIZE%5D%5B%2FI%5D Commissioned by OpenGameArt.org. Sansar %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2Fc8sJQ44%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FSmZNBFF%2F2-Sansar.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D%0A%5BSIZE%3D1%5D%5BI%5DSpace%20Needle%20sprite%20from%20%5BURL%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fgame-icons.net%2F%22%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fgame-icons.net%2F%5B%2FURL%5D.%5B%2FI%5D%5B%2FSIZE%5D Space Needle sprite from . Firmament %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2FgwWbmJw%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FvmdCVkm%2F2-SZ-Firmament.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D%0A%5BI%5D%5BSIZE%3D1%5DNot%20to%20scale.%5B%2FSIZE%5D%5B%2FI%5D Not to scale. Aridyin %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2FccFMKyR%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FBVZdHfv%2F2-SZ-Aridyin.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D Veehra %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2F09ckppF%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FmyGmrrX%2F3-Veehra.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D Mekhala %5Burl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fibb.co%2Ff8F0v76%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fi.ibb.co%2FXyLJ8T0%2F4-Mekhala.png%5B%2Fimg%5D%5B%2Furl%5D%0A%5BI%5D%5BSIZE%3D1%5DDistances%20not%20to%20scale.%5B%2FSIZE%5D%5B%2FI%5D Distances not to scale. The Llort are known as prolific explorers, and their success in filling in the gaps in known maps of Veehra is just the latest accomplishment under their collective belt. Though the expedition to the northern polar wastes leaves something to be desired, as the region has no habitation or economy to speak of, their southward survey is an unmitigated success. Not only is the Llort Society able to comprehensively chart the region, but they make such an impression on the locals that they immediately agree to a trade deal in their unique biocomputing technology! LSP explores Region 72, discovering an uninhabited colonizable region! LSP explores Region 75, discovering a region with a Plurality of Deathspeakers, two Trade Posts of Implanted HUDs (Computers), a Desired Import of Medicines and Drugs, and 4 units of native defenders! LSP gains TP 2 in the region. Meanwhile in Mekhala, C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. aims to learn more of the long-ignored asteroid clusters spinward and antispinward of the Space-Kelp Cluster. Traveling towards the territory of the House of Brimstone, their exploration units make contact with a region of noteworthy physical diversity, united in their devotion to certain fundamental dictums about the universe (or, as it may be, to vows of silence). C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E.’s nature as a benevolent AI apparently strikes a chord with the locals, whose government quickly becomes enamored with the idea of automated pampering! CAS explores Region 85, discovering a region with a Plurality of Axiomatic Universe, a Minority of Silent Sisterhood, two Trade Posts of Vibrating Crystals (Precious Minerals), a Desired Import of Spices, and 2 units of native defenders! CAS gains the Government support in the region. The C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. diplobots dispatched to Region 92 simulate excitement to make contact with the region’s inhabitants. However, with only a few uninhabited minor asteroids charted, the survey algorithm is frustrated to discover that the region’s largest asteroid (containing the vast majority of the region’s mass) is completely inaccessible. Automated probes dispatched ahead of the main ship collide with an invisible wall and are suddenly destroyed in a flash of light, giving barely enough warning to save the explorers from the same fate. Extensive experimentation reveals the presence of a spherical forcefield surrounding the asteroid, which the explorerbots are unable to penetrate with the available equipment. A small satellite is also found, having drifted some distance away from the forcefield, with a quite primitive design. It appears to have contained a radio transmitter hardwired to broadcast the same brief pattern of short and long tones on repeat forever - disabled an unknown length of time ago by a freak collision with an object no larger than gravel. CAS explores Region 92, discovering an uninhabited colonizable region! Any country may send a team to attempt to breach the forcefield and investigate the asteroid with a TN 14 Military action to overwhelm it with force or a TN 14 Faith action to suppress its magic; if the country possesses the Arcane Amplification technology, they gain +2 to these rolls. Region 92 may be colonized as normal, but Prospect and Encourage Settlement actions may not be taken until the forcefield is lowered - there is simply not enough accessible real estate outside it. The Combined Commonwealth of Glix demonstrates a great deal of interest in Aridyin, apparently hoping to use the moon as a springboard for other political goals on Sansar. Glic explorers mount expeditions to over half of the lunar surface area, finding little evidence of habitation but plentiful space for future colony sites. GCC explores Region 100, discovering an uninhabited colonizable region! GCC explores Region 101, discovering an uninhabited colonizable region! Operating alongside the Glix, the White Pawns continue their own survey of Aridyin, focusing on its southern hemisphere. Their official report is little different than that of their Mekhalan comrades in exploration, but a number of Kanite astronauts report an odd feeling of foreboding…. WTP explores Region 102, discovering an uninhabited colonizable region! With the naval fleet of the Black Cloud Coalition unneeded for warfare, Hǎi Píng & Dǎo-Māo turn their attention to observation of the still-uncontacted station in Badalian orbit. What they find is certainly an explanation for the station’s isolationism: the society appears to be under great internal tension between rival factions with utterly incompatible beliefs on the nature of religious icons. Their vast solar arrays and prime orbital location for receiving Ophon’s light are, perhaps, the last thing keeping the situation stable (if it can even be called that). BCC explores Region 104, discovering a region with a Plurality of Iconoclasm, a Minority of Icon Crafters, three Trade Posts of Solar Panels (Fuel and Power), a Desired Import of Computers, and 3 units of native defenders! The Llort continue their exploratory coups, venturing as far as Sansar to complete the final third of the best maps of Firmament. Undaunted by past failures on the ring, their expedition proceeds slowly and thoughtfully, making sure to take note of the segment’s most unique features. The merchant in charge of the expedition sees great potential in a local foodstuff, and so impresses the ring’s inhabitants with their wealth that they are able to negotiate an export agreement on the spot! LSP explores Region 108, discovering a region with a Majority of Aeacusians, two Trade Posts of Spacer’s Cabbage (Fruits and Vegetables), a Desired Import of Laborers, and 2 units of native defenders! LSP gains TP 2 in the region. Growth! Expansion, development, unification, and similar forms of growth and prosperity Many of the Elect have turned their eyes to the stars, but Caipe Ushere is, in a sense, the first to truly claim them. Caipe Ushere creates a Space Habitat in orbit of Sansar, Ouvriead! Ouvriead (Region 111) gains a Desired Import of Luxury Goods. ILU colonizes Region 1, spending 1 treasure! Region 1 gains a Desired Import of Ores and Alloys! SEV colonizes Region 60, spending 1 treasure! Region 60 gains a Desired Import of Fuel and Power! UHS prospects their colony in Region 13, discovering 3 TPs of Shadow Silk (Fabrics and Textile Products)! With a little bit of cooling time, Region 39’s government becomes much more receptive to the Wicklund realm. WIC successfully presses Wallace Wicklund’s Marriage claim to Region 39! WIC gains Region 39 and 1 ground unit. With their successful outreach to Region 39, WIC gains an Integration claim on the region! The Arkhive devotes much of its attention to construction of a Hive in al-Miraiya d'Hayeli (Region 88) Statecraft! Cultural events, diplomatic overtures, foreign relations, and domestic affairs WIC introduces a dynastic heir: Nemo Wicklund! (Dip 1, Mil 2, Eco 3, Fai 2, Int 2) The Soom-Clan Marauders establish a Cultural Identity: Desert's Edge (2d8 to Conversions) The Fiorid Principality establishes a Cultural Identity: Absolutist Integration (2d8 to Sway Factions) The Old Tavisham Academy establishes a Cultural Identity: Relentless Curiosity (2d8 to Buyouts) The United Houses of Senkar establish a Cultural Identity: Grand Ideals (2d8 to Conversions) The Combined Commonwealth of Glix establishes an Embassy with the White Pawns The Shattered Coven establishes an Embassy with the House of Fire The Iron Masquerade establishes an Embassy with the Castaways of the Loop BAF establishes a weak Marriage claim on Region 66, spending 1 treasure SEV establishes a Confederation claim on Region 63 SNK establishes a Confederation claim on Region 70 UNC establishes a Confederation claim on Region 4 Yaki Soom and Leopoldo, son of Count Federico, are married! SCM establishes a weak Marriage claim on Region 56 TEA sends ELD Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, Nuclear Fusion, Xenolinguistic Cataloguing, and Badalian Megadirigibles via Embassy. ELD sends TEA Wet Navy Ships via Embassy ALF sends RAT Pseudogravity Engineering via Trade Route RAT sends ALF Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, In Vivo Modification, Nuclear Fusion, Xenolinguistic Cataloguing, and Badalian Megadirigibles via Trade Route BCC hosts the Big Bironian Bash & Pirate Party! LSP hosts the Mekh Gala! ALF hosts the Elven Conclave! ALF gifts 3 treasure to KRB ALF gifts Pseudogravity Engineering to ARK, BAF, GCC, GLO, KRB ARK gifts Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, In-Vivo Modification, Nuclear Fusion, Xenolinguistic Cataloguing, and Badalian Megadirgibles to ALF ARK gifts Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, In-Vivo Modification, Nuclear Fusion, Xenolinguistic Cataloguing, and Badalian Megadirgibles to GLO ARK gifts Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, In-Vivo Modification, Xenolinguistic Cataloguing, Badalian Megadirgibles, and Wet Navy Ships to KRB GLO gifts ownership of Region 8 to ARK MSQ gifts 1 treasure to KRB MSQ gifts 1 treasure and the Eye of the Storm to TWI DIC impresses the Government in Region 95 ELD sways the Government in Region 43 HOB impresses Merchants in Anjahar (Region 11) using Brahmaguptite ISH sways the Government in Nadiratna (Region 68) TEA sways the Government in Region 105 SEV sways the Government in Region 63 SNK sways the Government in Region 70 WIC sways the Media in Region 39 WIC sways the Merchants in Region 39 CUS sways the Media in Region 28 CAS sways the Merchants in Region 86 CBC fails to Impress Government in Region 56, spending 1 treasure Trade! Buyouts, trade routes, and other economic shenanigans In the wake of the Bironian Civil War, trade links with the former enemies of the Knights grow rapidly. BIR and BCC create a Trade Route, the Neon Transitway ALF buys out TP 1 for Curative Enzymes in Region 34 ALF buys out TP 2 for Oil in Verdalfheim (Region 36) ARK buys out COE TP 1 for Assembly Line Robots in Region 37 BAF buys out TP 2 for Lepkashramov Ikons in Parrot’s Perch (Region 84), spending 1 treasure BAF buys out TP 1 for Sheet Polymer in Region 107 CAS buys out TP 2 for Cinnakite in Mek-01 (Region 77) CAS buys out TP 1 for Corbomite in Region 67 CBC buys out TP 1 for Polymorphite in Nadiratna (Region 68), spending 1 treasure GCC buys out TP 2 for Space Opera in Region 83 FBC buys out KRB TP 3 for Uranium in Dur-Shalkhir (Region 76) HOB buys out TP 2 for Loans in Neo Guleum (region 12) HOB buys out TP 2 for Integrated Circuits in Region 15 HOB buys out TP 3 for Ice in the Central Claims (Region 97) LSP buys out TP 3 for Honeyed Words in The Arkhive Æternal (Region 46) RAT buys out WTU TP 2 for Noble Metals in the Biron Crosspaths (Region 17) RAT buys out TP 2 for Veehran Wheat in Region 63 RRE buys out TP 1 for Gold in Lassal (Region 24), spending 1 treasure TAV buys out TP 1 for Ensorcelled Ink in Region 47, spending 1 treasure TAV buys out TP 2 for Ensorcelled Ink in Region 47, spending 1 treasure TAV buys out TP 2 for Dragon Eyes in Region 45, spending 1 treasure TWI buys out TP 3 for Vesperite Rangers in Vesper (Region 58) UNC buys out TP 3 for Senkar Medicae in Senkar (Region 16) WTU buys out TP 3 for Lumber in Region 26 WTU buys out TP 1 for Veehran Wheat in Region 63 WTU buys out TP 1 for Space Opera in Region 83 WTU buys out TP 3 for Lepkashramov Ikons in Parrot’s Perch (Region 84) BAF fails to buy out TP 1 for Spellbooks in Region 66, spending 1 treasure BIR fails to buy out TP 1 for Eskorian Orchards in Eskor (Region 30), spending 1 treasure\ Treasure Gained ALF gains 1 passive treasure AVP hoards 3 treasure BAF gains 1 passive treasure BCC gains 1 passive treasure BRB gains 1 passive treasure CAS gains 2 passive treasure CUS gains 1 passive treasure COV hoards 2 treasure FBC gains 2 passive treasure GLO gains 1 passive treasure HOB gains 1 passive treasure HOF gains 1 passive treasure MIR gains 1 passive treasure MSQ gains 1 passive treasure RAT gains 1 passive treasure RRE gains 2 passive treasure SCM gains 1 passive treasure SEV gains 1 passive treasure TWI gains 1 passive treasure and hoards 2 treasure UHS gains 1 passive treasure UNC hoards 1 treasure WIC gains 2 passive treasure Faith! Conversions, organization, and other such matters of faith Fascination with Fate gives rise to Devotion to Doctrine. The Biarbu Society organizes Fascination! Size 5 bonus: +1 to Conversions With Paragonism on the rise, mentats become available to assist in economic activities. U.N.N.C.L.E sets Paragonism’s Size 5 bonus: +1 to Buyouts Snake News: Proud to be a Mother Serpent organization. The Sorcerers of New Kildora set Cult of the Mother Serpent’s Size 10 bonus: +1 to Sways The Eucrus Alliance adopts Soul’s Expression! The House of Brimstone adopts the Imperial Cult! BRB launches an inquisition in Region 6, raising Fascination to Sole, spending 1 treasure COE introduces a Minority of Coedd in Region 22 COE introduces a Minority of Coedd in Region 30 MRP introduces a Minority of Bardolatry in Dur-Shalkhir (Region 76) MRP introduces a Minority of Bardolatry in Region 82 SNK raises Cult of the Mother Serpent to a Plurality in the Highlands of Ishtanos (Region 65), displacing Church of the Benevolent Sun to a Minority UHS introduces a Minority of Forever Self in Region 19 Wonder! Miracles and inventions, ancient relics, and spectacular undertakings The Counts of Mirage introduce the first Technological innovation of the new era: Anti-Gravitational Rail! Using a great deal of power and magical control, assisted by parallel rails, one can reduce the weight of anything above the rails. Requires: Nuclear Fusion, Arcane Amplification, Ores and Alloys. Effect: +1 to buyouts The Federation of Badalian Chaebols advances the field of espionage, inventing Block Chain! Requires: Electronics. Effect: +1 to Build Spy Network The agents of Duke Esarhaddon III travel to Sansar for many reasons, but this time is unique: they seek legendary technology long thought to have perished in the War of Eternal Bombardments. Though they find no difficulties in being admitted to the region or the wreckage of the crashed warship, they report a strange and suspicious absence of any actual valuable materiel. The warship seems to have been picked clean already, likely by competing salvagers from another Elect power. The House of Fire fails to salvage pre-war technology from the crashed warship in Region 47! RRE fails to salvage pre-war technology in Region 47, spending 1 treasure With their new innovation proving incredibly useful for freight transport, the Counts of Mirage break ground on new antigrav railway lines in the Masklands as well as northward into Regions 55 and 56! The Kingdom of Ishtanos begins construction of new purpose-built shipyards! Might! Military matters of all kinds, be it warfare or strategic developments From Champion Racer to Knight Commander, Valus Vile can only rise further! SNK promotes an Admiral, Valus Vile (score: 7)! Valus can use the Tactical Doctrine of Blissful Ignorance: On success, Orbital Superiority Bonus reduced to +1, but if it applies to a ground front, the following effects also apply to the same ground front: +10% enemy casualties, -10% own casualties, enemy leader loss -3, own leader loss -1 Invasion! Thanks to Kythia, Jane, and Gengy for their help with this section. The Bironian Bulwark invades Region 14 In orbit above Badal, Chairman Alchire (Mil 2) leads forces to provide cover for their ground forces. He opts for a Measured Advance, unsure of whether or not the self-proclaimed Satrapy can muster space defenses. In this case, though, they cannot and soon his ships occupy, uncontested, the space front. On the ground Shi Lithium (Mil 9) leads three units. All veterans of the recent civil war, they are made from numerous other units too hit by casualties to continue on their own and so formed together into new units consisting of the survivors of their own, and even in the early stages of the campaign there are some concerns about cohesion. Shi Lithium is an experienced commander, though, and is confident that the camaraderie of battle will form this cohesion anew. The defenders claim descent from Imperial governors of this realm - whether truthfully or not is likely too lost in the mists of time to ever say for certain. What is certain is that their leader, Imperial Satrap Qil’un (Mil 6) claims an Imperial title and the five units he leads are named and organized in line with Imperial conventions. Initial maneuverings show no clear victor, which may have validated some of Shi Lithium’s concerns…. Ground Front: Imperial Satrap Qil’un (Mil 6) succeeds in using Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Shi Lithium [BIR] (Mil 9) succeeds in using Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) The battle rages through the tight confines of the aerostat for weeks, with not even the combatants clear on who is winning from day to day. Shi Lithium focuses on trying to maintain the pace of the war fast enough for less experienced enemy commander to be unable to keep up and shows regular success in doing so. However, they are unable to maintain this tempo for more than a few days at a time - the lack of cohesion perhaps hindering, the well-disciplined tactics of the enemy who keep a slow and steady advance certainly hindering. The war was looking, in fact, to be settling in to a grueling multi-month or even multi-year battle that would be won by supply chains and logistics not front line military. Until, that is the presence of a familiar face swings the battle. Knight-Loyalists to Yanji join the forces of the Satrapy, seeing a chance for revenge against their (as they see the matter) betrayers. With their knowledge of Bulwark tactics they are able to exploit gaps and mistakes in the Bironian forces and, more importantly, Yanji himself has understood something of the nature of the Sword of Revolutions that Shi Lithium wields. Combine these two factors with an accidental breach of aerostat’s outer skin… Bulwark forces with Shi Lithium present were retreating after successfully capturing a key Satrapy location but inadvertently causing structural damage in the process. Satrapy forces ambush and the battle becomes a melee in short order. Using their knowledge of the sword, Shi Lithium is struck down and while the war lasts a few weeks after that it’s no longer the “uncertain outcome” it had previously been. Native Victory! BIR Lose 2 Units! Shi Lithium is killed! The Sword of Revolutions is Lost! Natives retain control of Region 14! The Illumined Utopian establishes Orbital Superiority over Sansar The navy of the Illuminated Utopians is a common sight in the space around Sansar now and Legate Victolus (Mil 7) can draw on many years worth of sensor readings for the Lagrange points and other key locations in Sansar’s space front. Drawing on this long experience he is easily able to secure Sansar’s orbits for his allies on the ground The Eucrus Alliance and Illuminated Utopian invades Region 22 On that ground front, General Mata Vai of the Eucrus Alliance leads Alliance forces in a ground assault - the ships that brought them returning to aid their Illuminated Utopian allies in the space front after disgorging their two units. General Vai is adept at coordinating with orbital allies and is hoping to use that skill to target orbital bombardments with pinpoint accuracy. On the ground they are met by Mechadea (Mil 8) and…her? Their? two units of cyborgs. Mechadea itself is a fusion of cybernetic imports scavenged and jury-rigged from a variety of sources - intrusive enough that their original organic self is all but undetectable and is somewhat withered. Usually Mechadea is something of a figure of terror in this region - emerging at night at the head of a small band of similarly augmented horrors to raid villages. Facing the existential threat of an interplanetary invasion, though, the local government have formed a desperate alliance of convenience, recognising Mechadea’s skill in guerilla warfare, and placed it in charge of the regions’ defense. There will be a reckoning to this if they survive, but survival is more important. General Mata Vai [TEA] (Mil 8) succeeds in using Point-Blank Ordinance (+2 Battle, +10% enemy casualties) Sadly for the natives, tactics honed against the non-space-capable natives do not work so well against the space-capable Eucrus Alliance. They attempt to launch the same small scale raids before vanishing back into the wastelands that have served Mechadea so well but such tactics fall apart in the face of orbital surveillance tracking moves while even the inaccessibility of the terrain is negated by fire from orbit. Within mere days it becomes clear to Mechadea and their “coalition” - for want of a better word - forces realize their standard tactics aren’t working and attempt to refocus. Unfortunately (for them at least) the sudden and unexpected arrival of a space force is an out-of-context problem they simply cannot overcome. Mechadea is no slouch as a leader and tries valiantly to find a method that works but each lack of success costs more of their forces while the habit of Eucrus troops of setting up field hospitals and offering aid to local forces steadily saps their will to fight. The actual mopping up will take the best part of a year but within weeks the flag of the Eucrus Alliance flies over the capital. TEA Victory! Natives Lose 1 Unit! TEA gain control of Region 22! The Illumined Utopian and White Pawns invades Region 37 Also on the ground of Sansar, the Illuminated Utopian armies under Console Prisca Calpurnius (Mil 7) continue their conquest of the planet, this time supported by a detachment from the mercenaries of the White Pawns, one unit of the Utopians supported by two units of trained White Pawn fighters attempting to control the tempo of the battlefield. They are met by native defenders under the control of General Kotto (Mil 2) and his four units. Console Prisca may have been expecting a more skilled commander, given his apparent rank, but this is caused by a misunderstanding of the local vernacular. General Kotto holds the rank of Kotto, not General, and he is a general Kotto as opposed to the specialized Kottos in charge of the region’s sanitation, infrastructure and so forth, The three large cities in this region are each run by a mayor with a council of Kottos below them. As no Kotto specialises in warfare - previously unneeded in this peace-loving area - control of their hastily assembled forces falls to a General Kotto. Console Prisca Calpurnius [ILU] (Mil 7) succeeds in using Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) A hastily assembled militia with no combat experience under a co-opted civic official versus an experienced general of the warlike Jy’Mar supported by trained mercenaries was a battle that was only likely to go one way, and that is the way it went - quite rapidly indeed. With Legate Victolus enjoying unquestioned space superiority and the accompanying ability to rapidly redeploy troops to where they are needed the coalition troops seem to be everywhere despite being, technically, outnumbered. Given the population concentration in the large cities, the campaign rapidly becomes one of urban conflict and the small size of the Jy’Mar troops proves to be a massive advantage as a barricade that could form a reasonable impediment to a human sized soldier is little more than a collection of holes to a Jy’Mar warrior. Once through, the way can easily be opened for their White Pawn allies and two of the three Town Halls are captured in the first few days. The third takes a little longer as fleeing troops from the first two reinforce its own militia but there was never any great doubt as to how the invasion would play out. ILU Victory! Natives Lose 2 Units! ILU gain control of Region 37! Eilif Dhaoine invades Region 109 High above Sansar, the battle for Firmament begins when Giamad of Fairnead (Mil 8) leads the combined front of space and ground units in an invasion. The warriors of the Elif Dhaoine were amongst the most skilled jungle fighters in Tekhum but this was a new type of warfare for them and despite much drilling they weren’t entirely certain what they would find. What they found was Gref, the Junk King (Mil 9). The self-proclaimed junk king, granted, but the Junk King nonetheless. Over the years, centuries and millennia numerous abandoned satellites had fallen to the surface of Firmament and Junk King Gref and his predecessors had assiduously collected it. Now his 3 units race to attack in ramshackle vehicles, no two alike, no two similarly armed. Junk King Gref [NPC] (Mil 9) succeeds in using Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) It would take a while to notice as the disorganized appearance of the army itself hides it, but there was clearly a strong guiding plan behind the Junk King’s defense. Light vehicles surge forwards on tracks, on wheels or in space using a variety of different propulsion. Their plan was to disrupt not claim - that job was taken by heavier vehicles with heavier weapons forming the next wave who hit the scattered and unsure Elif Dhoiane fighters. Really, the post briefing agreed, it wasn’t that different from hitting a nest of one particular species of Bugalon. Lightly armoured waves hit first then the big boys. But the unfamiliar terrain masked that fact for long enough for the armies of the Junk King to fight off the “planetboys”. Native Victory! ELD Lose 1 Ground Unit! Natives retain control of Region 109! The Twilight League and Castaways of the Loop invade Region 61 Space Front: Tina 21135 [SEV] (Mil 3) Succeeds in using Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Ground Front: Commander Welldin [NPC] (Mil 8) succeeds in using Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Violetta, Herald of the Second Dawn [TWI] (Mil 8) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Commander Welldin: 15 Violetta, Herald of the Second Dawn: 14 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 28 (+8 Mil, +3 Units, +2 TacMan) Twilight League: 30 (+8 Mil, +3 TWI Units, +2 SEV Units, +3 Orbital Superiority) Tensions chafe the unlikely alliance between the Castaways of the Loop and the Twilight League, but nevertheless Captain Tina finds herself with uncontested control of the airspace and a clear view of the shifting battle lines between groups of Vesperite Rangers, Orid and Sakar Warwheels, and Commander Welldin’s elites alike. Welldin’s polar state is dug-in fiercely and their forces fight viciously from atop their terrible Tripods, but where they might have pulled through against overwhelming numbers under any other circumstance, their fortifications and valor are absolutely no match for orbital bombardment. Despite the Castaways’ hesitance to commit fully to violence, ultimately the weapons are fired, and the enemy is surrendering rather than face annihilation from the heavens. Twilight League Victory! TWI loses 1 unit! SEV loses no units! TWI gains control of Region 61! The Soom Clan Marauders invade Region 106 Warlord Sigrid (Mil 10) is one of the greatest military minds in Tekhum and she would be forgiven for being confident as she briefed her two units on the plan. Rather than a straight assault, discontented factions in their target had been bribed or otherwise compromised to enable a stealth attack and hopefully the Soom Clan would be on their target before they knew it. The Victor (Mil 10) did know it though and had told the five units forming his sizeable defense force too. The Victor had won his title - you may not be surprised to know - through his numerous victories in the internecine war that had racked this particular moon of Veehra until very recently. He had crushed all other claimants to the rule of this area and developed exceptional military leadership skills in the process. Unfortunately for him, as it turns out, creating many malcontents in the region which the Soom Clan so effectively used. Initial preparations show no clear dominant force. The Victor [NPC] (Mil 10) succeeds in using Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) Warlord Sigrid [SCM] (Mil 10) succeeds in using Rust, Dust, and Guts (+3 to Battle and +10% own casualties) Warlord Sigrids stealth insertion combined with the prep work that had gone in to contacting local groups and opening potential barriers was to prove decisive. Fighting a numerically superior foe with an equally able commander, any edge is necessary and had it not been for the Soom Clans preparation and their knife-edge success in using Rust, Dust and Guts this would have gone another way. It didn’t though, the Soom Clan were able to use “friendly” areas as resupply and field hospitals while striking out to battle the Victor’s forces in contested areas. The Victor, for his part, by and large successfully manages to marshall his forces to reclaim areas but in the end he loses the diplomatic game. He fought well, and there’ll probably always be those who toast his memory (perhaps even amongst those of the Soom Clan willing to honor a worthy adversary) but in the end he is forced to the table to surrender. SCM Victory! Natives Lose 1 Unit! SCM gain control of Region 106! The House of Fire invades Region 81 Once again, the House of Fire sends their noble warriors out to space to the small Mekhalan colony to their northwest. Once again, under the command of Turtanu-Ziqpu Ra'ima, whom is apparently eager to fight the Clerk for the second time. Things do not go as planned to start, as the Clerk has filed an injunction against the use of the practiced tactic of In the Light of the Chastising Stars; while most of the House of Fire troops ignore this nonsense, just enough of them wonder if the legality of the injunction might make them liable that the early phase of the battle in clearly in the hands of the Litigator Prime's understudy. Sadly for the Clerk, Ra'ima has come prepared this time. Duke Esarhaddon III was convinced of the danger of the Warrior-Lawyers electronic warfare, and spent a portion of the House of Fire's wealth on upgrading all ships to have proprietary software for this battle; software that responds to all legal inquiries with an inquiry of its own: "Are you available for a consultation?" Effectively, this hires all Warrior-Lawyers for the duration of the battle. The Clerk swiftly files a cease and desist order on his own fighters, but it's too late. They are quickly surrounded and disbanded, much to Turtanu-Ziqpu Ra'ima's glee. HOF victory! Defenders lose 1 Space Unit. HOF gains region 81! Units Raised BCC raises 1 ground unit and 1 space unit CBC raises 1 ground unit and 1 space unit CUS raises 1 ground unit and 1 space unit DIC raises 1 space unit HOF raises 1 space unit ILU raises 1 ground unit ISH raises 1 space unit MSQ raises 1 ground unit RAT raises 2 space units RRE raises 1 ground unit and 1 space unit SCM raises 1 ground unit WTP raises 1 ground unit Schemes! Coercion, betrayals, and spycraft GLO spends 1 treasure on a secret action FBC spends 1 treasure on a secret action MSQ spends 1 treasure on a secret action With the Imperial Court’s injunction against tax evaders, the God-King of Agbada seems to have become a tempting target for a certain kind of thief. ILU steals Dust Hardening from CBC, spending 1 treasure! AVP steals Dust Hardening from CBC! Agents of the Arvaxine Populate strike at the heart of the Worker’s and Trader’s Union, sowing unrest among the Union Crews! AVP undermines WTU Merchant support in Region 59! AVP loses 1 WTU Rep. Having dispatched kha-Ujin’s Siphon along with the raiding party sent to attack the Federation of Badalian Chaebols, Bloodlord Peter is understandably somewhat miffed to receive radio reports claiming that the knife has disappeared from the ship. He is, also understandably, rather surprised to find the “stolen” artifact in his office, along with a note clearly meant for the Bloodlord. It reads, in elaborate handwriting, "Thank you for the hospitality. We hope you are wise enough to understand all the implications." COE publicly gains a contact in ELD BRB coerces TP 1 for Electronic Edibles in Region 6 COE coerces TP 1 for Roleplaying Games in Region 22, spending 1 Treasure GLO coerces TP 2 for Charmed Textiles in Region 42 MRP coerces TP 1 for Embroidered Fabrics in Region 99 Terror! Violence, upheaval, murder, and destruction With vengeance against the westerners finally achieved, Varsa Soom orders a continuation of the violence - not merely decadent Greenlanders but so too arrogant Offworlders shall burn. The Soom-Clan Marauders destroy the BRG base in 55, spending 1 treasure! SCM loses 3 Rep with BRG! The Merchants in Region 55 become Unruly! Despite the vast carrot promised by the Iron Monarch, the inspector dispatched to Narsai from the Worker’s and Trader’s Union politely refuses the offer of alternative employment. When pressed with the stick, he sneaks out of his lodgings by night, evading the “protective” guard force at his door by means of an unwatched third-story window. MSQ fails to kidnap their Union inspector! MSQ loses 1 WTU Rep. The special detachment of Loop-born makeshift combat drones, dispatched to attempt to force the mysterious underground bunker complex in Region 63, barely manage to enter the bunker before being disabled by severe electromagnetic interference. Little information of value is retrieved, besides a horrific echoing noise shortly after the pulse that resembles nothing quite so much as the sound of makeshift combat drones being shredded to pieces. SEV fails to enter the bunker in Region 63, spending 1 treasure. Snaking News from New Kildora - a military spaceport has been struck by an unexpected lightning raid! A small fleet of Khylokian ships landed without warning, utilizing their explosive drives to both brake their re-entry and shatter the spaceport’s defensive positions before resistance could be organized. By the time the full force of the Knights of New Kildora could respond, the base was overrun, the valiant defenders were brutally slaughtered and totally exsanguinated, and the military spacecraft based there were stolen! The implications of these events cannot be overstated, but first, a word from our sponsor…. SNK loses 1 space unit! TEA sacks TP 1 in Region 3 (formerly owned by UNC), gaining 1 treasure CBC sacks TP 2 in Region 70 (owned by GLO), gaining 1 treasure KRB sacks TP 2 in Region 7 (owned by FBC), spending 1 treasure. KRB gains 2 treasure and FBC loses 1 treasure due to Everything Not Nailed Down Organizations! The Imperial Court The Empire appreciates the diplomatic outreach of the following… CUS rises to EMP Rep 4, spending 1 treasure. TEA rises to EMP Rep 3. BIR rises to EMP Rep 2. HOF rises to EMP Rep 2. LSP rises to EMP Rep 2. KRB rises to EMP Rep 1. MRP rises to EMP rep 1. The Empire appreciates the efforts to reprisal of the following… AVP gains 1 EMP Rep for their theft from CBC, rising to Rep 0. CBC gains 1 EMP Rep for their sack of GLO, rising to Rep 0. ILU gains 1 EMP Rep for their theft from CBC, rising to Rep 1. KRB gains 1 EMP Rep for their sack of FBC, rising to Rep 2. The Eucrus Alliance is welcomed to the ranks of the Imperial Senate, where they will enjoy great power and influence! Although their efforts of reprisal have brought joy to the Court, they do not rise further, because… Thanks to her tireless diplomatic efforts, Queen Chalise Merole Ebonne d'Laforét of Caipe Ushere is renowned throughout Tekhum as a Grey Eminence! Archmage Zabir sends a letter to the Emperor. No reply is immediately forthcoming, but the Courtiers assure representatives of the House of Brimstone that it has been received. It comes to the attention of the court that, although the Federation of Badalian Chaebols is worthy of reprisal, the blood-hungry raiders delivering that reprisal may not be entirely pure in motive. FBC slanders KRB with EMP, spending 1 treasure. KRB drops to EMP Rep 1. FBC’s offer of late payment is refused. The Court cares little for the additional money offered; if the faithless wish to be no longer subject to reprisal, they must make a greater effort to demonstrate it. Pan-Tekhum Worker’s and Trader’s Union The Union thanks the following for their show of solidarity… WIC rises to WTU Rep 2. BCC rises to WTU Rep 1. Great celebration as the last of the current wave of Union Halls has construction completed, and the Coalition is lauded as hosts for the Union. BCC constructs a Union Hall in Region 2, with assistance from RRE and BIR. BCC gains 1 Favour and 1 Rep with WTU, bringing them to WTU Rep 2. The North Way Cluster (Region 2) now contains a WTU base. The Union thanks all who constructed new homes for them; now, they can be settled into them. Union bases are no longer available for construction. The Union thanks all who offered input to the Committee. In light of the feedback received, the Union will be pursuing a more aggressive policy regarding labour rights, both against smaller and larger targets. Inspectors will deliver their reports once they are tabulated. In the meantime, records are published of where has accepted inspections, and where they have been rejected. TEA welcomes Union inspectors. SNK welcomes Union inspectors. KRB welcomes Union inspectors. HOB welcomes Union inspectors. FBC welcomes Union inspectors. WIC welcomes Union inspectors. MSQ “welcomes” Union inspectors. UHS welcomes Union inspectors. CAS welcomes Union inspectors. TWI welcomes Union inspectors. BIR welcomes Union inspectors. ILU welcomes Union inspectors. ISH welcomes Union inspectors. (Belated) Witches and golems are not exempt from assessments of labour rights. COV has refused inspection by default, and falls to WTU Rep -1. As with the Fiorids before them, the people of Eilif Dhaoine show an indifference to the inspections of the Union, and a refusal to allow access is effectively a complete refusal. ELD is considered to have refused inspection, and falls to WTU Rep -1. The House of Fire may think itself above the law, but the Union has not forgotten them. HOF has refused inspection by default, and falls to WTU Rep -1. Student and teaching unions are no less important than others. TAV has refused inspection by default, and falls to WTU Rep -1. Although defining mercenary work as under the remit of the Union is dubious, the White Pawns nevertheless disappoint by never responding to the Union. WTP is considered to have refused inspection, and falls to WTU Rep -1. SCM repays their loan of 4 Treasure. SCM repays 1 Favour and gains1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 2. SEV repays their loan of 3 treasure. SEV repays 1 Favour and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 2. WIC repays their loan of 3 treasure. WIC repays 1 Favour and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 3. WIC is now an Ally of the Union! UHS repays their loan of 3 treasure. UHS repays 1 Favour and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 1. BCC repays their loan of 4 treasure. BCC repays 1 Favour and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 3. BCC is now an Ally of the Union! CUS repays their loan of 3 treasure. CUS repays 1 Favour and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 1. CAS repays their loan of 3 treasure. CAS repays 1 Favour and gains 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to Rep 3. CAS is now an Ally of the Union! The propensity of the Iron Monarch to take has become abundantly clear to the Union, and they are less than impressed. MSQ lost 1 WTU Rep, bringing them to -1. To strike at the control of the Union over mercantile affairs at its very heart is to strike at workers everywhere. Combined with their refusal to accept inspection, the Arvaxine have clearly staked their position. AVP loses 2 WTU Rep! AVP is now a Robber Baron! The Basu-Rahman Group The Basu-Rahman Group opens its offices to certain interested parties… GLO rises to BRG Rep 1. WIC rises to BRG Rep 1. Talks between Basu-Rahman executives and Holly Heliotrope are ready to go ahead. GLO accepts Independent Partnership, and rises to BRG Rep 2. Nobody is entirely sure what to make of the secrets of the Glorious Purifiers, but media consensus is that they are definitely shameful. GLO loses 1 Renown and gains 1 BRG Favour. SNK politely refuses Independent Partnership. No ill-will is held; The Basu-Rahman Group respects integrity. BRB bids 2 treasure and free casino stays for the Maharaja’s Dream. If no better offer is received this round, BRB will win the bid. Envoys of the Bloodlord are entertained by the Basu-Rahman Group, and a deal is struck behind closed doors. KRB now owes 1 Favour to BRG. It seems there was a misunderstanding, and the United Houses of Senkar are not interested in what the Group has to offer. UHS no longer owes a favour to BRG. The vicious attacks of the Soom-Clan on the Veehran offices of the Basu-Rahman Group will not soon be forgotten. SCM falls to BRG Rep -3! SCM is now an Enemy of the Board! Renown The Soom-Clan Marauders are… a complicated people. SCM gains 1 Renown for their Cultural Identity, loses one Renown for Hives of Scum and Villainy, and remains at Renown 2. Ouvriead is a wonder and a blazing star in the night sky of Sansar, though fortunately only metaphorically. CUS claims 1 Renown for constructing a Space Habitat, rising to Renown 3. The sun has illuminated the folly of others, and the Cloudburst Confederation have rode on pride to new heights. CBC rises to Renown 3. The shameful secrets sold to the Basu-Rahman Group have definitely influenced opinions of the Glorious Purifiers, and their weakness in the face of attacks hasn’t helped. GLO drops to Renown 1. What does Coedd know? How does it know what it does? The answers to these questions are not comforting. COE loses one Renown for using Hives of Scum and Villainy, dropping to Renown -1. The common opinion seems to be that thugs acting on behalf of the Empire are still thugs. TEA loses one Renown for taking Everything Not Nailed Down, dropping to Renown 2. As impressive as being a financial center is, the Khylokian attacks put into question how well the Federation of Badalian Chaebols can actually protect that money. FBC loses 1 Renown to Tough at the Top and drops to Renown 0. As impressive as the stunning ultra-violence of the Khylokian raids is, most find them horrifying. KRB gains 1 Renown from Tough at the Top, then loses two for taking Everything Not Nailed Down and using Hives of Scum and Villainy, falling to Renown -1. Other… The abandoned luxury liner discovered by the Shattered Coven in Region 80 draws speculation, but little attention from the Elect. Perhaps this is simply because the Khylokians got there first, and few people wanted to contest their salvage claim. Even so, the Khylokians do not have free reign over the wreckage: shortly after their docking, they discover the ship is filled with the shredded bones of the liner’s former passengers and crew, and brutally mauled Khylokian corpses are soon added to the piles. However, the invisible monster stalking the salvagers seems not to have fully reckoned with its prey - or perhaps was simply too hungry after millenia of starving to think as strategically as it once could - and in an orgy of blood and violence, the creature is apparently quickly dispatched. Some claim that one raider’s pet cat was able to see the creature, even though none of the Khylokians could; others say that its hiding place was simply narrowed down by leaving a single raider in each room and listening for screams. Either way, the full blast of a jury-rigged flamethrower is more than sufficient to defeat the monster, and the Reign of Blood wastes no time in pillaging the surviving ancient antiques. KRB gains 5 treasure! Although KRB is at their treasure cap, these 5 treasure will not be lost until the start of round 6. With a not inconsiderable amount of government backing, Honorable Astronomer Shing-Chen of the Biarbu Society follows up on Dr. Otara’s “Planet VIII” simulation. Their eventual paper publication (prepared in collaboration with several members of the original international team) is quite thorough, and marks a new wave of interest in the theory among historians and astronomers across Tekhum. Chief among their findings is that one major objection to the Planet VIII theory, that the planet would have been destroyed by tidal forces, is actually highly suspect: a more refined estimate of the planet’s orbital distance suggests that, while it would be subject to mild relativistic effects, a rocky world of “average” composition would survive intact. However, its ultimate fate, if it existed, remains rather unclear. The holo-novels confiscated in the Wyrmlands disappear after being taken into Utopian custody, their ultimate fate unknown. InterPlaNet sites claiming to host mirrors of the games abound, but all of them seem to be merely low-quality imitations, malware, or both. Any rumors that assorted heads of state cut deals with the Illumined Utopian for copies of their own depictions are, of course, slander. The Space Unicorn, not seen for some time following the Khylokian pursuit, is sighted again in Region 83 by a crew of unfortunate Glic Space Opera license dealers, who swear they were rescued deliberately. Shortly after a meteorite impact punctured their main fuel lines and sent them into an uncontrolled spin, the unicorn descended onto their radar from above the orbital plane. It paused for an instant atop their hull before pushing off with a loud, reverberating noise, imparting enough thrust for the ship to reach safe haven in Parrot’s Perch just before their rations ran out. A scouting rover in the new Fiorid colony in Region 103 notes a magnetic anomaly some distance from the main colony site, out of sight of Sansar in the lunar skies. Upon investigation, it is found to be a metal time capsule buried beneath the regolith, containing only a single object: a wide, flat folder, one side of which is decorated with a depiction of two humans in baggy black suits shaking hands in a back alley under a blue Sansar sky. One of the humans is visibly on fire, but neither seems to have taken notice. The folder contains an engraved black plastic disk, which is clearly some primitive form of data storage, but it is incompatible with modern technology and its importance to whoever placed the time capsule is unknown. New Elect may continue to emerge….

End of Round Four. No further mechanical edits to action posts may be made! Battle details The Bironian Bulwark invades Region 14 Space Front: Chairman Alchire [BIR] (Mil 2) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Imperial Satrap Qil’un [NPC] (Mil 6) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Shi Lithium [BIR] (Mil 9) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Imperial Satrap Qil’un: 2d6 + 6 = 15 Shi Lithium: 2d6+9 = 15 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+5+6 (+5 Units) = 30 Bironian Bulwark: 2d10+16 (+9 Mil, +3 Units, +3 Orbital Superiority, +1 Treasure) [+2 if TacMan] = 28 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d4-1-1 -> 0% Bironian Bulwark: 2d3-1+1-1 -> 50% of 3 ground units = 2 units lost Leader loss: Indigenous Defenders: -0 Bironian Bulwark: -2+2 Shi Lithium is killed in action! The Sword of Revolutions is lost! Additional Effects: Sword of Revolutions (+2 to BIR Leader Loss) The Illumined Utopian establishes Orbital Superiority over Sansar Space Front: Legate Victolus [ILU] (Mil 7) attempting Rapid Redeployment (+2 to Orbital Superiority Bonus); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS The Eucrus Alliance and Illuminated Utopian invades Region 22 Ground Front: Mechadea [NPC] (Mil 4) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. General Mata Vai [TEA] (Mil 8) attempting Point-Blank Ordinance (+2 Battle, +10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Mechadea: 2d6 + 4 = 12 General Mata Vai: 2d6+8 = 18 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+2+4 (+2 Units) = 18 Eucrus Alliance: 2d10+15 (+8 Mil, +2 Units, +5 Orbital Superiority) [+2 if TacMan] = 24 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1+1 -> 30% of 2 units = 1 lost Eucrus Alliance: 1d3 -> 10% of 2 ground units = 0 lost Leader loss: Indigenous Defenders: -1 Eucrus Alliance: -0 The Illumined Utopian and White Pawns invades Region 37 Ground Front: General Kotto [NPC] (Mil 2) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Console Prisca Calpurnius [ILU] (Mil 7) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: General Kotto: 2d6 + 2 = 11 Console Prisca Calpurnius: 2d6+7 = 16 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+4+2 (+4 Units) = 10 ILU: 2d10+15 (+7 Mil, +1 ILU Unit, +2 WTP Units, +5 Orbital Superiority) [+2 if TacMan] = 29 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4+1-1 -> 50% of 4 units = 2 lost ILU: 1d1+1 -> 20% of 1 ILU unit = 0 lost and 20% of 2 WTP units = 0 lost Leader loss: Indigenous Defenders: -2 ILU: -0 Eilif Dhaoine invades Region 109 Combined Front: Junk King Gref [NPC] (Mil 9) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Giomad of Fairnead [ELD] (Mil 8) attempting Bleed Them Dry (+1 battle, +10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Junk King Gref: 2d6 + 9 = 16 Giomad of Fairnead: 2d6+8 = 15 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+9 (+3 Units) = 29 Eilif Dhaoine: 2d10+12 (+8 Mil, +3 Units, +1 Treasure) [+1 if TacMan] = 14 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d1-1 -> 0% Eilif Dhaoine: 1d3+1d4+1-1 -> 30% of 2 ground units = 1 lost and 30% of 1 space unit = 0 lost Leader loss: Indigenous Defenders: -0 Eilif Dhaoine: -1 The Twilight League and Castaways of the Loop invade Region 61 Space Front: Tina 21135 [SEV] (Mil 3) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides); AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Ground Front: Commander Welldin [NPC] (Mil 8) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Violetta, Herald of the Second Dawn [TWI] (Mil 8) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: Commander Welldin: 2d6 + 8 = 15 Violetta, Herald of the Second Dawn: 2d6+8 = 14 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+3+8 (+3 Units) [+2 if TacMan] = 28 Twilight League: 2d10+16 (+8 Mil, +3 TWI Units, +2 SEV Units, +3 Orbital Superiority) [+2 if TacMan] = 30 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 2d3-1+1 -> 50% of 3 units = 2 lost Twilight League: 1d4-1 -> 20% of 3 TWI units = 1 lost and 20% of 2 SEV units = 0 lost Leader loss: Indigenous Defenders: -2 Twilight League: -1 The Soom Clan Marauders invade Region 106 Combined Front: The Victor [NPC] (Mil 10) attempting Measured Advance (-10% casualties for both sides) vs. Warlord Sigrid [SCM] (Mil 10) attempting Rust, Dust, and Guts (+3 to Battle and +10% own casualties) Tactical Maneuvering: The Victor: 2d6 + 10 = 17 Warlord Sigrid: 2d6+10 = 17 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+5+10 (+5 Units) = 29 Soom-Clan Marauders: 2d10+12 (+10 Mil, +2 Units) [+3 if TacMan] = 31 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 2d3-1-1 -> 20% of 5 units = 1 lost Soom-Clan Marauders: 1d4+1-1 -> 10% of 2 units = 0 lost Leader loss: Indigenous Defenders: -1 Soom-Clan Marauders: -0 The House of Fire invades Region 81 Combined Front: The Clerk [NPC] (Mil 7) attempting Overwhelming Tempo (+2 to own battle roll, +10% own casualties, -10% enemy casualties) vs. Turtanu-Ziqpu Ra'ima [HOF] (Mil 8) attempting In the Light of Chastising Stars (+2 to battle) Tactical Maneuvering: The Clerk: 2d6+7 = 16 Turtanu-Ziqpu Ra'ima: 2d6+8 = 12 Battle: Indigenous Defenders: 2d10+8 (+7 Mil, +1 Unit) [+2 if TacMan] = 21 House of Fire: 2d10+12 (+8 Mil, +2 Units, +1 Treasure, +1 Gunzir Massif) [+2 if TacMan] = 29 Casualties: Indigenous Defenders: 1d3+1d4-1+1 -> 50% of 1 unit = 1 lost (wipeout) House of Fire: 1d3-1 -> 0% Leader loss: Indigenous Defenders: -1-5 House of Fire: -0

Love the connections to recent events. Approved. While I don't have problems with any of the concepts presented, I can't really visualize this region. I think it could use a clarity pass, especially in your geography and history/government sections. I would also ask that the region name be changed for clarity purposes. Short and sweet. Approved.