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
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
Sansar
Firmament
Not to scale.
Aridyin
Veehra
Mekhala
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.