Castaways of the Loop
Capital: The Great Western Waste (Region 62)
The Group of Seventeen
D10 | M6 | E8 | F2 | I4
Round Six
Actions
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[Diplomacy] Attend the Mekhala-Veehra Dash of 2050
Sub-actions:- Accept 1 treasure and Thaumonuclear Reactor Core technology from HOB.
- Accept 1 treasure and Android Industrialization from CAS. Gift them Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, In Vivo Modification, and Xenolinguistic Cataloguing in return.
- Accept Badalian Megadirigibles from CUS.
- Accept Pseudogravity Engineering and Shrewd Business from ARK. Sign onto the Arkhive's charter as a visiting member.
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[Economy] Buyout TP 104.2 (Solar Panels) (spending 1 treasure; TN 12, result 13Economy 8, +1 from spending treasure, +1 from Union Central's bonus to Buyouts, -2 distance penalty, success)
Portable, cheap, and endlessly renewable, solar panels are the perfect power source for a colony that doesn't yet have fusion reactors up and running. -
[Economy] Buyout TP 16.2 (Senkar Medicae) (spending 1 treasure; TN 12, result 12Economy 8, +1 from spending treasure, +2 from UHS support, -2 distance penalty, success)
Senescence is a foe not even the scientist-sages of Ophon have managed to defeat... but the homogeneous nature of the Loop-born population presents an opportunity of sorts. They know exactly which chronic illnesses and genetic predispositions will assail them as they grow old; rather than struggling to cure a thousand subtly different strains of cancer, medical researchers can focus their efforts on the exact type that Carl or Meredith is prone to. As older Loop-born generations enter their fading years, the Group of Seventeen reaches out to far-off Senkar, famed across Tekhum for its medical expertise, and arranges to import specialists to develop treatment regimens for the Seventeen. -
[Economy] Impress Merchants in Region 63 with Charmed Textiles (spending 1 treasure; TN 12, result 18Economy 8, +1 from spending treasure, success)
The Castaways make good on their promises to the people of the Orochon Shieldplains, importing trade goods the Orochons can't find or manufacture in their homeland: exotic foodstuffs, delicate electronics, and large quantities of furs and enchanted embroidery from distant Sansar. -
[Economy] Prospect Colony in Region 60? (TN 12, result 11Economy 8, failure)
The ancient terraforming machinery beneath the Empty Sea represents a golden opportunity, even if it's never used as its builders intended. There is a veritable treasure trove of pre-War technology buried in the labyrinthine bunker complex, much of it shockingly intact. Loop-born scientists and archaeologists mine the tunnels eagerly - not for scrap metal or components, but for knowledge. The control bunker's databanks were all wiped, but are there secondary repositories? Can any of the devices be replicated or repurposed? Care is taken to ensure they don't destroy any of the machinery in their efforts to reverse-engineer it; they're here to understand what the ancients left here, not pillage it.
Non-Actions
- Send an informal delegation to the Grand Opening of the Golden Phoenix
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Support BRB's conversion to Fascination in Region 62
The Biarbu practices of observation find a ready audience among Todds and other secularly-minded Loop-born, who have little use for the mysticism espoused by the Cult of the Mother Serpent and other Veehran faiths and appreciate a more pragmatic outlook. - Resist and hinder all unsupported buyouts
- Resist and hinder all unsupported conversions
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Request that the WTU construct an Interplanetary Guildhall in Region 63 (-2 favors, -1 Rep)
Determined to end the threat of food scarcity once and for all, the Group of Seventeen draws up plans for an immense greenhouse complex on the southern slopes of Mons Orochos. They request Union assistance in construction, promising favorable access to the harvests once the project is complete. -
The People Want Action
Any attempt to reform the institution of corvee labor must consider the Demigod-King En-Sha-Nerrat and his peers, who presently hold it their divine right to command the work of their subjects' hands. Enacting any kind of meaningful change without their support will be difficult. Though some might argue that it would be best to remove the problem at the source, the Castaways of the Loop feel that even if unseating the Demigod-King were feasible - no small feat, given his legendary prowess in battle and the political backing of New Kildora's sorcerers - doing so would cause irreparable damage to the Union's reputation, as other rulers worry that they might be the next target, and move to curtail the Union's influence. Therefore, it is critical to acquire En-Sha-Nerrat's backing for the project.
Several other parties have presented promising ideas for economic reform; the Castaways's proposal will focus on the diplomatic side instead, offering a number of suggestions to ensure that the plan does not challenge the Demigod-King's authority or contravene his establish dogma. Some plans are more easily adjusted than others, of course. An ideal proposal would allow the Demigod-Kings to grow wealthy off taxation and trade while their subjects flourish. If the plan selected does not offer such immediately tangible benefits, it may be prudent to resort to outright bribery to smooth things over with the local powers-that-be - a short-term solution, and an expensive one, but perhaps necessary if the project is to succeed.
News and Rumors
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The confirmation of pre-War terraforming machinery in Region 60 sparks a spirited debate among the Castaways. Many feel that activating the ancient device is clearly the right thing to do: why not transform a barren wasteland into a paradise? Had the Loop-born emerged into fertile farmland rather than desert, how many of the thousands who starved might still be alive? How much easier would their lives be without storms and drought hanging over their head? But the decision proves more controversial than first expected. Terraforming would destroy the native desert ecosystems; Rasha in particular is outspoken in her opposition to the plan, with one elder stating that "it is the height of arrogance to believe that the planet exists to be reshaped for our convenience", and many of the Castaways who have found meaning in the cult of the Mother Serpent find themselves uneasy at the prospect. The Orid- and Sakar-clans are equally divided: those who look at the greenlanders with envious eyes see opportunity, but others fear that without the desert, their ancestral traditions and way of life will be destroyed in a few short generations.
A few point out that this choice is not wholly theirs to make. Terraforming could have effects that extend well beyond the Castaways' borders. And so the Group of Seventeen sends emissaries abroad: to their neighbors in Vesper and the Union first, then the Peludo, the Soom-clan, Narsai, and every polity that claims land in the desert. Information is shared, on the terraforming machine's current capabilities and its hypothesized future applications. What should be done with this technology? -
Governmental reform continues to be a hot topic among the Castaways. The Group of Seventeen now lays claim to a vast swathe of territory, stretching all the way from Mons Orochos in the north to what is becoming known as the Empty Sea in the south. At least three - possibly as many as seven - distinct cultures make their homes in this region... and yet, only the Loop-born are represented on the ruling council. Some argue that since the Loop-born were singled out by the Emperor when he raised them to the Elect, it's only right that they stand above the others - but this argument proves extremely distasteful to the Loop-born themselves, who reject the idea that the Emperor's whim makes them any more worthy than their neighbors.
At long last, the Group of Seventeen breaks their silence on the topic: they do not intend to mirror Ophon's distant neglect. Their neighbors and allies will be given a voice, to ensure their wants and needs are not overlooked. However, change will take time. The Castaways' ramshackle government does not have established processes for reform; they must decide not only what changes to make, but how to make them and who can be trusted to carry them out... -
Additional Notes
Treasure: 3/5
Spent this round: 3
Passive Treasure Income: 3/round
Military Units: 5/9
- Anyport Home Defense Militia, led by Cdr. Rhonda 28417 (ground)
- Orid-clan mercenaries, led by Amun Orid
- Sakar-clan mercenaries, led by Keti Sakar
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Orochon defense militias
- Drone flagship First to Fly, helmed by Cpt. Jeremy 25114 (space)
Organizations
- EMP: Reputation 0, 0 favors
- WTU: Reputation 3, 0 favors
- BRG: Reputation 1, 0 favors
Renown 2