Friday 28 August 2015

Classified, Declassified, Unclassified

First off, apologies for the lateness of this post...its been a hectic week with various things going on.

Regardless without further delay, time to get on with this week's post!

Been brainstorming ideas recently about life in the Iron Collective, already talked about how everyone is viewed as simply being a cog in the machine that is society, how the traditional family does not exist and children are taken by the state, etc. Well this week we're going to talk a bit more about this.

The Collective's education system is built around continuously assessing a child as they develop in order to determine what role they are best suited for, it begins from the moment they are taken in by the state until they become a teenager during whats called the 'Primary Phase'. Upon turning 13 they were put into what is called the Secondary Phase, based upon assessments done during the first Phase they are entered to specialized academies to do the trade training for the role that has been determined for them. Somebody destined to be a soldier in the Iron Guard would enter a military academy, where as somebody destined to be a builder would enter a construction academy. Ultimately the trade that a person is trained for during the Secondary Phase is the trade that they will have for the rest of their life, there is virtually no way of changing it except for perhaps becoming what is called Declassified. Typically Declassification means you've committed a crime, it doesn't matter how severe as the punishment automatically includes losing one's Classification which is near permanent.

Then there is Unclassified.

Unclassification tends to come in two categories; those who have 'failed' the Primary Phase assessments and those deemed 'non-citizens'. Unclassified generally given to those who 'fail' their assessments, that is the assessment were not able to determine a role for the person for various reasons. When this happens the person either has the option of being shipped off to a work camp or what is effectively exile from society, it just depends on how good they are at outrunning the Iron Guard. Some Unclassified end up mixing with the Declassified in the criminal underworld, though mostly in the cities. Other Unclassified strike out for the fringes of the Collective, the border zones where the reach of the central authority is its weakest. It is generally the Unclassified who outsiders interact with as they tend to be the ones trading with the outside world despite the harsh laws against it. The non-citizen Unclassified are generally those who aren't in the system, mostly the Genchi on the Collective's fringes.

Wednesday 19 August 2015

Greed Is Good: The Coalition

If there is one single country that did exceedingly well out of the War it has to be the Coalition, flush with money earned from war profiteering. Yet it has only been in existence for a short period of time and it is finding that the outbreak of peace is hurting its bottom line.

History

Before the War the Coalition didn't exist, least not in the form it does today. It was once the United Provinces under the rule of King Francis IV, an anxious man constantly worrying about external threats to his country even though the true threat came from within. Whilst the King made every effort to stay on friendly terms with his country's neighbours, a group of merchants and industrialists were plotting to remove him since they viewed him as a barrier to making their country (rather them) prosperous. When the Great Darmonican War broke out King Francis declared his country to be neutral and placed restrictions on exports, basic foodstuff and some luxury goods were generally allowed but resources that would help a country's war effort weren't. Even though the King took these steps to ensure the safety of his country the plotters saw it as the last straw.

Having effective control over the United Provinces' legislative body the Council, either by having their own members or having brought others, the plotters made their move. A Motion of No Confidence was passed against the King, something that the plotters won with a one sided vote and effectively removed the King from power. King Francis was made a broken man and spent the last few years of his life in a deep depression in exile moaning the lost of his beloved country. The Council, now free to run the country as it sought fit, set about deregulating industry and transforming the country.

Now known as the Coalition, the Council sent feelers out to the various combatants in the War and worked out trade agreements. The combatants would gain greater access to the Coalition's resources for their war efforts, however the shipments would be guarded by Coalition soldiers and sanctions would be made against those who tried attacking these shipments. After the Coalition made its points after it initial trade convoys were ambushed it was left alone, view as a necessary evil by the various powers involved in the war. The Coalition was able to build up a vast fortune, building up its industry to produce war materials. With the end of the War there was little need for the Coalition's products, as it profits fell the Coalition sought to shift its industry towards producing peacetime goods which slowed and stabilized the fall in profit. But the Coalition was not forgotten how the coin flowed during the War and it eager to see the return of conflict.

Present Day

The Coalition is a heavily industrialized nation, largely intact following the end of the War. No longer able to make vast amount of coin on war profiteering the Coalition has been forced to refocus its industry in order to keep the coin flowing. It has established a colony called Port Capital in Alyeska, where it has mounted expeditions into the Wulflands in search of Ancient Terran ruins. Elsewhere agents from the External Audit Department work towards igniting other conflicts, simply so that their masters can war profiteer again. Asset Retention Bureau operatives hunt down and recover stolen Coalition property and secrets by any means necessary, they are also tasked with gaining non-Coalition assets of interest by similar means.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Armed Rovers: The Alyeskan Outriders

The threat of the Wulvers mean that a constant watch over the Wulflands is needed, primarily to keep tabs on the various roaming packs. At first glance aircraft would seem ideal for this role, however the Aerial Corps have a limited number of aircraft available for this role and the Wulvers have leant to go to ground whenever they hear an aircraft. These two factors mean that the scope of the Aerial Corps' anti-Wulver operations are limited to sorties of fighter-bombers or light bombers that occasionally roam the skies of the Wulflands looking for targets of opportunity to attack, other means are required to keep watch on the beasts.

Hence the Alyeskan Outriders.

The Outriders were formed to undertake long-range reconnaissance patrols to gather intelligence on the movements of the Wulvers, typically by setting up so-called 'Watches' where a patrol would lay low in a camouflaged position to observe the Wulvers in a given area and radio their report to the HQ at Calharrow. Aside from this intelligence gathering role, the Outriders also conduct hit and run attacks on Wulver packs usually in conjunction with Aerial Corps aircraft or the Wulfbane Cammandos.

Organisation

HQ Calharrow exercises both administrative and operational command over the Outriders, reporting directly to the Commonwealth military's Alyeskan Command. Along with the nominal Headquarters Section, Calharrow is also home to signals, survey and workshop sections as well as a small military hospital. There is also the Outrider's Air Section based at Calharrow which uses light transport planes to transport key personnel, evacuate wounded and perform other liaison tasks. A Heavy Section, used to provide logistical support by transporting supplies to bases and setting up hidden replenishment points at pre-arranged locations, is also based at Calharrow.

Below HQ Calharrow are a number of Squadrons, each one of is lettered and made up of four patrols which are in turn numbered. Each patrol as five trucks typically arranged in the following order; Patrol Commander, Patrol Sergeant, radio & navigation, medical orderly, mechanic. Each truck is normally armed with a pair of machine guns, plus the personal weapons of the various members of the patrol.

Game Stats

Outrider

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Notice d8, Repair d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6, Throwing d4
Charmisa: - Pace: 6 Toughness: 5
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Marksman, McGyver, Steady Hands
Hindrances: Vow
Gear: Rifle (Range 24/48/96, Damage 2d8, RoF 1, AP 2)

Officer

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Knowledge (Battle) d8, Notice d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6,
Charmisa: - Pace: 6 Toughness: 5
Edges: Command, Hold The Line!
Hindrances: Vow
Gear: Pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6, RoF 1, Revolver)

Truck

Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 12(1); Crew: 1+4; Weapons: 2x Machines (Range 40/80/160, Damage 2d8, RoF 3, AP 2, Auto, Snapfire)

Wednesday 5 August 2015

On Matters Racial, Part Two

Follow on from last week's post as promised, more details on the Windryders and Genchi.

Physical Appearance

Whilst Humanoid and can pass for Human with a degree of effort, both the Windryders and Genchi have physical characteristics that set them apart from Humans as well as linking the two. They generally have green pointed ears, slightly prehensile hairless tail in matching skin tone to ears, 4-digits only on both hands and feet as opposed to Human norm of 5-digits. All thats required for either race to pass for Human is the right sort of clothing, the Windryders are typically dressed in thick furs out of practicability due to the cold climate of their home and so most folk presume that they are Human. The Genchi on the other hand can be found further afield and in warmer climates where lighter clothing are required, meaning its typically to see that they are not Human.

On the whole both races tend to be of a smaller build and shorter height on average to compared to Humans, both never have had anything close to the readily available food Humans had. Course in the present day the situation is even worse, the Windryders face a resurgence of Wulvers encroaching on their food supplies whilst the Genchi are bottom of the list with regards to the rationing that is still in force since the War. The Genchi in particular are getting even worse deal, they are frequently being accused of being thieves if the latest delivery of rations turns up short.

Culture

The Windryders have managed to retain their tribal ways over the centuries, they are nomadic hunter-gatherers and are typically grouped into family groups called kindreds. In remote places across the Alyeskan Outlands they have adapted old Ancient Terran ruins into habitable dwellings, typically only used to see out the worst of the weather such as blizzards during the winter months. These shelters are marked with Windryder runes, usually denoting which kindreds have used the shelter and critical information about the local area for other kindreds such as food sources, dangers, etc. Typically they don't take kindly to outsiders using these shelters, though they have on occasion invited outsiders who had been rescued from trouble by Windryders.

For the Genchi much of the tribal ways of their ancestors was brutally eradicated during their enslavement by the Ancient Terrans, so much of their culture they have had to rebuild from scratch. They have managed to retain the kindred structure of their Windryder cousins, this is most evident in so-called ghettos where most of the inhabitants all belong to the same kindred. Genchi Ghettos are typically the slum area of many cities, the Genchi are rarely able to earn above the poverty live due to them often being second class citizens. During the War the ghettos are particularly hit hard by bombing raids against various cities resulting in large numbers of Genchi losing their lives, today the surviving Genchi are bottom of the list for rehousing and have been forced to rebuild their bomb blasted homes best they can.

There is an offshoot of the Genchi dubbed the Skykin, the lure of the freedom of the skies of their Windryder ancestors is strong in their blood. As a result the Skykin Genchi have become nomads of the skies, residing in free roaming airships and making ends meet by bartering or offering their skills to various settlements. The Skykin have travelled widely, typically as a convoy of airships that carries an entire kindred. For extra protection the airships carry a motley collection of ramshackle fighters, which can be remarkably effective piloted by a race known for being agile.