You Are The Messiah: A Command and Conquer Nod Plan Quest

You and your siblings first arrived on this tiny blue planet thousands of years ago, sent to uplift the primitive beings on its surface. Of the Forerunners, those immortal sages, you are the sole survivor. Throughout the millennia, you have guided kings and serfs, warlords and foot-soldiers, presidents and peasants. You have seeded culture, learning, and higher thought wherever you've gone. Your efforts have been tireless, abundant, and completely, totally futile.

After all, what has humanity wrought? A world order built on stifling innovation, on crushing dissent, on exploiting the weak and impoverishing the needy. Their petty tribalisms and acquisitive desires defeat their better natures time and time again, elevating the worst over the best. They lack the vision, the purpose, needed to push past their limitations and achieve true greatness. And if they cannot push themselves, if they cannot ascend on their own, then you will push them yourself.

You are Kane, the Forerunner, the Tiberian Prophet. You have brought empires low and paupers high. You have witnessed the whole scope of human history and found it wanting. And now, with the sickly green glow of Wormwood having descended upon an unsuspecting world, you have an unparalleled opportunity to take humanity to the long-overdue next step in its evolution.

But you will not be alone. Your secret society, the Brotherhood of Nod, is a small but ferociously loyal band of followers dedicated to your vision. They will grow from a seedling into a towering tree whose branches will reach across the Earth, touching every living thing. They will help you save humanity from itself.

Be warned, though, Prophet. The nations of the world and their ruling elites are not unaware of your presence, though they do not comprehend the true scope of your existence or your goals. They will resist your efforts with all of the considerable assets at your disposal. You may need to get... creative... to bring about World Ascension.

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Okay, I'm back to take another run at this idea. Instead of killing Kane, this time you are Kane, at the very dawn of the Tiberian Age. You will decide how the Messiah moves forward into this brave new world, the overall direction of the Brotherhood of Nod, and where both of them ultimately land on the altruistic-versus-megalomaniacal scale. The choice is yours.

This will be a project-based quest in the same vein as Tyrants and Per Aspera. You will be given a number of dice divided up into different fields of endeavor per turn, each of which will encompass a quarter-year. Each die will allow you to roll once and add the associated bonus or subtract the associated penalty, and then put the result into a progress tracker. Once the tracker is complete, the project goes into effect. Some projects may also have random success/failure elements associated with them. Each die will cost Resources, which in this game is represented by Tiberium, and possibly other assets.

You will simultaneously play Kane, the mysterious and ageless prophet of Tiberium, and his secret society, the Brotherhood of Nod. Each will contribute dice, bonuses, and penalties to your efforts. More characters and sub-organizations may come into play later.

The Discord room for this quest is #etrans-circus on the Wordsmiths server.

The year is 1995. A strange meteor has hit just outside Rome, along the banks of the Tiber River, and is spreading its contents with incredible speed. Those who venture into the fields of green-glowing crystals report respiratory distress, nausea, contact burns, and other, more severe symptoms. Despite these complaints, some of your most devoted followers have returned with multiple samples of the precious crystal, and it will be the foundation upon which you build your new Temple. Nod's time in the shadows is coming to a close; soon the world will be bathed in this beautiful green light.

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We'll begin with some basic scene-setting. Your Eminence, where did you decide to build your Temple?

Article:

[] [SITE] Sarajevo
The fracturing of the Cold War status quo and the establishment of a neoliberal world order has led to unprecedented chaos across the globe, and nowhere is this more true than in Sarajevo. The ongoing multi-sided sectarian conflict in the former Yugoslavia is an ideal backdrop for the establishment of our first permanent headquarters. So long as we disguise our efforts properly, one more non-governmental charity organization will hardly garner any notice at all.

[Nod gains Sarajevo Temple: +1 Conflict die, +5 per die to ARMY projects, +5 per die to HIRE projects] [Starting region: Southeast Europe]

[] [SITE] Cairo
The original landing site of the Forerunners and ancient capital of Mediterranean civilization is an ideal place to site your new Temple. Your ties to Egypt run deep indeed, and the corrupt military regime will offer little resistance so long as its palms remain well-greased. Combine a steady flow of bribes with the establishment of a prestigious new center of higher learning, and no one will ever be the wiser.

[Nod gains Cairo Temple: +1 Research die, +5 per die to SCHOOL projects, +5 per die to BRIBE projects] [Starting region: Northeast Africa]

[] [SITE] Palermo
While Palermo may not have quite the same cachet as the other two options, it offers one major benefit: close proximity to the initial Tiberium site. In anticipation of this promised day, you have nested yourself quite snugly amidst the criminal underworld of the Sicilian Mafia, and are well-known among its movers and shakers. A Palermo Temple therefore promises great potential rewards, if handled carefully.

[Nod gains Palermo Temple: +1 Economics die, +5 per die to CRIME projects, +5 to BUILD projects] [Starting region: Southwest Europe]

While the builders set themselves to work constructing an edifice worthy of your glory, you have time to ponder your millennia of life. You have seen some of humanity's very best, even in the face of tragedy and horror. What positive lesson stands out foremost in your mind?

Article:

[] [GOOD] Cleverness
Despite the best efforts of the ruling elite to stifle dissent and crush independent thought, there have always been those who seek to undermine the status quo and achieve change. As a teacher, you have always cultivated these individuals, even in the face of social repression.

[Kane gains Insurgent-in-Chief: +1 Subversion die, +5 per die to REBEL projects]

[] [GOOD] Belief
Even in the face of overwhelming odds, human beings work to avert disaster and stave off destruction. As a protector, you have always admired their ability to come back from the worst tragedies, to believe in a greater cause than themselves, and to move forward.

[Kane gains Tiberian Prophet: +1 Development die, +5 per die to FAITH projects]

[] [GOOD] Solidarity
Though often divided unjustly or artificially, human beings nevertheless are capable of coming together to produce a greater product than the sum of its parts. As a guide, you always encourage them to achieve victory as a unit, rather than be defeated separately.

[Kane gains Uniter of Humankind: +1 Outreach die, +5 per die to UNION projects]

Unfortunately, not even your best memories can overcome the anger and frustration you feel at all the lost opportunities of the last several thousand years. After all this time, you've become an expert on the very worst of human nature, and each and every flaw humanity possesses is a weapon in your arsenal. Which negative lesson stands out foremost in your mind?

Article:

[] [EVIL] Avarice
Even in the face of objective evil or mutual threats, some humans will always pursue their own personal gain, even at the expense of others or, ultimately, themselves. Their desire for acquiring more and more wealth is a massive psychological flaw, and one that will inevitably lead to ruin.

[Kane gains Capitalist Hangman: +5 per die to CORP projects, +5 per die to BUY projects, +5 per die to STEAL projects]

[] [EVIL] Insularity
Despite the obvious commonalities uniting all people on Earth, human beings continue to invent differences, to build barriers between themselves and others. When threatened, they defend "their own" with unthinking spinal reflex, lashing out against "the other." This makes them predictable, and therefore easy to maneuver.

[Kane gains Arch-Terrorist: +5 per die to GOVT projects, +5 per die to BOMB projects, +5 per die to KILL projects]

[] [EVIL] Ignorance
As one who seeks to spread knowledge, being faced not just with a lack of information but of fundamental curiosity has always been your greatest source of anger. There are those among the humans who take pride in their ignorance, who reject the gift of knowledge. That they only accept surface truth rather than pursuing deeper wisdom will be their undoing.

[Kane gains Lord of the Netrunners: +5 per die to MEDIA projects, +5 per die to INCITE projects, +5 per die to LIE projects]

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Undirected non-plan vote, you may approval vote, I'll keep it open until I get a consensus. The top two options in the second and third vote will go into effect.

These are brief explanations of project types and tags. Tags are divided into fields and actions; basically the "who" and "how" to a project type's "what". A project has one type and between 1-5 tags. Some organizations have multiple tags, as do some actions.

Project Types
Conflict: Overt uses of organized force.
Subversion: Covert or non-obvious acts.
Research: Uncovering or discovering scientific knowledge.
Outreach: Interaction with outside groups.
Economics: Developing or undermining financial or material resources.
Development: Building infrastructure, logistics, or scientific applications.

Project Tags
ADAPT: Repurpose technology or infrastructure for your own use.
BOMB: Blow something up.
BRIBE: Illicit transfers of funds, resources, or blackmail in exchange for services.
BUILD: Construction of static assets.
BUY: Purchase of assets on the open or black market.
CAST: Broadcast information to the general public, distribute propaganda.
EVADE: Take precautions for or otherwise actively engage in avoiding enemy notice or interception.
FIGHT: Direct conflict with an enemy.
HACK: Infiltrate an electronic system.
HIRE: Bring someone onboard the Brotherhood or an associated organization.
INCITE: Motivate an external group to take direct or intemperate action.
KILL: Assassinate someone.
LIE: Put false information out into the world.
SPY: Covertly uncover information.
STEAL: Unilaterally acquire an asset or information.