With the dawn of the Portal Age, the great powers of the world, long jealous of each other and tensely building up ever greater and more powerful warfleets just in case their rivals might overtake them in military force, looked as one to new worlds. Each portal is a major investment of infrastructure, treasure, and expertise, expected to produce far more value in the long term than what is put into it.
You are the head of one of these new colonies. Go forth and multiply!
This will be a Plan Quest where you manage a colony established by a fantasy nation on a new world. We will choose a sponsor, design our target world, choose a character, choose a location on the world, and then get into the feel-good stuff of numbers going up, infrastructure being built, and a prosperous new colony rising on fertile ground.
The world of Greatsea has a long and storied history, and it is fashionable in recent historians to relate this history primarily to the development of new schools of magic. The origins of life are shrouded in mystery, but most agree that two to three hundred million years ago (300 MYA), the first primitive Fairies coalesced from random swirls of atmospheric Mana. Fairies are an entirely magic-based form of life, existing solely as ordered constructs of Mana without any physical substance. Early Fairies quickly multiplied, occupying the planet's atmosphere, oceans, crust, and mantle as they began reproducing and evolving. But these early Fairies bear little resemblance to the beings known by that name today- They were more similar to fragments of Elementals, beings with very narrow and specific associations and effects. The Proto-Fairy Era lasted from 200 MYA to about 50 MYA.
At some point the Fairies began creating life. There are signs of physical life as early as 70 MYA, but the Ki Explosion occurred at 50 MYA, creating a sudden massive increase in the diversity and number of fossil records within a very short geological time frame. Not much is known about this era, but it is theorized that the first animals and plants to successfully use Ki, or Internal Energy, kick-started a massive evolutionary arms race as species diversified into different body plans and began developing instinctual Ki usage. Life both in the oceans and on land grew explosively for the next few million years, filling seemingly every available niche and domain. Most of the common modern plant and animal clades have their origins in this Magic Beast Era, which lasted about 50 MYA to about 10 MYA.
The beginning of the Elemental Era is difficult to set a firm date to, but conventional scholarship places it at 10 MYA. Around this time, the ever-present proto-fairies began coalescing into large, cooperative entities. While one proto-fairy is of no threat, ten million certainly are. These fairy colonies began showing signs of properties similar to the environments where they found themselves, taking the form of stubborn stones, barely contained magma, flowing rivers or air currents, bodies of thunder and lightning, and even more exotic forms mimicking distant phenomena or plants and animals, such as Poison Elementals, Sun Elementals, and more. Elementals which were able to control the most mana via sympathetic similarity to natural flows were successful, and the long line of Elementals was born.
The Totem Era is the last major era of pre-history, marked by a tendency for species of animals to develop collective magical presences of their own in order to compete with greedy Elementals. The stubborn survivalism of a Crab Totem grants every crab in the world access to some small measure of its power, expended where mass die-offs or local extinctions are threatened and sustained by a small trickle of energy from every crab of that species. The unstoppable power of Ox Totems, the wily stealth of Octopi Totems, the bountiful growth of the Algae Totem, all of these and more formed over the last few million years of pre-history. And of course, the final Totem to be formed was the Human Totem.
One hundred thousand years ago, we approach history. The Elementalism Age- Distinct from the Elemental Era, as it is a time defined by the practice of Elementalism rather than by the development of Elementals- Was when early man began learning to call upon the Elementals and Totems common in nature. Though humanity has limited natural Ki ability compared to many Sprit Beast species, by mimicking certain aspects of the conditions that define mana-colony beings, the intelligent hominids that were the ancestors of man could attract their attention and partially merge with them, allowing them perform feats of magic while also exposing them to thought and behavior patterns of the larger elemental. There is good archaeological evidence of early hominids conducting fire-worship rituals, rain-dances, and using seed fetishes very similar to those of modern nature elementalists.
The next age of history was the Windcalling Age. Approximately 15,000 years ago, evidence of early rafts and sails began appearing, with now essentially modern humans quickly spreading across the archipelagos of Greatsea through a practice of wind-magic involving reading the weather and gently influencing it, a practice that remains in use today, as traditional Windcalling is still common among certain remote island chains. The rapid spread of early man across most of the above-ocean world also heralded the diversification of cultures and ever increasing prevalence of complex tools and the first complex societies. However, this brief overview cannot withstand a diversion into early historical cultures more than absolutely necessary. Around this time the first use of copper tools was recorded, but development of harder metals did not occur for quite some time.
The Beastfolk Age emerged 4,500 years ago, when a mysterious and forgotten figure first developed the Hybridization Rituals, allowing captive Magic Beasts to reproduce with humans, producing human-like offspring that nevertheless retain many traits of their source animal, breed true with other Beastfolk of their species, and most notably retain the ability to use Internal Energy near instinctively, and also a very strong tendency towards the instincts of their source animal. Beastfolk were commonly used as slave labor and remain a persistent underclass even today, though claims of them having low intelligence and being "uncivilized" for "failing to resist" instincts are highly controversial in more progressive societies. Though de-jure slavery of Beastfolk is now illegal in several major states, tension and inequality remain.
The Forging Age began 1,250 years ago when a suite of metalworking magics suitable to refine and work iron was discovered on Greater Halkis island. Over the next 200 years, the use of iron-forging spread across much of the world, quickly leading to the development of more sophisticated tools of agriculture, infrastructure, and warfare. The infamous Halkin Empire no doubt would never have shaped so much of modern culture without their near-monopoly on iron and the secretive and influential Forge Priests.
Modern eras begin flowing quite quickly after that as more complex societies and cultures now had a surplus of tools, food, magic, and breathing room to develop and experiment- The Engraving Age for the first truly multipurpose assistive magical tools, the Potion Age for the development of complex, stable stored magics, the Set-Spell age that heralded modern ward and siege magic doctrine as well as enabling industrialization of thousands of tasks previously done solely by manual labor...
And finally, the Portal Age. Beginning just ten short years ago, the development of the permanent set-portal spell has heralded a fundamental change in the politics of the planet Greatsea. It is truly a shame that the discoverer of the portal spell, Amedi Naras, a humble Rabbitfolk magical prodigy, was promptly executed by agents of the Kalish Empire for treason when she distributed instructions for portal set-spells to as many destinations as possible. Though she seemed to predict her own demise, writing in her diaries and messages to colleagues that she was not long for this world. She clearly assumed that her homeland would prove jealous and vengeful enough to hoard the spell for themselves, and harboring a deep resentment against them since childhood due to their many anti-Beastfolk policies, considered it worth her life to deny them a monopoly of the next revolutionary magic.
But the fairy could not be put back in the box, try as the Kalishites might, especially with how many of the portals opened via semi-random walks of the coordinate space seem to go to pristine, fertile planets full of plentiful natural resources... With the dawn of the Portal Age, the great powers of the world, long jealous of each other and tensely building up ever greater and more powerful warfleets just in case their rivals might overtake them in military force, looked as one to new worlds. Each portal is a major investment of infrastructure, treasure, and expertise, expected to produce far more value in the long term than what is put into it.
You are the head of one of these new colonies. Go forth and multiply! Build new cities and farms and mines! Become an asset to your sponsor before everyone else outpaces you in the portal rush!
Choose a Sponsor:
[] The Kalish Empire: Oh, Kali, that great land which hath conquered near and far, which hath ruled the high seas for centuries, unquestioned. Glorious Kali, boasting a greater military tradition than anyone else in the world. Wealthy Kali, whose palaces and gardens are the envy of all. Proud Kali, with so much legacy to hold up and still hungry for more...
+/- Greatest Power: The Kalish Empire is expansive, old, and mighty. It has a two-power navy, outweighing any two other nations. They have won the Great Game, for now.
+ Massive Investment: The empire has vast sums of treasure and manpower to wield, and has chosen to wield them upon your colony. Your resources and support are very substantial.
+ Strong Mandate: You have substantial, near unquestioned authority over the colony itself, acting essentially as sole ruler and final authority, though you still answer to your boss back home.
+ Military Support: A small segment of the armies of Kali will march into the portal with you, no doubt making short work of any local beasts and deterring raids or sabotage.
- Racial Tensions: The Empire maintains a hardline stance on its Beastfolk population, relegating them to second-class citizens. Protests are quashed, but resentment is smoldering.
- Bureaucratic Infighting: The imperial bureaucracy is a political battleground as vicious as the high seas, and you may find yourself facing odd demands as a sacrificial pawn in these games.
- Prestige Projects Expected: Your sponsors require achievements, milestones, and discoveries that they can show off to the relevant authorities, or their careers, and yours, are on the line.
[] Kingdom of Menagerie: A kingdom of beasts, authoritarian and strict. A reactionary force that suddenly burst onto the world stage not too long ago, finally giving Beastfolk an equal voice- A strong voice, a threat if kin are pushed too far. Naturally, the other nations of the world mutter in fear now that their precious human supremacy might be threatened...
+/- Great Power: Menagerie is a relatively young nation, but they have proven their viability, determination, and deep reserves of material and manpower in conflicts. Not to be trifled with.
+ Strong Mandate: You have substantial, near unquestioned authority over the colony itself, acting essentially as sole ruler and final authority, though you still answer to your boss back home.
+ Excellent Target World: Menagerie received the Portal Codex first, and had almost a year of head-start on building the necessary infrastructure and scouting for target worlds, securing many good candidates.
+ Hardy Population: Composed of a majority Beastfolk population, and one that is generally well-motivated and willing to suffer harsh conditions, your colonists are of notably higher quality for rough living.
- High Expectations: Menagerie perceives itself as facing a constant uphill struggle. The rules are strict- You must perform well, develop quickly, and begin sending resources back as soon as possible.
- Currently Losing a War: Menagerie is actively fighting a war against the Kalish Empire. To the empire, it's a moderate scale conflict, something to be won for glory. To Menagerie, it may be an existential threat.
- Weak Industry: Menagerie's economy and industrial development lags behind somewhat compared to the other Great Powers, mostly due to their status as a young nation and poor geography.
[] Republic of Rhodia: Though Rhodia is still not to be trifled with, it is perhaps somewhat less of a Great Power as the other contenders, with some considering it past its glory days due to a recent embarrassing political affair and giving up minor border concessions in a dispute with Zipun seemingly without a fight. Though it still has a strong army and large warfleet...
+/- Slightly Less Great Power: Perhaps it is in a slump, perhaps its glory days are behind it, perhaps the occasional odd politics of free republics are to blame, but Rhodia's prestige is falling lately.
+ Lower Expectations: The colony is sponsored partially by the state and partially by a large joint capital firm, Other World Holdings. They see it as a long term investment and there is little pressure for immediate productivity.
+ Center of Learning: It is said that Rhodia is at the center of the world, where trade and fleets from every nation meet. The reputation for academic and scientific advancement is well-earned. You can recruit skilled people easily.
+ Center of Trade: It is said that you can buy almost anything in the ports of Rhodia, and that is not too far from the truth. A vast wealth of export and import potential and some great deals can be found.
- Lower Investment: The means of OWH are great on the scale of a mercantile organization, but somewhat lacking compared to that of an entire nation. Your initial starting funds and resources will be somewhat lacking.
- Weak Mandate: OWH has a lengthy corporate guide-book and bylaws system which restrains your power in a number of ways. It's all reasonable things individually, but it does leave you unable to make exceptions in many cases.
- Useless Figurehead: An observer from OWH has come along with you and requires smarming and a luxurious lifestyle. Occasionally, they may make odd demands. Perhaps you can work around them.
Quest Creation Schedule:
Part 1:
[Sponsor select]
Part 2:
[Destination world design]
Part 3:
[Character select]
[Sponsor boon select]
Part 4:
[Initial colony location select]
[Sub-sponsor select (extra resources but extra obligations)]
Themes: expectations from home, infrastructure building, great power posturing, prestige projects, balance of power, all with magic involved.
Sorry for the possibly boring fantasy paleontology ramble, lol.
A large, hand-built clockwork set-spell ticks away steadily in the quiet office, surrounded by the calm but intense labors of planar cartographers. The results coming from the great clockwork are distributed to a dozen calculators' desks, where they use engraved slide rules to quickly run the numbers and produce a set of heuristics, which are then pinned up on a board and compared to yesterday's. Notes and summaries written, observations and analyses and tabulations made, and reams of paper expended in an attempt to locate a viable portal target...
The orders go out, and are copied by functionaries in the Ministries, and go out again to construction interests, to set-spell researchers, to city planners, to quartermasters and recruiters. They're careful to compartmentalize, to pass on what they're told to do without speaking about it too much. After all, they're at war- Loose lips sink ships! Just another element of the bureaucracy to mobilize, just another set of levers to push in the ordained pattern in the hope that it will contribute to driving off the hated Kalish Empire through the combined efforts of a hundred thousand cogs in the machine...
Three thousand beastfolk stand in a windy field, holding hand tools and listening to the Harpy on the stage lay out the plans and orders. They're going to build some sort of elaborate stone structure. Weeks or months of digging and chiseling, mostly by hand. And they're doing THIS, not making weapons, not training as soldiers...? Well, they wouldn't be ordering it if it wasn't necessary, but nobody can agree on what is going on. One boark thinks it's the foundations to a maze of a fortress, but why would they be building a fort here of all places? Someone else thinks it's for a new factory. Or an experimental weapon of some kind. Or just an army base. Or part of some elaborate deception for the Kalites. Nobody knows, but what else are they going to talk about? They shovel dirt, and carry stones, and take too infrequent rest breaks while starched-shirt overseers carefully review the reality against their plans...
An invitation, not a set of orders but something at least ostensibly optional, delivered by a plainclothes officer. They're obviously part of the Ministry of Intelligence. A dogger. Always dogs or rabbits or some other herbivore, the spooks. Except when they're not. The offer, of course, is something you have to seek confirmation for... Is this some kind of bait? Loyalty test? So you ask around. But you're told by everyone you think to approach- Yes, this is real. No, don't talk about it.
Well. Nobody ACTUALLY doesn't talk about it. It's a swirling rumor by now. Never confirmed openly. But mentioned often enough, from enough different sources, with enough seriousness and admonishment to keep it quiet, to give it credit. Either the truth, or a very thorough deception operation for Kalish agents. A portal to a new world. To DOZENS of new worlds, one after the other. Brave pioneers scattered out like tiny seeds on a primitive hunter-gatherer's migratory path, in the hope that some of them bloom for harvest next year. It seems like much of Menagerie's limited will and reserves are going into "Dandelion".
For those who aren't destined to be leaders or officers of the new endeavor, however, the message is not nearly so polite. It's a simple paper card, occasionally accompanied by a stern face in a uniform. Most people are familiar with such cards by now, shuffled hither and yon to build and work for their country, the only one in the world not dominated by humans wielding social and military power... So they do as they're told and stream in to the evaluation centers by the thousands, for the hope of a more just future. Many of them will be sent out to work in fields or factories again, or simply sent back home. But some will find themselves destined for more distant climes...
BY ORDER OF HIS MAJESTY YEAL BARO LINNEA, as relayed by the Ministry of the Army: You have been selected for evaluation for service to a special labor assignment. Report to mustering field 3A, Renchille, Jeno Province, for evaluation for new duties by date of 18th of Storms. Bring with you the following: Civilian clothes suitable for daily life. Mementos, tools, and personal effects for rough living I.E. weapons, soap, sewing kit, personal tools, etc.
The scrying spells for viable target worlds are achingly complex arrangements of math, with it taking weeks to random-walk through the infinite possibility space and steadily hone in on a stable point, to identify and categorize the target world's characteristics, to narrow down the arcane parameters required to actually open a portal. Some deride it as guesswork, but those who study these things are far from idle, and have quickly learned some of the patterns associated with worlds of certain characteristics... Allowing the parameters of a destination to be aimed, to an extent. Most of the work is in the excruciating engineering and calculation to go from world-coordinates to an actual portal targeting-stone.
In universe, you cannot quite order up a custom world according to your specific whim, though you can... Nudge the scales a fair bit by looking for certain qualities. Out of universe, we will be designing the world in a great amount of detail.
I'm throwing kind of a lot of choices at you all at once here, I know. This world creation bit is complicated and could result in some really wacky stuff, so feel free to ask questions about how traits would combine or how an overall plan would come together. Also, use logic and common sense- "Barren World" + "Useful Animals" is no-go for example. If I see something sus gaining traction I'll say something.
12 hour moratorium, please, and it'll probably be at least 48 hours from posting this before I close the vote.
To discorage... Frankly, too wacky worlds that I don't feel like would necessarily be cohesive... I am inflicting a -1 Shiny COMPLEXITY PENALTY per 5 Oddities. Extreme conditions count as an oddity.
World Creation: This is a PLAN VOTE.
You have -2 Shinies to start with, but +5 due to the Kingdom of Menagerie starting location, for a total of +3!
Continent Type:
[] Archipelago: Greatsea is a collection of small islands and island chains, and every nation and great power is well used to navigating islands and seas. Naval tradition makes the familiar ground easier to tread. (-1 Shiny)
[] Continental: The standard and default Earthlike option. The colonists are used to a more archipelagic layout and will find the wide stretches of dry land intimidating and adventurous. (0 Shinies)
[] Pangea: A vast, single landmass with only a few peripheral islands and perhaps some lakes or inland seas. Everything is connected by land, and the interior will be difficult to access via sea. (0 Shinies)
[] Sectors: Strange... Every piece of the terrain seems to have a strong theme that it sticks to quite closely- A realm of grass, a realm of forest, a realm of hardy mountain... What could have made it develop this way? Whatever it is, it's rather inconvenient for development as the necessary resources are never all in one spot. (+2 Shinies)
Biosphere:
[] Barren World: The world is bare, barren rock. The atmosphere is still breathable, but there is no life and no soil at all. Which will make farming challenging to say the least. (+6 Shinies)
[] Green Goo: Native life is limited to unicellular plants and decomposers, with no animals. The biosphere has prepared something like acceptable soil, but there's nothing to forage. (+4 Shinies)
[] Grass and Insects: Native life is limited to simple plants and small animals. While a much more viable ecosystem than algae, it's still short of something that could sustain people comfortably. (+2 Shinies)
[] Forests and Animals: The standard and default Earthlike option. (0 Shinies)
[] Verdant and Plentiful: Green dominates the world, the soil is lovely and fertile everywhere, great jungles stand proud, and herds of animals roam the plains and valleys. A planet that will feed the world. (-2 Shinies)
[] Gaia World: Life flourishes in every corner of the world, absurdly fertile and with millions of varieties. You can pick fruit off any random tree and it will probably be delicious or useful somehow. (-6 Shinies)
Mana Level:
[] Mana Desert: Mana is so thin as to be nearly entirely absent. You will have to face brutal physical reality with magic reserved for emergencies only. How can this be considered habitable? (+10 Shinies)
[] Sparse: Most mages will need to meditate for hours a day to gather sufficient energy to use magic normally. You may need to look into purely material ways of doing things. (+4 Shinies)
[] Thin: Mana is weaker and more fleeting here. The practice of magic requires more time and mental effort than usual, but is still very viable. (+1 Shiny)
[] Average: A similar level of mana to the planet Greatsea, your people will be able to use magic as they are used to. (0 Shinies)
[] Strong: Mana is just a bit thicker and easier to use here. It's enough to be noticeable, but not enough to make an extreme difference. (-1 Shiny)
[] Potent: Everyone's magic is stronger and faster to leap to their fingertips. Ki users can leap higher walls. Elementalists are can sling more explosive fireballs. Windcallers can drive ships at great speed. (-3 Shinies)
[] Thick As Soup: The mana here is absurdly abundant and thick. Enough that young people are liable to hurt themselves with it. It will make magically difficult industries an easy prospect. (-8 Shinies)
Global Average Temperature:
[] Frigid: The whole world is much colder than usual and only the equatorial regions have consistent liquid water. Challenging to develop. (+4 Shinies)
[] Chilly: Long winters and heavy snow are in your future, with tundra and taiga dominating much of the world. Food will be scarcer. (+1 Shiny)
[] Temperate: The standard and default Earthlike option. (0 Shinies)
[] Warm: High average global temperatures mean plentiful growing seasons even in the chillier parts of the world. (0 Shinies)
[] Torrid: When things get too warm, large regions turn nearly uninhabitable or desertified due to the temperature pressure. Expect heatstroke troubles. (+3 Shinies)
Moons and Tides:
[] One Moon: The standard and default Earthlike option. (0 Shinies)
[] Many Moons: The planet has more moons than usual, each of them with some interesting characteristics. You might not be able to explore them soon, but they're there! (0 Shinies)
[] No Moon: The planet has no moon, which reduces the strength of tides and has some minor knock-on effects on climate. (+1 Shiny)
[] You Are The Moon: The planet orbits a gas giant! This creates intense and dangerous tidal forces, unless you're tidally locked. (+2 Shinies)
Geoactivity:
[] Normal Geology: The standard and default Earthlike option. (0 Shinies)
[] Geologically Dead: There is little geological activity on the planet and it has been this way for some time. No hot springs or volcanic activity, and erosion has generally led to vast open plains. (+1 Shiny)
[] Geoactive: A world experiencing more geological activity than usual will see a healthy set of volcanoes and hot springs, as well as great hills and mountains for mining work, exposing more minerals to easy extraction. (-1 Shiny)
[] Volcanic World: The world is geoactive to an extreme and dangerous extent. Volcanic activity and earthquakes are very common and may be a significant threat, but the mountain ranges are truly something to behold! (+4 Shinies)
Oddities These are additional modifiers to the planet. Pick as many or as few as you would like. The default in absence of an Oddity is a generally Earthlike planet- For example, you can assume it rotates normally and has a normal year if you don't pick Eccentric Orbit or Tidally Locked.
Use common sense and don't pick opposing oddities.
Positive Oddities: All of these cost Shinies.
[] Freshwater Ocean: The ocean isn't salty! Perhaps this planet has very low levels of salt in its crust? Whatever the reason, any coastline will do for drinking and crops, and ships have an easier time too. (-2 Shinies)
[] Friendly Animals: There are a variety of local animal species that make surprisingly good candidates for domestication, mostly due to their tolerance and friendliness. You'll still need to breed them. (-2 Shinies)
[] Natural Beauty: Everything on this side of the portal is beautiful and striking. Mostly serves propagandistic purposes, but the effects on morale and quality of life are present if subtle. (-1 Shiny)
[] Iron-Rich: The planet has a high concentration of iron and plentiful of easy surface or near-surface deposits for mining. It's not as rare and valuable as other minerals, but metal is metal. (-1 Shiny)
[] Mineral-Rich: The planet has a high concentration of dozens of different kinds of useful minerals and metals, from gold and zinc to cobalt and tungsten. Some very excellent mining opportunities. (-4 Shinies)
[] Stable Climate: Sure, there are thunderstorms and blizzards and droughts, but for the most part they're milder than they ought to be and can be ridden out without too much trouble. (-1 Shiny)
[] Useful Flora: Your colonists quickly discover a species of native plant that has some sort of beneficial use back home (though exactly what will be rolled for). A prime export product. (-2 Shinies)
[] Natural Passes: For some reason, some of the nastiest terrain seems to have natural crossing points- Convenient mountain passes, rocky dry areas cutting through swamps, and so on. (-1 Shiny)
[] Orderly Mana: The mana flows of this world are very smooth, tidy, and orderly. This is a great advantage for the manufacturing of set-spell machines, which normally require expensive isolation. (-3 Shinies)
[] Mystery Box 1: What could this be? You won't find out unless you take it. I promise it's really quite good! It'd cost 4 or 5 Shinies if you knew what it was! (-3 Shinies)
Neutral Oddities: All of these neither give nor take Shinies.
[] Variant Animals: Some of the animals are mostly familiar, but some are... Weird. Different body plans, different survival strategies, different niches.
[] Variant Spirits: The elemental spirits and animal totems of this planet are different than at home. This will make elementalism difficult at first, but could lead to innovations and different specialties.
[] World Spirit: The planet itself has a sort of over-spirit, immensely larger than most and connected to everything. What implications this has for the practice of elementalism is unclear.
[] No Seasons: The planet's axial tilt and orbit lead it to have, essentially, no seasonal variation and the same climate no matter the time of year.
[] Low Gravity: Everything weighs less here- It leads to jumpier people, easier-to-build structures, and higher mountains as the formations don't have to deal with quite as much gravity.
[] Reversed Spin: The planet orbits in the opposite direction of most. This doesn't affect much day to day- East and West are just conventions anyway.
[] Wandering Titans: How can such massive beings exist? Dozens of miles in length... Your people stand in awe and wish to study them. They won't bother you if you don't bother them. Mostly.
[] Mystery Box 2: What could this be? You won't find out unless you take it. It will present both challenge and a great opportunity. I promise it's more good than bad.
Negative Oddities: All of these give Shinies.
[] No Elemental Spirits: The practice of elementalism so often used by the less educated is not possible here, due to the total lack of any elemental spirits... Other magic works fine, though. (+1 Shiny)
[] Insidious Disease: There is a pathogen or parasite native to the new planet that will be stubbornly difficult to fully eradicate and necessitate precautions. (+1 Shiny)
[] Hostile Biosphere: Dozens of plant and animal species act as tenacious pests. Not an existential threat but very annoying. Eating your crops, digging into your homes, hunting your livestock... (+2 Shinies)
[] Irritating Atmosphere: The planet's atmosphere is not quite right, and will be a persistent challenge. This one can't really be fixed in the foreseeable future and will require constant vigilance. (+3 Shinies)
[] Long Year: The planet has an extremely long orbital period, meaning that each season lasts much longer than usual. Better stock up for winter (+1 Shiny)
[] Eccentric Orbit: An extreme orbit that is close to the sun for a small part of the year and very far for part, creating extreme summers and winters. (+2 Shinies) (Incompatible with No Seasons)
[] High Gravity: About 20-30% higher, enough that it will be a bit of a struggle to work and build in the usual ways. Everything becomes a bit more difficult. (+2 Shinies)
[] Rifts and Barriers: There are a lot of inconvenient canyons, mountain ranges, swamps, cliffs, and natural barriers that will make travel harder. (+1 Shiny)
[] Mystery Box 3: What could this be? You won't find out unless you take it. How bad could it be, really...? That's a lot of reward... More than it would be if you knew what it was. (+6 Shinies)
Extreme Conditions These are major alterations to the nature of the planetary surface, and have a variety of both benefits and drawbacks. You can pick at most one. These also replace the Continent Type selection- Don't choose a continent type if you choose an extreme condition.
[] Tidally Locked: The planet does not have a normal day/night cycle. The same part of it faces the sun at all times, locking one side into eternal day and the other into eternal night. Only on a relatively thin band about 150 miles wide are conditions correct for life to thrive, limiting you to relatively small parts of the world. (+8 Shinies) (Incompatible with You Are The Moon)
[] Sky World: The surface of the planet is deeply hostile and unpleasant, if technically survivable. Luckily, enormous masses of floating stone and vegetation, dotted with soaring mountains that rise above the lower muck, are strung out above the world, forming 'landmasses' that fly and slowly drift around towards each other. (+4 Shinies) (Requires Strong or greater mana levels)
[] Ocean World: The planet has almost no above-water landmass- What few islands do exist tend to be little more than rocky spires sitting above the water. Fine as a base, but the true bounty of this world would be under the waves- There are bountiful coral reefs, undersea mineral deposits, and the like. (+4 Shinies)
[] Canyon World: The 'flat surface' of the planet is so high in altitude that the atmosphere is too thin and frigid to survive. Instead, networks of incredibly vast canyons and basins formed by some unknown process cross-cross the globe. Along the walls, sloping sides, and bottoms of these canyons, life can thrive. (+4 Shinies)
[] Metal World: Is this even a planet at all...? It's made of metal! There are long-ruined structures everywhere, oddly regular stone and slowly decaying metal. Collapsed towers and unidentifiable wrecks. Rust-filled rivers and seas. The planet-sized ruins of someone long gone. At least it will make for one hell of a mining operation? (-8 Shinies)
Abyssia tries to ignore her pounding heart. Her aching fist, where it clenches her autowand. The sick feeling of intense danger rising in her gut, telling her to dive. Deep, deep, where they cannot follow. She glances left and right, opening her mouth to take in more seawater and pass it over her gills. The others have similarly grim expressions on their faces as the steel hull slowly cuts through the water towards them... They can't see it through the muck. They don't have fancy MADAR systems to tell where it is. They're wearing thick mats of seaweed and sand, to confuse any military vessels' sensor systems from detecting them...
She almost wants to laugh. The insanity that war brings you to. She's clinging to a rock at the bottom of a narrow, shallow sound, and about to swim up and leap aboard a ship and try to kill everyone upon it, like some sort of mythical sea monster. That's what the Kalites call them. Monsters. Subhuman. Maybe she'll die. Maybe they'll succeed, stealing a ship from the enemy or at least killing enough of its crew to be an inconvenience.
They've already expended all their underwater bombs. Resupply is at least two weeks out, they're having trouble making more, apparently. But the Kalites keep coming. Supplies and soldiers in a constant stream, adding to the siege of Mombas. They say the city is burning under the bombardment. They say that it's hardly much of a city anymore. They say that the Kalites don't care that their bombardment kills civilians by the dozens, that they laugh and joke about the finest cuts of meat.
Good. Anger, not fear. Anticipation, not anxiety.
The low hum of the propulsion set-spell is loud now, echoing in her head. She's about to fight. To try to kill. Again. It's... Still not easy to think about. There's a natural impulse to mercy in her, in most people. It's difficult to bring yourself to the point of violence. But they started it. She's seen the scries of what they do in the islands they capture.
"Cargo boat, Imperial for sure. That engine noise... Low in the water." Lushu sends over a weak telepathic hunting-link, kicking her out of her own thoughts. "Thirty seconds. Get ready. Abyssia, me, Finnigan on starboard. Liam, Valefor, and Kerrigan on port. Maximum shock, I want sound and fury."
Abyssia double-checks her autowand with hands that threaten to shake, though she refuses to allow it. Loaded, charged, ready. She closes her eyes and takes a deep 'breath', feeling the cool saltwater in her gill passages.
"Now! Go go go!"
They ditch the seaweed mats and swim, aquatic beastfolk one and all, making for the surface like darts through the water. She can see the ship's lights through the murk, revealing their position to all and sundry. There is a series of splashes. The ship's lights are glaring, blinding her.
There's a man there, pointing a wand at her. He looks... Scared. She doesn't even register the shredder bolt he fires as it goes over her shoulder. She screams, "MENAGERIE!", as her claws sink into his gut euuugh don't think about that, look around you. Here's another crewman, running for his hatch. She raises her wand and fires. She's not sure if she hits him, but she sees Finnigan grappling with another, a bit further down and turns the wand there, breathing hard, trying to get a clear shot.
Hesitation kills. She fires. Finnigan falls... Due to the weight of the suddenly-collapsed marine on top of him. He shoves the man out of the way and gives her a grateful glance. Then his eyes widen. "Behind you!"
Abyssia feels an awful crunch, and then there is blackness.
[X] Plan: Endless Shifting Labyrinth
-[X] Canyon World: The 'flat surface' of the planet is so high in altitude that the atmosphere is too thin and frigid to survive. Instead, networks of incredibly vast canyons and basins formed by some unknown process cross-cross the globe. Along the walls, sloping sides, and bottoms of these canyons, life can thrive. (+4 Shinies)
-[X] Forests and Animals: The standard and default Earthlike option. (0 Shinies)
-[X][Mana Level] Potent: Everyone's magic is stronger and faster to leap to their fingertips. Ki users can leap higher walls. Elementalists are can sling more explosive fireballs. Windcallers can drive ships at great speed. (-3 Shinies)
-[X][Global Average Temperature] Chilly: Long winters and heavy snow are in your future, with tundra and taiga dominating much of the world. Food will be scarcer. (+1 Shiny)
-[X][Moons and Tides] Many Moons: The planet has more moons than usual, each of them with some interesting characteristics. You might not be able to explore them soon, but they're there! (0 Shinies)
-[X] Volcanic World: The world is geoactive to an extreme and dangerous extent. Volcanic activity and earthquakes are very common and may be a significant threat, but the mountain ranges are truly something to behold! (+4 Shinies)
-[X] Friendly Animals: There are a variety of local animal species that make surprisingly good candidates for domestication, mostly due to their tolerance and friendliness. You'll still need to breed them. (-2 Shinies)
-[X] Useful Flora: Your colonists quickly discover a species of native plant that has some sort of beneficial use back home (though exactly what will be rolled for). A prime export product. (-2 Shinies) -[X][Positive Oddities] Natural Beauty: Everything on this side of the portal is beautiful and striking. Mostly serves propagandistic purposes, but the effects on morale and quality of life are present if subtle. (-1 Shiny)
-[X] Iron-Rich: The planet has a high concentration of iron and plentiful of easy surface or near-surface deposits for mining. It's not as rare and valuable as other minerals, but metal is metal. (-1 Shiny)
-[X] Mineral-Rich: The planet has a high concentration of dozens of different kinds of useful minerals and metals, from gold and zinc to cobalt and tungsten. Some very excellent mining opportunities. (-4 Shinies)
-[X] Variant Animals: Some of the animals are mostly familiar, but some are... Weird. Different body plans, different survival strategies, different niches. -[X][Neutral Oddities] Variant Spirits: The elemental spirits and animal totems of this planet are different than at home. This will make elementalism difficult at first, but could lead to innovations and different specialties.
-[X] World Spirit: The planet itself has a sort of over-spirit, immensely larger than most and connected to everything. What implications this has for the practice of elementalism is unclear.
-[X] Wandering Titans: How can such massive beings exist? Dozens of miles in length... Your people stand in awe and wish to study them. They won't bother you if you don't bother them. Mostly.
-[X] All 3 Mystery Boxes (+3 Shinies total)
-[X] Oddities Penalty (-2 Shinies)
The portal opens for eight hours each month, per world, with a four hour break for maintenance and changing the keystones. "Dandelion" is a spread-shot approach, with each of the initial scouting teams knowing beyond a doubt that they are beyond help or hope of rescue until the portal opens again. Relatively few supplies are brought with: Some dried rations, some full canteens, some tents and tools, all hauled through by hand and piled up into a camp on the other side. Ten scouts cross over with each team, their mandate to explore and map the new world. To determine several key factors like water access, edibility of local forage, and any promising locations for construction. After all, while the emergence point of the portal cannot be changed, the town on the far side doesn't necessarily have to be built right on top of it.
There will be no contact between the explorers and home while the portal is closed. The unspoken assumption of everyone is that if the scouts, well-provisioned and well-trained, cannot survive a month on the world candidate... It's probably not worth colonizing, and we'd better move on to a more promising field to seed. Naturally, the reports and findings of the scouts will be taken into account when planning further investment. Anything promising or valuable, rare minerals, food, useful plants or animals... Any and all of it can feed the war machine, help keep Menagerie from having to give up its precious, bitterly won territory. Depending on how much value is found, contact might be scheduled for once a year, a quarter, a month, or even more often, with the levels of supply and support adjusted accordingly.
When the explorers emerge into the Labyrinth, they are immediately challenged. The portal opens up onto the side of a narrow ravine, with perhaps three feet of horizontal surface available, extending off to the left and right. The scent of pine wafts out, and tall, scraggly trees reach up from somewhere below onto the narrow cliffside. Joer "The Boar" Mikken, the leader of the scouting party, adapts quickly, though- Commanding several of the crates containing construction materials to be opened and broken apart and quickly organizing the lightning-quick construction of a temporary structure clinging to the cliff face, even while other scouts start sinking pitons into the cliffs and carefully maneuvering up and down, left and right. Many crates are simply lowered hastily down the cliff to rest on whatever lies below the scraggly foliage, shoved through with rough violence and hopefully recovered later, after the clock is no longer ticking quite so urgently.
After the portal closes, they have managed to shift through about two thirds of their allotted supplies. Then, everyone takes a break, and the real work begins. Exploring the gorgeous cliffs gradually reveals that, despite the startling verticality, this world seems to be a bountiful and friendly land. A few days later, a route from the side-ravine to what seems to be a main passage is found. The central canyon feels truly open to the sky, marbled veins of different rock glittering in the sunlight, nearly blinding as it reflects brightly off the high reaches. They keep mapping even as they pause to appreciate the sights... Vast cliffs rising higher, higher, soaring like mountains on all sides. Dozens of even tinier caves, cliffs, side-canyons, and cracks in the rock have been mapped, and cautiously a route to the flat bottom of the main canyon found and carved flat with earth elementalism, shoving the stone into a more navigable shape. It's still nothing like a proper road, but at least there is less constant danger of falling to one's death. After that, they spent time moving supplies to the flat canyon bottom, near a small river, and building a proper camp.
This is when the great promise of the cliff maze began to show, despite the challenges of its chilly heights. For magic was coming easier to the scouts than they were used to, and noticeably so. Earthmoving to clear a flat trail nine miles long to the central canyon normally ought to take a team of two a couple of weeks- They managed it in ten days, despite the unfamiliar terrain. And strong mana was not the only benefit- The scouts quickly identified an odd species of pine tree growing in the most shadowed side-passages that produce small, tough, brightly glowing nuts. When separated from their plant they would stop glowing eventually, but passing any kind of mana through them quickly makes them glow once again- Magical lights that literally grow on trees! This is exactly the sort of thing they hoped to find! It's a lot easier and faster to pick a few trees clean than try to painstakingly manufacture magical torches, and everyone is in need of light to work by. Harvesting operations for glownuts will be a strong industry for a new colony, with the discovery vindicating and exciting those who support the program.
With a whole world to explore, the scouts eagerly spent their days walking new paths and noting down everything they could find. They quickly identified how, though the plants are largely familiar, the animals are distinctly not. Scaled, lizard-like flying creatures, enormous hairless herbivores with grasping tentacles, some sort of eight legged pack hunter that was thankfully not very interested in seeing if scouts were edible, an odd sort of monkey with digitigrade manipulators on its tail, good at clambering up and down cliffs, eyeless fish floating in the thousands of dark caverns that the cliffs and crevasses opened up to... They were ultimately only ten people, and not everything could be discovered and built in so short a time. Even so, the strange geology, strange animals, and strange plants- Especially the glownuts- Put everyone in a good mood. They tried small samples of everything that a real colony might want to do- Planting crops, mining minerals, gathering and hunting... One of the scout team even gathered a load of native copper and other ores exposed in the cliff and cave walls, built a simple mud-brick kiln, and managed to smelt new metal.
Everything changed for the camp when the first signs of volcanic activity struck. They had been enjoying a local hot spring, seeping up out of the ground and creating a beautiful steamy waterfall with a warm pool where all manner of colorful flowers bloomed. However, the near-trickle of boiling water emerging from a hole in the rock suddenly became a spurt, then a surge... And then, with a wash of superheated ash and rock dust, burst open entirely, sending the two scouts bathing there running for their lives. Both ultimately survived, though with permanent burn scars... It just goes to show that this place is harsh as well as full of potential. The extreme cliffs and caves, they concluded, must be constantly formed by the earthquakes and volcanoes here. Something to watch out for...
When the portal opened back up again, two of the scouts would be waiting with three large crates of mineral and biological samples, plus one entirely full of glownuts. The reports and spoils are passed through quickly, and wondered over by a team of evaluators. Extreme cliffs? Food and water available... Mineral rich, however, and full of potential for all that it is also quite dangerous... Not to mention the glownuts, creating easy and free light from mana. If they can be gathered in bulk, that's an immediate proof of the viability of "Chrysanthemum".
"Not exactly a war winner," they said, "But we'll take whatever we can get. We can issue them to soldiers and police and miners. And in a pinch they're still edible, so they're also emergency rations."
They had been preparing for this moment for some time already went over the goodies with eagerness, and committed their final vote and announced their final decision on who would govern this new world, in the name of the Rat King...
(Mechanics note: Colony projects will fall into one of these six categories: Infrastructure, Agriculture, Extraction, Industry, Services, Management. They mostly are what they sound like. You will also have to keep track of your resources and supplies, and there is a special category called 'supply requests' each turn, where what you ask to be delivered through the portal can be determined. As with most Planquests we will roll d100s, and the average roll is 50, so a +10 is about 20% improvement over a +0.)
Name and Gender (Menagerie does not practice notable gender-based discrimination or homophobia- Instead, interspecies romance is taboo.):
[] Write-In (Request QM approval please)
Leader Species: Mostly narrative effects.
[] Catfolk: Domestic cat. Stereotyped as lazy, socially inclined, demanding, clever, and mercurial. Catfolk have great night vision.
[] Irontooth: Beaver. Stereotyped as people of simple pleasures and pursuits, stubborn and tough. Ironteeth tend to be very strong.
[] Aquatic: Sea-beastfolk of some variety. Stereotyped as cautious, slow, patient, and cruel. Aquatic beastfolk can all breathe underwater.
[] Dogger: Canine. Stereotyped as friendly, violent, excitable, dutiful, and loyal. Doggers have excellent senses of smell.
[] Herbivore: A sheep, deer, or similar. Stereotyped as cautious, good at planning ahead, calm. Most herbivores are hardy and disease-resistant. [] Human: The Kingdom of Menagerie does not permit humans in positions of authority, by and large.
[] Harpy: A general term for all sorts of bird-beastfolk. Stereotyped as extroverted, loud, excitable, and distractible. Can fly, but it's exhausting.
-[] Batwing: Somewhat lumped in with Harpies. Fairly rare. Stereotyped as shy and introverted. No echolocation, just flight.
[] Write-In: Ask QM first. I'll be judicious with 'no's on this.
Early Career:
[] Village Leader: You were a prominent community figure in one of the countless small farming villages- The one everyone turned to when the old lords came around or the weather went bad. +5 to Agriculture
[] Rebellion Soldier: You stood up to fight early in the revolt that went on to form Menagerie, and spent years of your life in a ragtag army learning that organization and logistics were the true killers. +5 to Management
[] Slave: You were one of the last to be freed from your chains, worked nearly to the bone in mines and quarries for most of your youth. Long familiarity and raw experience does have some benefit... +5 to Extraction
[] Bureaucrat: You were one of the 'lucky' beastfolk under the old regime, performing low-level office work, shuffling papers, fetching coffee, organizing schedules. There was no hope of advancement. +5 to Services
[] Mason: You were one of the 'lucky' beastfolk under the old regime, being selected for a specialized skill and then locked into that job as 'useful'. You built the fort walls that were eventually stormed. +5 to Infrastructure
[] Scholar: You were one of the 'lucky' beastfolk under the old regime, picked out as intelligent and polite, educated among 30 others by a condescending professor and then sent to a mage workshop. +5 to Industry
Recent Career:
[] Army Officer: You joined the Army of Menagerie by attending officer school and excelling in the academic work. You never actually saw combat in the New Army, working instead in rear-line organizational tasks that every army has in spades. You spent most of your time organizing procurement, fortification, and logistics, but some look down on your for never seeing combat, even if you did train for it. +5 to Infrastructure, +5 to Industry
[] Navy Officer: You joined the Navy. The first years saw you acting as an ordinary rating and you saw combat several times. When casualties began to mount during the war you found yourself quickly promoted up the ranks. You're fairly old and were retired out of active service for physical fitness reasons. In addition to detailed technical work, managing large and excitable crews taxed your political skills. +5 to Industry, +5 to Management
[] Low-Level Political Office: You performed some sort of low level political functionary task, enforcing regulations, organizing workers, or double-checking tax records. Mostly it was translating the confusing and high-minded instructions of your bosses into actual practical policies that ordinary people could understand. That, and a lot of scheduling and double-checking papers for common sense errors. +5 to Services, +5 to Infrastructure
[] Factory Supervisor: You worked your way up in a factory, one of the first in Menagerie. What did it make? Nails and barbed wire. Millions of them. Actually working the machines, swearing and getting your hands dirty while teaching people the tricks to make the damned heavy press work and not hitch up again, suggesting changes and improvements over time to make everything run more smoothly... +10 to Industry
[] Ministry of Agriculture: Most of the rural people of the lands that became Menagerie were deeply traditional and mistrustful of any authority. It took years and years to change that, to build a national identity, to grow hope. At first, trying to instill new agricultural techniques and tools was an exercise in frustration, but as fertilizer and set-spells became more available you were able to make a difference. +10 to Agriculture
[] Appointed Nobility: For lack of a significantly better idea on how to quickly regain control and organization against outside threats, the Rat King appointed many of his most loyal and least incompetent followers to traditional positions of nobility. They would take on many responsibilities and expectations, and equally many rewards... Your family oversees a lead mine and tries to run it without too many accidents. +5 to Management, +5 to Extraction
Reason for Nomination:
[] [Redacted]: You retrieved something from Kalish Empire lands. Something secret. Something that they can't learn Menagerie has. The Crown needs you to disappear. +10 to Spy and Intel Stuff
[] Politically Connected: You know enough people and called in enough favors to get this opportunity for authority and power. Now here's hoping you don't fuck it up. +5 to Reporting Home Rolls
[] Squeaky Cog: Menagerie is not immune to interdepartmental politics. The new boss doesn't want you and found a hole to stuff you in- A portal, specifically. 25% more supplies for the first 6 turns.
[] Elected by Colonists: You quickly became a community figure and were put forth by popular demand as a suitable candidate, and the organizers went along with it. +5 on morale checks.
[] Highly Recommended: Several of your colleagues and former comrades suggested that you would do well at the job, and apparently the people at the top took it seriously. +1 on all six main project categories.
[] Literally No Idea: You received the note saying that you had a new job, pack your bags and go, without any explanation or particular reason for it at all, and nobody will tell you. ONE charge of Plot Armor.
Notable Personality Trait: What impression do most people form of you when you first meet? This isn't necessarily the be-all, end-all of the character- More a first impression. Mostly narrative effects.
[] Kind/Soft
[] Decisive/Impulsive
[] Rational/Cold
[] Confident/Stubborn
[] Meticulous/Obsessive
[] Charismatic/Superficial
Sponsor Boon:
[] Unwashed Masses: Why complicate things more than you have to? The place seems perfectly habitable. There is hunting to be done and forage to be had. There are millions of peasant farmers in His Majesty's lands. Sending through ten thousand eager workers denies them to the factories, but they are ready to carve out a new home in a strange world with their own two claws.
[] Mountain Goats: A platoon of soldiers who have earned a break or retirement from direct combat after their difficult battles. A specialized team, mountaineers. Great at climbing, navigating rough mountainous terrain, and performing scouting and combat operations in said terrain. Good at dealing with the cold. Tough and hard-bitten men and women, one and all.
[] Explosive Stockpile: Sure, every pound of 'boom' is needed at the front. Sure, it's dangerous and tricky to handle and must be stored with care. Sure, what would you even use it for other than mining and excavating? (Well, there does seem to be a lot of usefully minable materials around...) Anyway, sometimes the answer to 'how do we deal with this' is 'with some big bombs'.
We are skipping part 4 of quest creation, after some thought. After this vote, the first turn will begin.
Locations have three Sizes (easy/medium/difficult to access space), and a description. Sizes are depicted with three numbers. For example, Portal Cove has 4/8/8. This means there are 4 'slots' worth of accessible space that are pretty easy to get to, mostly just involving some walking or trailblazing, then 8 more that will require a good amount of climbing and maybe building rope bridges or elevators, then 8 more that require heavy construction of elevators and infrastructure to access and will not be as convenient even then.
Before an area is open to construction efforts you will have to secure reliable access to it, usually via a building project and careful mapping. Links between areas can start tenuous like a simple trail and improve to a proper road, elevators, etc, over time. I want to avoid throwing too many mechanics into the pile at once.
Known Locations:
Portal Cove - 4/8/8 - the steep verdant valley where the portal to Menagerie lets out sees sun for most of the year due to its east-west orientation. Trees and vegetation grow thick and sweet in the mists, and it widens out a bit in some areas.
Bandrock Valley (Lower) - 16/4/2 - A wide valley with a small river flowing through it, fed from some unknown source. This is one of the few open areas of this world, with large swathes of (relatively) flat ground, a good place to start.
Bandrock Valley (Upper) - 8/12/? - The upper section of the valley passes through a sharp, narrow section of the river and is still relatively open, but less accessible. A decent trail will need to be built before it can really be exploited.
Mt. Rust - ?/?/? - A vast slope upward, higher, ever higher, dotted with karsts, caves, furrows, gullies, and other unstable formations. This is a very large but quite inaccessible area. Scouts report a great abundance of mineral resources.
The Maze - 2/?/? - This area is easily accessed through lower bandrock valley, but sheer cliffs on all sides and a tangled web of subsurface tunnels will require careful work before it can be fully inhabited. Mostly shaded and unsuitable for farming.
Shaded Plain - 10/?/? - Only lightly explored so far, the Shaded Plain continues on for quite some way. It almost seems like a massive tunnel. Does not get much light except what is reflected from high up, but the Glownuts grow thickly here.
Salt Lake - 6/?/? - In the distance, one scout reported a large lake with massive salt deposits visible. It appears to be the endpoint of the Bandrock river, but the scout left quickly and did not return, saying something felt "off". Needs investigation.
Ruby Plateau - 4/?/? - Currently only accessible by flight, a trail and elevator system will need construction before it can be exploited, but this area is full of verdant life and was named for a species of shiny, hard nuts that the scouts have taken to snacking on.
The Narrows - ?/?/? - Far enough upriver, and the Bandrock River turns into a series of rapids and waterfalls that scouts have not been able to effectively explore as of yet. The entire area is shrouded in mist and slick with moisture.
Further information and more areas may unlock as you explore
Yes, I know this is an AI generated image but it's just to give you an impression of the connections. Bandrock Valley connects everything for the most part.
