As the old idea goes, in space nobody can hear you scream. Unfortunately, this denies both...
Kingdom of Detroit ISOT (EU 4 Quest)
- Thread starter 7734
- Start date
- Original
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 35
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 8
-
Statistics (8 threadmarks, 12k words)
User Total 7734 8
OP
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
As the old idea goes, in space nobody can hear you scream. Unfortunately, this denies both screams of horror and screams of warning- to be specific, the screams of warning one rather young (as far as they measure time) being that would be right at home in the poor head of Howard Lovecraft.
"Hey, Earth! Lookout below!"
---
On Earth, which was most certainly not looking out, there lived a city, and its suburbs, and its satellite towns, and its own little counties too. So, when the remains of a project that involved turning time into a pretzel, and most of space too, hit the area, things got weird.
For most of the residents, all they saw was a bright flash of light from above as a glorified science fair project made things get a little frentic for a minute. As linear causiation went out the window and wibbly-wobely timey-wimy came in what was left of the front door, the city of Detroit and it's metropolitan area suddenly up and migrated nearly a thousand years into the past and a quarter of the way around the globe as Oslo, Norway was suddenly displaced forever.
As the head of your city, you are in a precarious position. With issues springing up at every opportunity, you need to keep a level head and be ready
---
READY CITY ONE
((GM NOTE: What, you thought you started off in the hotseat here? Nah man, you gotta work your way up the ladder, starting at the bottom. Each city or burrough of Metro Detroit has a very specific flavor, and they all will play very differently.))
[] Rochester
-A sleepy town on the Clinton River, this wealthy community has a strong multicultural presence and history. While lacking in industry, it has an excellent basis of potential trade and intellectual prowess. Close to the relative frontier, a wise mayor might wish to scout the boarders before turning inwards to the scrabble for information and resources in Detroit.
-Stat Block
--Diplomacy: 8 (Well-cultured and serene, this timeless town understands the finer points of a negotiation.)
--Military: 4 (Surrounded by people who have more to lose than to gain, the citizens here are rather mild and there is no obvious source of combative power.)
--Administration: 14 (With excellent connections and education networks, this city can bring to bear a mighty intellect towards their own or other's problems)
-Starting Resources: 100 Diplo, Admin, and Military points, one diplomat, one merchant, one councilor, Mayor, 2x Diplo Agents, 2x Military Agents, 2x Admin Agents
MAYOR: Cathy Aragon-Daldin (1 Diplo, 1 Mil, 2 Admin)
[] Hamtramack
-Located almost entirely inside the boarders of Detroit, Hamtramack is a very unique city for a number of reasons. Despite being almost made of Poles at its prime, the city is now home to an incredible diversity of people from the world over. With the remains of heavy industry haunting it's past, the city can either choose to embrace the future with open arms or look to its megalithic neighbor and seek solace in the known past.
-Stat Block
--Diplomacy: 6 (With a multitude of homeward diversities, everyone in this town knows how to wheel-n-deal, but formal training is notably absent.)
--Military: 12 (Surrounded by a slowly-decaying megapolis, this city has learned to defend itself from the desperate, and it's war veterans enjoyed the peace here, but their skills are not forgotten)
--Administration: 6 (With several facilities dedicated to the arts of administration and a solid school system, this city understands the concepts of management well.)
-Starting Resources: 100 Diplo, Admin Military points, one diplomat, one merchant, one councilor, Mayor, 2x Diplo Agents, 2x Millitary Agents, 2 Admin Agents.
MAYOR: Karen Majewski (1 Diplo, 2 Military, 1 Admin)
[] St. Claire
-Perched on a river both before and after the Event, St. Claire has always been recognized as the border with the Detroit Area and the rest of the state of Michigan, as well as a secondary boarder with Canada. Now located at the tip of the fjord, will this town be ready to brave the coming storms, or will they fold back into the collective and bow down before their lords, old or new?
-Stat Block
--Diplomacy: 10 (With an international boarder right next door for time immortal and closeness to several American Indian reservations, the people here understand that diffrences are something to let groups build together, not cleave apart.)
--Millitary: 12 (With a multitude of hunters and wildlife handlers as the civilian base, boarder control officers as the middle line, and Coast Guard units as the peak, this area has a solid crop of armed forces.)
--Admin: 2 (With mediocre schooling and no local collegiate options, growth can be hard on this city.)
-Starting Resources: 100 Diplo, Admin Military points, one diplomat, one merchant, one councilor, Mayor, 2x Diplo Agents, 2x Millitary Agents, 2 Admin Agents.
MAYOR: Bill Cedar (2 Diplomacy, 1 Military, 1 Admin)
---
As Mayor in a small city, you knew things at the local level weren't always smiles and roses. Kept at the beck and call of the City Council, you walked a careful line between re-election and not getting stonewalled by the people you individually stood over but together far outmassed your authority. However, given the strange tidings and translocation of distant landscape, you were fairly sure that right now keeping a level head was the first order of business. By some miracle, enough of the cell phone network was up for you to make calls, and wired telephones still operated according to plan. No Mayor ever got elected without having a wingman, an a-political set of ears to the ground and eyes on the horizon to keep the head honcho on the level without letting the smoke-blowing minions knock him off his game. Your helper, though, was an old friend from high school.
---
READY PLAYER ONE
((GM Note: This is your main source of narrative, so choose carefully. They're also your best tool for keeping the peace inside and outside your city.))
[] Jack LaRue: A sardonic Eagle Scout with a laconic sense of humor and the usual odds-box of skills those who pushed through the ancient organization known as the Boy Scouts, he's been with you for a long time. You've scratched his back with enough favors over the years so that he's not about to run off, but keeping him in your pocket's going to need more than cash.
-Traits
--Jack of All Trades: +1 to all rolls
--Red-Headed Stepchild: +1 to all Military roles
--Marksman: +3 to all gun rolls, +1 to all Military rolls
--Worn hands: +2 to all Admin rolls
--Sharp: +2 to all Admin rolls, and may be assigned to an Admin action as an Admin Agent
[] Laquesha Villamount: A younger woman from the ghetto, she's dug herself into a decent household and stayed there when her husband and sugar daddy died on a car accident on M-696 when a Mack truck objected to his Audi. She's got ambition, she's got drive, and most importantly she knows how to pick a winning bet and give 'em a leg up, which is how she left the hellhole she'd been born in in the first place.
-Traits
--Detroit Patois: +5 to all rolls made in Detroit proper, -2 to all Diplo-type actions outside of Detroit.
--Attractive: +2 to all Diplo rolls.
--Exotic: +2 to all Diplo rolls.
--Stubborn Wisdom: +1 to all Admin rolls.
--Weather Eye: +1 to Military rolls.
[] Rajamandra Hesif: A slightly older Indian barber, you've been to his shop since time immortal, and so has the rest of your town. While it might not be fancy, he's got the basics of a good hairdressing business down pat, and more importantly he speaks impeccable English for the purposes of gossip and information-trading.
-Traits
--Exotic: +2 to all Diplo rolls
--Veteran: +1 to all Military rolls
--Trusted Gossip: +1 to all Admin rolls, +2 to all Diplo rolls.
--Stylish: +1 to all Diplo rolls.
--Old Hand: +1 to all Admin rolls.
----
So, you've got your wingman on notice, and that's awesome. Now, you actually need to decide your first action in this Brave New World.
----
MAYORAL ACTION
[] Scout The Boarders: Send out your wingman and their helpers to find out exactly how much trouble you're in here. The answer's obviously north of "a lot" but you need data to push on the City Council and use to make decisions for later. (MIL)
[] Contact Neighbors: You've got backchannels and front channels and secretaries who gossip, and you need to know who came through with you and who got left behind. Shit's gonna get harry, and knowing where everyone is looking is the first step to getting a handle on this mess. (DIPLO)
[] Take Stock: When the storm hits, the first thing you learned how to do was circle the wagons. This is, by definition, a pretty big storm; the best option you've got for now is learning how to weather it. Rationing's definitely on the table, and you know that the difference between civilization and savages is three missed meals. (ADMIN)
"Hey, Earth! Lookout below!"
---
On Earth, which was most certainly not looking out, there lived a city, and its suburbs, and its satellite towns, and its own little counties too. So, when the remains of a project that involved turning time into a pretzel, and most of space too, hit the area, things got weird.
For most of the residents, all they saw was a bright flash of light from above as a glorified science fair project made things get a little frentic for a minute. As linear causiation went out the window and wibbly-wobely timey-wimy came in what was left of the front door, the city of Detroit and it's metropolitan area suddenly up and migrated nearly a thousand years into the past and a quarter of the way around the globe as Oslo, Norway was suddenly displaced forever.
As the head of your city, you are in a precarious position. With issues springing up at every opportunity, you need to keep a level head and be ready
---
READY CITY ONE
((GM NOTE: What, you thought you started off in the hotseat here? Nah man, you gotta work your way up the ladder, starting at the bottom. Each city or burrough of Metro Detroit has a very specific flavor, and they all will play very differently.))
[] Rochester
-A sleepy town on the Clinton River, this wealthy community has a strong multicultural presence and history. While lacking in industry, it has an excellent basis of potential trade and intellectual prowess. Close to the relative frontier, a wise mayor might wish to scout the boarders before turning inwards to the scrabble for information and resources in Detroit.
-Stat Block
--Diplomacy: 8 (Well-cultured and serene, this timeless town understands the finer points of a negotiation.)
--Military: 4 (Surrounded by people who have more to lose than to gain, the citizens here are rather mild and there is no obvious source of combative power.)
--Administration: 14 (With excellent connections and education networks, this city can bring to bear a mighty intellect towards their own or other's problems)
-Starting Resources: 100 Diplo, Admin, and Military points, one diplomat, one merchant, one councilor, Mayor, 2x Diplo Agents, 2x Military Agents, 2x Admin Agents
MAYOR: Cathy Aragon-Daldin (1 Diplo, 1 Mil, 2 Admin)
[] Hamtramack
-Located almost entirely inside the boarders of Detroit, Hamtramack is a very unique city for a number of reasons. Despite being almost made of Poles at its prime, the city is now home to an incredible diversity of people from the world over. With the remains of heavy industry haunting it's past, the city can either choose to embrace the future with open arms or look to its megalithic neighbor and seek solace in the known past.
-Stat Block
--Diplomacy: 6 (With a multitude of homeward diversities, everyone in this town knows how to wheel-n-deal, but formal training is notably absent.)
--Military: 12 (Surrounded by a slowly-decaying megapolis, this city has learned to defend itself from the desperate, and it's war veterans enjoyed the peace here, but their skills are not forgotten)
--Administration: 6 (With several facilities dedicated to the arts of administration and a solid school system, this city understands the concepts of management well.)
-Starting Resources: 100 Diplo, Admin Military points, one diplomat, one merchant, one councilor, Mayor, 2x Diplo Agents, 2x Millitary Agents, 2 Admin Agents.
MAYOR: Karen Majewski (1 Diplo, 2 Military, 1 Admin)
[] St. Claire
-Perched on a river both before and after the Event, St. Claire has always been recognized as the border with the Detroit Area and the rest of the state of Michigan, as well as a secondary boarder with Canada. Now located at the tip of the fjord, will this town be ready to brave the coming storms, or will they fold back into the collective and bow down before their lords, old or new?
-Stat Block
--Diplomacy: 10 (With an international boarder right next door for time immortal and closeness to several American Indian reservations, the people here understand that diffrences are something to let groups build together, not cleave apart.)
--Millitary: 12 (With a multitude of hunters and wildlife handlers as the civilian base, boarder control officers as the middle line, and Coast Guard units as the peak, this area has a solid crop of armed forces.)
--Admin: 2 (With mediocre schooling and no local collegiate options, growth can be hard on this city.)
-Starting Resources: 100 Diplo, Admin Military points, one diplomat, one merchant, one councilor, Mayor, 2x Diplo Agents, 2x Millitary Agents, 2 Admin Agents.
MAYOR: Bill Cedar (2 Diplomacy, 1 Military, 1 Admin)
---
As Mayor in a small city, you knew things at the local level weren't always smiles and roses. Kept at the beck and call of the City Council, you walked a careful line between re-election and not getting stonewalled by the people you individually stood over but together far outmassed your authority. However, given the strange tidings and translocation of distant landscape, you were fairly sure that right now keeping a level head was the first order of business. By some miracle, enough of the cell phone network was up for you to make calls, and wired telephones still operated according to plan. No Mayor ever got elected without having a wingman, an a-political set of ears to the ground and eyes on the horizon to keep the head honcho on the level without letting the smoke-blowing minions knock him off his game. Your helper, though, was an old friend from high school.
---
READY PLAYER ONE
((GM Note: This is your main source of narrative, so choose carefully. They're also your best tool for keeping the peace inside and outside your city.))
[] Jack LaRue: A sardonic Eagle Scout with a laconic sense of humor and the usual odds-box of skills those who pushed through the ancient organization known as the Boy Scouts, he's been with you for a long time. You've scratched his back with enough favors over the years so that he's not about to run off, but keeping him in your pocket's going to need more than cash.
-Traits
--Jack of All Trades: +1 to all rolls
--Red-Headed Stepchild: +1 to all Military roles
--Marksman: +3 to all gun rolls, +1 to all Military rolls
--Worn hands: +2 to all Admin rolls
--Sharp: +2 to all Admin rolls, and may be assigned to an Admin action as an Admin Agent
[] Laquesha Villamount: A younger woman from the ghetto, she's dug herself into a decent household and stayed there when her husband and sugar daddy died on a car accident on M-696 when a Mack truck objected to his Audi. She's got ambition, she's got drive, and most importantly she knows how to pick a winning bet and give 'em a leg up, which is how she left the hellhole she'd been born in in the first place.
-Traits
--Detroit Patois: +5 to all rolls made in Detroit proper, -2 to all Diplo-type actions outside of Detroit.
--Attractive: +2 to all Diplo rolls.
--Exotic: +2 to all Diplo rolls.
--Stubborn Wisdom: +1 to all Admin rolls.
--Weather Eye: +1 to Military rolls.
[] Rajamandra Hesif: A slightly older Indian barber, you've been to his shop since time immortal, and so has the rest of your town. While it might not be fancy, he's got the basics of a good hairdressing business down pat, and more importantly he speaks impeccable English for the purposes of gossip and information-trading.
-Traits
--Exotic: +2 to all Diplo rolls
--Veteran: +1 to all Military rolls
--Trusted Gossip: +1 to all Admin rolls, +2 to all Diplo rolls.
--Stylish: +1 to all Diplo rolls.
--Old Hand: +1 to all Admin rolls.
----
So, you've got your wingman on notice, and that's awesome. Now, you actually need to decide your first action in this Brave New World.
----
MAYORAL ACTION
[] Scout The Boarders: Send out your wingman and their helpers to find out exactly how much trouble you're in here. The answer's obviously north of "a lot" but you need data to push on the City Council and use to make decisions for later. (MIL)
[] Contact Neighbors: You've got backchannels and front channels and secretaries who gossip, and you need to know who came through with you and who got left behind. Shit's gonna get harry, and knowing where everyone is looking is the first step to getting a handle on this mess. (DIPLO)
[] Take Stock: When the storm hits, the first thing you learned how to do was circle the wagons. This is, by definition, a pretty big storm; the best option you've got for now is learning how to weather it. Rationing's definitely on the table, and you know that the difference between civilization and savages is three missed meals. (ADMIN)
Rules and Mechanics
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
(GM Note: Yes, this is hosted here and at Spacebattles via Tabac Iberez. If I know you have accounts on both sites, please only vote on one of them.)
Base Mechanics
-Dice
--On dice, there are two types this Quest will be using- the d100, for actions regarding cities, states, and other large, organized polities, and the d20, for actions of individuals and small companies.
--On bonuses to dice rolls, all dice rolls are for one of four purposes- determining a table result to which there is no bonuses, or a Diplo, Admin, or Mil action. (Diplomacy, Administration, and Military, in long form, but Diplo, Admin, and Mil are my standard abbreviations.) When a bonus states "1" that therefore is a straight +1 to a d20 roll, or a +10 to a d100 roll.
----The astute might notice the d20+1 has greater influence than the d100+10, which is entirely by design.
--I will be doing all dice rolls via rolz.org, and if I can remember how I'll post the results here.
Actions
-Each turn, you will have a list of options to pursue, sorted by the three types of action. You may pick one action in each catagory for each two Agents of that type you have. Additional Agents may be recruited or otherwise acquired via special events.
Diplo/Mil/Admin points
-Diplo, Admin, and Mil points are the three currencies of internal power, and to some extent external power as well.
--These points are naturally accured by taking your City's score, multiplying it by ten, adding any modifiers, which is your yearly total. A fourth of your yearly total is dispensed at each seasonal turn.
--To focus the aquisition of one kind of power at the expense of the other two, you may dedicate an Agent of that type to gathering power, which will double your yearly output of it (after modifiers) in exchange for a third of the two other kinds of power.
Agents
-To Be Typed
The Wingman
-Your Wingman is an extension of your will that is nominally unconstrained by legal affairs and other problems. While their resources and influence are fairly limited, they will, if left alone, try and build up their power base and supply of resources.
-Your Wingman generally has very few limitations on what actions they can take, but are heavily constricted by resource limits. As nominally private citizens, they have the singular advantage of being able to travel freely and conduct buisness ventures.
-For those intrested, the Wingman is where and how most write-in decisions will be taken, and omakes involving the Wingman or other characters will recieve a dice roll bonus dependent on their quality. While good omakes give benifits, bad omakes will never give dice maluses.
Politics inside the Metro Detroit Area
-To Be Typed
Politics outside the Metro Detroit Area
-To Be Typed
Transfer of Power
-To Be Typed
Base Mechanics
-Dice
--On dice, there are two types this Quest will be using- the d100, for actions regarding cities, states, and other large, organized polities, and the d20, for actions of individuals and small companies.
--On bonuses to dice rolls, all dice rolls are for one of four purposes- determining a table result to which there is no bonuses, or a Diplo, Admin, or Mil action. (Diplomacy, Administration, and Military, in long form, but Diplo, Admin, and Mil are my standard abbreviations.) When a bonus states "1" that therefore is a straight +1 to a d20 roll, or a +10 to a d100 roll.
----The astute might notice the d20+1 has greater influence than the d100+10, which is entirely by design.
--I will be doing all dice rolls via rolz.org, and if I can remember how I'll post the results here.
Actions
-Each turn, you will have a list of options to pursue, sorted by the three types of action. You may pick one action in each catagory for each two Agents of that type you have. Additional Agents may be recruited or otherwise acquired via special events.
Diplo/Mil/Admin points
-Diplo, Admin, and Mil points are the three currencies of internal power, and to some extent external power as well.
--These points are naturally accured by taking your City's score, multiplying it by ten, adding any modifiers, which is your yearly total. A fourth of your yearly total is dispensed at each seasonal turn.
--To focus the aquisition of one kind of power at the expense of the other two, you may dedicate an Agent of that type to gathering power, which will double your yearly output of it (after modifiers) in exchange for a third of the two other kinds of power.
Agents
-To Be Typed
The Wingman
-Your Wingman is an extension of your will that is nominally unconstrained by legal affairs and other problems. While their resources and influence are fairly limited, they will, if left alone, try and build up their power base and supply of resources.
-Your Wingman generally has very few limitations on what actions they can take, but are heavily constricted by resource limits. As nominally private citizens, they have the singular advantage of being able to travel freely and conduct buisness ventures.
-For those intrested, the Wingman is where and how most write-in decisions will be taken, and omakes involving the Wingman or other characters will recieve a dice roll bonus dependent on their quality. While good omakes give benifits, bad omakes will never give dice maluses.
Politics inside the Metro Detroit Area
-To Be Typed
Politics outside the Metro Detroit Area
-To Be Typed
Transfer of Power
-To Be Typed
Last edited:
Rochester
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
The City of Rochester
-Client Towns: Rochester Hills, Utica, Oakland Charter Township, Waldenburg, Anchor Bay, Harrison, New Baltimore
-Notable Facilities: Rochester High School, Adams High School, Stoney Creak High School, Rochester Public Library, Crititon Hospital, Rochester Downtown, New Baltimore Marina
-Notable Personages: Mayor
Current City Stat Score
Diplo: 8
Mil: 4
Admin: 14
Current Items granting Bonuses
Mayor: 1 Diplo, 1 Mil, 2 Admin
Explorer Team: +5 to Exploration rolls and Surveying.
-Client Towns: Rochester Hills, Utica, Oakland Charter Township, Waldenburg, Anchor Bay, Harrison, New Baltimore
-Notable Facilities: Rochester High School, Adams High School, Stoney Creak High School, Rochester Public Library, Crititon Hospital, Rochester Downtown, New Baltimore Marina
-Notable Personages: Mayor
Current City Stat Score
Diplo: 8
Mil: 4
Admin: 14
Current Items granting Bonuses
Mayor: 1 Diplo, 1 Mil, 2 Admin
Explorer Team: +5 to Exploration rolls and Surveying.
Last edited:
International Relations
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Rochester
[X] Jack LaRue
[X] Take Stock
[X] Jack LaRue
[X] Take Stock
[X] Rochester
[X] Scout The Boarders:
[X] Scout The Boarders:
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Need to choose an option for your narative character/wingman.
can't decide.
edmantgoog
init high just high
[X] St. Claire
[X] Rajamandra Hesif
[X] Take Stock
[X] Rajamandra Hesif
[X] Take Stock
- Location
- italy bologna
I don't. But i'm italian not american. Explain please
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Its a picture that fits the character he chose for the Wingman slot. Rajamandara Hesif is based on a bit of a stereotype where I live- old Indian barber, emigrated to America back after the War (which war was The War is open to debate) and opened up shop doing something, and that something ended up being a barber. All the assorted wingman characters are positive spins on stereotypes of people in the Detroit area, and the pic he provided hit the nail right on the head for what Raj would look like at work.
- Location
- Voidbetweenstars
this looks more like a CK2 quest then a Eu4 quest?
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
There's not a whole lot of difference until the first real turn, I'm afraid. Once that happens, the split becomes more noticeable. They're still fairly similar in the end, mind.
ConfusedPotato
Unverified Verifier
- Location
- Australia
[X] Rochester
[X] Jack LaRue
[X] Take Stock
[X] Jack LaRue
[X] Take Stock
Turn 1; A Brave New World
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Take Stock: 36+20+14=70, Dc 60, success +1
As Mayor of Rochester, you were fairly confident in your abilities to handle things. The city was nice in that for the most part it practically ran itself, which meant your job devolved into "catch the flying catastrophy" and making sure everyone talked nice to each other. On the plus side, it meant your job wasn't terribly hard.
On the minus side, when an absolute shitstorm came down the pike, you had to play hardball. This wasn't the first chaos-filled week you'd had, but the first seven days post-event were rather hellish. The city of Rochester wasn't very big, and it's population was rather small, which was a plus. However, your city also had periphery towns, which raised the stakes a lot.
On your own, you had about three months of food with rationing, and the potential to grow enough food for maybe a twentieth of your population sustainably before taking into account Ye Olde Winter. Add in Rochester Hills, Utica, and Oakland Charter Township, though, and things looked better and worse. Better, because you could theoretically start farming a lot of dirt in Oakland Charter, plus the farms there, plus putting the Stony Creek metropark under tilliage. Worse, though, because you now had Rochester Hills and Utica to contend with for food drain- which left you at about twelve percent for sustainable food production.
In plain speak, not good. That said, though, there was still opportunity. If you could get Romeo, Macomb, and hopefully New Baltimore under your sway, that would theoretically get you up to about seventy-five percent food production sustainable, plus any work you put in to get New Baltimore turned into a slightly larger fishing community.
On the topic of other materials, there had been mail from DTE stating that they had about two years of power on hand before fuel stocks became an issue, along with the factoid that the nuclear power plants hadn't come with when the Event happened. Making sure to write a very polite return letter, you even signed it personally to let the guys over there know you appreciated this. With power and food sorta-handled, the next issue on your plate was petroleum. You'd be sending mail out to the Marathon boys in Detroit for this one- the two hundred and fifty acres their plant sat on were right now the most valuable place in the known world right now. Houses needed heat for the winter, and heating oil or natural gas was the de facto solution for your town. Woodstoves were going to be coming back in a big way, though- your rationing was already scheduled to come down like a brick on gasoline and diesel.
Now, time to call Jack and see-
Riiiiiiing…
Well, that was Jack's ring tone. Something must've gone tits-up.
"Hello, Mayor Aragon-Daldin speaking."
"Cathy." Jack's voice growled over the phone. "We got a problem."
"What kind of problem?" you asked, pulling out an old notepad.
"You know how you haven't said a peep towards me all week?"
"Yeah?" you replied, dread feeding your gut.
"Well, I got some buddies together from the American Legion outpost, and we kinda found a shitstorm."
"What are we talking about here?" you asked, dread coming to your stomach.
"Well, we found the border line of the Event. Just about three quarters of Pontiac made it through, all of Auburn Hills, and a quarter of Orion Township. We also met the natives."
You quietly wrote this all down. "So?"
"So we don't speak the language, at all. Sounded kinda like German, but it was a decent bit more lyrical. One of my boys wants to say it's from the Baltic, and I'm willing to believe him."
You nearly broke the pen in your hand. "Okay, so what happened next?"
"Well…"
---
Independent Action: 14+1+2=16, Dc 14, passed
Your name was Jack LaRue, and boy oh boy was Cathy going to try and tear you a new one for this. After doing your meet-n-greets at the bar to get a reading on the town's preparedness and some trips out into the known land, you'd been given exactly zero incentive to stay in town and be "a pillar of the community" as it had been suggested. So, you'd done the next best thing- went and gathered a few younger guys from the VFW hall in Shelby, a few more from the American Legion, and Jimmy Kibbler, your troop's old quartermaster with a gift for cartography.
After pulling a "Captain Mexico" moment as Jimmy so eloquently put it, you got all twenty-odd guys into the back of your pickup, and headed out to start charting the boarder. First stop just happened to be a bodega in Pontiac to get lunch- from there it was all business, poking and prodding along neighborhood roads to trace the line. Intrestingly enough, the line seemed absolute- a few trees and houses were sliced clean through, and in one disturbing incident so was a deer. After agreeing not to talk about it ever again, you promptly started the bit you were probably going to get an ass chewing over- the expedition into Terra Incognita.
Now, you weren't going to be stupid about it. The plan was simple- head up the Paint Creek, and see how far you could get before about three or four o'clock, at which point you'd head back home for the day. Once you crossed the Event Border, things got weird. For starters, the trees changed abruptly, going from the hardwood mix common to Michigan into a mess of spruce, pine, and birch. From trees more like shrubs to towering birch, you felt scared. This was a cold forest, and mostly young too. Young forests usually indicated poor soil, plus the heavy amounts of pine and spruce suggested harsh winters.
It was about half past two when the shitstorm started. As you and the boys stumbled out near what looked like a homestead, you noted two things. One, there were a fuckton of horses around here; and two, it looked like the barn miiight have been on fire.
At that point, you were all in favor just walking away, right up until Jimmy pulled out a dollar-store set of binocs and hissed.
"Jack, they're going in with saps and clubs."
You rolled your head, and pulled out your pistol. "And?"
"And I see two… three girls, I think, tied up like hogs on the back of those horses."
"And?"
Jimmy glared at you. "Aren't we going to do anything?"
You shrugged. "Doubt it. For all we know, this is what happens when you welch on you taxes here."
At that point, you heard a lot of words that all reminded you of "bork? Bork!" and you saw some swords come out.
"Well, I'm doubting that's a positive welcoming committee" one of the guys said, racking the bolt on his hunting rifle. "Think we need to give 'em an American gift package?"
"We don't have time to call in a drone strike, Malcom." You grumbled, flipping the safety off and holding your pistol up. "Anyone with a gun, front and center. The rest of you, grab some sticks for clubs and cover the flanks. Jimmy, get ready to run for the truck."
As the pile of motely hunters remembered their misspent youths in the Army and Marines, six of them started picking out passable quarterstaves.
"On three." You said, taking careful aim at the one with the shiniest helmate who was doing some impressive yelling. "One… Two… Three!"
As the whatever-they-were charged the hundred, hundred and fifty feet towards you, your rough firing line opened up in return. Wooden shields exploded into splinters, blood flew through the air, and barely a minute passed before the opposing side was on the ground, few moaning and crying out in pain.
"Alright, alright." you grumbled, reloading and safeing your pistol. "Time to do the dirty bit. Howler, Ray, see which ones are dead and which ones aren't. Tom, can you get Jimmy back to the truck?"
"Yeah." Tom grunted, sliding a few more shells into his shotgun.
"Good. We'll be along shortly with the wounded and- uff!" you called out, as a girl from the homestead grabbed on to your arm. Babbling in whatever language the people here spoke, she refused to let go. Sighing, you just started to hold your head in a hand as you wondered how you were going to explain this to Cathy.
----
As the Mayor of Rochester, you had certain responsibilities. Not strangling your dumbass friend over the phone with your bare hands was one of them.
"So, Jack, let me get this straight. You go out into the wilderness without my express permission or knowledge-"
"Yep."
"-engage multiple natives in armed combat, killing twenty, wounding six, and what looks like taking one of them as your own-"
"I literally have yet to get her to let go of me, doesn't count."
"-broken several laws regarding firearms and vehicular safety-"
"Those rules are stupid and I was outside your jurisdiction."
"-and have booked all the afformentioned wounded in the hospital! How are we supposed to pay for that?!"
"Well," Jack said, sly. "If I were you, I'd recommend a fundraiser by the fire department, and see if you can pry some faculty out of the community college to figure out the language here."
Sighing, you pushed your hair up and back. "Listen… I'm not okay with this. Just… just lie low until we can get things sorted out, okay?"
Jack laughed, and you remembered quickly why you dated him back when you were younger, stupider, and full of hormones. "Alright, alright. I'll keep my head under the radar. I'll need some favors, though."
"Later." You grumped, finishing off the page of notes. "Things are looking pretty bleak in here right now- I'll get back to you soon, okay?"
"Alright, boss. Now, excuse me while I try and teach this poor waif English. For example, 'stop kicking my gearshift' or 'let go of me, damnit."
As the phone clicked, you sighed and got back to your desk. Time to put your government to work.
-----
VOTES
--
DIPLO ACTION
[]- Grand Survey: Someone needs to map out the area hit by the Event, and as Jack so archly performed, the waterways and trails outside the Event Area. On the plus side, it's going to be dirt cheap. On the minus, though, it means letting Jack off the leash for a bit,
[]- Bond Together: You need those food producing regions, and you need them yesterday. Rochester has a technically weak government system, but those townships have effectively no government. Absorbing them should, technically, be a cinch.
[]- Southern Focus: To the south of you sits Troy, and likewise Pontiac. Both are significantly bigger than you, both have a lot less resources, and both have major criminal elements that, if provoked, will make a hell of a lot of headaches. A little polite shoulder tap should keep them off their back, though
[]- Eastern Focus: There's more options than just the northeast for food. Waldenburg might not be the most agricultural area, but it should be able to put you less in the red- and more importantly, it also gets you a straight shot at Anchor Bay Gardens and Harrison Charter Township, both of which have potential for fishing.
[]- Concrete Jungle: Nobody has gotten close to Detroit with a ten foot pole yet, and you're not sure you want to. There's a lot of territory ripe for the taking, as well as potential land, but there's also a lot of people who started off desperate and are only seeing things get worse.
MIL ACTION
[]- Scout The Boarders: To hell with what the old maps say, you need to get boots on the ground and start flushing the surrounding area to see what you're dealing with. A cold and young forest leaves a lot of opportunities open for sivliculture and tree farming, and you need to see the options. Plus, it gets Jack out of town for a few months.
[]- Deep Scouting Run: This one's more dangerous, and quite frankly you're not sure if you want to do it. In essence, Jack & Co. have a proposal that involves getting canoes and going as far up the Paint Creek and Clinton River as they can, trying to make sure your waterways are safe. It probably won't end in tragedy, and if it does then it'll be easy to find out how it went wrong when everything washes downriver.
[]- Assemble Response Force: As Jack's misadventure proved, there are some very violent people out there who are aggressive. Having a way to fight back would be excellent, although you're going to have to drag it through the Town Council kicking and screaming. (-25 Mil on success, -50 on failure)
[]- Assemble Paramilitary Unit: A cheaper alternative to actually getting a government-organized fighting unit put together, you could probably get Jack to whip together a "citizen response force" under his command, which would give you a lot of leeway in their use. However, they'd be fairly finicky, and you'd hate to see some of your neighbors' reaction to that kind of thing if they found out.
ADMIN ACTION
[]- Tight Rationing: You've got the rationing system in place, now it's time to set the throttle. You need your critical resources and semi-critical resources to hold out, and there's some stuff you can't see getting more of for the next couple years, such as gasoline. (-10 Admin, +3 turns of Critical Resources)
[]- Victory Gardens: There's a lot of land getting used as lawns and golf courses you can think of, and right now the situation is too tight to ignore. You've got a couple of florist and agriculture shops on the rosters, and if they were persuaded to start a fire-sale plus tax breaks for gardening citizens, you could probably get a healthy gardening culture set up. (+2% food production, -5 Admin)
[]- Housing Codes: Time to bring housing back into code. You've got a lot of houses, and a lot of them use gas stoves. If you can make it mandatory to go wood, and God knows, you've got wood, then you can definitely stave off some of the issues that are going to be popping up when winter rolls around.
[]- Language Barrier: Jack's right, as usual, and you need to crack the language barrier if you're ever going to get trade going. Considering what you've got going for you in terms of food production, you're going to need trade as soon as you figure out whatever the local version of "dos tacos, por favor" is, and you're going to need to get on that really quickly.
[]- New Census: To be perfectly frank, right now information is king. You need an accurate count of the population if you want anything to get done, and the only way to get that right now is to break out the door-knockers with clipboards. More importantly, it could show you if you've been highballing or lowballing the population numbers, showing how close your food estimates are.
---
Town Stats
Critical Resources Turns Remaining: 2
Food Supply: 1 turn
Food Production: 12% of required
Cash Flow: Good
Credit Rating: Excellent
Public Order: Excellent
Public Mood: Confused, Hopeful.
As Mayor of Rochester, you were fairly confident in your abilities to handle things. The city was nice in that for the most part it practically ran itself, which meant your job devolved into "catch the flying catastrophy" and making sure everyone talked nice to each other. On the plus side, it meant your job wasn't terribly hard.
On the minus side, when an absolute shitstorm came down the pike, you had to play hardball. This wasn't the first chaos-filled week you'd had, but the first seven days post-event were rather hellish. The city of Rochester wasn't very big, and it's population was rather small, which was a plus. However, your city also had periphery towns, which raised the stakes a lot.
On your own, you had about three months of food with rationing, and the potential to grow enough food for maybe a twentieth of your population sustainably before taking into account Ye Olde Winter. Add in Rochester Hills, Utica, and Oakland Charter Township, though, and things looked better and worse. Better, because you could theoretically start farming a lot of dirt in Oakland Charter, plus the farms there, plus putting the Stony Creek metropark under tilliage. Worse, though, because you now had Rochester Hills and Utica to contend with for food drain- which left you at about twelve percent for sustainable food production.
In plain speak, not good. That said, though, there was still opportunity. If you could get Romeo, Macomb, and hopefully New Baltimore under your sway, that would theoretically get you up to about seventy-five percent food production sustainable, plus any work you put in to get New Baltimore turned into a slightly larger fishing community.
On the topic of other materials, there had been mail from DTE stating that they had about two years of power on hand before fuel stocks became an issue, along with the factoid that the nuclear power plants hadn't come with when the Event happened. Making sure to write a very polite return letter, you even signed it personally to let the guys over there know you appreciated this. With power and food sorta-handled, the next issue on your plate was petroleum. You'd be sending mail out to the Marathon boys in Detroit for this one- the two hundred and fifty acres their plant sat on were right now the most valuable place in the known world right now. Houses needed heat for the winter, and heating oil or natural gas was the de facto solution for your town. Woodstoves were going to be coming back in a big way, though- your rationing was already scheduled to come down like a brick on gasoline and diesel.
Now, time to call Jack and see-
Riiiiiiing…
Well, that was Jack's ring tone. Something must've gone tits-up.
"Hello, Mayor Aragon-Daldin speaking."
"Cathy." Jack's voice growled over the phone. "We got a problem."
"What kind of problem?" you asked, pulling out an old notepad.
"You know how you haven't said a peep towards me all week?"
"Yeah?" you replied, dread feeding your gut.
"Well, I got some buddies together from the American Legion outpost, and we kinda found a shitstorm."
"What are we talking about here?" you asked, dread coming to your stomach.
"Well, we found the border line of the Event. Just about three quarters of Pontiac made it through, all of Auburn Hills, and a quarter of Orion Township. We also met the natives."
You quietly wrote this all down. "So?"
"So we don't speak the language, at all. Sounded kinda like German, but it was a decent bit more lyrical. One of my boys wants to say it's from the Baltic, and I'm willing to believe him."
You nearly broke the pen in your hand. "Okay, so what happened next?"
"Well…"
---
Independent Action: 14+1+2=16, Dc 14, passed
Your name was Jack LaRue, and boy oh boy was Cathy going to try and tear you a new one for this. After doing your meet-n-greets at the bar to get a reading on the town's preparedness and some trips out into the known land, you'd been given exactly zero incentive to stay in town and be "a pillar of the community" as it had been suggested. So, you'd done the next best thing- went and gathered a few younger guys from the VFW hall in Shelby, a few more from the American Legion, and Jimmy Kibbler, your troop's old quartermaster with a gift for cartography.
After pulling a "Captain Mexico" moment as Jimmy so eloquently put it, you got all twenty-odd guys into the back of your pickup, and headed out to start charting the boarder. First stop just happened to be a bodega in Pontiac to get lunch- from there it was all business, poking and prodding along neighborhood roads to trace the line. Intrestingly enough, the line seemed absolute- a few trees and houses were sliced clean through, and in one disturbing incident so was a deer. After agreeing not to talk about it ever again, you promptly started the bit you were probably going to get an ass chewing over- the expedition into Terra Incognita.
Now, you weren't going to be stupid about it. The plan was simple- head up the Paint Creek, and see how far you could get before about three or four o'clock, at which point you'd head back home for the day. Once you crossed the Event Border, things got weird. For starters, the trees changed abruptly, going from the hardwood mix common to Michigan into a mess of spruce, pine, and birch. From trees more like shrubs to towering birch, you felt scared. This was a cold forest, and mostly young too. Young forests usually indicated poor soil, plus the heavy amounts of pine and spruce suggested harsh winters.
It was about half past two when the shitstorm started. As you and the boys stumbled out near what looked like a homestead, you noted two things. One, there were a fuckton of horses around here; and two, it looked like the barn miiight have been on fire.
At that point, you were all in favor just walking away, right up until Jimmy pulled out a dollar-store set of binocs and hissed.
"Jack, they're going in with saps and clubs."
You rolled your head, and pulled out your pistol. "And?"
"And I see two… three girls, I think, tied up like hogs on the back of those horses."
"And?"
Jimmy glared at you. "Aren't we going to do anything?"
You shrugged. "Doubt it. For all we know, this is what happens when you welch on you taxes here."
At that point, you heard a lot of words that all reminded you of "bork? Bork!" and you saw some swords come out.
"Well, I'm doubting that's a positive welcoming committee" one of the guys said, racking the bolt on his hunting rifle. "Think we need to give 'em an American gift package?"
"We don't have time to call in a drone strike, Malcom." You grumbled, flipping the safety off and holding your pistol up. "Anyone with a gun, front and center. The rest of you, grab some sticks for clubs and cover the flanks. Jimmy, get ready to run for the truck."
As the pile of motely hunters remembered their misspent youths in the Army and Marines, six of them started picking out passable quarterstaves.
"On three." You said, taking careful aim at the one with the shiniest helmate who was doing some impressive yelling. "One… Two… Three!"
As the whatever-they-were charged the hundred, hundred and fifty feet towards you, your rough firing line opened up in return. Wooden shields exploded into splinters, blood flew through the air, and barely a minute passed before the opposing side was on the ground, few moaning and crying out in pain.
"Alright, alright." you grumbled, reloading and safeing your pistol. "Time to do the dirty bit. Howler, Ray, see which ones are dead and which ones aren't. Tom, can you get Jimmy back to the truck?"
"Yeah." Tom grunted, sliding a few more shells into his shotgun.
"Good. We'll be along shortly with the wounded and- uff!" you called out, as a girl from the homestead grabbed on to your arm. Babbling in whatever language the people here spoke, she refused to let go. Sighing, you just started to hold your head in a hand as you wondered how you were going to explain this to Cathy.
----
As the Mayor of Rochester, you had certain responsibilities. Not strangling your dumbass friend over the phone with your bare hands was one of them.
"So, Jack, let me get this straight. You go out into the wilderness without my express permission or knowledge-"
"Yep."
"-engage multiple natives in armed combat, killing twenty, wounding six, and what looks like taking one of them as your own-"
"I literally have yet to get her to let go of me, doesn't count."
"-broken several laws regarding firearms and vehicular safety-"
"Those rules are stupid and I was outside your jurisdiction."
"-and have booked all the afformentioned wounded in the hospital! How are we supposed to pay for that?!"
"Well," Jack said, sly. "If I were you, I'd recommend a fundraiser by the fire department, and see if you can pry some faculty out of the community college to figure out the language here."
Sighing, you pushed your hair up and back. "Listen… I'm not okay with this. Just… just lie low until we can get things sorted out, okay?"
Jack laughed, and you remembered quickly why you dated him back when you were younger, stupider, and full of hormones. "Alright, alright. I'll keep my head under the radar. I'll need some favors, though."
"Later." You grumped, finishing off the page of notes. "Things are looking pretty bleak in here right now- I'll get back to you soon, okay?"
"Alright, boss. Now, excuse me while I try and teach this poor waif English. For example, 'stop kicking my gearshift' or 'let go of me, damnit."
As the phone clicked, you sighed and got back to your desk. Time to put your government to work.
-----
VOTES
--
DIPLO ACTION
[]- Grand Survey: Someone needs to map out the area hit by the Event, and as Jack so archly performed, the waterways and trails outside the Event Area. On the plus side, it's going to be dirt cheap. On the minus, though, it means letting Jack off the leash for a bit,
[]- Bond Together: You need those food producing regions, and you need them yesterday. Rochester has a technically weak government system, but those townships have effectively no government. Absorbing them should, technically, be a cinch.
[]- Southern Focus: To the south of you sits Troy, and likewise Pontiac. Both are significantly bigger than you, both have a lot less resources, and both have major criminal elements that, if provoked, will make a hell of a lot of headaches. A little polite shoulder tap should keep them off their back, though
[]- Eastern Focus: There's more options than just the northeast for food. Waldenburg might not be the most agricultural area, but it should be able to put you less in the red- and more importantly, it also gets you a straight shot at Anchor Bay Gardens and Harrison Charter Township, both of which have potential for fishing.
[]- Concrete Jungle: Nobody has gotten close to Detroit with a ten foot pole yet, and you're not sure you want to. There's a lot of territory ripe for the taking, as well as potential land, but there's also a lot of people who started off desperate and are only seeing things get worse.
MIL ACTION
[]- Scout The Boarders: To hell with what the old maps say, you need to get boots on the ground and start flushing the surrounding area to see what you're dealing with. A cold and young forest leaves a lot of opportunities open for sivliculture and tree farming, and you need to see the options. Plus, it gets Jack out of town for a few months.
[]- Deep Scouting Run: This one's more dangerous, and quite frankly you're not sure if you want to do it. In essence, Jack & Co. have a proposal that involves getting canoes and going as far up the Paint Creek and Clinton River as they can, trying to make sure your waterways are safe. It probably won't end in tragedy, and if it does then it'll be easy to find out how it went wrong when everything washes downriver.
[]- Assemble Response Force: As Jack's misadventure proved, there are some very violent people out there who are aggressive. Having a way to fight back would be excellent, although you're going to have to drag it through the Town Council kicking and screaming. (-25 Mil on success, -50 on failure)
[]- Assemble Paramilitary Unit: A cheaper alternative to actually getting a government-organized fighting unit put together, you could probably get Jack to whip together a "citizen response force" under his command, which would give you a lot of leeway in their use. However, they'd be fairly finicky, and you'd hate to see some of your neighbors' reaction to that kind of thing if they found out.
ADMIN ACTION
[]- Tight Rationing: You've got the rationing system in place, now it's time to set the throttle. You need your critical resources and semi-critical resources to hold out, and there's some stuff you can't see getting more of for the next couple years, such as gasoline. (-10 Admin, +3 turns of Critical Resources)
[]- Victory Gardens: There's a lot of land getting used as lawns and golf courses you can think of, and right now the situation is too tight to ignore. You've got a couple of florist and agriculture shops on the rosters, and if they were persuaded to start a fire-sale plus tax breaks for gardening citizens, you could probably get a healthy gardening culture set up. (+2% food production, -5 Admin)
[]- Housing Codes: Time to bring housing back into code. You've got a lot of houses, and a lot of them use gas stoves. If you can make it mandatory to go wood, and God knows, you've got wood, then you can definitely stave off some of the issues that are going to be popping up when winter rolls around.
[]- Language Barrier: Jack's right, as usual, and you need to crack the language barrier if you're ever going to get trade going. Considering what you've got going for you in terms of food production, you're going to need trade as soon as you figure out whatever the local version of "dos tacos, por favor" is, and you're going to need to get on that really quickly.
[]- New Census: To be perfectly frank, right now information is king. You need an accurate count of the population if you want anything to get done, and the only way to get that right now is to break out the door-knockers with clipboards. More importantly, it could show you if you've been highballing or lowballing the population numbers, showing how close your food estimates are.
---
Town Stats
Critical Resources Turns Remaining: 2
Food Supply: 1 turn
Food Production: 12% of required
Cash Flow: Good
Credit Rating: Excellent
Public Order: Excellent
Public Mood: Confused, Hopeful.