Year 1913 AC Hot Season, Design Phase
Proposal: RSN 1913-COR "Orleans" Sky Corvette
The Orleans is our first attempt at a flying craft. Thankfully our nations natural resources provide us a strong advantage in the development of such.
Where other Nations and kingdoms around the world must rely on finicky wooden frames, cealium allows us to put Ships into the sky compared to their small dinghy’s.
The Orleans is a Small Airship, designed as our first foray into this field.
The Orleans uses Cealium generators to allow it to float into the sky with its bulk and armour plating, defying the laws of the sky.
The Orleans is 30 meters long, with its bottom covered in armoured plating so as to protect it from attacks from beneath, This plating is designed to make the bottom of the Orleans very heavily armoured. Addiotinally, the Orleans armoured plating and inner strcuture have K-Wool inserts. These inserts help to protect the ship from outside forces like powerful winds and Enemy fire, making the armour plating even stonger then it could be on its own. The Cealium generators are as such located closer to the top of the ship.
The electrical needs of the cealium and system of the Orleans, great as they are for propelling a ship into the skies, is met by promethium generators, based on the generators taken from the kingmaker APC. When the Piezoelectric Engines of the kingmaker were used to design the Orleans electrical engines, our engineers have attempted to increase the amount of power we can pull from a Promethium rod before they run out, as the current generator loses waste energy like crazy, This is done via adding a set of copper coils around the promethium (Gavrill-SHUT UP I SAID!) rods vice mount, so as to catch any waste electricity that it gives off when in use. The orleans posses two of this Pizoelectric generators, one located near the middle of the ship, close ot the cealium generator, and a back up generator deisgn to activate if the other one suffers a interuption in its electrical flow. This generator is located Underneath the stern of the oreleans, far enough away that a lucky shot cannot take out both Promethium generators.
Propelling the Orleans proved a challenge, internal turbines made turning and rising and falling difficult. External turbines could do the job, but they were very vulnerable to enemy fire, leaving the Orleans immobile in the air.
The solution was small sets of wings, along the front, back and the top of the ship. These wings allow the Orleans to easily maneuver itself in the air via turning them and rotation them, this, in turn, allows the ship to Turn itself side to side as well as up and down via the air flowing around the ship, providing very good mobility in the skies.
In turn, these wings led to the name of the Ship, named after the birthplace of the godblessed Joana of ‘Arke.
This wings combined with the internal turbine allows the Orleans to maneuver without loosing access to its proposition under fire, as the wings can be more heavily armoured then turbines, and they are covered in light plating so as to repel the lucky small arms fire or shrapnel. Additionally the Orleans carries a set of small cloth sails in case of complete dewinging, so as to maneuver back towards friendly territory.
The strafe diverters from the kingmaker APC's internal turbines, which the inetrnal turbine sof the orleans have their roots in, Allows the Orleans Unparalleled air maneuverability when combined with the maneuvering wings. the orleans can turn, rise, fall, angle itself in almost any direction and Strafe to the side
The Orleans carries as small number of weaponry, as its purpose is mainly as that of a scouting vessel, and a test of the various mechanisms involved. In this case, the Orleans carries 6 scythes, attached to the side of the Orleans, and is capable of being pointing straight down as well as at a slight incline due to their railed mounting. These scythe have the same heat fins as the sickle, due to the cold temperatures the skies can reach.
The front of the Orleans has a gorgon set in a Ratcheted mount. This mount allows the gunner to aim the gun in various angles down towards the ground to fire at targets closer to the ground, as well as firing at targets like a regular artillery gun when the Gorgon is positioned back in its position level with the deck. This shooting is accomplished through a set of predefined angles attached to the sight of the gun, used by one of the gorgons gunners when in use.
This mount also includes inserts of K-wool located inside the metal. These Inserts can be replaced when necessary via pulling them up and out. They are relatively thick, being about Thigh thick in order to ensure the recoil of the gun is properly absorbed when it travels back into the ship. additionally, when firing at a downwards angle, the Gorgon has a K-wool shroud Placed on it, ensuring that the Upwards recoil does not Damage the gun or throw the ship off course very much.
The crew of the Orleans, wear heavy winter clothing to help shield themselves from the cold temperatures of the skies and the heavy winds. When the Orleans needs to make a landing, it can either gently land itself on a special landing slip that is placed far behind the defensive lines, so that the cealium and generators may be turned off for maintenance. Or it can bring itself down close to the ground, and fire two Large spiked anchors, that impale themselves into the ground. These anchors can be dropped alongside pulley ropes to bring up supplies and drop off supplies (or men). in the neccesity of a quick escape, the Anchors can be cut via small explosive bolts and the orleans may make a very quick take off.
Difficulty: Theoretical
Result: 4 (4+3-3) =
PoorIt flies. That's most important. Might not be able to for too long, but it flies. The
Orleans, our first foray into airborne craft, is more of a flying boat than an aircraft as seen elsewhere in the world.
The ship can be sent airborne thanks to a Caelium Crystal matrix at the center of the ship that, when powered, lifts the connected ship upwards. Some engineers were surprised when the ship did not get lighter, seemingly having forgotten that Powdered Caelium has that effect. It takes
a lot of power funneled into the Crystals to get this behemoth to fly, and it is anything but graceful when it finally does. The
Orleans can only travel at about 18 km/h and is highly unstable, rocking in the winds like a ship on the waves. Two internal turbines allow movement forward and backwards, though we were unable to design a working upscaled version of the turbines with strafe diverters, forcing the
Orleans to rely on using control surfaces on it's five wings (two on each side, fore and aft, with the fore wings being much smaller, and a vertical stabilizing wing with a rudder mounted on the top and aft of the ship) to maneuver, which can be slow and cumbersome. Bottomside armor ranges from 50mm to 120mm, with the thickest armor protecting the more vital sections of the ship. Top and side armor is much thinner at 10mm on the deck to 40mm at the belt. We were unable to procure enough K-Wool to reinforce the majority of the ship's armor, so only the sections under the various generators and the turbines received special treatment. The power required to operate the Crystal matrix is immense, and without being able to improve our Gavrilium Generators for the time being it requires power supplied from both of the shipboard generators. We opted not to include the sails as both them and the masts would catch wind and make the wobble even worse. The first prototype actually "capsized" and fell to the Earth resulting in a massive fire (some of our soldiers are saying the name
Orleans is actually in reference to Joana of ‘Arke's fate).
In terms of armament the
Orleans carries six
Scythes, three on each side, on rail mounts that allow the guns to be aimed slightly upwards as well as towards the ground. A
Gorgon is mounted in the nose of the
Orleans in a ratcheted mount. Shooting is accomplished by firing rounds and adjusting based off of where they land - no predetermined firing angles were provided, and the lack of a radio means the only means of communication the
Orleans has with supporting units is carrier pigeon. While the
Gorgon on the
Orleans can be used for direct and indirect fire, the weapon was designed for the latter and so is not as effective as a gun designed for punishing targets with direct fire. There is no K-Wool shroud provided for the Gorgon, as the ship is very heavy and is difficult to move through the gun's recoil. Not to say it never happens.
When landing, lines are dropped from the ship and secured to bits at specialized landing zones. If the ship needs to land elsewhere then a pair of heavy anchors are dropped to the ground, though there is no quick-release system and they must be cranked up manually, which takes some time. The crew are at least outfitted with Winter Gear to protect from the biting cold at higher altitudes.
The
Orleans is a massive and inefficient undertaking, currently costing
8 Ore,
4 Caelium,
4 Gavrilium, and
2 Kinetic Sheep, putting it just within doable range as a
(NATIONAL EFFORT), save for the fact that we have no source of Gavrilium and therefore cannot afford to deploy the fundamentally
Theoretical design. These costs can be cut, but it will take some work either on individual systems or the craft itself.
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Proposal: The Fuckhuge Gun ARA Model-1913ART "Jotunn"
The Jotunn is the big brother of the Gorgon artillery gun that has served our nation well. Designed as a stationary gun to smash apart any offensive attacks on our defenses and to mercilessly shell any form of defensive earthworks, the Jotunn is a massive 420 mm artillery gun.
Using the massive shells that its fires, the Jotunn has been designed to fire as far as possible, so that its shells can always beat down on enemy defenses or counter barrage any artillery guns that are in its range.
Its bulk is such that it will most likely never be used in offensive attacks, except against enemy defenses that have been built near our own, and the weight of the gun is such that at this time it is very difficult to deliver without faithful hauled wagons.
Under this behemoth of a gun, most forms of earth works should be shattered.
The Jotunns name comes from more then its immense size. It has been created in parallel with a special form of shell.
The Rime Shell is filled with explosives and depleted promethium (don’ you mean gavr- SHUT UP) that has been crushed down into a powdered form. When the Rime shell trikes its target and detonates, the depleted promethium is throw around the impact site.
As depleted promethium is cold enough to easily harm the human body without proper equipment, powered D-Promethium is even more deadly, with the Frozen materiel Settling on the skin and outfits of the enemy, freezing them even in warm environments. Due to its never losing its potent cold, it can cause a man to freeze to death even inside a full suit of winter clothing, let alone what its frozen touch does to skin.
Even worse, when the powdered D-promethium is inhaled, its is a slow inevitable death, with the powdered D-promethium reaching the target's lungs and freezing them form the inside, along with causing Frostbite to any other parts of their body exposed. Such a fate is lethal.
Even when the powered D-promethium does not hit the target, it turns the area into a frozen hell, with the D-promethium sapping the thermal energy from the area it has struck.
During development of the rime shells, a spilled drink led to the discovery of a rather... strange reaction in the D-promethium. Lemon juice Neutralises the Cold emitting properties of the D-promethium and breaks the Crystalline structure down into a release of energy. This energy release A fair amount of heat, burning the ground as well as releasing a soft, golden glow for about 2 minutes.
This reaction does NOT occur in non-depleted Promethium strangely enough, only affecting the energyless Depleted form.
While a strange discovery, this allows us to nuetralise the effect of the powerded D-promethuim, ensuring we are not destroying the land forever more once we take it from the salviosi scum.
Difficulty: Theoretical
Result: 7 (5+5-3) =
AverageThe
Jotunn is an artillery piece taken to the next logical step (to an Abberan). It is a massive 420mm [GM Note: I know it's the same cal. as Bertha, but I can't help but think it's a reference to weed, because I mean look at your designs, not that they're bad in any way, just insane...god damn lemon juice and kinetic sheep] cannon meant to drop huge explosive shells on it's targets. While it can fire standard HE rounds it is also designed to fire the new
Rime Shell. The
Rime Shell has an explosive charge that detonates to disperse the powdered Depleted Gavrilium within across a wide area. The effects of the
Rime Shell are profound, causing an area to drop drastically in temperature while also being extremely dangerous to any organic life in the area should it contact powdered D-Gavrilium directly.
The biggest issue with the
Jotunn is that it takes nearly seven minutes to load and fire a shell. The shells weigh up to 900kg and require a winch system to lift off a cart to then be directed by hand into the
Jotunn. While these guns are sure to cause widespread devastation out to 10km, their impact is significantly, well, impacted, by the lack of an efficient loading or lifting system.
One clumsy researcher accidentally discovered that citric acid (in his case it was Lemon Juice) causes a rapid burst of heat and a glow to come from the D-Gavrilium, and once the reaction is done it becomes completely inert, losing it's freezing properties and becoming no different than grains of sand.
The
Jotunn utilizes
Ore and
Gavrilium, making it
(CHEAP) while also being
[complex] due to the lack of a steady Gavrilium supply.
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With the promise of the ability to rise into the skies and observe at a distance we have been granted an
Espionage Credit with Special Rules. This Espionage Credit would provide "tiers" you can select, which dictate what information you go for as well as modifiers for the Salviosi roll, however as the
Orleans is non-deployable you are unable to make a decision that would modify the rolls, instead having to rely on intel gathered through other means. Results will be in the combat report.
All results will reveal information on your opponents, with a high enough roll giving full knowledge of the opponent's armory. Information provided on lower rolls will be dependent on size of the design and frequency of use.
You have also successfully fulfilled our request for a large emplacement. As a result you now have
a total of three (3) Revisions this Revision Phase. Do note that, as you are also deciding on your Espionage Credit options now, any revision made to the
Orleans will not go into effect and alter the Espionage Credit retroactively.
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.Infantry
ARA Model-1911A "Modea" Self-Loading Rifle: The first Self-Loading Rifle to see combat, the "Modea" is 4.5 kg and a meter in length. It fires 7.92x57mm rounds fed into the weapon by a 12-round en bloc magazine. It has variable sights and is effective to 400 meters. She's packs a punch but suffers from unreliable internal components. The end of the barrel is lightly threaded to allow attachment of a cup launcher. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood (CHEAP)
ARA Model-1911C "Draco" Trench Gun: A 4kg, 80-cm long 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun. Only jams on on occasion, and the butt spike breaks off after a handful of uses. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Ore. (CHEAP)
ARA Model-1912MG "Scythe" Heavy Machine Gun: Utilizes the same 7.92x57mm rounds used by the "Modea". Fires 80-round belts that can be linked together for sustained fire. The barrel rarely overheats even at it's 650 rpm fire rate, but is somewhat inaccurate. Carried around in weight-negating cases. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Caelium. (CHEAP)
--ARA Model-1912PMG "Sickle" Personal Machine Gun: A lightened version of the Scythe meant for use with Paladin Superheavy Armor. The carrying case is replaced with two crystals embedded in the weapon itself. Has a pistol grip, vertical grip near the barrel, and a deployable bipod. Has reduced range and accuracy compared to the Scythe, but not by much. Costs 4 Ore, 3 Caelium. (CHEAP), but usage is tied to Paladin deployment.
ARA Model-1911APG "Wickerman" Incendiary Grenade: A 15-cm long White Phosphorus grenade. The grenade has 15m area of effect, an 8 second fuse, and a dud has never been encountered. Costs 1 Ore and 1 Chemical Compounds, making it (CHEAP), but is considered [complex] until we have access to Chemical Compounds.
ARA Model-1911ART "Gorgon": A standard, reliable piece of 155mm artillery. The round and a bag of propellant are sealed using an interrupted screw breach, and the weapon can fire effectively out to 10km. Uses a hydraulic system to manage recoil. Costs 5 Ore. (CHEAP)
ARA Model-1913ART "Jotunn": A massive 420mm cannon capable of firing HE shells and the new Depleted Gavrilium-based Rime Shell out to 10km. The 900kg shells take up to 7 minutes to load and fire, but are devastating on impact. Makes use of a winch system to lift the huge shells. Calls for Ore and Gavrilium. (CHEAP) [complex]
Uniforms for the Massed Infantry: The Abberan uniform consists of cotton undergarments, grey gabardine wool pants and jacket, and a collarless cotton button-up shirt. The jacket has multiple convenient pockets and a foldable collar. Super snazzy jacket buttons hold an image of a crown, and a dark blue crown on the shoulders is used to identify allegiance. Comes with a leather belt and boots. Binoculars are handed out as necessary. Holsters and ammo pouches have flaps on top to keep out the weather. Padded steel helmets are standard issue, as are water-resistant canvas backpacks used to hold the soldier's basic kit. The helmet can be strapped to the back of the pack while traveling.
ARA Model-1912ARM "Paladin" Superheavy Armor: Thick shaped plates of armor attached to an exoskeleton with a soldier strapped inside. The plates of armor have a coating of Powdered Caelium negating part of the effects of gravity on them. As a result, the 50kg suit only weighs 15kg for the purposes of the force needed to move it. Plates can be dislodged by gunfire and "powered down" to normal weight, though improvements to the frame and cabling have reduced this occurrence drastically. A battery in the back has a life of one hour before needing to be replaced by one of two "Squires" assigned to assist the "Paladin". A green-yellow glow can be seen through small spaces in the armor. Costs 7 Ore and 4 Caelium. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Ground Vehicles
ARA-1912MP-T "Faithful": A reliable 4-wheeled truck with a closed cab and covered bed. Can sit eight men and equipment, though up to twelve can be crammed in if the Scythe mounted on a truss behind the cab goes unmanned. Has a top speed of 25km/h. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Oil. (EXPENSIVE)
ARA-1912MP-APC "Kingmaker": A hovering troop transport utilizing a Gavrilium Generator for power. Holds 12 men plus Driver, Passenger, and Scythe Gunner. Armor is 2-4mm thick, providing some protection. Turbine motors on the bottom of the Kingmaker are susceptible to damage, and the vehicle controls like a boat, drifting slowly to a stop unless the Caelium is powered down. This makes dismounting a choice between damaging the belly of the craft (where everything important is housed) or risking ankles. Loads slow her down, but it can reach 30km/h when empty. The Generator is protected by a K-Wool shroud. Costs 4 Ore, 3 Gavrilium, 3 Caelium, and 1 Kinetic Wool. (VERY EXPENSIVE) [complex]
Aircraft
RSN 1913-COR "Orleans" Sky Corvette: A lumbering flying five-winged behemoth armed with 6 Scythes and a Gorgon. Requires two GavGenerators to provide the central Caelium crystal matrix enough power to fly. The bottom is armored fairly well, but can only travel up to 18km/h. Vital sections have an extra layer of K-Wool sandwiched between the armor plates and the frame. The crew is protected from the harsh elements thanks to being provided with Winter Gear. Improvements can be made. Costs 8 Ore, 4 Caelium, 4 Gavrilium, and 2 Kinetic Sheep. (NATIONAL EFFORT) [complex]
Support
ARA Moddel-1912RAD "CourierMan" Radio: Cumbersome wireless communications equipment with a range of 1.5km. A step in the right direction for reliable long-range communication. Costs 6 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
Components
Gavrilium Generator: A generator that uses pressure to induce a piezoelectric response in Gavrilium rods. Can replace conventional engines in most cases where power must be provided. Negates oil cost related to powering a design, but adds a slightly reduced cost in Gavrilium.
Specialty Resources
Caelium: A green crystalline supermaterial that we currently know reacts with an electrical current to suspend itself in the air at a level related to the amount of power flowing through it. Providing current to a Caelium Powder coating will reduce weight of the metal it is attached to, while a pure crystal form of Caelium is capable of creating an object with an internal field capable of negating up to 65kg of weight when powered.
Chemical Compounds: Chemical Compounds have a variety of potential uses in combat, and so facilities must be dedicated to the production of the compounds we require.
Gavrilium: An element that can be burned to produce energy much like coal, but with greater energy output. Light pressure forces a piezoelectric response.
Abberan Royal Kinetic Sheep: Sheep whose wool is capable of dispersing kinetic energy across it's surface. Higher-grade wool is able to dissipate a larger amount of force.
Abbera: 3 Ent., 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Caelium // 100% Control (Radio Coverage)
Coniferous Forest: 2 Ent., 2 Ore (2/3 Resources) // 100% Control (Radio Coverage)
Wooded Mountains: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Woodlands: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Farmland: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Swamps: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Snow-Capped Mountains: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Ore: 4
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Caelium: 2
Abberan Kinetic Sheep: 2
Chemical Compounds: 0
Gavrilium: 0
Radio Coverage: Radio Coverage improves the ability to effectively defend a sector based on efficacy of the design.