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[NUKE9.13]

Fine by me.

Cikaviga II (0):
Tunnel Warfare (3): Frostgiant, TFF, NUKE9.13

[Man of Paper]

Embralish Defining Tech: The Air War Revision

Proposal: Tunnel Warfare

If we can't go over, go under. Even as the Empire floundered in the skies, the Legions- tired of waiting for the arm-chair engineers at the design bureau to get their shit together- had instituted a new tactic. With the Union drawing nearer to the industrial heartlands* of the Empire, hit-and-run tactics had become less desirable- there was only so much land left to surrender before key production centers, such as the cities of Chalybeius and Faberum, would be threatened; their loss would be a crippling blow to the production of war materiel. A defensive line was therefore drawn up, with layers of trenches and fortifications, and the Legions dug in.
Literally. Appointing a cadre of their best combat engineers to the problem, the Legions developed new mining techniques, borrowed equipment from the civilian sector, and formed new units dedicated to the art of tunnelling. Whilst the Union assaulted the trenches above, miners dug out tunnels below, linking together trenches with secret passages (the Union would capture a trench and move forward, only to have legionaries pop up behind them), creating deep bunkers where men and materiel could be kept safe from air raids and artillery, and setting up explosives under Union positions (the largest of which resulted in a crater that can still be viewed today).


*Not to be confused with the ancestral heartland, Embrallia. Whilst it remained a crucial part of the Empire, the dense jungles surrounding it made for awkward logistics, so the heaviest industrial presence was in former Samnite lands.

Difficulty: Easy
Result: (6+5)+1=12, Unexpected Boon

The war in the skies was...bad. A token force was left to defend the skies while resources were put underground.

The Embralish doctrine of Tunnel Warfare drastically impacted the war. An entire underground system of tunnels, roads, and even a railway, were constructed along the borders of our necessary holdings as trenches were dug out above. Networks of bunkers housed entire armies capable of popping out from tunnels hidden anywhere from an old crater to a basement to, once, a Major's tent. Hardened positions beneath tons of earth proved impossible for airborne attacks of the period to affect, and infantry thrown into the labyrinth rarely made progress before being pushed back, bloodied and beaten.


----------------

The Final Endeavor

While the enemy reorganized and their attacks slowed, they still managed to make progress through the immensely deep Embrallish lines. They dug in where they could, and soon the war turned into a bloody stalemate as the commanders of the Union restrategized. It was only a matter of time before they thrust forward once more, and the search for a possible ally resulted only in the discovery of  the rest of the continent embroiled in another one-sided conflict as great powers swallowed smaller ones before their own inevitable confrontation.

During the course of the war a series of odd flying ships appeared over the horizon. These people spoke languages similar but much different to those we knew of, so translation took a surprisingly short time. These people claimed to be refugees of yet another Great War in the New World, and were the first contact anyone had had with them since the original colony fleets left 1934 years prior. That area of the world had relatively recently seen some sort of massive invasion, and most of the stories of "interdimensional beings" were translated as being wars of religion. The facts that could be proven were those of the strange, interesting materials and armaments they had with them, and their source, Harren Island. Giant Iron Men, massive guns, and the strange flying ships of both a disc and more typical boatlike shapes were loaded with wondermaterials that could swing the war in our favor - if only we could get our hands on them in time.

We were warned off, told that the island was nothing but a deathtrap - that if the weather didn't kill you that the natives would. Those dangers had never frightened the Embralish before, and the future of their homes relied on something drastic to change the war. The refugee convoy was allowed passage through Embralish lands, and leaders immediately put together a plan of action.

All military resources not necessary to hold critical locations were diverted to the formation of the Great Fleet. This force, larger than any previously mustered at once for a single objective, was to land on this "Harren Island" and take what they could of these wondermaterials for use back home. [Remember that there may be more benefits to taking Pact locations than just acquiring a resource.]

----------------

It is the final Design Phase. The Great Fleet needs a flagship. This design will always be a National Effort, and will automatically upgrade compatible equipment without revisions. This ship will have reduced difficulty from a standard design and will be treated as though a Research Credit was applied. You have a second design to be used on your standard infantry uniform. You've heard rumors of how bad the weather is on Harren, so prepare for it.

Spoiler: Preliminary Proposals (click to show/hide)

Wellwood Bass Drum: A large man-sized drum made of Wellwood harvested from a Well with an animal hide stretched over it. A steady rhythm helps stimulate plant growth. It isn't a drastic change - a season of growth won't be cut down to days - but harvests tend to be more bountiful if Drummers maintain the beat.

Water-Driven Wellwood Drum: A massive Wellwood Bass Drum with mallets operated by a water-powered wheel. It has a much stronger and further-reaching effect than the human-played Drum.

Wellwood Flute: A mask-like instrument worn over the face that creates an unsettling, terrifying shriek when the mouthpiece is blown into. It's hands-free to allow the use of weapons by the wearer.

Wellquartz: A mineral found within wells that evokes a range of blissful feelings with intensity dependent on the tone.

Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect.

Khada-Miti Artificial Fertilizer: A dangerous chemical fertilizer that is cited as one of a number of causes for invasion by the People's Union of States. Contains a wide variety of chemicals with nasty long-term effects.

Samarata 1902: A 7mm bolt-action rifle with a 5-round magazine effective out to 1000m. Light, reliable, and can utilize a variety of sights.

The Sau-Cihare: What's that? I don't think I heard you properly.

Cikaviga "Bomber": An aircraft deadlier to it's own crew than the people it's trying to kill. Considered one of the worst ideas of the war.

Doctrine: Tunnel Warfare: The development and utilization of subterranean warfare. The Embrallish prove naturally adept at hit-and-run tactics and their underground infrastructure aids greatly in that endeavor.

Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound.

[NUKE9.13]

...

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen", said the head engineer as he entered the meeting room. "As you may know, we've been asked to design a flagship for the Great Fleet", he explained, as the other engineers nodded. "This will be the linchpin of our overseas operations. The keystone of our strategy in the New World. The crucial shield that stands between us and defeat!" The engineers all nodded. They'd read the briefing, they knew what was at stake.
"Now. When asked to provide preliminary proposals, one of you- not naming any names- suggested a submarine", he continued, as several engineers shifted uncomfortably. "We all know that submarines are an important component of our navy. Their stealthy nature allows us to fight a nominally superior foe on even footing. However, we must recognise that a submersible flagship would be a terrible idea." All the engineers nodded in agreement. "Submarines have less capacity, less firepower, less armour, less speed, less range- I could go on." The nodding continued unabated. "So, I think we can unanimously agree that a submersible flagship would be an impractical and foolish undertaking- raise your hand if you agree." Everyone raised their hands.
"Right. That's settled, then. Now, let's get started. What features do we want on our submersible flagship?" Several engineers started talking at once. Some pulled entire blueprints out of folders. The projector lit up, showing a slide with complicated formulas demonstrating the maximum size for a submarine.

The Leviathan
Old Embralish legends tell of a great beast that lurked beneath the waves of the great ocean. So large was this creature, that it could not enter the inland sea, for it would become stuck upon the shallow seabed. Now, with hindsight, we can recognise that these legends emerged from sailor's tales of spotting the great whales as they migrated from the cold southern waters north and back each year. Nevertheless, there are some who still believe that the Leviathan is out there, lurking in the deeps, its colossal maw just waiting to rise up and swallow ships whole.
Our Leviathan will not be swallowing ships whole. It may, however, send a fair number to a watery grave, and do so just as stealthily as the supposed beast of legend.

175 meters long, 23 meters wide; the Leviathan is a big, big sub. This is made possible partly by the fact that it is, in a way, several subs- there are multiple pressure hulls within, which being smaller in radius require less extreme reinforcement. There are two main hulls running the length of the vessel, as well as a forward hull used primarily for launching torpedoes, a central hull where the bridge and C&C center are located, and a small hull at the back containing the steering gear (and a few more torpedo launchers). The multiple hull setup not only allows for a much larger vessel, it also greatly increases survivability, as even if one hull is breached, backup systems in the other hulls will allow the Leviathan to limp back to port.
Using the latest, greatest, and most expensive most advanced alloys allows the one-of-a-kind Leviathan to dive to depths of up to 200 meters relatively safely, although it is recommended to not go below 150m in most situations.
The Leviathan is powered by four diesel generators, which generate electricity while surfaced, charging batteries and powering the electric motors that propel the craft (there are two generators and one motor in each of the two main hulls). A top speed of 18 knots (surfaced) and 9 knots (submerged) is anticipated.
Armament comes in the form of six bow torpedo tubes and two aft torpedo tubes, for use with the Backstab II 530mm torpedo (which uses a wet-heater engine that propels it at 36 knots for 3200 meters, gyroscope stabilised, set depth, contact detonation). Four 25mm autocannons on deck serve as last-ditch anti-air; obviously the main defence against aircraft is diving.
As our flagship, the Leviathan is obviously equipped with a command center that allows for communication with the rest of the fleet. The admiral and his staff occupy a section of the central pressure hull, equipped with multiple radio terminals, a large map table, and a liquor cabinet. A VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio can be used to communicate whilst cruising at a shallow depth, whilst an ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) radio allows for morse-code comms at maximum depth. The VLF antenna is attached to a sphere that can be allowed to float upwards whilst at maximum depth, connected by cable to the sub, allowing for VLF transmissions at max depth (although this is not the most practical). A regular radio mast is also included for surface use.

So far, so normal. Ish. When it comes to sonar, though, we are of course not going to let our audio expertise go to waste. The Leviathan is equipped with both active and passive sonar, both of which feature key components made of well-stuff, greatly enhancing their effective range and resolution. However, the real treat is the sonar defence; the outer hull of the Leviathan is coated in plating made from processed Well-sap (extracted from a variety of well-plant that evolved a mechanism to protect itself from the surrounding auditory madness), which absorbs almost all sound, both from within and without. This makes the Leviathan extremely hard to detect using passive sonar- as almost no noise escapes the outer hull-, and rather tricky to locate using active sonar, as sonar pulses are absorbed rather than reflected; whilst it is possible to detect the absence of returning pulses, this will usually require reconfiguring the sonar system, and even then, it will only give the direction to the Leviathan, not the distance.

Needless to say, the Leviathan also has things like air conditioning & recycling, desalination doodads, and freezers full of... well, military-quality food; everything needed to keep the 240-man crew healthy and happy on extended deployments.

A first draft. Suggest changes or additions as you see fit. _{Or, suggest a non-submersible flagship design. Please. Somebody stop me.}

E: For reference, dimensions and layout stolen shamelessly from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon-class_submarine ; torpedo more or less a copy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_10_torpedo (a WWI-era torpedo); other stuff from a variety of WWII-era subs. Note that the largest sub deployed in WWII was this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-400-class_submarine , and we're in 1934, not 1942 (when it was designed). I think the Leviathan is vaguely plausible, assuming that you don't care that much about the cost. But still, it's a bit Abberan.

[TheFantasticMsFox]

Abbera shall rule the waves! Our Jotun will crush their for- *shakes head* What game is this? Anyway, Support this beautiful monstrosity.

The Embralish Uniform is comprised of three key sections: the main uniform, an outer smock, and cloth and draw string pouch assembly.

-Base uniform: The basic uniform is a simple set of sturdy pants, jacket and boots. The jacket is a simple button down affair, with a short collar. The jacket has 2 sets of pockets at chest and gut height for personal affects or maps. The pants are pants, supported by a belt whose only major feature is the belt buckle being made to resemble a flute mask. The boots are a sturdy set of leather boots able to be tied into the pants to keep out moisture, muck or cold. The pants and jacket are [insert color here] with orange highlights for higher ranking officers. Comes in a deep blue for naval troops.

-Smock: The smock is the main piece of field clothing for our troops, and more concerned with combat functionality than the base uniform. Its basic form is a somewhat large [insert color here] smock meant to fit all our troops with the same production pattern. Draw strings and ties allow it to be tightened to cover different proportions comfortably. It has 2 pockets at waist level meant for random items or the soldiers hands. It has two slit pockets on the upper chest meant for stowing loose ammunition and combat equipment not needed immediately. They open to the side and can be closed with a wooden button(I have no idea what the terminology for clothing is). These pockets have a padded lining so objects stored inside do not harm the soldier when suddenly impacting the earth. There is also a more heavily insulated winter version.

-Outer Pouches: These pouches are a simple assembly of a cross of reasonably strong string that is strung around the arms. Attached to front of the string is a line of cloth with 3 semi-rigid cloth pouches on either side. These are meant for holding equipment needed rapidly in combat, such as medical gauze, rifle cartridges, grenades, etc.

-Helmet/Cap: The Helmet issued to Embral troops is a simple steel dome design with a light rim on potruding on all sides, and slightly farther on the front (IJA Helmet). Along with the helmet, a simple cloth cap with a cloth liner that comes down around the neck is issued.

[NUKE9.13]

Integrating the above uniform appearance into this uniform design.

Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform
A new world calls for a new uniform. The Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform (abbreviated to TNE) is designed to handle whatever the new world has to offer. We were promised terrible weather, extreme heat, extreme cold, and plenty of hostiles; our soldiers need to be equipped to deal with all of them.

In terms of appearance, the TNE closely resembles the standard Legionary Uniform:

The Embralish Uniform is comprised of three key sections: the main uniform, an outer smock, and cloth and draw string pouch assembly.

-Base uniform: The basic uniform is a simple set of sturdy pants, jacket and boots. The jacket is a simple button down affair, with a short collar. The jacket has 2 sets of pockets at chest and gut height for personal affects or maps. The pants are pants, supported by a belt whose only major feature is the belt buckle being made to resemble a flute mask. The boots are a sturdy set of leather boots able to be tied into the pants to keep out moisture, muck or cold. The pants and jacket are [insert color here] with orange highlights for higher ranking officers. Comes in a deep blue for naval troops.

-Smock: The smock is the main piece of field clothing for our troops, and more concerned with combat functionality than the base uniform. Its basic form is a somewhat large [insert color here] smock meant to fit all our troops with the same production pattern. Draw strings and ties allow it to be tightened to cover different proportions comfortably. It has 2 pockets at waist level meant for random items or the soldiers hands. It has two slit pockets on the upper chest meant for stowing loose ammunition and combat equipment not needed immediately. They open to the side and can be closed with a wooden button(I have no idea what the terminology for clothing is). These pockets have a padded lining so objects stored inside do not harm the soldier when suddenly impacting the earth. There is also a more heavily insulated winter version.

-Outer Pouches: These pouches are a simple assembly of a cross of reasonably strong string that is strung around the arms. Attached to front of the string is a line of cloth with 3 semi-rigid cloth pouches on either side. These are meant for holding equipment needed rapidly in combat, such as medical gauze, rifle cartridges, grenades, etc.

-Helmet/Cap: The Helmet issued to Embral troops is a simple steel dome design with a light rim on potruding on all sides, and slightly farther on the front (IJA Helmet). Along with the helmet, a simple cloth cap with a cloth liner that comes down around the neck is issued.

Legionary markings are stitched into the uniform, barely perceptible due to the thread used being almost the same colour as the rest of the outfit. "TNE" is stitched below the markings.

Other than the basics, there are some notable aspects to the design:
Both the summer and winter versions of the uniform are intended for extreme temperatures, and as such are better ventilated/better insulated than their standard counterpart.
The Legions love boots, so they were a priority. They're good boots; strong, well-insulated, with soles designed for good performance in rugged terrain. They are all-weather equipment, suitable both for trudging through snow and marching over hot sand.
A gas mask is available, with filters for a number of common airborne threats.
Standard kit includes a machete (not an especially large one, but big enough to hack through a jungle (or jugular)), navigation equipment (eg compass, waterproof map case), survival gear (eg matches, dried rations; legionaries are expected to be able to survive independently for a while, even if they get totally cut off from supplies), and a coil of rope (always useful).

A notable addition (not issued to all soldiers, but available for Sikari) is the Mk.III Sikari Mask- the modern version of the Wellwood flute mask, with the mask part made of padded steel, the flute part heavily optimised for maximum range, and the beeswax replaced with
[IF LEVIATHAN ROLLED WELL] more modern earplugs made of the same processed Well-sap as the Leviathan's sonar defence, blocking almost all sound.
[IF LEVIATHAN ROLLED TOILETS] plastic/rubber headphones that block most of the sound.
Which is a lot more practical, as it is a lot easier to insert and remove than beeswax, meaning the user does not have to be deaf for the entirety of an operation.

Finally, and most importantly, all legionaries will be issued a pair of high-quality sunglasses; useful in both sunny and snowy regions, and very fashionable.

E: Votebox.

The Leviathan: (1) NUKE9.13
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: (1) NUKE9.13

[Jilladilla]

Let's do this! Wooo!

The Leviathan: (2) NUKE9.13, Jilladilla
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: (2) NUKE9.13, Jilladilla

[Madman198237]

The Leviathan: (3) NUKE9.13, Jilladilla, Madman
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: (3) NUKE9.13, Jilladilla, Madman

Like there's actually a choice.

[frostgiant]

The Leviathan: (4) NUKE9.13, Jilladilla, Madman,Frostgiant
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: (4) NUKE9.13, Jilladilla, Madman,Frostgiant

Life has been crazy for me and really busy, So I'm just going to head for this.

[NUKE9.13]

Some lore stuff:

Kai Guna Rasata
For whatever reason, deistic religion never really took off in Embrallia. There is evidence that the first tribes worshipped nature spirits and suchlike, but soon after adopting agriculture, even this died out. Some have theorised that there was an organised effort to stamp out such superstitions, based on how quickly it disappeared- but this theory has several holes, most notably the fact that Embrallia had no centralised government capable of pursuing such goals. Regardless of why it happened, the end result was the same: the ancient Embralish had no time for gods. 
Nevertheless, people around the world seek out meaning in their lives, and the ancient Embralish were no different. They found this meaning in the Kai Guna Rasata (the Manifold Path). The Rasata philosophy emphasises personal growth, and offers adherents several ways of attaining such growth- in fact, it offers them an infinity of ways, as it is stated that no two people can follow the same path, and so it falls to each of us to find our own way forward. We can be helped on our journey, of course, guided and counselled, but no one can walk your path for you.
Casual adherents of the Kai Guna Rasata may seek guidance from a Guru at a Rasata Temple. Gurus will often address congregations, giving a sermon on some aspect of Rasata philosophy. More serious students may visit a monastery, where the many mysteries of the Rasata may be studied- although it is usually encouraged for adherents not to seclude themselves from the world fully, as one may lose sight of the path that way. Pilgrimage, in the sense of travelling to visit various Rasata temples and monasteries, is also practised, with the emphasis being not on the destination, but the journey.
Those who wish to become a Guru themselves must be able to demonstrate some aspect(s) of their own lives in which they made great progress, a deep knowledge of Rasata philosophy, and a selfless dedication to guiding others. If three senior Gurus acknowledge the candidate, they may take up the orange robes, and join a temple or monastery. There is no strict hierarchy amongst Gurus; advancement, such as it is, is primarily based on the acknowledgement of one's peers. The exception is the rank of 'senior Guru', which requires fifteen years of service, and the approval of seven other seniors.
Most Gurus choose to dedicate their lives to the Kai Guna Rasata, living off of donations, but some prefer to remain in the workforce, believing that to be where their own path lies, or that they will be most capable of helping others there. Gurus are discouraged from taking political or military office, although there is no rule against it per se.

The Kai Guna Rasata was initially confined to Embrallia, but spread rapidly after the Samnite-Embral War. The Embral Empire has no official state religion, but over 70% of the population is a Rasata adherent, and the state often makes donations to Rasata temples. There are some adherents outside of the Empire, but these often find themselves viewed with suspicion by their homeland's government, due to the strong connection between the Embral Empire and the Rasata faith.

Crime & Punishment
The Embralish consider themselves to be a very trusting & trustworthy people. For some reason, many outsiders disagree.
All societies have crime. But the crime rate in the Embral Empire has always been remarkably low, despite relatively lax laws and punishments. Organised crime in particular is all-but non-existent. There are records of foreign crime syndicates attempting to expand into the Empire, only to have their representatives rounded up and arrested within weeks of arrival. Credit for these arrests goes to the Imperial Investigative Institute, a branch of the Imperial Police who- despite low staff and modest funding- always seem to know just where to look when the Empire is threatened by unlawful activity.
Corruption, as a form of crime, is also of minor concern to the Embral Empire. It is, in fact, so slight a concern, that government agencies are not required to publish their budgets, and indeed it is nigh-impossible for the average citizen to track where their taxes end up. International watchdogs have raised concerns about this, pointing out that large-scale corruption could be happening without anyone being aware, yet citizens of the Empire remain confident in the integrity of their institutions. And, to be fair, one would be hard pressed to find an Embralish government employee living in suspicious luxury, or one willing to take a bribe. If money was being siphoned out of the government, then it is unclear where it would be going.
When crime does occur, the offender will be judged in court by government-appointed judges (jury trials are not a thing). Minor cases are held in the open, but serious cases typically happen behind closed doors. This, again, is alarming to international watchdogs, who protest that closed courts are an invitation for government abuse, but again, the Embralish public seem relatively unconcerned.

[TheFantasticMsFox]

The Leviathan: (5) NUKE9.13, Jilladilla, Madman,Frostgiant, TFF
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: (5) NUKE9.13, Jilladilla, Madman,Frostgiant, TFF

[Man of Paper]

Embralish Defining Tech: The Final Endeavor Design

Proposal: The Leviathan

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen", said the head engineer as he entered the meeting room. "As you may know, we've been asked to design a flagship for the Great Fleet", he explained, as the other engineers nodded. "This will be the linchpin of our overseas operations. The keystone of our strategy in the New World. The crucial shield that stands between us and defeat!" The engineers all nodded. They'd read the briefing, they knew what was at stake.
"Now. When asked to provide preliminary proposals, one of you- not naming any names- suggested a submarine", he continued, as several engineers shifted uncomfortably. "We all know that submarines are an important component of our navy. Their stealthy nature allows us to fight a nominally superior foe on even footing. However, we must recognise that a submersible flagship would be a terrible idea." All the engineers nodded in agreement. "Submarines have less capacity, less firepower, less armour, less speed, less range- I could go on." The nodding continued unabated. "So, I think we can unanimously agree that a submersible flagship would be an impractical and foolish undertaking- raise your hand if you agree." Everyone raised their hands.
"Right. That's settled, then. Now, let's get started. What features do we want on our submersible flagship?" Several engineers started talking at once. Some pulled entire blueprints out of folders. The projector lit up, showing a slide with complicated formulas demonstrating the maximum size for a submarine.

The Leviathan
Old Embralish legends tell of a great beast that lurked beneath the waves of the great ocean. So large was this creature, that it could not enter the inland sea, for it would become stuck upon the shallow seabed. Now, with hindsight, we can recognise that these legends emerged from sailor's tales of spotting the great whales as they migrated from the cold southern waters north and back each year. Nevertheless, there are some who still believe that the Leviathan is out there, lurking in the deeps, its colossal maw just waiting to rise up and swallow ships whole.
Our Leviathan will not be swallowing ships whole. It may, however, send a fair number to a watery grave, and do so just as stealthily as the supposed beast of legend.

175 meters long, 23 meters wide; the Leviathan is a big, big sub. This is made possible partly by the fact that it is, in a way, several subs- there are multiple pressure hulls within, which being smaller in radius require less extreme reinforcement. There are two main hulls running the length of the vessel, as well as a forward hull used primarily for launching torpedoes, a central hull where the bridge and C&C center are located, and a small hull at the back containing the steering gear (and a few more torpedo launchers). The multiple hull setup not only allows for a much larger vessel, it also greatly increases survivability, as even if one hull is breached, backup systems in the other hulls will allow the Leviathan to limp back to port.
Using the latest, greatest, and most expensive most advanced alloys allows the one-of-a-kind Leviathan to dive to depths of up to 200 meters relatively safely, although it is recommended to not go below 150m in most situations.
The Leviathan is powered by four diesel generators, which generate electricity while surfaced, charging batteries and powering the electric motors that propel the craft (there are two generators and one motor in each of the two main hulls). A top speed of 18 knots (surfaced) and 9 knots (submerged) is anticipated.
Armament comes in the form of six bow torpedo tubes and two aft torpedo tubes, for use with the Backstab II 530mm torpedo (which uses a wet-heater engine that propels it at 36 knots for 3200 meters, gyroscope stabilised, set depth, contact detonation). Four 25mm autocannons on deck serve as last-ditch anti-air; obviously the main defence against aircraft is diving.
As our flagship, the Leviathan is obviously equipped with a command center that allows for communication with the rest of the fleet. The admiral and his staff occupy a section of the central pressure hull, equipped with multiple radio terminals, a large map table, and a liquor cabinet. A VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio can be used to communicate whilst cruising at a shallow depth, whilst an ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) radio allows for morse-code comms at maximum depth. The VLF antenna is attached to a sphere that can be allowed to float upwards whilst at maximum depth, connected by cable to the sub, allowing for VLF transmissions at max depth (although this is not the most practical). A regular radio mast is also included for surface use.

So far, so normal. Ish. When it comes to sonar, though, we are of course not going to let our audio expertise go to waste. The Leviathan is equipped with both active and passive sonar, both of which feature key components made of well-stuff, greatly enhancing their effective range and resolution. However, the real treat is the sonar defence; the outer hull of the Leviathan is coated in plating made from processed Well-sap (extracted from a variety of well-plant that evolved a mechanism to protect itself from the surrounding auditory madness), which absorbs almost all sound, both from within and without. This makes the Leviathan extremely hard to detect using passive sonar- as almost no noise escapes the outer hull-, and rather tricky to locate using active sonar, as sonar pulses are absorbed rather than reflected; whilst it is possible to detect the absence of returning pulses, this will usually require reconfiguring the sonar system, and even then, it will only give the direction to the Leviathan, not the distance.

Needless to say, the Leviathan also has things like air conditioning & recycling, desalination doodads, and freezers full of... well, military-quality food; everything needed to keep the 240-man crew healthy and happy on extended deployments.

Difficulty: Hard
Results: (4+4) (6+3)-1= 8, Average


As the siege of Embral-held territories continued, with the Empire making the Union pay for every single inch of ground taken in blood, a large number of resources were diverted to the creation of the Great Fleet. With the enemy in control of the skies, it was thought best to focus on more sub-surface endeavors. While submarines had become increased in number over the course of the invasion, no nation took quite as large a leap into the vessels as the Embralish did. The Leviathan was quite an achievement for it's time, with a displacement at 24000 tons - nearly thirty times that of the standard submersible deployed prior to the Leviathan's maiden voyage.

The multiple pressurized hulls aided to make The Leviathan sturdy enough to survive depths of 200 meters with little issue. Three internal hulls housed the crews for their assigned purposes and auxiliary roles (mechanic, cook, etc.), with the fore serving as a torpedo bay, midships as C&C, and aft responsible for steering as well as a pair torpedo launchers. While space was somewhat cramped for the 240-man crew, they had enough supplies to stay asea for a year before needing to stop at a port - unless she used her torpedoes and required rearming or, due to oversight somewhere, came under enemy fire and required repair.

The Leviathan could travel at a steady 18 knots on the surface and 9 knots submerged thanks to it's fairly reliable twin screws and diesel-electric engines. It's 26 fore Backstab II torpedoes and 6 aft ones gave it the ability to land a good number of devastating blows with a range of 3200 meters. With the biggest threat to The Leviathan being from above, it also housed four 25mm autocannons along the deck to ward off a sudden aerial attack.

The bridge of The Leviathan was fairly well-equipped, with multiple radios and maps to help the Admiral keep in contact with and organize the surface fleet. Notably, the bridge came with a liquor cabinet filled with bottles of the Admiral's favorite single-malt whiskey, with orders given to the Quartermaster to restock at every port. Our "experience" with the Cikaviga, as flawed as it may have been, led to a more thorough study of sonar and various well materials. This resulted in Wellbronze, a bronze-colored (obviously) metal mined from wells that's fairly rare even among wells, but extremely potent. Wellbronze was discovered to be extremely sensitive to sound so long as an electrical current is provided, with a piece the size of a man's thumb in a directional mounts used as the receivers for both active and passive sonar systems. Wellbronze vibrates when affected by sound, and this was translated into a spectrogram on an electronic display to visualize strength of the noise. The Wellbronze Sonar systems were capable of providing The Leviathan with the capability for both "broadband detection" and "narrowband analysis", as the stronger electrical input becomes, the narrower (not to mention clearer and longer ranged) the focus of the Wellbronze becomes. The Leviathan's sonar systems were generally effective out to 3000 meters.

The use of Wellvine Sap in the resin plating on the external hull was perhaps the most powerful piece of equipment on the entire vessel. Wellvine Sap absorbs and neutralizes sound, and it's use on The Leviathan meant sound couldn't get out, and it rarely ever bounced back to, say, be picked up by enemy sonar. The propellers still produced sound, but due to their housing they could only be detected within the rear 30 degrees of The Leviathan. Otherwise, The Leviathan was simply a dead zone.


----------------


Proposal: Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform

A new world calls for a new uniform. The Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform (abbreviated to TNE) is designed to handle whatever the new world has to offer. We were promised terrible weather, extreme heat, extreme cold, and plenty of hostiles; our soldiers need to be equipped to deal with all of them.

In terms of appearance, the TNE closely resembles the standard Legionary Uniform:

The Embralish Uniform is comprised of three key sections: the main uniform, an outer smock, and cloth and draw string pouch assembly.

-Base uniform: The basic uniform is a simple set of sturdy pants, jacket and boots. The jacket is a simple button down affair, with a short collar. The jacket has 2 sets of pockets at chest and gut height for personal affects or maps. The pants are pants, supported by a belt whose only major feature is the belt buckle being made to resemble a flute mask. The boots are a sturdy set of leather boots able to be tied into the pants to keep out moisture, muck or cold. The pants and jacket are [insert color here] with orange highlights for higher ranking officers. Comes in a deep blue for naval troops.

-Smock: The smock is the main piece of field clothing for our troops, and more concerned with combat functionality than the base uniform. Its basic form is a somewhat large [insert color here] smock meant to fit all our troops with the same production pattern. Draw strings and ties allow it to be tightened to cover different proportions comfortably. It has 2 pockets at waist level meant for random items or the soldiers hands. It has two slit pockets on the upper chest meant for stowing loose ammunition and combat equipment not needed immediately. They open to the side and can be closed with a wooden button(I have no idea what the terminology for clothing is). These pockets have a padded lining so objects stored inside do not harm the soldier when suddenly impacting the earth. There is also a more heavily insulated winter version.

-Outer Pouches: These pouches are a simple assembly of a cross of reasonably strong string that is strung around the arms. Attached to front of the string is a line of cloth with 3 semi-rigid cloth pouches on either side. These are meant for holding equipment needed rapidly in combat, such as medical gauze, rifle cartridges, grenades, etc.

-Helmet/Cap: The Helmet issued to Embral troops is a simple steel dome design with a light rim on potruding on all sides, and slightly farther on the front (IJA Helmet). Along with the helmet, a simple cloth cap with a cloth liner that comes down around the neck is issued.

Legionary markings are stitched into the uniform, barely perceptible due to the thread used being almost the same colour as the rest of the outfit. "TNE" is stitched below the markings.

Other than the basics, there are some notable aspects to the design:
Both the summer and winter versions of the uniform are intended for extreme temperatures, and as such are better ventilated/better insulated than their standard counterpart.
The Legions love boots, so they were a priority. They're good boots; strong, well-insulated, with soles designed for good performance in rugged terrain. They are all-weather equipment, suitable both for trudging through snow and marching over hot sand.
A gas mask is available, with filters for a number of common airborne threats.
Standard kit includes a machete (not an especially large one, but big enough to hack through a jungle (or jugular)), navigation equipment (eg compass, waterproof map case), survival gear (eg matches, dried rations; legionaries are expected to be able to survive independently for a while, even if they get totally cut off from supplies), and a coil of rope (always useful).

A notable addition (not issued to all soldiers, but available for Sikari) is the Mk.III Sikari Mask- the modern version of the Wellwood flute mask, with the mask part made of padded steel, the flute part heavily optimised for maximum range, and the beeswax replaced with
[IF LEVIATHAN ROLLED WELL] more modern earplugs made of the same processed Well-sap as the Leviathan's sonar defence, blocking almost all sound.
[IF LEVIATHAN ROLLED TOILETS] plastic/rubber headphones that block most of the sound.
Which is a lot more practical, as it is a lot easier to insert and remove than beeswax, meaning the user does not have to be deaf for the entirety of an operation.

Finally, and most importantly, all legionaries will be issued a pair of high-quality sunglasses; useful in both sunny and snowy regions, and very fashionable.

Difficulty: Normal
Result: (6+4)+0=10, Above Average

The TNE Uniform was pretty standard for the period. Coming in khaki, olive drab, or grey based on the deployment environment (deep blue for the Navy), with a rimmed dome helmet for protection and a cloth cap and neck cover, as well as a number of easily accessed pouches and pockets, the TNE proved reliable and was generally well-liked by those who wore it. The preparations for Harren saw a variant for each extreme environment crop up and were fairly effective at keeping Embralish soldiers not-too-uncomfortable. The boots proved sturdy, capable of standing up to excessive use for excessive periods of time with little wear. Every soldier was also given a machete as a part of their kit along with a small map and compass, matches, dried rations, a flashlight, some rope, and some very stylish nonreflective sunglasses made of quality materials and sure to impress. Smocks with colors matching the uniforms contained a number of sizeable pockets for whatever a soldier may need to cram in said pockets. The Winter version is well-insulated. Gas masks were also made available to all soldiers after the Union began pumping lethal gases into Embralish tunnels once discovered.

The Sikari also saw an upgrade to their equipment with the TNE Uniform - the Mk.III Sikari Mask. The mask struck a very unique profile, giving the wearer's face a bird-like visage. The Sikari Mask Mk.III came with a pair of moldable Wellvine Sap earplugs to protect Sikari from the new mask's more intense emotional response. The "beak" housed both the filters for the gas mask portion of the mask, as well as an up-to-date, refined Wellwood Flute. It was prominent, but not enough so that it would interfere with combat operations. The eye lenses were large, allowing a wider field of view than most masks of the time granted.


----------------


It is now the Revision Phase. But instead of a revision, you have another design. This phase was going to be something else, but once again both teams samesied, this time into the final phase of a game titled Mechanized Warfare Arms Race with no proposals up for any land transportation whatsoever through any era. This is your opportunity to design a land transport or vehicle for any era. The further back your design goes, the less it will directly translate into the vehicle selection you get, but difficulty will be lower as a result. An interwar-era vehicle will be graded on a standard scale - no additional difficulty will be added - and will automatically be assigned to your final armory.

Spoiler: Preliminary Proposals (click to show/hide)

Wellwood Bass Drum: A large man-sized drum made of Wellwood harvested from a Well with an animal hide stretched over it. A steady rhythm helps stimulate plant growth. It isn't a drastic change - a season of growth won't be cut down to days - but harvests tend to be more bountiful if Drummers maintain the beat.

Water-Driven Wellwood Drum: A massive Wellwood Bass Drum with mallets operated by a water-powered wheel. It has a much stronger and further-reaching effect than the human-played Drum.

Wellwood Flute: A mask-like instrument worn over the face that creates an unsettling, terrifying shriek when the mouthpiece is blown into. It's hands-free to allow the use of weapons by the wearer.

Sikari Mask Mk.III: A gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute.

Wellquartz: A mineral found within wells that evokes a range of blissful feelings with intensity dependent on the tone.

Wellbronze: A metal capable of detecting sound and responding with vibration. Electrical current focuses the detection cone and increases sensitivity and clarity.

Wellvine Sap: A plant extract that can be processed into a resin capable of absorbing and nullifying sound. 

Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect.

Khada-Miti Artificial Fertilizer: A dangerous chemical fertilizer that is cited as one of a number of causes for invasion by the People's Union of States. Contains a wide variety of chemicals with nasty long-term effects.

Samarata 1902: A 7mm bolt-action rifle with a 5-round magazine effective out to 1000m. Light, reliable, and can utilize a variety of sights.

Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome.

The Sau-Cihare: What's that? I don't think I heard you properly.

Cikaviga "Bomber": An aircraft deadlier to it's own crew than the people it's trying to kill. Considered one of the worst ideas of the war.

The Leviathan: The submersible flagship of the Great Fleet. Massive, dependable, and armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them.

Doctrine: Tunnel Warfare: The development and utilization of subterranean warfare. The Embrallish prove naturally adept at hit-and-run tactics and their underground infrastructure aids greatly in that endeavor.

Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound.

[frostgiant]

The Screaming Bells of Ruination (Bronze Age siege weapon)

Created during the war against the samnite empire, The screaming bell of ruination was used as a siege weapon, created to clear the walls in order to allow embralish soldiers to take the walls with minimum resistance.  Housed in a thick wooden frame, covered in soaked cotton sheets to protect it from arrows and various burning liquids, the bell was a massive bronze Construct, cast in a single piece and then carved with a series of veins and channels in order to fine-tune the sound.

Once the Bell had been Wheeled close to the wall, The embralish troops would make space, and cover their ears with wellvine sap soaked linen and bee's wax in order to protect themselves from the effect. When the massive man-sized bell rang, the enemy soldiers manning the wall quickly found themselves overcome with feelings of vertigo, sickness and various illness, leaving them easy picking for the following offensive of embralish troops with ladders as the defenders would hardly have the strength to stand in many cases.

[dgr11897]

IFV 1, The Mole rat
Created in an attempt to make up for our lack of air superiority with which to cover armored vehicles, the Mole Rat is an IFV designed to operate out of our tunnel network. The mole rat carries a small squad of infantry and is armed with a 20mm autocannon and little else. Its main assets are its speed, small size, and minimal pricetag.

[NUKE9.13]

Well, I've tried to think of interesting options here. I keep coming back to what would objectively be the most important vehicle for our strategy, which is a jeep. A jeep is also boring and uninspired, hence why I've tried to think of alternatives. But I give up.

Mk.II Jovi 4x4:
Screw it. The Mk.II Jovi 4x4 is a simple, sturdy, reliable vehicle. It's a jeep. It's not interesting at all, but it is a very important piece of kit to have, especially if you want to make your forces as manoeuvrable as possible. It's a jeep. Its small size, powerful engine, and four-wheel drive mean it can go pretty much anywhere. Up a mountain, across a desert, through a jungle- it can even navigate some tunnels. It's a jeep. It can be used to tow artillery, supplies, or other vehicles. It can be used to scout, ambush, transport. Even stationary, it can be used to provide power to a variety of equipment. It's a jeep.
BUT WAIT! Whilst it is a jeep, the Mk.II Jovi 4x4 also has some interesting features. For instance, there are panels of Wellvine resin around the engine block- thin, low-quality ones, but they should muffle engine noise a fair amount. There is also the option for a Wellwood Horn (essentially just a powerful Wellwood Flute mounted to the vehicle). Also, needless to say, mounting a machine gun is a fairly trivial operation. It's still a jeep.

(It's a jeep)
This is what a jeep is in a WW2 context, for those who aren't aware: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willys_MB

E: Added another paragraph, making it a slightly more interesting jeep.

The Screaming Bells of Ruination:
IFV 1, The Mole Rat:
Mk.II Jovi 4x4: (1) NUKE9.13

[frostgiant]

Boradiga Siege Tower (Bronze Age)

A design created during the bronze age, the well tower is a large “Siege Tower” Designed to help bring down the walls of enemy cities during the counter-invasion of sombralish territory. Before the design of the tower and siegecraft became a true art in embral territory, many of the initial invasions succeeded purely through luck and fate. In fact, many scholars believe that if the initial counterattack had failed, the war would have been much longer and bloodier due to a lack of supply lines and the heavily fortified nature of the outer sombralish border cities.

The Well tower, Was created to bypass the enemy walls, Being a large wooden structure on wheels, designed to be rolled up to the lip of the wall from which the soldiers within the tower and the surrounding army can use it to travel onto the wall with relative safety from the projectiles of the defenders.

This concept is not new, and in fact, the use of siege towers was relatively commonplace in the world of siege warfare, However the Embrals unique twist n this common siege weapon proved to be all the more effective.

Mounting a Large Well bronze horn, etched with a series of channels and grooves into the thick bronze metal, This horn was used to clear the wall of defenders, presenting a ripe target for the soldiers inside of the tower, protected by the bee’s wax in their ears and their location behind the horn.

When the Horn maestro would use the horn, a powerful soundwave would originate from the massive metal horn. Those caught inside of the shockwave would feel as though they were being shoved by a man, And the longer the shockwaves would continue the more painful and debilitating it would be as more and more blood vessels and internal structures would begin to rupture and sustain damage from the soundwaves.  The effect would become especially deadly on those wearing metal helmets with insuffienct padding, as it because like a bell, concentrating the soundwaves directly on the poor soldiers brain meat.

By the time the boarding ramp has lowered onto the lip of the wall, the previously tough defenders will have been reduced to the dead or heavily injured, as the soundwaves would have plenty of time to take effect. With the initial landing cleared, Warriors in sikari masks would leap unto the wall in order to combat the incoming defenders who would respond.

The Well towers wooden structure would be assembled on the site of the siege, and torn down after with the only pieces being brought from battlefield to battlefield was the large bronze horns. The Horn maestro’s would be assigned a horn, and that horn would remain with them until either the horn was damaged beyond repair, or more likely, the horn maestro fell. It is said that a horn maestro would spend days and even years perfecting their techniques every day for hours on end, only to ply their craft during the next siege battle.
There are many myth of Embral Horn maestro's doing things that exceed possibility, from blowing enemies straight off the wall, to cracking the very stone that they were laying siege to. As of now, however, these are myths and are likely just tall tales told by the Sikari Attackers that are held inside of the Siege tower.

Some of these horns exist to this day, with their multi-ton bulks being cared for in central embral museums and serve as important cultural artifacts.

The Screaming Bells of Ruination:
IFV 1, The Mole Rat:
Mk.II Jovi 4x4: (1) NUKE9.13
Boridiga Siege Tower: (1) Frostgiant