Preliminary Turn 4 - Design
Proposal: MutaxolDifficulty: ImpossibleResult: (1+1)-2=0,
Utter FailureForeword: The results for your actions this turn are going to blend more into something akin to a combat report due to the nature of the combined actions of the teams.
The mysteries of the body have always been of particular interest to Twelvers, especially as the power brought by the Lightning Whales permeated society well beyond reason. It is lucky, then, that it is beyond reason where genius lay.
Dr. Welliam Toll, a scholar on the southern fringes of the Confederate Ziggawatt-States of The United Bays (Confederate Bays for short), used his relative isolation to do intensive research on the nature of the Wovenmen body modifications and the relationship between Man and Lightning Whale. He rapidly rose to national prominence as
the surgical expert. Even the Wovenmen, hesitant to see themselves figuratively torn apart, were willing to let themselves be physically torn apart in order to identify their true natures. Self-sacrifice, you see. And it was worth it, as Dr. Toll was able to identify and isolate Mutaxol (MUTAtion X tOLl, the man was a narcissist and not particularly creative) as the catalyst responsible for their biological modifications. The chemical is a tacky gel-like goop that seems to sizzle when applied to a biological surface. This reaction will cause the flesh to meld to an
inorganic object being pressed into it. It is, as one would imagine, an extremely painful process to undergo, and may have unexpected effects as melding is experimented with and expanded upon more than Toll’s own works.
Toll used his knowledge to craft wooden and/or iron models of specific parts of the human anatomy in great detail. He’d even managed to create a mechanical hand that, theoretically, could have all five digits articulated through muscle controls. Beyond that, his lab and workshop was covered in books full of sketches of other potential creations. Arms capable of housing a variety of tools, or perhaps something to plug ones ears with ease.
You see, the Doctor had one single issue with his life: his neighbors. Specifically, the ones across the river.
The Rockband, a massive traveling collection of musicians, utilized the whole arsenal of Cargonian advancements to spread their music anywhere they could. For a few years now they’d exclusively toured along the river, and one of their stops happened to be just a few hundred meters away across the narrowest point in the river. The music was loud, unruly, and unrefined. But even worse? For some reason this Rockband had decided to take good old Confederate folk songs and twist them with their own Southern musical sound. This Southern Confederate Rock (Multicountry Music) was an abomination to the ears. But it was largely just an annoyance until June 18, 1914.
Dr. Toll had finally gotten a Wovenman at his doorstep willing to undergo amputation and installation of a prototype prosthetic. The surgery was an extremely delicate process, as the Wovenman’s network of tattoos meant any slip-up could result in a negligent discharge. But Dr. Toll was a skilled surgeon, and nothing could shake him.
His house, however…
A sour note stricken by the performers across the river shook Dr. Toll’s home and his hands, causing forceps to touch the edge of the incision he’d made in the Wovenman’s arm. This completed a few circuits and caused a sudden influx of residual energies flowing through the tattoos to pour into the Kill-Swatch. The cetric blast devastated the room, annihilated the patient, and nearly killed Dr. Toll. His workshop now aflame and with the situation rapidly deteriorating, Dr. Toll grabbed what few documents he could, his grandfather’s Whalelock, and a sack of shot. With the man’s life work literally going up in flames behind him, Dr. Toll took shot after shot at the equipment blasting noise in his direction. Exploding equipment was considered very normal for The Rockband, so Welliam’s anger went largely unnoticed for a few salvos. Things took a sudden and devastating turn for the worst when the lead performer on stage, one Alex Kapranos, was struck by an errant shot and died on the spot. The silence that immediately fell is considered to mark The Day The Music Died, and the Beeple seem collectively pissed off at the death of their Duke of Rock and Metal.
Mutaxol has no associated cost, and since you guys are generally familiar with the concept of special resources in my games, its “sphere” is bioaugmentation. This means it can be used to more readily permit biomods, biopunk, and mutation-type stuff.
Welliam’s Singed Notes are all that survived of his work into advanced prosthetics. It has no associated cost, and represents experience with prosthetics without functional equipment in the armory.
It is now the Revision Phase. Due to the way this turn worked out, the overall planned timeline has jumped with regard to how I was splitting things. Instead of modifying the past with your Revision or otherwise augmenting the results you’ve gotten as with the rest of the Preliminary Turns, you will instead solely be Modernizing as I had planned to only do next turn. All this means is that your Revision should bring something in your Armory forward into something more appropriate for Great War Tech. Your next turn will also cover the same general Modernization prompt, so don’t panic too much about your decision for this phase. You can also freely change your name in your prompts still. It seems like some dickhead kid has vandalized all the history books and nobody remembers what you’re really called yet. [GM Note: You all thought I'd let you use gavril(o)ium for six years and not give you some just desserts? Take some of your own Welliamedicine. You're just lucky I went with a William Tell reference and didn't name him Dave Welliams.]
Lightning Whales: Massive physiologically unique beasts that can be found migrating through waters off of the northern coasts. They build static through their teeth as they filter-feed, using the constant discharge to stun their wide range of prey. Excess buildup is discharged when they surface. When unable to process their buildup normally, such as when they are beached, the body builds up a potent amount of energy beneath the insulative skin. If allowed to continue without a "forced discharge", the buildup ruins the chances of any usable parts being harvested. The bones are large and strong enough to provide some shelter, the meat nutritious and ample enough to feed entire villages for weeks at a time, and the blubber a means of maintaining that ever-evasive but equally necessary fire. Easily harvested using Orichalcum as a bait/poison. [Cheap]
-Whaleblood Tattoos: Tattoos made with whale blood. Very electrically conductive, and capable of channeling energy through the body without harming it. [Cheap]
--Storm Dancers: WhaleSlayers who have survived enough to acquire an excessive amount of tattooing and volunteer to redirect the power of the storms and skies away from their people. Practically immune to everything cetrical but the most intense lightning. [Expensive]
Storm Caller Priesthood: The religious structure built off of the Storm Dancers which controls the aspects of the cultural faith ingrained in society. Priests are drawn from the population at large and are capable of cetric feats. Cheap
Wovenmen: People covered in whaleblood tattoos and filled with alchemical implants that provide unnatural speed, energy, reflexes, and climbing capabilities. They idolize self-sacrifice and will often explode themselves in a great cetrical blast triggered by pounding the Whale’s-Eye or Kill-Swatch over the heart in order to complete their goals. They now exist largely quietly at the fringes of society, watching silently. Low survival rate of implantation due to infection exacerbated by the no survival rate of their self-sacrifice leads to a limited population deployed in [National Effort] squads.
Ziggawatts: Large complex structures used for just about every aspect of life in the Bay Twelve Confederation. Used primarily for religious rituals and the creation of Charged Blubber Jars and Ichor. The Great Ziggawatt of Ixan is evidence of a cultural focus in Monsoon Point. [Cheap]
Charged Blubber Jars: Clay jars full of Lightning Whale blubber that has been charged via Sky Caller rituals. Explosive and unstable. Cost tied directly to Ziggawatt expense. [Cheap]
-Ichor: Blubber Jars stabilized with whaleblood. Discharge happens slowly relative to Charged Blubber Jars, resulting in safer handling and more control with a less impressive discharge. Cost tied directly to Ziggawatt expense. [Cheap]
Orichalcum: A shiny red metal with high ductility and malleability, and capable of conducting cetricity and emitting a close but powerful magnetic field. Made using an alchemical whale blood and bone mix while creating bronze. Has no directly associated cost.
Skyfeeders: Ballista-like slings used exclusively in the ritual practice of Bloodyeeting launching sacrificial remains into the clouds. One is available atop each Ziggawatt. [Cheap]
Whalelock Thunderarms: Weapons that utilize Orichalcum rails powered by a separate Ichor container to propel iron shot at targets. Large, heavy, and should be mounted on a forked post to aim. Technically capable of automatic fire. Provides the foundation for all firethunderarms and therefore has no associated cost.
Ichor Clubs: Wooden weapons coated with Ichor that discharge on impact, potentially incapacitating victims. [Cheap]
Cargo Chains: Sets of carts used to haul vast amounts of goods across the empire using the Red Line orichalcum-covered rail lines. Run by Conductors. [Cheap]
Mutaxol: An alchemical reagent isolated from Lightning Whale blood. A tacky goop that allows flesh to painfully meld with inorganic materials. Useful as a catalyst for general biomodification.
Dr. Welliam’s Singed Notes: All that survives of Welliam Toll’s work into fairly advanced prosthetics. Represents experience in prostheses without having functional equipment.
The key defines the borders of the map first, then the river, and then describes each region North to South and East to West, like reading a book.
The Ice Wall (Eastern Barrier): While borders can be quite fluid in nature, the easternmost extreme of the land is harshly cutoff by a monolithic wall of pure ice, 3000 meters tall. The surface of the wall contains somehow fewer features than the barren cliff face: an everstretching plane of blinding white. No plant or animal dares to brave the blisteringly frigid, cutting winds driving ice and snow constant off the wall and toward the continent below.
The Desert of ‘Amit (Western Barrier): The desert of 'Amit shrouds the west in heaps of dazzling white sand. The evening winds stir up sharp, stinging sandstorms which scatter the light of the setting sun and blast the young Cholades Mountain Range separating it from the rest of the continent. Through the heat haze, you can sometimes glimpse the peaks of the Anti-Cholades mountain range, grasping at the far horizon and further reinforcing the rain shadow cast over the desert.
The Interbarrial River Network: The Interbarrial River Network is birthed from two points: the geysers and healthy water table in the Wild Savannah and the runoff and melt flowing off of The Ice Wall. These networks of streams join together to form large, slow moving rivers that steadily meander toward the center of the continent. A veritable (relatively shallow) inland sea forms where the rivers meet in the Vale of Waters and proceeds to divert both toward the north and south. Tributaries and distributaries line the entire calm, slow-flowing river, providing the only real navigational issue along the equally calm riverbanks. The arterial river flowing north and south empties into the Northern and Southern Oceans. The Great Lake manages to regulate flow during the wetter northern seasons, providing a steady and reliable flood pattern across the continent and keeping the extreme wet or dry seasons from impacting the reliability of the River Network throughout the region.
THIS IS YOU Monsoon Point (North Capital/Bay12): This area point is bounded by its impressive coast containing multiple natural harbours. Monsoon Point is so named because winds that come off of the coast, off of 'Amit north of the Cholades, and off of the Icewall contact to create a spectacularly broad storm network which ensures Monsoon Point is constantly lashed with rain. An extremely rainy season dominates nine months out of the year, followed by three months of the year that can't accurately be called a dry season as much as a "less rainy season". The landscape in Monsoon Point itself is surprisingly dramatic as a result - a hilly region has been carved out into a land of beautiful red cliffs, with intense and verdant greenery blooming across the slopes - the sole exception being the incredibly wide Interbarrial River Network and the gentle, flat lands that follow it.
Choladaic Rainforest (West Front, North): This region is absolutely dominated by a tropical rainforest. While most definitely less waterlogged than the areas to the northeast and east, it is still a rainforest - you can still expect to get soaked. The tropical rainforest rolls across gentle hills, fed by the Monsoon Point rainstorms which gather here and bowl against the Cholades. While the rain is certainly an obstacle, the unsettling nearly endless twilight beneath the canopy should not be underestimated.
Evergreen Riverway (Center Front, North): The hills in the surrounding regions flatten immensely within the Riverway. The Evergreen Riverway is a temperate pine rainforest - unbelievably lush, unbelievably green, fed both by brunt of the rainstorms coming down from Monsoon Point and the wide, fast-flowing arterial continental river flowing up from The Vale of Water, central Evergreen Reach is... well, it's wet as hell. The riverine environment leads to plenty of mud, fallen logs, ponds, small lakes, and streams, but other than that it's actually quite a pleasant place to be in, if humid.
Frosthollows (East Front, North): Temperatures drop dramatically in this uneven, rough, but beautiful alpine forest terrain. Bitter snowstorms hamper that beauty, driven west by the powerful and biting wind blasting off of The Ice Wall. The deep valleys in this region tend to catch these winds, creating absolutely unbearable conditions within the crags and ravines that crop up in the area. These ravines open up into the foothills and lowlands that dot the area, pummeling them with frigid temperatures rivaled only by the surface of The Ice Wall itself. These Frosthollows, open areas where even the pines refuse to grow, are treacherous, but often the safest and most direct way geographically to navigate the region.
Wild Savannah (West Front, Center): Resting against the shadow of the Cholades and ‘Amit, the land is a savannah of tall wildgrasses and scattered acacia copses. The climate is warm here, but not prone to drought due to a high water table fed by geothermal heat. When one spots a little hillock on this savanna, it is a geyser as often as it is a termite mound. The biodiversity in this region is staggering: giraffes and dwarf elephants in the patches of thin forest, great wildcats and wildebeest patrolling the grasslands. A river cuts this land too, fed by the water table and rare torrential downpours, flowing west to east. The geological activity here has left behind kimberlite pipes, the source of elusive diamonds and other precious gemstones, as well as a fair few rare earth metals.
Vale of Waters (Center Front, Center): The Vale of Waters is where the fresh waters sourced from the east and west join to run north and south. A great lake sits here, relatively shallow but broad. Its waters are flush with freshwater fish and waterfowl. The terrain beyond the lakeshore of brown sand and clay beds is some of the most supremely fertile earth in all the world, a temperate country of low hills and beautifully green grass. The summers are warm but mild to crops, the winters thinly blanket the land in snow for a month or so before melting. Little of the wildlife is dangerous; foxes, burrowing rodents from shrews to beavers, hares and the like.
Glacial Taiga (East Front, Center): The freshest remnants of The Ice Wall’s glacial activity can be identified here; gravel beds, moraines and the like. This land is a taiga of warmly-colored shrubs and sedge grasses intermixed with the occasional copse of spruce and birch, grazed by herds of caribou that alternately can be found migrating to the Evergreen Riverway. In summer, multicolored wildflowers blossom from the earth, areas of which are warm enough to tolerate agriculture. The morning sun lights the crags of the Ice Wall like a bonfire, and sends a glut of meltwater to swell the banks of a river heading west. Beneath the permafrost are vast beds of anthracite coal and petroleum.
Great Dry Sea (West Front, South): Once an ancient inland ocean, the Great Dry Sea is a massive salt flat that exists in a depression stretching from the edges of the Painted Land outward toward the 'Amit desert, where the ground begins to elevate once more and transfers from salt into sand. While outwardly unremarkable, the Great Dry Sea holds a unique characteristic of a deceptively active groundwater environment, forming and dissipating subterranean rivers at will. This results in turning the Great Dry Sea into an invisible minefield where one false step can send a man plummeting into a thick brine pool if he's lucky, or a many dozen foot drop to his death if not. The reprieve for these hazards is the rises in the flats that ages ago were once islands surrounded by water but now are encased in salt, dotted across the Dry Sea like freckles.
Sandoras Thornsea (Center Front, South): This entrance to the Painted Lands is host to a myriad of cactus families and hardy flora that take advantage of the presence of running water - thousands of species ranging in size from a child's fist to taller than a man, interspersed among a splattering of cork oaks and stunted juniper trees. The cacti mainly stick to the banks of the river and the distributaries that break off from it, creating thick bands of cactus that form the main hazard in crossing this region.
Motoro Conelands (East Front, South): Volcanic energy in this region is just powerful enough to breach the surface before running out of energy and forming the squat towers of basalt known as “splatter cones”. Ranging from only one meter in height to over twenty, these miniature volcanoes pocket the land in the thousands. Many of them are still active, needing only a slight disturbance to ooze molten rock from the ground. Despite the danger, the Conelands have long been a source of intense mining efforts - splatter cones contain high concentrations of metals across the entire range of metals available beneath the surface. In the areas populated by inactive or dormant vents, there is a large coverage of greenery that feeds off the rich volcanic soil and the Interbarrial River Network.
Painted Lands (South Capital, BPL): The riverway flowing south from the Vale reaches its southern terminus in the Painted Lands. What began as a clear flow of babbling water has been transformed into an even wider, slower thing laden with sediment. Millions of years of river action have carved a canyon through the country's soft rock strata, sharp and jagged at first but growing as broad as the horizon by the time it reaches the sea. Wandering distributaries branch off of the river, leaving winding shallow bands of fertile soil behind when they inevitably wander off again or dry up between flooding seasons. The land takes its name from the bands of rock exposed by the river to form a panoply of color: white limestone, black shale, and sandstones in pink, red, yellow, and every color in between.
The fertilized highlands beyond the water-carved walls (a distinction less marked as one proceeds southward) are relatively arid, with hot summers and cool winters. Groundwater is exposed to the highlands by limestone sinkholes, or cenotes. Papyrus reeds and olive trees grow in abundance and alligators sun by the riverbanks with regularity as one travels further south. The coastal bay experiences a cooler climate, with sea breeze coming off the ocean to regulate temperatures year-round and provide gentle winter rains.
The sedimentary rock of the Painted Land bears countless karst caves, connected by underground rivers and home to strange species of eyeless fish and cave-adapted lizards.
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