Phorcys Rising: Epic Steampunk Adventure Revamp

[AmongHeroes]

ACCEPTING NEW CHARACTER SUBMISSIONS!

Phorcys Rising IC

OOC








Themes: Steampunk, Nautical Thriller, Low Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Warfare

For the past 150 years, humanity on the world of Terre has been experiencing a formative period of societal evolution. Historians would one day call this time The Age of Luster, and it began when industrialization began to sweep across the nations of the world. Initially the factories and mills of this industrial revolution were fueled by the kinetic movement of rivers or wind, and though prosperity reached many, it wasn’t until steam was harnessed that the true revolution occurred.

As steam power was mastered, it spurred an explosion of technological advancement and economic opportunity never before seen. The promise of this new frontier took roots in all facets of life; from agriculture, to medicine, and for the next fifty years the people of Terre were a part of a socioeconomic shift that has yet to be replicated. The upper and middle-classes boomed to the point where members of the lower class were almost unheard of. Trade and cooperation between nations was free and fair, and as a result peace reigned. The utopian era seemed as if it would never lose its momentum. Ironically however, the first crack that signaled the crumbling of The Age of Luster was brought about by humanity’s next great leap forward: flight.

A Friduhelmian physicist named Dr. Oscar Akoyev discovered a substance that when mixed with several common chemicals produced an inert gas so buoyant that it could lift units of mass thousands of times heavier than itself. This element came to be known as Levincium, and though no one could have anticipated it, its discovery tolled the death knell for peace across Terre. Airships soon followed in the wake of Dr. Akoyev’s discovery, and for a time the boom in trade and commerce that resulted surpassed the expectations of even the most optimistic of Terren. The fire of opportunity was burning as hot as it ever had.

Unfortunately, the fuel for this fire was dwindling, especially when it soon became apparent that only a scant few nations possessed naturally occurring Levincium deposits. Coupled with the now unsustainable rate of expansion, countries soon began to panic as they realized that their newfound prosperity was at stake. Relationships between some nations began to erode quickly; free trade was replaced by tariffs, regulation, and distrust. Wishing to project power in a world that was changing once again, military spending across the globe rose exponentially. Technology was focused on the creation of machines of war. Though peace still held, it was held together by gossamer thread.

The thread of peace was finally cut on a brisk morning over the Searsan city of Morse, when Friduhelm forces invaded. With surprise and numbers on their side, the Friduhelm army soon took the city, along with its precious Levincium refineries. Over the next seven months the entirety of Searsa was conquered, and as a result Friduhelm became the largest holder of Levincium in world. Unwilling to stand against the might of Friduhelm, the nations of Doorster, Terahon, and Inglor, soon allied themselves with the imperialist power, forming the Fri Imperium. Among the nations on the Amarc continent, only Carodie held its ground.

Though outmanned and outgunned against the Imperium, Carodie possessed a strong and determined military that led the leaders of the Imperium to seek another option besides an all-out invasion. Using their powerful air armada, the Imperium blockaded Carodie from the rest of world, essentially laying siege to the proud nation. The countries of Frith had little interest in involving themselves in a war with their now powerful neighbor across the ocean, and the island nations of Quindith, Sta-Loudi, and Bellonat likewise feared entanglement with the Imperium. It appeared that Carodie was on its own.

With hope waning, the Carodith leaders knew they had to act boldly against the Imperium, or not at all. A young naval officer, Commander Tabor Reid, approached the leadership with a daring plan that would hopefully break the grip of the Fri Imperium on Carodie…

The Carodie Republic is the sole nation on the Amarc continent not controlled by the Fri Imperium. Following the invasion of Searsa, it was also the only nation to speak out fervently against the military action taken by Friduhelm. It is a fiercely independent country, and it values personal and economic freedoms for its citizens. As such, it has placed much of its large wealth into the maintenance of a large standing military to ensure its independence following the decline after the Age of Luster. Though it lacks large Levincium deposits, the Carodie Republic leads much of Terre in agricultural production, steel manufacturing, lumber, oil, and coal refinement. Its resource capacity aside, Carodie is perhaps best known across Terre for the high quality of its engineering.

Capital:
Doir

Government Type:
Representative Democracy

Official Language:
Carodith

Denonym:
Carodith

Prime Minister:
Sir Alfred Minton

Military:
The Carodith military is broken down into three branches; Army, Navy, and Air Force. Although the Prime Minister has overriding control of the military, the three branches are generally accountable to a four cog general known as the General Chief of the Military or GCM. Below the GCM, each branch is controlled by a three cog general, or Branch General.

Army:
The Carodith Army is oriented towards highly trained and highly mobile infantry units. Its tactics emphasize speed, coordination, and strong force of action to achieve strategic advantage. The infantry units are supported by heavy armor units, and mobile artillery that are structured to facilitate rapid support. The Carodith also contains a large contingent of Special Forces units that specialize in sabotage, deep penetration, intelligence gathering, and supply disruption.

Navy:
The Carodith Navy is one of the largest fleets on Terre. Both its surface and submarine fleets are large, and contain the majority of the world’s next generation vessels. Its ships are designed to engage enemy forces on both sea and air, allowing the Navy to defend itself from a wide range of threats. Further, the pilots that make up the Navy’s fighter squadrons are considered the best in the world, and other nations have sought to commission Carodith Naval Aviators to train their own fighter corps.

Air Force:
Though proud and fierce, the Carodith Air Force is small and light, containing only a handful of battleships and carriers. This is largely due to the nation’s lack of accessible Levincium. Despite this drawback, the Air Force prides itself in its ability to support the Army, acting as a strong force multiplier for the troops on the ground. It also maintains a vital role as a reconnaissance and transportation force for the Army’s robust group of Special Forces.

The Fri Imperium is made up of five nations on the Amarc continent; Friduhelm; Searsa; Doorster; Terahon; and Inglor. Although each nation maintains regional independence, all five national governments are directly controlled by the state of Friduhelm, from its capital Konigingen. The Imperium is strongly imperialistic, and wishes to expand its control across all of Terre, and thus its military is powerful and heavily funded. The nations of the Imperium have plentiful resource availability, and it controls over 65% of Terre’s accessible Levincium deposits.

Capital:
Konigingen

Government Type:
Dictatorship

Official Language:
Frise

Denonyms:
Friduhelm: Friduhelmian
Searsa: Searsith
Doorster: Doorn
Terahon: Terahon
Inglor: Inglorian

Chancellor:
Reinhard Eichel

Military:
The Fri Imperium draws its military forces from all five of the nations under its control. There are three military branches: Army, Navy, and Air Corp. Each of these branches is led by a Fieldmarshal, Seamarshal, and Airmashal respectively, and only the Chancellor has higher military authority over the branches.

The Army:
The Imperial Army, also known as the Rustungkraft, is deeply focused on heavy infantry and heavy armor units. These units are slower than their equivalents in other nations, but their sheer power and ability to absorb damage makes them formidable. The Rustungkraft also emphasizes coordination between artillery and air units to facilitate tactical advantages on the battlefield.

The Navy:
Known as the Schlactmarine, the navy is the smallest of the branches. The ships that comprise both its surface fleet and submarine force are generally a generation behind the more advanced navies of other nations. Despite its small size however, the Schlactmarine trains heavily, and it is undisputed across Terre that its seaman are true professionals. As with the Rustungkraft, the navy focuses on the ability to coordinate operations with the Air Corp.

The Air Corp:
The Fliegenmacht are the pride of the Imperial military. Of the three branches the Air Corp receives the most funding, the newest arms, and the most training. Its armadas are vast, and the ships that comprise them are at the cutting edge of technological advancement. The Fliegenmacht utilizes large battle groups that are made up of both carriers and battleships, supported by smaller corvette and frigate class vessels. Along with its large capital ships, the Air Corp has a large number of fighter and bomber squadrons that are also highly trained and well equipped.

It was an indisputable fact that the Imperium controlled the skies, and it was a consensus among Carodie’s General Staff that it was a hopeless endeavor to attempt a frontal assault against the Fliegenmacht to break the blockade. The blockade’s main goal was to prevent foreign Levincium from reaching Carodie, and thus far it had been a resounding success. When Commander Reid approached the General Staff with his proposal, Carodie only possessed enough Levincium to sustain eight months’ worth of minimal combat operations; hardly enough to rebuff the bloated Fliegenmacht. If the Carodie Republic had any chance of ending the blockade, and eventually leading a military campaign to break up the Imperium, it needed Levincium. Commander Reid’s plan set out to circumvent this problem by exploiting both Carodie’s strengths, and the Fri Imperium’s weaknesses simultaneously; their navies.

Commander Tabor Reid was second in command to the CRN’s(Carodie Republic Navy) submarine fleet, and he was well versed in its capabilities. At the time of his proposal, a very important classified project was nearing completion; the construction of the CRN’s two largest and most advanced attack submarines. The two subs were the first of the Hellfish Class Hybrid Steam Powered boats, and their potential capabilities were lauded by the CRN brass as the most deadly vessels in all of Terre. It was these two submarines that were the lynchpin for Commander Reid’s plan.

With the two Hellfish submarines acting as vanguards, Commander Reid proposed that a large group of cargo subs could run the Imperium blockade and make their way to ports in Thiadon, Quindith, and Sta-Loudi--nations in the western hemisphere that held vast Levincium reserves--and secure enough of the precious element to allow Carodie to forcefully end the blockade. The plan was initially met with resistance from the General Staff, with even the Branch General of the Navy calling the idea preposterous. In the end however it was Prime Minister Minton that saw the plan as Carodie’s most attainable hope for defeating the Imperium, and that very night Project Dynatos was born.

Construction of the two Hellfish continued in the ultra-secret submarine pens in Oakden Heath, only now the pace of the work was feverish. The engineers were tasked with completing the two monstrous vessels in only three weeks after Project Dynatos had been approved. During this time, Commander Reid had been appointed to assemble the best submariners to crew the new vessels, and he set about his work with alacrity. Also during this short time frame, the cargo submarines to be used in the mission were hand selected and pain stakingly moved in secret to the naval base at Otterden to await their escorts.

The crews were finally assembled with only a week and a half to spare before the two Hellfish were scheduled to sail, and the men and women that Commander Reid had worked so hard to select began training on their new charges while construction was still being completed. Despite the rush and almost insurmountable security hazards, the date finally arrived for the launch, and Commander Reid reported to the Branch General of the Navy, and Prime Minister Minton himself, that the mission was a go with their final approval. The PM took little time, and gave the mission his final blessing, and with that an encrypted radio transmission was relayed to the crews waiting at Otterden and Oakden Heath that the fate of Carodie rested in their hands.

^Ship insignia.^

Name:
Carodie Republic Ship Phorcys

Motto:
“We Strike from the Depths”

Hull Designation:
HSPS-233

Class & Type:
Hellfish-Class Fast Attack Submarine/Battleship Hybrid

Displacement:
47,000 tons

Length:
893 ft. 5 in.

Speed:
32 knots

Complement:
136 Officers, 2,438 Enlisted

Armament:
9 x 18in. Mark VI Main Battle/ Surface to Air Guns.

30 x 5in. Mark XI Guns.

80 x 40mm Anti-Aircraft Guns.

49 x 20mm Anti-Aircraft Guns.

16 x 20mm Flechete Anti-Biologic Guns.

36 x Trident Torpedoes.

The C.R.S. Phorcys (HSPS-233) was the second of the two (the first being the C.R.S. Minton) Hellfish class submarines to be laid down for construction in the Oakden Heath sub pens. As a hybrid, the Hellfish class of vessels was designed to act as both a fast-attack submarine and a fully functional surface battleship. This design was made possible by the collapsible and self-sealing turrets that can recess beneath the main deck when the ship is operating as a submersible.

When operating in the battleship mode, the Phorcys’ main armament is the 9, 18in. guns that are situated in three separate gun batteries; two to the fore of the conning tower, and one to the aft. These guns are equipped with up to 75˚ of elevation, allowing the ship to engage both surface and airship targets at long range. To track its targets, the Phorcys and her sister ship have the first radar sensor arrays to be standard on any Terren capital ship. As a submarine, the Phorcys utilizes its Trident sonar guided torpedoes for anti-ship use, and its 16, 20mm Flechete guns for anti-biologic attacks underwater. Its torpedoes are housed in six separate tubes; four in the bow, and two in the stern.

The Phorcys is powered by an oil fired, high pressure steam generator, that charges two massive Taurus Kinetic Batteries. These fly-wheel batteries allow the Phorcys to remain submerged at flank speed for up to three days before it must surface to regenerate its power supply.

More to come.

More to come.

[!]This RP will center upon members of the Phorcys’ crew, and as such all characters must be members of the Carodie Republic Navy.

[!]Though I will not require it, I suggest that characters be officer ranks so that there can be more interaction between other player characters throughout the ship. If you are unfamiliar with some positions on a naval vessel, please Google it, and if you have an idea for a position that doesn’t exist in the real world, but could apply to this universe, please feel free to PM me with your idea. To be honest I strongly encourage such participation as the more a player has vested in the storyline, the more likely they’ll stick around.

[!]Characters will be accepted based upon the work a player puts into creating them, not on a first come, first serve basis. Please don’t take it personally if you are not accepted, trust me it is not a personal matter. I hope that it is obvious that I have put a lot of effort into creating this RP, and since it’s my baby, I am striving for players who will express their own interest by continued and thoughtful participation.

With that being said, please don’t be afraid to try out for a character. Trust me, if you’re truly interested in this RP your work will speak for itself.


[!]I am searching for no more than six characters for this RP. If I don’t get six good ones, we will play with fewer. I myself will only be participating as a Non-Player GM.

[!]Below are lists of character types that I need, and a second list of those that I am suggesting. If the character you’re wanting to make doesn’t fit into any of these categories, no sweat! Make up your own and justify their existence to me. I always love when players expand the world they’re playing in on their own.


-Phorcys Captain


-Phorcys Executive Officer
-Gun Commander
-Undersea Sapper Commander (think Steampunk Navy SEALs)
-Chief Engineer
-Medical Officer
-Sensors Officer
-Repair Diver Commander


Here is the format for Character Sheets:

Name:

Age:

Rank:

Appearance:
Please post a picture along with a short description. No anime or cartoon images please.

Military History:

Personality:

[FoxSVK]

Is the Gun Commander spot still vacant ? I might try and apply with my previous CS once more.

[AmongHeroes]

It is indeed still open.

[Kare]

So, I've got my eye on the medical officer role - but I won't be able to get a picture with my physical description. Certainly not a realistic depiction, anyway. Any suggestions?

[AmongHeroes]

You don't think you can find a picture online to suit your needs?

[Kare]

I think I've got one. Will you be doing the fancy editing thing if my character is accepted? Also, would you like me to post my sheet here or in the OoC (I'm not used to RPs having interest checks and OoCs, so I'm not too sure about where is more appropriate).

[Toruun]

It seems I'm pretty late to the party, but are your invitations still offered for newcomers? I'm particularly keen on guising myself in the Carodith Navy's fantastic steampunk livery; just want to confirm that my efforts are worthwhile endeavors first, before I'm rejected at your wonderfully epic door.

On the off-chance that your answer is a 'Yes!', is there anything in particular you're looking for? Hoping to offer something to the roleplay!

[Kare]

Sorry if this sounds a bit stupid, but what's the purpose of this interest check? Is it to rekindle the RP from scratch, to get more players to stop the RP dying or what? I want in either way, but, just so I know.

Here's my character application here, just in case the other OoC is now irrelevant.

Name: Dr. Vlinius Fischhart

Age: 34

Rank: Chief Medical Officer

Appearance: Vlinius used to be a very handsome man, deep dark eyes, a strong jawline, and an incurable case of baby-face. But that was then, and this is now. Age hasn't necessarily ravaged his features, but has obscured them somewhat. For a start, his hairline has jumped back a good inch or three since his thirtieth birthday, and his neck has begun to flab out and swallow his jaw. It's a demonstrable fact that his lithe, lean figure has started to flesh out around the gut. Never a tall man, Vlinius now has a very unthreatening silhouette.
Though his face is naturally a bit 'cute', with not a shred of stubble showing through his shaving regime, these features are somewhat offset by his perpetual frown. Not being a big man, though, this demeanour is rather more 'sulking' than 'hulking', especially now his fitness has begun to desert him. With quick darting eyes and swift, precise movements, he naturally looks suspect.
Of course, Vlinius always insists that stature and intellect are the making of a man, and he means stature rather literally. He keeps himself prim and perfect at all times and has learned to apply military discipline to, among other things, make himself appear taller with the ancient art of posture.

Spoiler

Military History: Honestly? Vlinius has very little experience as a military man. Needless to say, being Friduhelmian of descent, he was conscripted to the Schlachtmarine, where he was the most enthusiastic sailor that ever was seen, being fiercely nationalistic. He worked hard and was noted for it, but he returned to his true love as soon he had done his national service: academia. Vlinius was considered one of the nation's progidies, and held a very privileged place in the Friduhelmian university, where he first studied biology, before becoming a don of the university and a well-respected tutor at the almost unprecented age of twenty-six. However, his world came crashing down around him when Friduhelm began its aggressive campaign. Publically speaking out against Friduhelm's behaviour, he became part of a class of public scape-goat of sorts, and fled what soon became the Fri Imporium fearing for his life. Of course, his new home, The Carodie Republic, was hardly welcoming to him, and he found it difficult to get work at all. Being from the Fri Imporium, he was the enemy wherever he went. The universities wouldn't trust him, and so he had to quickly retrain as a medic, just to have a trade to sell. Ironically, the best offer he received was from the Carodie military, who were very keen to get a Friduhelm academic on board. Employed by the Carodie military, he was simply a resident doctor in various territorial bases around the nation – eventually, his real academic prowess and accomplishments became known to those whom it was worth impressing, and when Project Dynatos was unveiled, Vlinius was recruited to become the chief medical officer on board The O.R.S Phorcys.

Personality: Vlinius is grumpy and cynical, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. As a lad, he had been nationalistic and naïve, and, while no less bright for it, simply inexperienced. Having been rejected by his homeland, his peers, his colleagues, and, finally, the vast majority of people he has met in the Carodie Republic, he now prefers to reject them himself first.
As a military doctor, he shows an active disdain for his patients. Either way, a combination of professional pride, personal pride, and fear of reprimand keeps him doing an excellent job, being efficient, unsqueamish, and unsympathetic. While his actual patients aren't particularly thrilled by his bedside manner, he makes the perfect military doctor.
Needless to say, previously having fought for the enemy, Vlinius isn't the most liked, or even trusted, member of the crew or medical staff. Though most patients are mildly suspicious of his background, some of them have some more serious concerns; namely, that their doctor views them with an interest inappropriate for a doctor. True, the man is a bit of a lech, but he tries to hide his carnal desires and would never think of acting upon them. He is a strict professional with a very strong work ethic, and will take any accusation of anything else as a direct insult. Of course, he still enjoys the creature comforts in life, and doesn't intend Project Dynatos to cut them out for him completely – in particular, drinking and smoking.
Begrudgingly, deep down, Vlinius describes himsefl as a pacifist, while simultaneously believing he should have given up on morality altogether. Even if he could bring himself to broadcast this, he clearly can't in the current climate, except maybe to a few private confidants. He is, however, less secretive about his general cynisism and is happy to share this bitterness, provided he doesn't specifically say why. Usually, if questioned, he will cite the 'hopelessness of the situation', rather than his fundamental belief that no acceptable motive for war or any other military mobilisation at all.
Having spoken out against Friduhelm and having had his life ruined for it, Vlinius is very careful never to act the hero. He likes to believe he wouldn't feel guilty in such a situation, but his attempt at amorality is half-hearted. Either way, he resolves not to get involved in anything that doesn't fall under the umbrella of his own affairs or his job. While grumpy, uncooperative, and impossible to persuade, he is no longer a brave man, and, if one could see behind his facade of stoicism, they will find him rather easy to threaten and bully.
Apart from all this, one would find it hard to believe that Vlinius has a softer side, but he does have one. If he likes something somebody does or says, he will genuinely say so. He will also make it clear if he enjoy's a person's company. Most people who have heard him do this consider it to be rather oddly up-front, but the majority of those who have received this 'seal of approval' find it rather charming in juxtaposition to such a stern man. This behaviour is something of a leftover from his time as a university don, but it's taken something of a new form from simply encouraging intelligent thought and hard work (which does still, rather condescendingly, merit a compliment); having experienced rejection for such a long time, Vlinius now has a new appreciation for any kindness shown to him. He does not crave other people's friendship, but will never turn down an offer of it from an equal, regardless of their morality.

[AmongHeroes]

Toruun you're more than welcome to still submit a CS. We're still looking for characters.

[Toruun]

Understood, excellent! I'll either submit a CS tomorrow or Saturday, depending on how occupied I am. And one more thing about the character background: is it required that I write past events as a summary, as per the norm? I intended to be a bit unique and write some more...in-character prose, if you will. The same subjects will be covered, of course - it will just be written differently, from a first-person perspective. If you have no objections to that, I'll just get started!

If you do...well, I can bear with writing narration; this roleplay's far too extravagant for me to pass up any of my chances!