In the measly year of 1959, the world was on the brink of yet another global conflict. At the heart of it all lies the solitary nation of Vietnam, brought to its knees by a vicious outcry for civil war. Ideology ruled the tides of battle, leaving many to drop dead in the harsh jungles of its once peaceful habitat. It became a struggle between the North and South: violent communist reformists battled against ruthless unitary presidential constitutional republic, backed mostly by international influences. With a taste for blood, the deployment of unimaginable machines saw warfare reach a turning point, highlighting the struggle between conventional engagement and unconventional means of battle. Nations all over the globe watched as the melting pot for chaos spiralled out of control, throwing global superpowers into the fray for personal gain and the suppression of opposing ideologies. Soon, the Vietnam War had been born, with thousands being swept up in its tidal inertia. Soldiers were brought in overseas to reinforce either the Northern or Southern combatants, training them, fighting and dying alongside them, only to see the horrors of war stain their cold, heartless skins. Men and women globally were no longer citizens, but killers, murderers and the juries of death itself. Every bullet became drenched in foreign and native blood. The jungles were set ablaze with fire; anguish ruled the streets of previously unheard cities. Fury became a language everyone understood, and suffering became one that everyone spoke.
Vietnam was not the same. As the Second World War ended in 1948, prolonged by internal and external battles beyond the crusade against fascism, the United States of America found itself in a precarious spot. Before the closure of the greatest conflict known to man, it had found itself a secondary adversary: the Soviet Union of Russia. In its waning years, the conflict saw the expansion of diesel, petrol and crude machinery built solely to destroy its opposition. Soon enough, vehicles were mounted onto varying chassis, brought with limbs and greater firepower. Harsh terrain was easier to overcome as battle tanks could simply clamber over them, one leg at a time. Firepower grew exponentially and the chants for further experimentation grew further. On the last month of the Second World War, a bloody engagement between the United States and Soviet Union broke out in Prague, disillusioned by their differences and urge to control previously German territories. Though it came to a close quickly, its legacy did not fade away. Politicians and citizens of America were now convinced the true enemy laid beyond the newly founded Iron Curtain, and soon the call to suppress the spread of Communism had begun. First came the swift belittlement of North Korea, maintaining an unstable democratic government on the peninsula. Yet in 1956, their fears spread to Vietnam, a once silent and oppressed member of the Allied Alliance. In 1958, military advisers were swapped out for trained soldiers, and battles between the Northern Vietnamese and the United States military soon became a reality. War had begun, allowing for a brutal showcase of unheard behemoths, mechs, infantrymen, aeronautical bombardment and death to take centre stage.
Welcome to Vietnam, how long will it take for you to break?
Hello, ladies and gentlemen, to 1959: Into the Darkness, a dieselpunk Vietnam experience focusing on the troubles, victories, triumphs, horrors and dissonance of war. Relying heavily on that juicy alternative universe excitement, we'll be entering the frontlines of Vietnam, beginning on the American/Coalition. Things are subject to change, but that's for the characters to figure out overtime. The story we're going to tell isn't going to be an over-arching one, at least not for now. Starting with skirmishes, big battles or simple behind-the-line off duty life, the characters will adjust to their new environment away from American soil. As discussed in the interest check, the "plot" will be dictated by us to begin with, before eventually cultivating into a larger and more unifying story later on. Character interactions and relationships are key throughout the story and to keeping the journey fresh and spicy. Here, we'll detail the journeys of several men and women serving in the military, whether as infantrymen, pilots to a walker, mechanics, or other unique roles that can be granted upon request. I look forward to branching out and seeing where this setting takes us, and how far we go down the rabbit hole of insanity in these dark jungles.
As you will have noticed, the dieselpunk setting is a bit weird to try and narrow down the technological wonders introduced into our scenario. I've tried to keep a somewhat moderate approach to it and will sometimes deny technology that doesn't suit the designs of our characters. After all, we are not to be playing overpowered protagonists to the war, but simply protagonists to our own personal stories and tales of involvement in the conflict. As the story goes on, there will be more opportunities to become a more important figure in the grand scheme of life, but for now we will remain amongst a sea of thousands sent to fight a war they do not understand. Some may accept it, or even encourage it, whilst others may dislike and detest the war in its entirety. All these differences in personality, race and more defining characteristics will bring together and separate the characters as people, alternatively allowing for some greater interaction opportunities.
The focus won't always be on combat. Hopefully, by introducing a collaborative environment, you have the choice to spend as much time away from the frontline in Vietnamese cities, forward operating bases and more if you desire, as well as setting up patrols, ambushes, battles and small engagements across the lands you've been placed within. With that being said, I think it's at least wise to drop the character sheet below:
All of the Character Sheets can be edited and designed in whatever way you desire, as long as it includes the necessary information. Feel free to add additional headers and information tabs to your sheet. Make sure to post them into the OOC for review before you submit it to the character tab in case there's any changes that need to be made. If there are problems with a character sheet, I'll try to work around and find alternatives in order to make it fit, though on a rare occasion we might have to, of course, deny it. Make sure to message myself or the Co-GM if you have any requests about the character prior to making the sheet, just to make sure you don't use your time on something that may not be applicable to the story.
Now, to help with some character building, especially with equipment, I'll at least make a simple list below of some expected US Equipment to be used. Again, specialised gear can be requested to me that fall outside of these categories, or are not included. Depending on what it is, and how I think it suits the RP setting, I'll either accept or deny the equipment you choose to bring in.
With this being said, I'd like to thank you for reading and potentially taking interest in this Roleplay scenario we have set up. I may not have covered everything that you'd like to know in the OOC Thread here, so do not be afraid to ask any questions towards me or @Lady Selune, our Co-GM. I would love to see how far we get into this story and the creation of many side plots with our characters. Whether you're likely to take more time in the city, watching the soldiers on and off-duty move in and out, interacting and focusing on simply living there, or whether you're going to take an investment into the combat (or both) I hope you enjoy yourselves as much as I will! Feel free to list your interest below if you haven't already and we'll see you in the jungles, ladies and gentlemen.
