@Skylar Tactics/Wander is awesome. Use BBCode [center][h3] to format your section headers correctly. Great NS Skylar!
@Elitestpotato Go ahead and post in the characters tab as long as you feel your good to start RPing with it. Use BBCode [h3] to format your section headers correctly.
@Rhymer Ofc! I wont just RP with myself :P I'm gonna wait until I find out where other people ar elocated on the map so I can smack myself down like in them middle of em'.
@Rhymer A ping to check up on ya, I cleaned up my list of interest checks that went nowhere and I am itching to RP somewhere... very slow week for me...
@Rhymer A ping to check up on ya, I cleaned up my list of interest checks that went nowhere and I am itching to RP somewhere... very slow week for me...
I hear ya. The holiday is a killer for me man I've got a lot going on. Mon-Tue is more likely for me to get a first post up. If you want to start building OOC relationships with other players go for it. Probably make the game a lot more interesting too...
Is this still open? I'd like to express interest. The concept I have in mind is a faction of rioters, demonstrators and cultists that believe the ancient Marshans are speaking to them and want them to either make the people of Mars more at harmony with the planet or else remove them from the planet. They'd be purposely digging for old Marshan artifacts, believing they hold some sort of power that can be used against everyone else. (I'm assuming such a power doesn't exist, and that works.)
If that's a bit too oddball, I'm also interested in making a newly-freed (thanks to the fall of Earth's central government) penal colony of miners and metalworkers that would be 100% happy to bargain with thieves, pirates and the black market. They'd be a colony with the potential to become pirates or mercenaries. The base would probably be an underground mining complex that's been turned into home.
Good, just making sure there wasn't another case of "GM gone dead" :)
So... idle conversation... anyone else want to be a business dealer with TSDC?
Well considering your whole "funding underground resistance groups" I would be inclined to say that the FBM would love some of those supplies. However TSDC is a corporation and FBM wants them gone from Mars. So I'm a little torn, as I'm sure my faction would be.
Is this still open? I'd like to express interest. The concept I have in mind is a faction of rioters, demonstrators and cultists that believe the ancient Marshans are speaking to them and want them to either make the people of Mars more at harmony with the planet or else remove them from the planet. They'd be purposely digging for old Marshan artifacts, believing they hold some sort of power that can be used against everyone else. (I'm assuming such a power doesn't exist, and that works.)
If that's a bit too oddball, I'm also interested in making a newly-freed (thanks to the fall of Earth's central government) penal colony of miners and metalworkers that would be 100% happy to bargain with thieves, pirates and the black market. They'd be a colony with the potential to become pirates or mercenaries. The base would probably be an underground mining complex that's been turned into home.
I like both your ideas. Although I haven't written anything into the setting concerning ancient Martians. But its something to consider. I would say probably go with idea #2 and make a character based off of idea #1. Maybe the miners discover something...
Well considering your whole "funding underground resistance groups" I would be inclined to say that the FBM would love some of those supplies. However TSDC is a corporation and FBM wants them gone from Mars. So I'm a little torn, as I'm sure my faction would be.
They could always be doing it as a "means to an end".
They could always be doing it as a "means to an end".
Yeah, I thought about that too. Maybe an agreement of supplies in turn for attacking TSDC's competition but not touching TSDC. Until they are the last corporation on Mars, of course. I'll think about it. Would probably be a decent mini-plot line.
I'm not a native Spanish speaker, but I have a family member that is - so, correct me if I did anything badbadwrong.
Also, where would be a good place for this faction to be placed on the map? I couldn't decide.
Faction Name:
Trabajadores Libres de La Parranda
(Free Workers of La Parranda in English)
Faction Type:
Revolutionary Penal Colony
Often refered to as 'the Hombres' or 'the Penals' by outsiders, La Parranda is a penal mining colony that has recently snatched its freedom and is in a shaky political state.
When Earth was in the middle stages of Mars colonization, a European megacorporation known as Hephaestus Metallurgy offered to take some of the world's undesirables to space. They took impoverished and incarcerated individuals from Latin America and the Caribbean and used them to start a colony known as "La Parranda," or "The Party." It was an ironic name: there was little to be had in the future of these souls but hard, dangerous labor in the mines and poor living conditions.
For a long time, Hephaestus managed to keep control of its workers without too much difficulty. This was largely due to the ever-present threat to independence that was the earth military forces eager to help a wealthy corporation for some quick cash. So, Hephaestus slowly moved its financial assets from Earth to Mars, focusing more and more on the survival and profitability of the colony they had established. At the same time, revolutionary forces began moving in the shadows, gathering in numbers and strength. They only needed to wait for the right time to strike.
The fall of Earth's central government was just the moment these revolutionaries needed. The workers of La Parranda rose up and violently overthrew the corporation, taking its assets for themselves and quickly establishing a revolutionary government. This initial government was fragile, however, and one more military junta later the Free Workers of La Parranda became the official government.
Leadership:
Martin de La Parranda is the figurehead of the revolution and has a background many in the colony share: he was orphaned at birth, injected with hormones to change make him a better worker, and given the last name 'de La Parranda' because his parents could not be found. His tear-jerking history is coupled with a fiery passion and great verbosity; he is prone to long speeches and happily informs his people each week of how the nation is progressing. He is a demagogue, but a well-intentioned one at least.
Adelina Asturias is the highest ranking military officer in the fledgling nation of La Parranda. Born on Mars, she is the former Hephaestus Chief of Security with a background that includes mercenary operations all across the solar system. Defecting to the side of the workers shortly after acquiring her position, Asturias specializes in infantry operations and squad-based warfare, and has been training her forces accordingly. She's learning to adapt to the unique technologies possessed by this former Hephaestus colony, and she's having trouble getting along with Chief Engineer Santiago due to moral conflicts (namely, preserving the lives of her troops).
Another former Hephaestus employee, Jonathon Brown is an incredibly open-minded geologist and has a strange fascination with the occult. He is certain the planet was once populated by another civilization - he refers to them as the "Ancient Marshans" - and eagerly pursues any and all information regarding them. His studies have led him to believe that La Parranda is located near some ruins of some kind. As the Chief Excavator, in charge of planning the construction of new tunnels and the acquisition of raw materials, he subtly directs the underground network's expansion toward where he believes old Marshan sites may be found.
Joana Santiago is a highly talented mechanical engineer whose present specialty involves making weird concepts work. The "Worm" device, for instance, is her creation. However, she doesn't mind using the battlefield as a laboratory for her machines, a fact that puts her at odds with Marshal Asturias.
Orthodoxy:
The Free Workers have some conflicting ideals and are still fine-tuning their constitution. However, they very clearly believe in workers' rights and have strong socialist ideals. A few of their political officials have rediscovered Marx's works (including their President), and there are definitely a few bills in the works that might make La Parranda's citizenry have roughly equivalent qualities of life. As such, they have some distate for the megacorporations on the planet, and the colony's history doesn't exactly encourage them to trust the big companies anyway. They're very eager to see Marshan nations recognized as legitimate states, so they're happy to make alliances with any like-minded groups and colonies.
Interestingly, the Free Workers have no qualms using methods of war that might seem wrong to other nations, perhaps because this manner of weaponry was used on them as workers. Biochemical warfare, for instance, is an important component of their military arsenal; "superman" injections (combat stimulants) are used to bolster the physical capabilities of their otherwise poorly equipped infantry; volunteers are given gene modifications during their teenaged years so they can be better soldiers and workers as adults. These may be ethical concerns to other nations, but for a people who were raised under such conditions, these are necessary truths that will lead them to a better future.
The goals of La Parranda are as follows: * 1: Maintain independence and the freedom to rule ourselves. * 2: Be recognized as a free and independent nation by the solar system at large. * 3: Increase the quality of life for all citizens of La Parranda. * 4: Expand our borders by whatever means possible without risking failure to meet the first three goals. * 5: Deal with any threat to our independence, violently if necessary.
Military:
La Parranda's military is poorly equipped next to other nations. Their weaponry is largely ballistics-based, meaning they're still using bullets, missiles, slugs and so forth when the rest of the world is graduating to plasma, beam weaponry, and so forth.
Primary Units
The infantry arm of La Parranda is poorly equipped by most nations' standards: their armor won't stand up to more than a shot or two from another infantryman's weapons, and their own weapons are meant for megacorporation security forces, so they're usually short ranged. However, these warriors are incredibly tough and boast considerable stamina thanks to stimulant injections and, in some cases, gene modification. Typical equipment includes body armor with a vision-enhancing visor, a few grenades and short ranged ballistic weaponry (shotguns, handguns, submachine guns).
Certain squads of Guerreros are equipped with RPGs for anti-aircraft combat. Others are equipped with sniper rifles. Still, these weapons are typically less advanced than those of other factions.
A small skirmish vehicle made with the Marshan desert in mind, the Red Tiger tank blends in magnificently with the red sands of Mars. While it doesn't perform well in stand-up fights, the Red Tiger is very fast and comes equipped with short range sensor and targeting system jammers. Combined with its 360 degree Rotary Slug Cannons - which have a surprisingly long range - this vehicle is capable of winning skirmishes against more advanced tanks. It just shouldn't be expected to win extended close-quarters fights, especially not when its mobility is limited.
A much more straight-forward combat vehicle, the Big Bull is a monstrosity of a tank meant to take severe punishment and level everything around it as quickly as possible. This vehicle was commonly used by mercenary companies... about fifty years ago, so it's a rather outdated piece of weaponry. Despite its impressive array of weaponry, it is often described as slow and ponderous. Still, if it can be gotten to the enemy's frontline - or, better yet, behind their lines via a Tunnel Worm - it can wreak some havoc.
Secondary Units
Combat engineers are actually very important to La Parranda's military force. They specialize in quickly constructing defensive fortifications out of scrap metal and whatever other materials are available to them, but they also bring the tools to create basic anti-personnel turrets. They're combat trained and usually equipped with handguns or submachine guns, and they're about as good as the Guerreros in a firefight. They're also in charge of managing the Thumpers and Tunnel Worms.
Rather than use conventional artillery, La Parranda's military utilizes a device known as the Thumper. Originally devised as a means of collapsing caverns quickly (and a failure at that), this device has been converted into a weapon thanks to Dr. Santiago's genius. This large device creates seismic waves in a small area and can be used to collapse fortifications, make the ground unstable, or even create localized earthquakes if used near tectonic plates. This device takes time to setup, however, and has a range comparable to modern artillery. It is also immobile until taken apart and reconstructed at another position.
Special Units
The Tunnel Worm is a machination of Dr. Santiago's design. It is a unique form of troop transport and functions as exactly what it says on the tin: a giant, mechanical worm that tunnels through the earth. The present design is somewhat unreliable and can only carry about twenty infantry + a vehicle (such as a tank or large mechanized infantryman). However, there are plans to try designing a bigger, better version in the future, and the current model can withstand a fair bit of firepower.
The elite infantry of the colony, the Locos (Crazies) are specialists in chemical warfare. While they don't have the advantage of having mechanized battle suits and their armor isn't up to par with that of other armies' elite infantry, they use toxic chemical sprays, acidic grenades, advanced flamethrowers and similar weaponry to deal with heavily armored opponents and force their enemies out of defensive positions. Their squads usually include a demolitionist, too. They're often used as commando forces and are sometimes sent on suicide missions - thus the name "Los Locos."
Holdings:
La Parranda Location: Undecided An underground city whose entrance is located in a large cave mouth, La Parranda has a plain, dirty aesthetic as a city save for the former corporate headquarters (which is now used as a recreational facility). It can be dizzying to navigate the mishmash of stairwells and ladders that lead underground, but there are huge lifts that can carry vehicles to the lower levels of the city just fine. The roads are clean and well organized, but the quality of life of the average person in La Parranda is still lower than in most places. Still, the government and its people are hopeful that this will change now that the colony is free. It's pretty clear to anyone familiar with mining operations that this city is a former mining facility, and most of its grimy conditions stem from that.
The Low Road Location: Undecided This massive underground tunnel network allows for rapid movement in the region of Mars controlled by La Parranda. Trains, monorails and tunnel worms can transport resources and soldiers to and from the city rapidly. The tunnels sometimes collapse, but safety improvements are slowly being made. Many of the tunnels in the Low Road used to be mining excavations.
Fort Solido Location: Undecided Rather than accept merchants in their city, La Parranda has established Fort Solido as its trading hub. It is a walled fort surrounded by a small town and is manned by infantry and fortified with anti-aircraft weaponry. It's not the toughest fortress out there, but it's an important trading hub and the first town settled by La Parranda since they've achieved their freedom. Its existence and its success would be a great symbolic victory for the new government.
By the way, for the next couple days (until the Rp starts, anyways) I'll be elaborating on technologies for my nation. Ones that are open (it is mentioned when they are) folks can feel free to use and rip off, considering that's what they are supposed to be in the first place :P.
