Apocalypse near future query

[Hopeless]

Now in another thread I was attempting to see what the effect would be if someone from now was able to travel to a future point in time and back knowing of the collapse of civilisation happened somewhere between those times.

What I'd like to ask is your view on what would happen in certain countries or worldwide if the following happens;

London and a large part of the South of England collapses causing the Thames to flood the immediate area causing a death toll in thousands perhaps more as the capital itself is now estimated to lie a mile underwater with most of its government gone the rest of the country is struggling to recover from this disaster.

At the same time Yellowstone erupts the resulting explosion turns Yellowstone into a supervolcano that renders most of the United States uninhabitable for an as yet unknown length of time.
The death toll has yet to be even estimated but survivors are fleeing both to the North as well as deep into the South as even Mexico hasn't survived this event unscathed.

The mid-atlantic rift has slammed shut the only possible summation as the atlantic shrinks in size as a huge island is formed in the wake of the closure of the rift leaving everyone stumped well those who aren't more concerned with the double tragedy thats effecting the world's economies.

The sudden influx of water due to the Thames effectively becoming an ocean in its own right swamps the european coast as Netherlands becomes the latest casualty in this seemingly rogue act of nature gone riot.
What I'd like you to discuss is what would be the ramifications if these events actually happened and in this thread how you'd handle how civilisation collapsed as a result of this.

[asnys]

London and a large part of the South of England collapses causing the Thames to flood the immediate area causing a death toll in thousands perhaps more as the capital itself is now estimated to lie a mile underwater with most of its government gone the rest of the country is struggling to recover from this disaster.

I'm not sure I'm understanding correctly here. Do you mean a giant sinkhole?


At the same time Yellowstone erupts the resulting explosion turns Yellowstone into a supervolcano that renders most of the United States uninhabitable for an as yet unknown length of time.
The death toll has yet to be even estimated but survivors are fleeing both to the North as well as deep into the South as even Mexico hasn't survived this event unscathed.

The mid-atlantic rift has slammed shut the only possible summation as the atlantic shrinks in size as a huge island is formed in the wake of the closure of the rift leaving everyone stumped well those who aren't more concerned with the double tragedy thats effecting the world's economies.

You're probably going to see lots of tidal waves from this unless it's very slow.


The sudden influx of water due to the Thames effectively becoming an ocean in its own right swamps the european coast as Netherlands becomes the latest casualty in this seemingly rogue act of nature gone riot.[/B][/I]

Why would a giant sinkhole create an influx of water? Although the tidal waves from the new Atlantis could cause the same effect, among many others.

Thoughts: the volcanic winter from the Yellowstone supervolcano is going to wreck havoc with agricultural production worldwide. I don't know if we're talking "famine in Africa" bad or "ALL NATIONS COLLAPSE EVERYONE DIES" bad.

It seems like the Asian states get off comparatively easy here, at least in terms of direct damage. I'm not sure what the net situation in terms of food production will be over there - many of those states are net food importers, but they might be able to support themselves if they went on wartime food rationing. Still, I would guess that's where civilization will survive/new civilizations will first emerge.

Africa is in major trouble. Most African states are net food importers and between volcanic winter and the disruption of trade networks, they're likely to suffer severe famine.

[Hopeless]

Yai first reply!

Did this in the media discussion thread to see if there was a perfectly explainable way this could happen.

This however is the rpg version!

Sorry but the short version is that I ran a Legend game set about 1500 years ahead and hope to restart it one day but thought it betetr to explain what had happened.

A research team in Scandinavia discovered an obsidian artefact a sort of stargate which they eventually discovered allowed them to travel through time to about a millennia from now however word leaked out to an American rival whom stole the artefact stranding the expedition in the future until they discovered evidence of a second artefact and managed to locate and use them to return to the present.

Due to the interference they couldn't confirm how the cataclysm happened only that something caused Yellowstone to erupt, slam shut what I thought was the Mid Atlantic Rift (which the other thread corrected as the Mid Atlantic Ride!:smallredface:) creating a new island whichw as to serve as my version of Monster Island (See Runequest 6th edition on that setting).

London was sunk below the waves when one portion of the second artefact was accidentally activated within London causing the ground to collapse and flooding the area, this event influenced the original artefact which caused the Yellowstone eruption.

Well thats as far as I've thought it through, still keeping up to date on the other thread since some of the ideas from there have been making me change my mind on some of the aspects.

As for Africa, I have been wondering how a flood would effect that part of the world, the future version would be alot farther south and would be alot colder as a result but darn...:smalleek:

As for the Far East I figured China and Russia would enter a nuclear exchange once they found themselves the only real opposition left and effectively wipe each other out, but I haven't got as far as explaining the other addition to the setting.

[asnys]

As for Africa, I have been wondering how a flood would effect that part of the world, the future version would be alot farther south and would be alot colder as a result but darn...:smalleek:

Yeah, they're not going to do well...


As for the Far East I figured China and Russia would enter a nuclear exchange once they found themselves the only real opposition left and effectively wipe each other out, but I haven't got as far as explaining the other addition to the setting.

Why? Given that it's deep backstory I guess you don't really need to explain it, but they don't really have any rational reason to go to war.

That still leaves India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the SE Asian states... India and Pakistan might go to war if you want to take them out of play. I don't think I've ever seen a future civilization based around Indonesia; that might be interesting.

There's also Brazil and the other South American states. They might do well if the new island is located far enough north that they don't suffer too badly from tidal waves.

[Hopeless]

Yeah, they're not going to do well...
Why? Given that it's deep backstory I guess you don't really need to explain it, but they don't really have any rational reason to go to war.

Have this idea that some biological research is accidentally released causing alot of panic in those areas that aren't separated from the mainland.

Part of this is that shipping is actually discouraged as part of the attempts to stem off the contagion but I'm still tinkering around ideas as to explain how this sets off the exchange between China and Russia and that other nations made things worse with their own attempts to stop the infection alot of which would actually be cureable if not for the loss of their medical services.


That still leaves India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the SE Asian states... India and Pakistan might go to war if you want to take them out of play. I don't think I've ever seen a future civilization based around Indonesia; that might be interesting.

I agree I'm haven't thought about India and Pakistan but figure at least any islands especially maybe safe from most of the resulting carnage.


There's also Brazil and the other South American states. They might do well if the new island is located far enough north that they don't suffer too badly from tidal waves.

The South Americas' survived the North American cataclysm but the intervening centuries saw the continent move further south eventually becoming part of the antarctic (I hope that I got that the right way round!:smallredface:)

Australia would be effectively icebound but not sure what that would mean for both sides of the Southern hemisphere since the southern tip of Africa would be far colder than it is now.

Still lots more to think about!

[asnys]

Have this idea that some biological research is accidentally released causing alot of panic in those areas that aren't separated from the mainland.

Part of this is that shipping is actually discouraged as part of the attempts to stem off the contagion but I'm still tinkering around ideas as to explain how this sets off the exchange between China and Russia and that other nations made things worse with their own attempts to stop the infection alot of which would actually be cureable if not for the loss of their medical services.

Maybe Russia decides to create a nuclear firebreak along the border to keep the infection out, and things get out of hand?


I agree I'm haven't thought about India and Pakistan but figure at least any islands especially maybe safe from most of the resulting carnage.

An Indonesian superciv could be really interesting. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. The closest I can think of is a series of short stories by Poul Anderson featuring a Polynesian hegemony (after nuclear war destroyed everyone else).


The South Americas' survived the North American cataclysm but the intervening centuries saw the continent move further south eventually becoming part of the antarctic (I hope that I got that the right way round!:smallredface:)

If they've got centuries they'll probably try to find somewhere new to move to. How long does Yellowstone keep erupting? Maybe they end up colonizing the former US.

[Hopeless]

Maybe Russia decides to create a nuclear firebreak along the border to keep the infection out, and things get out of hand?

Thanks to Historia Rodentia I introduced the anima and had the bears come from that area I suppose more inspired by the Legend of Nymmh.


An Indonesian superciv could be really interesting. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. The closest I can think of is a series of short stories by Poul Anderson featuring a Polynesian hegemony (after nuclear war destroyed everyone else).

A book was suggested that sounds similar to that.


If they've got centuries they'll probably try to find somewhere new to move to. How long does Yellowstone keep erupting? Maybe they end up colonizing the former US.

The Rodentia book detailed the rise of insects as potential new enemy and have them centred from there along with the survivors of what is called the "Yuesha" whom are descended from those who used the original artefact and found a way out of the shattered remains of the US and rebuilt their nation trying to conquer Rhitia or what's left of the UK but are currently located in Dire or Ireland.

Yellowstone is now an active volcano and they could have migrated north although its far safer to sail east or west than it is to walk north and that's where the Pirates of Legend will come in handy!:smalleek:

Just noticed this and thought it worth linking

Indonesia (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/volcano-deaths-indonesias-rokatenda-blows-123807283.html#XpiPIA6)