Total War: Firefly Sparks

[Lady Serpentine]

Welcome to the night. The sun has not shone upon this world for three hundred years. Nor has the moon. 'Stars' are rumored things looked on as myths. 'Day' is an archaism, kept only in old books and a few words that remain as holdovers from the time before it fell, and 'noon' is a meaningless concept.

Over everything there are clouds of ash, and fine grit sometimes blows through the streets, though mostly, it remains far over your heads, unnoticed and of no more import than a clear sky once was.

Now, though, things are changing. Shadowveil. That is the name whispered in servant's rumors and the lips of nobility alike, a city that is said to have once been and now be no longer, formerly known as Brand, swallowed up somehow by unknown forces.

Some are organizing expeditions to there. Others fear to tread there and disturb whatever may have stolen the land - but it is not the only place that some whisper fearfully of, cowering by their fireplaces, the harsh glow of electricity not seeming as reassuring, somehow, against the threat that such tales imply, and it seems that, willing or not, it may soon be necessary to look into the matter, if only to prevent their cities from being next.

Turn 1 has started! All players may post now. The game is still recruiting, and will be indefinitely.

[Grimsage Matt]

Pyre Cult Foundry

Fires rage unabated, as metal flows and hammers pound. Chemicals mix and buddle, and cultists, driven insane by their biological need for light, for warmth, chant as they burn. Special gels covering their body, letting them be aflame while not turning to ash.

In the deep reaches of the foundry, a figure stirs. He was human once. He remembers the sun, the stars and moons. They are dreamlike now, memories of a different age. But, darkness threatens to swallow the world. It's a crap world, but it's were he lives.

"Children of the Pyre! Hear the Forgemaster! A darkness creeps and spreads, delaying the rekindling! We will carry the flame to this cancer! We will burn it out! THE SUN SHALL BE REKINDLED!!!!"

[Forum Explorer]

The Deep Dwellers

"So did you hear the rumors?" A bored gate guard said to his companion


"What about the that cult trying to bring back the 'sun'? Ha, what will those surface dwellers come up with next?" His friend said back

"No, no, about that surface city disappearing."

"Eh, surface cities are always dying out. Probably some monster from the sky or something. Nothing for us to worry about." The guard said dismissively. His friend grunted a response and they resumed their watch of the security systems locking down all entry to and from the great underground city. Behind it slumbered it's citizens, safe in the knowledge that nothing bad would ever happen deep in the bosom of the planet.

[Lady Serpentine]

[The Deep Dwellers]

In the land above it was wintertide, and frost ruled the land. But down here, that was meaningless. Even the gate guards couldn't feel the chill, for the gates were thick, strong, keeping out the tainted surface air.

But not, it seemed all that walked the surface. Though in this case 'walked' applied only loosely to the thing that pooled up just beyond it, in front of the bored pair, called by their thoughts having turned to it, even in dismissal.

Said thing had ashen skin, smooth and curiously deep looking, with four legs, going straight out from its body, then angling sharply down, set roughly at the corners of an ovoid lower section, and ending in pointed feet, supporting it. Its upper body, however, once that became visible, the strange entity forming from the ground up, was almost human, but with no hair, and a split lower jaw, two parts to each side, and a single one on the bottom, all lined with teeth, and jointed segments for pulling things along them, with a tongue that seemed more like a snake than an organ, though it was soon apparent that, even with its disturbing features, it was quite capable of human speech.

"You think our kind is from the sky?"

[A_Dinosaur]

Sorrowful Sky (DF Esp 4)

High atop a tower of rusted steel and tarnished glass, two children sit throwing small scraps of concrete at the building across the street. Official men in official reflective vests had long ago condemned the other skyscraper as too flimsy to live in, so children had made a game of smashing out the windows opposite.

A low buzz felt deep in the chest caused the children to stop their game and wait patiently. Soon, a small two seater helicopter still bearing crumbling red paint of some long dead corporation flew by, doubtless heading out to gather more food from dry lands. The children watch it respectfully, knowing that should the men and women who travel on such trips fail, it would mean half rations for the already somewhat scrawny children.

Still, despite occasional food shortages, life on the towers was not so bad, thermal heaters kept everyone warm and the buzzing freedom that flight offered kept everyone relatively safe and happy.

Elsewhere among the titanic structures, on a landing pad rooftop, two heavy-duty lifting copters loaded with science equipment fired up their roters. Mordred, leader of the city, clasped hands with a few of the grim looking men armed with forearm mounted machine guns, gave nods and questions to people in lab coats, and a hug to the leader of the team, Samantha Harding. Then with a wave to the brave people heading off to chase rumors, he headed back inside to write some important missives.

To Drake Daggerie of Durmian Industrial
Greeting Mr. Daggerie,
I hope this letter finds you well and in good health. I have something of a proposition for you, no doubt you have heard of the Brand city incedent, or at least what is rumored to have happened. I myself am sending in a team of my finest scientists to investigate what is happening there and perhaps glean some information on this... Shadowveil. I was hoping to make it a joint project given both our groups impressive scientific potetial. I think we could really find some good stuff and no doubt could get to cracking whatever tech we find into more usable forms.
Mordred

To the Free Cooperative
Any interest in some trade relations? I'm sure you have some business venture that my people can aid with.

To the Vestagori
Any interest in some trade relations? I think your people might have difficulties getting to my city but we could certainly come to you.

[Forum Explorer]

Deep Dwellers

"Pretty much. That or the surface, but that's basically the same thing."

"Wait, why are you so calm," The other guard asked his friend.

"Come on, weird monster shows up and then says hello? Doesn't exactly scream panic to me," The guard replied calmly

"It's a friggen nightmare that looks like it belongs in a horror movies! How is that not scary?"

"And it's still better looking then my ex-wife," the guard said.

"Oh snap!" his friend said with a laugh

"Anyways you aren't allowed to come in." The guard said to the monster.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Deep Dwellers]

The creature laughs, fading from existence and appearing in the shadow of the guard who just said that it couldn't enter, drawing a strange wavy blade, which gives off a thin, keening, wail, like a woman screaming from very far away, as it slips out of the scabbard that wasn't there a moment before.

"And how do you propose to stop me, human? I could kill you both, if I wished, could have already, in fact. But I do not wish to. I am not from the surface, and I have a proposal for those who lead you."

[Forum Explorer]

Deep Dwellers

"You not being from the surface would explain why you haven't tried to kill us yet," the guard mused, while his friend drew his weapon, forgetting to point it at the weird shadow creature as he stared in confusion at his apparently unflappable friend.

"As for our leaders, well the Dome is in it's sleep cycle right now. So they won't be awake for another, oh four hours or so." The guard added checking his watch. "So if you want to come back in about five hours I'm sure someone could be here to meet you, or you could just leave a message."

[Grimsage Matt]

Pyre Cult

General Message to the Heretics and Pagans

In order to expand the cult's economic holdings, we plan to put several of our chemists to good use. Having located several types of grain, grape and flower seeds, we will be expanding our greenhouse and one of our labs for alcohol production.


To the pagan Moriarti

We will be getting into the alcohol production business soon. As you control the hospitality industry, we would be interested if you would want to buy our product.

To the Heretical Deep Dwellers

Greetings. As you have mining operations, we would be interested if you have any metals for trade? We are working on a stealth version of the Firebat, and would like to know if you have any suggestions for material usage?

Additional Message to the Infidels

We plan on bringing the great fire of truth to uncover and banish the choking shadow that lies on the good city of Brant. We will look for any survivors that may have survived the event. We welcome any who wish to drive back the shadow of ignorance, even the pagans, heretics, heathens, and infidels.

[Forum Explorer]

Deep Dwellers

To the Fire Obsessed Loonies
What are you offering in exchange? And why would we want to help you anyways?

[Grimsage Matt]

Pyre Cult

To the Heretical Deep Dwellers

We can help you make a plasma drill. We have the theoretical part down, it's a variant of what the space agencies were proposing to make to go after metal in space before the Darkness Fell.

OOC; Basically, offering a joint research project for a fire drill that might be able to be used as a combat or economy bonus, and stealth armor.

[A_Dinosaur]

Sorrowful Sky (DF ESP 4)

Two children tire of their game on the roof and retire too the mostly ash free environment inside the skyscraper. One of them fires up an old computer and starts to play games. The other child makes snide remarks at the clunky old graphics and the unrealistic setting. Whoever heard of a clear day? And how could that air be clean enough to breath without gas masks? And most of all, what was that stupid orange thing in the sky?

The gaming child shrugs, and continues to try at a new highscore, his mother had given him the game. In fact she had found it in a pile of junk while on a salvage mission, the disc was tarnished and scratched, but data recovery had made this little piece of junk a little piece of entertainment. Even if the orange sky-thing was stupid, it was just a harmless game right?

To the most interesting Pyre Cult
Dear... Forgemaster,
I do so apologize for snooping, but I find the idea of stealth armour and plasma drills to be quite fascinating. Perhaps you might be interested in a joint venture with my people. We are certainly not weak when it comes to R&D. I hope to hear from you soon, I think I may have a bargaining chip worth your attention.
-Mordred

To the light keepers
Would you perchance be interested in some trade relations? I am very interested in your light farms, either as tech sale or just buying up produce, perhaps you would be interested in some of the aircraft technologies we have to offer.

To Green
My people have always traded with yours for the food we so desperately need, I would like to continue this relation ship and perhaps extend it to some military agreement. Does that interest you at all? If not some official trade relations could also benefit us both greatly.

[Forum Explorer]

Deep Dwellers

To Fire Obsessed Loonies
A plasma drill eh? That'd be a slight upgrade on our current models we suppose. And what do we care if you use it to kill other sky dwellers? Very well we'll agree to your offer.

[Grimsage Matt]

The Pyre Cult (ESP-D 5)

To the Heretical Deep Dwellers

Thank you for accepting the offer. We found our message was not as secure as it could be however, and the unbelievers known as 'Sorrowful Sky' learned of it. Perhaps a three way collaboration would work? May the magma warm your souls.

To the Sorrowful Sky Unbelievers

We shall ask the deep dwellers, but your offer is appreciated. We had also meant to contact you at a later point due to a suspicion from The Forgemaster. He thinks that several of the old world satellites may still either be online, or at least semi-operational if there was a strong enough radio connection. As you were interested in the sky, we wondered if you had any information on Sun Age space agenises bases?

[A_Dinosaur]

Sorrowful Sky (D Esp 4)

Tch, wellll, from what I know of engines and the way one would have to fly something that high, the ash in the upper atmosphere would wreck anything that was up there beyond all functionality. Its a half-way miracle that my machines manage to fly through all the ash down here at ground level. We manage mostly by diligent cleaning and special engine filters. I could run some scans with the radios I have but I can't promise anything.

[Forum Explorer]

Deep Dwellers

To Fire Obsessed Loonies
Working with two groups of sky-touched idiots is as bad as working with one, so you might as well invite them along. The only thing we insist on is that the prototype and the physical components are built in our labs.

[A_Dinosaur]

Sorrowful Sky

Open message to nearby organizations and communities.

Greetings to one and all,

In this dark time, people must band together for food and safety. I am Mordred of the Sorrowful Sky. I am here to offer what protection and help I can. Transport, trade, medicine, electricity. I can and will help, but my people are hungry everyday, there bellies empty for we cannot drink seawater and cannot eat the steel in which we live. So I propose trade. Trade for all things, not just food. Trade so we may be wealthy and healthy and our children need not starve.

What say you?

[Andre]

the Lost Dawn

Discussions were always heated in the scarce lit darkness that was the Squeaky Hall.
"...damn ignorants always babbling about this or that calamity -" "Yeah, like we wouldn't know anything about calamities, isn't it?" "Oh, bite me" "Right, and what do YOU know about calamities, always sitting on your ass in that factory of yours? MY goods brave the dangers of the roads, and MY opinion is that..."
On the far end, a pensive man sat at the head of the table, letting his companions vent their anger and frustration at each other for a while before calling for silence and speaking in a calm voice.
"What do we know for certain is that we have received no word from Brand since these rumours began to spread."

to Sorrowful Sky [4]
The Company of the Lost Dawn can handily deal with any problem concerning your food shortage if you but allow our merchants to set up whichever trade house or pawnshop they see fit in your domain. Your people will not starve, and your leaders may partake of our wealth. I'm confident you can likewise offer some barganing chip our people can benefit from.

[A_Dinosaur]

Sorrowful Sky (Def Esp 4)

Too the company of the Lost Dawn.

Greetings, I would be happy to trade around some commodities and medicines for food stuffs. My people can also offer bulk transport through the air with decent security.

But I may have another offer for you. An offer which I have also extended to Durmian Industrial, though they have yet to respond. You have no doubt heard of the Brand City incident. I have sent a team of my best scientists and a few military types as well to see what we can discover about the happenings there. If you were to send a group also and our teams work together we could probably learn much from what went on there. Hopefully also how to stop it from happening to either of us.

To Charon Security
Would you be interested in a protection contract? I am concerned for my peoples defence. I could offer you 1.5 econ per 3 military. Or 1 for 1 if you are willing to accompany my science teams to investigate what is happening in Brant, or at least where brant used to be.

To The Pheonix Group
Interested in some tech swapping? Or just some trade relations, both would benifit both. And your recent expansion surely needs some bankrolling.

[Andre]

Sorrowful Sky [4]

We believe that will be acceptable for our traders. Concerning Brand, on the other hand, we doubt our contribution could be very much meaningful; we have little expertise in such matters and would only be able to dispatch a token force.