The Desert Campaign [Dieselpunk OU, NC, All Welcome] UpdatedD OP

[Jezabelle]

Vital Stats
Open to All  -  LGBTQ+Friendly  -  Systemless  -  Crossplay Accepted  -  Tagging Used (Lax)  -  Withdrawal tantamount to Character Control Consent
Pic Strongly Advised (Not Necessary)  -  PM Character Sheets

The Desert Campaign

Theatre of War

Map of the Eastern Hemipshere

The Jist

A sweeping tale of Fascists, Communists, and the unfortunate disenfranchised peoples stuck between their machinations.  The action would begin at a single city under siege so the native peoples and players on either side of the conflict could interact reasonably well without being far from one another.

While systemless, there will be a relatively guided plot directed by the wishes of the players as a whole both iC and OOC--no breaking up the band beyond a vignette of sorts.  The story will initially begin in the occupied city, but the eventual plot is tentatively set to revolve around a rag tag fragile alliance who for various conflicting reasons all escape aboard an experimental airship during the height of the siege--and those who pursue them.

Players are free to engage in intrigue, sabotage, innocent attempts to continue on with their lives under the circumstances, or anything else they can think of short of god-modding.  You'll be free to invent your own unique culture\tribe if you seek to play one of the Desert Alliance nationals, or else the region of the Hegemony from which you hail.  It must be said that this is a cold and practical world where stary eyed idealists are unlikely to win the day, but everything is malleable with player demand and a bit of luck and gumption.

Character Sheet

Code Select Expand


[b]Name[/b][float=right][img height=400][/img][/float]
[b]Age[/b]: (17+\)
[b]Build[/b]: (Slim\Tall\Short\Wide/Stout)

[b]Physical Characteristics[/b]: (well oiled beard, shaved head, big boobs, scars, birth marks--anything you want to describe in particular detail and is maybe not obvious or/And present in your picture)
[list]
[li][/li]
[li][/li]
[li][/li]
[li][/li]
[/list]

[b]Allegiance[/b]: (Fascist, Communist, Desert Alliance, or Neutral\None-of-the-Above)

[b]Occupation[/b]:  (Hair dresser, assassin, street performer, cabaret dancer, radio show host, stripper, secret policeman, government censure, [REDACTED], professional couch surfer--you do you)

[b]Rank[/b]:  (If applicable, anything above Lt.Col requires permission--this isn't a milCentric RP, you don't need to be a soldier or anything if that's not what you're feeling)

[b]Nationality/Ethnicity[/b]:  The Twin Eagles(F) \ The Firebird(C) (if different, explain in bio)[can create one or request help in creating one, Facsists have a large continent to south of the Theatre of War map so there's lots of room for them to exist--client state members probably of far less standing and technical knowledge unless explain in bio; Fascists in particular do not favor ethnic minorities with much esteem)

[b]Biopic[/b]:  (Give us the character's elevator pitch, 1 to 3 sentences, 4.5 max)

[b]Full Bio[/b]:  (Explain any apparent idiosyncrasies, such as differing Nationality and Ethnicity,


The Factions

The Twin Eagles

The Fascisti  -   Grey Tide  -  The Glorious Reich

Colors yellow and black with grey as the field uniform variant.  The Fascists are WWII Germany/Austria and It'Ly rolled into one and smoked as a joint.  Expect biological determinism, Mad! Science, occult mysticism being the scenes, overwhelming force, and an "always just-one-more" conquest kind of attitude to propagating their living space.

Subservient states are used for forced labor or else shock troops, drawn easily under the auspices of the Reich their frail governments serve as little more than sock-puppets for the will of the Fuhrer.

The Firebird

The Reds  -  The People's Front  -  Communists

Colors are crimson red and overall brown; turning neighbouring rulers into yes-men before knocking out the underpinnings of their traditional society and supplanting it with subservience to the rusting Communist hive-mind back in the Capital.

The Crescent Banner

The Desert Alliance  -  Green Heads  -  FreeStaters

A fragile alliance of free states caught between the ambitions of the two Hegemonic factions, many left or fell to invaders at the outbreak of the war one year ago--the few remaining are hardened nomads, exiles on the lamb, or hardened desert and steppe dwellers who hold delusions of delivering so many Pyrrhic victories to the invaders they decide to leave their particular scratch of land well enough alone.

All but fratcal'd into obscurity, many who remain are quickly choosing which side to take.  Unwilling to utterly rape the earth in technological pursuits, they have tamed mega-fauna and commune with other preternatural wildlife unique to this world.  That's not enough to stand against Tesla coils and 75mm shells, but it's sure as shit enough to make them a deadly guerrilla force where they're willing to stand and fight before fading back into the night.

The Background

Relatively Arabian/African peoples have enjoyed a period of relative piece as their neighbors murdered one another.  Undergoing cultural renaissances and coming to greater understanding of their role in the world's ecosystem as societies as a whole, most of the states in the so-called Desert Belt on the continent which is to play theatre to this Great War are technologically advanced, but lack the resources or desire to literally "rape the earth" in pursuit of dominance.  They are as likely to be run by democracy, oligarchy, theocracy, or monarchy--but all of them band together in a loose alliance when their oil-rich land becomes the battleground between two ideological hegemonic powers.  They are rough analogues of Fascisti and Communists.  Democracy loving Capitalists lay heavy on the Capitalist side of the spectrum and are not willing to intervene militarily.

As the Desert Campaign grinds to the end of its first year, lots of blood has been shed, and most of the nations bordering the hegemonies have betrayed the alliance in favor of the nearest "winning team" hegemony, becoming little more than glorified puppet states from which to draw conscripts.  Those that have not were crushed and their governments and militaries, or what remained of them, fled ever inward into the deserts and steppes.

The flash-point will be a hitherto neutral port city-state which falls under Communist occupation all but overnight when their battleships sail into harbor and their spider mechs clamber over the walls, bomb-laden zeppelins smogging the sky above it all.  Various expats and those fleeing the conflict due to their own participation in it or a desire to avoid it are ensnared in the Red Net.

Meanwhile, the Fascisti are not far behind, and with superior numbers on land and better working machinery far less likely to break down in the sands force the Communists into a defensive posture within the city's archaic stone walls.

Style

RTD-esque (D20 and fate alone) rolls may decide the outcomes of battles and skirmishes, but by and large this would be a freeform RP--unless there was significant desire to see that changed.

Ultimately, I could come up with metric tonnes of minute details per request, but I figured it'd be best to know if anyone's interested at all and if so where they'd prefer to see things head before running ahead of myself here.

WTF is Dieselpunk? you ask, to which I lamely quote an internet definition found here:

"A postmodern genre of art as well as a budding subculture that combines the aesthetics of the interbellum period through World War II and ending circa 1950s (a range of time often referred to as the “diesel era” by the dieselpunk community) with contemporary creations."

Final Fantasy 7 and BioShock are heavily Dieselpunk inspired works, for a frame of reference--although the paranormal in terms of magic\etc. would likely be absent from this RP, there may be unique "non-earth" wild life, to add to the flavour of the setting.  Up to those (if any) who are interested to decide if that's to their preference.

ImageSpuration

Theme pictures to give a vague inkling of direction if you're not quite sure still what it is I'm on about.

(Some of these tend to the Western and cleaner, or highly advanced tech--to clarify, I'm not envisioning anything beyond Analogue Computing being invented, or at least wide spread, in this world; I've added a section to show some indication of what the city may be like)

femCharacters

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

maleChars

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Theme Images (landscapes\scenes\tech\misc\\;:)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

City'spration(initiaL SettinG)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Tag Code

Code Select Expand


Name (Character):[float=right][img height=100][/img][/float]
Tagged:
[hr]



Tagging will work as a system for encouraging responses--basically it's the person saying that they expect or hope your character responds to the events described within their post. 

Accepted Characters

NameМаксим Вячеслав or in English, майо́р Maxim Vyacheslav

Age: 27
Build: Tall and slim thanks to the lack of food.

Physical Characteristics: (well oiled beard, shaved head, big boobs, scars, birth marks--anything you want to describe in particular detail and is maybe not obvious or/And present in your picture)

• Meduim sized cock
• Scar on the left side of the face
• Blue eyes
• Straight form

Allegiance: Communist with the 4th division

Occupation: CO in the Communist army

Rank: майо́р or known as Major

Nationality/Ethnicity: The Firebird(C)/Siberian

Biopic: майо́р Maxim Vyacheslav, a man seeking justice for his people. Trying to fight off the force of tyranny that has opposed his nation for almost two years. Seeking to bring peace between the two nations he fights though he doesn't like sending men to die. Though in the end they would have sacrificed for the continuing of the Firebird

Full Bio: Born in the middle of no where he had the chance to continue life without the influence of other people but that wasn't майо́р Maxim Vyacheslav style. Leaving his home for the capital of the Firebird he ran into soldiers marching in the streets. Being just eighteen years old he ran to the nearest recruitment center where he one day would be like those men protecting mother Firebird.

[Interdiction of words]

I would like to join at all costs, I love the period that you have chosen and what you have done it on but I wonder if I can make a factional force much like the Panzer Lehr.

[Jezabelle]

I would like to join at all costs, I love the period that you have chosen and what you have done it on but I wonder if I can make a factional force much like the Panzer Lehr.

It would only make sense--I'm envisioning some very Desert Foxy shit going down.  Imagine, it'll be like if Rommel actually had fuel to move his tanks!

And zepplins and spider robots and yatta yatta, but, you know, minor details  O8)

As a side note I'm willing to get as "into" the logistics, geopolitics, and cultures as y'all are--I just know I can be overbearing cause I love world-building.

[Interdiction of words]

Well not to insult you or say your wrong but Rommel did the Africa Korps; I admire the man but alas my heart is set on something else., I am talking about the elite german, Panzer Lehr, fighting force that held off the allies from 1944 to 1945 in holland. Different weapons were used then the standard german army but all together a true fighting force to be reckoned with

I love world building and working out all the small details but I was thinking that my Factional force would be more geared to fight for the guys whom are willing to deal with high and mighty soldiers of the very best.

[Jezabelle]

Well not to insult you or say your wrong but Rommel did the Africa Korps; I admire the man but alas my heart is set on something else., I am talking about the elite german, Panzer Lehr, fighting force that held off the allies from 1944 to 1945 in holland. Different weapons were used then the standard german army but all together a true fighting force to be reckoned with

I love world building and working out all the small details but I was thinking that my Factional force would be more geared to fight for the guys whom are willing to deal with high and mighty soldiers of the very best.

Right right, I meant more in terms of cunning German tank commanders (EDIT: of course he was commanding a lot more than just tanks, but that's how I conceive of him in broad strokes).  Generally speaking, one or two Fascist nations basically dominate(s) the hegemony; your men could be the very best, deployed to break the back of the Communist line by taking the important supply point.

The map is a bit bigger than what I show, I'm imagining the Fascists are based on another continent\large island and are largely invading after domineering nations on the southern coast into submission.

[Interdiction of words]

I will send you a comprehensive list of what I will be using in the battles in a PM but for now my faction shall be called "Ewige Kreuz" or Eternal Cross. They are mostly specialty units, few in numbers but powerful in combat under right circumstances

[Jezabelle]

I will send you a comprehensive list of what I will be using in the battles in a PM but for now my faction shall be called "Ewige Kreuz" or Eternal Cross. They are mostly specialty units, few in numbers but powerful in combat under right circumstances

iEagerly await this; of it is desired, a shift in scope, or at least a string of encounters could ensue.  It is called "The Desert Campaign," after all! 

We shall see who else bites and what tickles their fancy.

[eBadger]

This looks interesting and I love the setting (and dieselpunk!  Whoo!) but it seems a bit too vague and sandboxy.  May I humbly suggest a slightly more focused plot/adventure?

[Jezabelle]

This looks interesting and I love the setting (and dieselpunk!  Whoo!) but it seems a bit too vague and sandboxy.  May I humbly suggest a slightly more focused plot/adventure?

Sure; what flavor adventure?  Right now it's largely in a constrained area and shit's about to get wrecked.

Perhaps a group of individuals manage to hijack a flying ship just in time to escape the fall of the city KotOR-style and flee across the No Man's Land down the sort of closing corridor between the armies' lines?

[Mystic Mika]

Sounds very interesting! Would love to get in on the ground floor so to speak. I am thinking maybe a Cabaret style performer caught in between the changing alliances and intrigue of the campaign?

[Jezabelle]

Sounds very interesting! Would love to get in on the ground floor so to speak. I am thinking maybe a Cabaret style performer caught in between the changing alliances and intrigue of the campaign?

Absolutely!  Very interbellum concept that.  As for other details you'd like to see, feel free to put things forward.

[Frelance]

I am interested in this game. I don't have to much experience with Dieselpunk or Steampunk but my interest has grown since I read the Leviathan series by Scott westerfeld. I would be up for making an expat who has be drafted into one of the larger forces. I am thinking he would probably be a mechanic with experience in crewing one of the walkers.

If we want to go the intrigue route I could have him be part of the communist forces inside the city even though his home country would have been in the hegemony so he could be recruited to be a spy or used to smuggle troops past the red line.

I have other ideas but I have not thought them out to much yet.

[Jezabelle]

I can dig it; bearing in mind total freeForm is usually a death sentence as someone already pointed out, trying to imagine character concepts that could be thrust together into a sky sojourn with some degree of believability is a good idea.

I think a Red operative makes lots of sense though, as well as a mechanically inclined one.  Maybe you wouldn't know about airships too much, but you'd have a greater working knowledge of the tech than most still.

[Frelance]

Ya freeForm can be a complete death sentence without some guiding plot. I am completely up to adapting the character to fit a plot.  It would be entertaining to see him getting pissed as he tries to transfer his knowledge from the walkers engines to those in the airships.

I had actually been thinking he would an operative for the hegemony but a red operative sounds good to haha. I will wait and see which fits better with the game.

[Jezabelle]

Forgive my mistaking your meaning--both of the Fascists and the Reds are hegemonies.  I'll stop being lazy and make a faction section to sort of make that more clear.

[Interdiction of words]

If there is going to be to many fascists I can be a Communist but I will have to change around some things

[Jezabelle]

If there is going to be to many fascists I can be a Communist but I will have to change around some things

It could work to the story's favour to have a totally GM run faction, so if nobody goes Red y'all can just have me and the interlopers to deal with.

[Interdiction of words]

But I like red just as much as grey so i can do it if you wish me to or let me rephrase that. I want to be RED

[Jezabelle]

But I like red just as much as grey so i can do it if you wish me to or let me rephrase that. I want to be RED

It's up to you; you won't need to commit until the RP starts either way, but don't feel I'm holding you back from joining either side.

As a reminder, the Fascists are going to have a tech edge on the Reds.

[Interdiction of words]

Well I know they will but the Russians had many different abilities

[Jezabelle]

Right,

• Vodka
• Snow
• Hot Women with Cold Hearts
• Communism(!?)

I'm just saying in a slug-out the Fascist armor will outperform equivalent Communist armor across many metrics.

[eBadger]

Sure; what flavor adventure?  Right now it's largely in a constrained area and shit's about to get wrecked.

Perhaps a group of individuals manage to hijack a flying ship just in time to escape the fall of the city KotOR-style and flee across the No Man's Land down the sort of closing corridor between the armies' lines?

Hmm, that looks a great deal more appealing...I'll see what I can come up with for a character.  I'm thinking royalty from one of the small, neutral oil-rich tribes. 

[Jezabelle]

Hmm, that looks a great deal more appealing...I'll see what I can come up with for a character.  I'm thinking royalty from one of the small, neutral oil-rich tribes.

Noce; sounds like it could bring some spice to the formula.  Bearing in mind no one stays neutral forever, with the Fascists on one side and the Reds bearing down on t'other--I suspect most of the individuals won't be in favour of either side unless they're directly a member, however.

If you want to chew the cud world building wise on the tribe, feel free to do that here or in PMs with me.

[Interdiction of words]

Right,

• Vodka
• Snow
• Hot Women with Cold Hearts
• Communism(!?)

I'm just saying in a slug-out the Fascist armor will outperform equivalent Communist armor across many metrics.

The Russians produced one of the most unbreakable armies in the world not to mention the largest guns to be used in mobile war fair

[Frelance]

Germany had the technological advantage but Russia had way more man power so they would beat them in man power. In the end it all depends on how you use your resources.