Welcome, Initharite Engineer, to Harren Island.
Core Thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=174353.0)
(https://i.imgur.com/0Qo20Lq.png)
Your people have landed in an area you've dubbed "The Rimefields", notable for it's extreme cold, frozen waterways, and deadly frost. Your people have pushed their way south, combating the environment every step of the way. While your people attempt to understand and utilize the unique materials available to the island, your efforts are frequently stymied by a mysterious group known only as The Pact. Their headquarters is a centrally located island housing a massive Fortress-City. Past them, in the burning lands of the south, lies another group representing a nation of the Old World: The Embral. You must do what you can to ensure that they can't bring the knowledge they gain here back to The Old World and threaten Initharite supremacy.
It is presently the Design Phase. As mentioned in the Core Thread, you will be posed a scenario to be answered with an appropriate design. The prompt is as follows:
The Old World wasn't always a mess of nation-states clawing and tearing at one another. Early on most were nomadic tribes of hunter-gatherers. Your people lived off the land, migrating as needed to ensure they could be fed and watered. Stone tools helped push your people forward, granting them opportunities they otherwise would have never had. Indeed, this is the first time your people stand out above the rest. Propose an item that could be constructed during this period and utilized by your tribe in some way. This choice, as with those that come in the following turns, will paint your nation's past as well as influence their opening armory.
You are also to create the unique resource that makes your nation special by the end of the fifth preliminary turn.
Any questions can be posed here or in Discord (linked in the core thread). As we go further and options open up I'll explain some of the finer rules in-depth, but for now that's it!
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 UNDEFINED
Taiga: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Empty, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
Freezon is a curious substance found in the bodies of sea creatures inhabiting deep, dark parts of the ocean. It slows down their metabolism, and allows them to endure enormous pressure. However, it was noted in the initial sighting that smaller creatures that normally wouldn't survive at such depths or temperatures were spotted in the immediate vicinity.
Best of all, we know how to make it now.
Freezon is an organic chemical compound that slows the movement of molecules of an object, protecting it from harsh environments and forces while simultaneously reinforcing its internal structure so that the near-zero temperatures don't damage it.
Inspired by the Freeze Ray from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Not an Ice Beam, that's all Johnny Snow)
Meton
Meton is a curious substance found in the bodies of sea creatures inhabiting deep, dark parts of the ocean. It slows down their metabolism, and allows them to endure enormous pressure. However, it was noted in the initial sighting that smaller creatures that normally wouldn't survive at such depths or temperatures were spotted in the immediate vicinity.
Best of all, we know how to make it now.
Meton is an organic chemical compound that slows the movement of molecules of an object, protecting it from harsh environments and forces while simultaneously reinforcing its internal structure so that damage doesn't occur while slowed relative to the timestream. When the creatures can no longer create this compound, they age at a normal pace, though a small "jump" does occur, in which the creature has been seen to phase through matter.
Initharian Defining Tech: Stone Age
Proposal: Voyaging Canoe
The sounds of the sea and the flapping of his sail greeted Saia's ears as he woke -- he had spent the night asleep on his canoe, as did most men of his tribe when the voyaging time came. The life of a member of the tribe was a life conducted often on the move, over the open water, and key to that process was their canoes -- normally, Saia wouldn't be alone with one, as the craft were large, allowing family to stay together as they sailed, but right now he was, well, having a little bit of a spat. It would be fine -- after the days of the voyage they would probably have forgiven him. And well-made craft were capable of going for days, food stored in the back of the canoe, the sail catching the wind and lazily but purposefully drifting along the waves...
The Voyaging Canoe is a large canoe built primarily of wood, with a large sail made of long, narrow palm fronds woven together tightly, and light wooden outrigging built at the side of the craft. The craft don't exactly take a short time to make because of the amount of stone-carved wood that has to be put plank-by-plank (each plank split and shaped carefully through merely different kinds of stones) together and the careful weaving of the palm fronds that make up the sail, and they aren't exactly fast or maneuverable, but this cost comes with the main benefit of the craft: being able to travel shockingly large distances and voyage for surprisingly long times, days at a time, allowing the tribe incredible overall mobility and nomadism over the water.
Difficulty: Normal
Result: (6+5)+0=11, Masterwork
It is said the first Inithar left the mainland in search of new, bountiful lands, but were washed away in a storm and lost asea. These lost ancestors came across a large chain of islands which, as luck would have it, did indeed prove to be bountiful and, most importantly, uninhabited by other humans. Being a people confined to a collection of widespread islands had many difficulties to overcome, not the least of which was crossing the sea itself.
Historians have recently discovered that this was, in fact, no issue at all. The early Inithar were master woodworkers and seafarers, and their ability to carve and shape wood into large seaworthy outrigger canoes was unprecedented.
Trees from the larger islands provided the wood necessary to carve the planks and rigging for the vessels as well as the palm fronds that were delicately woven together to create the sails. The vessels would end up anywhere from eight to ten meters long and were stable enough to withstand moderately rough seas or the occasional pop-up storm. Each craft was built by a family for that family, with the most skilled woodworker in charge of the construction. It was very common for a family to call upon skilled woodworkers from other families to aid in the long process required to carve the wood with stone and shell tools. The skills and steps required to construct one of these canoes were passed down from generation to generation, but amazingly there was never a loss of quality in the craft. There was not much improvement either, but there was no need, as the Voyaging Canoes provided the Inithar the ability to cross vast distances of ocean with little risk to themselves (past being lost at sea). It was not uncommon for a canoe to head out to sea for days at a time simply wandering to discover more islands for their people to spread to.
The Voyaging Canoe was the life-blood of the Inithar in the Stone Age, and provided them the means of becoming a dominant oceangoing people.
----------------
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.
As this turn has no previous age's tech to advance, you're given a little more leeway in regards to revision difficulty. This means a proposal can be very loosely connected to the design and it won't impact difficulty as badly as a Revision would normally see.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Initharite Defining Tech: Stone Age Revision
Proposal: Tales of Color
Life in Inithar is dazzlingly colorful, a vivid spectrum of oranges, reds, purples, yellow from the flowers of the islands, the green of the trees, the deep unending blue of the seas and skies. The ships of Inithar became no exceptions to this -- starting with voyaging families hanging patterned sets of flowers and vines off of their ships to indicate their presence and to add vibrancy to their travels, it eventually became a tradition to paint the ships of Inithar extremely colorfully, the patterns and designs of color that marked each ship unique and passed through the generations much like the woodworking skills that created the ships in the first place. Whereas the ships may have stayed static, these color patterns didn't, with each successive family painter both learning how to grind the dyes with which the ships were painted and adding their generation's accomplishments to the tale the colors told.
Each Voyaging Canoe is painted with a brilliant array of different colors, patterned and designed, and each of these ships is painted in a way that is totally unique to the family who the canoe belongs to. The color language has taken on a sort of communicative aspect, as well, as each generation of a family slightly alters the patterns and colors of their ships in order to record the accomplishments of the generation it belongs to. This ends up with skilled Initharians being able to recognize whose canoes are approaching from afar, and to recognize what they're famed for doing long before they get into speaking distance, if they do at all. This allows for a sort of teamwork-based communication between ships on the open ocean, allowing them to fall to some extent into their family's skilled roles and work together without even having to stop voyaging.
Difficulty: Very Easy
Result: (6+5)+2=13, Unexpected Boon
The Tales of Color is one of the first "written" languages on the planet. Used initially to easily identify the family a sea craft belonged to, it evolved to denote the skills and accomplishments of each member of the family. This rapidly spread to other parts of society, and it was not uncommon for a skilled craftsworker to don clothing dyed to represent their craft and level of skill. While this did create a somewhat unofficial class system, it was often only those among the most skilled of their profession that donned the Colors.
As the islands of Inithar were settled further and their society became more sedentary the Tales of Color evolved with them. While a true written language was eventually formulated, the Tales of Color provided the Initharites with a nearly unbreakable code of communication layered on top of it that even today frequently stumps foreign anthropologists and researchers.
----
The Bronze Age
Initharite civilization flourished as the only threat they had to tackle regularly were storms and the occasional outbreak of illness. As society continued to advance the barest forms of metal industry appeared - first in tools, then in weapons. The rest of the world was also progressing, and eventually the isolated island people of Inithar drew the attention of a rapidly expanding empire. While their ships paled in comparison to Initharite designs, this empire had a seemingly endless pool of men and material to throw across the waves from the Big Island. The people of Inithar did not stand idly by as these invaders sought to take life and land from them, and made this growing menace regret every landing performed. This did not stop them from building footholds within rightful Initharite territory, claiming what they could as their own in their conquest and greed.
Your design this turn will be the thing that aided most in your ability to assault these fortified locations and push back into their own homeland. These guys are the equivalent of the Achaemenid Empire at it's height; well-trained, well-armed, seemingly endless and, up until their encounter with Inithar, largely undefeated. This design will be seen as the biggest contributing factor to a string of defeats up to and including the sacking of their capital.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Tales of Color: A highly complex system of identification and communication relying solely on colors and patterns. It is nearly impenetrable for outsiders even by today's standards.
The problem of fortified positions was very troublesome for the Inithar. Prior to that period all their conflicts were centered around mobility and navel combat. Fortified positions created a new problem they had never encountered before. They adapted by creating the smoke sling. The projectile was a tightly bound ball of dried herbs and leaves about twice the size of a clenched fist. There was a hollow wooden reed leading to the center of the ball. Just before being launched at the enemy burning embers would be poured down the reed into the center of the ball. Without much oxygen the fire would burn slowly and generate an acrid cloud of dense black smoke that typically caused a burning sensation in the eyes and in the throat. The exact effects of this smoke were determined by the herbs and plants used but it was usually pretty effective at driving the enemy out of a fortified position.
However since the projectile was larger than normal and needed to hurled great distances regular slings were insufficient. Which is why the Inithar adopted the staff sling. It was a two meter stick with a rope and cradle on the end for the projectile. The staff acted as a level propelling the ball of burning herbs great distances and often in steep arcs, allowing it to get into fortified positions.
This early form of chemical warfare allowed the Inithar to push back the invaders
The Siege of Salvios
With the Loyalists attacking Harren City and the Traitors invading from the north you wouldn't be a fool to assume the capital of Salvios got off easy. It's just that in this war, as all wars, things never adhere to logic and sense.
The skies were remarkably clear above Salvios, the air providing a soft breeze to cool sun-touched skin on this particularly warm afternoon. An engineer by the name of dgr was overseeing the maintenance of a Mantle Supreme Titanic Emplacement when word of the betrayal in the skies above Harren reached the Salviosi capital. It was only a few moments after that when the first Invader ship seemingly materialized overhead, casting a gloom shadow across a large swathe of the trade city. In a moment the plethora of heavy weapons available to the Multinational defenders opened up on the belly of this beast. Munitions detonated prematurely as small guns mounted throughout the ship's hull fired at and intercepted the incoming rounds. A few smaller rounds slammed into the hull but left superficial damage at best.
The Mantles, under orders from Engineer Nemonole, focused fire as the massive vessel's bottom began opening to reveal a very large cannon mounted on the underside. Aircraft of the same design as the ones over Harren City departed from it en masse, easily hunting down and picking off Multinational aircraft as if they were playing a game. The cannon beneath the ship began to glow a vibrant purple-blue as a second ship phased into existence just past the city limits. Drop pods began raining from the heavens, notably well past the distance the liar Cael's Dimensional Field Dampening Generator should allow interdimensional travelers to fly. These pods fell to the earth well clear of the ship threatening the capital, dropping in on a select few neighborhoods and among the outer defenses.
With more enemy craft incoming, and with the larger ship still showing no signs of damage, Nemonole ordered the Mantles to fire at will, engaging any targets of opportunity. The occasional round struck a drop pod, but they just fell too quickly to hit reliably. The emplacements would've focused on ground targets but combat was in such tight quarters, with trenches, armored sleds, and guard posts being fought over inch by bloodied inch, that any shot would have killed an unacceptable amount of friendlies. Still, the Mantles kept doing their best in an attempt to fight their skyward foes.
The cannon beneath the first ship finally roared as a massive ball of superheated matter whistled out of it, frying the air as it flew through it. The first shot splashed against a Mantle with devastating effect. The impact and blast of the amorphous round scorched the earth around the emplacement and immediately set alight anything even resembling flammable material nearby. The armor impacted by the plasma disintegrated under the withering heat, and the soldiers inside were flash-roasted. The second ship's cannon had extended slightly outward and angled towards the city, but otherwise had begun the same charging sequence as the first.
Dgr and Nemonole both could do little but listen as men and women near the blast called out for help over their radios. The second burst fired, arced over Salviosi sands and landed amid the city, vaporizing an entire city block with ease and setting fire to the structures around it. Pockets of Multinational forces were able to hole up in heavily fortified bunkers, but these bombardments threatened to melt them down or at the very least burn them out. The Salviosi defenses were indeed unparalleled on this planet, but these invaders bypassed half the defenses Multinational forces had to offer just by dropping from the skies.
The Tectonic made it's presence known outside Salvios' capital building. Fighting was intense in the streets outside as the six-meter armored behemoth, supported by Multinational Infantry, held off against countless foes pouring out of the drop pods that had been landing consistently since they first fell. The fight was brutal, intense, and constant, and it wasn't too long before the Tectonic had to resort to melee tactics. It's fingers were capable of grasping Invader soldiers and crushing or tossing them aside as if they were paper dolls. Covered in blood, scorch marks, gouges and dents, the Tectonic fought valiantly to provide a rallying point and a symbol of hope to the beleaguered Multinationalists.
Nemonole watched as a third blast fired, decimating the Salviosi capital building and everything around it. A third ship appeared in the skies. Another blast fired. And another. The city had begun to burn intensely, portions of the ground having been heated enough to form a surface of glass. Nobody could have been ready for this. Even those SHOE who knew of the strange things in our world were being misled. It was being made clear that if humanity here wasn't to bow then they were to burn. More impacts within the city itself, as though the invaders didn't care that the capital of Salvios was a largely civilian settlement. Nemonole watched and waited as yet another ship appeared in the skies. At this point the order to his Mantle to stand down had been given, as had a general city-wide order to abandon the city and retreat. No, not retreat, flee. There would be no victory there today, and with the press of a flashing red button, Nemonole sought to ensure that remained true for the Invaders.
The Harren Multinational Pact is LOSING the Battle for Salvios.
The Decisive Action
The crew on the Sky Tyrant had all taken cover below-decks. Munitions had been tossed haphazardly overboard as the Abberan-now-Multinational ship approached Cael's own and systems not devoted to propulsion or shielding were powered off. The Invader aircraft attempted to swarm and strafe the titanic ship but to no avail as the combination of immensely thick reinforced armor and gravitic shielding provided ample protection to those within.
The Sky Tyrant was over the Upper District and rapidly approaching the Invader mothership when the massive vessel began to move, accelerating to such a speed that the Sky Tyrant wouldn't catch up to it. Yet she was not the only tool in the Multinational Armory.
The Liberator Air Defense System had been installed all across the Fortress-City, and through coordination of Valkria with it's creator, an engineer who referred to themselves as Rockeater, the system was entirely focused on tethering the Invader mothership. The city itself seemed to reach out with hundreds of thick myomer vines as they were launched skyward, with some even managing to snake past the shields and strike the armor of the craft hard enough to penetrate and hook into. The ship creaked and groaned as the hyperstrength artificial muscle, anchored deep into the ground, tightened and pulled against it. Fuck Cannala Guy and his Harimau contingent on the Sky Tyrant ran to the top deck as the ship got ever closer to the Invaders, and when it was finally close enough that the enemy aircraft were unlikely to intercept them in time, they took off towards the mothership.
A tether popped, then another. Thick myomer cords slapped down onto the city embroiled in battle. The ship began to shift, and before the entirety of the Harimau soldiers managed to get into hangars or on top of the ship itself it had begun to move again. Most of the Harimau soldiers managed to find themselves within or on top of the vessel before it began to move again. Fuck Cannala Guy had a moment to glance behind him and see an old buddy get torn from the skies as the ship shifted and an Invader fighter swooped past, clipping him with a wing. There was no time to process the loss though, not now, not yet, not surrounded by twenty Invaders currently at work in the hangar.
Fuck Cannala Guy, who stood out among his peers already in custom-painted Red and Blue Harimau armor with "Fuck Cannala" written on the front in Bordosian, opened fire on the people crewing the hangar and it's security with his preferred weapons - a pair of LGG-12P's. Without their overwhelming air and orbital support the enemy infantry was largely ineffective in a confined space against an elite Multinational soldier. Rounds pinged off of FCG's armor as he used enemy aircraft amid repair and rearming as cover. An Invader charged him, one that rivaled a Harimau suit in size, with a large, heavy wrench-like tool. The Invader swung the tool at head-level but FCG pivoted and ducked, the tool passing through air and denting the aircraft he'd been taking cover behind. Before the giant recovered FCG stood up and jabbed him in the throat with the barrel of one of his LGGs, extracting a sickening, stifled gurgle as his esophagus collapsed. Then a second strike. Then a third, followed by a single shot through the throat and a solid boot to the chest, knocking the Invader across the floor in a bloody smear before turning his attention back to the others.
Invaders, presumably the mechanics, had already begun fleeing the hangar as shipboard security made their way in. FCG at this point had taken to moving toward the nearest exit at a brisk pace, all the while pounding every Invader he saw with just the right amount of overkill. Bodies began to smoulder and burn from the FMJ/G rounds, filling the air with the unsettling combination of cooking meat, burning fabrics, and the sickly-sweet, pungent odor of death. FCG, on his own, had managed to force an evacuation of the entire hangar while the Invaders tried to respond. No doubt the situation was complicated by the attacks happening across multiple decks along the same side of the craft.
But then the bulkhead sealed shut with a hiss, as did the hangar bay door, locking FCG away from the outside world save a single window overlooking the city. A loud clank and more hissing signaled the introduction of a just-visible gas in the hangar. FCG cursed. The Harimau had it's own oxygen system, but it was limited. And as he saw Harren moving beneath him, more tethers snapping under stress, FCG knew time wasn't his ally. But as he stared back at a city he'd likely never see again an odd flicker crossed past FCG. And another. The shield on the ship was wavering, buckling, then...seemingly gone. Someone on the ship had succeeded in sabotaging the fucking thing. Now all he had to do was wait for some landbound fucker to fulfill his final wishes.
The Harren Island Gambit
The fighting in Harren City was as intense, if not moreso than the fighting currently seen elsewhere on the island. The fighting was most intense at a facility of import for all sides: a single missile silo, indeed the only of it's kind in the world, installed in the Upper District as part of the Fortress-City's defenses. The weapon had yet to go on-line, the processes required to ensure the missile launched and detonated were complex beyond reason. Invader forces had breached the defenses around the silo and underground facility, utilizing the self-destructive soldiers to force openings to be exploited.
Explosion after explosion went off while the recently-promoted engineer RedWolf waited for the signal from above. The Glas Bolg next to him crackled to life with confirmed reports of impacts directly against the Invader mothership and so RedWolf flipped the lever that opened up the hatch topping the silo. The sounds of warfare echoed down through the structure and added to the already immense cacophony caused by combat within. With the hangar open RedWolf proceeded to hit the big red button meant to trigger the missile's launch. The engine fired up, the missile began to lift, then...
Three people, separated by many, many kilometers, coincidentally (if you believe in such things) and simultaneously hit their big red buttons. With Abbera burning to the ground and no hope in stopping Gavros' Traitor forces, Fox had detonated Abbera's munitions stockpiles. Trees were flattened for kilometers as stores of explosive shells, powder, fuel, and countless other military resources went up in a series of terrific blasts. D-Gavrillium from the Rime shells coated everything and visibility turned to zero as smoke, dust, ash, and D-Gav polluted the already-soupy air. To the south in Salvios Nemonole had made the same decision. The city was able to hold off just a bit longer and managed to pull a few people out of there before also going up in a terrifying explosive eruption of molten materials. The explosion was large and bright enough that it could be seen from Bryor far to the west (see page 3 of this thread for the world map+key). When the missile in Harren City was launched the thing, to everyone's surprise, failed and after gaining momentary lift dropped back to the earth and, it it's extremely sensitive state, exploded. The massive warhead took out the facility and a significant area nearby.
Each of these noble sacrifices (even if one wasn't so intentional) were centered over very important locations in relation to this planet and the invaders: they're the three places anyone has made contact with the interdimensional substructure of the planet itself - the very thing that Gavros seeded realities with in order to ease the invasion of new dimensions. The explosions at the two capitals, over the chambers manipulated into being by a long-forgotten and completely unknown version of Aren Wagner and Antero Sahay, and the one in Harren, which took out a large tract that included the graveyard, overloaded the interdimensional system and as soon as they'd appeared, the Invaders were...gone. The sheer systemic overload cause the superstructure to fail, distorting it's effects as it ceased working. Interdimensional entities within our reality were torn roughly from it as a result. A number of citizens across the globe also vanished, oddly including all notable engineers from the Harren Multinational Pact.
The Harren Multinational Pact has ATTAINED VICTORY over the invading forces!
20 Years Later...
With Salvios a Sea of Fire and Abbera a Frozen Waste, surviving "Dissenters" from both nations converged on the relatively intact Harren Fortress-City. They formed a new government using a democratic, party-based political system, isolated themselves from the rest of the world, and attempted to rebuild from the ashes. The process would take decades more, if not centuries, but the people of the island were strong-willed and had faced the worst, they hoped, that the multiverse had to offer.
People expected the Great War and the Sacrifice of Harren to signal an end to global violence, but such a peace could only last for so long. While Harren had become unified through the conflict, the Interdimensional Invasion had shaken the geopolitical situations on the main continents to absolute pieces. Cael's Loyalists and Gavros' Traitors still had people taking up their banner, ensuring instability for the forseeable future, and governments attempting to impose authority after surrendering to one of the two aliens were laughed at and many eventually fell apart.
Entirely new nations had risen from the bloated corpse of the old world, but it would only be a matter of time before the nations returned to the old ways of war to settle their differences.
This concludes Industrialized Warfare Arms Race!
I hope you've had fun, or at least had an okay time. While the stories of Abbera and Salvios are now over, the future of Harren is unwritten. The setting will be seen again in a future Arms Race, so long as I don't like die or something.
The conclusion of the great war.
Initharian Defining Tech: Bronze Age
Proposal: Refocyte/Refocyte Longbows
Refocyte
Refocyte, called “Nima Silver” by our ancestors who discovered it, is a metallic ore that in many ways resembles silver - hence the colloquial name. As an ore, it is nothing special - it is quite difficult to distinguish it from other silver-colored metals in it’s natural state. But when processed, some very unique properties can manifest themselves. Our ancestors discovered this when working the metal, thinking it to be bronze or iron.
When refined, Refocyte doesn’t seem to distribute force as a normal material would, but instead stores the energy of whatever forces act on it. It continues to do so, until the Refocyte makes a strong impact - at which point, all the force is released at once. If one takes a hammer to a bar of Refocyte a few times and then drops the bar, it may well damage the floor as the force of the hammer blows is released.
Refocyte Longbows
Sunaka tried to calm his rapid heartbeat as he sighted in on his target. The invaders were unaware of their impending death. He realized he’d closed an eye - “Sloppy. Throws off your aim, your depth perception,” his grandfather had told him when explaining why it was a mistake. He opened his eye. He drew the bowstring back to his chest, breathing heavily. “Take a breath and hold it, or your aim will drift with your breath.”
He had learned from his grandfather while hunting, using a smaller bow that was like a longbow to him at the time. He had learned archery, and now he could hit the wings off a fly at 200 paces. Sunaka had killed before - but animals, not men. But these men had killed his fellows, wished death upon him and his family. And, with the longbow passed down from his father, and his father’s father, and so on down their line, he would do something about it.
As one, a hundred arrows flew between the trees. The invader’s formation simply disintegrated as arrows pierced bronze armor as easily as cloth. Sunaka’s target didn’t even get a death rattle - he was a corpse before he hit the ground. The survivors fled, as the Inithari archers readied another precise volley.
Men, it would seem, were just another kind of animal.
---
While bows had been in use among the Inithari’s ancestors since near the start, it was this invasion where the prevalence and quality of the bows shot up. Inithari Longbows were tall, about the height of a man (taller than some), made from the same trees that they built their boats from, and had a draw weight that surprised foreigners. While it required intense training to use, a skilled archer could kill their enemy from long range, well before they were in any danger. During this period, the arrows also changed, using metal heads instead of the sharpened stone of ages past - more specifically, arrowheads made of Refocyte. Carefully forged and imbued with kinetic force during the creation process, and stored in a specially made quiver to prevent a premature discharge of the energy, the arrows would hit their target and release a large amount of force into them all at once, piercing armor and inflicting grievous wounds.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: (6+3)-2=7, Average
While the Inithar Archipelago contained a wide variety of wildlife and terrain, one thing (besides the inhabitants) was shared by each island: an abundance of a strange material known as Nima Silver or Refocyte. This material proved difficult to extract from the earth at first - miners tried to carve the ore from the hard stone it was found within, when in fact if a miner applied enough force to the ore itself the impact would be amplified through the rock around it, weakening the stone and more often than not freeing the ore for gathering. The Initharians had worked the material into spearheads and arrows but soon did away with them when they proved to cause too much damage to the meat and bone of their prey. The Refocyte, it turned out, was capable of converting kinetic energy to potential energy and storing it until a threshold was reached, where it would unleash the sum of all collected force at the point of impact.
When the first massive ships from the Median Empire were spotted in Initharian seas the people were wary, but did not expect a generation of war to result. The first Median landings were on relatively uninhabited islands, and they were quick to build up fortresses and settlements to support their expanding empire. The Initharians kept their distance until they could no longer. A large Median landing fleet struck the shores of one of the Big Five Islands of Inithar, the major hubs of the nation. The landing was bloody and violent - the Medians took no prisoners, gave no quarter, and the largely unprepared island was slaughtered to the man. Almost.
A single ship bearing remnants of an unremarkable family managed to slip away and spread word of the brutality of these newcomers bearing weapons and armor made of mighty metals. Nothing the defenders of the island brought to bear did significant damage, and while these invaders secured their position many Initharians believed all was lost. That was, until a few mastercraftsmen recalled the devastating damage an arrow tipped in Nima Silver could do to a beast.
Equipped with longbows (a fairly recent creation themselves carved of wood with a string of sinew or plant fibers) and Refocyte Arrows the first of what would become many raiding parties struck out to test these weapons against their foes. The Initharian Longbowmen had to be careful when transporting the Refocyte Arrows, wrapping each one in a cloth to help prevent accidental discharge and chain reactions of force dispersal, but the effect was well worth it. While the energy stored in these arrows could fade, that still left a usable arrow for the Initharian Longbows.
When the first Initharian ships came across a Median vessel they opened fire with these arrows, striking the wooden hull and causing it to burst and splinter at the point of impact. With better range and a higher rate of fire than the Median ship's siege weaponry, the Initharians handily sunk vessel after vessel before slipping away. These raiders, the Tahoratakarar, were able to cut off the Median supply ships and diminish the strength of the wood and stone fortresses defiling their islands. Once the defenders were forced to live off the land to survive the Initharians struck, and from distances too great for the Medians to sufficiently respond. Initharian vessels circled occupied islands like sharks, and if the Medians could understand and differentiate ship markings, they would have noticed the occasional ship disappear from the blockade as they landed on unoccupied, unwatched portions of the islands. The Medians, as advanced as they were, capable of fielding whole armies with iron armor, could not withstand the Initharian ambushes and probing assaults. They'd watch as relief vessels approached over the horizon, only to be swarmed by much smaller vessels and battered into the sea - if they felt confident enough to poke their heads out of cover. The iron armor did little to protect the Medians from Refocyte Arrows, which had a tendency to blast the armor inwards and cause devastating damage to the wearer.
Fortress after fortress was starved out and the defenders whittled away. Yet the Medians still attempted to strike at the Initharians, and so a council of the most renowned Initharians decided to take the fighting to the Big Island. Fighting in unfamiliar territory was difficult, and the inability to take advantage of the ocean stymied Initharian progress, but the amount of men and resources the Medians had sent only to be buried beneath the waves left the empire in a precarious position. Not only had they begun to succumb to infighting, but other opportunistic nations had sought to break away from their Median overlords or take a piece of the pie for themselves. The large, slow moving masses of Median infantry, and the huge targets provided by cavalry, were easily cut down by Initharian raiders who probed further and further into Median territory with each passing month. While a few losses were suffered, the multitude of threats meant the Medians were never able to truly press their advantage. By the eighth year of war the Initharians found themselves preparing an army outside the walls of Media, the illustrious capital city, viewed as untouchable until recently, and impenetrable by it's inhabitants. Two massive stone walls encircled the the massive city defended by the best of what remained of the Median military. It would have indeed proven quite the task were it not for the dozen other armies seeking to sack the city.
While many nations partook in the Siege of Media, the Initharians stood out as a pivotal force, using bows that surpassed anything else of the time to launch the devastating Refocyte Arrows at and over the walls, crumbling both stone and morale. Once a breach was forced though, the barbarity of street fighting was taken on in large part by the other nations seeking vengeance, loot, and/or a bloodbath. Fighting over actual control of the ruins of the city soon erupted between rival groups, though the Initharians withdrew. They had succeeded in toppling their foe. They didn't leave the Big Island empty-handed though, and occupied or absorbed towns and cities near the coast that used to belong to the dead empire.
The Initharians could no longer go back to their isolationist ways, and their toppling of the Medians was only the tip of the iceberg...
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IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.
Once again you will be given some leniency on what you can do with your revision, but note that these revisions should be used more for bringing past advancements into the current age. Your special resource, Refocyte, lies firmly within the sphere of (Physical Force). Keep that in mind when using it in the future.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Refocyte Longbow: A bow as tall as a man with great range known for it's pairing with Refocyte Arrows. The arrows use Refocyte heads capable of transferring the stored energy within through the tip and into the target to devastating effect.
Tales of Color: A highly complex system of identification and communication relying solely on colors and patterns. It is nearly impenetrable for outsiders even by today's standards.
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact.
Nima Silver Blade, NS Short Sword
One wonders why the Inithar did not press the advantage to take the city itself. The main reason was they felt no drive to. An enclosed space with little in the way of line of sight would have just killed them needlessly.
However, it is also true that they reached prominence in that war. And with the absorption of villages, towns, and cities near the coast came an influx of new ideas. One of these ideas was forging, using heat and metal to form blades. And the Silver Blade was truly the pinnacle of that, launching them into more than mere tribes.
By melting bronze and copper together with Nima Silver, the result was then forged carefully. As the metal cooled, it grew far harder to shape, but with effort, a blade was created and then cooled in water. The Result was a blade that maintained a mix of colors, from the gold/bronze sheen, to the silver patterns that could be seen in it. This blade was capable of storing tremendous force, reducing blows made against it to near nothing when guarding. And when swung properly, it's edge simply went straight through rock and stone. Masters of this blade were said to train in cutting entire boulders in a single swing. And in combat, this led to cutting straight through armor and human with a blade of pure force.
What was easiest, and most seen in those times were the Nima Silver Short Sword, though more esoteric designs were also implemented, with varying success.
The main point behind mixing the metals is it was possible to direct where it would release it's energy, and under what conditions. So strikes against the flat of the blade stored energy, while attacks with the edge released it.
One particular note in old records is how this Nima Silver Blade had to be charged, but in a sheath, never activated. It only activated the energy stored inside when swung, and only so long as their was an physical object it transmitted force to.
Additional sources noted that a blade that was nearly black was a good idea that you were about to die, with the blades gradually turning back to silver patterns with each use of the force, and turning back to black as energy was built up..
Nimashield
Nima Silver was forged into a cross, then wood was applied around it to form a diamond shield, with Nima Silver serving as the four corners. The resulting shield could take any strike against it, and when swung, tore through it's target. Whether with a thrust forward like a punch to destroy walls, or a swing to knock off limbs and shatter weapons. It truly brought a great defense to warriors, while serving as a melee weapon of great power. One thing is that the metal slowly turned black as it absorbed energy, to show how much was stored.
The Horseless Carriage.
One thing about Nima Silver is it's ability to transfer force between pieces of it. A simple contact between a charged piece and an uncharged piece will lead to the two equalizing, with more going into the lesser charged piece.
Using this, we made two shafts, and attached Nima Silver wheel spokes to them. As the wheels travel over ground, the force is transferred to the Nima Silver, charging it. This in turn charges connected Nima Silver Pieces, which are then used to rotate the wheels, causing the wheels to continue moving forward. This can be stopped simply by moving the Nima Silver away from each other by the driver with a lever.
This means that when the Nima Silver Shafts are charged, simply pulling the lever is enough to start the process of discharge, allowing for movement overland far beyond other types during this time. It does need to be recharged after every 3 hours of use with a hammer, but it's extremely useful for goods and people to travel with.
This is mostly from us learning how to better modulate the rate of energy discharge, where every bump and movement turns the wheels forward. It is a fairly smooth ride as well, as the bumps are minor due to the energy being absorbed. It's also fairly easy to tell when it's charged, as it blackens and tarnishes as it gets closer to it's full point.
#NotARevison
MoP rolling up to more or less tell us the passive engine won't work like this lmao
Refocyte Passive Engine (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=174355.msg8008906#msg8008906) (2): m1895, Jerick
Refocyte Shortbow (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=174355.msg8008767#msg8008767) (1): Powder Miner
Nimashield (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=174355.msg8008901#msg8008901) ():
hmm.
The Focus Hammer
A hammer with a head made of Nima Silver making up it's core, and a core of Nima Silver serving as the handle attached to that core. Both hammer and handle are covered with a layer of metal to prevent discharge in all but two directions. The heads of the Hammer itself.
When swung into the target, it releases the kinetic energy it has stored into the target. What makes it so useful is the force is also transfer back from the blow into the hammer, settling into the Nima Silver again. This results in little loss of energy between swings, and destroys whatever it connects with. The only exception to this is the earth itself. Instead, a swing down to the earth stores energy in the hammer, charging it quickly. This is mostly because it is like swinging at a mountain. While the mountain may have a dent, it does not move. So the energy of the swinger is transferred to the hammer fully by swinging against an unmovable object.
It is meant to be wielded with both hands, and takes strength and dexterity to use. Both for charging it, and connecting with your foes. One thing is, a fortress is not immovable, as our arrows have proven before. Nor are walls unbreakable.
Hah.. I go to Dinner, then find myself kicked out of the server. What is the Sphere of Physical Force even mean anyway? Because apparently I don't understand anything about what physical force actually means. Or Interaction Development.
Initharian Defining Tech: Bronze Age Revision
Proposal: Refocyte Spear
While history remembers the Initharian's battle against the Median Empire as the age of the Refocyte Longbow, another weapon came into being after the end of the battle. On the islands, there was little need for spearmen in the Initharian army - after all, most battles would be of a naval nature. But the initial gains of the Median Empire were in part because of the lack of properly equipped infantry, and this would only become more important as the nation expanded onto the mainland. So the Initharian's took another look at their past, and the tactics of their enemies - the result being the Refocyte spear. Using this weapon, Initharian infantry made use of a unique version of the spear wall - their infantry formations were a few ranks deep. The front ranks fought for a little bit, expending the charge of their weapon, before rotating to the back and letting the second rank come to the front while the enemy reeled. Those in the back used the rest time to charge their spears, such that they were ready to strike again when they returned to the front ranks. This resulted in formations that inexorably grinded their enemy to dust, while expending minimal energy in return.
-"Initharian Conquest", chapter 2, Dr. Richard Favre
The return of the Refocyte Arrows was very successful. After the war, Initharian craftsmen looked into the past to see what more could be gained - and as it turned out, alongside bows, hunting spears tipped with Refocyte had been used in the past and discarded after they left animal carcasses in too poor a shape to be eaten. However, there is no need to preserve the bodies of our enemies - as such, the time has come for the Refocyte-headed spear to make a return.
The body of the spear is a strong wooden pole of about 6 feet in length, and the spearhead is about a foot long and made of Refocyte. The head is wrapped in "charged" before combat, with the metal turning from silver to a dark green color as it absorbs kinetic energy, and then carefully wrapped in cloth to avoid accidental discharge; when it makes contact, the spear will discharge it's force into the enemy, ideally crippling or killing them while leaving the spearhead intact. These spears allow Initharian forces to maintain a barrier between the longbowmen and whatever forces survived the initial bombardments.
Difficulty: Very Easy
Result: (5+2)+2=9, Above Average
While quite different than a fishing spear, our people still showed promise with a spear made for combat. When introduced onto the Big Island for the first time, these "Boom Sticks" were pairly devastating - if the spear didn't impale it's target outright there was still a chance of a charged spear sending a powerful blast through their target. While the spears could take a while to recharge, they proved particularly effective when things for the Initharian Empire went south.
As time passed the Initharian control of coastal cities and key trade ports led to a massive influx of wealth. The prosperity made them a target. Fortunately for the Initharians the lands they controlled were fairly open, and the combination of spears capable of bursting holes in armor and bows raining thunderous death led to the ruination of many an invading army. During this period however it was widely noted that a dark green spear of arrow meant danger, and they would be avoided or focused on. This was still obviously a difficult task when everything being thrown at you happens to be various shades of silver to green.
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The Age of War
The Initharians hold onto their wealth for millennia, and while land never changes hands, many battles are fought. As battlefield technology and evolution occurr one thing remains constant: The Initharian ability to hold their ground. Unfortunately they never find a persistent peace. The nations of the Big Island are always at war, and thanks to stake in the Big Island themselves, that means Inithar is too. Those who seek to take from Inithar learn to regret it, but eventually their number of enemies grows past the point of being able to hold them back any longer. The Age of War, the Initharian Golden Age, comes to a sudden end in 1911 A.C., when a coalition of enemy forces strikes at Inithar.
You get two design prompts this turn:
What is the one most defining advancement of your nation undertook during this extensive period?
What is you best piece of pre-World War 1 Era equipment?
Include as much fluff as you can, this is a significant portion of time to allow you to make whatever type of nation you actually want.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Refocyte Longbow: A bow as tall as a man with great range known for it's pairing with Refocyte Arrows. The arrows use Refocyte heads capable of transferring the stored energy within through the tip and into the target to devastating effect.
Refocyte Spear: A spear with a Refocyte tip capable of causing debilitating blasts on top of the normal ability of a spear to stab.
Tales of Color: A highly complex system of identification and communication relying solely on colors and patterns. It is nearly impenetrable for outsiders even by today's standards.
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges.
Initharian Defining Tech: Age of War Design
Proposal: Hydro refocyte charging stations
The train yard was busy, but there was a practised flow to the activity. Everyone participating in the bustle knew their place and their role. Like it was a choreographed dance they loaded and unloaded cargo. The trains themselves were colourful, their story and history painted on to the side of the engines.
Panora Rangi loaded another refocyte energy cell on to the train car. The cells in their containment boxes were stacked to the ceiling. Entire train cars backed to the brim full of them. The trains cars near the end of the train were still being unloaded as the ones near the front were being rapidly filled. To the untrained observer, the goods being unloaded were exactly the same as the goods being loaded. Both were refocyte energy cells. The difference was the unloaded cells were outside of containment boxes and were depleted.
Another pallet of boxes was rolled up to him. The pallet, the cranes even the train itself were powered by refocyte. Mechanical energy on demand. He moved to the next car and started stacking boxes. How much energy would be on this train when they were finished loading? It was an unthinkable amount. All of it would be shipped to the factories where it would power the large scale manufacturing machines they housed. Cars, trucks and transports couldn't get enough of it. There was a hunger for refocyte power.
In all the nations the industrial revolution had taken hold in only in Inithar did the air remain clean. Only in Inithar did they eschew coal in favour of refocyte power. Its potential was limitless. Mining machines had been built using it to be able to mine refocyte more effectively. Panora Rangi couldn't help but wonder how many other jobs would be replaced by refocyte powered machines. Given the simple and predictable size of the boxes, designing wouldn't be hard. In fact, he had several ideas on that front. He probably should sketch them out sometime.
The discovery of a brass-refocyte alloy that didn't release all of its stored energy at once drastically changed the way the Inithar handled industry. The alloy releases its energy proportional to the triggering impact. Larger triggering impacts release more energy. The brass refocyte alloy won't store more energy until the energy it contains is completely depleted. Once it's depleted it won't release any energy until is charged up again.
When it first appeared it was used in siege engines employed by the Inithar to defend themselves. These siege engines took forms such as repeater ballistae and other devices that appeared on Inithar walls and ships. Each siege weapon would use the expelled force to cock the trigger impactor allowing repeated and constant use until the alloy ran out of stored power. Rapid-fire bolt-throwers firing refocyte tipped bolts persuaded most of Inithar's invaders to retreat.
Inithar had become a powerful trading nation following the conquest of the Medians. Many of their cities had grown to be influential trading ports. But despite this they zealously guarded refocyte, preventing its acquisition by outsiders. It was the source of their power. They could not afford their jealous enemies getting a hold of it.
But the world did not stay so primitive, nor did warfare. The Inithar were the first to begin the industrial revolution. It was kickstarted by what could be well the most important advancement of the era; large scale refocyte and refocyte alloy charging. The issue with refocyte in general is that it must be charged up with energy in order to be useful. You can charge it through passive means but that is typically slow. Or you can charge it directly but that often takes some time. By centralising refocyte charging and preforming it on a large scale many applications of refocyte that were previously impractical become possible.
One of the first applications of charged alloy was the two-stroke impactor engine. This was where two refocyte energy cells, made from refocyte and brass alloy, were held in parallel. The release from one would provide the force the impactor would use to strike the other one. The driver of the engine could select how much force they wanted to bleed from the impactor. Bleeding lots of force would slow the engine, bleeding less force would accelerate it.
Once the Inithar had convenient motion on tap things changed rapidly. It was the beginning of the industrial revolution. An age of innovation. Time-consuming tasks were automated. Cotton mills were built powered by refocyte and industry bloomed. It created a feedback loop refocyte engines and machines made extracting refocyte and building refocyte machines easier.
But the other nations without refocyte did not stand idle. They knew that if they did not keep up they would be left behind. However, they were unable to copy refocyte machinery without access to the material itself. They instead came up with their own innovative ideas to approximate the effects. They used coal to heat water into steam and then used the force that produced to make many machines similar to what the Inithar used. Guns and cannons were invented to counter the Inithar refocyte weaponry. Alliances were formed and in time a brutal war would ravage the continent.
The invention that sparked the Inithar industrial revolution comes in several parts first is the refocyte energy cell. A refocyte energy cell is a hexagonal rod made of a refocyte brass alloy (brass 20%, refocyte 80%, approx). These rods are hexagonal because in the early days measuring straight surfaces was easier than round surfaces. Since the rod needs to fit snuggly into any plug it's inserted to prevent unintentional discharge the size of the rod and hole needed to be exact. Early on this was easier with hexagonal rods but afterwards, it became the standard.
The second is the containment box. It is a box built to hold the energy cells in transit. The cells are held suspended in the centre of the box by wires. The wires have some give allowing the rod to move a little inside without hitting the walls of the box. This prevents the energy cell from discharging energy while in transit. Energy cells in transport back to a charging facility are not kept in containment boxes so they can absorb as much of the force imparted to them as possible.
The third and final part is the dam charging stations themselves. These imposing structures block rivers allowing an artificial lake to form. The first of these were built of wood but more modern variants use concrete. Stations at the top of the dams control the flow of water down through it. This water flows through blocks of hexagonal refocyte energy cells, the cells are perpendicular to the falling water. Surface area is maximised while space between them is minimised. Being hexagonal they can fit together in a tight and efficient pattern. Water with the weight of an artificial lake pushing on it pours through the spaces between the rods, imparting force to each one. The top of each rod protrudes from the water chamber allowing workers to see it and how charged it is. Rods can be removed individually. A spring-loaded cover shuts behind the rod as it is removed. This means rods can be removed and replaced mechanically without shutting down the flow of water. Once a charged rod is pulled out it is placed in a containment box and sent for transport.
This results in energy that can be stored up and transported easily. To say it was revolutionary would be an understatement. Analogue devices appeared everywhere. While other nations were covering themselves in smoke and soot Inithar was clean, bright and breathable. It was the spark that lit the fire of a new era.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: (2+2)-2=2, Utter Failure
Experimentation with Refocyte occurred throughout their history and it as the needs of the people grew so did the strain on those trained with the wondermaterial. Work was done with alloys involving Refocyte, and when the Industrial Revolution kicked off on the mainland the use of machinery quickly spread across Inithar. Implementation of Refocyte was relatively limited, but reduced Inithar's reliance on coal and steam machinery. Refocyte-powered equipment, though common, was also extremely unreliable. Refocyte needed reprocessing on a regular basis as pieces wore down and warped from overexertion, meaning more downtime for maintenance. Inithar rose to prominence rapidly during the beginning of Industrialization, but other nations began to outperform Initharian equipment. Nations bolstered by growing economies often broke away from trade pacts regarding Inithar and turned blade and bullet on them instead.
On the eve of the Industrial Revolution, and a reason for a relative lack of development regarding Refocyte, Inithar developed the "charging station". It was the first full-sized dam meant for channeling water through bundles of Refocyte rods was open for a week before the incident written in history books as "Inithar's Folly". A group of Inithar's leading Refocyte-smiths were inspecting the workings of the dam when a malfunction occurred and caused a chain-reaction of refocyte blasts. The dam burst to pieces and everyone inside was killed in the explosion or drowned soon afterward.
While there were a significant number of people capable of working with refocyte at the time, development of the uses of the material was stunted with the loss of the most knowledgeable on the subject as well as the loss of a couple heads of families. This incident led to further breakdown in the stratified society Initharian culture promoted.
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Proposal: Coilboat
Kolinaisi was a Refocyte-smith. Kolinaisi's father had been a Refocyte-smith. Kolinaisi's father's father had been a Refocyte-smith. And so on and so on, throughout the generations -- but that was to be expected, after all. His family was a family of Refocyte-smiths, and being a Refocyte-smith was simply what they did. That was the norm throughout Inithar, in fact. Not only were you born into your profession, but your family line was, and a set of other family lines, and it was nearly totally rigid. This was because of the generations of carefully honed knowledge and technique that went into every Inithar craftsman's craft, it was because of the social ties between craftsmen that were vital to become somebody important, and it was because this was the very building block of society. Inithar society consisted of craft-castes; though not formally inequal, groups of professions collectively and often separately honed their trades, and grouped together for the forms of political representation. However, the elders of each craft-class typically had a remarkable amount of autonomy, as such was often deemed necessary for each craft-class to be able to best ensure the sharpening and conveyance of its skills.
However, this particular Refocyte-smith in this particular moment wasn't an elder, just a man trying to do his job. Right now, he was carefully twisting a wire of refocyte with a pair of forceps, while similarly twisted wires laid around him. On another table laid braided cords where these forceps-twisted wires of refocyte were combined together, braided cords which would later be placed into an apparatus that would turn a paddle, to turn an engine, on one of the most cutting-edge pieces of naval technology the world had yet seen.
The Inithar Coilboat is a nineteenth-century warship that came into being during the later part of the century, when steamboat ironclads were starting to come into vogue among the nations of the Old World. The actual ship itself was not technologically terribly remarkable for the period -- though made with incredibly careful and masterwork craftsmanship, as is standard for many works of Inithar, the boat was just a relatively small ship, comparable to torpedo gunboats of the period, with a metallic hull and a wooden deck, with relatively unimpressive space for armament. The ship's prow was narrow and pointed and the ship itself was relatively thin, allowing it to slice through the seas with speed and agility... speed and agility well-boosted by the true innovation of the ship.
Whereas most other nations used steamboats during this time, the Inithar created the coil engine for which the Coilship is named. It was discovered that Refocyte can be tightly coiled together and treated in a spring-like way -- if created in a way so that the tension itself doesn't immediately tear the Refocyte into pieces, the conflicting directions of force upon the Refocyte modulates the outwards flow of energy, and the energy stored within the Refocyte comes out in a flow over time, rather than the explosive burst that characterized early Inithar usage of the material. Additionally, as coiling the material when it is treated to be a spring can be used to hold a very high amount of energy, and as the directional output of the Refocyte translates to torque when torque is applied to it, Refocyte coils can be used to create coils that can run an engine for a surprisingly long amount of time, with better force than most steam engines, and without taking space for coal -- at the cost of time and manual labor to recoil and recharge the coils, though depleted coils can be removed and replaced with charged ones. What this means in practice is that the Inithar Coilboat is smaller and more agile than most ships of similar classes, and though it uses sails for long-term travel, the Inithar Coilboat is capable of bursts of powerful speed and agility during a battle.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: (6+5)-1=10, Superior
Eventually fears of developing refocyte were overcome, and those trained in working refocyte were able to create craft worthy of the Initharian Navy. The sailors of the Navy had bodies honed over generations for physical labor at sea, and so the introduction of the Coilengine and it's physical needs was well-received. The coils were formed by twisting and compressing an uncharged refocyte rod. Once coiled they would slowly unfurl with a strength dependent on the gauge of the rod and the tightness of the coil. The coils were secured in housings within the engine where their twisting and unfurling manipulated the engine and turned the ship's propellers. A workbench was installed in the Engine room with the tools required to retwist the rods, though extensive use still caused irreversible warping outside of reforging. The creation of the Coilengine not only aided the navy, but it was also repurposed for land vehicles at the turn of the century.
This was a major reason why The Great Powers, a loose coalition of nation-states with a general dislike of what was often referred to as "Initharian Occupation", didn't immediately roll over Inithar. In 1911 this alliance that had developed over nearly two decades officially struck out at Inithar. While border skirmishes were common, this invasion was something on a scale not seen before. Waves of men stormed Inithar's mainland territory, and while they fought valiantly from their defenses improved over the ages, there were just too many nations willing to kill the Initharians and take a slice of the pie for themselves. The mainland fell in the early years of the war. Though The Great Powers tried, they could not manage to invade the Initharian Archipelago. At home on the water, a single Initharian ship was worth ten of any other. With half the nations in the Alliance land-bound, the scales balanced themselves out. Initharian ships could patrol farther, for longer, and left no steam or smoke to give up their position over the horizon. Initharian craft were hunters, feared and respected.
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You have a single Revision to either fix something that's broke or modernize (to the Pre-WW1 era) an old piece of tech.
It is now the Revision Phase.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Refocyte Longbow: A bow as tall as a man with great range known for it's pairing with Refocyte Arrows. The arrows use Refocyte heads capable of transferring the stored energy within through the tip and into the target to devastating effect.
Refocyte Spear: A spear with a Refocyte tip capable of causing debilitating blasts on top of the normal ability of a spear to stab.
Coilboat: A small, agile naval craft powered by the Coilengine. While unremarkable on it's own, the Coilengine revolutionized Initharian industry.
Tales of Color: A highly complex system of identification and communication relying solely on colors and patterns. It is nearly impenetrable for outsiders even by today's standards.
Inithar's Folly: A tragic historical event wherein a large number of Initharian Refocyte-smiths of high standing were killled in a dam collapse.
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil.
Initharian Defining Tech: Age of War Revision
Proposal: Refocyte Rifle
The refocyte weaponry of Inithar remained relevant in warfare long after it’s equivalents in other nations fell out of service. When other nations developed crossbows and pikes, the longbow and spear’s explosive force still allowed Initharian forces to defeat a force that outnumbered them by a wide margin. When crude gunpowder weaponry came into play, the same happened; a line of musketmen was just a wide target for the longbowmen, while the gunmen were lucky if they hit the terrain near an Initharian soldier. But as weapons tech developed, it became practical for the enemy to use wider and more dispersed formations, far more difficult to disrupt with a single well aimed arrow or stab.
The Folly was one of the worst events in Initharian history. But it carried some beneficial effects. With the loosening of the once strict rules for craftsmen and engineers, the replacements for the old Refocyte Craftsmen were far more willing to innovate and learn from the innovations of others - after all, anything they can do, we can do better. Thus as the drums of war beat loud, the engineers looked at the weapons of their enemies, scoffed, and decided to show them how it’s done - after all, a gun is just a tube with which you fire metal at high speed at someone else, how hard can it be?
The firing mechanism of the rifle is simple. Every bullet has two main components; the bullet itself (a thin rear layer of a metal like iron, a thin layer of rubber, and then the rest is refocyte charged before entering the engagement), and a small cap of charged refocyte behind it. When the trigger is pulled, a mechanism rapidly forces the cap forward into the bullet, discharging the kinetic energy into the iron base to shove the bullet down the rifled barrel at high speed. Then, the rifleman ejects the cap to let another bullet into the chamber, and it repeats. While individual bullets are able to store less energy than an arrow due to small size, there are two factors that make up for it - speed of firing (no need for a long draw time and the shot moves faster than an arrow), and ease of training. The rubber layer in the bullets is a result of a recent discovery; in the aftermath of the folly, it was discovered that kinetic energy that travels through rubber treats refocyte as if it were a normal object, rather than refocyte. Thus, the layer of rubber prevents the refocyte bullet from prematurely detonating.
The rifle itself is primarily made of wood, with the mechanisms made of metal; spent caps are ejected from the top of the weapon (and can be recovered for later recharge). The gun has an average sized clip (with a rubber inlay so as to avoid premature discharge of the bullets). Compared to the firearms of other nations, the Refocyte Rifle has a notably shorter barrel, on account of using refocyte propellant rather than gas.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: (6+5)-2=9, Above Average
It was unfortunate that more oversight wasn't provided to the engineers who first produced Refocyte firearms. Being created during the Opening of the Castes meant that the more skilled refocyte-smiths were either recently deceased or focusing on cultural reform to allow their trade a chance at survival. While gunpowder was standard during the early era of firearms, the refocyte-working trade eventually caught up with everyone else and began producing modern weapons. The road was difficult, and would have been an impossible feat before the discovery of Refocyte impurity. While refining purer forms of refocyte proved to be time consuming and expensive, the results granted refocyte-smiths a wide spectrum of refocyte to work with to get the proper amount of force storage in the proper sizes of parts, mechanisms, and devices. The discovery of rubber's ability to neutralize the effects of impact on refocyte also changed the game wildly. Inithar's relatively medieval armory, though effective, had been rapidly losing it's dominance and these two advancements directly resulted in the unique firearms we see from Inithar.
Refocyte rifles had shorter barrels of their gunpowder counterparts by about half, but made up for it in general bulk thanks to the need for rubber lining anywhere refocyte may touch that wasn't meant to set it off. A refocyte-tipped hammer slammed into the refocyte primer in the end of the refocyte bullet that then impacted said bullet to propel it forward at subsonic speeds, with each refocyte component purified to the proper levels to trigger at the proper times. While range and penetration suffered, the guns were much quieter than their powder-propulsion counterparts. They were a tad more difficult to produce, so making them in bulk, especially with the industrial issues of Inithar at the time, could cause reliability issues.
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The Air War
Refocyte firearms proved useful when defending the tropical islands of the Initharian Archipelago. While The Great Powers were slow to get a foothold on Initharian territory, it became an eventuality. Bodies were thrown into the sea to "put an end to the Initharian Menace", but even if the Powers took an island it was never truly safe. It was difficult to zero in on where shots were coming from in the middle of a gunfight, and Inithar took advantage of this with smaller, highly mobile units. These jungle warriors were not enough to hold off the invading forces however, especially as another front they couldn't contest opened up: the skies.
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You are currently charged with designing an aircraft during an era dominated by biplanes. Keep that in mind when trying to estimate difficulty. Note that you may choose to design something other than an aircraft if you deem it more important, but it will impact the path of your nation in a way that will adjust requirements for your final design as well as dramatically influence the narrative.
It is now the Design Phase.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Refocyte Longbow: A bow as tall as a man with great range known for it's pairing with Refocyte Arrows. The arrows use Refocyte heads capable of transferring the stored energy within through the tip and into the target to devastating effect.
--Refocyte Firearms: Stout firearms with less penetration and range than gunpowder firearms but significantly quieter.
Refocyte Spear: A spear with a Refocyte tip capable of causing debilitating blasts on top of the normal ability of a spear to stab.
Coilboat: A small, agile naval craft powered by the Coilengine. While unremarkable on it's own, the Coilengine revolutionized Initharian industry.
Tales of Color: A highly complex system of identification and communication relying solely on colors and patterns. It is nearly impenetrable for outsiders even by today's standards.
Inithar's Folly: A tragic historical event wherein a large number of Initharian Refocyte-smiths of high standing were killled in a dam collapse.
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact.
Initharian Defining Tech: The Air War Design
Proposal: A1 Iwa
Nalu Kawehi was careful with his brushstrokes. The Tales had to be rendered without flaw, at least in his perfectionist mind. His father, Doctor Kawehi, understood - in fact he’d probably have had his plane grounded if it went without proper adornment. If his son would fly into battle in his invention, the father of Initharian aviation had declared, he would bring their family with him. Nalu had no special knowledge of the planes that qualified him for leadership - but the young man had more hours of practice than the rest, and so he was the flight group leader. The responsibility inspired him almost as much as the fact he’d be flying did. As the first set of paint dried, he started on the second.
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While Inithar’s dominance in the seas is effectively uncontested, and our ground troops of high quality, a third theater of war has opened in the modern day - the air. Biplanes buzz over the battlefield like birds. Inithar will not be left behind in this regard, and the Fellowship of Aviation was established to ensure that no enemy aircraft goes unchallenged.
In this period, the main plane coming off Initharian factory lines was the Iwa. It was one of the first truly combat capable planes to come off the lines, instead of merely a reconnaissance craft. The aircraft used a variant of the coil engines that powered Initharian ships so well, but with some adjustments to the gauge of the coils to make them discharge faster, improving the power of the engine (and thus rotations per minute of the propeller) in exchange for the duration before it needs a recharge. The engine used a small geared power transmission system placed above the engine in line with the coil to increase the RPM received from the coil. This enabled the designers to let the coil retain some of it's originally designed torque. While normally, the adjustments would reduce the operational range of a craft, a new reaction of refocyte and nickel was discovered - for some reason, nickel is able to transfer energy between two pieces of Refocyte, from a charged piece into a non-charged piece. The “Refocyte Battery”, as it’s called, consists of a piece of moderately pure and fully charged refocyte, sheathed in rubber to prevent accidental detonation, and a nickel wire wrapped around it and poking through that sheath at one point. The wire, when attached to another, less charged piece, will transfer energy from the “battery” to the uncharged piece, refilling it. As the coil is recharged, it recompresses - the energy release is what uncoils it in the first place, so the recharging of potential energy does the opposite.
The plane is a two-seater biplane, with one pilot and one gunner/engineer who operates a machine gun mounted on the top wing as well as charging the engine when needed. The plane is steel-frame, with a canvas covering on the fuselage - pilots frequently painted them in accordance with the Tales of Colors, with new marks for each downed plane. Pilots were also equipped with signal flags for communicating due to the plane not having room for a bulky radio.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: (4+2)-1=5, Below Average
The Iwa was Inithar's response to the aircraft filling their skies like so many locusts. It was a fairly average plane of the era for the most part, with a handful of pilots attaining the status of Ace throughout the opening stages of the air war. What set this aircraft apart from the rest was it's utilization of the first refocyte battery.
Nickel was discovered to be capable of transferring energy between pieces of refocyte. Refocyte batteries were chunks of high-charged refocyte contained within a protective layer of rubber with a single nickel contact extending from the sheathe. With the Iwa's engine (a downsized coilengine utilizing purer, more tightly coiled refocyte for increased power overall relative to it's size) the batteries were installed so the thread would be stricken by the coil as it spun, imparting some of it's stored energy to increase the speed of rotation and decrease the rate of decoiling. While the battery does work as intended, and it does provide benefit to the Iwa, the transference of stored energy from one piece of refocyte to another does not exactly translate to the means of charging a coil. A coil is, after all, a plain untreated rod of refocyte that's been, well, coiled and compressed. The rod releases the energy in a matter similar to how it's applied. What winds up making the battery work with the coilengine is the fact that the rod is releasing energy through it's rotation and so while it's not completely unfurled the energy added by the battery will "hold" the coil's shape until the energy in the coil is back to where it should be at whatever level of unfurling it's attained. The battery cannot recoil a spent coil - it'd simply transfer energy to the rod until it triggers as refocyte normally would.
For safety reasons the battery was designed to expend it's charge well before the coil itself was spent (though pilots tried not to test the limits of their craft re: flight time - rough landings did not bode well for the refocyte in the engine). This turned the air war into a race against time as the Iwa was able to move to engage enemy forces at a rapid pace but began to lose effectiveness as the battle wore on. The Great Powers began to deploy their numerically (and sometimes outright) superior aircraft in staggered waves, forcing Initharian pilots to react and expend their batteries to provide openings for the next group of aircraft.
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You are getting one Revision this phase to fix issues or modernize. Good luck.
It is now the Revision Phase.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Refocyte Longbow: A bow as tall as a man with great range known for it's pairing with Refocyte Arrows. The arrows use Refocyte heads capable of transferring the stored energy within through the tip and into the target to devastating effect.
--Refocyte Firearms: Stout firearms with less penetration and range than gunpowder firearms but significantly quieter.
Refocyte Spear: A spear with a Refocyte tip capable of causing debilitating blasts on top of the normal ability of a spear to stab.
Coilboat: A small, agile naval craft powered by the Coilengine. While unremarkable on it's own, the Coilengine revolutionized Initharian industry.
A1 Iwa: An aircraft that saw limited success. Used a refocyte battery to act as a sort of supercharger for early to mid-flight. Otherwise not very notable.
Tales of Color: A highly complex system of identification and communication relying solely on colors and patterns. It is nearly impenetrable for outsiders even by today's standards.
Inithar's Folly: A tragic historical event wherein a large number of Initharian Refocyte-smiths of high standing were killled in a dam collapse.
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers energy from one piece of refocyte to another.
Initharian Defining Tech: The Air War Revision
Proposal: Wartime Contacts, Powder pref. version
The Refocyte supercharger adds much needed flight time to the 'Iwa, but we still need further air time. The proposed improvements, developed by the aviation wing of the Refocyte fellowship. The traditional mount of the coil is to be modified, with a conducting nickel contact embedded in the coil end mount. This contact is connected by a nickel wire to a round contact embedded in the coil base. The contact is to be activated and deactivated by a lever moving a matching round contact into position with the coil side. The lever is accessible by the pilot, and topped with a smooth wooden knob.
Each end of the lever has a simple stopwatch timer on it the one on each end activated by the presence of the lever on that end. This results each end effectively measuring one of two durations: the duration of the coil remaining (on the end of the lever that pulls the contact from the refocyte), and the duration of the energy remaining (on the end of the lever that places the contact against the refocyte). While mechanically extremely simple to implement, this should allow our pilots to have fairly fine knowledge of their flight time.
Additionally, as the safety measures that required small batteries would be removed by this revision, a significantly larger battery has been installed in the plane.
Difficulty: Easy
Result: (5+5)+1=11, Masterwork
The Wartime Contact overhaul of our Coilengine provided much-needed stability in our ability to provide the extra oomph our pilots needed when outnumbered in the skies, at times, 10-to-1. The Supercharger Assembly is moved to the rear of the engine. This assembly lined up with the housing of the refocyte coil and could be connected at will by the pilot with the simple pull of a lever in the cockpit. The nickle thread protruding from the battery is replaced with a disc pushed against the coil upon activation. The rebalancing of weight on the engine also provided a small bit of improved control over the aircraft.
While the upgrade wasn't immediately applied across the Initharian Armed Forces, the extremely reliable Supercharger Coilengine in the Iwa turned the forgettable aircraft into an infuriating opponent. Colorful aircraft boasting strikes across their fuselage became a welcome, and not too rare, sight over Initharian fleets and islands - if only because they could swoop in for a quick kill or two before scooting back to base.
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The Final Endeavor
Unfortunately, the campaign of island hopping had begun in earnest. Things were looking grim as the seemingly untouchable Initharian islands fell to The Great Powers' seemingly endless stream of blood and steel. It didn't matter how many heroes we had in the land, sea, and air, Initharian forces were outnumbered on all fronts. Our search for an ally was fruitless as the rest of the continent seemed embroiled in another one-sided conflict as great powers swallowed smaller ones before their own inevitable confrontation.
During the course of the war a series of odd flying ships appeared over the horizon. These people spoke languages similar but much different to those we knew of, so translation took a surprisingly short time. These people claimed to be refugees of yet another Great War in the New World, and were the first contact anyone had had with them since the original colony fleets left 1934 years prior. That area of the world had relatively recently seen some sort of massive invasion, and most of the stories of "interdimensional beings" were translated as being wars of religion. The facts that could be proven were those of the strange, interesting materials and armaments they had with them, and their source, Harren Island. Giant Iron Men, massive guns, and the strange flying ships of both a disc and more typical boatlike shapes were loaded with wondermaterials that could swing the war in our favor - if only we could get our hands on them in time.
We were warned off, told that the island was nothing but a deathtrap - that if the weather didn't kill you that the natives would. Those dangers had never scared the Initharians from an opportunity before, and the future of their homes relied on something drastic to change the war. The refugee convoy was allowed passage through Initharian lands, and leaders immediately put together a plan of action.
All military resources not necessary to hold critical islands were diverted to the formation of the Grand Fleet. This force, larger than any previously mustered at once for a single objective, was to land on this "Harren Island" and take what they could of these wondermaterials for use back home. [Remember that there may be more benefits to taking Pact locations than just acquiring a resource.]
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It is the final Design Phase. The Grand Fleet needs a flagship. This design will always be a National Effort, and will automatically upgrade compatible equipment without revisions. This ship will have reduced difficulty than a standard design and will be treated as though a Research Credit was applied. You have a second design to be used on your standard infantry uniform. You've heard rumors of how bad the weather is on Harren, so prepare for it.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Refocyte Longbow: A bow as tall as a man with great range known for it's pairing with Refocyte Arrows. The arrows use Refocyte heads capable of transferring the stored energy within through the tip and into the target to devastating effect.
--Refocyte Firearms: Stout firearms with less penetration and range than gunpowder firearms but significantly quieter.
Refocyte Spear: A spear with a Refocyte tip capable of causing debilitating blasts on top of the normal ability of a spear to stab.
Coilboat: A small, agile naval craft powered by the Coilengine. While unremarkable on it's own, the Coilengine revolutionized Initharian industry.
Supercharger Coilengine: A coilengine with a supercharger assembly that allows intentional and responsive activation and deactivation thanks to very reliable mechanisms.
Tales of Color: A highly complex system of identification and communication relying solely on colors and patterns. It is nearly impenetrable for outsiders even by today's standards.
Inithar's Folly: A tragic historical event wherein a large number of Initharian Refocyte-smiths of high standing were killled in a dam collapse.
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces.
Initharian Defining Tech: The Final Endeavor Design
Proposal: INFS Kona
The Initharian Naval Fellowship Ship Kona is a very particular battleship. Long but slim, with armor that is actually essentially only average for a battleship even though the Kona is significantly larger than the average battleship of the era, the Kona relies on its narrow prow and several very large supercharger engines to go very, very fast, especially when super-charged. It's even able to keep up with the fastest, nimblest ships in Inithar's navy, even if it perhaps isn't quite as agile as they are thanks to the narrow, sea-slicing nature of the ship's shape.
The armament of the ship is relatively bizarre -- it's very light on its "main" armament, with only a pair of conventional 30-centimeter guns to that armament twinned in a single 360-degree turret raised in the center of the ship (which provide a way to reliably, if not heavily, engage other battleships and flagships from long-range and when running low on its other ammunition), but this is because its secondary armament is bafflingly large: while other, normal battleships of the Old World might have, say, twenty secondary guns, the Kona has no fewer than 32, twinned into sixteen turrets dotted around the ship. Each of these secondary guns are rapid-fire, refocyte-based 18-centimeter guns, a rather large caliber for an intermediate-caliber gun but nonetheless still firmly within the category of intermediate-caliber. The ship also has several anti-aircraft flak guns, which are conventional.
Aside from allowing the Kona to put down small ships and aircraft at a frankly terrifying rate, this arsenal of rapid-fire secondary guns (if perhaps relatively range limited) takes advantage of the Initharian technology base: Though these guns usually just fire lead or low-purity refocyte shells, there are cases of extremely purified refocyte shells aboard the ship, pulled out and loaded into the rapid-fire guns when the Kona is about to engage a capital ship. Once loaded, they play out Inithar's oldest military marvel, once again, with the extremely purified shells becoming significant threats to even enemy flagships, creating an intensely terrifying barrage of force when the many guns of the Kona are all firing this way. This does mean that the Kona's anti-flagship potential is expended in bursts, as it dives in rapidly with its supercharger and exhausts limited supplies of purified shells, but the threat it represents when it is expending these resources is a very powerful one.
On the prow, albeit as a secondary priority to the ship itself, is an angled, thick refocyte panel -- normally kept uncharged, this prow is charged with a large battery near the front of the ship before potential contact with icebergs when in the icy waters of what was once "Abbera", with the panel's angle meant to contact icebergs and blast them apart with refocyte energy precisely delivered through that angled front of the panel. The Kona has a rubber tarp that can be fastened on to cover this panel so the prow isn't randomly firing off in non-icy waters.
Difficulty: Easy
Results: (2+1) (6+4)+1=11, Masterwork
The INFS Kona had one glaring flaw: it's maiden voyage would be towards Harren and not, as many of it's crew wished, against The Great Powers. The vessel was the crowning achievement of a number of Initharian industries and deserved it's place as the core of the Grand Fleet.
Larger than any military seafaring vessel that came before it, the Kona was such an outstanding development that today some scholars refer to oversized battleships as "Kona-type" vessels. Indeed, some people even draw a distinct line at the "pre-Kona" and "Kona" eras of warships.
The ship itself was a staggering, for the time, 200 meters long, with a displacement of 26000 tons. It's "primary" armament consisted of a pair of 300mm guns with an effective range of 14km mounted in a rotating turret raised amidship. "Secondary" armament consisted of sixteen turreted pairs of 180mm Refocyte guns with four 50mm flak guns utilizing shells with both timer and proximity fuses for anti-air capabilities.
The 180mm guns had a maximum range of 10km with a muzzle velocity of 900m/s. The Kona stores a number of shell purities for the 180mm to be utilized as deemed necessary - no wasting a high-purity round on some fishing boat. The 900-crew vessel used two sizeable Supercharger Coilengines to turn it's propellers and give it a solid 25 knot cruising speed. The turrets were protected by 280mm armor, with the deck receiving up to 100mm of protection and the belt getting up to 300mm armor.
The prow of the ship was most ingenious. A metal sheathe with a rubber inner lining could be deployed over the Refocyte-plated prow via manual cranking to keep in protected most of the time, but could easily be unveiled for use when the bow was expected to make contact with something solid. Water hitting the bow caused the plates to charge and eventually discharge, but that was largely mitigated thanks to the sizeable refocyte battery connected to it that would draw excess charge for later application.
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Proposal: Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms
Acting Major Aroha Maata (permanent rank Captain, but there’s only one Captain on an Initharian ship; soldiers would have a temporary promotion) watched her company march in lockstep to the bow of the ship. Despite the biting cold as the fleet approached Harren’s Northern shores, the men were in their dress uniforms. Well made and well put together leather, a ceremonial cape embroidered with each soldier’s Colors, and each wielded a spear (iron, rather than refocyte; they’d donated the original spearheads for bullets). Maata herself was in similar garb, but with a far more ornate headdress and a longer cape, and a refocyte sword on her belt. While the dress uniforms seemed dreadfully dated to her, she had to say there was something about them. All the soldiers had to be freezing, but they pretended they were fine. They had to, in front of the civilians who had also come to watch.
Maata didn’t like that the civvies were here. It was a reminder that this wasn’t just an expedition to get the fantastical resources of Harren. It was a reminder that if they didn’t work fast enough, Inithar would fall - many of her soldiers had already seen their homes on the mainland taken, and the home islands that were the only hope of retaking them were under siege. But it was good to have that reminder. It would drive her and her soldiers to valor and sacrifice like nothing else.
She called her men to attention, and spoke, her voice carrying over the wind. They were the best of Inithar. They were the men and women who would save their home. They could be hurt, they could be killed, but they could never be broken. They took the pride of their nation to the new world, and they would use it’s resources to drive the invaders out.
And if they didn’t, they’d have to make it into a base from which to strike back one day. But she kept that part to herself.
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The refugees told of what had become of the island called Harren, how one half was wreathed in fire and the other was bitter cold day and night throughout the year. The army will need appropriate uniforms, to be prepared for whatever conditions they may face. Specifically, we will have two; one for the north and one for the south, due to their polar opposite environments. Both uniforms will have room for whatever equipment a soldier might need; ammo, grenades, entrenching tool, canteen, compass, and so on. All soldiers have a widely sloping, ridged helmet; style is all well and good, but we prefer improved odds of surviving a headshot to having a nice hat.
The Northern uniform, for use in the cold environment that remains of Abbera, is built to let a soldier last as long as they can in the cold. It consists of a warm wool jacket and trousers, a knee-length uniform skirt meant to break the wind, and light gloves to provide some insulation without heavily impacting dexterity, and finally heavy scarves to help keep the wind out of the face. The helmet has a woolen inner lining. The goal of the uniform is to allow a soldier to spend fairly long periods in subzero temperatures without getting too cold. This is colored white and grey for camouflage in the snow and ice.
The Southern uniform is on the opposite end of the spectrum, made of a light silk shirt and pants, as well as flame-retardant knee pads and light gloves. The soles of the boots, rather than be made of rubber which could melt after long exposure to the heat, are made of leather. The uniform includes a face mask and goggles for keeping sand and fire out of the face. It’s built to be more airy, to try and keep as cool as possible in the stifling heat of the ruins of Salvios. The soldiers in this environment are equipped with a larger canteen than normal in order to keep more water, and it’s made to try and keep that water cool. The camo in this uniform is more varied, as the environments are somewhat more varied in coloration; it’s more to break up the outline.
Difficulty: Easy
Result: (3+2)+1=6, Average
The IEF Uniform was pretty standard for the era. Standard for the environments the Initharians headed to Harren expected to face, anyways. Both versions utilized a sharply sloping helmet with a slightly raised crest running from front to back to indicate which military fellowship a soldier belonged to, as well as a number of useful pockets and pouches.
The IEF-N (North) was designed with the cold in mind. Wool garments, a windbreaker, gloves, scarves, and proper insulation for everything including the helmet helped to improve time exposed to the elements before succumbing to them. This uniform came white and grey to make infantry hard to pinpoint in the land of the ice and snow.
The IEF-S (South) was constructed of light silk with leather-soled boots, protective knee pads and gloves, and a facemask and goggles for protecting the face. An upsized canteen was provided to help combat dehydration in the harsh Salviosi south. This version of the IEF came in an all-purpose 3-color disruptive pattern using beige, rust, and brown. While the use of these colors upset a few members of a fellowship who utilized those colors as an identifier, the issue was ultimately settled with no problems.
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It is now the Revision Phase. But instead of a revision, you have another design. This phase was going to be something else, but once again both teams samesied, this time into the final phase of a game titled Mechanized Warfare Arms Race with no proposals up for any land transportation whatsoever through any era. I refuse to eS this and have a mech race with no mech. This is your opportunity to design a land transport or vehicle for any era. The further back your design goes, the less it will directly translate into the vehicle selection you get, but difficulty will be lower as a result. An interwar-era vehicle will be graded on a standard scale - no additional difficulty will be added - and will automatically be assigned to your final armory.
Voyaging Canoe: A single-outrigger canoe with a sail. Constructed of stone-carved wood and 8-10m long. Stable, sturdy, seaworthy, and reliable. This stands out not just in Inithar history, but in the history of the world.
Refocyte Longbow: A bow as tall as a man with great range known for it's pairing with Refocyte Arrows. The arrows use Refocyte heads capable of transferring the stored energy within through the tip and into the target to devastating effect.
--Refocyte Firearms: Stout firearms with less penetration and range than gunpowder firearms but significantly quieter.
Refocyte Spear: A spear with a Refocyte tip capable of causing debilitating blasts on top of the normal ability of a spear to stab.
Coilboat: A small, agile naval craft powered by the Coilengine. While unremarkable on it's own, the Coilengine revolutionized Initharian industry.
A1 Iwa: An aircraft that saw increasing amounts of success as The Great Powers pushed Inithar to improve it's Supercharger system. Increased power on-demand in the very quiet aircraft gave them devastating hit-and-flee ability.
Supercharger Coilengine: A coilengine with a supercharger assembly that allows intentional and responsive activation and deactivation thanks to very reliable mechanisms.
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. Doesn't really stand out in comparison to other contemporary uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant for Initharians to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to.
Tales of Color: A highly complex system of identification and communication relying solely on colors and patterns. It is nearly impenetrable for outsiders even by today's standards.
Inithar's Folly: A tragic historical event wherein a large number of Initharian Refocyte-smiths of high standing were killled in a dam collapse.
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. The first Kona-type vessel.
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Initharian Defining Tech: The Final Endeavor "Revision"
Proposal: Wikiwiki Armored Carrier
An armored personnel carrier designed to handle the harsh environments of Harren, the Wikiwiki is designed to move quickly and safely in harsh conditions. The drivetrain is based off a dual-coil coilengine with attached supercharger. This drive gives the Wikiwiki a top speed of 120 kph. A sealed oil bath gearbox transmission placed in between the coilengine and the power train allows finer modulation of speed for the vehicle, and the coilengine only spins when the locking gear is released. By locking the coils, the driver can safely change gears without harming the transmission. The suspension is based on an individual wheel Refocyte alloy spring system that feeds energy back to the supercharger battery via nickel leads when the spring is under compression. The springs are carefully set as to not extert torque, and instead only perform linear motion. The vehicle has a 300mm ground clearance, and the axle and everything higher are internal, protected by a 10mm thick bottom panels. The supercharger battery has a safety discharge in the form of internal low purity coil fans that are used to cool off the occupants and drivers. The driver cab holds two people, the Gunner and driver, with a tempered glass windshield and steel tube roll bars. The cab has safety harnesses for the driver and gunner anchored into the frame, and the body is made from removable 10mm steel body panels. A hatch is built into the Gunner side to allow the operation of a pintle-mounted conventional machinegun. The back is a flat bed with removable benches, steel tube roll bars, and a removable bed cover. It seats 6 people, with included basic safety harnesses anchored into the walls. When all covers are on, the cab and bed are both protected from the elements, supplemented by rubber seals. The body armor is a uniform 10mm. Finally, a towing hitch allows the vehicle to tow extra cargo and artillery.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: (You rolled snake-eyes first you lucky fucks, I guess technically things are average?) (6+6)-1=11, Masterwork
The Wikiwiki wasn't originally a vehicle meant for military use. It was a vehicle designed to transport goods across the empire around the beginning of the invasion. It was a vehicle intended to move rapidly across a wide variety of landscapes while carrying a heavy load of goods. And it performed wonderfully.
It was cheap, reliable, sturdy, strong, and most importantly, fast.
The Wikiwiki was capable of hitting speeds of up to 130km/h (on paved ground in optimal conditions) and was capable of running for a ridiculous amount of time thanks to the passive-ish suspension recharging utilized in the vehicle to supplement power. The consistent charging of the vehicle while in use offset the cost of the purity of the coil used in the engines, as they rarely needed recoiling (and therefore warped less often). Wikiwikis often only needed to stop because the people inside it need maintaining, so it was an obvious choice for a military transport.
While a fairly stable ride, the driver and gunner as well as all passengers had safety harnesses that helped secure them to the vehicle to reduce injury in case of accident. Both bed and cab were protected entirely (save for the top of the bed) by 12mm armor plating, save for the driver's side of the cab with it's tempered glass windshield. The gunner's side of the windshield was replaced with armor in the military model and a hatch built into the roof to allow the gunner to man the pintle-mounted machine gun on the roof. The bed had space to seat eight fully armed and ready soldiers. The interior seats could be folded into the sides of the bed to allow more cargo space, and could be protected from the environment with a well-insulated and durable 5mm armored hard top or a thick canvas.
The Wikiwiki was capable of providing protection and speed to the Initharian armed forces, and so it was a natural choice to be the workhorse of the expedition to Harren.
----------------
The trip across the sea was long, but not as lonely as one would like. Another fleet, the Great Fleet of the Embralish Empire, had been identified as headed toward Harren as well. Th Grand Fleet did not engage, as Inithar could not risk losing lives vital to the survival of the nation - at least not while there were civilians aboard the ships. Luckily it seemed these Embralish were in a similar situation, and neither fleet decided to approach the other.
Which was good, because there were nothing but bad tales about the Embralish Empire.
They were a jungle people who, through access to some strange caves, were able to make things that manipulated sound. They levied their frightful powers throughout history, with the earliest documented instances of their encounter with an outside civilization being as some sort of demon guardians of the jungles. They wore masks that they used to emit a foul, frightening shriek that could cause fear in those who heard it. The ancient technique to counter that had been to stuff whatever could fit (and hopefully remove) into their ears. More modern methods are a well-protected secret.
Click here to hear their flute noise. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9QuO09z-SI&feature=youtu.be&t=50)
They had also utilized large drums to produce an invigorating sound that boosted the growth rate and yield of crops (and other plant-life). Unknown to them at the time, the increased bounty caused the soil to grow barren faster. While this was ultimately solved by crop-rotation and the introduction of drums played automatically via waterwheel that helped to regulate the boosted growth rates, it also ultimately helped lead to the more modern disaster that was Khada-Miti Artificial Fertilizer. But we'll get to that later.
The Samnite Empire was a bustling, thriving Bronze Age Empire that made the mistake of trying to tame the jungles. Nobody knows how or why, but the Embralish were able to slowly and steadily leech their way through Samnite territory. City after city fell to armies that seemed to be in just the right places at just the right times. Leaders fell and commanders turned coat throughout Samnium, and the Embralish benefited the entire time, eventually becoming a major player in the area and forming the Embralish Empire on the corpse of the Samnites.
As the Embralish expanded, they began diverting rivers to provide for their growing network of water-powered drums. This rightfully pissed off their neighbors downstream, and frequent attacks on their drums and their rigid supply network led to the Sacking of Samium during the Bronze Age. While not much is known about the exact composition of besieging forces, evidence of their sacking of Samnium can be found in the city's ruins, notably in the Flooded Citadel. This Ancient Wonder of the World was broken apart and toppled, though the subterranean chambers largely remained intact. On the walls are carvings of dozens of different languages, some lost and some not, though everything we've translated so far has been fairly vulgar and directed at the Embralish.
Though many border nations saw a ripe target, they also constantly fought among one another, and no dedicated push past the old Samnite capital was made. This border chaos was compounded by the persistent Embralish Legions and the Strings of Motion that accompanied them and seemingly allowed them to mobilize much faster than expected. During the Renaissance Embralish were initially well-received when not at war with someone thanks to the unique properties of instruments made of "well materials". Eventually however the fact that Embralish music could manipulate targeted emotions didn't sit too well and was widely banned outside of their own borders.
The Embralish Empire managed to hold relatively stable borders for the amount of chaos outside of them. Conflicts often went ways that happened to benefit the Embralish, and mysterious, sudden deaths very rarely wouldn't provide some advantage for their Empire. This process lasted for centuries. During industrialization a large number of chemicals were finally able to be produced thanks to scientific and technological advancements, and this was the other major factor in the Khada-Miti Artificial Fertilizer disaster.
The latter half of the 19th century saw Khada-Miti Artificial Fertilizer promoted as a miracle chemical fertilizer - the first of it's kind in the known world. Not only did it boost yield of crops but it also worked to repel pests and deter animals. We know now that this was at least in small part thanks to the use of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane(DDT), and some fields were so saturated by carcinogenic materials that the government sectioned the lands off and to this day they remain completely uninhabited. The effects of the dangerous fertilizer were not fully understood until a few decades after it's creation. By this time groundwater had been affected. All the farms using the fertilizer happened to be upstream of nearby borders with other nations, so it was the citizens of other countries that suffered the effects most. This mass poisoning was but one of many contributing factors to the Union invasion.
The People's Union of States was a rapidly developing and expanding nation swallowing up neighbors by word and gun. They controlled territory bordering the Embral Empire that had been affected by the tainted groundwater. People were becoming ill, weak, or dying, and the Embralish were not taking responsibility for their actions, so the Union marched.
The Union took border territory that the Embralish had poisoned and ultimately abandoned, but pushing into the Empire was an effort made difficult thanks in part to the Sikari special forces. The Sikari embody their ancient heritage, striking suddenly and without warning, whistling through their mask the entire time.
The Embral forces rapidly maneuvered, hit, and retreated from the front lines over a number of months. The Sikari proved their worth massively during the opening of the campaign, credited with a number of crippling strikes at supply lines and command posts. The initial advance was slowed as the tainted borderlands taxed the relatively disorganized Union supply lines - it was extremely difficult to supply a massive poorly organized force consisting of people using weapons from dozens of different recently-absorbed manufacturers. Without the ability to use local resources, the need for untainted water and food was felt drastically. It wasn't enough to win the war or even completely halt their advance though, as the Union was massive and eventually worked out it's logistical issues.
When the first aircraft were deployed the Embralish Empire tried something called the Cikaviga. While little is known about why it failed, it marked a turning point in the Empire's historical streak of luck. The plane itself was also a disaster, with a man in a pulpit mounted forward of the propeller, and meant to lob grenades with whirring blades right behind him at high speeds. And so with the skies lost, the Embralish went down - literally. They went all-in on their efforts to fortify the ground part of the ground war, creating vast networks of tunnels, bunkers, and even a railway, untouchable from the skies but more than capable of striking at the enemy anywhere at any time.
While their terror tactics slowed the Union's attempts to beat back this evil Empire, the Union was still making progress. The Embralish had also come across a group of Harren refugees and had decided to head towards Salvios. Rumor has it that their fleet is led by "The Leviathan", but little is known about it past being a submersible.
These people are cruel and savage, and if the bounty of Harren should fall into their hands it would only be a matter of time before they would use those resources against us, if someone else doesn't take them and turn them against us anyway. They are a vital threat, and so after we've landed and begun work on studying and extracting the island's resources we will be prying them from the Embralish as well.
----------------
The approach to Harren was just as we were told. A massive permanent storm stained the skies an inky black to the south, the seas churning up an impenetrable haze. Our ships, more importantly, had to contend with the rapidly-cooling air and sea approaching Abbera. Sheets of ice and peaks of bergs littered the waters. Most importantly though were the natives watching the Initharian fleet approach.
It is now the Strategy Phase. You will be presented with a variety of fields to choose from. Propose lists that select one item from each field and propose entire armories, then vote on whichever selection you want most. This will be used to engage Pact forces immediately (this turn) and the Embralish afterwards (next turn in 1938). You are obviously encouraged to change the names alongside you proposals - I definitely don't want to write about ship shooting gun at ship but it's the other team's.
Light Cruiser: The Light Cruiser is a 190m long vessel with four propellers powered by Supercharger Coilengines capable of traveling at 40 knots. Has 51-127mm armor along the belt, 50mm on the deck, and 100mm protecting the conning tower. Armed with a 5x3 150mm cannon turrets, with the centralmost turret designed for refocyte munitions, 8x1 100mm cannons, and 4x2 50mm flak guns. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 4 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Destroyer: The Destroyer is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Destroyer's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Battleship: The Battleship is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and small arms machine guns. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Battlecruiser: The Battlecruiser is 200m long and capable of reaching 35 knots thanks to it's four Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 3x2 250mm cannons and 6x2 120mm Refocyte cannons alongside 8x2 50mm flak guns. Protected by 130-230mm belt armor, 250mm tower armor, and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 5 Ore and 5 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Light Fighter: The Light Fighter is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Medium Fighter: The Medium Fighter is a two-crew monoplane. It can reach speeds of 380km/h with it's Supercharger Coilengine. Behind the cockpit is a power operated turret utilizing 4 machine guns. The aircraft also carries 200kg worth of bombs. There is some armor throughout the aircraft, slowing it down a bit but greatly improving survivability. Costs 4 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Refocyte Semiauto Rifle: The Refocyte Semiauto Rifle fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Refocyte Bolt-Action Rifle: The Refocyte Bolt-Action Rifle fires 8mm rounds from an internal magazine fed by 8-round stripper clips. It has an effective range of 550m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. Bayonet optional. It is 80cm long and weighs 4.2kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Light Mortar: A 50mm mortar with both HE and Smoke rounds. Doesn't pack much of a punch, but is easily repositioned by it's 2-man crew. Has a range of 50m-500m. Costs 4 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
Refocyte Light Machine Gun: An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that fed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
A Nation of Sailors: Initharians are at home at sea. They are naturally better combatants on the waves than most other peoples. Provides a minor bonus to navy-based design difficulties as well.
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Time to make your decisions! Good luck! Note that if you choose a design that utilizes equipment you wind up not having a design for (ex. mines for the destroyer, machine guns for vehicles) then you will be considered as using WW1-era equipment as placeholder.
Land:
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the machine gun, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Combat Report, Cold Season 1937 AC
Music for Getting In The Mood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsVb0g-g7DA)
Blinding snow and blistering winds pummeled the Initharian fleet as the first landing ships made it to the shore of Harren. A few scouts had landed earlier and stumbled across the ruins of an abandoned city half-swallowed by a massive crater. Structures covered in sheets of ice dotted the landscape, and signs of heavy fortification some years ago were readily apparent. Initial progress for setting up a base of operations was successful, with the Initharian Expedition Command Center built up in an old military facility just outside the abandoned city. This frozen slice of wasteland paradise was dubbed "The Rimefields".
Scouts and prospectors found trace amounts of elements unique to Harren during the first few days of exploration on the island, but progress came to a sudden and absolute halt when the natives finally made their presence known. A convoy was moving to an outpost being set up in the direction of The Barrens when they were attacked by a pair of Pact soldiers utilizing some sort of strength-enhancing armor with a pack on their backs granting flight. Each was armed with a devastating weapon larger than any individual would normally carry that fired bullets which would explode into a burst of liquid metal on impact.
They strafed the convoy, raining shots down on the lightly-protected Wikiwiki truck beds and the soldiers escorting them. It was a bloodbath. While they were clear targets with little cover while flying around, drawing fire from a dozen different machine guns and many more rifles, neither assailant seemed to suffer injury. They flew off before we could properly respond, and attacks like this, without any contact from these flying soldiers, began to occur on a regular basis. The only reason we were able to continue onwards, even when we had, at most, maybe, managed to inconvenience one of their soldiers with gunfire, was due to our scouting parties.
Small units of Initharian infantry with Wikiwiki support were dropped along the shores of the Abberan island through The Frozen Ocean and into The Maelstrom. These small groups were tasked with identifying anywhere these natives might be using for operations - past the massive fortress jutting out of the river between Abbera and Salvios. We dared not extend ourselves over Pact territory as well as land that the Embralish had likely already taken, so operations were focused on Abbera, with the Fortress-City being given a wide berth. These scouting parties would designate the bunkers and camps they came across and call in naval support where possible and aerial support otherwise. The only place on Abbera out of reach of support was the Northern Stormlands, and so Pact strength there was extremely strong.
On occasion our fleets would be harassed by a flying disc-shaped vessel or bombarded by specks on the horizon, but their numbers were too small to cause significant impact on our fleet. Their ammunition was devastating, and every hit just about guaranteed the deaths of a lot of crew, but there was no capability, or perhaps desire, to close in and follow through once our ships would limp back out to sea.
The weakening of the native's seemingly tenuous grasp on the island forced The Pact to concentrate their efforts on defending only the locations most important to them, centralizing their efforts closer to the Fortress-City. Reconnaissance showed that they doubled down on holding the exact things we were there for: the locations where extraction and processing the island's unique resources were possible. Probing these positions proved very, very deadly.
We encountered ten-foot tall armored warriors capable of tossing aside a Wikiwiki, bipedal war machines, hovering gun platforms, hovering tanks, and there were even reports of a massive ship flying through The Maelstrom north of the Fortress-City before the radio cut out. The Pact drew their lines in the snow and dug in, confident in their ability to defend that which we were here for. And, for now anyways, it seems as if they are right. Mines, machine guns, massive rifles, and monstrous artillery have stubbed any attempt at closing in on them so far.
When The Pact surrendered the majority of land it gave us the opportunity to further expand our operations. Prospectors soon realized that, not only did this island have the fabled energy-providing Gavrillium and the gravity-defying Caelium, but there were also deposits of Refocyte that the natives never touched. It's possible they just never knew what they were looking at and thought it a useless material to widely ignore.
Scouting and combat throughout Abbera has given us information about each of it's environments:
The Rimefields are where Initharian operations are headquartered. Fighting here will largely take place in the bombed-out frozen capital of Abbera and it's surrounding abandoned defenses. Snowfall is consistent all-year long regardless of season, and being outside for more than a few minutes at a time during the Cold Season is not suggested.
A mountain range thick with trees and snow. An abandoned ore mine cutting through the mountains provides some cover from the elements. A large facility apparently meant for production and storage of a variety of chemicals also provides another snowed-in landmark. The Pact control a mine and facility for processing Caelium, but otherwise have very little presence in the area. Fighting will occur around these strategic shelters as well as any facilities we develop during the Cold Season, with more fighting out on the mountains during the "Hot" Season.
A vast collection of pine trees frequently battered by blizzards springing up throughout the year. A network of old trenches and bunkers as well as an abandoned broadcasting facility break up the woodlands. The Pact have some presence in the area due to exerting control over both a Gavrillium and a Caelium facility within the woods. The old defenses will be used throughout the year to provide cover from the elements, though the bunkers and resource facilities are the only place to reliably survive a Cold Season storm.
An eerie cold, dry landscape dotted by vast collections of dead or dying trees. An abandoned mine and an old chemical research and storage facility prove to be the only landmarks aside from the Pact-controlled Gavrillium facility. The Pact seem otherwise uninterested in the area. The Cold Season will see fighting centered around the old storage facilities and our developments as temperatures drop to rapidly lethal lows out in the open. The Hot Season is still frigid, but less murderously so.
An extremely harsh mountain range with deadly winds and frigid temperatures throughout most of the year. The only notable features are the old pastures dotting the valleys, the sheep paths the shepherds who lived there used, and the Pact-controlled Caelium mine. The Pact occasionally patrol the mountains, but largely keep to their base. For a few months during the Hot Season it can almost feel comfortable.
A wild marshland that ices over during the Cold Season and becomes a cold, mirky mire for a short period during the Hot Season. The only significant structure is a Pact-controlled Caelium mining and processing facility, making it difficult for vehicles and infantry to move through the largely undeveloped territory save for a couple main roads. The Pact are occasionally spotted outside of their Caelium plant, but for the most part contact is limited.
Old farmlands that have submitted to the environment. Long-forgotten fields separated by lines of trees and dotted with the occasional bunker and trench of an old war make up the landscape. The Cold Season can see heavy snowfall while the Hot Season will be dry and frigid. The Pact control no facilities in the area, so most of the buildings left abandoned are safe for Initharian use.
The North Peaks are massive spires thrusting into a blackened, storm-filled sky. Winds are always high and shifting, and a persistent cool rain seems to fall all year long. Two large Gavrillium mining and processing facilities are dug into the mountains, and a large number of abandoned bunkers, trenches, and tunnels are spread throughout. An old broadcasting facility can also be found among the mountains. The Pact have a notable presence in the area, but actual contact is minimal.
Territory in all reality controlled by The Pact, though setting up resource-extracting operations is still possible. Intense thunderstorms roll in from the south fairly consistently here, resulting is wet, muddy ground and strong blasts of wind with the occasional tornado. The Pact holds a single radio station here, and are projecting most of their strength from the Fortress-City Harren.
The Iceplains are a vast expanse of flat ground that used to be covered by grass and dotted with the occasional tree, bunker, trench, and abandoned outpost. During the Cold Season the vast expanse is hardened by freezing, with an occasional snowstorm coating the landscape. The Hot Season will see thawing turn the Iceplains into a sticky, deep mud. Storms of driving winds, rain, snow and sleet make most surface movement difficult throughout the year. The Pact seem to have minimal presence here.
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While we prepare to push the Pact from their holdings we still need to contend with the more immediate threat of the Embralish across the strait. While going through the Pact isn't suggested, we still have options for engaging them. While plans of action are drawn up it is time to prepare for the coming conflict!
You have one design. IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
But wait, there's more! There's a contest! You are tasked with creating propaganda to smear your enemies (Pact included) or promote yourself! Doing so will result in a Resource Credit, and the better of the two, chosen by me, will win their team a Research Credit as well! This propaganda can come in any format.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Refocyte
Taiga: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Empty, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
Ore: 2
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 2
Land:
M1 Nima: The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 Kakala: An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Design Phase, Hot Season 1938 AC
Proposal: M2 Haaheo Heavy Rifle
The Mark is an 8mm rifle of approximately carbine length, rifled, and with a similar, though slimmer, configuration to existing Refocyte rifles. Where it differs is the firing mechanism. The firing mechanism uses a thick, high purity plate, 6mm in Diameter and with twice as much mass as existing firing caps, and doesn't eject the plate after firing. Rather, once the trigger is pulled, a lead connects to the plate from a battery mounted in the stock, recharging the plate while the loading mechanism cycles the next shot, the firing plate retracting during loading and shifting forward once the bullet enters the chamber to sit against the base of the bullet. A firing pin (also Refocyte) triggers the plate. The loading mechanism captured the added recoil and uses it to actuate, retaining the Semiautomatic mechanism. The lack of firing caps slims down the magazine, and the bullets themselves are held in place in the firing chamber via a combination of thin steel rings around the base of each bullet and high tolerance machining. The steel rings have an external diameter of 10mm, an internal diameter of 8mm, and a flange that is 2mm thick that extends under the bottom of the bullet, with a center hole 6mm in diameter. These rings are ejected by the loading mechanism. The battery chamber is lined with Rubber, and a set of four latches hold the cover in place. The magazine is a vertical, spring loaded magazine built to accomodate the bullet rings. The bullet rings are cast from steel for optimal surface finish and dimensional accuracy.
There are two main ammunition types - a standard lead bullet, and the "Magic Bullet", used for Hardened targets. The Magic Bullet is a high-purity Refocyte bullet that is steel-jacketed up to just short of the tip as to limit direct interaction with the barrel. The Magic Bullet comes with a slightly modified steel ring, covering the bottom of the bullet with a thin layer of rubber. This prevents excess charging of the bullet during firing. The magazines for magic bullets are coated in rubber internally. The rifle has a bayonet loop under the muzzle, and comes with iron sights. Designated marksmen can attach a scope and a bipod for long range combat.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: (6+5)-2=9, Above Average
The Haaheo is an attempt by Initharian engineers to both reduce the cost of fielding rifles as well as increase bullet power. It was a success, in a way. A total redesign of the way we handled firing mechanisms was adopted, resulting in a change in bullet and cartridge design. Which was also affected by the "Magic Bullet" project. Somehow we got it to work out pretty well for us.
The Haaheo provides Inithar with a rifle more readily comparable to those produced in other nations save for the whole "refocyte" business. Using a larger plate as opposed to the lower-energy caps means the rounds can be fired effectively out to 850 meters. The 100cm gun is very stock-heavy thanks to the inclusion of a removable refocyte battery within the stock to power the plate between shots. This makes it somewhat awkward to handle when using the bayonet, and it is suggested that the bipod be deployed before firing. A somewhat shoddy 2x scope is also provided, though iron sights are more popular.
The uniquely shaped Haaheo rounds come in two types: standard and refocyte. Refocyte rounds differ from standard lead in that the bullet is made of high-purity refocyte in a nearly complete steel jacket. Refocyte bullets are capable of punching holes (not piercing themselves) through up to 25mm armor and will often cause spalling otherwise.
The Haaheo is indeed a heavy rifle weighing in at 9kg (including bipod). It's also quite a bit more difficult to make thanks to the fine machining involved in production of the ammunition as well as it's safety features (mostly rubber). The final product ends up costing 3 Ore, 3 Oil (Note: this is to make sure the use of rubber impacts cost and not indicative of a gun made of 1/3 rubber), and 4 Refocyte, making them (VERY EXPENSIVE). The Refocyte bullets are treated as one Expense Level above the gun in terms of distribution - currently a single gun has access to Refocyte Rounds. Currently the Refocyte bullets are only available for the Haaheo. If production of the bullets becomes more widespread their pricing rules will be subject to change.
----------------
The first engagements with the Salviosi Embralish are right around the corner. You have a single revision to make adjustments to your equipment before taking them onto the battlefield. Good luck!
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Refocyte
Taiga: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Empty, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
Ore: 2
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 2
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
--Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in 25mm armor and causing spalling. Always one Expense Level higher than the Haaheo. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Revision Phase, Hot Season 1938 AC
Proposal: Haaheo Rebalanced
The Haaheo is an excellent rifle, with the stock heavy balance being the primary flaw. To correct this, we will move the Refocyte battery (reshaped to be a 2 inch diameter, 1 inch long cylinder) in front of the receiver, mounted under the barrel. This reduces the amount of weight in the stock, and by running the Nickel connection under the wooden grip under the barrel, the connection remains secure. The Refocyte battery is held in place by two latches which release by tightly gripping both sides of the connector. The Refocyte battery is contained in a rubber-lined sheet metal casing, with a small circular glass window inset into the metal (but not in contact with the battery itself) on the side facing the wielder. This feature allows the user to see how much charge is left in the battery. Finally, to improve accuracy at long range, a simple screw is added to allow adjustments to the rear iron sight.
Difficulty: Easy
Result: (2+1)+1=4, Poor
So the rebalancing itself went fine. with the more balanced rifle it's easier to shoot and scoot. The unprecedented problem comes in the nickel. Up until now our nickel contacts have been of limited length, and for all we knew nickel just pumped stored energy from one piece of refocyte to one it comes in contact with. What we have learned from making the Haaheo-B is that the length of the contact has a measurable effect on the speed of the energy transfer. The Haaheo-B takes a couple seconds to charge between shots, slowing rate of fire. While this rifle will be enjoyed by some, the hit to RoF reduces the weapon's potential in close combat.
The Haaheo-B (you can rename this) does without the bipod of it's predecessor. The battery, mounted in front of the receiver, was observable through a plate of glass in the rifle, but this was ultimately canned as testing showed it often shattered if the rifle was handled in any way roughly - like diving to the ground - and so it was replaced by a small metal hatch with a pin to hold it closed.
The Haaheo-B costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, and 4 Refocyte, making it (EXPENSIVE).
----------------
Embralish agents were discovered on this side of the strait and opened fire on a scavenging party before fleeing back toward Salvios. It is clear that the Embralish are hostile, and so we have no option other than to take them out before they compromise our goals here. You, as the most knowledgeable of what has been deployed, will be in command. It's do or die.
Note that I forgot to specify that the sea areas are divided into East and West, but it's also not the hardest concept to deliver. Oops.
You are to choose Two Lanes to attack on. You can decide to attack a Pact facility in your territory in lieu of a second sector to attack.
Land Battles may result in either a Win, where you will gain control of 1/3 of the territory as well as a resource node; a Loss, where you will be forced to withdraw and, if defending, lose a resource node; or a Stalemate, where no ground will be gained, though repeated Stalemates will tend to push things in the Attacker's favor as defending forces are whittled down and the attackers can maintain presence in the area.
Sea Battles determine control of a coastal region, with higher levels of dominance over your opponents allowing more sea-based support for the land forces. Territories can go from Contested, where both sides are in heated combat on the waves and minimal land support can be provided, all the way up to Total Control, where the dominating side can provide any support available to land forces from the coast. Attacking a Sea Lane gives the opportunity to increase your control of the area, but defending the sea can be a very easy task, given the right tools...
You are also to assign a resource to a node by specifying what resource to extract/produce in which sector.
Oh, and don't forget to submit your propaganda by posting it in the Core Thread by the end of this phase!
IT IS NOW THE STRATEGY PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Refocyte
Taiga: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Empty, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Contested, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Contested, Pact Fortress In Strait
[spoiler=Resources]Ore: 2
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 2
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Strategy Phase, Hot Season 1938 AC
This season we began extracting Refocyte in the Tundra. This brings us to 3 Refocyte, resulting in the following:
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle becomes (EXPENSIVE)
M1 'Kakala' becomes (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer becomes (CHEAP)
Combat Phase, Hot Season 1938 AC
War Without Mercy
With both sides massed and planning to invade one another almost simultaneously on the same front, while we were able to organize and mobilize at high speed as usual, the Embralish seemed to gather their men and material at an alarmingly faster rate than we anticipated. Rumors are it is because of the use of Strings of Motion, which can quicken the pace and extend the distance that entire armies move though not enough to make them superhuman or anything. The Maelstrom proved to be the first arena where the two nations faced off against one another.
The Maelstrom's storms made it difficult to identify ships at sea, and our hydrophones picked up on very little as Ho'oulas sped through The Maelstrom in search of targets. All too often however one of our destroyers would go up in a massive blast of fire and water, struck by a torpedo launched by the enemy's most pervasive sea craft, the Hetham-Class Submarine. The Hethams are 77m long and is capable of going 12 knots surfaced and 6 submerged. They are armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes, and come with a single 80mm deck gun. Notably, they use "wellmaterials" in a couple ways - Wellbronze in WellSonar for improved detection abilities and WellSap in the engine room to dampen noise. Our basic detection equipment could pick up on their propeller wash on occasion, but that's about it. With their improved detection capabilities thanks to their WellSonar, the Embralish were able to dictate when and where our initial confrontations occurred.
Or at least they tried to. Their submarines were too slow to attempt to intercept our vessels, so their only windows of engagement were when our Destroyers stumbled close enough to a Hetham for it to open fire, and even then it required the Ho'oula to maintain course, the Hetham to get lucky, the seas to not disturb the torpedo, or any combination of the three. Our engine's silence made it a little harder for them to locate our ships with detection equipment, but the vessels made enough noise that they were able to eventually. We didn't fare too much better, as our Destroyers found it nearly impossible to visually detect anything in the permanent grey skies and downpour that made up The Maelstrom, and so our Destroyer Groups were delegated the task of mining the coasts.
While the mines didn't sink many submarines, they did act as a deterrent enough so that we decreased our own losses. The sparring between Hethams and Ho'oulas leaned towards the Embralish, if only because they could occasionally sink a Ho'oula sometimes but had no ability to truly capitalize on anything they did. This led to the Naval Fellowship planning for and launching a fleet meant to destroy the Embralish naval bases and ports on their coast. This fleet was supported by both the Kona and the Kaipo'u and launched midway through the Hot Season.They used minefields as a means of cover on their way toward the strait, and it seemed most Hethams maintained their distance.
----------------
It was midday but the skies within The Maelstrom were, as always, a dark gray. The Initharian fleet was combating harsh winds, rain, and sea spray as they made their way south. They'd lost a small handful of ships throughout the journey, but the Kaipo'u and Kona were unscathed. Still, every ship's crew was on edge as any Destroyer who found itself alone would find itself sunk in short order.
As our fleet neared Embralish-controlled waters they spotted a small number of surface vessels in the distance mere kilometers away. They were identified as Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruisers. The Mukebazas are 186m long ships with a 30-knot speed armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. The small handful of targets were quickly focused on by our fleet, and while the Destroyers were relatively easy, numerous targets, the Mukebazas opened fire on theKaipo'u and Kona. After a small relatively ineffective exchange of initial shots, the full extent of the situation our fleet found itself in was revealed. Torpedoes were identified passing by ships, with one Ho'oula being lifted into the air as it was struck amidships and blown practically in half. Moments afterward a Refocyte shell struck one of the Mukebazas at the conning tower, unleashing a torrent of force into the vessel and forcing the ship to crater, bulge, and split downward along the shell's trajectory. The horrid screeching of so much metal was clear above the sounds of storms and cannonfire.
A second, third, and fourth Ho'oula were caught by torpedoes and sunk. Some submarines had surfaced and used their deck guns to some effect on our Destroyers, though it gave us the opportunity to score a couple kills as well. A few Ho'oulas sped off straight for the Embralish surface ships while the rest of the fleet maneuvered to try to combat the trap that Embral had sprung. The crew of the Kaipu'o had taken to fighting a deck fire after being struck by a few shots from one of the remaining two Mukebazas let at this point in the brawl. She was attempting to break from the fight when...
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
Four explosions rocked the battleship simultaneously from below the waterline. The sky brightened in a flash as the light from the explosion reflected off the clouds and the sea seemed to rise beneath the ship, lifting it up and cracking it in two as it slammed back to the surface. The Kaipu'o went down remarkably fast with all hands and is, for now, the single most devastating loss Inithar has suffered in the seas. The Embralish are truly like no foe we've fought before.
While the sea swallowed the Kaipu'o, a Ho'oula approaching an Embralish Mukebaza unveiled it's Refocyte bow. It began to slowly acquire it's green hue as waves crashed against it and was left relatively unmolested on approach as the Heavy Cruiser focused on the Kona. Some small arms fire met the ship, but no evasive actions were taken as our Destroyer rammed the Heavy Cruiser. The bow turned from a light jade to forest green and then to steel gray in an instant as it discharged force into the Mukebaza. A gigantic hole was caved into the Heavy Cruiser, which tangled with the Ho'oula, pulling them down beneath the waves with it as water flooded the wound. The final enemy surface vessel was struck a number of times and had begun to disengage before being immobilized and succumbing to the seas.
With the surface ships taken care of, our forces set to disrupting or breaking out of the submersible ambush. We managed to sink one of their submarines when a Destroyer passed over it unknowingly while laying mines and dropped one that struck it's nose. While another couple destroyers had been sunk, the enemy seemed to be losing cohesion.
----------------
Kai Leilani was a member of the Naval Fellowship as a Marine fresh out of training just before the formation of the fleet that brought them all to Harren. She was assigned the task of security on the destroyer INFS Paakiki Maoli for their trip south toward the Embralish, and was on the rain-lashed deck when she noticed something odd. She was on the bow of the destroyer when in the distance the waves parted enough to partially reveal the hull of a massive submersible. They'd stumbled across the enemy flagship: The Leviathan, a beast that had been largely wild speculation and rumor until now. The 175 meters long, 23 meters wide submersible flagship, and from what information we have been able to gather has multiple internal pressurized hulls. Some of our seamen have said it is possible to pick up on it's propellers cutting through the water sometimes, but nobody had laid eyes on this mystery beast until this moment. She rapidly signaled to someone nearby and news of The Leviathan was quickly passed to the bridge and Comms. officer, who relayed the discovery and location of the scourge of the seas to the Kona. The Kona hastily aimed it's guns and they lit up as Kai watched The Leviathan slip back beneath the waves. Large refocyte shells pounded the water above The Leviathan, blasting energy into the sea. The Refocyte Shells had been recently discovered to be relatively effective at causing damage to submersible vessels, and while we couldn't confirm any damage done to The Leviathan, the fact that their fleet largely disengaged was telling enough.
It was only moments after The Leviathan broke contact when a destroyer near the Kona exploded as the Kona itself was struck by a torpedo astern, causing heavy damage to the Kona, leaving her to drift while a number of Ho'oulas had to work as impromptu tugs to aid the ship in returning to port.
This is a frightening thing to say, but without proper up-to-date detection equipment, it is highly unlikely we will see many more battles at sea going our way. As it is, our speed and minelaying are the only things giving us an edge over their smaller, largely submersible fleet. While our mines are a fair deterrent, their pre-War design is outdated, and they may prove more impactful should we modernize them.
Since the Embralish don't have the presence at sea to allow them to effectively contest our control over the waves, Inithar attains Very Minor Control over E. Maelstrom.
----------------
Our landing forces set off to assault the "beaches" of The Mudflats right on time, and thanks to some "leaked" information, were a week ahead of what the Embralish expected. While we are glad we had a ruse in place in anticipation for enemy infiltration, we have proven that we are indeed compromised on some level.
The convoys were harassed by submarines and so the Destroyers were kept busy trying to fight them off. This left a smaller number of ships providing support for the landings themselves than anticipated. The amphibious assaults all along the coast of The Mudflats occurred practically simultaneously. Our landing ships came under fire from Embralish guns in the form of Havezara-108 Mk.IV 108-mm artillery and Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicles, open-topped 4 crew vehicles with a 50mm cannon, speeds around 45km/h, and protected by 30mm front armor and 20mm of armor everywhere else with a pintle-mounted machine gun. Without the possibility of air support, little naval bombardment, and nothing larger than the Wikiwiki coming ashore, the infantry were in hell.
The enemy was laid up in shore fortifications left in ruin after they were breached in a previous war. Our landing ships began to hit the muddy shores, and with no good intel on the area many got stuck in the muck that made up the half-kilometer between the waterline and the first source of hard cover. The first troops ashore slipped on the slick mud and were torn apart by two Embralish firearms: the Samarata 1902, a 7mm bolt-action rifle with a 5-round box magazine; and the Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun, an 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Both of their weapons had low rates of fire but more than made up for it with range, with both weapons being effective at rages of at least 1000m. Some landing craft hit the mid hard enough that their doors were jammed shut and the men inside forced to climb over and out. Old craters filled with water provided only brief respite for our troops on the approach. The craters proved lethal themselves, as the water within often proved deeper than anticipated, and the slick mud made it easy to fall in. The Embralish 108s also had a tendency to drop artillery on the heads of clusters of our soldiers. When the Wikiwikis started coming ashore they did slip and fishtail a lot, but they didn't get bogged down to the point of immobility. That said, they were not designed to be the primary means of support of an amphibious invasion, let alone the sole target of Embralish Rogis. Wikiwikis, as promising as they were, proved ineffective without heavier support on an invasion like this.
Our Haaheos and Haaheo-Bs proved fairly effective at picking off Embralish defenders whenever they got the opportunity to do so. The first few kills were with refocyte rounds, and definitely left a lasting impression on the Embralish defenders as they left baseball-sized exit wounds. As a bulk of our landings met with stiff resistance, some of the more southern shores were undermanned. It was on these fronts where our soldiers were able to approach Embralish forces enough to positively ID them.
Embralish soldiers wore a Terra Nova Expedition Uniform, easily identified by it's rimmed dome helmet and coming in khaki, olive drab, grey, or deep blue based on the deployment environment. Notably, every soldier had access to some very stylish shades. And a machete. Assaulting Embralish positions was an interesting stalemate as our forces coordinated and organized wordlessly, firing weapons that made almost no noise themselves but the enemy had access to the Sikari Mask Mk.III, a gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face, providing the wearer good field of view and protection from airborne pollutants as well as the mask's own terrifying wail when the whistle is used. The sound of this whistle can trigger the fight-or-flight response in people within close proximity, and generally causes a sense of dread and uneasiness. They also made use of Legion Issued Explosives, or LIEs. These pipe bombs called upon the knowledge of potent explosive chemical cocktails dabbled on during the creation of their toxic fertilizer and applied it to a combat explosive. While the LIEs themselves often didn't go off, and when they did it as unpredictable as to where the explosion and resulting chemical cocktail would be directed. The contaminants left by LIEs are absorbed by and burn through mucus membranes and cause intense pain, with the higher lethal doses causing liquefaction of organs. LIEs were often used in traps along the enemy lines as well as grenades, and the satchels of eight they came in could be set off together for a larger blast and, worse, more lethal contaminated area.
----------------
Kai Leilani was rushing an old in-line pair of pillboxes that'd been partially swallowed by mud and connected by a trench. The shifted earth also engulfed the trenches on either side of these pillboxes, isolating them from the rest of the line. Her squad came under heavy fire from the pillbox further back and were forced to take cover in some old craters. She and a few other Initharian Marines were pushed forward enough to attack the position while also under fire from another line of entrenchments a few hundred meters behind that. Enemy numbers were lower here at the southern edge of the advance than expected, as the enemy had underestimated our capability to strike this far and redirected men and supplies elsewhere - including most of their artillery. This was one of the few beaches where the Wikiwiki acted to effectively push the line forward, even if the push itself was minimal. Unfortunately Kai didn't have the "luxury" of Wikiwiki "support" and had to make do with her Haaheo-B, not that that was necessarily a bad thing.
The enemy in the second pillbox were preventing a push into the seemingly empty first, though their numbers seemed low. Lower still when Kai put a refocyte round through one of their eyes. The enemy was kept pinned down as forces leapfrogged ahead of her squad and took to the trenches to charge the occupied pillbox. Once they'd managed to move in on the second pillbox Kai began moving forward. She had a perfect view down the trenchline leading to the second pillbox and got to witness a squad scramble from the metal door they'd blown open with refocyte rounds. The chilling scream of the Sikari Mask Mk.III gave Kai chills, but the soldiers at the pillbox were absolutely shaken and then rapidly gunned down. One of these mask-wielding psychopaths emerged from the pillbox just as the first one exploded in a massive blast, knocking Kai onto her back. As her head cleared and ears stopped ringing she began to hear coughing and gagging from further ahead, closer to the pillbox. People were clutching their faces, rolling around in pain as the chemicals dispersed by the explosion ate away at their eyes, mouths, and insides. She tried to scramble back up but kept slipping in the mud as she tried to escape. She slid into a flooded crater and took cover. Her eyes had begun to sting.
----------------
There were a few places where we saw breakthroughs, and it was in holding these locations that our weapon's range didn't hinder us as much. Clearing and holding old bunker complexes would be an easy thing to do thanks to the general quietness of our army. Would be, but isn't, as our forces currently have poor ground support and suffer under fire from enemy artillery. The enemy is currently picking off our troops before we can actually hit them, and while we fare well in close-quarters, it seems taking ground in The Mudflats is going to require something longer ranged, heavily gunned, heavily armored, or any combination thereof.
Unfortunately we took too many losses during the initial landing phase and could not uphold or support any gains we may have made. As a result our amphibious assault has failed, and the Embralish Empire has pushed us back across the strait.
Inithar has failed to attack The Mudflats.
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The war has only just begun, so there is no need to worry quite yet! The Cold Season is upon us, and with it will no doubt come new challenges. We've learned that it's not smart to go to battle across a waterway without dedicated landing craft, so we have two designs this turn. One design will be standard, do what you want with it. The other will be a design for a landing vehicle. We could have modified ships in the fleet for the role, but everyone agrees it'd be better to put resources and manpower into making it happen.
As you have been on the offensive for the first time in this war, you are also to select a new trait from the following list by the end of the turn!
1) Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
2) Pride of Inithar: The loss of our first Kaipu'o was devastating, and stirred up national pride fiercely with volunteer workers coming out in droves. Any Capital ship and Capital ship-related designs or revisions will prove to be one difficulty level lower than normal.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Empty, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: V. Minor Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Contested, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 2
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 3
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due tp a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
... Not likely going to be able to write it properly, but I'll write some of it and see what you think.
Inithar Aircraft Support Carrier
The IASC is a boat 182.65 m (599.2 ft) (overall),174.1 m (571 ft) (flight deck)
164.1 metres (538 ft) (between perpendiculars). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTMS_Chakri_Naruebet) Our aircraft require far less space to launch, making a smaller vessel ideal. It runs off the same Coilengines as our others, and has a torpedo Belt to prevent sinking.
Perhaps most important is it's Sonar System. [Sonar goes here] Along with it's Radio to communicate with other ships, it can also communicate with our Planes, with our Io having received a basic radio to communicate with it's carrier, as well as ground units.
Finally, there is the new bomb develeoped, the Refocyte Bomb. It is simply a mass of refocyte protected by a rubber case. When dropped, the rubber covering falls away, and the R-Bomb directs all it's huge amount of energy into the water deep below, creating enough pressure to crack open submarines in the nearby area beneath and around the impact zone. It can also be used to bomb ground positions to similar effect, destroying bunkers through the intense energy traveling through the earth, and creating a shockwave of air on impact.
For Defense, the IASC only has a basic Refocyte flak-gun set up near the back to take care of aircraft that come in. As well as a conning tower. Overall, it's main job is to support our units on the seas against these submarines, and bring aircraft to bomb landings.
Needs a better writer, but the basic gist of that would be my proposal.
... We will actually need a new aircraft for bombing purposes, so, remove the R-Bomb for now.
hmm.
The Wakawaka
The Wakawaka isn't exactly small. It is made up of two wings of metal, which each have a propeller on each wing, powered by a Refocyte Coil Engine.It Frame is made up of Metal, and over that is wood and stretched canvas. What makes it ingenious is the Refocyte clasp. By mixing Refocyte with a magnetic metal, and magnetizing it, it can be urged to shift so long as an electrical current of some sort is applied. The Props are connected by 8 clasps, and by applying electricity to flow through it in a direction, the clasps will shift.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/640911259474329601/644988133535907890/unknown.png?width=205&height=270
This Magnetic Refocyte seems to claps together in the same manner as a magnet, but with far more force. Only by applying a current through it does it seem to shift, but it stays clasped to it's opposite throughout.
As for what all this leads up to, this new aircraft is meant to carry people, supplies, and perform bombing runs. For the latter, it makes use of an R-Bomb, a charged 100 Kilogram chunk of Refocyte Wrapped in a rubber sheet. The back opens up to let someone push them out, and when the hit the surface, they send the kinetic energy into the sea. This energy creates a pressure wave that rips apart anything below water in the area, as if a submarine had suddenly ended up far lower than what it was rated for. This can also be used to bomb land, collapsing bunkers and anything else it hits, as well as generating a massive shockwave which pulverizes anything nearby.
For People, everyone has been given a parachute, effectively a piece of strong cloth tied to the user's torso. This will let them parachute onto the battlefield from any ship which has room for the aircraft to sit.
Last, the Wakawaka does have a radio for communicating with ships and ground troops.
Design Phase, Cold Season 1938 AC
Proposal: "Makuahine" Combined Landing Craft
Our marines had a lot to say about their equipment on the first landings. A lot to say. The assistants who took their comments learned 16 new curse words in 4 languages, and several nonverbal swears as well. But beyond that, one of the most widespread issues was faulty landing craft. In the early days of the war we had to buy many from foreign countries on account of an early attack on their production facilities. We should have suspected they would be shoddy for how cheap they were. This will be rectified post haste.
The Makuahine landing craft is built to provide a reliable and safe landing craft, as well as facilitate heavier armored support after the other teams get to work on those projects. It is a landing craft built to bear vehicles and soldiers to the coasts, with reasonable speed and protection. It has a carrying capacity of ~190 tons, enough for several tanks or other vehicles, and their associated infantry and gear. The front end of the craft has a dropgate to allow the tanks to roll onto the shore and into combat. Infantry have two options for disembarking; the drop gate, taking cover behind the tanks, or the side hatches. It uses a moderately powerful coilengine for it's size.
The craft is, on the whole, rather lightly armored. The majority has enough that the enemy rifles won’t shoot through it, while the drop gate is armored a bit more heavily so that it stands a chance against heavier armament. It is armed with a pair of 50mm naval guns much like the flak our ships have, for supporting the assault (and eventually, for driving off aircraft). It also has a pair of smoke launchers to provide cover for infantry landing, and two mounted Kalakas in case it lands among infantry.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: (2+1)-1=2, Utter Failure
While making a landing craft was definitely on the To-Do list for our designers and engineers, it seems they all got caught up in side-projects and learning about the "Abberans" that make up half of The Pact. They learned of their desire for something that roughly translates into "big", and the mindset that polluted their engineers but ultimately led to their stalemate with "Salvios". Research into the rest of the New World gives way to details about the religious infighting between the two primary sects of a religion with a belief in multiple gods we've come to know as "Tsaelinism". The Cult of Gavros and The Cult of Cael waged a brutal war across the islands and continents that culminated in the development of superweapons that were developed and used against the Abberan and Salviosi capitals. The Pact had also apparently formed around this time and detonated a bomb beneath a portion of the Fortress-City of Harren while simultaneously overthrowing any remnants of the Salviosi and Abberan governmen-
Oh right, the Lander. Well, I bet you can imagine what happened there. Nearly two millennia of unstudied history can prove to be quite the rabbit hole for many intellectuals, especially when including the engineering feats performed by the peoples of Harren, I'm sure we'll have something eventually. For now we'll need to utilize "Armored" Civilian Craft, which have no discernible traits save for the fact that they keep their cargo alive slightly longer. At least they have Coilengines. No Supercharging mechanism though, so they lack the ability to boost speed shared by the rest of our fleet. "Armored" Civilian Craft cost 3 Ore and 2 Refocyte to produce, making them (CHEAP).
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Proposal: G2 Alanui
Having learned from the slaughter at the Mudflats, engineers sought out to design a versatile tank design to offer the Inithari war machine some breakthrough power.
The Alanui is protected with 55 mm of rolled homogenous armor at its front, back and sides, owing to the fact coilengines generate much less heat during operation and their greater power output, and 25 mm armor at the top and bottom. It utilizes steel tracks powered by a fairly powerful [supercharged, but saying that is redundant] coilengine. The front armor of the tank is sloped at a 37° angle with two rows of edge plates rotating by 30° as one approaches the sides such as to give it good directional protection at intersections between the front, sides and back. The turret is realized as a single rounded cast unit with an average thickness of 70 mm, made such as to allow its outline to blend into that of the tank somewhat where the two meet.
The three-man turret itself is deceivingly small owing to its refocyte plate mechanism fired cannon and is actuated through a small coilengine situated in the back with the commander's intercom, with an emergency crank should the engine fail for whatever reason. The gunner sits to the left of the breech, and the loader to the right -- lower in comparison, with his legs dropping into the chassis of the tank itself and a small seat in the chassis co-rotating with the turret allowing him to rest between moments of combat. In the back one might find the commander, situated in front of the main exit hatch, realized as two hinged plates, which slopes back. In the center -- slightly behind the gunner and loader -- is a cupola, allowing the commander to continue providing situational awareness when the crew buttons down. The driver and radio operator can both be found in the front of the hull, side to side.
The tank's main armament is a 50 mm refocyte cannon- using the firing plate mechanism much like that of the Haaheo, if larger. The gun's loading mechanism, placed just under the gun on the inside of the turret, contains space for a few shells -- with all of the tank's 63 rounds of ammunition stored in the turret's right "cheek" low enough for the loader to replenish the cannon's rack when needed. The space that the size of the gun saves for the turret means that the easily replaceable battery charging the gun's firing plate, placed adjacent to the left of the breech (to facilitate a high maximum rate of fire for the cannon if needed), doesn't end up cramping the turret. The tank has fairly standard armor-piercing shells (albeit ones that don't use nickel to avoid ammo detonation) with refocyte plate compatible casings, and jacketed refocyte shells much like that of the Haaheo.
There are two Kakalas on the Alanui -- one coaxial to the main gun, operated by the main gunner, and one pintle mounted in front of the back hatch, where the commander can mow down any infantry trying to approach the tank from behind while he's surveying. There is a shield around the rear exit area which obscures some of his body when the hatches are opened, allowing him enough time to close the doors when under heavy fire.
Finally, a simple bulldozer blade is provided as an attachment to facilitate clearing obstructions where necessary.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: (5+1) (4+3)-2=5, Below Average
The Alanui is Inithar's first real foray into well-armored land vehicles, and it kind of shows. It's use of "standard" armor-piercing shells as well as jacketed Refocyte rounds is a bit confusing - our standard AP is our refocyte rounds. Our Refocyte firearms have a distinct lack of muzzle velocity which greatly impacts the effectiveness of "standard" armor-piercing rounds. Lobbing fire from a ship cannon is one thing, direct fire without the acceleration of gravity is something entirely different. Never-the-less, we've equipped the Alanui with both as we cannot produce enough Refocyte rounds to fully stock our tanks without making them irresponsibly expensive or severely impacting purity. This results in 50% of the tank's shots being AP and therefore of dubious effectiveness. The cannon itself has a maximum firing range of about 3800m, though the AP rounds are really effective at "knife-fighting" range. Two Kakalas, one coaxial and one pintle-mounted, provide some anti-infantry capabilities.
The Alanui has 50mm armor at the front, rear, and sides, and 20mm armor on the top, with 15mm armor on the bottom. The turret's armor matches the body at 50mm. While the Alanui doesn't have much though, it has the one thing most Inithari vehicles do: speed. These armored vehicles are able to reach speeds of 50km/h thanks to their Supercharger Coilengines, which were redundant until we dropped the ball with our landing craft. The Alanui can also have a bulldozer installed, though it severely hampers speed and mobility when equipped.
The Alanui currently costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte, making it a (NATIONAL EFFORT) for now.
----------------
You have a single Revision to do with as you see fit.
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Empty, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: V. Minor Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Contested, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 2
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 3
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Sea:
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due tp a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Revision Phase, Cold Season 1938 AC
Proposal: Refocyte Active Sonar (Hull Mounted)
Active Sonar is needed to prevent future naval catastrophes, and we are utilizing Refocyte to enable a more efficient system. A thin Refocyte plate sitting slightly inset in the hull is hooked up to a Refocyte Battery and a cam that rotates at variable frequency to charge and discharge the plate into the water, creating pings of variable frequencies. A seperate inset waterproof hydrophone recieves returned pings from the same direction, and transmits them into a piezoelectric receiver that then transmits the electric signal into a wire into the control room. Several plates and hydrophones are mounted around the bow area for optimal coverage.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: (6+4)-1=9, Above Average
Proposed R.A.S arrays are supposed to be monostatic operating active sonar systems that use an uncovered refocyte plate seated in rubber embedded in ship hulls connected to the installed ship's refocyte battery storage system. It attempts to mimic our firearm's capability to emit noise from the refocyte. What was not regarded by engineering (and perhaps this was due to reports from testing and field use not being abundantly clear >_>) was the noise the guns make is refocyte "kicking" a material in contact.
An easy enough thing to fix though, and actually somewhat beneficial as the refocyte plate is built into the hull itself behind a few millimeters of armor, protecting it from...underwater small arms? Either way, the resulting "kick" from refocyte discharge is triggered by the sonar operator manually by button press and produces a metallic clang. This ringing pulse reflects off of solid objects and the resulting echo is captured by hydrophones mounted onto the ship's hull and fed into headphones worn by sonar operators. "Simple" math can calculate the distance of an object, with bearing requiring triangulation.
The only downside to the RAS is the potential prohibitive cost vs. effectiveness. In order to outfit it on our Destroyers without terribly dropping deployment numbers we had to settle for a purity and resulting kick that can be effectively detected by our current equipment at around 5km. The RAS adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to our current combat-oriented naval designs and will be included in future designs unless specifically excluded. Not too bad, considering it is an overhaul the navy desperately needed to function against Embral.
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With this season's developments ready it is time to propose our strategy for engaging the Embralish. Remember that you are also tasked with assigning a Resource to an empty node within your control on top of proposing the two lanes to dedicate forces to. Also remember that you can attempt to engage The Pact in lieu of attacking along a lane. Also choose where to deploy any potential National Efforts (regardless of whether or not your resource decision/s will drop their cost). Also...
It's also time to finalize the vote on your new trait, visible in the last Combat Report!
With the next update likely not to come out for a week at least, I am also giving youse an extra task to stay occupied! You are to write up a lore piece about life for your people in this newly occupied land. Remember that not all the Initharians on Harren are military, so feel free to explore potential aspects of life in Abbera (the northern half of Haren). The best write-up in my own opinion will be chosen from submissions posted in the Core Thread (link on page 1 of this thread) and will win their team an Espionage Credit.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Empty, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: V. Minor Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Contested, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 2
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 3
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Sea:
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due tp a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Strategy Phase, Cold Season 1938 AC
More AC7 OST To Read Along To (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LF4gC_rxAM)
This season saw the discovery and extraction of deposits of Ore in the Deadwood, and we unearthed a significant sum of Refocyte in the Rimefields. Mining operations for both were underway before the Cold Season set in, resulting in the following:
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle becomes (CHEAP)
M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle becomes (CHEAP), but does not completely replace the Nima due to the slight delay in firing not sitting right with many soldiers
'Wikiwiki' Armored Carrier becomes (CHEAP)
G1 'Alanui becomes (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Ho'oula-class Destroyer returns to (CHEAP)
A5 'Io becomes (CHEAP)
We have also adopted the Acknowledged Marine Fellowship, meaning any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
----------------
Combat Phase, Cold Season 1938 AC
The Eastern Maelstrom remains, barely, in Initharian control as neither side focuses more effort into the rough waters there. We continue to have Very Minor Control in the region.
The Western Maelstrom however sees a sharp uptick in combat, and the naval engagements here are very much unlike those in the East. The constant storms continue as always, and visibility remains low here as it does in the East Maelstrom. Two things make the fighting here swing wildly from the hit-and-run ambush tactics of the last season - Embral's increase in Mukebaza deployment and our own deployment of Refocyte Active Sonar. The Embralish Hetham scourge sees a heavy decline in effectiveness as every Initharian ship is capable of detecting, disengaging, and avoiding the numerous submersibles. Still, our ships don't ring constantly, and this means submarines still manage to score hits and kills on our ships. Without the ability to effectively hunt the Hethams the war beneath the waves slides even further into a stalemate - which is to our benefit, as they'd edged us out in that regard last season.
As with the last season, both navies devoted their resources to contesting the same portion of sea. Without the ability to set a massive ambush, we determined the stage for the more decisive surface battles. While our Ho'oulas guns could punch through the Mukebaza's decks, achieving reliable plunging fire at the close engagement ranges the Maelstrom afforded was difficult. The hulls of their ships were susceptible to our Destroyer's guns, but in a limited capacity, and shots at or below the waterline proved largely ineffective. The Ho'oula's saving grace was it's speed, which made zeroing in on them very difficult. Opportunities for ramming were rare however, as the Mukebazas increased numbers and (most importantly) their orders to engage at will meant that ships approaching at ramming speed were targeted and, being on a relatively predictable course, blown away. While submarines near engagements were often known about, this did not mean they were completely ineffective, and they often used the distraction of their surface fleet to launch a salvo of torpedoes towards our ships before scurrying away. A couple of Destroyers could break off to stalk and harass the Hethams, but the effort required to take down a Mukebaza necessitated dedicated effort.
The Kaipo'u (1938) and repaired Kona provided the much-needed heavier weapons during engagements where they were available. Both were difficult targets for Mukebazas to kill, and the Hetham fleet was unable to get the jump on our two prized ships. In fact, it was these two ships that, thanks to their Refocyte guns, were capable of attaining semi-reliable kills on the submarines.
The Leviathan, however, continued to prove impossible to hunt. The only reason we know it was present in the Western Maelstrom was because we were able to identify the locations of the submarines in the East that engaged our forces there, while a number of ships sunk in the West were fired at by seemingly nothing.
----------------
"TORPEDO PASSED BY FORE! WE'RE UNDER FIRE!"
"TORPEDO STARBOARD! TORPEDO STARBOARD! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"
Shouts and cries came from the deck of the rain-slick deck of the Kona, which had only now realized it was engaged in combat. It's Destroyer Escort had seemingly dropped the ball, and while they were searching for potential submersible contacts in the waters off their portside towards the coast, they'd managed to miss this one.
A massive geyser of water rushed upward and over the side of the Kona as the torpedo struck true. Some crew nearby on the deck that had been rushing for anything to hold onto as far from starboard as possible fell from the impact felt throughout the ship. Water rushed into the man-sized hole blown into the hull of a section of Crew Quarters while they attempted to evacuate and seal the bulkheads. A number of crew had been resting and while a few were killed outright, more of them succumbed to drowning as they could not escape fast enough to keep from endangering the rest of the vessel.
The ship listed slightly as it attempted to disengage an enemy they couldn't see. Sonar operators rang frantically in an effort to detect the submarine responsible, only to come up with nothing. For the second season in a row, the Kona was forced to limp back to port - under her own power this time, at least. A handful of Ho'oulas scoured the area in vain as whatever had struck the flagship had been quick to vanish.
----------------
While the enemy's increased presence on the surface has proven to be an issue, our dedicated efforts to combating (or at least evading) their Hethams have resulted in losses we can plan around and account for. Of course The Leviathan proves to be a terrifying menace, and our prime suspect in the attack on the Kona, but it was not enough to deter our advances. The Mukebazas proved to be quite the opponent, and while they were capable of inflicting a number of losses on our Destroyer Fleet, we were able to dictate engagements (for the most part, barring that damned Leviathan). While our naval advantage isn't amazing, as we have difficulty clearing the enemy fleet from the seas, Inithar attains Light Control of the W. Maelstrom.
----------------
While our forces were recovering from the failed landings at the Mudflats and building up for an assault on the South Peaks, the Embralish launched their own attack on our territory in the North Peaks. Our forces had prepared positions along the few passes amid the cliffs bordering the strait, with minimal effort of their own thanks to the old Abberan positions still carved out of the mountains. Our navy patrolled the waters around the treacherous mountain range and tied up the Embralish surface ships supporting the vessels making the trip loaded with men and munitions. Their submersibles proved to be of little assistance, as they couldn't support the landing itself and could be (relatively) safely ignored. While a number of craft similar to our own used in the last season approached the limited landing areas, they had mixed among them a significant number of "Mamkirali" Naval Landers. Their open-topped cargo compartments held up to 22 soldiers and were protected by light 10mm armor. The command cabin was forward and protected by twice the amount of armor. Two Musakilas mounted in the back allowed the vehicle to provide some light support for it's troops as well.
With the terrain too treacherous for heavier vehicles, and most passes too narrow for them to navigate anyways, our infantry were tasked with defending the landing areas without much in the way of heavy weapons. Limited naval support was available though, and a handful of ships loitered close enough to the landing areas to provide bombardment against the approaching Embralish while the majority of the fleet tied up the Hethams and engaged the Musakilas trying to target said supporting destroyers. The Kaipo'u (1939) and it's Destroyer Escort were also available for assistance, and were able to practically shut down attempted landings north of the strait.
Without much support from invasions along the flanks, the Embralish went all-in on the landing areas closest to them. The Mamkiralis made their true potential known when they came ashore, pushing forward on a pair of treads. While they provided hardened points to fight from, they were unable to carry troops through the passes that led to the defenses our soldiers occupied. They also proved vulnerable to the Haaheo family of weapons and their Refocyte rounds. The bullets imparted enough force to turn the inner hull of the landing craft into shrapnel, if not blow a hole clear through it. Embralish soldiers, shouting, screaming, smiling, and bloodied would pour out of their landing craft and attempt to charge the heavily-defended passes without pause. While the debut of their Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar firing 105mm shells proved helpful in hitting some positions when they found somewhere to set them up, and the toxic LIE shells they utilized more than capable of clearing a trench while the smoke shells provided some screening for their troops, the old hardened positions required a bit more effort to break through.
Still, some Embralish units managed to bypass our lines, where they deployed a number of LIES. These satchels of explosives similar to the original LIEs, contained 3 HE, 3 Frag, and 2 Chem devices, were much more reliable, and their explosives more potent. They also came with a variety of triggers, though they did lose the ability to throw them like grenades. These LIES could be put on timers, triggered by tripwires, set off by pressure plates (though the minimum weight seemed fairly high, with the first devices discovered but not triggered by infantry walking right over them), and manually activated via wire and detonator. These LIES proved very dangerous among our rear echelon, though with faltering support from the amphibious landings the Embralish were unable to capitalize on the backline chaos.
Without the flash or sound of gunpowder to give our defenders away, the enemy had a very difficult time dislodging our troops in the rain-battered mountains. Their weapon's better range was mitigated by our lines being set up within effective firing range of the landing areas, and the tight quarters of the passes and defenses maintained the negation of their clearest advantage. Without any form of vehicle support available past the landings, the fighting between infantry was rough but rapid, and often in favor of our defenders.
Recovered and captured Embralish Mamkiralis revealed the reason their soldiers were so willing to charge our lines, and why some of them disembarked with wide grins: it utilized a Wellquartz device in the engine to induce euphoria among the inhabitants of the crew compartment - while pumping fumes into it at the same time, which explained the open top.
Our defense went well thanks in part to our Navy's ability to stymie the Embralish forces push north through the Maelstrom, even if they were unable to provide much direct support. Our lines were not infallible, and continued incursions may compromise our ability to effectively defend from further dedicated amphibious assaults, but for the time being Inithar has successfully defended the North Peaks.
----------------
While they swatted us back last season, we proved just as capable of holding our ground, if not moreso. With the Cold Season coming to a close, so has the first year of conflict. Already we feel too much time has passed without so much as probing The Pact positions, but the Embralish prove to be a pervasive threat that must be dealt with.
We have also defended from the Embralish for the first time in the war, and successfully! As a result, we may choose a trait from the following by the end of the Strategy Phase for this turn:
Eyes and Ears: The need for detection equipment of all sorts has proven most valuable in our fight against the Embralish. We have dedicated efforts to advancing various fields involving observation equipment, resulting in one level of reduced difficulty for any dedicated efforts for such designs. While SONAR is a prime example, there are many more ways to detect people, places, and things that we can, and should, utilize.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Note that any reductions in design difficulty will not stack.
You have a single Design to use as normal.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: V. Minor Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 3
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[E])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due tp a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Design Phase, Hot Season 1939 AC
Proposal: Makuahine CLC
Makuahine Combined Landing Craft, Take Two
So, let's try this again. I understand this island and it's inhabitants are fascinating to you science-y types. Trust me, if you learn about the Pact, you'll get a raise. That being said. We've put a temporary ban on researching Abbera and Harren in general for the team set to work on the Makuahine and given you more funding from the new Marine Fellowship. So do your fucking jobs this time. We need a way to get boots and treads on the ground reliably, and you're going to do it or you're going to take a rowboat back to Inithar.
-Admiral Vaea, Notice to Research and Development
The Makuahine landing craft is built to provide a reliable and safe landing craft, as well as facilitate heavier armored support after the other teams get to work on those projects. It is a landing craft built to bear vehicles and soldiers to the coasts, with reasonable speed and protection. It has a carrying capacity of ~190 tons, enough for several tanks or other vehicles, and their associated infantry and gear. The front end of the craft has a dropgate to allow the tanks to roll onto the shore and into combat. Infantry have two options for disembarking; the drop gate, taking cover behind the tanks, or the side hatches. It uses a moderately powerful supercharger coilengine for it's size.
The craft is, on the whole, rather lightly armored. The majority has enough that the enemy rifles won’t shoot through it, while the drop gate is armored a bit more heavily so that it stands a chance against heavier armament. It is armed with a pair of cannons akin to the Alauni's, for supporting the assault. It also has a pair of smoke launchers to provide cover for infantry landing, and two mounted Kalakas in case it lands among infantry.
Difficulty: Hard Normal
Result: 6+3=9, Above Average
The Makuahine is our answer to the problem of the strait. It turned out some research into the locals proved quite beneficial, as they'd made their own large vessel to cross the gap to the south. Taking some influence from them, we also went somewhat big. The Makuahine is a 50 meter long ship with a 12 meter beam capable of transporting loads up to 200 tons. The space provided can haul a wide variety of cargo, from vehicles, to munitions, to troops. Armor covers the ship for 20mm of protection, and the dropramp at the front prevents most oncoming frontal fire with 90mm of armor. The craft can get up to 15 knots thanks to a pair of Supercharger Coilengines.
A crew of 14 man the ship. A number of these sailors are responsible for manning a pair if 50mm guns with a 15mm gun shield for hitting hard targets as well as two Kakalas for anti-infantry efforts. A set of tubes at the front launch sets of smoke canisters out to 200 meters to provide a thick screen for disembarking troops and vehicles should the ship need to land in an active combat zone.
The Makuahine costs us 6 Ore and 4 Refocyte, making it (EXPENSIVE).
----------------
You've got one Revision this phase to fix any issues you may think you have, wherever they may be. You're also still responsible for providing submissions for the lore contest by the end of this turn! And pick your new trait!
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: V. Minor Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 3
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[E])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due tp a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Initharian Expeditionary Uniforms Mk. II
The Expeditionary Uniforms were remarkably adequate given our lacking knowledge of the terrain and enemies we'd face, but now that we have that knowledge we should use it.
Firstly, we've created a gas mask and hood to neutralize the LIE toxins used by the loathsome Embralish, largely rubber in construction so it doesn't freeze or burn the user. Secondly, we added basic camouflage, while it isn't much less obvious than our non-camoed uniform it does break up the human silhouette quite a bit, making long distance shots more challenging.
WIP probably
NM2 Remotely detonated mines "'Ohu Mameo"
To combat the Hetham menace, we've started work to improve our mines with 'Ohu Mameo.
The 'Ohu Mameo is paired with a couple indicator loop sub detector, which detects submarines as they enter into it's radius, signaling the operator. The outer loop is at the edge of the mines explosive radius and the inner loop being inside it's "kill raduis", where a kill is practically guaranteed against Hethams. Standard procedure is to alert local sub hunters once a sub enters the first loop and detonating it once it enters the second. The 'Ohu Mameo can be operated either from shore installations or ASW ships (currently only the little Ho') with installations being basically immune to counterattack from subs but limited in range, and Ships having to set up but being able do so anywhere we have the tiniest bit of control.
Obsolete
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo"
In response to the Embralish "Wolfpacks" We've decided to secure our coast with minefields. However, our current contact mines are just as much a danger to us as the Embralish, so we've begun work on our version of an old design, controlled mines.
'Ohus are typically deployed with two indicator loops to detect submarines, and an observer somewhere to keep an eye out for surface craft. One indicator loop is to be deployed outside the 'Ohu's kill radius and one is to be deployed inside it, standard procedure being to alert sub hunters once the outer indicator loop is tripped and detonating it once the inner loop is tripped. For small surface craft, it mainly relies on the observer relaying information to the operator. The 'Ohu Mameo can be deployed 15 kilometers from it's operator's station max, though one needs to be fairly high up to observe surface craft at that distance. What makes the 'Ohu worthwhile ultimately, is the fact it can be safely deployed anywhere along our shore, regardless of whether or not our boats frequent the area.
A rough addition, will probably be worked on later.
Revision Phase, Hot Season 1939 AC
Proposal: NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo"
In response to the Embralish "Wolfpacks" We've decided to secure our coast with minefields. However, our current contact mines are just as much a danger to us as the Embralish, so we've begun work on our version of an old design, controlled mines.
'Ohus are typically deployed with two indicator loops to detect submarines, and an observer somewhere to keep an eye out for surface craft. One indicator loop is to be deployed outside the 'Ohu's kill radius and one is to be deployed inside it, standard procedure being to alert sub hunters once the outer indicator loop is tripped and detonating it once the inner loop is tripped. For small surface craft, it mainly relies on the observer relaying information to the operator. The 'Ohu Mameo can be deployed 15 kilometers from it's operator's station max, though one needs to be fairly high up to observe surface craft at that distance. What makes the 'Ohu worthwhile ultimately, is the fact it can be safely deployed anywhere along our shore, regardless of whether or not our boats frequent the area.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: (6+3)-1=8, Average
While laying cables to act as indicator loops had been heard of over the course of the war at home, Inithar had not had much opportunity to delve into nor field equipment similar in design or purpose. However, as always, Initharians somehow manage to get by.
Indicator cables would form induction loops when a submarine passed by. The sensitive equipment being observed shoreside was not perfect, and the Earth's magnetosphere could fluctuate enough to trigger readings. While this was to be expected, the intensity of spikes and their frequency was both unanticipated and intriguing, as if something was interfering with the devices. A second cable would therefore be paired with the first, not just for ensuring observers had enough time to set off mines, but to provide some sort of ability to verify a signal as coming from a submerged vessel. The mines themselves were converted from our old contact mines into circuit-fired mines controlled by an observer at a shore-based Lookout Tower. These mines could be flipped back to their normal contact-sensitive state at the flip of a switch should the lookout tower come under attack in order to prevent their control falling to enemy hands.
While definitely an improvement, the required amount of cable-laying means it's damn near impossible to deploy minefields of the NM2 in territory not under a fair level of Initharian control. In the event that they see active deployment, the NM2 costs us a whopping 7 Ore, making it (VERY EXPENSIVE) thanks to the volume of cable needed to install a significant amount of the things.
----------------
As development of our new equipment comes to a close we now need to look towards the strait, and the enemies that lay across it. As always, you have the ability to choose (up to) Two Lanes to attack on and assign a resource to one of the Nodes in your territory.
Also, you have to select your new trait from the last Battle Report!
Double also, last chance to submit lore contest submissions in the Core Thread! Remember, it's supposed to be about the nonmilitary experience on Harren, and that an Espionage Credit is up for grabs!
IT IS NOW THE STRATEGY PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: V. Minor Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 3
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[E])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due tp a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Strategy Phase, Hot Season 1939 AC
[Remember to assign a sector to NE equipment even if it won't be NE following the Resource allocation]
This season marked the beginning of operations to extract Ore in The Deadwood. We now have access to 4 Ore, which results in the following armory adjustments:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo" becomes (EXPENSIVE)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship becomes (VERY EXPENSIVE) (finally :p)
We also adopted Bringing Up The Rear, meaning our indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Combat Phase, Hot Season 1939 AC
The Eastern Front
In preparation for our second attempt at landing in Embral-held territory our Naval Fellowship set to the task of securing the seas from the Embralish. Destroyer Groups centered around a Kaipo'u or, if they were lucky enough, the Kona had little issue locating hostile submarines and saturating their suspected locations with refocyte bombardment to dissuade getting close to the surface. Enemy Hethams began to see increased losses, and while a few of our ships did still get sunk by them, by and large every engagement was decided by our fleet and then won by them. Their Mukebazas, now facing multiple Kaipo'us, were nowhere near enough of a surface presence to stem the tide. The Kona being active in the sector and organizing fleet actions made the situation that much more extreme (in a good way for us). With our capability to reduce the Embralish advantage of stealth and their inability to engage on their own terms, we dominated our push into their territory. A lot of our people are glad to see what is undoubtedly the centralmost pillar to Initharian society, the Navy, overcome their earlier hiccups.
Inithar attains Significant Control of the Eastern Maelstrom.
----------------
Rain pounded The Mudflats on the morning of the invasion. Rain collected in the craters littering the oversaturated earth. Artillery, too, fell onto the Embralish territory. Our capital ships were able to focus largely on supporting the invasion thanks to the shellacking of the Embralish fleets in the area, and the defenders most definitely felt that as conventional 300mm shells whistled overhead alongside a large number of refocyte munitions. The appearance of the Makuahine CLC alongside our repurposed landers was certainly a welcome sight for the forces being delivered to the devil's doorstep.
The Embralish 108mm artillery and the 105mm mortars had zeroed in on slices of the landing area after last year's attempt, and the time we'd given them to recover and reinforce was made abundantly clear. It felt as though more water was being thrown into the air by explosions than there was falling from the clouds. Being infantry on either side of this engagement was quite an undesirable prospect, as the sheer volume of indirect fire - admittedly mostly at us - was withering at best and downright devastating at worst.
Chemical clouds drifted across the landing zones as Embralish chemical mortars dropped with alarming frequency. One Makuahine was unfortunate enough to have a shell land right in front of the ramp as it opened, blocking the exit with a toxic cloud of smoke and drifting inward towards the trapped infantry and crew. Counterbattery fire from our fleet was able to alleviate that pressure somewhat, while the ship-based refocyte rounds pounded the old Salviosi defenses, cracking, crumpling, and collapsing the decades-old abandoned concrete bunkers.
The first wave of landing craft was almost solely infantry. Our footsoldiers were at a disadvantage thanks to the enemy's superior range in regard to firearms, as with last time, but the uptick in indirect fire support gave our infantry the chance to push forward and not get socked in by the hail of 108mm shells. Smoke launched from the Makuahines did wonders to reduce the amount of immediate casualties as compared to a year ago. Then the second wave hit the beaches.
Makuahines opened up to reveal the first Initharian armored fighting vehicle of the war - the G2 Alanui. These tanks provided a clear and present target for the Embralish Rogis which proved itself...somewhat lacking. While it's AP and APHE shells could penetrate the Alanui, the tank was capable of high speeds that required significant leading, even in the muck of the Mudflats. The Alanuis provided much-needed direct-fire support for our infantry, pounding defenses with their refocyte rounds and suppressing infantry with it's pair of Kakalas. The advantage provided to troops pushing forward was somewhat mitigated by the deep pools restricting movement forward to select routes, and the Rogis, largely used on the beach as defensive emplacements, severely outnumbered the Alanui. That said, they also afforded the Wikiwiki the opportunity to move up without getting absolutely annihilated immediately.
Our forces suffered significant losses on the landing, adding corpses to those already half-buried and rotted in the mud. But the inclusion of a proper lander, as well as the delayed introduction of the Alanui, paired with a significant degree of naval bombardment, saw the Embralish defenders pushed away from the landing zones along the strait. In the following days the landings were able to form a unified front and went largely unopposed, save for the occasional terrifying ambush of screaming, whistling Embralish, until they ran across another old Salviosi line claimed by the Embralish forces. Long-abandoned Abberan positions provided our forces with some cover from enemy fire and the elements.
As both sides dug in, one thing remained clear: many people would die in the coming months trying to fight over this useless, undesirable slice of land.
Inithar has successfully pushed into The Mudflats, gaining control of an empty Resource Node in the process.
----------------
The Western Front
Plans this season for the Embral forces focused efforts on pushing through the Initharian defenses they'd managed to probe the season before. Fortunately for us, we made progress asserting control over the sea, and had shored up our positions. As with the East, an increased presence of Kaipo'u-class Battleships acted in support of a number of sub-hunting groups. Their Hethams, outnumbered by the ships hunting them, and now facing Destroyer Groups with refocyte-armed battleship support, had to fight more conservatively than any of them would have wanted. The Ho'oulas were already enough a pest for the Mukebaza cruisers based on sheer volume of fire alone, and with the additional firepower from more Kaipo'us they didn't really stand a chance. Again, we picked almost every engagement, and without sufficient surface presence the Embralish were unable to wrest any control of the sector from us. We suspect, but cannot confirm, that The Leviathan was present and involved in sinking a Kaipo'u and causing significant damage to two more. We suspect we detected it a few times, but it never approached our mine fields close enough to be threatened by them.
It would've been a bad enough season for the invaders on the seas if things ended there. But they did not. Towers had cropped up along our shores, and their purpose was made abundantly clear to the Embralish submersible fleet when they tried navigating through our minefields, as they'd grow accustomed to doing. The NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo" weren't all too common, so a few of their subs were able to get close enough to shore to launch Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreathers, dubbed SEALs. These torpedoes were ridden by an Embralish soldier armed with a knife and some explosives, and they were generally not that great. Not many made it past our fleet and the mines, but they were able to land a few disorganized units onto our shores. Not that the North Peaks offered many safe landing zones in the first place, at least not for someone lacking significant support or climbing equipment.
Their only saving grace here was that our focus was not on the Western Maelstrom. The Western Maelstrom is still under Initharian Light Control.
----------------
Scattered commandos landed and struck the night before Embral's second attempt to claw into the North Peaks. The disruptions caused by their SEAL Commandos were heavily underwhelming. Not enough of them made it to land in one piece to cause significant havoc behind our lines. The did manage to pull attention away from the shore defenses somewhat, but their activities acted more to increase our alertness more than anything. The first use of SEAL Commandos would go down ultimately as a failure for Embral, with little gained and each Commando missing, captured, or killed by the end of the landing attempt.
The landing itself was practically a repeat of the last time they crossed the strait here. Approaching ships had to be extremely cautious of our mines, and the Navy was able to harass Embral's mostly unescorted transports. While a large number of our ships were dedicated to keeping Hethams away, their comparative lack of surface presence bit them hard. While we had no new advancements on the ground in this theater, neither did they. Again, as last season, Embralish forces were able to bypass small sections of our defenses before being pushed back - which is a frightening prospect, given the situation at sea was much worse for them than the last time they tried an amphibious assault. We suspect that there would have been gains this time around if the sea situation had stayed similar to last season's.
Inithar has successfully defended the North Peaks.
----------------
As the season nears it's end a pair of ships were spotted approaching our side of Harren from the East - though they seem to keep a fair distance from one another. The first to make contact is someone claiming to represent the Military Fellowships in Inithar, waving a set of flags stating as much in the distance, while the other claims to be a diplomat seeking refuge and aid. The diplomat's boat arrived first, and the diplomat, introducing himself as Pelenato, requested you all meet him as he stepped foot onto the frozen dock.
"Please, we must hurry. The Junta is on my tail, and I need to speak to you now," Pelenato gestures furiously towards the nearest buildings, shivering as his breath forms dense clouds in front of his face."
Pelenato's Theme (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUHK_g41FCY)
In a few moments you've crammed yourself in a small pub vacated by it's patrons. Pelenato refuses to sit. His face wields the look of hunted prey reaching the end of it's rope.
"Time is short, so I'll cut to the chase. The war at home has taken a turn for the worst. Carpet bombing has commenced in the Initharian Archipelago. People are desperate and tired if they're lucky, maimed or dead if not. The Great Powers, seeing our desperate position, have offered terms of surrender. We had the chance to end the suffering of our people, given the chance to continue surviving merely by ceding all but our mainland territory save for our primary port city and allowing Powers forces to occupy and observe it for a short period. But the military fellowships, well, as with any Initharian they pride themselves on their skill at their chosen work, and none of them took the offer well. When they'd heard the terms of surrender were being seriously considered the leadership of the Army, Navy, and Air Force Fellowships came together and forced our leadership from the capital. We've managed to maintain a semblance of control while ruling from exile, island hopping to avoid both the Junta and the Powers, who don't understand that there's a difference between us and the Junta, but we can't do so forever. I'm here not only to update you on the situation, but to ask for aid in the fight against the Junta and, hopefully, an end to the war at home."
The pub door swings open. In an instant Pelenato draws a sidearm and fires it at the newcomers. The first two drop dead before the gun jams. An imposing, decorated figure steps over the two bodies as Pelenato tosses the jammed weapon, missing him entirely.
You recognize General Arona, the highest ranked and most well-respected female within Inithar's entire armed forces. Her uniform is standard, save for the solid black band around her left bicep.
Arona's Theme (https://youtu.be/O4irXQhgMqg)
"Fucking coward," she spits, approaching the circle you've formed while listening to Pelenato, "He's a liar and a traitor to Inithar," she pulls her own service revolver and levels it at Pelenato.
"Go ahead, shoot me, you'll just prove me right!"
Arona's jaw clenches tightly before she speaks, "At least it'd put an end to the trail of bodies left in your wake, traitor."
Arona turns her attention towards you, though she never stops aiming her gun at Pelenato, "No doubt he's told you of the horrible, terrible "Junta". There is no junta, only a Unified Armed Fellowship that seeks to defend, protect, and uphold the ways of Inithar. And if that means fighting gill and scale for every inch of Initharian lands, protecting ourselves from becoming a puppet to foreign powers, then so be it! At least we don't have our bank accounts full of foreign coin! The leadership of our country failed it's people, squandered every advantage we had, and then took bribes in order to secure a "favorable" offer of peace. Favorable to them, maybe! But the rest of us - the ones who fight and die for Inithar, the ones that farm and fish to feed her people, were set to be trod upon by foreign boots. Peace? No, the Powers only offer oppression. Did he tell you one of the terms was the dissolution of all Fellowships? That the foreign forces would not only police our single mainland port, but also maintain a presence on every Initharian island? I doubt it. Peace. What a joke!"
"You want Inithar to pay for it's freedom in blood. And there will be none left alive to see it!" Pelenato hisses back.
"Then at least we will go out with honor and dignity intact!" Arona replies coldly as her thumb pulls back the hammer on her revolver.
A gun rests underneath the bar and within reach of a few of you. It's clear someone in this room is going to die (besides the two men laying in pools of their own blood already). It's time for you to decide who walks out of here alive...and ultimately how interactions with the Old World will continue from this point onward.
Will you Kill Arona, siding with Pelenato and the Powers while forsaking Inithar? Or will you Kill Pelenato, cementing your loyalties to the motherland at the cost of countless lives in the war at home?
You have one design.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 4
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
pop!
From the seat near the gun, a almost normal looking Initharian, just an everyday guy, shoots.
...
"I'm just going to say anyone who would kill his own countryman deserves to die. We did not come to the middle of this frozen wasteland in the middle of nowhere just to give up and roll over."
We came here to retrieve the resources here, create new advancements, and come back victorious to push these greedy oil loving bastards out of our lands. We paid for them with blood and sweat, and were the ones to take down the empire in our distant past while they decided to fight over the remains. What right do they think they have to take what is ours!
After that impassioned speech, he speaks.
"We've already spent to much to get here, and I'm sure as the frozen seas not going to stop here even if I have to walk."
Side with Inithar: (1) TricMagic
Nā awelala
The Nā awelala takes from the Kona, and is a mobile artillery platform. Traveling on Refocyte coilengine powered treads, it houses a 2x300mm gun taken directly from the Kona's designs. It is big, it is long(ranged), and it is powerful. And as the Kona one does, it fires refocyte shells of various purities to completely destroy bunkers, walls, and enemy lines.
It will travel behind ally lines, pound their positions from afar, and then travel forward again to repeat the process. Or, it will be used defensively on the shores to pound submarines and ships alike, or on defense allowing it to roll backward. Last, it can be placed on a ship's deck to give them a taste of what the Kona packs against it's foes, granting them it's gun for dealing with enemy subs and ships.
Other than all this, it also boasts 50 mm armor steel mixed with Refocyte on the front and sides to protect it from what snipers fire at it. As well as short Nickel caps connecting to discharge refocyte pistons for preventing it from exploding.(These effectively take the force from the armor to the refocyte, which then knocks a piston upward. It stops at the top, then can be brought back down. Bit jarring, but it resets the refocyte-steel armor.)
Kōkua kākoʻo ahi ahi
An Indirect Fire and Communications Support Base with which to help with defense and expansion. A Kākoʻo kikowaena is made up of walls and buildings, a Radio Tower for communication between bases and to local forces, and a Refocyte Kinetic Cannon for dealing with enemies within range.
The walls surround the buildings, cutting off dust and wind from the areas within and have 2 gates at the front. Within these walls lie the Radio Tower, connected to a building which handles communications. Connected to this building is a map room, where calculations can be made for firing the Refocyte Kinetic Cannon. Around these are also other buildings for resting troops, equipment and base personnel.
The Radio Tower connects the bases together, allowing for quick communication. They also are responsible for ensuring their area is scouted to prevent enemy attacks. As for the Refocyte Kinetic Cannon, it uses a Coilengine to turn gears, which can be used to turn the base of an RFC as needed into position, as well as angle the RFC barrel. The RFC itself makes use of a firing Refocyte, and a Refocyte shell of 2 x 200 mm. Based on the purity used for the RFC's firing mechanism, which is placed beforehand, and the angle chosen we can control the range at which it fires. Anywhere from 12 kilometers to 1 kilometer can be hit by it. All we need is the radio coordinates, or a general fire area, which often overlaps with other Kōkua kākoʻo ahi ahi.
The number of RFC emplacements can vary from base to base, with any more than 1 RFC placement being placed outside the main walls. In these cases, they often have some buildings for the operators of the RFC to receive orders and take shelter from the elements.
Buildup is like this. First, we build the building for communication, and the Radio Tower. Then, more buildings are built, including the map room. After that, an RFC is installed. Following this, the walls get made, before the wall with the gates is finally built. After this, the Kōkua kākoʻo ahi ahi is mostly complete. Some might not be fully built, instead acting as Radio Tower Nodes. Quick to build, they help smooth communication where enemy attacks aren't happening.
For some nearer the front lines, more RFCs may be built outside the walls, allowing a single Kōkua kākoʻo ahi ahi to support our forces more through their indirect fire. And once the front-line has been pushed forward enough, some of these may be disassembled and brought further up the line.
Nic seems off, so, something I guess.
Refocus Shielding
Refocus Shields are made out of two outer layers of Refocyte, and an inner layer of nickel. The Wide Nickel Layer passes any attacks that hit the front of the Refocus Shield to the Refocyte layer on the back. this effectively creates a shield that can handle just about any infantry attack, as well as technically block a long range shell. Though if it does block it, it's going to destroy whoever is holding the thing.
They basically work because the Refocyte on front absorbs all kinetic energy when it is uncharged, and the energy immediately goes to the layer in the back. This means no bullet can even hope to leave a dent on it. However, the downside is rather, large. Once the back layer hit's it's limit, it explosively sends force towards the layer that triggered it, in most cases the front layer. Which then goes back into the back layer and creates a kinetic chain reaction of it violently dissipating it's force, destroying whoever is holding it.
However, this can be avoided by simply throwing the shield away once it has reached that point. And if you throw it with the right timing at your enemy, it can kill them instead on impact.
Perhaps most important though is the fact it can protect our forces when they make a charge. The ones assaulting the shore are sure to appreciate the advantage, short lived as it will be. And as the front line of a charge forward, it will greatly increase our survival rate when making a push forward to a range our weapons can shoot back.
Each Refocus Shield is shaped like an oval which one can hide behind using the attached handle when charging, protecting the torso, arms, and upper legs, along with the head. Please note to be careful when re-collecting the shields after a battle. Or just use them as mines when retreating by shooting them with foes nearby, since each thrown away will be near ready to trigger.
Not sure if these would count for the shore landings? They will at least reduce casualties in charges though.
Meteorefocus Shield
Comprised of 52% iron, 16% nickle, and 32% Refocyte, this alloy is unique in actively de-charging Refocyte that is attached to it. Rather, it takes Refocyte it is attached to, and discharges that kinetic energy into the air around it. It doesn't affect anything other than gases in fact. Stick it in water, and the discharge won't occur. Same if it's buried while touching charged Refocyte.
This is mostly from taking from a meteor that fell from the sky here and making an alloy of Refocyte. Rather, since we did need some ore, and there was quite a bit of it that was meteoric, it just ended up happening that way. Reducing the proportion of Refocyte to Iron/Nickel also reduces the discharge rate, while increasing it increases the discharge rate. However, this combination has been found to be best, quality wise, since above 36% Refocyte, it's just an alloy that has a bad habit of never holding a charge. Too much Nickle in it.
In this manner, enter the Meteor Shield. Comprised of plates sloping up to a gentle point, it covers the head, arms, torso, and upper legs, and allows us to charge straight to enemy lines. Their firearms use ordinary bullets, and so the kinetic energy enters the refocyte. This then is sent through a pure nickle connector near the edges of the shield, before entering the cap of Meteorefocus. At which point, all that energy just slips away into the air harmlessly, other than a few minor shockwaves that don't effect solids and liquids.
While these shields can be defeated, it would take a lot of shots to do so. They're perfect for landings, along with charges and retreats.
If this thing goes up in flames for effectively rendering small arms fire useless, all I can say is I saw it coming.
Whakaata Reanga
The Whakaata Reanga is a vest with refocyte plates attached to the front. It protects the torso and back As well as comes with greaves to attach to your uniform.
It's purpose is pretty simple. When it gets hit, it robs kinetic projectiles of energy. Very simple, and very effective for enhancing our survival. It was overlooked for simple being too good to be true, but it is something we can do. Now, we will no longer have to worry as much about enemy fire. Which will greatly affect the success of landings and general battlefield survivability. And if a plate ends up fully charged, the next hit will simply be directed in the direction of what hit it.
We do need a way to handle them safely though, so everyone gets a refocyte bar with a thick nickle connector. The casing is of course, made of lightweight wood, since we have plenty of that, along with leather for grip, and has a window open on a side to see this battery's charge. Just place it against a plate to shift the charge to the battery, or against something that needs recharging, like a vehicle.
Design Phase, Cold Season 1939 AC
Proposal: M1939 120mm “Laweano” Longpact Field Artillery Piece
While the Inithari Army Fellowship had previously operated a number of foreign artillery pieces, no special effort was made to implement refocyte operated field guns as the refocyte propellant cap mechanism, dominant at the time, had vastly inferior ranges to conventional pieces and was more capable in a howitzer role. Even when naval guns were first drafted, regular propellant charges were used in lieu of a dedicated refocyte drive system to foster a competitive range. Prototypes produced in the 1910s verified these findings and refocyte-driven weapons larger in diameter than 20mm were deemed impractical.
Since the arrival on the Harren islands, there has been renewed interest in the field of refocyte-driven large caliber guns (in part due to the high percentage of engineering staff coming from the Refocyte-smith Fellowship). The adoption of a 50mm RPP gun in the G2 Alanui, while proving mediocre when using conventional rounds, showed refocyte-driven guns had a future on the battlefield. The prototype tanks, in particular, highlighted certain advantages of these weapon systems tied to both increased ammunition loads, safer ammunition storage and the potential for much more rapid-fire with significantly less recoil than conventional guns of a comparable role. Soon thereafter, proponents of the catapult longpact configuration (headed by the inventor of the PACT method, Nikau Manawa) set out to develop a standard field artillery gun with a maximum range of at least 20 kilometers, a vertical arc of fire from 0° to 70°, a variable muzzle velocity in either notched increments or a continual interval, a projectile in the 30 kg mass range, and capable of being mounted on a rubber-tired towed mounting.
The new gun design is to use a 5 meter L41 barrel fitted with two parallel rails running down its length and lying on the horizontal axis and a catapult ring around them. The rails, known as the leads, are attached to a lever mechanism allowing them to be pulled further into the weapon, thus reducing the exposed lead length with the same effect as a lighter charge in a conventional artillery gun (variable muzzle velocity and thus range), as well as allowing for the leads to be replaced upon expenditure – to be recharged or recycled. The piece is breech-loaded with a lock that opens and closes the breech in a single movement of a lever. The ammunition for the gun is caseless, consisting purely of the shell, and is rammed directly into the firing chamber, where the catapults clamp it in place and are ready to engage the starting position. The firing hammer is implemented as part of the locking mechanism and is actuated by a continuous pull of a firing lever on the side of the gun assembly, at the gunner’s position.
Ramming the shell home is followed by notching the power lever by a given amount, as required by the range, with the kinetic energy varying with lead length in increments given on the side next to the lever position (leading to theoretical maximum range of 25.7 km for a 30 kg projectile at 40° going at 800 m/s, given that’s the muzzle velocity I’d personally cut it off at; assumind Cd = 0.4, h = 500 mm). Once the range setting is set, the leads are locked in place and the firing mechanism unlocked. When obtaining a firing solution, the gunman can quickly calculate the weapon’s range given the use of a manual and the marked mass of the projectile. An experienced crew should be capable of performing this process roughly 17–20 times per minute, if not more, owing to the shorter procedure and smaller weight of the shells used in comparison to conventional cannons of a similar role.
The “vee”-shaped split-trail lower carriage features an integral two-wheel axle and a four-wheel limber supporting the trails for transport (with two wheels per trail, near the end), and houses the suspension for the gun piece. The upper carriage includes the gun cradle, which connects the gun assembly to the upper carriage; gun plate, the side frames for the bearings, pintle-mounted seats for the operators, and the azimuthal and elevating gearing that make up the traversing mechanism. When not in use, the gun’s trails can be brought together and locked up so as to be moved manually by the crew or towed by a Wikiwiki transport car.
Despite the piece being capable of firing any shell that'd fit within its breech, High Command insisted shell types be listed. Production lines for 120 mm AP, HE, Smoke and Refocyte shells are to be made operational for the weapon. Given these shells are already in use with the army in multiple roles, this isn't a major innovation where the design is concerned, but needed to be mentioned.
Difficulty: Very Hard Hard
Result: (2+1)-1=2, Utter Failure
We have learned that it is generally a bad idea to slam refocyte plates together at very high speeds. Or to have no rubber insulation where a refocyte mechanism is meant to stop. While it's fairly obvious now that launching low-purity refocyte back down the barrel of a weapon will inevitably cause it to try to kick the back of the barrel and cause significant internal damage (meaning any damage, really), we have also learned that refocyte which surpasses it's energy threshold multiple times over will outright explode. The plates used within the failed Laweano were having extreme force applied relative to their low purity, resulting in the weapon being able to send one shot downrange before catastrophic failure. We were unable to get solid range estimates as each tested weapon only provided a solitary point of data, but they were fast, at least.
----------------
You have a single revision to work on, and remember to discuss which contact from the Old World you wish to support! Will you Kill Pelenato and side with the "military junta" of the Black Fellowship? Or will you Kill Arona and sacrifice Inithar's cultural identity to preserve her people?
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 4
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Refocus Bomb
The Refocus Bomb is made up of 10 parts. The first is a cross section made of Nickel/Refocyte Alloy. the other 8, parts of a sphere. And the last, the shell which holds it together, with rubber holding it all tightly together and preventing discharge. Refocyte is at a 10% ratio to the Steel it is made of. The cross section is 10% as well, with Nickel making up the rest.
The science is a bit complicated, but electron number of the alloy used plays a part in it's power. When the shell hits a solid object, it cracks, and the force triggers a piece of Refocyte. This in turn, causes a discharge effect through the center, which triggers the rest.
The result is an Overload, with nearby molecules having kinetic force traveling through them, braking them apart. Along with Plasma cCeation, the Alloy making up the Refocus bomb breaking down in a fiery explosion. The bigger the Bomb, the stronger the resulting reaction.
A breakdown of how it happens. When Refocyte is triggered, it affects the cross section. This in turn, thanks to the nickel, causes the other pieces to also trigger into the cross section. This is followed by the cross section Overloading, which then spreads the reaction to the rest of the molecules it is connected to, in this case, more Refocyte/Steel alloys. An Overload in another name would be, Spontaneous Fission through Refocyte, the Kinetic Force breaking down all of the bonds keeping it together.
Refocus Bombs come in a plane drop form, and a cannon shell. Rubber prevents the kinetic energy from a Refocyte plate from entering the shell, though this does not apply when the shell cracks against a target. This also helps protect it from going off from normal handling and movements. For the first, simply dropping it from on high is enough for it to crack against the ground on impact.
Please note that all Refocus Bombs are Volatile and Fully Charged. Assemble them with great care and load carefully. They won't break if dropped from a short height, or in normal vehicle movement, but better not to chance it going off early.
As another note, such Refocus Bombs are extremely effective in killing submarines and mines, since the force literally vibrates the water molecules around it.
R-Generator
The R-generation reaction results from firing a Pure Refocyte Round fully charged, into a 1% Refocyte Alloy Plate mixed with Nickel and Steel for the other 99%. Upon contact, the Pure round discharges into the plate, which overloads the Refocyte/Nickel/Steel, causing the reaction. The Alloy is broken down completely, along with the Pure Shell, with electrons being freed. The Chain Reaction then frees all of the electrons in the air around it, in looping arcs of electricity.
By continuously pumping air into this, we can keep it going. This in turn allows us to drain the byproduct through lightning rods in the chamber, Electricity. This can then be used by the Grid of our city to power heating. It can also be used to give electricity to outposts. Once it's started, so long as you continually pump in the surrounding air, the reaction will continue.
This effectively allows us to build bunkers and towns in these ice cold conditions, powering our heating. It also can have other uses, should we develop anything that can use the electricity produced.
As for why Nickel? It happens to aid the reaction, most particularly breaking down the Pure Shell when the reaction occurs, giving the Generator reaction mass for the startup. Steel also has a large number of electrons too, which helps.
Revision Phase, Cold Season 1939 AC
Proposal: M1 "Hau Kai"
The LIE... is a problem, and the Grand Fleet Design Group has finally turned its attention to dealing with it and making the lives of our soldiers much easier. But stuck with little time and effort to spare between larger projects (even if those projects explode), there has been some stated concern that other proposed models such as the Hunahuea and Aka may ultimately be too ambitious and leave the Design Group with very little to show for the season. The Hau Kai is meant to be a more conservative. The Hau Kai is a fairly simple full-face mask, made primarily of rubber (incl. the seals of the mask), with plastic lenses (unless these prove too difficult to produce in sufficient clarity and strength; we use glass, then) and a single, activated-carbon filter to purify the air, although soldiers are given a couple of replacement filters -- with the nature of the LIEs, exposure to toxic gas for long periods of time is unexpected, but it is entirely possible that a soldier may have to deal with multiple clouds of LIE gas over the course of a battle.
Additionally, the mask has a heavy earmuff near each ear, which is attached to the side of the mask on one side and can be placed or buckled down over the ear in order to block the soldier's hearing. This is an early attempt to test the potential of simply blocking the sound of the Embralese Sikari masks with a fairly primitive solution, and if this works to see if Inithari soldiers can indeed communicate through non-verbal means effectively.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: (6+5)-1=10, Superior
The Hau Kai is meant to deal with the threat of enemy chemical weaponry, and does so remarkably well. The mask itself covers the entire face with adjustable padded straps that can be used to secure the Hau Kai snugly to the wearer to ensure proper sealing. A single replaceable clear resin lens offered a great amount of visibility. A port on either side of the mask allows users to install the filter cartridge on the left or right sides based on preference. Lens fogging is minimal to nonexistent thanks to the efforts of the design team, and the whole thing does not interfere at all with wearing a helmet.
Due to the enemy's persistence on poisoning the air, soldiers using a Hau Kai are given a couple replacement filters to extend survivability. Each filter can provide protection against known chemical agents for multiple extended periods over the course of an engagement, so while most Initharians with the Hau Kai could engage on a single filter, it's better to be safe than sorry. And dead.
The strap that runs from ear to ear atop the skull also holds two cloth and rubber earmuffs on loops that can be slid down the strap and over the ears. These earmuffs seal over the ears so long as the straps on the mask are adjusted properly, severely hampering hearing - for better or worse.
The rubber, resin, and charcoal used to make the M1 "Hau Kai" give it a cost of 5 Wood to produce, making it (EXPENSIVE).
----------------
It's time to decide what two lanes to attack on, what resource you will deploy and where, if you'll use an Attack to strike a Pact facility instead of Embral, the deployment of your National Effort(s), and what your final decision on who lives and who dies will be. The future of the expedition, and indeed all of Inithar, is in your hands now more than ever!
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 4
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Strategy Phase, Cold Season 1939 AC
Over the course of this season we built up our industrial strength with the introduction of an Ore Mine in the Taiga, bringing our total Ore available to five(5).
This has resulted in the following armory adjustments:
G2 'Alanui' becomes (EXPENSIVE)
'Makuahine' CLC becomes (CHEAP)
----------------
You flinch as Arona's gun fires in the enclosed room. The round strikes Pelenato in the chest and he crumples to the floor. You can hear air sucking through the wound as he struggles to breathe. Arona smoothly holsters the revolver.
"Thanks for not stepping in. I really needed to do that. I take it this means you agree with the defense of Inithar and all she stands for?"
There was a general murmur of agreement, even if somewhat slightly apprehensive for some.
Inithar's Theme (https://youtu.be/ySzrJ4GRF7s?t=14)
"Good news is a cable-laying ship should arrive by the end of the season, finally giving us a direct link to one another. You won't be isolated from home anymore. The war at home is in dire straits though, and my primary goal here is to figure out why we haven't seen any shipments of this island's resources. We'd no idea that you were waging a war all your own over here too."
Pelenato begins to sputter and cough up blood as it foams in his throat and from between his lips. A second shot rings out and the upper left portion of his skull blows out against the bar behind him. Two large twitches later and he lay motionless, the only noise he makes being the blood dripping into the pool forming under him. Arona holsters the gun again.
Arona continues, "But the fact of the matter is the Initharian military desperately needs an edge over the invaders. They've taken refocyte deposits and begun large-scale introduction of it's mechanisms into their industry and war machines thanks to traitors like that one selling Fellowship secrets. Our largest advantage for centuries is now turned against us. We need to begin work on locating and gathering Harren's resources, but considering the situation here I think we can put together an agreement between the Expeditionary Fellowship - I hope that doesn't offend, it's what we've been referring to you all at home - and the United Armed Fellowship. I'll tell the generals and admirals that you need the resources as much as we do, but if you acquire Gavrillium or Caelium you can send it home and we'll supplement your resource stockpiles with what we have available." [This will make the resource from the node unavailable to you for use, but will give you a Resource Credit to attain a nonHarren Resource with.]
"With the last of the Traitors being hunted down, those who've remained true Loyalists to the very idea of Inithar are free to come together to repel our enemies, and return us to, or maybe even surpass, the old Empire."
----------------
Combat Phase, Cold Season 1939 AC
The Eastern Front
Kai Leilani was given a hefty promotion after the formation of the Marine Fellowship, and was leading part of the unit responsible for landing on the eastern shores of the Mudflats. The fighting for the beachhead was less intense than the fighting at the strait, as the Salviosi apparently did not anticipate an invasion from the seas themselves (something that was noticed about the Abberan defenses too). The Initharian Marines formed a flanking force with the goal of pulling manpower and resources from the frontlines and rolling across the Mudflats from within the network of trenches laid out across the sector.
The Wikiwiki gave Kai and the soldiers she was responsible for the capability to move rapidly and push deep through the enemy lines - though many others were not so lucky. The Mudflats during this time of year were lacking the deep craters of water and instead was pockmarked with sections of mud so saturated with water that a soldier - or vehicle - could be sucked into the nearly liquidized earth. Wikiwikis and the Alanuis supporting the Marines often got bogged down trying to find safe routes that both avoided the mudtraps that were indistinguishable from the rest of the terrain while also avoiding getting trapped by trenches too large to pass over and, of course, enemy defensive positions. Kai had the opportunity to witness an Alanui that found itself being absorbed by the earth, it's rear completely swallowed and the barrel of it's gun gesturing skyward hopelessly. The crew were stranded atop the front of the tank, yelling for aid. Kai wasn't able to find out what happened to them; whether someone figured out a way to save them or they suffered a slow, suffocating death.
Some ground was gained along the flank, and Initharian forces were in position for the primary push into the Embralish-held territory, but they were dug in well, and without artillery or mortars it was going to take a lot of blood and flesh to dislodge them. Kai's platoon was one of the two platoons paired with a half dozen Alanui tanks tasked with punching a hole through the Embralish flank and assaulting a particularly problematic defensive position. The area was littered with the scars of war, having been the focus of extended conflict between the two nations that used to occupy the island, but the fortifications still held strong.
On the nights leading up to the assault most soldiers, Kai included, hardly slept a wink. Embralish artillery would fire a salvo every hour or so, waking our soldiers and forcing them to find overhead cover. Not all of our soldiers had access to the new gas masks, so the chemical shells fired by their mortars and artillery still proved effective in killing our people. On the dawn of the assault Kai and her soldiers left their trenches as the motorized infantry and their Alanui support pushed in concentrated spearheads along the roads. Kai's unit immediately came under fire from the Embralish defenders. Kai dove on her belly and into the mud. She pulled herself forward slowly as machine gun fire crossed overhead from both sides. As Kai squirmed her way through the mud she poked her head up in time to see an Alanui up ahead fire at a Rogi. There was a loud clang not unlike a low bell as the shell struck the front of the Embralish vehicle and blew the armor inwards, kicking the entire vehicle backward and immobilizing it. But by then another Rogi punched a hole through the Alanui, as did a second. There were only so many routes our vehicles could take without getting bogged down, which made the creation of killzones much easier for the Embralish Rogis. Things didn't fare much better for the footsoldiers though, as indirect fire from heavy mortars and artillery began to fall on them. While the refocyte shells of the Alanui went far in taking out hardened positions, the relentless hail of explosives and gas pounded the assaulting forces. Infantry dismounting from Wikiwikis often found themselves under fire from distant enemies, and as with the Alanuis, enemy anti-vehicle equipment had an easy time defending the few routes our vehicles had.
Another Alanui pressed forward and was given a fresh hole in it's side for the effort. The vehicle stopped and began to reverse as it's turret turned in the direction of the shot that struck it. It fired off hurriedly and prematurely, missing the Rogi but hitting a pillbox behind it and blowing a wall inwards. The Rogi rotated slightly and fired again, missing the Alanui and striking the ground mere meters away from Kai. Moist earth rained down on her as she pushed her face into the mud and covered her head with her arms. When Kai looked up once more, the crew of the Alanui seemed to be trying to escape their tank. One of the crewmen was cut down as he tried to climb out of the top hatch. The others had to push him up and out and ended up using him for cover, whether they wanted to or not. As the survivors of the crew began to sprint back towards Initharian lines they disappeared in a huge upheaval of mud when an artillery shell exploded practically at their feet.
The Rogi, meanwhile retreated as a wall of Wellmoss grew up from the ground in front of it, partially obscuring the vehicle as it began to reposition along the line. The wellmoss didn't stand too firmly and blew over, but our forces were too overwhelmed by the enemy defenses to take advantage of their dysfunctional, strange equipment.
Already the attack was being halted in it's tracks and it had only just begun. If this offensive faltered here that meant Kai and whatever of her men weren't currently bleeding out or blown apart in the muddy "field" ahead of her were at risk of getting encircled by a more organized enemy front. Kai tried to gain some ground for nearly an hour and a half before she heard the call to pull back.
Kai squirmed back around and crawled her way back to the Initharian line. A handful of her soldiers managed to roll back into their section of trenchworks, where they were given orders to withdraw to the main Initharian line and abandon the flank. The rear line had a few old supply trenches that ran to the Initharian lines, and these quickly filled with bloodied and battered men and women marching in-line in an orderly retreat.
While the shore landing on the flank went relatively well, the pressure applied by Embral on our front line was relentless and withering, and we had no response. While our tanks could take out hardened positions, the restricted use along the front forced by the environment minimized the effect they could have on weakening the enemy line. Even when there was a breakthrough it was brief, as the enemy had ranks of men and women ready to fight and well-organized thanks in part to a complete lack of threat from indirect fire. Without grenades to help clear the trenches and bunkers on an infantry level, every single doorway and corner became a killzone that required luck and skill in equal measure to survive. Currently the Embralish hold absolute control over the flow of battle, and we'll need to change that if we don't wish for these Mudflats to turn into a meatgrinder.
Inithar has failed to push The Mudflats.
----------------
The Western Front
While we had planned to launch an amphibious assault across the strait, the increased presence and aggression of the enemy fleet led to a reassessment and delay. This was due not only to the sheer numbers of their entire fleet, but the introduction of the Silada-Class Destroyer as well. These 115m long vessels could reach 38 knots, had 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere, a central quintuple torpedo mount, and 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns. The Silada saw it's survivability increase thanks to the use of Wellmoss as a filler between armor and hull that would patch the holes we put in ships over the course of battle.
A single one-on-one duel between a Silada and Ho'oula occurred this season, and it went about as you'd expect it to. Both ships had guns capable of causing a bit of hurt to the other, but the Ho'oula could only take one or two hits before floundering. While the Ho'oula's speed certainly kept it alive a little longer, the shots it did land below the waterline before getting sunk were patched up as wellmoss slowly expanded outward from the wounds. The Silada proved to be a consistently tough nut to crack, and with more efforts needed to counter the Embralish surface fleet, their Hethams had more windows of opportunity than ever before. Our Kaipo'u's were excellent at punishing the Embralish, but were so outnumbered by ships carrying torpedoes and the Mukebaza Heavy Cruisers that they became prime targets. The presence of the Kona saw the fleet organized into more of a raiding force instead of outright giving up the sea. The Embralish fleet had durability our ships couldn't quite match and proved quite frustrating to defeat. But our ships have always had speed, and so our ships would use the storms of the Maelstrom to approach and strike at ships on the periphery of the Embralish fleet before retreating north. The Kona survived the season unscathed as it organized guerilla efforts, which is admittedly better than it's fared before.
As the enemy pressed their fleet into the Western Maelstrom they were stymied by our minefields, but the Embralish were quick to map them out and bombard control towers. By the end of the season the minefields had been reduced to little more than a nuisance, especially as a Silada might still be able to limp home if it was struck by an errant mine. We could avoid Hethams to an extent, but our mines and refocyte rounds could only do so much to deter them. The enemy fleet slowly, steadily, pressed us backward in a surprising flip of the situation as the entirety of their fleet seemed more numerous this season on top of the Silada's introduction.
Embral attains Light Control of the West Maelstrom.
----------------
With our assault delayed by the unexpected turn of events at sea, the Embralish had a window of opportunity to launch yet another assault on our battered mountain positions. With some level of control on the sea the Embralish were able to utilize naval bombardment along the coast. While the mountains were deeply entrenched, the ship-based artillery kept people's heads down. The assault itself was prefaced with a night-time assault by Embralish soldiers infiltrating via Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather, the rideable torpedo. While most of them were discovered and killed soon after landing (and armed with nothing but a knife), a small number of them were able to disrupt our defensive operations. The landing itself proved to be a bloodbath for both sides as more enemies were landing on the few shores that they had available than we'd seen before. The chemical mortars the Embralish brought with them saw their effectiveness in clearing positions reduced thanks to the Hau Kai, but the enemy's use of L.I.E.S., their explosive charges, gave infantry the ability to breach and clear hardened positions. The Embralish deployed Wellshrubbery on the landings to provide temporary visual cover as the mass of moss would grow for a bit before withering away a few hours later, which was all they needed. The enemy was finally able to batter their way through our defenses along the beaches, forcing our troops to withdraw to the second line of defenses dug across the mountains. A lot of these complexes are indoors, as the environment outside is dangerous to traverse in all seasons. Of note, one section of mountain is a Dark Zone - the Gavrillium mine controlled by The Pact. Fighting in this sector may draw their attention.
Inithar failed to defend The North Peaks, losing control of an empty Resource Node in the process.
----------------
While the war certainly took a turn for the worst this season, our problems have easy solutions, and the enemy is bound to have plenty of issues of their own. We can solve even more problems by earning a Research Credit! You're tasked with creating something to represent Kai's retreat after the failed attack on The Mudflats. This could be anything from a first person narrative, a story from a passer-by's point of view, a drawing, a song, one of them anazibg Initharian squiggle arts. You'll vote for one to make official and I'll be posting the victor in the core thread. On top of the Research Credit just for voting for a lore proposal, the team who's final submission is deemed "better", whatever that ends up meaning, will get an Espionage Credit.
AND HEY BECAUSE ITS A TREND THAT I THINK I LIKE YOU NOW HAVE MORE FUNDING FROM LIKE HOME OR WHATEVER AND GET TWO DESIGNS A TURN.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Embralish Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 5
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
Wellmoss: A dense plant material that grows in large part through sound, but cannot be sustained for long when not submerged in water.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Design Phase, Hot Season 1940 AC
Proposal: M2 Laweano
Though the original Laweano design was a failure half due to execution and half due to an unexpected property of refocyte rearing its head at an ugly moment, wide agreement among Inithari engineers was that the design was worth trying again and was necessary to the war effort, especially as the one-sided nature of the conflict’s artillery proved to be devastating on a continued basis. The rework proved to be something of a refocyte-fellowship-focused endeavor, as the original engineer’s design was taken largely wholesale and merely added minorly to. Though the project is internally referred to as the Laweano-B, in order to distinguish it from the previous failed attempt, it’s still just called the Laweano once released, since there’s not exactly a Laweano-A out on the battlefields.
The gun design is to use a 5 meter L41 barrel fitted with two parallel rails running down its length and lying on the horizontal axis and a catapult ring around them. The rails, known as the leads, are attached to a lever mechanism allowing them to be pulled further into the weapon, thus reducing the exposed lead length with the same effect as a lighter charge in a conventional artillery gun (variable muzzle velocity and thus range), as well as allowing for the leads to be replaced upon expenditure – to be recharged or recycled. The piece is breech-loaded with a lock that opens and closes the breech in a single movement of a lever. The ammunition for the gun is caseless, consisting purely of the shell, and is rammed directly into the firing chamber, where the catapults clamp it in place and are ready to engage the starting position. The firing hammer is implemented as part of the locking mechanism and is actuated by a continuous pull of a firing lever on the side of the gun assembly, at the gunner’s position.
Ramming the shell home is followed by notching the power lever by a given amount, as required by the range, with the kinetic energy varying with lead length in increments given on the side next to the lever position (leading to theoretical maximum range of 25.7 km for a 30 kg projectile at 40° going at 800 m/s, given that’s the muzzle velocity I’d personally cut it off at; assumind Cd = 0.4, h = 500 mm). Once the range setting is set, the leads are locked in place and the firing mechanism unlocked. When obtaining a firing solution, the gunman can quickly calculate the weapon’s range given the use of a manual and the marked mass of the projectile. An experienced crew should be capable of performing this process roughly 17–20 times per minute, if not more, owing to the shorter procedure and smaller weight of the shells used in comparison to conventional cannons of a similar role.
The “vee”-shaped split-trail lower carriage features an integral two-wheel axle and a four-wheel limber supporting the trails for transport (with two wheels per trail, near the end), and houses the suspension for the gun piece. The upper carriage includes the gun cradle, which connects the gun assembly to the upper carriage; gun plate, the side frames for the bearings, pintle-mounted seats for the operators, and the azimuthal and elevating gearing that make up the traversing mechanism. When not in use, the gun’s trails can be brought together and locked up so as to be moved manually by the crew or towed by a Wikiwiki transport car.
Despite the piece being capable of firing any shell that'd fit within its breech, High Command insisted shell types be listed. Production lines for 120 mm AP, HE, Smoke and Refocyte shells are to be made operational for the weapon. Given these shells are already in use with the army in multiple roles, this isn't a major innovation where the design is concerned, but needed to be mentioned.
As for the edits performed by the second member of the Refocyte-smiths’ Fellowship that requested to take on the task of adjusting the design for a second try... there are two. The first is just a simple addition of rubber in common-sense locations, like any places where refocyte and other materials or other refocyte are expected to impact. The second adjustment was a more focused instance of refocyte work; discovering that the throughput, rather than initial energy travel speed, of nickel wire for refocyte energy is dependent upon its cross-section, the nickel wire that connects the traveling portion of the Longpact mechanism to the rails was thinned to a cross-section calculated to ensure a constant flow of just enough energy to allow the plate to perform the multiple discharges that the mechanism requires without flat-out exploding. This wire is encased in a hard but thin case behind and around the traveling portion of the pact mechanism, allowing the thin wire to maintain consistent contact with the rails (and, thanks to the ring-to-rails design, hopefully not long enough to cause any serious firing delay issues).
Difficulty: Very Hard Hard
Result: (3+2)-1=4, Poor
The Laweano 120mm is a relatively heavy artillery piece meant to be transported rapidly in accordance to typical Initharian battle doctrines. Shells are pushed into the breech and secured in the catapult which is activated by the same lever used to close the breechblock to launch towards the rubber-padded muzzle of the barrel. A ratcheting system prevents the catapult from flying in the wrong direction or launching back toward the breech at firing speeds to reduce wear and tear on the already stressed internal components. This means a manual cranking of the launching mechanism is required to reset it, eating into valuable time in a warzone. The refocyte rails within the gun can be adjusted with a hand-turned wheel to adjust the length of time, and therefore overall speed, munitions are launched with, making range adjustment with caseless artillery possible. The weapon is capable of launching munitions to a range of 18km, with shells coming in AP, HE, Refocyte, and Smoke, though the refocyte rounds are the only ones that can be clearly identified on the fly, with small colored dots on the bottoms of the others signifying what they are.
As hinted at above, the interior of the Laweano is more complex than your typical artillery piece, and suffers for it. Parts tend to break under frequent use, and the guns require almost consistent repair and replacement. This not only hinders overall effectiveness of the weapon, but increases maintenance costs drastically.
But at least it doesn't explode after a single shot.
The Laweano 120mm costs 7 Ore and 7 Refocyte, making it (VERY EXPENSIVE).
Proposal: NM2 Lehe
The Lehe is a vicious piece of work, totally reworked compared to the mediocre torpedoes we now wield. The Lehe is expected to function much like our sonar in that its addition to ships that can use it represents an addition of about 1 or maybe even 2 Refocyte to the final cost... but this is put to good use. Firstly, instead of a traditional engine, the Lehe uses a small supercharged coilengine to propel itself, making it both faster and quieter than the traditional torpedo, but that’s not where the power of the Lehe really lies. Instead of containing a normal warhead, the Lehe takes advantage of the lack of need for fuel space to be composed of two layers of refocyte: a charged core of higher-purity refocyte, and a much thinner layer of low-purity refocyte, covered by a steel shell to prevent it from being triggered by its travel through the water. When the torpedo hits, a cylinder of nickel fits between the two layers, causing the core to rapidly dump all of its energy into the outer, low-purity shell of refocyte... and therefore detonate catastrophically, all of that refocyte energy traveling into the water omnidirectionally. With water being an excellent medium for force, it is hoped that this creates a devastating and wide blast of force, still being extremely damaging even on a hit to a non-critical edge area of the enemy ship.
The standalone version of the Lehe sports a magnetic proximity fuze, arming on a short timer after launch and detonating on proximity with the metal of enemy ships — the idea is that with how well the refocyte force emitted by the explosion should carry, even near misses should be devastating, especially under ships.
Until such a point that a ship with torpedo tubes designed with the Lehe in mind is built (which is intended to be within the same season with this standalone design, as the standalone torpedo assumes that a Ho’oweliweli revision will follow) but not all plans come into fruition), the Lehe comes with deck-mounted torpedo launchers to be installed on craft smaller than the battleship level.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: (6+6)-2=10, Superior
The structure of the NM2 Lehe torpedo can be separated into several parts; from the front, warhead, front float, engine compartment, rear float, tail rudders, and screw propellers. The engine is a Supercharged Coilengine as one should expect from high-quality Initharian craftsmanship, propelling the torpedo at fairly absurd speeds of up to 60 knots. But that is not where the most extreme absurdity of the NM2 really lies.
The warhead, which takes up a large portion of the forward end of the torpedo, is made up of a two-stage refocyte mechanism with one high-purity precharged core and a thin casing of low-purity refocyte (all within the steel head of the torpedo). The low-purity casing has a series of nickel studs facing inward but not in contact with the high-purity core. The core is instead held in place by a rubber-coated steel nub. The steel nub contains a small charge that separates itself and the core from the body of the torpedo, set off either impact or a magnetic fuse, which causes the core to contact any number of the nickel studs and rapidly dump it's stored energy into the low-purity casing. The casing then tends to detonate to frightening effect, amplified by the explosive force being within water. The blast, equivalent to 500 kilograms of high explosives, is expected to give a bad end to the day for anything that sets it off.
The NM2 Lehe costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte, making it (EXPENSIVE). As such, the Lehe will see a fair amount of use, supplemented by our old world torpedoes until such a time that we can cheapen their production.
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As we move to the next phase, I will remind you all of the lore contest at the end of this turn. You must write/draw/sing/act or otherwise create in some form something representing what happens to Kai after the results of last combat phase. Due to a reduction in budgetary restrictions you are also being given two revisions during the revision phases of this game until I decide to take your happiness away.
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Embralish Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 5
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
'Laweano' 120mm: An unreliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires constant maintenance, but can fire shells out to 18km. Has a variety of issues, but is usable artillery none-the-less. Costs 7 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine 'Ohu Mameo': Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) Supplemented by Old World torpedoes until Cheap.
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
Wellmoss: A dense plant material that grows in large part through sound, but cannot be sustained for long when not submerged in water.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/604038351267561482/710227345167876206/Inithari_propaganda.png)
while it can be said that everything runs on time in Embral, especially the trains, that cannot be said of their propaganda office, as seen when they published an incomplete poster last season. This particular poster was part of a series on maimed soldiers created by Inithari Infiltrators to demoralize the populace.
Revision Phase, Hot Season 1940 AC
Proposal: M2 Laweano Deratcheting
The M2 Laweano, although now functional in the ways it strictly needs to be, has a few major issues that prove to be obstacles to further major development. Given the plans for combating the Harren Pact in the near future, this is an issue that needs to be dealt with. Accordingly, the ratcheting system has been replaced with three subsystems, which are each so much smaller and simpler that they should hopefully avoid some of the complexity issues of the current Laweano.
First: A spring is placed at the back of the gun, doing one aspect of the ratcheting system's job, acting as a buffer that prevents the catapult from making contact with the back of the gun upon return (even if there's rubber there, it's just good policy to prevent repeated impacts that might damage the catapult).
Second: A safety is placed, which is just a rod that can be slotted into the barrel to physically stop the catapult if it slides downwards when the gun is being carried. As the artillery really shouldn't be pointed downwards except potentially during transport, this should not interfere with the gun's operation at all.
Third: Perhaps most importantly, there is a second attempt made at returning the catapult down the barrel through a relatively small refocyte plate at the front. This refocyte plate is covered in rubber and is activated by a button that the catapult hits at the end of its firing -- the button connects a nickel contact between this plate and the rail, and has a small lever sandwiched between the rubber and the plate trigger the plate. As rubber only nullifies the refocyte charge and discharge aspect of kinetic energy through it, the kinetic energy itself still travels through and pushes the catapult, sending it backwards with a charge strong enough to move it back to the ready position near the back of the barrel, but weak enough to avoid damage. This doesn't make the artillery automatic, as some action is still needed to reload, and the return plate still needs a little time to charge (albeit not as much time as the cranking takes) but it does automate the return process and make it quicker.
Difficulty: Hard Normal
Result: (2+2)=4, Poor
While the things we were trying to do weren't that difficult, somehow the restructuring of the catapult mechanisms within the Laweano proved to be an issue. Springs help alleviate impacts of the catapult over extended periods of time. We included the desire for a safety rod, and even managed to redo the catapult return mechanisms!
However, in the process of fixing our problems we wound up creating another. The catapult doesn't always return evenly on both rails, and this uneven return can cause a jam that, thanks to having refocyte construction, can prove time-consuming to fix safely. Still, in general the rate of fire of the M2 Laweano averages around 12 RPM as opposed to the half-dozen a gun might get off if it had a fast cranker.
The M2 "Laweano" 120mm retains it's price, reflecting the cost for steady parts replacement cycling over to a need for occasional catastrophic repair.
----------------
Proposal: M1 "Pohū Ringa" Dual Purpose Grenade
Our soldiers have needed a leg up when it comes to building clearing for a while now, and with the Lehe providing us with a remarkably effective refocyte based explosive the path forward is obvious.
The Pohū Ringa is basically a scaled down Lehe warhead, roughly 60mm in diameter and 100mm in length, with a 5 second mechanical fuze in place of the magnetic fuze. One of the more unusual aspects of the Pohū Ringa, and the reason for its designation, is that it comes with a detachable fragmentation belt that goes over its rubber coating, this means it can be used as a frag grenade and an HE grenade, giving the user much more tactical capabilities than either an HE or frag on their own would.
Difficulty: Hard
Result: (6+4)-1=9, Above Average
While some Inithari Quartermasters have expressed extreme distaste at how much equipment is dubbed "M1", we don't think they have the power to make our jobs harder for us if we don't listen. I'm sure the would never do something like fill the beginning of a report with nonsense to waste our time and brainpower.
The Pohū Ringa uses concepts gleaned from our refocyte work with explosive reactions, and the results, well, they're explosive too.
These rubber-skinned "hand torpedoes" utilize a pin and safety lever to prevent accidental discharge. When the pin is removed and lever released, a five second mechanical timer triggers. At the end of those five seconds a pin holding the charged refocyte in place releases, causing the core to contact a nickel lead and rapidly dump it's stored energy into a low-purity shell. The shell detonates with a significant amount of sheer force, with the concussive blast guaranteeing fatalities within five meters and injuries within fifteen. When used in an enclosed space the results can be terrifying.
A frag cap can be slid over the Pohū Ringa. It's a thin steel cover that provides extra shrapnel upon grenade detonation. This greatly extends lethal range, but not reliably so.
The M1 "Pohū Ringa" Dual Purpose Grenade costs 4 Refocyte and 2 Ore, making it (CHEAP).
----------------
As always, remember to assign a resource node as well as any National Efforts to appropriate sectors. You have two Attack actions as always, and also remember that this is the last chance to submit lore for the contest as outlined in a previous update!
IT IS NOW THE STRATEGY PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Embralish Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 5
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Pohū Ringa' Dual Purpose Grenade: A torpedo-influenced hand grenade using refocyte as it's trigger and payload. Causes a lethal concussive blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. A frag case can be slid over the grenade to add a little extra shrapnel. Costs 2 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
M2 'Laweano' 120mm: A semiunreliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires significant maintenance for the uncommon-but-not-uncommon-enough event of a jam, but otherwise works well enough. Can fire shells out to 18km at 12 RPM. Costs 7 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine 'Ohu Mameo': Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE) Supplemented by Old World torpedoes until Cheap.
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
Wellmoss: A dense plant material that grows in large part through sound, but cannot be sustained for long when not submerged in water.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
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the shades I used painting this are not completely accurate (I envision the Marine Fellowship color as actually more of a seafoam green), and obviously our landers arent just a fucking box, BUT
To those of you not familiar with my work, I'm Fakatete Vi, one of only five Journalist's Fellowship members on the Harren Expedition. As you can imagine, my work is set out for me. I've made it my personal mission, though, to get as much information about what it's like out in the war to everyone waiting in the settlement, in the outposts, and beyond. Today, I spoke to several soldiers returning from the recent battles in the muddy plains on the southern part of the continent. Many soldiers spoke of a bloody retreat after an unfortunately failed offensive, but I also heard emphasis placed by a few, especially members of the Marine Fellowship, on how the presence of one Lieutenant Kai Leilani increased morale and helped the retreat go off much more successfully than it could have.
I didn't manage to find Lieutenant Leilani herself, unfortunately -- by the sounds of it, she's already off speaking with the leaders of the military Fellowships about whatever operations they have planned next. However, in my searching for her, I did manage to locate a soldier very close to her -- Sergeant Ekewaka Iokua, a member of her platoon in the 1st Marine Fellowship Regiment, and the coxswain of the landing craft that brought them into battle. I found him in a dock where many of these Makuahine Landing Craft were undergoing repairs and found that his had been given a name (Vengeance) and its very own Tale of Color -- obviously, something this striking caught my eye, and I approached him. We talked for a little while, where we introduced ourselves and where he explained a little about what his position was, and then I stopped him and began a proper interview about his landing craft, and about Lieutenant Leilani. I've transcribed it:
FAKATETE: Right! So, for my readers' sake, can I get you to introduce yourself again?
EKEWAKA: Of course. I'm Sergeant Ekewaka Iokua, of the 1st Marine Fellowship Regiment -- I was part of the spearhead of an amphibious offensive we went through last season, and I'm a skipper for a platoon led by Lieutenant Leilani, with my landing craft Vengeance.
FAKATETE: The landing craft is what brought me over to meet you, so I wanted to talk about that first. How about you tell me what inspired you to name and paint it like that?
EKEWAKA: Well... that amphibious offensive wasn't victorious. They drove us back out, and it was... (Ekewaka exhales heavily and then pauses for a moment.) Well, it wasn't good. Those mudflats have been vicious for us... every step forwards has been after a bloody step back. I wanted to make a point, you know? That battle was bad, but it wasn't so bad that we're not coming back. We'll be back and this time we're not gonna be using. So, you know, a lot of that is pretty obvious.
FAKATETE: A lot of it is, huh? I'm detecting that you want to get a little more specific here -- go ahead.
EKEWAKA: Aha, thank you. Well, first I actually have to mention that I'm not the one who did all the painting. My wife Anaukihesina is Painters' Fellowship, and though we worked on it together and I had many of the ideas, Anaukihesina is the one who did the lion's share of the painting. I'd get in trouble with her if I didn't mention that. (Ekewaka laughs.) But, uh, yeah. I'm sure everyone recognizes the Army Fellowship's green and the Naval Fellowship's blue, where we dotted them into the battles, but I think not everyone actually recognizes that lighter green. That's the color of the Marine Fellowship, there. You know, we just got put together this last year, and I wanted to make sure anyone who happened to see the lander knew that we were going to be back on the front and fighting like all get-out. I didn't exclude the Army or Navy, since from what I hear they were really getting it too, but I did want to put us prominently. We're the ones who jump from the sea into blood and fire, and we're going to do it again... it's an identity that I feel I can ascribe to people like Lieutenant Leilani.
FAKATETE: We'll get to that in a moment, actually, but I've got one more question about the Tale of Color. What does the white represent? The Embralish, I'm guessing?
EKEWAKA: That's right. It took me a little while to decide on what I was going to do for them. Their literal uniform colors weren't going to work, since green and brown just run up against the Army and Woodworker's Fellowships, which Anaukihesina made plenty sure to emphasize. So I thought... well, they don't have the Fellowships and the colors we have, right? They don't get to have that special piece of identity we do -- I have the Marine green, which I take pride in, but they don't have anything. So I thought... hey, maybe we can make them some sort of colorless? Grey didn't work, because we didn't want to associate the Embralish with the Mechanics' Fellowship or the Refocyte-smiths' Fellowship --even if I really. really wish they'd made us some artillery for that battle-- and black didn't work because of the United Armed Fellowship back in the homeland... which... I would rather not get into now, if you don't mind. So, white it was.
FAKATETE: Oh, that's quite thorough, then. I think that settles my questions about the Tale of Color, then. So, you mentioned that Lieutenant Kai Leilani was part of what is driving your identity with the Marine Fellowship? Mind explaining what you mean?
EKEWAKA: She sure is, yeah. And, well, let me put it this way... Kai's a terrible shot.
FAKATETE: What?
(Here, Ekewaka laughs.)
EKEWAKA: Yeah, she's gonna kill me for saying this like this, and I'll probably deserve it, to be honest, but she's really not some expert marksman or something. I've seen her miss a lot of fire. I'm actually better, even though I'm only even out there on land when they decide they want us to stick with the platoons. But, uh, it's not actually that funny. See, Kai was there in those very first battles at the Mudflats, when we first ran into that awful gas. And she got hit with some of it. She survived, and she didn't go blind, but... it took a toll, you know? And Kai didn't forget it. There's... this fire, in her, I guess. She wants revenge, and it's more than clear by now that she isn't going to back down, or slow down and stop, no matter what kinds of... horrible situations the Embralish place us in. She's brave beyond anything else I've ever seen. You know what else is real important to understanding why she helped build what it is to be Marine Fellowship for me, though?
FAKATETE: Er, what would that be?
EKEWAKA: I'm a deeply lazy person by heart. (Ekewaka laughs again.)
(Note: I tried to speak again here, but Ekewaka stopped me by grinning and holding up a finger. I know I'm editorializing here, which as always I will strive not to make a habit of, but there was a certain laid-back poise he had that I found I couldn't interrupt.)
EKEWAKA: I was born into the Naval Fellowship -- long line of navy folks, so we were doing pretty well and I never really felt the need to do much beyond go with the flow. That went okay, and I always kind of just went with whatever came up. I got into the expedition since the Naval Fellowship wanted to send members of senior families out, including me and my brothers, and I adjusted alright, and then they were looking for people for the new Marine Fellowship, and they wanted people good with small boats. I'm good with small boats, so they asked me to come aboard, and I said... sure, alright. And I thought I'd adjusted to that well, too. But without Kai, I don't know if I would have made it out of there.
FAKATETE: If it isn't too much trouble, do you mind telling me a little more about it?
EKEWAKA: It's fine. Ah... so... I was in some of the early naval combat with the Naval Fellowship, and I was piloting one of those garbage landers they gave us in that first landing, and it was pretty brutal in both cases. It's not like I haven't seen heavy combat before. But this was the first time I'd actually been out there on foot, since there's not as many of us in the Marine Fellowship -- they didn't want to leave a bunch of people idling in one spot, so they had us skippers pretty closely involved with rapid transport along the shore and with following up on foot when needed. Pushing through the mud like that, with explosives and artillery blasting every which way as we struggled to kick through the muck and as the tanks sunk... I mean, actually fighting for every step like that... it was new, and it was hard. I might have just defaulted back to that "go with the flow" approach if not for Kai, floundered, and got left behind. Maybe would have died. That's one of the things that's really special about her.
FAKATETE: Sorry, what is?
EKEWAKA: It didn't matter if she was getting sprayed with dirt from a blast, if she was as miserable and sweaty as the rest of us when we set up camp or set down in a bunker for the night, or if we were... well, if we were losing our buddies. Which we did. And we lost... we lost a good few of them. None of it was enough to break her. It's not that she's some sort of super... killing machine, because she's not. But she's unstoppable, and when you're alongside her, losing heart and breaking just... it's not an option. And, like, I don't mean that she's one of those kinds of female officers that really lights you up and puts the fear of the brass into you. I mean, she's firm, and she's definitely going to kill me after reading this interview, but that's not really the point. The point is... well, uh, I guess I could put it like this: when Kai is up there fighting her heart out, and when she's not faltering... it's hard to not follow her. And she really takes us all pretty seriously, too -- she's taken the whole Marine Fellowship identity to heart, and she actually does spend quite a lot of time making sure we're set to keep moving forward, and motivated. With how much care she spends on making sure her unit is up here with her, and with how just tenacious she is... well, I just couldn't help but keep strong. Kai led our platoon further than almost anyone else in that battle, and when the decision was finally made to turn back around, she kept us all moving despite the mud and the blood. She got a lot of us out alive by leading the way she does, more than just me.
(Note: I'm fairly certain that Ekewaka is specifically complaining about Admiral Vaea of the Naval Fellowship with his comment about "those kinds of female officers", as she is notoriously strict.)
FAKATETE: I'm taking a guess here, but that is probably a lot of what influenced you to paint your Tale the way you did, right?
EKEWAKA: Yeah, that's right. With that bond between her and the rest of the platoon, and us between each other... it really made being Marine Fellowship mean something to me. We're the people who go into some of the worst situations, and we're the ones who do it again and again -- and we do it together. And that's what the bright green fist on that Tale represents. We're coming back to knock the Embralish out of here once and for all, and we're going to be back. Us, the Marine Fellowship -- we were forged in this war and we're gonna be on the front lines helping to win it. The Marine Fellowship, me, Kai, and it's that determination and those bonds that are going to see us through. I'm sure of it. The Embralish better hold onto their helmets.
FAKATETE: You really do seem to hold Lieutenant Leilani in high esteem. Do you think she's special this way, or do you think that there are plenty of Marine Fellowship officers this way?
EKEWAKA: Well, I'm probably pretty biased here. (Ekewaka laughs.) But I really do think Kai is something special. I mean, there are a lot of good officers in the Marine Fellowship, and I think the fact that we have a lot of units that feel the way Kai's platoon does is part of what makes the Marine Fellowship special in turn. But I doubt a lot of people are as unwavering and inspiring as Kai is. I expect her to be on pretty much every spearhead from here on out. Ah, man, I suppose I'll probably be there too, except for when they're keeping skippers with their boats around the ships.
FAKATETE: Alright, I think I've really got an excellent window of the Marine Fellowship and of Lieutenant Leilani from your words and your and your wife's work, Ekewaka. Thank you for that. Any parting words?
EKEWAKA: Well, I suppose I'll say this: I really won't be surprised if Kai gets promoted along with some medals -- and I'll gladly keep serving in her unit and being her skipper, to the end of the war, even! ...Well, if she'll allow that after this interview, anyway.
(Ekewaka laughs.)
Attack West Maelstrom: (4) Powder Miner, Twinwolf, Happerry, Doomblade
Attack Mudflats: (4) Powder Miner, Twinwolf, Happerry, Doomblade
Use Kona in West Maelstrom: (4) Powder Miner, Twinwolf, Happerry, Doomblade
Place Refocyte in the Barrens: (4) Powder Miner, Twinwolf, Happerry, Doomblade
Lore:
PUT ME THE FUCK IN COACH (Ho'opai & Interview with Ekewaka): (1) Powder Miner
Strategy Phase, Hot Season 1940 AC
This season saw us expand our industrial endeavors with the extraction of Refocyte in The Barrens, bringing access to the material to five(5). This will change our armory in the following ways:
Kaipo'u-class Battleship becomes (EXPENSIVE).
----------------
Combat Phase, Hot Season 1940 AC
War in the Western Waters
The fighting in the Western Maelstrom had gone from a slaughter to a stalemate in the blink of an eye. The Embralish focus on increasing their surface presence had been felt by every combat group within the Expedition's Naval Fellowship. The Silada and Mukebaza were so numerous and resilient (especially the Silada) that the fleet had to continue it's hit-and-run tactics and avoid straight engagement throughout the beginning of the season. Eventually, however, the Embralish patrols became a little more sparse. Embralish submarines poked and prodded combat groups as always, an everpresent threat to the Fellowship, but their fleet as a whole took on a more passive stance as the season went on. Seeing an opportunity, a number of combat groups built around Kaipo'u Battleships, coordinated by the Kona, made their way into the Embralish-controlled waters.
----
The ships of the Command Group, as with every Initharian combat group, swore by the judicious use of their Refocyte Active Sonar. Sure, it let the Embralish know they were there, but it also let the fleet know where the Embralish were. The fleet was able to outmaneuver their enemies, and with extra firepower from the increased number of Kaipo'us afloat, there was more confidence in engagements between task forces of equal number.
The pivotal engagement of the season took place nearer to the end as the rains began to grow colder. A pair of Siladas were trying to provide cover for a Hetham that had to surface after suffering from being in too close proximity to a volley of refocyte rounds from one of the Kaipo'us in the task force, and after following them from nearly dawn until dusk, not that there was much difference in The Maelstrom, the two Ho'oulas hounding them finally engaged.
Their back and forth went on for the better part of a half hour as the destroyers circled one another (or more accurately, the Ho'oulas drew large circles around the Siladas). The Ho'oulas focused their efforts on a single Silada and scored a couple solid hits before a Ho'oula got caught by a lucky shell and broke apart in the waves.
The rest of the Initharian Fleet was soon upon the small skirmish, and the two Siladas were quick to succumb to the heavier firepower of the Kaipo'us approaching in the distance. The Embralish fleet had sent their own ships out to engage as well though, and the overextended Ho'oula began to pull away and further into the protection of the bigger guns.
Splashes started to gush upwards as shells from both sides struck the seas. In a matter of minutes the first kill was scored as a Kaipo'u struck a Silada on the bow with a 120mm refocyte round, peeling the hull open and forcing the vessel to go full astern in order to reduce the water flooding in through the massive gash in the ship - not that it helped much when a second round struck amidship and ripped the ship to pieces.
Our battleships had been the target of frequent submarine attacks, but the Embralish 'Sharak' Oxygen-Enriched Submarine Torpedo proved to be less an issue than one would expect of a new Embralish torpedo. From what we could gather, the Sharak could be fired from well outside the range of Refocyte Active Sonar, and if it hit a target and detonated that ship had about as much chance of sinking as it did limping back to base for extensive repairs. The issue (or boon from our end) was the torpedo's drastic drop in reliability compared to the old-world models they brought with them. More often than not torpedoes would miss their targets due to problems with weighting, and when they did hit a target they failed to detonate more often than not. The only reason we imagine they even fielded the things was because of the increased range and yield, which seems to have roughly balanced out the flaws inherent in the weapon. Still, a number of subs had been apparently loitering outside of RAS range, and as the clash between fleets began to escalate one of the Kaipo'us was rocked by a Sharak torpedo near the stern. The detonation struck the engine room and set off one of the Coilengine coils. The rod uncoiled with immense force, resulting in it being fired out of it's housing and up through the deck, where it was triggered by the force of impact yet again, and then went streaking through the air before landing on the ship's deck with enough force to trigger another burst of energy, this time downward into the ship.
Mukebazas still formed the core of Embral's surface fleet, and not only did they have to deal with Kaipo'us in enough number to make chances of success slimmer for the cruisers (though we would have possibly seen more battleships survive to engage the fleet with proper ASW), the Ho'oulas also had the Lehe to fire as they performed their combat maneuvers.
The Embralish hadn't had to deal much with torpedoes before - in most all cases where our old world torpedoes could be used (and we should note they were also significantly worse than Embral's old world torpedo) we had better options to engage with. Now, however, the massive number of destroyers fielded by the Naval Fellowship were making judicious use of the Lehe, and Embralish ships had begun to feel it. The Silada, for all it's resilience, could not eat a blast from the Lehe and remain afloat for long enough that it's Wellmoss would patch the extensive wound. The Mukebazas didn't fare much better, as they were a larger, slower target with near-equivalent armor and no self-repairing abilities. Ho'oulas were still the victims of their own lack of armor, and not all of them were able to loose their torpedoes before being sent into the seabed. Still, Embralish ships were taking significant losses at a rate faster than our fleet's own growing-towards-significant losses. By midnight the Embralish fleet had managed to largely disengage, using a smaller force to hold the Naval Fellowship back and buying time for retreat.
The relatively easy win did not result in an easy advance however. The submersible fleet was extremely well organized for defending the waters under Embralish control, and ships attempting to pursue retreating ships were often met by torpedoes. Even though a good number didn't do damage, and hunting Hethams was not too difficult a task anymore, it still forced an abundance of caution on the fleet and slowed advancement. Our own forces were well organized themselves, so our forces attempting to secure the area took fewer losses as each Hetham ambush was rapidly and effectively dealt with. Thanks in part to the presence of our flagship, as well as the absence of a focused resistance in the region, Inithar reattains Light Control of the W. Maelstrom.
----------------
The Last Wikiwiki
Kai Leilani hated this fucking place. Nothing ever went to plan. The weather made life absolutely miserable. And the Embralish. Those fucking savages.
Kai had been one of the first Marines on the muddy shores for Inithar's second attempt at prying land from the Embralish. The landing itself was not much different than usual on the approach: the Embralish pounded the seas with distant artillery while the Naval Fellowship pounded Embralish positions - now mapped to a small degree thanks to the previous failure - to aid the landing craft and the soldiers within. But once her boots were on the ground Kai knew this fight was going to be quite different.
The Embralish had decided to introduce the Wellshrubbery Mk.II Concealment Kit, a kit containing seeds and a noisemaker for growing wellshrubbery. Unlike the previous breed, the new plants proved to be hardy, durable, and dense. They could also root into most surfaces, and could survive for a few days once planted and grown. The Embralish had planted hedgerows blocking a significant number of safe passages on the water-logged battlefield and, as Kai soon discovered, they used it in the trenches to create dead ends that took time to work through but could be well-defended by a soldier firing through the dense brush. This had a very devastating impact as Marines were guided into pre-targeted zones by the voluminous Wellshrubbery. LIE traps littered the positions not zeroed by Niramatas and Havezaras, so the air on the battlefield was thick with toxic gas as always. The issue was the concentration of troops meant less spread regarding LIE Shells, which increased their effectiveness by quite a lot.
They turned the battlefield into a fucking hedge maze. Other sectors had reported less use of Wellshrubbery, but it seemed, as always, Kai had to lead her soldiers straight through the serpent's mouth. She didn't know how lucky her Marines had it at the time. All she knew was her military couldn't provide enough gas masks for everyone against an enemy that had a fetish for the stuff, and every single one of those kids was suffering the cruelest death for it.
Progress was slow going, but the Pohū Ringa aided at least somewhat once the landing forces got to Embralish positions. The grenades proved quite easy to toss at a distance thanks to their shape, and Kai had managed to take out a bunker on her own while it fired on her position with a perfect spiraling throw. The dense concussive blast was extremely effective at clearing out enclosed spaces on it's own, and the frag case made it even better. Each soldier carried a pair of the things, and with the number of dead and dying across the battlefield, Kai had access to a large supply of the things.
Armored and vehicular was getting slammed hard as it came forward. All across the line, and indeed everywhere the Initharian vehicles went, they were met with the Autoresonant Siege Horn. The ASH was a tube just shy of 1.4 meters long constructed of a combination of aluminum, Wellwood, and Wellbronze for a relatively light weight of 4.8kg. The rear tube allowed quick installation of the compressed air canisters which served as the weapon's ammunition. The weapon itself worked by "playing" the weapon and emitting sound directed forward (though there is a little bleeding of noise around the weapon, but it's largely harmless). A microphone also directed forward was used to detect feedback from targeted objects. A small dial on the side of the weapon could be set to freely adjust, where the ASH would automatically attempt to detect the resonance frequency of targeted objects, and could also be set manual if the user was confident in their prior experience with or knowledge of the target.
When the ASH fires it unloads the entire canister of air through the tube at once, playing at the frequency on the tuner and launching a wave (or more accurately, ball) of sound that, while not visible, certainly makes itself known on impact. Solid targets struck by this controlled burst of sound, like our Wikiwiki and Alanui, found themselves broken and battered, shattered so long as the frequency was within effective tonal range. Softer objects, like flesh and organs, tended to rupture if the ASH was keyed into a human target, and effects such as ringing in the ears, perforated eardrums, and intense vertigo could be felt if close enough to an impact site regardless of frequency. The range, as in distance, of the ASH proves somewhat short at 100 meters, but it's ability to terrifyingly "rapidly disassemble" targets cannot be understated.
Kai had managed to survive a blast from one particular ambush the evening after the Marines linked up with the Army Fellowship. One of her NCOs had been the target of an ASH and was in the middle of receiving orders when he'd exploded like a gory balloon with an accompanying whining burst of noise. The impact, if it could even be called that, heavily disoriented Kai and she stumbled to the ground with blood seeping from her fingernails and an intense general pain throughout her body, including an intense pressure in and behind her eyes.
She couldn't remember much past that, not until she woke up in a medical outpost back in Initharian-held territory. The rain and wind lashed and beat the tent around her. Both her vision and her thoughts were fuzzy, but before Kai fully came around she was crowded by her skipper. He filled her in on what had happened, and Kai felt her chest cool with every word.
Most of her Marines had been wiped out or captured. The offensive has some level of indirect fire support this time, but the front with her Marines saw almost none of it, and their section was ordered to pull back when a pair of Embralishs counterattack broke through near the coast and threatened to link up. The threat was rapidly realized thanks to the introduction of the Katarani Medium Tank Mk1. This "medium" tank was relatively lightly armed and small for it's designation, utilizing a 70mm gun with relatively small ammo stores for it's class at 35 rounds. 80mm armor protected the front and turret and 50mm armor protected the sides, and spaced armor at the front and over the treads in the form of fairly thin plates mounted a few centimeters from the hull act to trigger Refocyte munitions, greatly reducing their effectiveness.
With it's smaller gun and ammo stores than most medium tanks, the vehicle does see a good increase in speed thanks to it's powerful diesel engine, topping out at 55km/h. The tanks seemed to suffer from reliability issues after extended periods of use, and more than a few times crew of a Katarani needed to expose themselves to Initharian gunfire to manually crank the engine back on - an engine that seemed to produce no noise. Cover was provided for exposed crew via a Musakila accessible from the turret hatch, but that wasn't too safe a position either.
The issue with the Kataranis, while they were few and far between, was the fact that they seemed to be designed almost exclusively to take on the Alanui. The spaced armor helped to increase survivability by quite a large bit, and their speed meant they were surprisingly effective at hunting down out armor. Our only saving grace, besides their tendency to break down, was their need for fairly regular resupply, which exacerbated the problems the Embrals had with their low numbers already.
The Embralish ability to slam Initharian armor with infantry as well as a new tank, which received it's fair share of Rogi support (since the things seemed to be around every corner and behind every bush anyways), helped them slam their jaws shut around the Marines. Kai, it turned out, had been loaded onto the last Wikiwiki to escape through the gap. None of her soldiers save for the ones evacuated before her own injury had been heard from since.
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The entire push through The Mudflats was absolute fucking hell for everybody. Our artillery support was scarcely available, and what few guns we had were often in need of repairs. The Pohū Ringa was beautifully effective at it's task (that is, killing or otherwise removing Embralish forces from the battlefield), but a grenade alone would not prove enough to turn the tide in Inithar's favor, not when Embral pushed out an Alanui hunter and a fresh new potential war crime in the form of the Autoresonant Siege Horn. While our previous efforts did make things somewhat easier, the effect of prior knowledge was somewhat hampered thanks to the new breed of Wellshrubbery modifying the landscape. Still, the enemy didn't seem to have a coordinated effort for action, and so we were able to hit them with a few assaults throughout the season. While this didn't force the Embralish from their positions, it will probably make future actions even easier.
Inithar fails to push The Mudflats.
----------------
The lack of significant Embralish offensive anywhere is worrying. What could it mean? Perhaps we shouldn't dwell on them too much, and instead focus on our own efforts. As always, and it has never been different, you have two designs to work with.
HOWEVER
We have been in touch with Inithar itself thanks to the cables laid by the Black Fellowship. Apparently they've been working on new advancements of their own, and some Military Engineers have shared quite an interesting concept with us. For this turn only, any work on dedicated National Effort Designs will be treated as though they have Research Credits applied. This counts for both Designs and Revisions. Upgrades to other designs that would improve existing National Efforts are not eligible for the bonus.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Refocyte, Pact Caelium (3/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 5
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 5
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Pohū Ringa' Dual Purpose Grenade: A torpedo-influenced hand grenade using refocyte as it's trigger and payload. Causes a lethal concussive blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. A frag case can be slid over the grenade to add a little extra shrapnel. Costs 2 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
M2 'Laweano' 120mm: A semiunreliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires significant maintenance for the uncommon-but-not-uncommon-enough event of a jam, but otherwise works well enough. Can fire shells out to 18km at 12 RPM. Costs 7 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Autoresonant Siege Horn: A tube capable of "firing" sound at an object after detecting it's resonance frequency (or after it's manually dialed in). Nearly 1.5m long and lightweight. Air canisters are screwed into the back to provide air for "ammunition" to "play" the weapon. Extremely effective against a wide range of targets, but limited to use within 100m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Katarani Medium Tank Mk. I: A lightly armed medium tank with a 70mm gun with relatively low ammo stores and a Musakila on the turret. Protected by 80mm frontal and turret armor, 50mm elsewhere. Thin spaced armor provides questionable protection against standard munitions but serves it's purpose in triggering refocyte munitions. Wellbronze agitators in the engine and fuel tanks allow diesel fuel use in devastating cold, but can break off and damage the engine. Wellsap lines the interior of the tank and the engine compartment. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Wellshrubbery Mk.II Concealment Kit: A kit containing seeds and a noisemaker for growing wellshrubbery. Needs a lot of loud noise and a bit of water to grow. Plants are hardy, durable, and dense. It roots firmly to most surfaces and can last for a few days before withering away. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
'Sharak' Oxygen-Enriched Submarine Torpedo: A poorly constructed and poorly tested torpedo with great range and piss poor reliability. Has a couple different fuses, but those hardly ever work anyways. Still, when it works, it works. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
--Wellbronze: A metal capable of detecting sound and responding with vibration. Electrical current focuses the detection cone and increases sensitivity and clarity.
-Wellvine Sap: A plant extract that can be processed into a resin capable of absorbing and nullifying sound. The resin is also brittle and inflexible.[/i]
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
-WellMoss: A dense moss that grows relatively quickly when exposed to water and sound, sustains poorly when not submerged. Can be destroyed through consistent direct application of fire.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
The Huhuli
When one thinks of extremely expensive, singular pieces of gear, those that it would take an entire nation’s worth of effort just to make one of, one would probably think of some truly massive craft, like the Kona, or perhaps the Leviathan. The Huhuli (and there’s no G1 here, to our quartermasters’ likely relief — the Huhuli stands in a class of its own) is not actually that. In fact, while the Huhuli is larger than the G2 Alanui, it is not actually that much larger. Instead, the expense of the Huhuli, which is significant enough that there’s just one of it and will only ever be one of it, is in how no expense whatsoever was spared in ensuring its components are of the highest quality — for example, the coil in the coilengine is almost entirely pure, as a result of intensive purifying processes not at all practical for mass application, and pains were taken by the Mechanic’s Fellowship to make the engine’s other components strong to match the raw power.
The raw power of the engine is quite needed because the heavy armor of the Huhuli is one of its two major advances. The armor of the Huhuli is 70mm at its thickest on the sides and turret, while it is from 40mm to 30mm elsewhere, meaning that the Huhuli’s armor is heavy, before even taking into account that the outer 10mm of the armor is actually composed of tungsten carbide, as the Huhuli uses a primitive form of composite armor, where steel cast armor from 60mm to 20mm is cast, and then 10mm pressed tungsten carbide plates are attached along it in a way intended to create an effectively contiguous second layer of armor. This is meant to have a dual purpose — take the melting bullets of the Pact better than pure steel would, and take more Autoresonant Siege Horn blasts to break and damage as the tungsten carbide must be broken before enough sound can reach the steel un-distorted to effectively do so. (A thick tarp of canvas is also provided when AND ONLY WHEN deploying the Huhuli in battles against the Embralish, to provide another layer to this function while not being anywhere close to as heavy.) The tank is shaped in a way that is more sloped and less boxy than that of the Alanui as well. The hope of the engineering team is that the tank can maintain somewhere from 50-60 km/h of speed despite this heavy armor thanks to the literally singularly expensive engine.
The Huhuli, like the Alanui, has quite the large turret, but it only has three crew: the driver in the main body, and the commander and gunner in the turret. For secondary armament, the Huhuli has two spots for machine guns much like the Alanui, one being coaxial and operated by the gunner, and the other being mounted in a cupola atop the turret and operated by the commander (the turret being an armored cupola and not an open pintle is extremely important when it’s got the commander in it and there’s only one Huhuli). The coaxial gun is the machine gun we are working on this season, while the cupola gun is a Kakala for killing infantry. The turret is given the ability to traverse left and right through a smaller and much cheaper refocyte coil which also operates off of the main engine battery.
One thing that Refocyte smiths have been shockingly reluctant to try is alloying refocyte and nickel — with nickel having been discovered to transfer refocyte energy, a common theory has been that refocyte and nickel alloyed have the potential to enter some sort of disastrous output (refocyte)-input (nickel) loop that causes the whole thing to explode disastrously. While that theory has been falling out of favor, there is huge pressure not to try the experiment anyway, as the Refocyte-smith profession in Inithar DOES have a civilization-ruining record with potentially dangerous experiments involving refocyte charging. But after the events of the hot season in 1940, Kaimana Nima began to look into it despite being a noted traditionalist in many ways, unlike his brother. (He is reported to have spent a whole day breaking down after learning of the Autoresonant Siege Horn and its might, before deciding to learn from it and push the horizons with HIS material of specialty). As it turns out, alloyed refocyte-nickel doesn’t cause a feedback explosion at all.
The second major advancement of the Huhuli is the Shaped Force Emitter, its main armament. The SFE itself is not very bit and the Huhuli does not have a huge barrel — in fact, the turret’s actual “barrel” is stumpy to a kind of amusing degree, as it’s just a cylinder of about two feet of length and a foot in diameter that tapers into a sharp cone (though this does make it a lot easier to traverse up and down, too!) There isn’t any sort of hole because this isn’t really a barrel, but rather a shape composed entirely out of alloyed nickel and (of course, high-purity) refocyte that is connected to a central switch that in turn connects directly to the ammo area. This shape is the eponymous emitter, emitting a forward-travelling beam of destructive force which moves forwards from the emitter and maintains a tight point at the front, acting as an armor-piercing force raygun in effect, the power and sustained nature of the weapon intended to render Embralish spaced armor useless and to hopefully deal with whatever strange defenses the Pact have. The ammo consists of eight extremely high purity and quite large refocyte batteries, which take up the large amount of space created by the Huhuli being slightly longer than the Alanui, and by the absence of a loader (the gunner need only flick a switch between the batteries once he drains one).
The way that this weapon works is that nickel-refocyte allow actually is capable of projecting pure force out at a distance, as nickel acts as transference across distance for refocyte’s energy while the refocyte itself remains the source of output — so combined their effects actually merge to create output across distance from attached refocyte blocks. The shape of the projection of force is determined by the shape of the nickel-refocyte piece, whereas the power/throughput is determined by the purity of the refocyte in the alloy. Although the Shaped Force Emitter is versatile, powerful, and operates in a sustained manner, SFEs do eat power like almost nothing else, so the Huhuli’s SFE is expected to be a hell of a lot more powerful than any SFEs on any other designs we put out.
The Huhuli:
The Huhuli is a permanently National Effort tank slightly larger and less boxy than the Alanui, with that expense coming in the form of its high quality components and the absurdly pure refocyte it uses (using processes not practical for mass production), particularly for its extremely powerful coilengine, which is intended to drive the tank at 50-60 km/h despite its very heavy armor, and the batteries that serve as its ammo. It uses armor ranging from 70mm to 30mm in thickness (70 along turret and sides, 40 at the top and 30 beneath) which is a primitive composite armor, using a layer of pressed tungsten carbide plates for the outer 10mm of the armor and cast steel for the remainder. It also uses a thick canvas tarp for use exclusively against Embral, meant to act as an additional layer the Autoresonant Siege Horn has to destroy before getting to the armor. It is crewed by three (driver, commander, gunner, no loader) and has a coaxial machine-gun mount with the HMG we create this season and a closed-cupola machine-gun mount with a Kakala. The turret is quite large and turns using a small coilengine.
The main weapon is a Shaped Force Emitter, a two-foot tapering cylinder of a nickel-refocyte alloy which fires an extremely powerful tapering beam of pure force from refocyte batteries — nickel-refocyte alloy projects refocyte’s stored force outwards in a sustained and shaped manner. The shape of a Shaped Force Emitter controls the shape the force is projected in, so a tapering cylinder produces a tapering beam of force. The purity of the refocyte in a SFE controls how much force it outputs from the battery at any one moment (and, well, the Huhuli’s SFE is quite pure indeed). As SFEs do consume a lot of refocyte energy, the Huhuli uses a large set of 8 extremely pure refocyte batteries for ammo, which take advantage of the slight increase in tank size and the absence of a loader to take up a lot of space. There isn’t a loader because the gunner only needs to flip a switch to change which battery the SFE is contacting. We expect the Huhuli’s SFE to be much stronger than non-NE SFEs we use in the future thanks to the purity of the involved Refocyte — frankly, to be pretty overwhelmingly powerful.
Strike Force Mea Nānā - Doom Edit (Converted RPP sniper to longPACT sniper, added hand grenades)
In war, often it’s enough to crush the enemy with brute force and firepower. But other times you need a more deft hand - you want to take that position, not flatten it. Or you want an ambush, not an assault.
That’s where the experimental Strike Force Mea Nānā comes in. An elite platoon of three squads, all armed to the teeth with technology not currently found anywhere else in the Inithari armory. Trained to become the best of the best, each man or woman is worth many mundane soldiers on their own - and that’s before the tech comes in.
First, weaponry. The soldiers are armed with experimental machine guns using mechanisms inspired by our extensive work on the PACT system and the Laweano. The Laka Medium Machine Guns are heavier than a normal person could carry on their own, but we’ll get to how they do later.
The Laka has a modified PACT mechanism that our designers wanted to try out, namely a system more designed for reliability and speed than power. The four firing rails are fixed in place, and their length does not change from shot to shot. This makes the calculations for catapult velocity much simpler, and should reduce the risk of a dangerous catapult jam. The catapult itself has also been modified with four low-friction ball bearings. These are notable for the fact that the connecting ball bearings are nickel alloys, connected by the same thin cross-section nickel wire to the catapult platelet. This upgraded rail contact system allows predictable energy transfer while maintaining durability and travel speed. The return mechanism has also been changed - the catapult, upon reaching the end of the rails and being returned by the end lever, runs back into the receiver. The receiver's contact surface is covered in thick rubber, and the impact from the catapult pushes the entire mechanism back on a set of springs that cycle the next bullet into the catapult. The belt magazine advances one spot through the gun, with the belt passing above the firing mechanism, outside the receiver. As the receiver pulls backwards, the bullet is pushed out of the belt by a small cylinder, and slides into position in the catapult. As long as the trigger is held down, the receiver sliding forward into place will advance the belt forward by one and trigger the firing mechanism, resulting in fully automatic fire. There are independent batteries for the firing mechanism and return lever. The guns that the strike force uses are unique, being adjusted to be less physically bulky (although still heavy) and with higher caliber ammo. That being said, the upgraded mechanism may see further use in the future.
As a sidearm, each soldier is equipped with a RPP-system short barreled carbine with solely high-purity ammunition; if the enemy are close enough to switch weapons, or they need to be killing with accuracy, best to kill in a single hit. Each soldier also carries a combat blade, a Pohū Ringa, and whatever kit needed for their mission.
This is all well and good, but not enough to take up the kind of expense the Mea Nānā does. No, what really gives them their unique nature is the Mea Nānā Refowool Suits. We’d heard of “steel wool” from other nations, and admittedly, perhaps our smiths didn’t understand them correctly. Traditional metal wool is tough and sharp, used to smooth and finish working surfaces and not in the traditional ways wool is used. Refocyte wool… isn’t. Refowool is more like the clothing material, but bearing many properties associated with Refocyte. It’s exorbitant cost makes it impractical at wide scales, but in the hands of a specialized one of a kind strike team, it’s well worth that expense.
Refowool, and by extension the Refowool suits woven from it, has multiple interesting properties as compared to traditional Refocyte. The fact that it is composed of so many tiny strands, means each of those strands has a uniquely low capacity for kinetic energy. While that might sound like a downside, what this effectively means is that it charges up and discharges incredibly quickly. If Refowool discharged normally, this would be very bad indeed, leading to broken… well, everything, the instant one tried to move. It doesn’t - for whatever reason, Refowool has one side that charges and one side that discharges. This means that as long as one is a bit careful with the parts outside of the suit, the wearer has dramatically enhanced strength and speed as rapid minor discharges add more force to their movements - and as with normal Refocyte, this discharge is nearly silent. While, unlike solid Refocyte, this means that outside force would not be absorbed, the discharge is rapid enough that if the individual is in motion, the force output can slow direct hits and turn them from vital areas, and divert glancing blows entirely, allowing the suit to act as an active armor.
In short, by the combination of exceptional training, experimental and high-purity weaponry, and the unique Refowool Suits, Strike Force Mea Nānā is a platoon-sized group that can have more impact than a brigade.
Design Phase, Cold Season 1940 AC
Proposal: The Huhuli [Third Draft]
"Small-brain, am I?" muttered Kaimana Nima, sitting at his desk. "Not 'beeg' enough, is it?" His pen scratched across his paper, a rather stubborn expression on his face. "Fine, I'll show them 'beeg' enough. I'll take all of these specs, and I'll just..."
The Huhuli is a permanently National Effort tank slightly larger and less boxy than the Alanui, with that expense coming in the form of its high quality components and the absurdly pure refocyte it uses (using processes not practical for mass production), particularly for its extremely powerful dual coilengine (supported by fine work from the Mechanics’ Fellowship), which is intended to drive the tank at around 170 km/h (in situations that physically allow for it or course), the batteries that serve as its ammo, and its armor. It uses armor in two layers, which actually only amount to about 60mm of thickness overall -- 30mm of this is the outside layer of the armor, consisting of pressed tungsten carbide plates, meant to provide protection against the melting munitions of the PACT, and the other 30mm is of course pure refocyte, an excruciatingly meticulously created singular piece of refocyte sitting on the inside layer and making the Huhuli essentially immune to physical force, especially since the refocyte is specially heat treated to lower the threshold of accepted physical force in order to absorb powerful sound. It is crewed by four (driver, commander, gunner, secondary gunner) and three machine gun mounts: a coaxial machine-gun mount with a Kakala, operated by the main gunner, a closed-cupola machine-gun mount atop the turret with the HMG we develop this season operated by the commander, and another HMG at the rear operated by the secondary gunner in a much lower and smaller turret at the rear, behind the turret. (The ASH doesn’t really allow us unshielded gunner positions on so important a vehicle.) The turret is quite large and turns using a small coilengine.
The main weapon is a Shaped Force Emitter, a two-foot tapering cylinder of a nickel-refocyte alloy which fires an extremely powerful tapering beam of pure force from refocyte batteries — nickel-refocyte alloy projects refocyte’s stored force outwards in a sustained and shaped manner. The shape of a Shaped Force Emitter controls the shape the force is projected in, so a tapering cylinder produces a tapering beam of force. The purity of the refocyte in a SFE controls how much force it outputs from the battery at any one moment (and, well, the Huhuli’s SFE is quite pure indeed). As SFEs do consume a lot of refocyte energy, the Huhuli uses a large set of 8 extremely pure refocyte batteries for ammo, which take advantage of the slight increase in tank size and the absence of a loader to take up a lot of space. There isn’t a loader because the gunner only needs to flip a switch to change which battery the SFE is contacting. We expect the Huhuli’s SFE to be much stronger than non-NE SFEs we use in the future thanks to the purity of the involved Refocyte — during development, we in fact used it to singlehandedly perform a scheduled demolishment of one of the larger buildings of the old city of Abbera, which was performed in only a few swipes of the SFE, lines of exploded concrete ripping through most of the entire building with each swipe.
Difficulty: Easy
Results: (3+2)+1 (4+4)+1=9, Above Average
The war at home had been grinding on since we left, and the Fellowships were not sitting idly while the existence of the nation was threatened. With open communications with the homeland, they were able to share some specs on recent advancements in combat-applicable technology. We were drawn to the idea of the Shaped Force Emitter, and after some work we were able to replicate it with the resources and equipment we had on-hand. The first prototype demolished the lab it was built in and killed two engineers. Kaimana had been away and avoided getting caught in the blast. The crane moving the second prototype fell over and destroyed it. The third, however, worked beautifully and avoided destruction through incompetence or bad luck.
The SFE was constructed from nearly completely pure refocyte alloyed with nickel. This conical cylinder is a stubby (for a tank weapon) 60cm long and 12cm wide, and fits neatly into a secure housing built into a "barrel" that really only exists to armor the thing. The turret attached to the barrel contains space for a series of four near-perfect purity batteries that can be linked to one another by heavy-gauge nickel cable and swapped out with four others in a secondary bank just below the turret, though there is also a readily-available nickel cable that can connect the secondary bank to the primary. The batteries hold about ten seconds of sustained burst apiece, and while linking multiple batteries at once will not improve total uptime, it will drastically increase the amount of power exerted by the focused force beam. A single battery tends to do well enough against armored targets, but a full bank unloading at once can turn a building to dust. Linking both banks can devastate a position but eats through ammo stores. It has a cupola turret and coaxial Kakala mount, though the cupola is built to hold bigger guns.
The turret, powered by a small Supercharger Coilengine, sits atop a tank not unlike the Alanui. The Huhuli is a little larger than it's relative though, as it contains a Supercharger Dual Coilengine. The Dual Coilengine houses a two refocyte coils, with one mounted centrally and the larger one spinning around it. This massively increases power supplied to the vehicle, allowing it to hit speeds of nearly 200km/h in optimal conditions.
The entire thing is protected by armor, obviously. 30mm tungsten plates create an outer shell covering an additional 30mm of refocyte armor backed with a layer of rubber. The refocyte was worked extremely carefully so as to keep it a singular piece where possible (obviously the turret armor is not rigidly attached to the body), and can absorb a fair amount of force from projectiles, diminishing penetrative ability of enemy rounds and hopefully preventing a significant amount of damage from sound-based weaponry. The refocyte armor is connected to the battery banks, charging them as it gets struck, or allowing a discharge should that be needed for some reason. The enemy's resonant weapon is especially meant to be baffled by rolls of canvas attached to the hull that can be rolled out to provide a very flexible layer of protection. Not that it protects against much else.
A rear turret, currently utilizing a Kakala, provides additional protection from infantry and unarmored vehicles.
All crew are equipped with small hammers to manually charge batteries in the contained area of the tank, and a pair of larger sledgehammers come with the vehicle to allow more vigorous recharging outside of combat but away from friendly resupply.
The Huhuli Mk.3 is a (NATIONAL EFFORT) and expected to cut across the battlefield in more ways than one.
Proposal: Mobile Fortress "Aroha"
Sometimes, it is the time for subtlety and subterfuge. Refocyte weapons are near silent, and our culture is predisposed to code and subterfuge with our abilities to silently communicate. There are some teams working on proposals to make use of this. But that is not the scenario this design is for. Sometimes, it is the time to say “fuck you, fuck the ground you’re standing on, fuck everything in your post code and the next one over”.
Mobile Fortress Aroha is for that time.
The Mobile Fortress Aroha is massive in scale, nearer to a battleship on treads than a tank. It is borne by two sets of massive treads (protected by a metal “skirt” to keep from being easily shelled; it is not easy to replace treads bigger than some small buildings). It is large enough to house, in addition to it’s estimated 2,000 enlisted crewmen and 125 officers (plus reserves), another brigade’s worth of armed soldiers (who can disembark at any of a dozen exit points in the lower levels, covered by machine guns and smoke). It’s armor is thick, albeit varying across it’s size, with roughly 175 milimeters of steel combined with 50 milimeters of moderate purity refocyte (with a layer of rubber keeping potential discharge directed outwards), (while higher purity could be obtained, not at this scale, and that scale makes the capacity larger anyway) and finally 35 milimeters of tungsten carbide as an outer shell to help against incendiary and sonic attacks, and it’s size is such that even a penetration has to get lucky to reach critical systems. It can be hermetically sealed against gas and has large compliments of air tanks to keep from suffocation. The refocyte armor is a new development, making use of Refocyte’s energy absorbing properties; while it’s hardly invulnerable, it can rob shells of much of their momentum as they make impact, and use it to recharge - potentially charging the engines, or the armor itself, for a purpose discussed later.
The Mobile Fortress Aroha is, as the name implies, armed to the teeth with more than enough firepower to take all comers. To prevent infantry from boarding, the fortress is dotted with “bunker” blisters, each holding two machine gun mounts, two grenade launchers, and room for snipers (along with a company of marines if something makes it past anyway). Then, there are the “cannon blisters”, at roughly a 1:2 ratio with bunker blisters, each with two mounts for heavy anti-tank weaponry, as well as storage for refocyte, armor piercing, and high explosive ammunition as needed. The blisters have heavily sloped armor to help prevent weapon knock outs. On the top, there are several mounts for anti-air weaponry, as well as four main turrets. Two of them are for traditional artillery.
The other two turrets, as well as an additional frontal turret, hold the experimental “main armament” of the Mobile Fortress. The two turrets are unique in their ammunition, primarily. They are loaded with high purity "Refocyte Cluster" munitions; unlike normal shells, they don't detonate on contact, but in the air. This spreads dozens of high purity refocyte submunitions in a lethal anti-armor and anti-infantry rain. The front-mounted gun is a giant single-barrel cannon, bigger than the rest of the artillery put together, which fires single, heavy shells. These shells consist of a high density steel penetrator, wrapped around a highly pure refocyte core and battery; the penetrator digs deep into the ground, and once it's stopped the core is activated. This sends massive shockwaves around the target area - a proper bunker-buster capable of collapsing enemy tunnels and subterranean facilities, and potentially causing localized earthquakes.
The stuff that brings it all together is in the engines. It takes 10 huge, high purity Supercharger Coilengines to move the thing at greater than a walking pace, and they are kept active by many high purity refocyte batteries. Multiple teams are actually assigned to continually recharge the batteries via sledgehammer out of combat - although in combat, impacts that hit the refocyte armor can be drained for energy. Or, alternatively… the engineers can be ordered to not drain the armor. And instead, to charge it. The final major capability of the Aroha is the Full Armor Discharge. The sheer volume of refocyte, even not high purity refocyte, in the armor belt allows for a dramatic discharge of energy. The force alone is enough to crater the area directly around the fortress, and flip vehicles and break bones to greater ranges. And if the tungsten carbide layer is still intact at the time of the burst, it can shatter and add massive shrapnel to the burst for greater lethality.
Difficulty: Hard
Results: (4+1)-1 (5+1)-1=5, Below Average
With our islands at home under relentless attack, our fellow Initharians needed a way to defend each island as effectively as possible. Enter the Mobile Fortress. At home, mobile fortresses were sized based on the island they were defending. They weren't fast, only needing to adjust from a central position on the island based on the direction an attack was coming from in order to ensure enemy forces were within range.
On Harren, within old Abbera, the Initharians decided to taste ambition.
The massive "vehicle" is 250 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 60 meters tall from the ground to it's highest point. It's general ship-shape sits on a pair of massive heavy-duty tracks protected by an armored "skirt", which is more like a wall. This monster of a vehicle has over 2000 crew and officers as well as room for just as many infantry. All these people are protected by a few layer of armor. 170mm of steel across the entire thing is covered by a layer of rubber then 50mm of refocyte excruciatingly painfully and cautiously shaped into a solid piece, and that is further covered by 30mm tungsten carbide plates.
As with our other creation this season, the refocyte armor is effective at keeping shells from penetrating. The mobile fortress further protects it's inhabitants thanks to an ability to be hermetically sealed. This hermetic sealing capability is largely thanks to excessive use of rubber seals on absolutely everything that can or could open or close. Ventilation can be manually cut off to the outside of the fortress from a number of centralized atmospheric control rooms scattered throughout the fortress. Massive tanks of air in these rooms can keep crew from asphyxiation for a couple hours, but it's proven somewhat difficult to provide enough air for everyone inside without taking up space necessary for the plethora of other things the Aroha brings to the table.
The hull is covered in two dozen armored "ball turrets" with enough space for a Kakala and a very cramped gunner. Each gunner is given a small can of air and a mask should they need to seal off the turret and not have enough time to unfold themselves out of the things. Another six ball turrets house "catapults" based loosely on the PACT system designed to launch Pohū Ringas. Another fifteen ball turrets house Haaheo-Bs utilizing very high purity rounds to act as anti-armor weaponry. Another six open turrets on the top of the Aroha house quad-linked Kakalas until better anti-aircraft weaponry can be provided. Four "bunkers" protrude slightly from each side and provide a firing platform for multiple soldiers, and perhaps heavier weapons once applicable direct-fire guns are available.
4x2 120mm turrets using guns based off of the Laweano sit proudly atop the Aroha, with two designated to fire typical artillery munitions. A massive 500mm frontal cannon and the other two turrets fire "Refocyte Cluster Munitions". These shells are filled with large number of Refocyte balls and is designed to burst above targets to release it's payload. This doesn't usually work out that way. The shells tend to burst after striking the ground, though this is still fairly effective as refocyte balls overload and explode, sending others flying and bursting in a concentrated area. A more effective air burst could utilize the ammunition more effectively, but it still works to cause significant damage. The front cannon is also designed to launch Penetrator Rounds. These munitions consist of a high-density steel shell covering a high-purity refocyte core. These rounds are designed to pierce through hardened targets before the Refocyte explodes in a highly destructive, concentrated blast.
The final weapon the Aroha has in store is known as a "Full Armor Discharge". While the armor being struck is usually used to charge the massive battery arrays for the engines, the armor can also be overloaded and triggered outward, creating a massive blast of force in the area around the Aroha. This tends to cause damage to critical systems, but can be used to demolish the immediate area around the Aroha without an immediate worry of instantaneous death.
All of this is propelled thanks to ten absolutely massive high-purity Coilengines. Engineers and mechanics in Aroha are among the strongest in the entire Expeditionary Fleet, not just because it makes for good propaganda, but because it's absolutely necessary. The Coils can only be replaced via crane through hatches that can be opened through the top of the mobile fortress, so charging out on the field needs to be done manually with the heftiest sledgehammers on hand. Since the coils being recharged need to be off for safety reasons (we don't need to risk another Folly, do we?), the vessel rarely travels at full speed, and instead pushes through at a blistering 5km/h.
A number of deployable ramps and hatches along the bottom allow the soldiers housed inside to rapidly disgorge should they be needed for any reason. Curiously, these soldiers are from the Marine Fellowship, as they have a familiarity with working on mobile vessels even though the Aroha itself falls under Army Fellowship jurisdiction. This has created something of a rivalry between the two groups, as the Marines are young, but as proud as any other Fellowship, so are slow to follow Army orders.
The Mobile Fortress "Aroha" is a (NATIONAL EFFORT) and should work to terrify our opponents as they are slowly crushed beneath it, even if it seems to laugh in the face of physics.
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You've got two revisions to work with. Remember that the Research Credit bonus still applies to any National Effort action!
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE!
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Refocyte, Pact Caelium (3/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 5
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 5
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Pohū Ringa' Dual Purpose Grenade: A torpedo-influenced hand grenade using refocyte as it's trigger and payload. Causes a lethal concussive blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. A frag case can be slid over the grenade to add a little extra shrapnel. Costs 2 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
M2 'Laweano' 120mm: A semiunreliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires significant maintenance for the uncommon-but-not-uncommon-enough event of a jam, but otherwise works well enough. Can fire shells out to 18km at 12 RPM. Costs 7 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
Huhuli Mk.3: A tank slightly larger than the Alanui with a stubbier gun. Multiple battery banks modulate the the amount of force fired through the gun - a Shaped Force Emitter. Protected by 30mm tungsten carbide plates and 30mm of solid Refocyte and rolls of canvas. Uses a Supercharger Dual Coilengine to reach insane speeds of nearly 200km/h in perfect conditions. Additionally protected by a rear-mounted, a coaxial, and a cupola Kakala. Crew have small hammers and a pair of sledgehammers to charge batteries. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Mobile Fortress "Aroha": A massive moving fortress roughly shaped and sized like a capital ship on two massive tracks protected by a skirt. 250m long, 40m wide, and 60m tall at it's highest point. Houses 2000 crew plus officers and 2000 Marines. Has 170mm steel and 50mm refocyte armor (which can be violently discharged - use with caution) covered by another 30mm of tungsten carbide plates. Can be hermetically sealed and provides air for a couple hours. Covered in 30 ball turrets with a mix of machine guns and grenade-flinging catapults, as well as another 15 ball turrets with anti-armor rifles. 2x2 120mm turrets use standard Laweano-based cannons and munitions. Another 2x2 120mm guns fire Refocyte Cluster munitions. 500mm front cannon uses the cluster munitions as well as Penetrator rounds. Powered by ten fuckhuge Coilengines to barely reach walking speeds. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Autoresonant Siege Horn: A tube capable of "firing" sound at an object after detecting it's resonance frequency (or after it's manually dialed in). Nearly 1.5m long and lightweight. Air canisters are screwed into the back to provide air for "ammunition" to "play" the weapon. Extremely effective against a wide range of targets, but limited to use within 100m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Katarani Medium Tank Mk. I: A lightly armed medium tank with a 70mm gun with relatively low ammo stores and a Musakila on the turret. Protected by 80mm frontal and turret armor, 50mm elsewhere. Thin spaced armor provides questionable protection against standard munitions but serves it's purpose in triggering refocyte munitions. Wellbronze agitators in the engine and fuel tanks allow diesel fuel use in devastating cold, but can break off and damage the engine. Wellsap lines the interior of the tank and the engine compartment. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Wellshrubbery Mk.II Concealment Kit: A kit containing seeds and a noisemaker for growing wellshrubbery. Needs a lot of loud noise and a bit of water to grow. Plants are hardy, durable, and dense. It roots firmly to most surfaces and can last for a few days before withering away. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
'Sharak' Oxygen-Enriched Submarine Torpedo: A poorly constructed and poorly tested torpedo with great range and piss poor reliability. Has a couple different fuses, but those hardly ever work anyways. Still, when it works, it works. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
--Wellbronze: A metal capable of detecting sound and responding with vibration. Electrical current focuses the detection cone and increases sensitivity and clarity.
-Wellvine Sap: A plant extract that can be processed into a resin capable of absorbing and nullifying sound. The resin is also brittle and inflexible.[/i]
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
-WellMoss: A dense moss that grows relatively quickly when exposed to water and sound, sustains poorly when not submerged. Can be destroyed through consistent direct application of fire.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Revision Phase, Cold Season 1940 AC
Proposal: M1.3 Laweano
Driven a little bit unhinged during the latter part of the season by a combination of the recent struggles with the Laweano and the incidents with the Huhuli, Kaimana Nima set out to fix the issues with the Laweano once and for all. For this purpose, he cribbed a large portion of his brother’s notes (with permission).
The M1.3 Laweano sees different construction of its rails and the points of contact between them: firstly, there are four rails along the barrel (set up to be equal to the two-rail setup in terms of overall energy storage and draw capacity overall). Secondly rather than just the catapult having contacts plainly against the rails, there are four nickel ball bearings that play this role (as in the whole bearings, with grooved tracks and all). The end result is that the PACT device is much more stable. Usage of ball bearings, obviously enough reduces friction, which helps prevent the catapult from catching unevenly on the rails, but the bearings themselves also take up more room mostly flush against the rails, which means that misfires can’t really push the catapult one way or the other anymore. Additionally, the change tonfour rails means that the catapult can’t be accidentally rolled anymore, either. The expected end result is a MUCH more reliable mechanism.
Despite this theoretically being a fairly safe project, Kaimana still mandated safety on the project be strict, feeling responsible for the deaths on the Huhuli project even if they’d happened while he’d been away.
Difficulty: Normal Easy
Result: (6+4)+1=11, Masterwork
Work on the refinement of the internal mechanisms of the Laweano continued through this season. As problems became narrowed down and small issues hammered out, it was only a matter of time before everything just...clicked into place.
The Laweano's internal adjustments are perfect, as one expects a proper Fellowship's handiwork. The action is smooth, everything slides into place, or not into it if it's not supposed to, and the more stabilized four rail system further cuts down on the risk of, for lack of better terms, internal fuck-ups. With the need for repairs reduced to almost zero outside of combat damage, cost for the Laweano drops to 6 Ore and 5 Refocyte.
With an enthusiasm not seen in ages, artillery crews took to their new guns with pride. They grew close ties with the front-line infantry, since they provided the best details on their handiwork, and as a result work with increased enthusiasm. Crews on average fire off 15 rounds a minute, though there are rumors of one gun crew getting off 20.
Proposal: G2.1 Alanui-S
Intended to deal with the Katarani tanks currently metaphorically dragging our tanks into an alleyway and beating them with a crowbar for two hours, a variant of the Alanui utilizing a Shaped Force Emitter similar to the Huhuli as its main gun has been created. Of course, even with the loader removed from the Alanui-S and his space given over to batteries, there are still cutbacks to be made — the batteries can’t be anywhere near to as powerful as the SFE of the Huhuli, and there isn’t room for an extra bank in the body of the tank. The Alanui-S’s SFE is made pure enough to cut through both a Katarani’s spaced armor and the armor underneath at the same time due to its sustained beam nature, but this does mean that the battery is fairly limited, so Alanui-S gunners are instructed to only use their Shaped Force Emitters on Kataranis, or in situations where they’d lose the tank otherwise, Rogis.
Difficulty: Theoretical
Result: (6+5)-3=8, Average
Our first attempt at making an SFE for mass-production scale, or at least more-than-unique-production scale, and doing so within the constraints of a preexisting vehicle, didn't do much to slow down development. The Shaped Force Emitter of the G2.1 is significantly weaker than the Huhuli's, but still capable of pounding targets with short bursts of kinetic energy. The G2.1 Alanui-S can pound through moderately armored targets and hardened positions, but requires regular battery swapping and, if the crew wants any semblance of sustainability, manual recharging of the SFE's batteries. With lower purity batteries than the Huhuli, it's a bit easier to charge the G2.1s batteries on the go.
While the G2.1 Alanui-S will certainly be able to deliver quite a bit of hurt, SFEs and their accompanying batteries are costly. The G2.1 requires 8 Ore and 8 Refocyte, making it a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
----------------
It is time to make our last choices for the season. Remember to choose two locations to attack as well as the deployment of any National Efforts.
That's a whole lot of decisions to make. Best get on with it then!
IT IS NOW THE STRATEGY PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Refocyte, Pact Caelium (3/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 5
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 5
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Pohū Ringa' Dual Purpose Grenade: A torpedo-influenced hand grenade using refocyte as it's trigger and payload. Causes a lethal concussive blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. A frag case can be slid over the grenade to add a little extra shrapnel. Costs 2 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
M1.3 'Laweano' 120mm: A very reliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires almost no maintenance and functions near perfectly after much refinement. Can fire shells out to 18km at 15-20 RPM. Costs 6 Ore and 5 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
-G2.1 Alanui-S: An Alanui with the main gun replaced with a Shaped Force Emitter. Packs a heavier punch at the cost of, well, cost. Costs 8 Ore and 8 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Huhuli Mk.3: A tank slightly larger than the Alanui with a stubbier gun. Multiple battery banks modulate the the amount of force fired through the gun - a Shaped Force Emitter. Protected by 30mm tungsten carbide plates and 30mm of solid Refocyte and rolls of canvas. Uses a Supercharger Dual Coilengine to reach insane speeds of nearly 200km/h in perfect conditions. Additionally protected by a rear-mounted, a coaxial, and a cupola Kakala. Crew have small hammers and a pair of sledgehammers to charge batteries. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Mobile Fortress "Aroha": A massive moving fortress roughly shaped and sized like a capital ship on two massive tracks protected by a skirt. 250m long, 40m wide, and 60m tall at it's highest point. Houses 2000 crew plus officers and 2000 Marines. Has 170mm steel and 50mm refocyte armor (which can be violently discharged - use with caution) covered by another 30mm of tungsten carbide plates. Can be hermetically sealed and provides air for a couple hours. Covered in 30 ball turrets with a mix of machine guns and grenade-flinging catapults, as well as another 15 ball turrets with anti-armor rifles. 2x2 120mm turrets use standard Laweano-based cannons and munitions. Another 2x2 120mm guns fire Refocyte Cluster munitions. 500mm front cannon uses the cluster munitions as well as Penetrator rounds. Powered by ten fuckhuge Coilengines to barely reach walking speeds. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Autoresonant Siege Horn: A tube capable of "firing" sound at an object after detecting it's resonance frequency (or after it's manually dialed in). Nearly 1.5m long and lightweight. Air canisters are screwed into the back to provide air for "ammunition" to "play" the weapon. Extremely effective against a wide range of targets, but limited to use within 100m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Katarani Medium Tank Mk. I: A lightly armed medium tank with a 70mm gun with relatively low ammo stores and a Musakila on the turret. Protected by 80mm frontal and turret armor, 50mm elsewhere. Thin spaced armor provides questionable protection against standard munitions but serves it's purpose in triggering refocyte munitions. Wellbronze agitators in the engine and fuel tanks allow diesel fuel use in devastating cold, but can break off and damage the engine. Wellsap lines the interior of the tank and the engine compartment. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Wellshrubbery Mk.II Concealment Kit: A kit containing seeds and a noisemaker for growing wellshrubbery. Needs a lot of loud noise and a bit of water to grow. Plants are hardy, durable, and dense. It roots firmly to most surfaces and can last for a few days before withering away. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
'Sharak' Oxygen-Enriched Submarine Torpedo: A poorly constructed and poorly tested torpedo with great range and piss poor reliability. Has a couple different fuses, but those hardly ever work anyways. Still, when it works, it works. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
--Wellbronze: A metal capable of detecting sound and responding with vibration. Electrical current focuses the detection cone and increases sensitivity and clarity.
-Wellvine Sap: A plant extract that can be processed into a resin capable of absorbing and nullifying sound. The resin is also brittle and inflexible.[/i]
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
-WellMoss: A dense moss that grows relatively quickly when exposed to water and sound, sustains poorly when not submerged. Can be destroyed through consistent direct application of fire.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Strategy Phase, Cold Season 1940 AC
This season we developed our industrial capacity further as we installed a mine to extract Ore from the icy Tundra. As a result, the following changes occur with our armory:
G2 Alanui becomes (CHEAP).
G2.1 Alanui-S becomes (VERY EXPENSIVE).
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo" becomes (CHEAP).
"Combat" Phase, Cold Season 1940 AC
Our scouts in The Taiga and Barrens kept an eye on the sprawling Caelium Mining and Processing facilities dug into their sectors. Day and night they weathered the dangerous cold to ensure their report was going to be accurate, because it was going to be a game-changer.
Through the entire duration of their observation not a single Pact soldier was spotted entering or leaving the facilities. There was no sign of enemy presence as there had been in the early days when Inithar was still trying to figure out how not to die from the environment let alone armor-clad flying soldiers with exploding bullets.
Still, even after the scouting reports came in, a Marine team sent to infiltrate the Taiga facility, led by Kai Leilani. They exercised an abundance of caution, and did so during the day to ensure they'd be able to spot Pact soldiers from a distance and react accordingly. A chain-link fence ran the perimeter of the facility, with one massive icy road cutting the facility in half. The approach to the Caelium facility was worryingly exposed, but the team met no resistance whatsoever as they sidled up to the fence. A section had some damage - seemingly smashed, with a shallow trench dug into the ground across it ending in the scattered debris of some sort of large bipedal vehicle. A cockpit on the mechanical walker was blasted inward, and no body remained upon the blood-spattered seat. The team continued onward, moving deeper into the oppressive silence of the facility.
A few buildings stood out to the team for investigation - a hangar, some sort of office building, and a pair of buildings resembling barracks. The barracks were smaller so the team moved to clear them first.
They were empty, a layer of frost coating everything. Everything but a single pair of bootprints that disturbed the snow relatively recently, within the past few days at most. The scouts had surely missed something. The Marines had begun to relax after finding nobody, but now tension rose to a peak once more. As the Marines searched the one barracks more thoroughly they found relics of previous inhabitants, pin-up posters, old books, a pair of glasses, a few old Abberan dress uniforms, but nothing really useful. The bootprints led to a single footlocker which had been left open and rummaged through. Nothing within it was notable, and there was no indication that the person who'd searched it had found what they were looking for. The Marines moved on to the next barracks, noting the bootprints trailing outside went in the direction of the hangar. The second barracks was about as useful as the first.
The Marines headed off to the office building. The front door was chained and padlocked from the outside, and each window was reinforced with iron bars. The building was practically a miniature fortress on it's own upon closer inspection. Still, with nobody attempting to defend a fort it's fairly easy for infiltrators to do their job and infiltrate. One window had been blown open with a well-placed concussive grenade. The Marines used this opening to enter and investigate the premises. There was a lot of paperwork throughout the building, but most notably the Marines came across a series of papers dated for 1938 that were left out in the open. Upon rough translation, we could see it detailed a general withdrawal of forces from the furthest facilities from the Pact capital. While we could not discern the reasoning, we could clearly see the orders affected The Taiga, Barrens, and Deadwood.
A small team was left to secure the intel should anything happen to the rest of the unit while they moved on to investigate the hangar. It's massive front doors were closed, but the trail of bootprints led to a small side door that was left ajar. The Marines cautiously followed, and when they entered they were greeted with a building absolutely packed with Caelium ore. Large crates littered the facility, full of ore packed and ready for transport, and some still sat on a static conveyor belt that descended below the hangar parallel to a set of wide steps. Both the belt and stairs were clearly added onto the facility well after it's original construction, the stone was still rough from being dug out save for where footfalls had worn it down. Surely this stockpile could support Inithari efforts for a long time should it be properly rationed out (GM Note: Meaning the stockpile is what will provide 1 Caelium/turn, clarifying before you read into it). The team made their way down and through a series of underground halls and rooms, following the belt - and bootprints - towards one final chamber.
Multiple voices echoed out of this chamber as Kai and a handful of her best closed in with an abundance of caution. The language was foreign, likely local, and the first time it'd actually been heard. Kai peered into the chamber and saw a man in a labcoat standing in front of an ovoid construction that appeared to reflect the room. But it was no reflection. The person on the other side of this device was moving independently of the man in the chamber, and the two were in a seemingly heated discussion. Before she could pull his head back the Man in the Reflection pointed and exclaimed in alarm. The Marines had no time to respond as the Man in the Labcoat quickly grabbed a set of folders on the table at his side and fell into the device. The image projecting within it disappeared and was replaced with a shimmering silver surface - one that actually reflected the chamber. A large number of tools and devices were left behind, and in particular one device looking a lot like a radio remained on, emitting a singular constant high pitched tone. Surely once this facility is secured and made operational someone would want to investigate the signal.
Why We Fight
The Harren Expedition had a singular purpose: taking it's resources and sending them back home. Encountering Embral had drawn the Expedition's attention, but finally we'd had a taste of accomplishment. A massive collection of men and materials the likes of which hasn't been seen in a single area since Landing Day made it's way to the Taiga and Barrens with the goal of securing both the targeted Harren facilities in the regions. The massive force was unmet by Pact forces and went about securing the facilities. Routes were secured to ensure safe transport of goods across the frozen wastelands of Abbera to the settlement in the Rimefields.
Both facilities held massive stores of Caelium and workers were quick to begin packing and shipping the material.
Will you be shipping either of these resources back home, or will they be used for the war effort here? If you ship any home, which of your natural resources do you want in return?
As with the facility in the Taiga, the Barrens facility held a subterranean chamber housing complex machines and the same sort of device with the reflective, mirror-like "portal". It, too, had a strange radio emitting odd signals, and the device seemed to be deactivated much like the one in the Taiga. With plenty of helping hands and minds available, research of the devices was set to immediately. With two facilities under our control, we were able to compare their passively transmitted signals and noted that they were at distinctly different frequencies. The tuning devices were quite difficult to figure out initially, being a technology evolved completely independently from what the Empire had experience with in the Homeland, but eventually one of our engineers managed to tune the Taiga Caelium Facility device to the Barrens Caelium Facility portal, which activated a link between the two. Having a single point tuned in to another allowed the tuned portal to observe the other side, while the other portal remained seemingly inactive. Tests were performed with the passage of objects through these strange devices, and objects would appear on the receiving end with no apparent damage or changes.
Further investigation eventually led to the first human to pass through the portal. The volunteer also seemed to pass through without issue. With both portals keyed in to one another, free passage either way was possible, and sound was able to carry through the linked portals to facilitate communications.
The biggest obstacle to research of this device, known as the Glas Bolg Transporter thanks to the apparent branding on the transmitter device, is that it has so many dials, switches, ports, and levers that there are a possible 6.022x1023 frequencies to key into. Unfortunately, it seems most of these frequencies are disconnected, with the portal remaining reflective and objects passing straight through to the other side of the device without being transported elsewhere. By utilizing and reactivating these portals it seems that they connect to a network of devices independent of whatever the Pact may be utilizing.
In short, we can only transport objects and people through the portals if they are activated. We cannot get into any Pact-held locations, but it appears to be that any device activated after being disconnected by the Pact will connect to the same backup network. The portals are large enough to transport humans and human-sized objects through, so there is a chance that, should Embral also connect to our network (and we suspect the four unidentified signals we've isolated mean they have), we could launch attacks to directly take their Harren resources. It is unlikely we'd be able to control anything past the facility (unless the front line had pushed to that area, which is a different strategic scenario entirely), but we could reduce our enemy's access to the native resources. This works both ways, however.
So now we have a decision to make: Do we destroy the Glas Bolg Transporters and ensure our safety or do we maintain the Glas Bolg Transporters and provide strategic opportunity further down the line? You can choose to maintain or destroy transporters individually, and may choose to destroy a Transporter at a later date. They cannot be rebuilt however, so the decision to destroy a Transporter should be carefully thought over. For some reason you also believe that going all-in on either maintenance or destruction will affect the narrative of the world at large, and perhaps even beyond?
When utilizing the new resources afforded to us, we should remember that Caelium's Sphere is Gravity.
----
News from the front was surprisingly sparse this season, though some wild rumors abound. Some scouts have reported some sort of floating landship in the distance through the incessant rains of the Mudflats. Meanwhile, our soldiers in the North Peaks have reported this ever-present feeling of being watched, and wild rumors of an ancient spirit disturbed by the war are widely regarded as absolute nonsense. In more solid news, the Leviathan is suspected to have been operating in the Western Maelstrom, though we can never really be sure with that fucking thing. Otherwise, the Embralish didn't really do much other than fire the occasional artillery barrage and distant torpedo. There was no decisive attempt to take territory once again, and while we can't be completely sure why that is, we certainly have our suspicions.
No territory changes hands this season.
----------------
This turn we will be deciding whether or not to maintain the transporters for the time being, as well as whether or not we send the new Harren Resources home. As always, you will be responsible for two designs to introduce to our forces this turn.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes) [Glas Bolg Transporter]
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Refocyte, Caelium (3/3 Nodes) Glas Bolg Transporter
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Ore, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 6
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 5
Caelium: 2 (Undecided)
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Pohū Ringa' Dual Purpose Grenade: A torpedo-influenced hand grenade using refocyte as it's trigger and payload. Causes a lethal concussive blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. A frag case can be slid over the grenade to add a little extra shrapnel. Costs 2 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
M1.3 'Laweano' 120mm: A very reliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires almost no maintenance and functions near perfectly after much refinement. Can fire shells out to 18km at 15-20 RPM. Costs 6 Ore and 5 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
-G2.1 Alanui-S: An Alanui with the main gun replaced with a Shaped Force Emitter. Packs a heavier punch at the cost of, well, cost. Costs 8 Ore and 8 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Huhuli Mk.3: A tank slightly larger than the Alanui with a stubbier gun. Multiple battery banks modulate the the amount of force fired through the gun - a Shaped Force Emitter. Protected by 30mm tungsten carbide plates and 30mm of solid Refocyte and rolls of canvas. Uses a Supercharger Dual Coilengine to reach insane speeds of nearly 200km/h in perfect conditions. Additionally protected by a rear-mounted, a coaxial, and a cupola Kakala. Crew have small hammers and a pair of sledgehammers to charge batteries. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Mobile Fortress "Aroha": A massive moving fortress roughly shaped and sized like a capital ship on two massive tracks protected by a skirt. 250m long, 40m wide, and 60m tall at it's highest point. Houses 2000 crew plus officers and 2000 Marines. Has 170mm steel and 50mm refocyte armor (which can be violently discharged - use with caution) covered by another 30mm of tungsten carbide plates. Can be hermetically sealed and provides air for a couple hours. Covered in 30 ball turrets with a mix of machine guns and grenade-flinging catapults, as well as another 15 ball turrets with anti-armor rifles. 2x2 120mm turrets use standard Laweano-based cannons and munitions. Another 2x2 120mm guns fire Refocyte Cluster munitions. 500mm front cannon uses the cluster munitions as well as Penetrator rounds. Powered by ten fuckhuge Coilengines to barely reach walking speeds. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (CHEAP)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Autoresonant Siege Horn: A tube capable of "firing" sound at an object after detecting it's resonance frequency (or after it's manually dialed in). Nearly 1.5m long and lightweight. Air canisters are screwed into the back to provide air for "ammunition" to "play" the weapon. Extremely effective against a wide range of targets, but limited to use within 100m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Katarani Medium Tank Mk. I: A lightly armed medium tank with a 70mm gun with relatively low ammo stores and a Musakila on the turret. Protected by 80mm frontal and turret armor, 50mm elsewhere. Thin spaced armor provides questionable protection against standard munitions but serves it's purpose in triggering refocyte munitions. Wellbronze agitators in the engine and fuel tanks allow diesel fuel use in devastating cold, but can break off and damage the engine. Wellsap lines the interior of the tank and the engine compartment. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Wellshrubbery Mk.II Concealment Kit: A kit containing seeds and a noisemaker for growing wellshrubbery. Needs a lot of loud noise and a bit of water to grow. Plants are hardy, durable, and dense. It roots firmly to most surfaces and can last for a few days before withering away. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
'Sharak' Oxygen-Enriched Submarine Torpedo: A poorly constructed and poorly tested torpedo with great range and piss poor reliability. Has a couple different fuses, but those hardly ever work anyways. Still, when it works, it works. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
--Wellbronze: A metal capable of detecting sound and responding with vibration. Electrical current focuses the detection cone and increases sensitivity and clarity.
-Wellvine Sap: A plant extract that can be processed into a resin capable of absorbing and nullifying sound. The resin is also brittle and inflexible.[/i]
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
-WellMoss: A dense moss that grows relatively quickly when exposed to water and sound, sustains poorly when not submerged. Can be destroyed through consistent direct application of fire.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Design Phase, Cold Season 1940 AC
Proposal: M1 "Pua 'Ula Pua" HMG
Based on the mechanical design of the Lawaneo-B, the Pua is a Refocyte machine gun that fires 15mm rifle rounds. To do so, the Lawaneo-B mechanism is modified for improved reliability and speed. The four firing rails are fixed in place, and their length does not change from shot to shot. This makes the calculations for catapult velocity much simpler, and should reduce the risk of a dangerous catapult jam. The catapult's ball bearings have been further optimized for (relatively) rapid fire. The barrel is shortened to 900mm, due to the shorter rails and smaller round. The Refocyte energy storage system has also been modified – the weapon has two batteries, one for the return lever and one for the firing mechanism. Both batteries are locked in place via clamps.
The return mechanism has also been changed - the catapult, upon reaching the end of the rails and being returned by the end lever, runs back into the receiver. The receiver's contact surface is covered in thicc rubber, and the impact from the catapult pushes the entire mechanism back on a set of springs that cycle the next bullet into the catapult. The belt magazine advances one spot through the gun, with the belt passing above the firing mechanism, outside the receiver. As the receiver pulls backwards, the bullet is pushed out of the belt by a small cylinder, and slides into position in the catapult. As long as the trigger is held down, the receiver sliding forward into place will advance the belt forward by one and trigger the firing mechanism, resulting in fully automatic fire. The return lever has it’s own battery.
Parts machined for the M2 are done so with the goal of a reliable mechanism first and foremost. The weapon is capable of firing mixed belts of API, HE, and Refocyte rounds. The Pua has a designed effective range of 2000m and a designed fire rate of 450 RPM, and is designed to fit on to existing vehicular machine gun mounts. A tripod mount for crew served use is also available.
also in case this wasn't clear, anything that needs to be coated in rubber should be.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: (4+1)-2=3, Buggy Mess
Well, where to start. How about the good parts? The M1 (you can hear an engineer shoot himself in the head somewhere in the distance) "Pua 'Ula Pua" HMG is indeed a weapon housing a catapult based on the "Lawaneo", something engineers were also quick to point out doesn't exist. So they decided to take influence from the Laweano instead. It also exists, which is better than it not existing (though those given the weapon may tend to disagree). It has a bipod and two batteries as intended.
Everything else though, well, let's go step-by-step.
The first part of the process of making the Pua was reconfiguring the artillery firing mechanism so as to make it much smaller while firing at a rate somewhere around 30x the mechanism's original firing speed. Unfortunately there were a few problems that engineers either didn't foresee or didn't properly test prior to full-scale production. The first, most obvious, and most readily apparent issue is wear and tear on internal mechanisms. The smaller size of the rails in general means mechanisms and their protection inside the weapon wear much quicker when you take the rapid-fire intent of the system into account. This forced engineers to ensure the four rails could be removed and replaced in the field, and working with anything involving degloved refocyte (that is, refocyte without rubber protection) in the middle of a firefight is not an activity many Initharians would willing participate in, though the bright yellow rubber gloves given to the crew to wear when replacing the rods do help somewhat.
The wear and tear also lead to what could be the biggest issue with the Pua 'Ula Pua. Without constant vigilant maintenance above and beyond what should be expected from anyone outside of the armory, the rubber protection within the weapon wears down at a rapid pace. This includes the "thicc" (engineers imagine, like "beeg", "thicc" is local dialect that roughly translates to "thick") rubber block included as part of the automatic firing mechanism. Unfortunately, failure of this protective measure is relatively common, resulting in slamfire failure and leading to uncontrolled firing of the weapon.
In order to prevent uncontrolled fire from discharging an entire belt, both batteries were made to be quickly removed from their housing as an emergency shut-off for it's systems. The battery is pushed into it's intended opening (which is important, as both batteries are different sizes) and held in place while a small wheel is spun that pinches a set of rubber stoppers around the battery. The wheel also winds up a spring, requiring the wheel to also be pinned in place to lock it. In the event of uncontrolled fire, either battery can be quickly extracted by releasing the pin, which throws the refocyte battery from the weapon. Due to the high purity of the batteries used, the force of the battery striking the ground, a wall, an operator, or whatever else should not be enough to trigger the
material. That said, there is still a chance of catastrophic failure all-around.
Of note, the weapon also currently uses 15mm rounds and not the same rounds fired by the Kakala just on a belt, and definitely never fired 8mm rounds.
The M1 "Pua 'Ula Pua" HMG is an abysmal weapon, and very costly to boot. Production requires 6 Ore, 4 Oil, and 7 Refocyte, though this could change very easily if the entire thing wasn't so prone to constant failure. This makes the weapon (VERY EXPENSIVE).
----
Proposal: M1 "Mea Huaka'i" Surface Traversal Set
First off: refocaelium. Upon reception of the first units of Caelium from the captured stores, some of the refocyte-smiths of the Design Group of the Grand Fleet immediately attempted to do something that they had been theorizing half-deliriously about for much of the length of the war: alloying refocyte and caelium. And to their delight, they managed to find a particular substitution alloy that did almost exactly what they wanted it to. Refocaelium resulted, a refocyte-caelium alloy which operates a lot like refocyte, but with gravity instead of kinetic energy. Specifically, refocaelium absorbs and holds gravitic energy (although it needs to be hooked up to a battery and not discharging to actually do this at any pace besides completely glacial), as preciously mentioned it can transfer “gravitic energy” between pieces of refocaelium, and when struck with enough kinetic force, it will discharge that “gravitic energy” in the form of increased gravity at the point of contact.
The actual Mea Huaka'i Surface Traversal Set consists of two pieces. The first, and definitely the simplest, is a harness that is placed around the body and consists of several pieces of refocaelium balanced around the body, all hooked up to a pair of relatively large batteries at the calves when a pair of switches on the legs are flipped. When hooked up like this, the pieces of refocaelium at the harness begin to absorb gravity, funneling it into the batteries, and this results in the user of the harness being subject to only low amounts of gravity -- enough to mean that they won't just be stuck floating forever if they screw up a jump, but also low enough to make leaping over (say) hedgerows easy, and to make the second part of the Surface Traversal Set viable.
The second part is a pair of boots. In these boots, a second and smaller refocaelium battery in the side of the foot connects to the batteries in the calves, tuned to charge and hold a small amount of "gravitic energy". When the user takes a step, the sole of the boot slides in slightly (unless a pin chained to the boot is in place, which soldiers can pull in and out depending on if they want the boot to be active), connecting a thin refocaelium plate there to this small battery, and causing the sole of the boot to discharge, a small gravity well forming there and causing the boot to be able to rest on whatever surface it just landed on. (Thanks to the smaller-battery-drawing-off-of-larger-battery structure, this DOESN'T put bombs on our soldiers' feet.) With the harness activated, this is enough to more or less let our soldiers stand on sheer surfaces sideways or even upside down, and with a little regulation of pace, to walk on them.
Difficulty: Theoretical
Results: (1+1) (3+3)-3=3, Buggy Mess
Some old Abberan documents were found mentioning some sort of gravity-based maneuverability used in their last war. It inspired some of our engineers, and they developed the M1 "Mea Huaka'i" Surface Traversal Set as a result.
Goals for the project were fairly ambitious. First off, refocaelium. Our best and brightest had decided they'd absolutely fuck with Caelium, a relatively unknown material, without actually doing any large-scale research or work on the base material itself. Instead, it was decided that we'd alloy Caelium with our equally unique Refocyte immediately, as the Refocyteworker's Fellowship had apparently wormed it's way into the ears of anyone who'd listen with any measure of influence.
As expected, this work was initially disastrous. Eventually though, we did manage to formulate a Refocaelium alloy. It did not perform as expected. Or it did? But not the way we wanted it to. This alloy passively "absorbs" gravitic energy, which produces almost a repelling effect as a gravitic dead zone is created around the material. While the weak force is easily overcome, and indeed we can house the alloy in specially-designed torso-covering harnesses, attaching antigravityballs to someone's body tends to make movement extremely awkward.
The harness also connects to the second part of the set, the leg bracing assembly and refocaelium boots. The entire rig is designed to make sure the individual pieces remain secure and properly positioned on the user, which is important, because there's only one real way to get use out of the Mea Huaka'i: take out the safety pin in the heel, stomp downward, completing the circuit and discharging the boot's refocaelium battery. Using one of these rigs involves hoping that you're not launched too far into the air, praying that the antigravity wells on the harness keep you stable and feet-down, and pleading to the powers that be that the leg braces can absorb some of the impact. Luckily, kinetic force does not affect refocaelium.
This experimental rig comes to us at a costly 4 Ore and 6 Caelium, and as we have yet to actually decide what to do with our Caelium stockpiles, cost is currently (NATIONAL EFFORT) and [complex].
----------------
Well, it's a good thing you have two revisions!
IT IS NOW THE REVISION PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes) [Glas Bolg Transporter]
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Refocyte, Caelium (3/3 Nodes) Glas Bolg Transporter
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Ore, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 6
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 5
Caelium: 2 (Undecided)
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 "Pua 'Ula Pua" HMG: A massively underperforming 15mm heavy machine gun with enough problems to just about outweigh their benefits. Internal mechanisms are extremely prone to failure, requiring in-field maintenance and handling of dangerous unprotected or rubber-compromised refocyte. Has a 2000m range and fire rate of 450 RPM, but fails to be able to function long enough for it to have a significant impact. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Oil, 7 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
M1 'Pohū Ringa' Dual Purpose Grenade: A torpedo-influenced hand grenade using refocyte as it's trigger and payload. Causes a lethal concussive blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. A frag case can be slid over the grenade to add a little extra shrapnel. Costs 2 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
M1.3 'Laweano' 120mm: A very reliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires almost no maintenance and functions near perfectly after much refinement. Can fire shells out to 18km at 15-20 RPM. Costs 6 Ore and 5 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
M1 "Mea Huaka'i" Surface Traversal Set: A cumbersome rig requiring the user to wear an uncomfortable harness using refocaelium to store passively absorbed gravitic energy, with the side effect of having slightly repellent forces permanently in conflict directly attached to someone's body. Users often look like they're lightly swaying in the breeze. The harness is also connected to leg braces which themselves hook up to the refocaelium "jump" boots. Landing without some sort of injury or discomfort is practically a miracle. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Caelium. (NATIONAL EFFORT) [complex]
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
-G2.1 Alanui-S: An Alanui with the main gun replaced with a Shaped Force Emitter. Packs a heavier punch at the cost of, well, cost. Costs 8 Ore and 8 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Huhuli Mk.3: A tank slightly larger than the Alanui with a stubbier gun. Multiple battery banks modulate the the amount of force fired through the gun - a Shaped Force Emitter. Protected by 30mm tungsten carbide plates and 30mm of solid Refocyte and rolls of canvas. Uses a Supercharger Dual Coilengine to reach insane speeds of nearly 200km/h in perfect conditions. Additionally protected by a rear-mounted, a coaxial, and a cupola Kakala. Crew have small hammers and a pair of sledgehammers to charge batteries. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Mobile Fortress "Aroha": A massive moving fortress roughly shaped and sized like a capital ship on two massive tracks protected by a skirt. 250m long, 40m wide, and 60m tall at it's highest point. Houses 2000 crew plus officers and 2000 Marines. Has 170mm steel and 50mm refocyte armor (which can be violently discharged - use with caution) covered by another 30mm of tungsten carbide plates. Can be hermetically sealed and provides air for a couple hours. Covered in 30 ball turrets with a mix of machine guns and grenade-flinging catapults, as well as another 15 ball turrets with anti-armor rifles. 2x2 120mm turrets use standard Laweano-based cannons and munitions. Another 2x2 120mm guns fire Refocyte Cluster munitions. 500mm front cannon uses the cluster munitions as well as Penetrator rounds. Powered by ten fuckhuge Coilengines to barely reach walking speeds. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (CHEAP)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Kakalas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Refocaelium: An odd material that creates gravitational "voids" as it absorbs and stores gravitational energy for use at a later time. Stored gravity is expelled by overcoming the material's storage threshold.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Autoresonant Siege Horn: A tube capable of "firing" sound at an object after detecting it's resonance frequency (or after it's manually dialed in). Nearly 1.5m long and lightweight. Air canisters are screwed into the back to provide air for "ammunition" to "play" the weapon. Extremely effective against a wide range of targets, but limited to use within 100m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Katarani Medium Tank Mk. I: A lightly armed medium tank with a 70mm gun with relatively low ammo stores and a Musakila on the turret. Protected by 80mm frontal and turret armor, 50mm elsewhere. Thin spaced armor provides questionable protection against standard munitions but serves it's purpose in triggering refocyte munitions. Wellbronze agitators in the engine and fuel tanks allow diesel fuel use in devastating cold, but can break off and damage the engine. Wellsap lines the interior of the tank and the engine compartment. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Wellshrubbery Mk.II Concealment Kit: A kit containing seeds and a noisemaker for growing wellshrubbery. Needs a lot of loud noise and a bit of water to grow. Plants are hardy, durable, and dense. It roots firmly to most surfaces and can last for a few days before withering away. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
'Sharak' Oxygen-Enriched Submarine Torpedo: A poorly constructed and poorly tested torpedo with great range and piss poor reliability. Has a couple different fuses, but those hardly ever work anyways. Still, when it works, it works. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
--Wellbronze: A metal capable of detecting sound and responding with vibration. Electrical current focuses the detection cone and increases sensitivity and clarity.
-Wellvine Sap: A plant extract that can be processed into a resin capable of absorbing and nullifying sound. The resin is also brittle and inflexible.[/i]
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
-WellMoss: A dense moss that grows relatively quickly when exposed to water and sound, sustains poorly when not submerged. Can be destroyed through consistent direct application of fire.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Revision Phase, Cold Season 1940 AC
Proposal: Pua NeoRubber Project
With the refocyte-smiths (especially the Kaimana brothers) more or less forced to take a backseat for the rest of the season after the results of their... overzealous work, representatives of an understated but vitally important Fellowship took the front stage this season: the Chemists' Fellowship. And not only did the Chemists' Fellowship take a front role, but the actual chemists themselves did, not mostly just the extremely aggrieved physicist members of the Chemists' Fellowship who are often critical in the background in calculating ballistics for the work of the more celebrity refocyte-smith members of the Grand Fleet Design Team.
Specifically, the post-mortem of the Pua 'Ula Pua revealed something interesting about it: though the refocyte mechanism-work is not flawless by any means, it itself is not actually untenable at all -- potentially somewhat unreliable on its own, but perfectly functional, granting the weapon many of the specifications it was actually designed for. Instead, a large portion of the weapon's issues come down to one other material: rubber. For the purposes we'd been using it for until now, rubber was sufficiently tough to withstand the motions it was being subjected to, especially since the Laweano only fires even now once every few seconds. But when dealing with dozens of repetitions per second, it tears and shreds, both leading to much of the gun's general maintenance issues and its little slamfire issue.
In response, the Chemists' Fellowship has simply begun work on a new rubber-like latex compound (where a latex is after all just a kind of emulsion of polymers). This new rubber, working off of theories that it is the latex structure of rubber that causes its interactions with refocyte rather than some sort of aspect of the rubber plant itself, is made through testing latexes made of many different combinations of polymers, until a substance is found that is dense, relatively unflexible, and above all has extreme tear resistance. Although this new kind of rubber would not necessarily be adequate for some purposes, such as the seals on gas masks, as it is rather stiff, its density, toughness, and tear resistance should go a long way towards solving two problems at once on the Pua 'Ula Pua, dealing with the slamfire issue and with much of the maintenance issues simply by not being destroyed by the operation of the gun.
Difficulty: Very Easy
Result: (6+4)+2=12, Unexpected Boon
Our Chemist's Fellowship has long been neglected by the Expedition. While not forgotten and by no means useless, they've largely worked in the background to help keep things moving forward. Today the spotlight is theirs.
We should first cover the intended results of their work.
NeoRubber-A is a pretty solid concept theoretically - some nonInitharian nations have been producing various synthetic rubber polymers for a few years now, so we knew it had to be fairly simple. And it was. NR-A [GM Note: fuck] is a synthetic copolymer rubber that offers much more compressive resistance and is half again as dense as the standard rubber we've been producing. NR-A is practically immune to standard wear and tear, and as it is a thermoset polymer, will not warp or degrade due to heat. The best part is the chemical compound used in NeoRubber-A is relatively inexpensive, keeping costs for deploying material with it from being impacted by it's use.
This means we've used the stuff in the Pua immediately, and it's durability means the cost for rubber in the weapon actually drops to 2 Oil (dropping it's cost to (EXPENSIVE)), as the stuff needs practically zero replacement outside of combat-related damage. This not only increases general reliability of the weapon, but also eliminates the nasty slamfire issue. The Pua sees it's fire rate settle at around 350 RPM after the upgrade. The Haaheo family of weapons also sees it's cost for rubber practically negated, as the small amount used in those weapons is now also NR-A as well.
But that's just NR-A's weapons use, and it's not the only thing to come out of our work this season. NR-B is another synthetic rubber produced by our Chemists this season. Unlike NR-A, NR-B is softer, though it's just as resilient. Obviously, the first application for our variety of of rubbers was Seasonal Tires. Any vehicle utilizing tires will now use the appropriate Seasonal Tires based on the environment. NR-A Tires will see use on flatter, harder terrain and will see the load limit of those vehicles rise by a not insignificant margin. NR-B Tires will see use in terrain with softer, slicker terrain like those damn Mudflats, as the tires will compress slightly to create more contact with the surface, improving traction and stability, though load limit does take a slight hit (though nothing we currently have will see a significant impact from that). Standard tires will still see use in more mixed terrain.
Proposal: M1 AP "Wāwae Nalowale" and M1 AT "Ka'a Nalowale" Mines
The Wāwae and Ka'a are both immediate responses to the threat of Embralish assault while we're dealing with the Pact positions.
The Wāwae consists of a modified Ringa with a proper shrapnel belt and shorter timer, and a RPC connected to a tripwire acting as the base. This causes the warhead to be launched roughly 1 meter before detonation, giving it much greater lethality against Infantry than "nonbounding" Mines.
The Ka'a on the other hand, is a rubberized casing that can hold a 50mm Refocyte round and a really low purity RPP. It's activated by a miniaturized version of the 'Ohu Mameo's magnetic detector, though directly connected to the trigger instead of having a human in the loop. if development stalls out a pressure plate assembly weighted to not go off on infantry (unless they try to disarm it of course) will be used instead.
Some may ask, what use do these have in the mountains? Well, while it is difficult to dig into hard rock compared to mud or dirt, there's this stuff called "snow" that mines can be buried in, and given the limited paths in the mountains, a single mine is much more likely to be tripped.
If time allows, we'd like to look into using Refocyte Shrapnel in a rubber coated belt for the Wāwae. If time absolutely does not allow for much of anything, we'll do everything we can to save the Ka'a first and foremost.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Result: (1+1)-2=0, Utter Failure
We were going to work on mines this season, but in doing so we decided to check on the mines we had deployed asea already for extensive analysis on effectiveness of the various mechanisms. This was by no means necessary, and many deemed it to be a waste of time.
They were wrong.
Some of our engineers went diving near some Embralish wreckage near a minefield and were horrified by what they saw. Wellmoss had grown from the ruptures within the hull, coated the entire thing, and was slowly choking out the seabed around it. After extensive observation, it has been calculated that the Wellmoss' growth will most certainly have a negative impact on the local biosphere and environment, but shouldn't start encroaching on land for a good few years. Or, at least it'll be long enough that we should have won this war and the one at home by that time.
Still, this could give us some leverage against the Embralish should we ever enter negotiations.
Other than that... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymPpIzaanhY)
----------------
Well, this season has certainly been somewhat disappointing. We got some neat rubber out of our endeavors though. We shouldn't dwell on our shortcomings though, as it is now time to decide what resource node we fill, which two locations we will attack, and vote on what we will be doing with our newly-acquired Caelium resources. Remember, if you decide to export any Harren resources to home, you need to choose which Inithar-native resource you get in return. You also need to deploy your National Efforts! Remember - mountains are infantry-only outside of the landings.
IT IS NOW THE STRATEGY PHASE.
The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes) [Glas Bolg Transporter]
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Refocyte, Caelium (3/3 Nodes) Glas Bolg Transporter
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Ore, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 6
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 5
Caelium: 2 (Undecided)
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 1 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 1 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 "Pua 'Ula Pua" HMG: A 15mm heavy machine gun. Has a 2000m range and fire rate of 350 RPM and can function for a long while without requiring a serious fix thanks to the use of NR-A. Costs 6 Ore, 2 Oil, 7 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
M1 'Pohū Ringa' Dual Purpose Grenade: A torpedo-influenced hand grenade using refocyte as it's trigger and payload. Causes a lethal concussive blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. A frag case can be slid over the grenade to add a little extra shrapnel. Costs 2 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
M1.3 'Laweano' 120mm: A very reliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires almost no maintenance and functions near perfectly after much refinement. Can fire shells out to 18km at 15-20 RPM. Costs 6 Ore and 5 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
M1 "Mea Huaka'i" Surface Traversal Set: A cumbersome rig requiring the user to wear an uncomfortable harness using refocaelium to store passively absorbed gravitic energy, with the side effect of having slightly repellent forces permanently in conflict directly attached to someone's body. Users often look like they're lightly swaying in the breeze. The harness is also connected to leg braces which themselves hook up to the refocaelium "jump" boots. Landing without some sort of injury or discomfort is practically a miracle. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Caelium. (NATIONAL EFFORT) [complex]
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala or Pua 'Ula Pua on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas or Pua 'Ula Puas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
-G2.1 Alanui-S: An Alanui with the main gun replaced with a Shaped Force Emitter. Packs a heavier punch at the cost of, well, cost. Costs 8 Ore and 8 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Huhuli Mk.3: A tank slightly larger than the Alanui with a stubbier gun. Multiple battery banks modulate the the amount of force fired through the gun - a Shaped Force Emitter. Protected by 30mm tungsten carbide plates and 30mm of solid Refocyte and rolls of canvas. Uses a Supercharger Dual Coilengine to reach insane speeds of nearly 200km/h in perfect conditions. Additionally protected by a rear-mounted, a coaxial, and a cupola Kakala or Pua 'Ula Pua as needed. Crew have small hammers and a pair of sledgehammers to charge batteries. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Mobile Fortress "Aroha": A massive moving fortress roughly shaped and sized like a capital ship on two massive tracks protected by a skirt. 250m long, 40m wide, and 60m tall at it's highest point. Houses 2000 crew plus officers and 2000 Marines. Has 170mm steel and 50mm refocyte armor (which can be violently discharged - use with caution) covered by another 30mm of tungsten carbide plates. Can be hermetically sealed and provides air for a couple hours. Covered in 30 ball turrets with a mix of machine guns and grenade-flinging catapults, as well as another 15 ball turrets with anti-armor rifles. 2x2 120mm turrets use standard Laweano-based cannons and munitions. Another 2x2 120mm guns fire Refocyte Cluster munitions. 500mm front cannon uses the cluster munitions as well as Penetrator rounds. Powered by ten fuckhuge Coilengines to barely reach walking speeds. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (CHEAP)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Pua 'Ula Puas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (EXPENSIVE)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Refocaelium: An odd material that creates gravitational "voids" as it absorbs and stores gravitational energy for use at a later time. Stored gravity is expelled by overcoming the material's storage threshold.
NeoRubber: A family of synthetic rubbers that can replace standard rubbers at no additional cost.
-NeoRubber-A: A harder, denser rubber that shows little to no wear even after the most intense usage.
-NeoRubber-B: A softer, more pliable rubber that shows little wear even after intense usage
Seasonal Tires: Tires made of any NeoRubber variant and automatically used based on the combat environment. Cost equivalent to standard tires.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Autoresonant Siege Horn: A tube capable of "firing" sound at an object after detecting it's resonance frequency (or after it's manually dialed in). Nearly 1.5m long and lightweight. Air canisters are screwed into the back to provide air for "ammunition" to "play" the weapon. Extremely effective against a wide range of targets, but limited to use within 100m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[C])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (CHEAP)
Katarani Medium Tank Mk. I: A lightly armed medium tank with a 70mm gun with relatively low ammo stores and a Musakila on the turret. Protected by 80mm frontal and turret armor, 50mm elsewhere. Thin spaced armor provides questionable protection against standard munitions but serves it's purpose in triggering refocyte munitions. Wellbronze agitators in the engine and fuel tanks allow diesel fuel use in devastating cold, but can break off and damage the engine. Wellsap lines the interior of the tank and the engine compartment. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (CHEAP)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (EXPENSIVE)
Wellshrubbery Mk.II Concealment Kit: A kit containing seeds and a noisemaker for growing wellshrubbery. Needs a lot of loud noise and a bit of water to grow. Plants are hardy, durable, and dense. It roots firmly to most surfaces and can last for a few days before withering away. (EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Submersible Engineered Aquatic Litter Diver Propulsion Vehicle and Rebreather: Essentially a torpedo with a seat that moves at a cool 3 knots. Provides slow but relatively reliable transport for individuals underwater. The rebreather system functions, as do the controls. Not too impressive, but works nonetheless. (EXPENSIVE)
'Sharak' Oxygen-Enriched Submarine Torpedo: A poorly constructed and poorly tested torpedo with great range and piss poor reliability. Has a couple different fuses, but those hardly ever work anyways. Still, when it works, it works. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (CHEAP)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (CHEAP)
Silada-Class Destroyer: 115m long ship, 120mm belt armor and 100mm elsewhere. Travels at 38 knots. Armed with a quintuple torpedo mount, 3x2 120mm rapid firing dual purpose guns capable of firing AP, APHE, and Flak shells. Utilizes WellSonar and has basic communications equipment. Space between armor and hull is filled with WellMoss to provide some quick patching over wounds in combat. (CHEAP)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (CHEAP)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
--Wellbronze: A metal capable of detecting sound and responding with vibration. Electrical current focuses the detection cone and increases sensitivity and clarity.
-Wellvine Sap: A plant extract that can be processed into a resin capable of absorbing and nullifying sound. The resin is also brittle and inflexible.[/i]
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
-WellMoss: A dense moss that grows relatively quickly when exposed to water and sound, sustains poorly when not submerged. Can be destroyed through consistent direct application of fire.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Strategy Report, Hot Season 1941 AC
This season we expanded our industrial operations, opening a Refocyte Mine in The Frosted Heights. We also decided to keep one stockpile of Caelium, and trade one stockpile of Caelium for Ore from home. Thanks to the additional materials, our armory adjusts as follows:
M1 "Pua 'Ula Pua" HMG becomes (CHEAP)
M1 "Mea Huaka'i" Surface Traversal Set becomes (VERY EXPENSIVE) is no longer [complex]
G2.1 Alanui-S becomes (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship becomes (CHEAP)
----------------
The convoy sent to the Gavrillium facility in the Barrens had their tasks go about as expected. With yet another unguarded facility, Gavrillium shipments began to make their way north to Kona Town. The Glas Bolg Transporter there had been shut down prior to the convoy's arrival, but was started back up and connected to the same network that the previous ones set themselves up on.
The Deadwood facility, it turned out, had not been completely abandoned. As the convoy approached the Gavrillium facility's gates a stocky fellow in Pact Power Armor walked out of the main building waving the colors of parley.
This, of course, was a very curious turn of events.
The man introduced himself as Antero Sahay Jr., and was very quick to unleash a torrent of information to us, in perfect Initharian.
Again, very curious.
The man explained that he was a representative of The Pact, and due to delays in some plans "elsewhere", a timetable had to be pushed forward that necessitated he speak to us as soon as possible. The things he said seemed absolutely insane.
Antero Sahay Jr. spoke of alien species, but instead of beings from another planet they were beings from the same planet, just along different timelines, something about a multiverse and dimensions. The Pact was formed when one of these sisterworlds was invaded by another species from another reality and managed to largely repel the assault. Their actions turned their world into a sort of one-way street, cutting off their universe from incoming "travelers" while retaining their ability to send their own elsewhere. The Pact designed equipment to facilitate communication across The Veil and coordinated efforts against these Invaders where they could. Unfortunately, many of these other alternate realities were in some way or another corrupted by the influence of the Invaders before The Pact could prevent it. The Pact began to splinter into different factions as time went on and an endless sea of Abberas and Salvioses fought one another to obliteration and nothing they did could alter their course. Being apparently the first and only Harren peoples on the timeline not to collapse, some members of The Pact began to identify as the Isolationist Faction, people of The Pact who had resigned themselves to the idea that it was The Pact's responsibility to step in after these inevitable collapses, gather the pieces they could, and use them elsewhere to combat active Invasions. Others identified themselves as Interventionist, and saw it as The Pact's duty to step in and, through means political, military, or otherwise, push one side to victory over the other and recruit whatever remained of the victor. Yet a third faction identified themselves as Idealists. Ideally, different realities would find some sort of balance on their own and ultimately prevent the Invaders from conquering one of the sisterworlds, then ally themselves with The Pact without them needing to expend their own limited resources and manpower in a war on infinite fronts.
He explained that The Pact was unified in their cause regardless of their different ideologies, working together as the majority dictated to serve the greater good up until the fleets of Inithar and Embral showed up.
The Old World had been a non-issue in every single other reality The Pact had come across. The New World was often ripe with hints of Invader activity if not outright Invasions, but for some reason The Old World never got dragged in. This reality was the only one to change that, and at first the Isolationists won out, swaying The Pact to promote a free-fire policy on the new arrivals - something that Antero clarified was standard RoE, as a majority of their interactions with post-Harren Collapse realities is nothing but hostile. As time went on, The Pact realized that the Old World parties were more interested in fighting one another than The Pact, which was a welcome change, and allowed The Pact to observe both groups from a distance. Over the course of their observations it became increasingly apparent that an Old World arrival event was not being mirrored in any other reality, and ultimately the more militant members of The Pact were overruled by the rest, and a phased withdrawal was enacted so that Embral and Inithar could work out this unique event naturally.
This would have been impossible to believe, had Antero not brought stacks of evidence in writing, photographs, and moving pictures that supported every one of his wild claims.
Unfortunately, an agent of the Invaders recently pierced The Veil but was discovered soon afterward. With no way of knowing how many Invaders may have infiltrated already, if this was a fluke, or perhaps a precursor before another Invasion, all efforts are being put toward penetrating The Veil and finally pooling the experience, resources, and manpower they've attained on their homeworld. While this was obviously a major objective before, the infiltrator made it absolutely critical that they find a way back ASAP, and so they've decided to enact their nuclear option and lay all the cards out on the table for everyone.
You are given an ultimatum. You can:
A. Join The Pact - Joining The Pact will provide a bonus to the difficulty of developing equipment utilizing Gavrillium and Caelium in a significant manner, and provide those projects with a reroll of the lowest die, and 1s are always rerolled (note that creating something with them that you then install in new things without revolutionizing the gavrillium or caelium will NOT get you the bonus, you minmaxing turds). All Gavrillium and Caelium nodes in your territories become available but cannot be traded home. All trades with home are cancelled. You may need to deal with internal politics.
B. Let The Pact Be - You will let The Pact utilize the Gavrillium and Caelium they still have access to, and The Pact will leave you to your own devices. Acknowledging your sacrifice, The Pact has left all sorts of documentation from the sisterworlds of projects utilizing Ore, Wood, and Oil. Any project consisting only of those resources will be easier as a result of new insights, and they will also reroll any die that rolls a 3 or lower.
C. Refuse The Pact - This is your reality, not theirs. If you want to take the Gavrillium and Caelium from this island to save your people, then you damn well will. The Pact will take hostile action during engagements in zones they are present in. You don't care about this island's fucky politics, you just want to get your damn job done and go home. You get no bonuses to creating anything, as the Expedition's entire focus is now on fighting. If you can defeat your enemy, you'll see entire regions fall to your onslaught.
The game may also be affected by the combination of choices made between both sides.
A+A: Maelstrom disappears, war continues with heavy Pact influence. (Think similar to the UN in Iron Behemoths)
A+B: The war continues, but regions with Caelium and Gavrillium are considered non-combat zones and no longer count toward region control. A does not get access to Harren resources if they push the frontline past them, and they may need to deal with Pact influence on rules of engagement.
A+C: The war continues. The Pact actively assists A, but C receives a choice of perks based on various factors.
B+B: The Pact is a neutral party on the island. All Pact-controlled areas are considered non-combat zones. Combat for the Harren-resource nodes is now a priority, and it just so happens that they're all connected to the same network of transporters, so fighting is largely reduced to inter-facility conflict with external support when available.
B+C: The Pact does not actively participate in fights between B+C, preferring to let B do the dirty work. The war largely continues as normal.
C+C: Harren Island is reduced to an all-out brawl, with combat happening in every single area where Inithar's and Embral's lines touch. The Pact throws their weight into the melee too.
This decision is to be made immediately alongside your designs, and will affect them accordingly.
[GM Note: All this was supposed to be slowly brought in through '45, but since the longevity of this game is acceptable but the update frequency is not, I'm accelerating the game in a way that kind of lets you all flavor it more than with one final "everyone gets one design" turn out of nowhere. Each option is meant to be overpowered in some way or another, and there isn't any intention for real balance in what comes of anything - just try to have some fun as we roll this thing around in it's grave until all the parts fall off.]
----------------
The War Continues
A temporary unofficial ceasefire had fallen across the front in the North Peaks, but after a large mustering of forces, the Embralish decided to ruin the peace and assault our positions..
We were not unprepared for this eventuality, however. The previous six months had been used to entrench ourselves as deeply as possible. Every inch of mountain, inside and out, was covered by one of our M1 "Pua 'Ula Pua" HMGs, and we had set up predetermined engagement areas and ambushes for the Embralish to walk into.
Things were not too easy for us, however. The enemy's Strings of Motion played among every one of their units, pushing them to mobilize and concentrate forces faster, and Wellshrubbery was widely available for the Embralish to deploy for concealment. When we did score a hit on our enemy, there was a chance they'd be back in the fight in minutes, as each soldier was now equipped with one tube of Health Augmenter (eXperimental). HAX is made from a newly-discovered resource among the Embralish, the Mutant Rose. This tube of paste acts as anesthetic, sanitizer, bandages, and sutures, all in a single easily-applied mixture that tastes like uncooked chicken, for some reason. If it's not a debilitating injury, Embralish soldiers can be back in action in moments with minimal impact to their performance.
When the enemy engaged us, two new weapons made themselves readily apparent. The first was the SMG-32a, which we recognized as a Pact weapon, although it looked more like an Embralish model. The weapon fires 12.5mm FMJ/GE rounds, is recoilless and relatively light thanks to the use of Caelium throughout the design. It fires 1200RPM and uses a 30-round box magazine fed to the bottom of the weapon, and it tears through men and light cover alike. The other was the "Jarha" Caelium-Stabilised Shotgun, which is pump-action shotgun that loads 27mm shells firing shot or slugs, as well as armor-piercing sabot rounds. The tube magazine hold four rounds and the weapon is somewhat heavy, but not as bad as it looks due to the caelium stabilizer installed in the gun that lightens it while also providing a counterforce to somewhat negate the recoil from firing the large rounds. This also proved capable of tearing through men and material with ease.
Still, with six months of reinforcement and uninterrupted entrenchment, as well as a Radio Station serving as central command for the theatre, it looked as though we'd be able to hold back the Embralish for now.
----
The Dread Centurion
Theme (https://youtu.be/UUeg6DJ7TB0)
There was no such thing as "leave" on these islands, but when the temporary ceasefire took hold, Inithar's Marines were deployed to protect high-value targets throughout the front. It was as close to a break as most of them had seen for a while.
Kai Leilani hated it. She hated sitting around and doing nothing day after dreary day, standing guard over the Radio Station dug out of one of the highest peaks on the island. It had become the foward command center for the entirety of the Initharian forces in the area, so it was very important to protect. But boring. That's why part of Kai was pleased when news came through of Embrallish probing attacks throughout the North Peaks. Kai expected to be redeployed soon after the flare-ups began, but since Embral seemed solely focused on the mountains, high command decided to keep the extra soldiers posted where they were.
Kai didn't like the feeling of doing nothing. It was nearly as bad as helplessness. It would be a long while before the Embralish pushed to the Radio Station, if they'd even manage it at all. Kai and her marines could certainly be utilized better elsewhere. She was stuck daydreaming one night in the Operations Room set up in the Radio Station, guarding one of the base's Generals, when she heard a muffled thud and a light above her head started flashing in sequence - white, red, green, white, Off. White, red, green, white, Off.
Oh shit, Kai thought to herself, Here we go.
There was a lot of gunfire coming from one direction out of the bunker, so Kai had the handful of soldiers with her fortify the room they were in. A couple of Radio Technicians continued to man their equipment. The fighting outside was persistent, but it sounded like it wasn't going too well for the defenders. This was confirmed when someone slammed into the door Kai's men had barricaded shut, screaming "Let me in! Please! She's some sort of demon!" before the loud boom of an Embralish Jarha sounded off and cut his pleas short. Everything fell silent for a few long moments.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Whoever was out there beat on the steel door.
"I don't want to have to kill everyone," a gruff female voice shouted in rough accented Initharian, "Only the boss. Let me do my job and you walk away."
Kai secured her M1 to her face, checked the pair of M1s in belt pouches, and leveled her M2.1 at the door. She took cover behind a desk, and was also acting as a meatshield for the General.
"Start burning shit!" the General commanded the Radio Techs, who began shoving armfuls of folders and loose paper into a large furnace nearby.
A few moments passed, punctuated by three rapid, very loud blasts that rang out against the door. Another moment later, the door was thrown inward, and the furniture braced against it tossed into the air. A shape filled the space in the doorway for a moment before taking cover and spraying blindly into the room using an SMG-32a. It didn't matter much what this attacker aimed at, the rounds the gun fired exploded against the walls, tables, and marines inside. Kai managed to weather the initial blast and toss a Pohū Ringa through the door. It went off, and Kai expected the fight to be over. She looked around and took a quick headcount. Kai and the General were still alive, and one other Marine was in fighting shape. The Marine stepped forward slowly, crossing over one of his still-smouldering comrades as he made his way through the door. As he peeked through into the hall, a hand grabbed his collar and yanked him with incredible force out of the Operations Room. His yelp of surprise turned into a stifled gurgle as he disappeared.
The Marine swung backward into the doorway once more, this time resting on the hilt of a machete held by Xilmal Jagpal, Sui Centurio.
Rumors of an abomination/supersoldier produced by Embralish scientists ran rampant over the past season or so, and the Sui Centurio was definitely deserving of the horror stories being told. She was capable of charging into positions alone and tearing them apart thanks to augmentations that massively increased her strength, speed, and resilience. Her unparalleled vision and hearing made her a potent hunter, and her ability to rapidly regenerate proves time and again to allow her to push onward despite what we throw at her. She can regulate her body's chemicals at will, and is impervious to environmental toxins. Xilmal Jagpal, Sui Centurio can photosynthesize for sustenance, and has, as she had begun to express when she entered the door behind the Marine, chameleonic skin.
She'd made what was showing of her body match that of the dying marine she was using as a meatshield, save for what was covered in her vest and pants, which made Kai's job of shooting her a little more difficult. A Jarha tucked under the Marine's arm barked twice, filling the room with ricocheting shot. A number of pea-sized balls found their mark on Leilani, digging into her right thigh and forearm. She stood her ground, figuring her fellow Marine was already as good as dead, and unloaded her Haaheo-B into both the Marine and the Sui Centurio, striking her comrade in the head with the first shot. One round made it through and hit Xilmal in the hand holding her shotgun, blossoming it to the wrist and disarming her. Xilmal unceremoniously kicked the Marine off of her machete and launched his body at Kai, immediately following that with a toss of the machete that just narrowly missed Kai. The Marine's body obstructed Kai's line of sight just long enough for the Embralish supersoldier to close the distance and swing on her.
When the Sui Centurio engaged Kai Leilani in melee, she intentionally manipulated the shading of her skin. so that it made it difficult for the observer to properly gauge exactly where her arms were coming from, or made them appear to be bending or twisting unnaturally. Kai attempted to block the first swing but took a blow to the chin that she felt like an electric shock throughout her entire body. A second blow struck Kai in the chest as she started to collapse from the first, knocking the wind out of her, cracking ribs, and sending the poor Marine backwards. Xilmal Jagpal, Sui Centurio, stood above Kai shaking out a freshly-regrown fist.
"The first one always stings," she said in broken Initharian before Kai blacked out.
----
With the Radio Station captured by Embral forces, along with all the documents within it, our defense of the region quickly lost cohesion. Loss of some members of High Command impacted morale, and it wasn't long before the wide range of advancements Embral made during their part of the ceasefire pushed Inithar backward. The Sui Centurio is a large part of their victory, of course, and threatens to lead them to further victories if we don't act fast!
Inithar fails to defend the North Peaks, losing access to a Pact Gavrillium node in the process.
----------------
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE!
With our Radio Station captured, the Embralish forces have easy means to crack through our codes and communications. As a result of this clear and imminent threat, one of our two design actions this turn should be dedicated toward communications equipment, cryptography, encryption, or any various equipment or infrastructure that could increase our operational security. While it isn't necessary to do so, one action in the appropriate field will be rewarded with the best 2 die of a 4d6 roll, since a lot of us would like to preserve our opsec.
Also remember to make your decision regarding The Pact!
The Rimefields: 3 Ore (1 From Caelium Trade), 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Caelium, Ore (3/3 Nodes) [Glas Bolg Transporter]
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Refocyte, Caelium (3/3 Nodes) Glas Bolg Transporter x2
The Deadwood: Ore, Ore, Pact Gavrillium (3/3 Nodes) Glas Bolg Transporter
The Frosted Heights: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Ore, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, EMBRAL, EMBRAL (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
The Mudflats: EMBRAL, EMBRAL, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: Significant Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 7
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 6
Caelium: 1
Gavrillium: 2 (Undecided)
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 1 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 1 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 "Pua 'Ula Pua" HMG: A 15mm heavy machine gun. Has a 2000m range and fire rate of 350 RPM and can function for a long while without requiring a serious fix thanks to the use of NR-A. Costs 6 Ore, 2 Oil, 7 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Pohū Ringa' Dual Purpose Grenade: A torpedo-influenced hand grenade using refocyte as it's trigger and payload. Causes a lethal concussive blast within 5m, and injures those within 15m. A frag case can be slid over the grenade to add a little extra shrapnel. Costs 2 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M1 'Hau Kai': A facemask and earmuffs meant to protect from Embralish chemical and psychological weaponry. Has a single large eyepiece, filter ports on the left and right, andmimially interferes with wearing a helmet. Earmuffs block out most sound, making verbal communication practically impossible, though the earmuffs can be slid off the ears. Costs 5 Wood. (EXPENSIVE)
M1.3 'Laweano' 120mm: A very reliable 120mm artillery piece capable of firing smoke, Refocyte, HE, and AP shells. Requires almost no maintenance and functions near perfectly after much refinement. Can fire shells out to 18km at 15-20 RPM. Costs 6 Ore and 5 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
M1 "Mea Huaka'i" Surface Traversal Set: A cumbersome rig requiring the user to wear an uncomfortable harness using refocaelium to store passively absorbed gravitic energy, with the side effect of having slightly repellent forces permanently in conflict directly attached to someone's body. Users often look like they're lightly swaying in the breeze. The harness is also connected to leg braces which themselves hook up to the refocaelium "jump" boots. Landing without some sort of injury or discomfort is practically a miracle. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Caelium. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala or Pua 'Ula Pua on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas or Pua 'Ula Puas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
-G2.1 Alanui-S: An Alanui with the main gun replaced with a Shaped Force Emitter. Packs a heavier punch at the cost of, well, cost. Costs 8 Ore and 8 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Huhuli Mk.3: A tank slightly larger than the Alanui with a stubbier gun. Multiple battery banks modulate the the amount of force fired through the gun - a Shaped Force Emitter. Protected by 30mm tungsten carbide plates and 30mm of solid Refocyte and rolls of canvas. Uses a Supercharger Dual Coilengine to reach insane speeds of nearly 200km/h in perfect conditions. Additionally protected by a rear-mounted, a coaxial, and a cupola Kakala or Pua 'Ula Pua as needed. Crew have small hammers and a pair of sledgehammers to charge batteries. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Mobile Fortress "Aroha": A massive moving fortress roughly shaped and sized like a capital ship on two massive tracks protected by a skirt. 250m long, 40m wide, and 60m tall at it's highest point. Houses 2000 crew plus officers and 2000 Marines. Has 170mm steel and 50mm refocyte armor (which can be violently discharged - use with caution) covered by another 30mm of tungsten carbide plates. Can be hermetically sealed and provides air for a couple hours. Covered in 30 ball turrets with a mix of machine guns and grenade-flinging catapults, as well as another 15 ball turrets with anti-armor rifles. 2x2 120mm turrets use standard Laweano-based cannons and munitions. Another 2x2 120mm guns fire Refocyte Cluster munitions. 500mm front cannon uses the cluster munitions as well as Penetrator rounds. Powered by ten fuckhuge Coilengines to barely reach walking speeds. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Sea:
NM2 Controlled mine "'Ohu Mameo": Sea mines remotely detonated by observers in shore-based lookout towers. While no stronger than the old mines deployed by the navy, the use of indicator cables makes them very useful for identifying and eliminating submerged targets. Need Light Control minimum in a sea lane to be deployed. Costs 7 Ore. (CHEAP)
NM2 'Lehe' Torpedo: A refocyte-warhead torpedo of excellent make capable of traveling at an unparalleled 60 knots. The warhead detonates with an equivalent force of 500kg of HE with extremely reliable impact and magnetic triggers. Costs 4 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Makuahine CLC: A 50m long landing craft with 200 ton capacity, 20mm armor, a 90mm armored ramp, two 50mm guns, two Pua 'Ula Puas, and a top speed of 15 knots. Also has an array of smoke launchers out to 200 meters. Costs 6 Ore, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte. Explodes when excessive force past the piece's threshold is applied.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Refocaelium: An odd material that creates gravitational "voids" as it absorbs and stores gravitational energy for use at a later time. Stored gravity is expelled by overcoming the material's storage threshold.
NeoRubber: A family of synthetic rubbers that can replace standard rubbers at no additional cost.
-NeoRubber-A: A harder, denser rubber that shows little to no wear even after the most intense usage.
-NeoRubber-B: A softer, more pliable rubber that shows little wear even after intense usage
Seasonal Tires: Tires made of any NeoRubber variant and automatically used based on the combat environment. Cost equivalent to standard tires.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Design Phase, Cold Season 1941 AC
You feel a gentle breeze blowing at your back at all times. Something unseen guides the creation of these devices.
Proposal: Mea Kaua ʻAlalā
Difficulty: too spooky
Result: UNEXPECTED BOON
The Mea Kaua ʻAlalā indeed provides much-needed relief to our stressed quartermasters. Not only because they're lacking an M1 designation, but also because there's only enough of them to equip a section of 20 fighters.
The Mea Kaua ʻAlalā is functionally a set of shaped armor plates designed to fit onto a skeletal frame meant to house a single standard human. The chestpiece hinges upward at the shoulders and the front of the legs swing out to the sides to let the wearer within after stepping into the attached boots. The chestpiece secures at the beltline on either side, and the legs at the inner thigh and calf. The spine of the frame is sturdy and somewhat stiff, but flexes on enough points to effectively simulate a human spine. The helmet and protective beaked visor are the only piece of the suit that isn't affixed to the frame. Of note, and important for later, the entire suit is built around the spine-boots assembly.
Nickel wiring runs throughout the suit thanks to the expertly designed frame including space for properly insulated internal wiring, allowing the suit to function as intended without risking accidents or getting in the way of movement. This wiring provides a connection between the armor plates, a series of capacitors, and the boots of the suit, with power generally funneled out through the boots. The plates themselves are made up of layered refocaelium-refocyte plates. The outer refocyte layer is, well...
It's the first instance of absolutely Pure Refocyte, made from raw material taken from home and worked endlessly over the years. The refocyte plates on this suit will absolutely absorb a sudden physical impact, reducing the forces applied onto the wearer to an almost imperceptible level, provided the munitions hitting the suit aren't artillery-sized. The pure refocyte plates, if overloaded to the point of detonation, do so in a directed blast that, thanks to the meticulous designs of the armor, should minimize the potential for injury among wearers of Mea Kaua ʻAlalā armor. The inner layer of each armor plate consists of a refocaelium layer that works to effectively distribute the effects of the material's antigravitic properties across the users body, effectively reducing the weight of the armor and human to that of the human alone.
While the armor is protective against most sorts of sane equipment, extra protection is offered in the form of an oversized canvas hood and cloak to provide some level of defense against Embralish sonic weaponry. The canvas comes in a variety of camo patterns and has an internal thin "refomesh" that helps to add extra protection against impacts by diffusing it throughout the entirety of the mesh as strands discharge against one another. This leaves the cloak looking a little tattered but not beyond usefulness. Combining materials also helps to provide a little extra insurance against the ASH. Gloves and the boots also make use of refomesh to aid in withstanding falls from more extreme heights, which can be helpful considering the nature of the boots.
Zinc was also discovered to help modulate the intensity of the input and output of gravitic energy based on the operation of the battery in question. An absorbing battery, like the one behind the chestplate of the suit, will absorb all surrounding gravitic energy and, in the case of a suit of armor, make the wearer functionally weightless. Outputting batteries, like those used in the often-mentioned but not yet discussed boots, turns the expulsion of gravitic energy into a slow, steady process, creating gravitational "contact points" in the boots and allowing them to function on all angles of surfaces. This is where the reinforced spine-boots assembly comes into play, granting the wearer immense control over their core and the rest of their body while enduring near zero-gravity conditions. A small square of armor plate on the torso and the boots can be depressed to move the zinc into contact with the battery, and again to remove it in order to toggle what combination of effects they wish to utilize.
As much as refocyte kickplates would have been cool, unfortunately there was no really good way to implement them in a manner that didn't get in the way of things or utilize in anything but an extremely measured situation and response. Instead, the pauldrons of the armor have spines protruding through holes in the Pure plate. These spines are part of an internal refocyte plate that is of a lower quality than that of the armor itself, and functions much in the same way as the kickplates would have, but don't risk interfering with our good stuff, and can be utilized without needing to connect and disconnect them whenever circumstances changed. These spines also prove immensely effective, as it reduces the point of contact to a handful of small points, focusing the energy into intense concentrations but across a more widely spread area. A spiked refocyte guard attached to the bracers can be lowered over the fists to provide a similar effect.
The Mea Kaua ʻAlalā is and always will be a (NATIONAL EFFORT) of 20 suits.
Proposal: M1 Aniani
Difficulty: banned for using M1
Result: UNEXPECTED BOON
The military has needed something good to improve upon our communications for a long time now, and that project has finally come to fruition in the form of the M1 Aniani. Utilizing what we've learned from the Glas Bolg Transporters, anyways.
The M1 Aniani is a tool that represents the latest in caelofax technology. The device actually consists of a number of devices - a scanner and encoder, an antenna and transmitter, and a viewer ring. A button on the ring allows the Glas Bolg-derived device to capture a "snapshot", as opposed to the real-time view the transporters provide. The M1 Aniani benefits from the fact that it can "store" an image for as long as the device functions.
And all in an easy-to-store handheld device!
Like the Glas Bolg, the Aniani can be keyed to a wide array of frequencies, more to prevent unintentional communications than avoid enemy observation, because, well, what are the chances they also make a similar and compatible device?
The Painter's Fellowship is a little miffed about the implications of a device that can so easy capture and transmit Colors, but they got busy teaching a new set of Colors, the Tales of Enigma, which should make any codes the enemy does find much harder if not impossible to crack without the proper knowledge of the rotating definition of colors, shapes, and arrangements.
The M1 Aniani is integrated into the standard uniform.
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Engineers poised to meet with the Antero Sahay Jr. were deep in debate about how to approach the future of Inithar when the air shifted, almost crackling with energy. The Initharian territories felt suddenly warmer, almost comfortably so. The Maelstrom, too, faded from the skies, and down to the south the temperatures stabilized as well. The skies above seemed to shimmer and wave, colors roiling not unlike an oil spill before, with an earth-shaking crack and blinding white flash, and suddenly the sky was absolutely full of unidentifiable aircraft of all shapes and sizes. And they just sat there, a mass stretching out beyond the horizon in all directions. The largest of the ships was centered directly over the Fortress-City, casting a massive shadow across dozens of kilometers of land. The war, and indeed this part of the world, seemed to freeze for two days as nobody was willing to act without knowing what was happening with the looming sky fleet. Some people got scared and fled, but each was destroyed by swooping aircraft once they got a few dozen kilometers out to sea. The entire region was under siege.
Sahay managed to locate the gathered Engineers on his own, using the chaos of this unexpected arrival to sneak well into secure Initharian territory to speak to the Engineers himself.
"I've got good news and bad news," he said, out of breath, "The good news is you are definitely the first Old Worlders to contact The Pact across any timeline. Others have started coming into contact with our expeditionary forces and the process of negotiation and integration has already begun with a number of Inithars. The bad news is the Embrallish in other timelines have all come in hot, and in fact the ones you have here are some of the most tame. Regardless, Inithar will definitely live on with The Pact if nothing else. The worse news, well..."
Sahay looked around nervously at each engineer, "Damn, this isn't good. The main Tsaelinid fleet is looming overhead and their leaders have been attempting to negotiate with us to surrender. There's reasonable fears that these negotiations are going to break down without coming to anything near agreeable terms very, very soon. We need whatever help we can to hold the Fortress-City, at least long enough to pull off a fighting retreat. All unnecessary personnel have already been evacuated through the Transdimensional Relay under Harren City, but we need to inflict as much damage as we can while we leave. If any of you wish to help, please come to the Fortre-shit!"
Sahay darted out through a side exit as the main door to the room rattled and flew open. General Arona marched through.
"The Black Fellowship has decided that the Expeditionary Fellowship will attempt to break through this blockade and return home to bolster war efforts there while reassessing the situation developing here. We're going to need whatever help we can get to save as many Initharians here as we can. You're my most trusted, and I know you all to be quite slick. I expect whatever projects you've got hidden up your sleeves will be dedicated to this purpose."
Before anyone could respond, General Arona snapped a quick salute and left as quickly as she arrived.
Sleep was difficult to get ahold of that night as each of you weighed your options. It became even more difficult when a voice echoed in your heads. Or, a set of voices.
"Eight. Eight. Eight. Connection acquired. Routing."
"Don't fear what the unknown brings, Human. Embrace it, instead. Our arrival is inevitable, your utilization as cogs in a greater machine an unavoidable fate. But you can choose what kind of cog you become. Those who join us willingly have ample opportunity to bask in glory, and attain honor as a warrior of unrivaled skill and strength."
"Our species has remained unmarred by legitimate defeat across millennia, but we are not just conquerors. We come as gods, as kings, but we are not without our sense of fairness or mercy. Those below us are allowed to rule themselves as they see fit, so long as they serve the greater good. We need farmers, mechanics, colonists, and more, if our subjects are to sustain themselves off the battlefield. Look to the Fortress-City. It will not remain untouched for long. Make your presence known there, and we will know if you intend to join us."
"Or bloody our enemies and prove your worth. Your fate is in your hands, we've merely laid out the options."
"Disconnecting...Eight. Eight. Eight."
There was a small pop, then silence.
What will you do?
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We have entered the endgame of Mechanized Warfare. Each person has one personal project they've been working on since the fleet originally set sail years ago. It is time to bring that project to light! Every person has one design to propose, as well as a basic plan for who they side with and what actions they're taking personally. Note that if you want to pull a sneaky you can PM me the plans you actually have so as to keep any sort of sneaky moves secret.
These designs are the culmination of everything you've aspired to as an engineer. Discuss what's needed with your teammates and work together to make a decision, or don't, it's your call. Get creative. Get wild. Go nuts.
It is now the Endgame Design Phase.