PmWiki | Waylight / Helo

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General:

it's just called the world (CHANGE THIS), gameplace same as tsoska (RENAME TSOSKA: THE NAME BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE AND IT'S MORE IMPERIAL CHINESE THAN STALINIST ANYWAY). time: at least fifty generations after the botched invasion. area: the Slipstream, stay out of the fungal forests and corrosive fogs unless your airship has a zoltan shield or chrysalis-plate armor. just because psi crystals can give you free energy doesn't mean actual stuff is free, or occasionally easy to get. remember that your cloudhopper will keep you aloft but it's also a fucking big target. whether by tsoskan manipulation or natural order of things there's little in the Slipstream larger than a town-state, so hang on to your sword or your launcher if you have one. Watch out for pumicoids. Also known as: What if Nausicaa and X-Com's bad ending had a baby and it came out looking a lot like Crimsom Skies / Storm Hawks? (It' not plagiarism, it's research, dammit!). The mass evaporation of some of the world's oceans have caused the atmosphere to be denser, making flight easier.

Aerography:

The Slipstream goes in a circle between the north pole and the equator, engulfing the Grey Plateau. Most of the lowlands are covered in xenofungus and hybrid forests that should only be entered with protective gear. The northern polar region is largely uninhabitable. The Slipstream consists of three large air currents, the top and bottom moving counterclockwise as seen from the zeroth meridian, the middle moving clockwise. This provides a reasonably convenient means of travel between the cantons. The inversion layer between the lowest and middle stream is fortunately enough to keep the original and new ecosystems mostly separate. (ADD MAP HERE)

Sample Fauna:

In general, flora and fauna is primarily differentiated between alpine, deep and hybrid. Alpine life is generally understood to be directly descending from the original planetary biosphere, and relatively prospers at medium and high altitudes. Deep life is a direct consequence of the botched Invasion of so long ago: enormous, slow insectoids, fungal forests, deadly psi-seeking brainworm and noxious pollen clouds make the lowlands uninhabitable. Hybrid life is rarer, but presents element of both ecosystem and most dangerously can live in both -- it is thought that hybrid lifeforms were engineered by the Invaders as a means of spreading the new ecosystem out through spores and pollens. Hybrid lifeforms are less common than deep or alpine creatures, since there is no ecological niche in which they thrive better than one or the other, but range wider. Pre-Invasion fauna persists on at least some lands, as well as the Plateau, although most marine life is gone or has been heavily mutated.

Meganeura - DEEP - A large, four winged dragonfly thought to be a throwback to a much earlier age in the life of the world. About the size of a large dog, they swarm across the lower boundary layers and eat anything smaller than them; ship captains have been known to intentionally fly into a swarm and risk finding giant insects on board for weeks to follow in order to remove other parasitic life from their hulls.

Wyvern - HYBRID - This majestic reptile is thought to have roamed the skies of the world in aeons past, and has made a comeback following the Invasion. The creature is large enough to carry a rider, and is raised in captivity by the homeguard of some lands.

Duck-footed Jerboa - ALPINE - This small mammal has evolved hollow fur capable of holding onto lifting gas, and large webbed feet allowing it to pedal throgh the air after a jump. Common as pets.

Brainworm - DEEP - This little monstruosity looks like a slug with razor-sharp blades on the bottom of its foot; it follows vibratons and psi emissions. Brainworms are one of the reasons for protective gear on the ground -- they will latch onto the skin and emit powerful psychedelics into the victim's bloodstream, then bask in the psi emissions while they suck the victim's blood. Brainworm ichor is a popular drug.

Trinichtoid - HYBRID - Usually the apex predator in what few bodies of water are left after the Invasion. This creature resembles a mix between a salmon and a lobster, and owes its name to its large fins which would cause it to be mistaken for a trichordate. The trinichtoid is the size of a cat and dangerous to small extremities and anything smaller than itself. Very yummy.

Zapigg - ALPINE - This tapir-like animal is prized for its fur and milk; the meat, however, is extremely unappetizing.

Sentient life:

Human - By far the most common sapient in the world. Slipstream humans have evolved to be faster, taller and thinner over the centuries at the expense of strength; Plateau inhabitants haven't changed. Moderate psi ability. Speciation between Streamies and Plats may occur in the near future if crossbreeding levels remain low. Lifespan 60~80 years.

Womp - Originally hybrids between a human and one of the now-feral alien footsoldiers. Large, thick skin, somewhat slower in thinking but more methodical. Low psi ability. Lifespan 40~60 years. Some womps have slight animal characteristics.

Geep - Originally hybrids between a human and one of the now-extinct alien masters. Taller and thinner than Streamies, with pale greyish - greenish skin and wide eyes. High psi ability. Lifespan 80~100 years. Some geeps have slight animal characteristics.

Semi-sentient life:

Fin - Interestingly, dolphins have developed enough psi ability to have been able to move seamlessly from the water to the skies, only returning to their salt lakes to mate and rest after a long hunt. They are generally not that interested in using tools, but the smarter ones can hold a conversation. Psi flight is almost exclusive to fins, who use their ability to hover above the Slipstream to their advantage when hunting fowl and skyfish.

Lemlin - Assumed to be hybrids between monkeys and the now-extinct alien technicians. Hyperactive small creatures with some humanoid traits, they occasionally form a symbiotic relationship with a land's people. Not particularly good at abstraction, but great manual dexterity. Some cantons have special laws protecting lemlins against industrial exploitation.

Glossary:

Waylight - A skyward-pointing beacon that marks a coordinate of navigational interest. Usually built by the Elvitans and operated by the nearest canton. Synchro Beacons are extremely large Waylights that set the clock for smaller Waylights and allow for reliable navigation.

Flicker - A one-person balloon made of stretchy rubber, filled by an inflatable lifting gas charge. Kills one's momentum in all direction, leaving them floating and ready for pickup. Expensive versions have multiple charges. Also called a Cloudhopper.

Land - A mountain or small plateau that is tall enough to reach the Slipstream's middle layer; habitable land that can be accessed without protective gear. Singular noun: a land, two lands... A land is what most people think of when they mean home, terra firma, terrain.

Canton - A sovereign settlement that exerts control over a single land. A city-state.

Streamie - A human born in the Slipstream region.

Plat - A human born in the Plateau region. Most are Tsoskan subjects, but not all.

Gas - Without a specifier, lifting gas used in ships. With enough power, it can be extracted from air. What identifies a proper ship from a balloon is the presence of a gas scoop, engine, and control surfces.

Launcher - Any delivery mechanism for projectiles that can be used with crystals. The usual launcher looks like a bow with a pneumatic mechanism attached to it, and is also called an airow (some types can shoot conventional arrows and grapples as well). Slingshots, pneumatic throwers, and pyroarms are also used - launcher is the generic term.

Ground - The very bottom of the world, usually covered by thick xenofungus, hybrid plants, or noxious fogs. A very dangerous environment that is seldom survivable for long periods of time. Raw crystals are harvested here; the alien ecosystem that is developing on the low grounds can also be a source for rare ingredients. Beware the giant bugs, mindless alien footsoldiers, and most anything that moves.

Crystal - Raw crystals grow at the ground level from a few species of deep flora; they can be refined to remove their toxicity and in this state are used as sources of heat, and as fuel for psi abilities. Named crystals are refined crystals that have had psi performed on them directly; they carry the psi imprint of a crystalsmith's will in order to manifest it later, either with a slow release or by shattering. Crystalsmithing involves "teaching" a crystal an intention, emotion or quality through psi effort.

CATO - Crystal Assisted Takeoff. A dangerous maneuver in which a rig pilot will detonate some of their explosive crystals and then ride their shockwave for a quick takeoff, boost in altitude, or change in vector.

Psi - The ability of a sapient being to influence their surroundings through mental effort; in general, affecting the physical universe requires great psi strength, while affecting another brain requires great psi finesse. Only very minimal psi ability is required to activate crystals. The conscious use of psi is generally referred to as magic.

Rig - Any airworthy vehicle that operates on aerodynamic principles, whether by wing or rotor. Most rigs tend to carry one to three people and be fast and agile; most properly constructed rigs are fast enough that they can go against the current. Big rigs are used for fast, medium range transportation of people and goods between neighboring lands.

Ship - Any airworthy vehicle that operates on aerostatic principles. Generally slow, they are usually designed to use the Slipstream's currents and eddies for movement -- ships tend to stick to known-good "canals" of steady air currents.

Ley - An air current that is stable enough to be reported on a map. Leyline maps are not hard to keep up to date, but knowledge of temporary current can give a courier or smuggler a huge edge over their competitors.

Coach - Detachable container holding passenger and cargo, that does not normally open to the rest of the ship. Heighliners will occasionally carry coaches from enemy lands in adjacent slots in a state of truce.

Direct Control Frame - Emergency control system in a ship which allows all functions including engines, buoyancy, steering, etc. to be run by a single person, usually the captain. This method of control is too exhausting for normal use. The pilot is trapped into a special position equipped with heel and toe switches for engines, levers and switches for gas and vector controls, a steering wheel, etc.

Hostler - Service crew at a ship dock who is land-bound rather than traveling with the ship.

Synchro - Any device that can run unattended by virtue of getting its timing from the Synchro Beacons; the pulse is received electrically and generally acts on a clockwork mechanism by means of relays.

Level - Altitude band. There are eleven standard levels between ground and space, three per Slipstream layer and two in calm thin air above the Slipstream. Levels 0 to 2 are generally the province of submersibles, and tend to be opaque and toxic. Levels 3 to 5 (clockwise Stream) and 6 to 8 (counterclockwise Stream) are where most aerial activity happens, with the middle level for each stream directions having the stablest ley lines. Levels 9 is the thin layer just above the Stream and is generally calm, and still reachable by a significant number of ships, although powering to it is expensive - the expression "being on cloud nine" has taken connotations of serenity in addition to euphoria. Level 10, also called the stratosphere, is much taller than the others and thins off into space; it is only reachable by a few ships and fewer rigs. The upper limit of level 10 has been raised as aeronautical technology improves; space is used in common parlance as "too high to fly into". High-altitude observation balloons generally cannot carry much more than a passenger with a camera and are not controllable, but can go as high as thirty thousand meters. Stratospheric currents are very fickle but very fast.

Submersible - Ship equipped to operate in the lower levels, generally can be made airtight and features a reinforced envelope. Often, but not always, too heavy to operate properly in the upper layers. Most submersibles are used for crystal harvesting.

Heighliner - Extremely large ship, often a patchwork of additions built around an ancient lifting engine. They are the size of small lands, and are considered as sovereign entities (other than the two, possibly three, owned by Tsoska). They are often strong enough to remain still inside the Slipstream if pushed to full power. Effectively, heighliners are mobile cantons; rumor has it that the Tsoskans have been refitting one as a battle station, but given the glacial pace of their construction, and their convolute bureaucracy, it is likely nothing to worry about.

Stomp suit - Protective garb designed for use on the ground. Depending on its sophistication, it can allow safe sojourn from a couple hours to indefinite.

Socket - A simple crystal-powered fuel cell, usually barely more than a box with thermocouples in it, that generates electricity. Due to relatively low availability of metal, long wire runs aren't common and most electrical devices are powered locally; small waylights and the like generally use windmills and flywheels.

Tal - Copper and silver are recognized as the international medium of exchange, largely due to a good compromise between weight and utility in industry. While this has made it very difficult to build electric grids in most lands. A tal, probably from tally, is a generic term for the value of a generic small copper coin -- different lands have various official names for their money, but it's usually a matter of a different person's face being stamped on a coin of the same size. Metal shaving happens, but stamped denominations are usually trusted; large transactions happen by weight. A few lands use paper money, but with the exception of Elvitan credit notes, paper is generally worthless outside of a particular state. Tsoskans use ration chits -- part of why paper money is mistrusted -- and what little electricity they have generally comes from coal- or wood-fired power plants.

Political situation (Nations that control more than one land): (PLEASE ADD TO THIS)

Plateau of Tsoska - The only stable nation-state in the Plateau, the totalitarian theocracy of Tsoska is too preoccupied with cultural homogeneity to be expansionist; most Tsoskans do not even believe that the people outside the Plateau are anything other than monsters or demons. Hybrid and deep life is hunted mercilessly, which has allowed the Plateau to function as a biological reservoir for the old ecosystem. A large shield wall has been erected to block off the Plateau's only valley; what little comerce Tsoska has with the outside goes on there. Crystals are rare, and are generally mined from the Plateau's outer walls. Tsoska's government claims itself to be an extension of the Celestial Bureaucracy; in practice, Tsoska looks like an amalgamation of every badly-run empire in human history. Few buildings are over three stories in Tsoska. The cities are gray and uninspiring; the political structures squat and brutal. A third, or a tenth, of 1%—it's impossible to tell—are part of Oversight, the counterespionage branch of The Bureaucracy, which controls all economic, social, and political activity in Tsoska. Fear of the long-dead Invaders is constant, and paranoia is institutionalized. In fairness, however, it was this brutal system of control that allowed any semblance of civilization -- not to mention the original ecosystem of the world -- to survive after the botched Invasion. Tsoskan doctrine is that all nonhumans are demons(Invaders) and obvious Streamies are poor Invader attempt as infiltrators, so the population os homogenous. To enforce its isolationism, Tsoska keeps a standing air force and isn't above raiding "demons" for resources it cannot or will not trade for; permanent Tsoskan settlements outside the Plateau are limited to a few highly fortified bunkers on small lands of strategic importance. (Stereotype: Soviet/Chinese)

Cascadian Commonwealth - A coalition of northern lands. Land Cascadia proper is ruled from beautiful Tarant City, nestled between a forest and a lake, and is the home of the largest university in the Slipstream. Despite most of the Commonwealth's inhabited lands bordering the Plateau on the northern side, Cascadians are generally peaceful people, protected from their southern neighbour by a tall mountain range that closes off the Plateau. While the Commonwealth comprises about two dozen properly settled lands, most settlements are small. Cascadians rigs are often fully enclosed. Cascadia's ruler, the Secretary of General Affairs, is nominally the regent for a long-gone queen and is elected by popular vote. (Stereotype: British/Canadian)

Republic of Enotria - A somewhat shoe-shaped land built around a volcano caldera where the foot hole would be. Excellent food and wine can be found here. While nominally a republic, Henotria is large enough to have two governments, of sort - the Cricca organized crime society has its origins and headquarters here. The official government is chosen by citizens voting for color-identified factions, with a fifth of the seats allotted by the winner of a racing tournment, the Palio. The faction council then elects a doge. Land Enotria keeps control of a small number of neighboring small lands; it is only mentioned here because the Cricca's influence extends throughout the Slipstream. (Stereotype: Italian/Spanish/Greek)

Zoroas Caliphate - A group of largely desertic lands sitting in the lower levels; these lands have formed by sedimentary accumulation, and have few geographic features. Thanks to this, crystals can be mined without going to ground; water is scarce and the Caliphate's lands often have to take steps to literally shore up their territory, with Land Zoroas having been surrounded by a cement wall. Most inhabitants are semi-nomadic even within their lands, simply due to the inability to build stable foundations. Crystal dust in the sand causes Zorians to have a green hue to their eyeballs, although this peculiar mark only takes a few months to acquire or lose. Many come here to study psi; due to the need to import water and most foodstuffs, Zorians are stereotyped as traders, and there is definitely truth to that. The Caliphate is a relatively benign religious state, although the current Cenobiarch has exhibited a streak of isolationism. (Stereotype: Persian, with a touch of Dutch)

Other notable cantons: (PLEASE ADD TO THIS)

Elvita - This small, high altitude land maintains a strict policy of neutrality and operates the Synchro Beacons, the primary of which resides at the top of the land. Elvitans are, by general agreement, the go-to people for wireless systems; Elvita is possibly the only land with a fully developed electric grid; Elvitan credit notes, backed by this grid, are often accepted by businesses for large transactions. (Stereotype: Swiss)

Bergstrasse - A large land with several small settlements, largely covered in forest; known for its hunts, its bad weather, and its internal infighting. Horsemanship is still practiced as a survival skill here due to flying being hazardous thanks to the frequent thunderstorms; stories of feudal lords using blood crystals to unnaturally prolong their lives should be disregarded as folklore. Bergstrasse can refer either to the land, or the ancient road that cuts through it. Canton Bergstrasse does not have a formal ruler. (Stereotype: Feudal Germany, Transylvania)

Science/Tech Level

Science and magic coexist fairly well in the world, the latter not having been brought into play by the Invasion as some think, but having emerged somewhat organically afterwards. Engineering and related terms refer exclusively to the construction and operation of engines. Most electrical equipment (bulbs, hot plates, motors) has sockets for crystals, as are nearly all thermal engines in vehicles. Steam engines are used to take advantage of less concentrated heat, or to move water. Automated systems such as buoy waylights and so on are generally controlled by clockwork, with the fanciest systems sporting a wireless receiver and relays to keep synch with the Synchro Beacons' morse code time signal. Wireless communication is fairly ubiquitous, but units that have a meaningful range tend to be the size of a shoebox; morse code can be interpreted by particularly fancy electromechanical systems. Needs does what must, and it's not uncommon to see Zorians power the synchro for their call to prayer with the heat from camel dung, for example. Computers exist, but are generally custom-built or at least custom-fitted for their jobs; complex synchros that are effectively general-purpose computers are used for things like air traffic control signals, industrial looms, and power plants. Navigation is largely a solved problem, at least as far as getting within visual range of a destination goes. Medicine takes full advantage of psi techniques, and most field medkits contain a few suturing crystals in addition to the usual bandages and disinfectant; however, the breathing illness caused by prolonged ground exposure tends to worsen with most crystal use, which is why a few cantons operate high-altitude sanatoriums. Diesel fuel is normally obtained from refining the oil of certain plants, and used to boost the output of thermal engines -- black-smoke, prone to explode diesel booster addons are the stereotypical Saturday Night Special engine mod.

Magic

Magic is the common name given to applied techniques for the application of psi effort by using raw crystals. Crystals are mined in an unusable state and must be purified; the resulting refined crystal can be "named", using psi, in order to manifest a particular function with no use of magic during deployment, at the expense of its flexibility. Magic circuits are caused by a sentient will modulating their psi through the crystal in order to manifest it; some circuits must be conceptualized as an image, simply because people's brains are in large part dedicated to visual processing (most are drawn so that the user can see them, but some are memorized by those with a particularly good memory, allowing figureless casting; gestures and words may also be used to aid memory), while simpler ones can be associated with a word or phrase. Magic is slowly moving from an art to a science, circuit theory having progressed to the point where manuals such as Paul Horowitz's "The Art of Psionics" exist detailing common symbols and how to add their effects appropriately. Places such as hospitals and naming workshops will often have common circuits engraved on easy-to-see spots. As a side note, congenital or long-borne blindness correlates very positively with psi ability -- although it has no effect on psi strength -- since it lessens or removes the need for visualization. "Blinding your psions" is a common accusation in diplomatic meetings and a slang term for pulling off an elegant feat of psionics, although actual occurrences are rare. In common parlance, psi is used to denote common and well-understood psi effects, while magic denotes subtle or complicated work requiring imagery and occasionally ritual -- doing magic denotes the external actions that someone channeling their psi ability has to perform. Named crystals, or raw crystals that are used for their default function of generating energy, always require a will to activate them -- most animals cannot do so, but barring exraordinary circumstances such as brain damage or an extremely unlucky birth even the dullest Womp can do this. Most people build up some psi charge through doing things that they like doing and release it near completion, which is probably why that homecooked meal tasted slightly better than the same thing prepared by a professional who would be able to do so without effort... Magical hand tools generally sport two sockets, one being for the nonconsumable named crystal that gives the effect, and the other for the consumable refined crystal to provide the energy. Bench tools and the like, for efficiency reasons (the named crystal does wear out eventually, since no transfer is 100% efficient) only bear sockets for refined crystals, and a diagram (it can be a properly drawn circuit, or just a symbol to remind the user of a circuit they've at least somewhat memorized that came with the manual) to illustrate the effect on the user. Circuit diagramming was originally introduced as a way to standardize crystal use, since named crystals require much time and effort to make; some people feel that by now it is integral to the magic use process, although masters of the craft know better. (out-of-setting, the idea is that there's spells one can memorize, there's spells that one can modularly build usually by drawing them (just because it's what is commonly taught: if your mnemonic is an interpretive dance, go for it, works well with combat casters specifically beause it's less standard), and there's spells that require multiple wills and a ritual to synch them, so it'd end up looking either very catholic or very coreographic). Not surprisingly, Tsoskan psi is clearly divided between rule-of-thumb folk magic used to deal with little problems in life, and highly formalized psionics taught within the Bureaucracy. More surprisingly, the psi circuit symbols were formalized before Tsoskan isolationism, so there aren't two standards. Naming a crystal involves imprinting a psi mnemonic onto the crystal itself, and it's very much an art form to do so reliably. Fortunately, a named crystal will change its hue from the usual shade of green that refined crystals sport.