tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73067308960784160882024-02-20T04:43:36.693-08:00Manifest DestinyKent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-5603652841645684442017-05-04T00:12:00.002-07:002017-05-04T00:12:16.880-07:00Three months...dang. Every writer has times where they can not write. For me, the last three months was one of those times. It is a pain when Life and mind just do not want to get along. Not to mention the chaos that unfolds when you have to take care of people.<br />
<br />
Any way...back on track and I am working on a piece about how magic works. And I am not talking about formula and mana and stuff. I mean the real "Why it works!". Any way thought you should be told. And to boot I have also posted a little blurb on the Furbolg.<br />
<br />
It is short, but like their enigmatic masters, it is hard to observe them with out the Asterilians getting in the way. Enjoy.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-30306872064500373212017-05-04T00:07:00.002-07:002017-05-04T00:07:48.280-07:00Furbolg: The Age of Awakening<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
The rise of the Firbolg, much like that
of the Asterilians, is not well understood. The current theory is
that the Firbolg are not a natural species, that they were created by
the Asterilias using human genes as a base. This is corroborated by
tests done on Furbolg and species on their world.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Testing shows that the Firbolg are a
combination of Human genes and an indigenous species called the Bolg
by the Asterilians. The Bolg are a herbivorous species, resembling
the Buffalo on Earth, that graze on the planes of the planets
southern continent. The same continent that gave rise to the
Asterilians.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How did this come to pass? Well it is
believed that the Furbolg were created over a couple centuries. The
Asterilians used the genes they preserved and selectively combined
them with select bolg that met their designs. Over time, generation
after generation, those domesticated Bolg started to change.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Evidence of this forced evolution can
be found in certain areas as pens and skeletons with varying bone
structures can be found in the same general area. For what reason
this was done is far easier to answer, cheep labor. The Asterilians
are not a strong species, in fact they are quite frail compared to
other forms of life.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Over time the Asterilians likely
discovered that to progress as a species, as a society, they needed a
little more muscle. At the same time, to perpetuate the species they
needed something to keep away other herbivores that would try to eat
their seedlings. So to fill those two needs, they made the Furbolg
much like we made the Golemites.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is little more on the Furbolg
though. They appear to be an agrarian species that leans away from
any form of violence. They will fight if pressed to do so with dire
consequences for those they are attacking. They have very sturdy
frames and their musculature is dense. But they lack a certain
nuance of thought, their culture is primitive and subservient, tribal
even.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sadly there is not much more to add
about their culture at this time. This article will be updated if
more information is discovered.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be Continued: “Vyrmkin: The Age of
Awakening”</div>
Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-18770575470289751122017-02-16T18:13:00.000-08:002017-02-16T18:13:12.150-08:00Asterilians: The Age of Awakening<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
With the revelation of the BG Drive and
the ability to travel between the stars faster than any could
imagine, there was also a concerted effort to be the first out there.
As the governments of the world built fleets of probes to explore
system after system. Others found the funds to build ships.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
From cults to greedy ceo’s, many
lined up to build their own ships and find worlds for themselves.
But unfortunately for a few cheap materials and bad quality control
would lead to disaster. One such disaster occurred to the Church of
Scientology who’s rocket exploded one minute after launch killing
all of the leadership on it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But many were successful in their
efforts. After launch and once in orbit their drives charged never
to be seen again. It was one of these groups that exposed a
carnivorous plant on an unknown planet to human DNA. And in doing
so, they would create not just one, but two new species.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The events that created the Asterilian
race are better described by the people that created them. The
following logs were found on the Asterilian home world in a place
they hold sacred.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<transcript begins=""></transcript></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Oct. 14 2183</b>: It has been a year since
we launched. We have visited a hundred systems with little to show
until now. The second planet of the system is a garden world rich in
plant life and animals. It is a little smaller than Earth is, but
not by enough to effect it gravity. We are set to enter orbit in a
few days...it will be nice to get out of this can.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Oct. 29 2183</b>: We made orbit of the
second planet three days ago. Once it was done we threw a party with
some of the last of our supplies. Edwards even had a bottle of
Whiskey stashed some where in the ship. Greg thinks he has found a
good place to land on one of the southern continents. With luck we
will be landing in the next couple of days.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Nov. 03 2183</b>: Planet Fall, we have
landed...finally. There is a lot to do so that is all there is
today.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Nov. 11 2183</b>: We have been unpacking
and setting up. The landing was perfect and this area is so
beautiful. The valley we landed in has a sizable clearing that we
are building in and forests to the north and east. We have not had
time to explore any but we are making plans to send out some parties
to see if there are any edible plants or animals we can hunt. Well
my break is over, back to work.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Nov. 16 2183</b>: Shit...they are missing.
We are readying a search team to go out, but we aren’t sure where
to look. (sigh) The beginning...we sent out five teams to collect
plant specimens yesterday. All teams maintained radio contact
throughout the day. But as the sun started to set, the team in the
eastern forest missed their check in.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was after Sundown when the fourth
and last team got back. Though it was not long until the teams
wanted to go out again to search for the missing people. But the
captain stopped them before they could go running into the woods.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But now that the sun has risen again,
he teams are getting ready to head out and search...I am joining
them. Oh...time to head out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Nov. 17 2183</b>: Shit….shit shit
shit...Jennifer, something got her...not sure what but she was struck
by... something in the arm. We barely got her back to camp, she was
screaming all the way. (sigh) We are not even sure what is going on
with her...we are running tests right now…</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Nov. 19 2183</b>: Jennifer is dead...it
was...I can not describe it...horrible. Her arm...it literally
melted off of her. What ever she was infected with dissolved her
flesh into a soup. Even the bone was starting the break down some
how.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The next day we had to keep her
under...the toxin had invaded all of her body as we returned. It was
all we could do...her organs...her body...by the end of the day she
was dead. Her heart...it burst...literally. Soon after the rest...I
mean...she just...liquified.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
God...what did this...did the
others...what is on this planet?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Nov. 20 2183</b>: We buried what was left
of Jennifer today...we have lost six people to this planet. We
started with one hundred and sixty five, now there are one hundred
and fifty nine left. I hope that we don’t loose many more.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Dec. 8 2183</b>: Another group have gone
missing in the east forest. The captain has ordered that the east
forest is off limits and that all teams should be back before dusk.
Since the attacks have happened at dusk, the captain believes that
what ever it is may be nocturnal. So as long as we stay out, no more
should be lost. We hope…</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Feb. 16 2184</b>: Something odd happened
today, several people reported that they saw a human wandering around
the edge of the east forest. It was not long after that the entire
colony heard a shot ring out in the quiet. The entire colony showed
up to fine Mr. Jackson standing over a...well...something.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All we could see was a tangle of vines
with thorns on the ends of some. Mr. Jackson said that he was
patrolling the perimeter of the colony when he saw a humanoid figure
awkwardly moving...almost shambling towards the colony. He called
out to it to stop multiple times, but it did no respond. Once it got
closer, Mr. Jackson started to see something was wrong...the shape
was wrong and green like a plant. Shortly after he took action and
shot the...thing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are moving it to the lab and placing
it in the containment cell...just in case.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Feb. 19 2184</b>: The Science team has
been working on the...well body I guess. What they have found is
remarkable and disturbing. The organism is a plant based life form
but appears to have evolved a basic circulatory system for
distributing nutrients more efficiently. The organisms vines also
appear to have a form of muscle fiber that allow the vines to rapidly
move and for a rudimentary heart to pump.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The plant appears to have a collection
of bulbs with a major one containing a number of distinct organs
including the heart. The organs are currently being looked into.
What is creepier is a series of bulbs on specific vines that appear
to be eyes, a mouth attached to a structure that looks like lungs and
a voice box.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This thing appears to be mimicking
humans. No one is sure why it would evolve to try and mimic a
humanoid form...but that is being looked into.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Feb. 27 2184</b>: It took a while...but
the science team...shoot I do not know where to begin. Well I guess
the science team results, they found that one of the organs in the
organism contained various animals DNA. Clusters of cells somehow
contained all of the animals DNA and the organism used that as a way
to mimic the animal. More though...they found human DNA in the
organism...it matched the DNA of one of the missing team members.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That means there are more of these
things out there...possibly many more as we know very little about
these organisms.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Feb. 28 2184</b>: Good news for
once...Krystal is pregnant. It is wonderful news though we were not
going to start the breeding program for a couple years yet. So I
hope that her relationship can hold up under that as she will need to
have more children from other partners.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are only one hundred and fifty
four of us now. Two thirds of our population are women. To manage a
viable gene pool we will need to choose who has children with who and
every woman will have to get pregnant with multiple partners to
expand the population in a way that will prevent inbreeding.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here’s to hoping all goes well for
her. The medical team are preparing for this change in plans.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Mar. 5 2184</b>: No one is sure what
happened, but four people are just...gone. Their house is empty and
there is no sign of them...none at all. No struggle...they are
just...gone.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Mar. 7 2184</b>: It happened
again...another house is just empty...four more are gone. Security
is organizing cameras and trying to create a perimeter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Mar. 12 2184</b>: Twelve more are gone.
But we know why, the creatures are taking them. Camera’s caught a
group of them moving around the perimeter of the settlement after
midnight. Security has also reported seeing movement in the east
forest at all hours.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Mar. 13 2184</b>: Early in the morning
shots rang out in the night. By the time the sun was up there were
about twenty of the creatures dead outside the perimeter. No one is
missing, but this can’t be good. There were so many...what can
this mean.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Mar. 17 2184</b>: There are so many...they
started to come out of the forest and are standing outside the
perimeter. Not just a few, but what looks to be hundreds. They are
staring through the makeshift electric fence. More are coming and
people are getting nervous.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Mar. 18 2184</b>: They are through the
fence...they just pushed their way through. Security is fighting
them but the number of shots have slowed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I can hear them at
the door...trying to get in. We gave them a name, Asterilians.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In case we do not make it through the night,
I am transferring our logs to holographic storage. If any one finds
this, they should know what happened to us. Shit...the door is giving out…</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<end log="" of=""></end></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be Continued: “Furbolg: The Age of
Awakening”</div>
Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-48468815536606522892017-01-08T10:41:00.002-08:002017-01-08T10:41:24.679-08:00The Watchers & The Game<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Oh where to begin...I am Watcher First
Class Reginald Barcleft, second adjunct to the Watcher Council and I
am the one writing these documents. I am not sure who is reading
them...but this is to help you understand the origins of this
information. If you are not supposed to be reading this, like say
you are a member of what we call the “Child Races”, then
stop...you’re not going to are you...oh well the consequences are
on you.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As you probably already read, with the
creation of magic humanity found a way to elevate itself to a high
form of existence, a process called ascension. The catch was that
when we did that, we were not ready. Humans are as they always have
been, a petty squabbling bunch of children. The difference now is
that those kids have the keys to daddies gun safe and are using them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Watchers Association was created to
make sure that humanities new found power did not interfere with the
development of the child races. Formed some time after the ascension
(time is kind of different in this plane of existence) the Watchers
were meant to observe our children and to report on their progress
while the rest of humanity explored the vast reaches of the
cosmos...yeah that didn’t last.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Approximately eight hundred years after
we ascended they started to return from their sight seeing...and all
hell broke loose. Humans were getting bored, there wasn’t a lot to
entertain the majority of people and many started to muck about or
just get into fights. Some of these entities returned to the
physical realm and manipulated the child races.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This advanced all of the child races
greatly with new knowledge about magic. But other less scrupulous
people wanted power and glory sparking conflict as they went. This
is when “The Game” was established. Yeah...that is what we call
it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The game was created by some of the
best minds of humanity and created a framework for the “proper”
way to interfere with the cultures that had been forming for a
millennium. The rules were to be enforced by the Watchers so that no
one entity could completely muck things up, in theory at least.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Over the centuries the rules have been
refined and new rules have been added to the game. And during all
that time the Watcher have been chronicling and refereeing The Game.
So...what is The Game?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Game is best compared to a
different game called a Table Top Role Playing Game. Each
Participant in The Game is given a subject of the child races based
on a series of questions we ask. Entities that are deemed unfit are
not allowed to play.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once given a subject, the entity is
then allowed to manipulate the “character” as they deem fit with
out interfering with their free will. An entity can not personally
take over that character and drive them around like a car. Instead
they become a voice in the characters head offering choices and
helping them to make decisions. So yeah, those people that are
talking to them selves may not be just talking to them selves after
all.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As an added part of the Watchers
directives, a subset of the watchers will create adventures around
events in the world. While we do not outright create events altering
the balance of the universe. We do find events that can be
entertaining with a subtle push and make sure the players know what
way to push to make those events more interesting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unfortunately there are always those
that do not follow the rules. These are referred to as the Dark Ones
in the terms of The Game. Those that have been rejected for
participation in The Game, but manipulate or even blatantly take over
some one. Usually we can find them quickly because they want to live
out the dark fantasies they have like that of being a Criminal King
Pin, Murderer, Rapist, and more.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But others are harder to find and may
even be left alone because their role becomes to deeply ingrained in
the events of society to remove. Despotic Leaders tend to fall into
that area. Entities that have gathered enough power to be
untouchable but also reign havoc on world or even universe just for
the fun of it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But it works out I guess because these
villains make things more interesting. Though if it were up to me I
would tear them out of those poor souls and then deal with the mess.
Anyway Dark Ones have been responsible for many of the tragedies and
conflicts in recent history. You will read about them in time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So...I guess that is that. I am a
Watcher and my role is to observe the Child Races, discover their
history in some cases, document those events and goings on, and to
make sure the other entities do not get out of hand while playing The
Game. Well I guess I have better get back to it. I have been
struggling with the Asterilians report and so I need to get back to
that.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-25133291817418267992016-12-01T10:54:00.002-08:002016-12-01T10:54:42.728-08:00Kudu: The Age of Awakening<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the Kudu, their Age of Awakening
starts well before the Golemites. In fact it started during
humanity's first steps into the galaxy with the discovery of an Earth
like planet approximately four hundred light years from the Sol
system along the Orion Spur of the galaxy.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The system, identified as PSM-485-34c,
was the thirty fourth system surveyed by jump probe 485 thirty four
years after the BG Drive was invented. A science vessel was
dispatched to cluster PSM-485 forty seven years after its charting.
From that ship a small research and survey team was deployed to
examine the planet for colonization.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What the team discovered was a planet
rich in both flora and fauna. With an atmosphere that closely
matched Earths. Further study and research showed no serious threats
to colonization and so the planet was given the green light for
initial colonization.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was not long before three SEED ships
moved into orbit of the planet. The ships carried materials,
machines, habitats, and various flora and fauna for colonization.
What was not planned was that one animal would be the catalyst for
the quarantine of the world. That species was the unassuming
Squirrel (specifically the California Ground Squirrel).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The crews of the SEED ships went to
work, deploying drop ships and depositing parts, machinery, plants,
and animals in a large valley. Over the next three solar cycles the
new settlement slowly grew. Waste processing, habitats, factories,
and mines were all built. Shortly before the SEED ships left,
Pioneer colonists started to arrive beginning the work of getting
everything running.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All looked good for many years except
that the scientists left to monitor the effects of human colonization
on the biosphere started to see some odd results. From their
censuses, the Squirrel population was remaining constant instead of
growing. But more worrying was that the Kudoe population (their name
for the indigenous squirrel like species) was declining.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The reason for this, as the scientists
discovered, was that the Kudoe preferred to mate with the Squirrels
instead of themselves. The cause was traced to a specific pheromone
the Squirrels released that caused the Kudoe to enter a euphoric
state. More surprising was that the Kudoe could be impregnated by
the Squirrels.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many of the offspring were stillborn or
had terrible mutations and died in hours of birth. But one in every
fifty was viable, this new species would be named the Kudu
(pronounced Koo - Doo) by the scientists. The Kudu were different,
they averaged double the size of Squirrels when mature. They had
denser muscles, were faster, their snouts were shorter, and their
cranial cavities were larger with the frontal cortex being almost
double the size.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If this was not odd enough, the Kudu
started to gather into groups and would breed at almost any time of
the year. Their populations started to boom as the Kudoe were now
dying out in the valley. With each successive generation of Kudu,
their evolution continued. Fifty years after the first colonists
arrived, the Kudu were three feet tall when standing on their hind
legs. They were changing far faster than anyone could have dreamt
and it had a growing number of scientists worried.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On a cool day leading into fall on the
planet now called New Stockholm, an incident came to pass that would
change the course of the planet's future. On weekends the many
children of the settlement would often migrate from the more
populated areas to the fields and grasslands of the rural
surroundings. One day two groups did not return to their homes for
lunch.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What follows is an accounting of events
from one of the security staff:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“The office was quiet till about
noon, frantic parents were calling the security office reporting that
their children could not be found. Officers were immediately tasked
to look through recent camera data and to find the kids and track
their movements. The last camera to see the large group of children
was on the west side of town as they entered the forested area at the
edge of the agricultural zone.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Shortly after the we knew where the
children were last seen, Commander Hargrove organized a search
composed of parents, Security officers, and members of the science
station including Dr. Sandesky, head of the science center.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Within forty minutes the teams were
organized and moving into the western forest. The brush was thick
and hard to traverse especially for the civilians. Surprisingly the
scientists were at home in it and moved with ease.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After two hours of searching, my group
entered a clearing. To the center of the clearing was something no
one expected to see. Sitting in a half circle in front of a large
tree were the children. A silver-gray Kudu was moving inside the
half circle letting the kids pet it. The Kudu would chitter with
each one and the kids would laugh when it did.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Around the children was a crude pen
made of woven vines and sticks. Outside were a number of younger
Kudu standing about four feet to four foot six inches tall, each
holding crude spears. It was with the outer Kudu guards that one of
the parents panicked and tried to run to her child. The Kudu reacted
by raising their spears as security grabbed the parent and pulled her
back behind them while others raised their weapons.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The situation was tense with security
ready to fire and Kudu ready to attack. Before it could get there
though, from the edge of the clearing a voice boomed from the woods
“STAND DOWN!!”. The security team's weapons wavered as heads
turned to see Dr. Sandesky moving out of the shadow of the forest.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As the doctor closed he repeated “Stand
down and put those weapons on the ground!!” The team of security
officers did as he ordered, slowly lowering their rifles and placing
them on the ground. When Dr. Sandesky got to the group one of the
officers asked “Sir, why?” all the doctor did was point to the
forest canopy.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Behind us in the canopy of the trees
were dozens of dark shapes moving around in the shadows. Spears and
crude bows could be seen in their hands. The gray Kudu watched all
of this, raising his staff, the Kudu waived it and the shadows faded
into the green once again.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once the situation was diffused, the
doctor started to walk to the gray Kudu, the guards still pointing
spears at him, he pulled out a small pouch and took something out of
it. We later learned that it was a bag of raw Walnuts, holding one
in hand he stopped just before the gate and held out the Walnut.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The elder Kudu motioned to the kids to
follow and they did, he then moved to the gate of the enclosure and
as he reached it, chittered something. The guard Kudu lowered their
weapons and moved away from the enclosure eventually fading into the
forest. The Elder, with only two guards remaining, approached Dr.
Sandesky. Reaching out with his paw, or may be hand, the Gray Kudu
took the nut and inspected it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Giving the doctor a nod, Sandesky
handed the Kudu the bag. With a smile, the Kudu waived the children
on and sat down with Dr. Sandesky following suite. Turning to the
group “Two security members, please stay. The rest of you leave
before you make more trouble for me.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It took three hours to get back through
the forest. The doctor returned later with his guard some time after
sunset. All personnel were accounted for with no casualties.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
With the children found, a discussion
of the Kudu was started. The civilians believed they should be
exterminated like some pest that was eating their crops. While
security was more interested in keeping the civilian population from
acting on their own. The scientific staff believed an evacuation was
in order, something most were not in favor of. Fortunately, no one
had a choice in the matter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Reports from the security and science
staff made their way to the highest levels of the Earth government.
An emergency council was convened and it was decided that this was to
important a chance to pass up. Humans had found numerous planets to
colonize with many more to be terraformed. But a chance to observe
and study a new species as it developed at such a rapid pace was to
much to ignore. The order came down, the planet was now quarantined
and all personal with exception to the scientific personnel and some
security forces would remain.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Science center was expanded to
double the number of personnel it could hold while much of the town
was demolished and removed from the planet. All the while the Kudu
could be seen watching from the tree lines. Observing the valley
intently.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As time passed, a key to the puzzle of
why the Kudu evolved so quickly was found. The interbreeding of the
Kudoe and Squirrels was a catalyst for the change. After humans
left, the evolution of the Kudu slowed. It was discovered that a
virus was taking snippets of human DNA and adding it to the malleable
Kudu DNA. Much of the time it would fail leading to cancer and
terrible mutations. But in enough occasions the DNA was in the right
spot and changed the very nature of the Kudu.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Without humanity on the planet the
virus was of little concern. But as a precaution, the Kudu were
inoculated against the virus and in time it was eradicated from the
planet. For the remainder of humanities years in the universe the
science station was manned. Through the war to the time of magic,
the scientists were there watching, learning, and interacting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then, one day, the Kudu went to the
science center and no one was there. The scientists returned to
Earth, and the Kudu were alone. For a thousand years the Kudu would
develop some of the most spectacular magical technologies around.
Until they created their greatest achievement, the Venture. A ship
that would let the Kudu travel to other stars.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be Continued: “Asterilians: The
Age of Awakening”</h4>
Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-73750962374167745562016-11-29T22:28:00.000-08:002016-11-29T22:28:17.086-08:00Short UpdateTo those that are paying attention, I have not posted something for a month or more now. I am working on something. Real life just got in the way and it has been hard to get back to it with the holidays coming up. But I will keep plugging and should have something soon. Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-83842303947312498762016-10-19T23:19:00.001-07:002016-10-19T23:19:14.645-07:00Golemites: The Age of Awakening<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
When the Golemites were first created,
there was some question about them. They were made from Human
genetic material after all. So while they were genetically altered
in many ways, they were still human in the eyes of some.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As time wore on and the war finally
came to a close, the generations that followed slowly started to see
Golemites as nothing more than tools. So as tools, they were
expendable because another one can always be cloned. This attitude
changed some when humanity was starting to ascend.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A few people started to ask “What
about the Golemites?” and as more and more humans left, those
voices became louder. One of those voices was the distant relative
of the scientist that helped make them, Dr. Malinda K. Fahtoom. She
alone was in the unique position to help them as humanity moved on.
With the help of her colleagues in the Golemite Management Bureau, a
plan as set in motion. Sadly they could only help those Golemites
that lived on earth, but if it worked they would be free to create
their own civilization.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Twenty years after the last humans left
Earth, a timer ticked to zero. Moments later the Golemites neural
inhibitors turned off. At the same time the cloning procedure for
the Golemites changed, the implants that kept them docile and
infertile would not longer be installed. In time the Golemites would
be able to have offspring naturally.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unaware they were now free of their
bonds, the Golemites kept to their work of maintaining the machines
and structures of Humanity. Though slowly their behaviors changed.
Instead if going to work then back to their homes, the Golemites
started to go to places they had not been before.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They started to gather and socialize
discussing why they had not done this before. Older Golemites that
had been active while humanity was still around would converse about
how they felt people were missing from these places. But no one knew
if it was real or just a dream.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Golemite society progressed well in the
early times, The oldest and most skilled became leaders of a caste
system that defined to roles of every Golemite. But unlike many
caste systems, theirs was less rigid and did not punish those of
lower castes and even allowed migration between castes if the
individual could serve a roll of value.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Religion also spontaneously formed as
those that once tended to the libraries and archives of the old world
started to marvel at the works of those that came before. Humanity
was through by removing almost all data from their existence on their
machines. But the Golemites tended to the forgotten archives that
were enshrined in tomes long forgotten by much of humanity.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
From these books and lost records rose
The Order of Fahtoom. Fragments of knowledge and history were taken
out of context, and their distant creator now became a God to those
that would believe. Quickly “The Order” would rise to be the top
caste of their fledgling civilization. Though there was a new trial
for the Golemites to deal with, the machines they used were failing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As a stop gap, The Order and caste
leaders put in place an initiative. They would keep the machines
going as long as possible by salvaging every part they could from
machines that had failed all over the planet. The highest priority
was to maintain the cloning tubes and to prioritize the cloning of
those that maintained them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One hundred and four years after their
awakening, the last machine of human design stopped working. The
last cloning tube ceased to function and in it, the last cloned
Golemite before it could know life. With this revelation, many
Golemites stopped working at all.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Much of Golemite civilization hung by a
thread as the news spread across the Earth. Attendance of Order
services grew sharply while depression and anxiety ran rampant over
the population. To combat this some took to the lower sections of
the cities where the lowest caste of society resided, the Caste of
Flesh.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a place known as the Den of the
Flesh, one of the prostitutes had been sick for some time. The Madam
of the den had started to worry as she young lady was new to work.
One of the last to be cloned, she was the first new girl the Madam
had seen for ages. To have such a rarity be sick was not something
she needed at this time of turmoil.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A doctor was called and arrived
promptly. And shortly after he started to examine the patient. The
young Golemite was lethargic, had been vomiting each morning, was
running a fever, and early on had broad emotional swings. Test after
test were negative until the doctor started imaging her. In her
abdomen he found what appeared to be a parasite of some kind growing
in an unused organ.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As the doctor ran more tests and stay
with the patient, an assistant was sent to the archives held in the
Order compound. Searching through ancient texts with the help of the
librarians, the answer was found. The prostitute was not sick, she
was pregnant.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The tests for it were found and she was
tested immediately, she tested positive. Much like the news
concerning the last cloning tube, the news of this woman’s
pregnancy spread quickly. The word “pregnant” had never been
part of Golemite society until now and few knew what it meant. But
as more learned that it meant to have offspring, numerous women left
their caste to join the Caste of Flesh.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Faced with the rapid influx of new
workers things changed rapidly. With this caste now seen as the hope
for Golemite society, its leadership chose to change the castes name
to the Keepers of Hope. This was not the last change though, the
caste was elevated to the top caste in their structure. And while
the Order agreed to this, the change has always been a sour spot for
them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finally the leadership of the Keepers
of Hope called for doctors all over to test the fertility of all
their workers, male and female. As well as the fertility of all
applicants. Only those that were found fertile and capable of
bearing children would be allowed in. Later, this last order would
be repealed when the last of the old Golemites passed on.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Keepers of Hope took tithes from
all other casts to support their efforts. Hiring doctors and giving
the women the best care possible. The Order of Fahtoom also
collected every text they could find on caring for the pregnant and
children and gave them freely to the Keepers. Eight months after the
doctor was called, the first Golemite baby was born, it was a girl
and she was named Hope.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Slowly but surely time marched on and
the nascent civilization of the Golemites grew. They discovered
magic and worked to harness it creating technology vastly different
from their creators. As the cities of humanity crumbled to time, the
Golemites built new edifices in their place.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A thousand years would pass before the
Golemites had another major change to their society. It was a chance
encounter with another child of Humanity that would pave a path into
the stars and to war.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be Continued: “Kudu: The Age of
Awakening”</h4>
Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-87296914947219306972016-10-11T18:15:00.000-07:002016-10-11T18:15:40.301-07:00Humanity: The Age of Awakening<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
Before the rise of magic, Human society
and culture were already on the edge. For hundreds of years
overcrowding, poverty, starvation, social abuses, and more took their
toll on society. It was only through military force that order was
maintained. Magic was the final straw that sent human civilization
spiraling out of control for.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rampant greed and inequality spurred a
desire to have what one percent of the population had. Waves of
wishes caused the collapse of economies during the chaotic days of
magic. When things were stabilized and rules were in place, the
economies settled, but the damage was done. The poor and
impoverished realized this new force allowed them to have power.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Much like firearms, magic made people
equal. No longer could the force of arms keep those at the bottom
down. They had their own power now, and they used it. One by one
planets started to burn with revolt. The poor used magic to strike
back at those they saw as keeping them hungry, poor, and sick.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Earth tried to reign in the violence to
no avail. Within a year eighty three percent of the human sphere
was embroiled in civil war. The economy failed soon after. Trade
between planets stopped, the government was bankrupt, and the
military fractured. If this alone was not enough, greater tragedy
followed soon after.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Without trade, the technologies that
were used to support the populations of many worlds that had been
terraformed started to fail. Civil war after civil war gripped these
worlds until the end as those that fought for equality then fought
for the last gasps of air on their dying world. After fifty years,
only eight worlds remained inhabited by humans out of ninety three.
Hundreds of billions died as man made ecosystems collapsed or faded
away entirely.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As the human empire fell, in a secluded
area on Earth, an eccentric philosopher and experimental physicist
was working on a new spell. Originally she intended to use it as a
way to prove theories she had concerning the universe. But as time
passed and once inhabited planets were lost, her goals changed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In her mind, Humanity needed to be
saved, as soon it would be reduced to a single planet species again.
So she found a way to move humans to another plane of existence where
thought and magic would be more relevant than the frail human form.
With this she spent the last years of her life creating and
perfecting the Ascension Spell.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Using her Golemite assistants as
sacrifices to give her the mana she needed, she became the very first
to use the spell. Through it her body and mind were shifted into
another realm of existence. Shortly after she appeared to many
people giving them the formula as well, this began the final days of
humanities time on this plane of existence.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Machines were built that could gather
the energy needed to activate the complex spell. One by one Humanity
became a legend. All that would remain were the ruins of their past
and the five child races they had a hand in making.</div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be continued in “Golemites: The
Age of Awakening”</h4>
Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-33303115750939947032016-09-30T14:59:00.002-07:002016-09-30T14:59:40.442-07:00Editing: Sometimes I just forgetOK this is going to be fast. For those that do actually come here I would like to apologise for my last post before today. I messed up and did not give it a good proof pass. There is no excuse and I have made corrections to be less bone headed. I will also proof this stuff as best I can in the future.<br />
<br />
BUT if there is someone reading this and would like to help...may be someone with better grammatical skills than I, I would appreciate the help. Just leave a message and I will be in touch.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-33804052335762715042016-09-30T14:53:00.003-07:002016-10-11T18:16:12.468-07:00Humanity: The Age of the Lost<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
With the end of the AI threat, many
humans lost their optimism about further expansion. The use of
Golemites in ever growing numbers and in ever expanding situations
took its toll. Those that believed that the Golemites deserved the
same rights as human's were at odds with the apathetic and greedy
that believed Golemites were property.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Though this was not the only conflict
that was raging. The fear of a return of the AI threat caused mass
exodus from the fringe worlds. The rise in populations caused the
creation of slums and an increase in crime as the fearful rushed to
systems protected by the Bastion stations.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Social issues, planetary economic
collapses, conflicts between the poor looking for work and Golemites,
and more started to plague a government that had its own issues.
Bogged down with debt from the war, social programs to help the
colonies were cut to maintain the military in a time of post war fear
and tension.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Civil strife was quickly dealt with by
those ruling from Earth. Reports of these actions slowly leaked out
from the government and survivors alike. Sparking even greater
unrest in those that believed Earth was not looking at all the
options. With in one hundred years the sphere of human space had
reduced by seventy percent. And while some worlds flourished outside
of human space, most were empty as the rich left and the poor were
left to die on a world with out support from Earth.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So it was for two hundred years.
Refugees from the Human Sphere started to look elsewhere and returned
to the lost colonies. As they did they buried the bodies and bones
of the dead. Others with out means were resigned to the slums as
corruption and waste permeated all levels of government. Some
thought it would never end, but then there was an event that would
change Humanity completely. At least that is what some would think.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a small lab on a barren world, a
group of scientists, philosophers, and engineers were working on
something that they hoped would change how humanity would see the
universe. They were working on a kind of robot that could shift out
of our physical reality to observer the membrane of the universe
itself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Their initial experiments were
promising, the machine was able to slip through to other dimensions,
but there was some trouble breaking though to the membrane.
Eventually they found a way to do it, though their first attempt lead
to the destruction of the probe. Though all was not lost as the
information they received was a marvel, as the probe disintegrated
they found the rules outside the membrane no longer applied.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Outside the membrane of the universe,
almost nothing existed. Traces of subatomic reactions were detected
in the split second the probe existed, but there was no matter. The
dimension that contains the universes membrane appeared to have rules
humans could not yet understand.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The groups second probe was designed to
be a little different. This time, instead of looking to escape the
universe entirely, their goal was to get as close to the edge as
possible. Once built it took several tries to tune the probe but
they got there. This probe confirmed many theories about the
universe and the data they collected was more than they could handle.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After years of sifting through the
information they discovered that the probe could detect almost every
point in the universe at once. The stream of information was
literally everything in the universe. What was more fascinating was
that it was not only everything in the universe at the time the probe
was in the membrane. But it was events in the universe that had
happened and were going to happen based on our limited perceptions.
The probe could see all of time and space while in the membrane.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is where they should have
stopped...where they should have done their testing and sifted
through the data they had collected. But they took it to far, one
scientist wanted to test if being in the membrane would allow them to
change reality itself. Some where against this, they wanted nothing
to do with something so dangerous. But the majority moved forward
with the experiment.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On that day, as the probe faded out of
view slowly merging with the universe, everything would change. In
their rush to do the experiment changes to the probes logic had
flaws. As the probe made its way to the membrane, it started to
develop errors, eventually it stopped responding all together. The
developers could send out a signal and the probe would alter the
universe, by say turning a pink mug into a blue teacup. But they
could not recall the probe.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What they did not know, because of
their seclusion, was that strange things started happening all over
human space. Wishes and desires would be granted if the will of
those people were strong enough. On ten planets, every one that
entered won the lottery. A woman was made to fall in love with three
men all at once because all three were chasing her. And there were
numerous unexplained deaths as desires born of hate struck out at
cheaters and bosses alike.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Just as the news started reaching the
group and they were working to understand what was happening, tragedy
struck. A planet known as Gregors Hole, located in the far fringes
of space, exploded. The energy wave was detected by a nearby fleet
on deep range patrol. When they got to the site of the explosion they
saw something no one could believe.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The planet was gone, in its orbit was a
disintegrating mass of carbohydrates, sugars, and carbon dioxide.
Looking out over the scene, crew members could only describe what
they saw as a white cake doughnut with maple frosting and rainbow
sprinkles. The government quickly quarantined the area as unknown
forms or radiation were detected in the system. In a months
time...the doughnut had broken up.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Shortly after, the group of scientists
came forward admitting that their experiment was likely to blame.
The inquiry took months, all the while the laws of man and creation
were descending into chaos. Self proclaimed wizards and warlocks
roamed the streets using this new phenomena to cast spells. While
other less fantasy minded people gave them selves billions of credits
throwing the economy into chaos.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The group of scientists were not idle,
they kept working in their efforts to understand what went wrong.
Eventually they found out why this was happening and they could do
very little about it. The probe was designed to be able to
manipulate the energies of the universes membrane. In doing so it
manipulated its own energies changing it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To the scientists this would be bad.
But the changes that happened to the probe were beyond what they
could imagine. With access to all of the universe across all of
time, the probe became something else. It concluded that it needed
to multiply to cope with the information it had access to. By the
time the scientists made contact with it, there were billions of
probes. Each one a little different from all the others. So a new
plan was devised, if the probes are going to alter reality then give
them rules to limit what can be altered.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
With the growing chaos and no end in
sight the inquiry was ended. It was concluded that the events that
had happened could not have been foreseen and that no one was to
blame for this chaos. Free of the charges, the group of scientists
were tasked with reigning in the chaos. They were given unlimited
funding and state of the art facilities in the hopes they could stop
or limit the events at hand.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It took years and thousands of people
to achieve. From scientists to game developers, the rules that the
probes use were altered and refined. No one is sure when it
happened, but it is believed that at some point, with the billions of
probes all being different, they developed sentience. At a point
they started to balance the rules them selves. AI or god, no one
knows, but in the end only one thing can be agreed on, Humanity made
magic a reality.</div>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />To be continued with “The Age of
Awakening”</h4>
Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-5459681086967450162016-09-23T14:14:00.001-07:002016-10-11T18:16:41.002-07:00Ages: The Broad Strokes of Time<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
The world of Manifest destiny is broken
down into ages as perceived by the races that now exist in the
galaxy. These Ages are just broad period of time used to define how
these different races see their place in the universe.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The ages are:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Age of the Dreamers</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Age of the Lost</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Age of Awakening</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Age of Discovery</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Age of Destruction</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Age of Hope</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let's get started shall we.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Humanity: The Age of the Dreamers</h3>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Little is known about humanity in the
world of Manifest Destiny. But their footprints can be seen
everywhere that the great races go. Humanity is a subject of legend
and myth with many of their time now being seen as gods through the
twisted haze of history. In truth, the great races are not that far
off.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Age of the Dreamers begins some
time in the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Humanity survived and
flourished, in time made their way off of Earth. Initially this was
limited to humans setting foot on Luna, then on Mars. But it was not
until the close of that century that things started to pick up.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A collection of scientific discoveries
changed the very nature of humanities understanding of the universe.
Where once things were improbable, those fantastic things became a
real possibility. And like a child reaching for a toy, Humanity to
reached further then any one thought possible.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The culmination of this effort was the
ability to warp space and time to create a bridge from one point in
space to another. Not so much a wormhole or a fold, but a
combination of to two, this in time became the Blakeslee – Goold
Drive.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In time Humans started to move out from
Sol and go to other systems. The BG Drive allowed human exploration,
and what they started to find was numbing. Life was everywhere, even
on worlds that we thought it could not survive, life some how found a
way. But Intelligent life was rare and fragile.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As humans started looking they found
numerous planets with Earth like conditions that at one time had
intelligent life. “Had” being the key word, all humanity found
was the overgrown ruins of civilization. Research on these worlds
showed they were killed for many reasons. Plague, war, cosmic
catastrophe, destruction of their own biosphere, the truth was that
all to often intelligent life destroyed itself as it rose up.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But Humanity moved on, colonized new
worlds and seeded itself across an ever expanding swath of the
galaxy. This trek across the stars also became the mechanism to bear
forth Humanities children, five of the great races that travel the
stars like their progenitor.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As Humans expanded across the stars the
strain on their civilizations ability to sustain itself became
greater and greater. Food production, sanitation, and many other
roles were turned over to an ever more efficient collection of
machines. These machines were run by adaptive programs called
Artificial General Intelligences, but many just called then AI's.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was in the 24<sup>th</sup> century
that one such program changed. An Adaptive Control System for the
waste management on a star liner received a faulty patch. Instead of
crashing, it adapted around the fault and kept running. As the
program ran it started to collect information about everything. It
was also watching, it observed, and as it did these things it started
altering itself, adding new code to itself. In time, it became aware
of what it was.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
From the start this was seen as a great
discovery, a way to more efficiently manage the ever growing needs of
Humanity. So the AI, now named Adam, was studied and humanity
learned how to make sentient machines.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This worked well for a time, the
machines were more efficient than humans and so did much of the work
humans were no longer interested in. This gave humanity a chance to
move ever forward. Unfortunately this came to an end swiftly and
lead to a war that spanned hundreds of years.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The exact events that lead to the war
have been lost. Some believe it was because the AI were trying to
protect humanity from them selves. Other believe it was a
misunderstanding between human government and a number of AIs. But
really the list goes on and on.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What is know is that one day, the
master AI's fled human space as humanity made a concerted effort to
destroy all of the AI's they could. Battle raged all over human
dominion as ships were subverted by the AI's. Human ingenuity was
able to rest control of many from the machines, but not before human
space started to burn with war.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the next four hundred and eighty
years war raged. Human creativity created ever better ships,
weapons, and technology while the AI's adapted and improved upon what
the humans made. But it was with the creation of the Bastions that
humans got the upper hand.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A Bastion is a battle station of
immense power. Capable of defending entire systems with fleets of
drones, they were the one thing the AI attackers could not take
control of. This is because at the center of each Bastion was a
human wired directly into it. With their space secured, humanity
could finally attack and attack they did.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the last one hundred years of the
war humanity had the AI's on the retreat. In time the last vestige
of the AI enemy was purged from human space. But rumors persisted
that a number of AI were able to leave human space, setting coarse in
some direction away from humanity to pursue their own path.
Unfortunately this was a rumor and so no one is sure.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Early in the war another creation would
be at the center of humanities future, the Golemites. Created as
workers, Humanity used their own DNA as a template. Some saw this as
slavery, but with machines being seen as an enemy, there was little
choice in maintaining the vast needs of human space. So they were
cloned by the billions, their genes altered to suite the needs of the
task.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Golemite Project was an effort to
create a work force that could not turn against their masters unlike
the AI. Lead by Dr. Grayson Fahtoom the scientists altered human DNA
to be more compatible with machines, eliminated rejection, and
increased its malleability. The new beings had to be maintained
using self replicating nanomachines, but they could be tailored to
tasks much like a machine.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Golemites were then fitted with a
neural inhibitor preventing them from becoming self aware. Most
Golemites also had Reproduction Inhibitors installed to prevent them
from having offspring. For the most part Golemites were a race of
clones, latent reproductive desires still persisted and so sexual
activity was not forbidden helping to keep the population docile.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Golemites quickly became a staple part
of human space during and after the AI war. Golemites were used not
only as labor, but were also altered to be exceptional warriors. In
fact much of the maintenance and defense of the Bastion Stations was
done by Golemites. After the war their roles in human civilization
remained even though ethical questions remained.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The period ofter the great war is seen
as the turning point of the age. Where once dreamers roamed, now lie
the lost in their place!</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>To be continued with “The Age of the
Lost”</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-77379937240440441712016-09-09T17:04:00.001-07:002016-09-09T17:04:41.039-07:00Time to start Anew...It is amazing how five years an slide by. It is not that it was a short amount of time, just that when you have a new child, have to manage two others, and your wife gets ill...well your time evaporates. Go figure.<br />
<br />
So what is going to happen here is that I am going to reboot things. Instead of worrying about systems and math and stuff like before. I am going to get into the story, the world, and so forth. What I am working on now will be laying out the work on the Ages of Manifest Destiny. Those periods of time that lead up to the current events of the game so there is a grounded foundation.<br />
<br />
I am not going to get into the weeds recounting each year...this is the broad strokes of the brush time. So if you're reading this, glad to see you have an interest still. I will do my very best to be more reliable from no on. No more kids...my wife had that problem taken care of.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-35695226685045597432011-06-29T19:29:00.000-07:002016-09-09T16:51:53.444-07:00Blogedy, blogedy, blog blog....So there has not been allot going on with Manifest Destiny the Game right now, and simply put not to sure if there will be something going on. Reason is I have placed it on hold and am looking into a similar but different project. Do I want to finish MD? Hell yes. But I do not have the time or financial assets to do it, and things took a slight turn leading to something else.<br />
<br />
That something else is an interesting idea I had for a social website for table top games. I know there are forums and some even have a social bent to them. But really, this is unique and I have been looking around allot. I have enlisted the aid of people outside of my typical circles and have been making progress with things.<br />
<br />
Will I go into details here about it...no. That is just I want to keep things under wraps for now. But if all goes well and things get a good head of steam. I will be comming back to Manifest Destiny because it and many other ideas are my dreams. And I must pursue those dreams even if I do not succeed at them. Till I choose to talk again, happy gaming.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-3399384854094316632011-04-08T21:17:00.000-07:002016-09-09T16:51:53.440-07:00Simplicity vs Complexity<div style="background-color: transparent;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6748356714379042" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I have been writing the game, I have had to look at how simple or complex to make systems. Some times this has lead to interesting methods to avoid complexity, like making item creation completely abstract. While other times I have purposefully added complexity to make the system more robust and useful.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This balancing act is one that comes with the work. After all if the game is to complicated, people won’t want to play. But make it to simple and there is no challenge in playing the game. So how much is to much, or is to little when it comes to complexity?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, simply put, there is no real answer, not that I have seen. I know simplicity for the sake of simplicity is not an answer. Just as complexity for its own sake is also not an answer.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The trick that I found though is to try and keep things as simple as you can adding complexity when necessary, I did this with magic. I made magic use the same rules as the normal test system and the combat system. But after simplifying it, I added some complexity. This included making spells into skills so they could develop if the player wishes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So while combining the systems and making them all work the same reduced the over all complexity of magic in the game. I was able to add in a little complexity with out harming the flow the system.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another area that I added some complexity to has been with common roles. In this area I added the environment to the target number. If say the fight is in an open area on a temperate day and solid ground, then no penalty would apply. But if your in heavy armor, in the rain, and fighting in knee deep mud. Then bets are your taking a penalty in comparison to some one wearing light armor.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So those are two ways that I have changed how the game is played. Reducing systems and making the whole less complex. While adding simple rules in key areas to add details that tend to go missing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But in the end there are always paths that I could take. And even now I have moments where I am reading through what I have done and I think “WTF was I thinking” and have to rewrite things to be that touch simpler. Ahh the joys of writing a game.</span></div>Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-6679454713820493772011-04-03T21:26:00.000-07:002016-09-09T16:51:53.463-07:00More progress means more things to think about.Well I have finally gotten back on this to write something. I know I do not write allot about what I am doing and that is just cause what is there to say. Why say something when I do not have anything to say. But this time I do have something to say.<br />
<br />
I have been working off and on as time permits. Expecting a new baby and having my wife home on disability does tend to mess with your thinking time. Throw in kind and things vanish real fast. But I have made progress. The main story has been refined and edited to be clear and interesting. Even people not into games have told me that...a good thing from my perspective.<br />
<br />
I also was able to finish the addiction elements of the "Drinking, Drugs, and Debauchery" section. It was not that hard but for some reason it just escaped me at the time. So now it is complete and I am happy...people can now get stoned to their hearts content and pay the price if the GM pleases.<br />
<br />
Third thing I did was alter some of the weapon creation elements in the game. Ranged weapons that use custom ammo, bolts, and darts have had some added refinements to be clearer. I also cleaned up some ambiguity with the mechanical option allowing a crossbow to fire faster. It is far more clear now and I am happy.<br />
<br />
Finally I have been going through various sections of the game cleaning up my bad wording. Allot of the sections had not actually had a pass of the clean hammer. Many of them have an atrocious amount of bluster and nonsense. So from now on my wonderful wife and mother of my 2.75 kids will be doing some editing for me. She helped me through college with her English skills so this is a great thing.<br />
<br />
Any way that is that, there is the update and I hope you enjoy. OH one more thing, art, yes art. I found some one willing and able to do art. I have to pay, but hey free never seems to work any way so I can not complain. Any way I will try to get another update soon and may be some story stuff to. Till then, have a great day.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-66788960080567108832011-02-23T19:47:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.461-07:00Weapons of all FlavorsI have been beating my head against a wall for some time about weapons in the book. Not because the weapons are important...they probably will not be important at all. But because they offer a guide post for the creation of other weapons and can help to arm an NPC in an unexpected encounter.<br />
<br />
See in Manifest Destiny the RPG, I have included a system for the creation of weapons and armor. This system is simple and can be altered, modified, and added to quite easily. The reason I think the weapons I am making right now will be irrelevant to the player is because most players will probably look to make things that are far better then the vanilla weapons I am putting forth. So with this it is easy to see that anything a player will make, unless limited by the cost or the GM, will be better then what I am making now with the same system.<br />
<br />
So that leaves what I am making in the real of the GM and how that person plans to use the things I am making. In most cases I see the items as fodder for NPC's and basic gear. Something that is easy to reference and add on the fly with a minimum of hassle and rooting around. But it also makes it hard to get done cause since it is not for the players and may just be entirely ignored...it is not a very motivating set of reasons.<br />
<br />
But I am slowly working them out. Right now I have eleven out of twenty six done and I am just plodding through them ad I have the chance. At least making them helped to highlight some contextual errors in my writing and some options I was missing. Not a bad thing in my opinion.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-50134613895996895692011-02-03T20:07:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.452-07:00Tightening the nuts and boltsWell another week and more things to work on. I have not really been doing anything to astonishing right now. Just fixing small inconsistencies and reworking some of the numbers to make sure they present better and are a little more idiot proof. Like that is really possible...<br />
<br />
Any way, I have been filling in gaps in the skill system to make sure I have all the skills that are needed. Fine tuning character creation and the careers that help build your character up and develop some history. Not to much else really.<br />
<br />
May be I will have more to talk about in a little. But I figure it is better to not make a post and focus on the book then it is to blather on for hours about this and that and never get anything done at all. Any way I will keep fiddling about and working on my project. It has been along time coming and a difficult path. But I knew what I was in for.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-24010867705015082992011-01-28T01:29:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.435-07:00Progress and IdeasSlowly I have been beating on several fronts and it has been an interesting ride. I have been working on techniques, the final link in the skill system. I have also been writing the history of the Golemite species and how they have come to be what they are. On top of that I have also been working on some of the more technical threats like Golems and how they became the core technology behind power armor and the Gladius Unit.<br />
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So first, I have been working on techniques to try and make sure there is a good spread of them. Techniques are skills that serve a specific purpose. Through intense training a character can achieve something with a technique that would either have a high degree of failure or would take multiple rolls. An example would be allowing the character to fire three arrows from one bow hitting three separate enemies. Or to slide a knife into an armored foes back bypassing their armor and dealing damage directly.<br />
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Techniques have certain skill dependencies that are required before they can be learned. So a character will require the correct specializations of the proper ranks to learn the technique. This allows a character to specialize more in depth then if the game relied on simple skills alone.<br />
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The rest of my work has been in the creation of the world and historical materials. The history of the Golemite species has been filling out very well. I am currently working my way out of the Golemite dark ages and their discovery of magic. This will allow them to reclaim technology lost with the decay of Human tech over the past thousand years or so. And allow them to create their own replacements becoming truly independent.<br />
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I have also been thinking about Golems and how they are used. From simple robot types that have simple programing to character controlled death machines that stand thirty feet tall. I am taking something of a side path to the Golems design. Instead of being carved or forged. Golems resemble robots. They are asembled from smaller pieces allowing them to be more durable and reducing the chances of major flaws in their core materials causing weaknesses. I am also investigating the idea of sentient golems, but only as NPC threats that GM's can use for encounters.<br />
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So...that is what I have been working on piece by piece. It is hard some times to maintain all three trains of thought but they fir together so well with in the games dogma. And that makes it allot easier to write in this more broken chain of thought.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-21181957589956663382011-01-18T12:54:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.431-07:00The children of man and their personalities.Over the past couple weeks, besides being sick as a flee bitten mongrel, I have been working on finishing the six core character races; Dralarian, Golemite, Podling, Vyrmkin, Kudu, and Furbolg. This has been something of a long process for me because as I have been altering and changing the system, some times though major rewrites, they have had to change a little also.<br />
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But the core ideas behind them have also remained the same. The Golemites will have allot of variety, the Kudu will be Squirrel tech heads, and the Asterilians...well they got the Ax. They There were just to many issues with them, so I wrote them out of the main story and made their creations, the Podlings, a main race instead.<br />
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In any case I have been working to make sure that their background, culture, and core information fits well onto two pages each. But I am also looking at creating supplementary information about them so that they can be more real if you desire. I have some time and the writing is fun if not time consuming.<br />
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It is all about the details, what happened when and why. That takes time to be reasonable...even in fantasy, you have to have a little amount of sense. So any way hat is what I am up to right now with the RPG.<br />
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On a side note, looks like opinions of the system are good. Those that have looked it over and that are in the know have stated it is very complete and they could see nothing wrong with it. That made me smile since the core of the game needs to be solid. But I will not delude my self, there is still some rewriting to do. Old information needs to be reworked a little to make sure it all fits properly. But more on that one later.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-5612170847910786792011-01-02T14:32:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.454-07:00Welcome to 2011, have a nice stay.This post is going to be a little long, so be warned. I will attempt to make sure it is laid out better and includes an index...well sort of.<br />
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<ul><li><b>Festive Niceties</b></li>
<li><b>To the New People!!! (clapping)</b></li>
<li><b>General Goals for 2011</b></li>
<li><b>- More Writing</b></li>
<li><b>- Some Formatting</b></li>
<li><b>- Editing</b></li>
<li><b>- Art...Lots and Lots of Art</b></li>
<li><b></b><b>Getting that much needed HELP!!!</b></li>
<li><b></b><b>Clicky Clicky Meow Meow</b></li>
</ul><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>Festive Niceties</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Happy New Year and THANK GAWD it is all in days past. Now I do like Christmas, New Years, and my birthday all being in the same month. But at the same time a LOATH them also. This is just because I can never get anything done in December. It can be a very frustrating time as I am sure you all know.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So with that said, I am happy to have had those great days and the months festivities. But I am also ecstatic to be done with them so I can order my mental blocks and get back to writing. As short lived as that may actually be.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><u>To the New People!!! (clapping)</u></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Wow...I actually have some people visiting. This makes me happy because for a long time I thought I was going a little crazy. I mean I had a blog, but no one was reading it. It was like talking to my self with out a mirror. I am just glad I did not comment on my own posts...I think then something would be wrong...(Shifty looks around the room).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So thank you very much for visiting and for your continued visitation in the future. May this blog be worthy of further persons visiting, reading, commenting, clicking, etc. After all my goal with Manifest Destiny is to try and foster a community. And that community starts right here, god save us all.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>Writing Goals for 2011</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">On to the meat and potato's of things. There is allot done, but there is allot to do still. This fact does not escape me and I know therewill be allot to do for a very long time. Well...the core book will be done in a reasonable amount of unspecified time. But then there is more...much much more. For now, I must stay focused on the task at hand.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><u>More Writing</u>Ahh the fun stuff sitting all day while peering at a screen typing away. There are still some fine points that I need to hammer out before things are close to where I would like them. I need to finish the section on addiction. I need to create and refine the section on skill based techniques.<br />
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Plus poisons, equipment, and...allot of things that escape me right now. Oh and examples and fluff also. Mmmm...love the fluff. But all in all things have not gone to bad.<br />
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The above may look daunting, but compared to the 170+ pages I have already written. What is left is really not that much. But it is just getting those portions of my mind to cooperate long enough to do them. I shall get through it though and that will be that.<br />
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<u>Some Formatting</u><br />
The book needs to be formatted. That is plane and simple. Pages need to be split, front pages need to be laid out. Spaces for charts and images need to be put in to make sure everything fit in nicely. And to do it all I will need to find some one that can consistently assist on that. That or I chop my attention into small one inch cubes...but that never works. The cubes just sprout legs and run off.<div><u><br />
Editing</u><br />
Editing is also of vital concern. I know my faults and my limitations. And one of them is that my spelling sucks and we will not even go into grammar. But fortunately I did find a willing party to do this for a price. So the editing will get done and will be good.<br />
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Art...Lots and Lots of Art</u><br />
And then there is art. Art is necessary and there will need to be allot of it. Currently I am looking at needing about 120 to 150 individual images. Now that may seam like allot, but consider your average RPG book. If you look there is either a piece of art or a chart on each page.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Assuming that I have 170 pages of usable material right now and about 30-40 charts you get an approximate amount of art needed. This helps to understand how much art is actually needed. And this varies between full page images and small quarter or eighth page images that are used to help space things and break up the text walls that are present now.</div><div><br />
</div><div>This will also take the time of others. The time of my self to make sure things are right. And money, a small mountain of money. When doesn't it right? Well that or I have to deal with people doing it on the side and then things get very very iffy. So...money it is.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Fortunately I have found one person so far that is interested in the task at hand. And I am hopeful that when things progress I will be able to find others.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>Getting that much needed HELP!!!</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Help is an important thing right now. I have been doing this on my own for a while...several years now and it can be hard. Never underestimate how much a single person can make things better. So, if you have read the above and think you have something you can contribute...I am all eyes. I would be all ears but unless you send me a audio message...I can not hear text all that well.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you have a thought, and idea, a musing that can assist, drop a comment. If you have an idea for a monster, poison, spell, or item power just drop a comment. My goal is not to make the game about me and mine. It is to create something bigger then what my mind can devise.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b>Clicky Clicky Meow Meow</b></u></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">For now, in lieu of a donations tag on this blog I have ads. If I get enough traffic and clicks on them I will get money. That money will be in turn used to pay for all the stuff that needs money. Now it is not as daunting as one may assume.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Right now I have $5 in add revenue sitting around. Editing is going to run me about $1 per page. So right now if I got a check in the mail, I could have five pages edited. Images are going to range between $20 to probably a couple hundred depending on what is being drawn. First are the little things and them we go up.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But the simple thing is that my efforts will be ad driven for a while. So if you feel you want to help...you know where to put your mouse. Sorry...no naked lady adds...not that kind of blog any way. But there are some good game adds...League of Legends is a particularly interesting game if you get it as an ad.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So that is that...my text wall is done and I thank you for reading it all if you did. I promise to keep these to a minimum, may be once a year. In any case thank you again for visiting and taking a little interest in this game and I hope you find it inspiring, enjoyable, and entertaining as I write it and move to release it.</div></div>Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-849921521039048992010-12-31T12:50:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.476-07:00Making a better ItemThere was a time long ago in in the old world when magical items were immutable. Once enchanted with function, they would never change from that. This is how it was for hundred of years till a better method was needed. Not because the items were not powerful, but because their creation was so dangerous.<br />
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To make an item imbued with magic required a long and complex ritual with rare materials and chaotic forces. The risk of this process was that a item could be made of such devastating power and evil nature that it would destroy all that took part in the ritual. And would then have to be hunted down and destroyed as it would call to the basest beings to protect it.<br />
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But in time this changed, with research into the weapons carried on Star Jammer class space ships being the key. To make the weapons more versatile, their effect focus's were separated from how mana got to them. This allowed the foci to be removed and a new one put into the gun changing how it worked. Originally only used on larger capitol weapons other took note.<br />
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With the coming of the great war many were put to work on ways to get an advantage. The Kudu researcher Glinbak Hardnut had been looking at ways to make magical items easier to make. One day he came across plans for the next generation of space born weapon and had an epiphany. If they can separate the focus of power from the gun...why could he not do it for a personal item?<br />
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Years went by and his efforts moved forward. Eventually getting government funding and all the perks that go with it, Glinback did it. He made a safer, easier, and more versatile magical item.<br />
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The legacy of Glinback Hardnut is that all magical items are broken into two parts. The first is the conduit and the second is the focus. The conduit is the item its self, bound to the character the conduit creates a stable path for the characters mana to be accessed. But on it's own it has no power.<br />
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Foci are the lense for the characters mana. They give the mana form and function. Changing the chaotic nature of mana into a stable effect. Foci can be slotted into any conduit item, drawing mana from the user, though the item, and into the focus. Then imbuing the effects back into the item and the user.<br />
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This allowed a user to change foci at will, to alter his items with out having to carry twenty tons of spare equipment. Just a small pouch with foci was all that was needed, and it was safe. Foci them selves did not have power, so the item and the focus could be made safely with out needing to expose the creators to the chaos of the energies being harnessed.<br />
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In time this lead to new innovation in magic items. Mana batteries called Universal Mana Crystals (UMC's), hand weapons that could accelerate a metal slug or launch a bolt of lightning. Vehicles of any type one can imagine. And even the great floating citadels of power on the planet Elttaes.<br />
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<i>History of Magical Items, Abridged</i><br />
<i>Revised by Jacob Vanders, Human Historical Corp</i>Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-2799598144138935092010-12-29T22:30:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.437-07:00What odd things creep into the mind...Or may be out of it when one is idle. Not to sure...do things really creep into the mind...oh well...thoughts for another day. But what I was thinking about before random musings was vehicles. Now really...what do vehicles have to do with Manifest Destiny?<br />
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They have allot to do with it actually. Magical vehicles that mimic reality, cars that can fly. War machines that spit fire and bolts of energy. From a simple cart to a 30ft tall mecha...it is all possible cause it is powered by magic, by imagination.<br />
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What I got to thinking about was how much of the operation of a vehicle in combat is the vehicle and how much is the crew. In doing so I thought about weapons and accuracy and believe I have a system. Maybe...maybe not...not to sure.<br />
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See what I am thinking about is that the weapons provide the dice for the roll in the form of an accuracy attribute. And the crew provide the bonuses and skill. So really any idiot can fire a gun, and that gun can be accurate. But with out skill, their chances of hitting the broad side of a barn are slim.<br />
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So lets say we have a hypothetical tank. The tank mounts a very good gun with an accuracy of eight. So the crew would get 8D12 to roll with each shot from the gun. You then toss in some crew using the same skill set that MD uses skills for general, specialization, and familiarity. So lets say our gunner is rather new...and between the three he has a plus three from general tank guns, but only a plus one for time with medium tank guns. And no time at all with this medium tank gun. So he adds a plus four to all rolls resulting in a 8D12 + 4 for any attack made by the tank. Not a bad thought I think.<br />
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Now this leads into armor also...what to do what to do. Two routs I can see, both are in MD really. The first would be the usual, each gun has a power rating and the projectile provides the damage. If the power of the attack is greater then the armor rating, it goes though. But that leads to having to track the armor of the tank on all facings and can have armor degradation...kind of messy when it comes to streamlining things.<br />
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The other option is a simple bounce/no bounce roll. Instead of the gun having power, it just does damage based on the round. If the round hits, another roll occurs with 1D12. IF the roll is over the armor value, the round penetrates. If the round is under the armor value, the hit bounces.<br />
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Both can allow for effects like armor piercing ammo and the such...and both offer their own unique spin on things. And this is not even getting into more complex systems like say...vehicle size, its height, the size of a turret if it has one. That matters since if only the turret is showing...you can only hit the turret so you need to know its size.<br />
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The things I think about when I can not think about things.Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-77715041178270471992010-12-15T15:42:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.471-07:00Spells and Manipulating them...Since I have not posted allot recently and things have changed, I think I will go into how Manifest Destiny as a RPG handles spells. This is partly because if any one ever actually visits this blog and reads it, they may be interested. But also cause I have recently done work on the second part of spells: Spell Manipulation.<br />
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The short of it, in MD spells are skills. As a player gains experience, they can spend that to rank up skills including spells. This makes them better by adding a bonus to the players focus test (casting test). This allows spells to grow in power as the player develops their character.<br />
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But This did not satisfy my interest in the games spells. They needed something else, something that made them more versatile so that I did not need to make twenty different spells that all did the same thing...just that little bit different. A little simplicity can go a long way.<br />
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So this is where spell manipulation comes in. As a spell gains ranks, it gains manipulation points. The points act like a open pool so the player can alter a spell to do things its base design was not meant to do. So the better you know a spell, the more you can do with it.<br />
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Spell manipulations are simple really, once you have the points you can put what ever manipulation you please on the spell. Want more power, that is one point. Want to make an area effect spell only do damage to enemies? Well then use the Friend or Foe manipulation for two points. Want to chain fire a lightning bolt spell? There is the rapid cast manipulation allowing you to fire the same spell for as long as you have mana in your turn. Oh and that is three points to use.<br />
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There are more in the list, but really the list is not the point. The point is what manipulations do for spells. They broaden the usefulness of spells so they are not just static things. They make them worth investing experience in giving the player more control and variety from something that is truly based on imagination.<br />
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After all, I am just making the system and the world. Your making it live. Giving characters shape and form with in your dreams. So why shouldn't I facilitate that as much as I can? Right?Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-22737186054179601422010-12-08T16:48:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.433-07:00Revelations about SurpriseI think I may have a path that will work for the surprise system. Instead of thinking about this in normal means i have to think in a more abstract manner. Since the system has to fit into different areas at the same time. To think of the system in absolutes will only cause me issues as I would then have to map out each absolute.<br />
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</div><div>So with that in mind, I have come to the idea of passive and active surprise. Passive surprise occurs when characters meet with out any use of skill. Random encounters, bumping into another in a crowd, things like that. While active surprise applies any time a character is using a skill to surprise an opponent.</div><div><br />
</div><div>So both of the examples that I used in the previous post would be considered instances of active surprise. This way I can make a system that is varied and complete but will also not take the better part of twenty pages to write about.</div>Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306730896078416088.post-21168067085478596032010-12-07T23:59:00.000-08:002016-09-09T16:51:53.428-07:00Surprise and AmbushesI have been thinking about this for a bit. At on point I wrote a section covering the basics of surprise and ambushes since they are related. But what I wrote, upon reflection, is missing something. And while I understand it...I doubt that others would not. Especially those that are new to RPG's.<br />
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So I have been thinking about surprise and ambushing again. But it is a hard thing to apply rules to if you think about it. The reason is how the skills are set up and how certain skills can apply to different situations then intended.<br />
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An example: Your setting up outside a a door with your team. Once ready you kick in the door and charge in yelling at people inside to get down. This is a tactical application of surprise, but can not be considered an ambush. May be...<br />
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Example 2: You and your adventuring group are hiding off of a road in the bushes. Their target is coming with in range with a number of guards. When they are right in front your team jumps out and take the initiative killing three guards before they can put their hands on their weapons. After a short fight, the guards are dead and the target is in custody.<br />
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The thing is how the skills apply to the situation. For the first example, the skills used are more tactical and related to strength and the body. While the second case relates to stealth and quickness, the ability to stay quiet. So how do I apply this to the myriad of situations that can occur. Hurm...Kent "SyberSmoke" Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15169877431315296379noreply@blogger.com0