Planetfall - IC

by **Harkback Union** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:59 am

The First Generation...

Over the course of the last 5 years, the first of a new generation of mankind was brought to life beneath an alien sky, never to see mother earth with their naked eyes, only through grainy watchvids and illustrations made available to them. The successful human reproduction in this alien environment have somewhat boosted morale, especially among the parents. However, the initial optimism is now gradually fading away, as development of the colonies is slow and demands long ours of hard labor across the board.

Effects:
+3 Harmony during Years 6-10

The 5th year anniversary of planetfall was met with modest celebrations. Some have proposed that for the 10th anniversary, a monument should be erected at the exact spot where their escape pod has made planetfall, to remind future generations of their plight and accomplishments.

Effects:

Each faction may, from years 6 and on construct a single monument at their landing site (and only there) from one of the following:

- Earth Memorial -
Costs 5 Labor or 1 BP, +3 Harmony

- Landmark of Progress -
Costs 5 Labor or 1 BP, +1 RP, +1 Harmony

- Symbol of Defiance -
Double base core HP and attack, +1 Harmony

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 9:27 am

"Spice is an insidious substance, simultaneously ambrosia and luciferium. A man who has regular small doses in his meals will live for double his natural span, assuming no ill incident, and be as healthy as a horse for the duration of that existence- but an addict who consumes merely three times that small dosage will fall into a drug-addled haze from which he is unlikely to emerge, working as a man possessed for a year and more with uncharacteristic creativity and fervor before the derived toxic concentration in overwhelms his intercranial membranes and renders him a vegetable. This is the curse and opportunity we have been given by Planet- salvation, and damnation." - Medicant Vladislav Petrenko, The Annotated Biology of Planet, Volume Seven

Mess Hall, The Spire, Ara Continent
Mission Year Six

Beneath the low light of the gentle glowglobes a hundred souls ate together, the quiet murmur of conversation washing over me like a tide. It seemed strange, in some ways, that so many of the original survivors of the Harmony disaster still lived with us. As I looked up from my hardy loaf of nutribread, indeed, all of the faces were familiar, save those of some of the youngest children. Some were more familiar than others, of course- the colonists from Lifepod 14 had only been with us for a little over two years now, but still, there were only a few hundred people in the colony all told, so they were easy to keep track of.

What I was thankful for most, though, was the hot food and warm shower that I was looking forward to after a long day at the manufactory. With the dam at Lake Dwemeris online, there was juice and to spare in the colony's conduits. No longer did we carefully have to ration that electrical lifeblood from the Provost's light solar generator between necessary medical instruments and the larger energy demands of the robotic laborers; hell, I looked forward to booting up one of the holovids later, to give my mind something to dwell on during the rejuvenant treatment that was scheduled for tomorrow.

There was already gray and white in some of the hair of the oldest colonists, a fate I had escaped so far. It was a sad but, so far, necessary distinction of my rank and that of the Faculty. We didn't have the resources, nor the chem production, to give everyone near-clinical immortality... even if we would wish it. There had already been grumblings in the conclave about the squalid cramped conditions some of the colonists had to endure, and the unequal access to life-preserving treatments would only exacerbate the issue. I picked halfheartedly at my food, looking down again, my good mood somewhat diminished by the reminder of the weeks I would have to spend in the pod once more as a price of my position as Arch-Fabricant.

A silly title, really. But the masses had voted on it, and I suppose it made sense. Daft, similar to calling our home the Spire, due to how it poked as a metal finger towards the sky out of the surrounding empty flatness of endless fungal plains and hills. The colonists that lived here liked the name, though, so it had stuck, despite being resolutely uncreative. It did look good on the letterhead, though, and it made a convenient callsign for whenever the radio operators were able to raise some of the other factions that occupied this alien world, or the brave souls over in Farholme.

I chewed contemplatively, my mind slowly and methodically cataloging the orders and missives I should still get in motion prior to my time in the tank. The prototypes out of engineering for worker-assist fabrication units were good enough for me to rubber-stamp their implementation in the Manufactory. No more hand tools and cranked rolling belts; with the power of gravity lending light and energy to the motors the tech-heads had devised, industrial production would increase by leaps and bounds. Provost Ahriman was also making promising progress with extracting a medicinal drug from the mottled fungus that surrounded our base, which I looked forward to trying once I was back in the land of the living- it apparently made the nutrient paste reconstituted by the agriprocessor both nutty and vaguely cinnamon flavored, and might have beneficial health effects, based on the laboratory trials. Anything would be better than the slop we ate now, to my mind.

by **Planet Risen** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 9:43 am

Mission Year Six

Second Moon Sets...

The second moon of this uncharted world, a red orb that hangs low in the night sky on most days, appears to have rotated far out on its slow orbit around the planet. Without the crimson light of the moon to give them light to function by at night, the ecosystems of the planet appear to be calmer, more docile. Herbivores and grazers are more sluggish, easier to catch for enterprising colonists, and predators appear to have retired into a form of hibernation or half-sleep, meaning men and women can stay out in the dark with less fear of what lurks there...

...which is well, because many of the humans that have survived the Harmony's crash have begun to suspect this alien world is not as tame as it may have initially seemed. There have been increasing reports of late across all the bases and factions of strange noises at night not consistent with the regular wildlife, of hermits and foolhardy explorers going missing, and of sightings of creatures that do not fit with what the colonists know of their ecosystems. The colonists breathe a collective sigh of relief, and feast merrily on the bounty the Red Moon's setting has brought to their foodhalls.

Global Effect: Alien Aggression markedly reduced. All Base Sites produce +1 Food. This effect will last for five years.

Local Effects:
Alien Jungle Sites: With the setting of the Red Moon, a unique breed of phosphorescent plant has begun to bloom, exotic and luminescent, visible over large distances. You may either (Harvest) this bloom, and gain +1 Harmony at all bases for the next five years due to its soothing effects or (Utilize) this bloom, signaling other groups of survivors that may have survived the crash. If you Utilize the bloom, one regular Population will join your colony, bringing with them 2 Preserved Food.

Xenofungus Sites: As the blood-drenched light of the Red Moon begins to fade, some of the nearby fungal stalks have begun to unfurl, making use of the decreased animal activity to breed and propagate. You may harvest these fungal stalks for their special spice nodules, which may be utilized to either give your bases +1 Harmony for the next five years, or provide an immediate boost to productivity, generating 0.5 BP or 3 Labor.

Coastal Sites: The disappearance of the Red Moon has led to an upwelling of aquatic life that washes up on your shores, strange and grotesque lifeforms drawn to the surface from the depths by the unusual lack of light at night. Some of them bear fatty deposits of petrochemicals calcified at extreme depth, which you may burn in your furnaces immediately for easy power, or harvest and preserve for later use. Gain +2 Petroleum or +1 Energy every year for five years.

Arctic Sites: Boreal lights greet the disappearance of the Red Moon, purples and greens and vibrant cyan dancing in the night sky at this high latitude. These lights are beautiful, but disrupted by an impact as an orbiting piece of the Harmony falls to earth nearby. It appears to be remnant of a colony pod, crashed to the ground due to some gravitic disruption, with a single passenger. He is half-mad after five years of isolation from his fellow man, but appears to be a former military officer. He refuses to give up his pod, but might consider helping your faction. Either (Kill) him, and take his Habitation Pod, or (Adopt) him into your society, granting you a free Officer.

by **Cainesland** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 9:47 am

The Wolfpack

Turn 1
Base 33
1 population - scavenge
1 population - move to base 38

Turn 2
Base 33
1 population - scavenge
1 population - born

Base 38
1 population - scavenge
1 population - born

by **Seno Zhou Varada** » Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:30 pm

The Peoples' Unity Front

Nova Barcelona, Year 10

The 10th year anniversary commenced in Nova Barcelona, celebrating, of course, ten years since planetfall. People danced in the streets, lights shone all around; the people, although their discontent grew, enjoyed themselves. Caterina watched from above, staring at the nighttime sky and beach. The skies shone with a myriad of colors stretching through, outshining the ones on Earth. The light pollution here was basically nothing, even with the growing urban presence. She looked back at the celebrations and compared it to the sky. The lights of both seemed to complement each other. The urban lights surrounded a person's sides but the sky of this planet was visible from above. The red moon's disappearance was certainly a blessing, it was an eyesore compared to the beauty of this sky.

The wilds were more dangerous than the skies. Strange beasts arose from the depths, carrying calcified hydrocarbons. These creatures were shot and brought back. Although rarely ate, these hydrocarbon materials were harvested and stored for later use. The other beasts grew more docile, becoming less agitated and easier to kill. The many predators kept out of the colony lands. There were few casualties arising from these predators, due to the prevalence of guns among colonists, but they did hinder work.

Caterina stared at the ocean, marveling it's beauty. The dark purple, almost black, waves crashed against the beaching. A great number of materials were pushed ashore and then yanked back into the depths. Although beautiful, it was a barrier. It was unsafe to enjoy due to the many creatures in it's depths. In addition, it blocked them off from further expansion. Their only land neighbors were the... Space Friends. There had been few reports from that territory, but conditions were worse than here. They struggled with food and their population was very unhappy. Armed guards patrolled their camps and shot strikers when they struck. The people here, although not as happy as they could be, were always fed and most had comfortable housing.

Applause erupted from the center of the celebrations, as a flag of Catalonia rose up. A Memorial to Earth, to Catalonia, to home. This signaled their stay here, and the end of their optimism. But it also signaled a new future they themselves would build. An organic future, not imposed by a militant state. Their state would be a state shaped by their efforts, through collaboration of the classes and guilds. This state would be a boon to the people, not one that took and took from them. This one would succeed, not fall into murder and chaos. This would be THEIR state.

by **Plzen** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 12:14 am

See the smoke climb to the skies,
Hear the roar of the factory rise,
The order that is, shall soon no longer be,
For our shackles we shall forge a key.

Nordhavn [Site 12], Commune of Planet
17th June 2173

"The people need its hope, Kristina," responded Dag. "When we first landed, Planet was our hope. It is only natural that five years later, that hope would begin to fade. I've seen it in the ballot box for the European Commission, I've seen it in the grimy Copenhagen factory floors, and now, here and once again, that is what I see. A nation that does not hope for a future, Kristina, does not have one. It is about time that we give them one."

"A most interesting thought," Kristina responded. "But where do I stand in all this?"

Dag looked up to her from his desk, curiosity flashing in his face before it returned to its normal imperturbable mask.

"I know that you haven't really had a chance to practice your craft, being stuck heading our nascent manufacturing sector, but you're still a theoretical physicist. You symbolise human progress in a way that nothing else we have on Planet does. What we could have been, on Earth, and what we could still be if only we try. I plan on creating the largest building of Nordhavn yet, right at the heart of our fledging city. A landmark, if you will. I plan to dedicate this building to the inquisitive spirit of mankind and - more pragmatically - to our engineering department. I was wondering whether you were interested in leading this project."

Ambition flashed in Kristina's eyes. She looked around the barren headquarters. Dag may be the First Speaker of the Commune, but his tastes were utilitarian in the extreme and, in any case, he was attempting to forge the beginnings of what seemed to Kristina like an incredibly egalitarian society. His office was poorly-kept, dominated by a large plasteel desk stretching across the centre of the room. Two shabby windows let daylight into the office, to at least save on electricity during the industrial hours, while old and battered datapads - probably dating back from the launch of Harmony - presented him with the information he needed.

She had no doubt that her future quarters as the lead of this project would be even worse. But it wasn't the wealth that mattered. Or even the comfort. It was the power. Ambition flashed across Kristina's mind.

"Of course, Dag," she replied. "It will be my pleasure.

Nordhavn [Site 12], Commune of Planet,
4th February 2176

It never occurred to most people on Earth, Dag sourly reflected, just how complex the 21st century economy was. An industrial base was not a small thing. Developed through centuries of industrialisation, every part of an industrial society supported myriads of other parts that could not exist without that part, and was itself supported by myriads of other parts without which the part could not exist. Resources, knowledge, institutions, labour... now, on Planet, they had to recreate all of it from scratch. They didn't have the centuries of slow and steady industrial progress that Earth used to launch itself into space.

Designing an industrial base from scratch and then building it from scratch... it was the same problem that Soviet economic planners once faced, but worse. Not only was the route of importing unreplicable machines closed to them, he also had to deal with the unfamiliar chemicals and physical conditions of Planet. Everything would have to be kept as simple as possible. Anything else was unmanageable. Once they had industrial self-sufficiency, everything else could be attached on and expanded to later.

Second Five Year Plan

by **ApplePieistan** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:30 am

Year 6

Happy days in Friendland, as insurrection is yet to begin. With fungal stocks growing, a swanky research facility nearing completion, along with the construction of an earth memorial, things are starting to look up for the Space Friends. With so much going well, it seemed like an appropriate time to visit the other friends, the People’s Unity Front. They seemed like good folks at the time and were happy the Space Friends helped them get a good space pod, so why not? Maybe they could share what they’ve discovered, have a nice chat, drink some tea, good times all around. To get there, the guys took the terraformer and the holobooks on psychic studies.

With this, a group of 100 Space Friends voyaged east through uncharted lands. Alien beasts were yet to be encountered, which while it meant safety, was a little boring. As they drove through very samey looking patches of mushrooms, the crew secretly hoped to find of scary alien monster or something. Anything to break up the monotony of day to day life in space. After all, a lot of these guys accepted the trip in search of fun and adventure, which is yet to be seen. So far, all they’ve done since landing is hard work. Oh well; maybe the PUFs have something cool.

Upon arriving in Nova Barcelona at the end of the year, it was immediately clear they had had a far better life than the Space Friends. They had a rec center, real housing, fed people, everything Friendland was lacking. The people were, admittedly, doing the same work as they did in Friendland, which may be inevitable on this planet. Just like in Friendland, these guys also had a manufactory and people sitting around, thinking about science. Seeing how not so different Nova Barcelona was was a little disheartening. After looking around for a bit, perhaps it was time for an introduction to be given. They pull up to the researchers out in the open to start their announcement of their presence.

“Hey guys, remember us? From the ship? We just dropped by the say hi, maybe trade some sciences while we’re here. We got some holobooks on talking to people, you wanna trade for some research? We don’t care what knowledge you wanna trade; let’s share knowledge and… everyone will love you. Whattya say?”

by **Planet Risen** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:08 am

The Planet Stirs

Year Six, Friendland

Desperate citizens, starving and bereft of food, take to the surrounding fungal plains to forage heedlessly for whatever they can scrounge to fill their aching bellies and put meat bones that skin is stretched tight across. They tear root and branch up, eating anything that looks like it might be nutritious, before wearily trooping back to the jobs their overlord demands they fulfill. In their wake they leave a ravaged landscape, a landscape that writhes, perhaps not entirely mindlessly, indignant at their imposition...

Year Nine, Nova Barcelona

Across the plains surrounding Nova Barcelona the fungus has been cut back in wide swathes, making room for the the new slums that now sprawl here and there, nearly a thousand souls making their homes beneath the auspices of the People's United Front. Repeated scavenging has left much of the nearby flatland looking bare and naked, but the foragers the People's Front sends out are still able to find food easily enough, journeying farther afield. Some of the local wildlife, though, is beginning to look lean and hungry, and flees at the approach of man... for now.

by **World Census Organization** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:06 pm

The Chaand Union
Neezan's Private Diary: Entry 58, Year 9
Adytia left this morning, the day after our small 'festival'. I knew this was coming, but somehow I never believed it. For the past 9 Earth Years, we were running Podyne together. Sure, he more publicly than me, but what could I expect from the man who recruited 300 people on the Harmony, led them to safely to Pod 9, AND learned a whole new set of skills to work the infirmary. He was going to be a public figure whether he liked it or not. But me? I like the background. Getting the gathering teams organized, planning out new facilities, and making sure we maintain contact with Wilder Base. I even managed to get us Private Sleeping Quarters. Sure, he sleeps in the Med-Bay, and I in my office, buts it's a lot more comfortable than the 'slums' of the manufactory.
And now he has up and left to establish an infirmary in Wilder Post. To be honest, I think he wants to see the alien species there in person. The reports from Wilder Post have been... interesting to say the least.
A few years ago, there was a 'bloom' of plant life in the Jungle, and the lights it caused somehow attracted new survivors to the base camp there. It was the first outside contact we had in years. Outside of the now-outdated report of men in the North, we have heard nothing. No radio, no broadcasts, no smoke signals, no people just silence. It's a nice contrast from the crowds of India, but are we the only ones to survive planetfall? And if we are, what happened to the others?

by **Seno Zhou Varada** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:10 pm

ApplePieistan wrote:Year 6

Happy days in Friendland, as insurrection is yet to begin. With fungal stocks growing, a swanky research facility nearing completion, along with the construction of an earth memorial, things are starting to look up for the Space Friends. With so much going well, it seemed like an appropriate time to visit the other friends, the People’s Unity Front. They seemed like good folks at the time and were happy the Space Friends helped them get a good space pod, so why not? Maybe they could share what they’ve discovered, have a nice chat, drink some tea, good times all around. To get there, the guys took the terraformer and the holobooks on psychic studies.

With this, a group of 100 Space Friends voyaged east through uncharted lands. Alien beasts were yet to be encountered, which while it meant safety, was a little boring. As they drove through very samey looking patches of mushrooms, the crew secretly hoped to find of scary alien monster or something. Anything to break up the monotony of day to day life in space. After all, a lot of these guys accepted the trip in search of fun and adventure, which is yet to be seen. So far, all they’ve done since landing is hard work. Oh well; maybe the PUFs have something cool.

Upon arriving in Nova Barcelona at the end of the year, it was immediately clear they had had a far better life than the Space Friends. They had a rec center, real housing, fed people, everything Friendland was lacking. The people were, admittedly, doing the same work as they did in Friendland, which may be inevitable on this planet. Just like in Friendland, these guys also had a manufactory and people sitting around, thinking about science. Seeing how not so different Nova Barcelona was was a little disheartening. After looking around for a bit, perhaps it was time for an introduction to be given. They pull up to the researchers out in the open to start their announcement of their presence.

“Hey guys, remember us? From the ship? We just dropped by the say hi, maybe trade some sciences while we’re here. We got some holobooks on talking to people, you wanna trade for some research? We don’t care what knowledge you wanna trade; let’s share knowledge and… everyone will love you. Whattya say?”

6 pop, psychic studies, 1 food crate (4 food), 1 terraformer, 3 kinetic weapons, 2 supplies, doctor, manufactory, information networking, coal plant
2 populations produce 0.5 BP for research facility (1.5/2)
1 population sucks thumb
1 population works as trooper
1 population is sent to Nova Barcelona in terraformer
+3 labor from event +1 labor from population, invested in earth memorial (4/5)

-4 happiness
2/6 fed, 1 starved to death
Gothic architecture (6/10 IP for autocracy)

People's United Front

Year 6, Negotiations with the Space Friends

Caterina had received a message from one of the leaders of a scavenger guild, Josephine, speaking of some Space Friends who had helped them out 6 or so years back. They appeared to be asking for a trade of technologies. She dispatched a nearby negotiator with scientific records on manufacturing to deal with them. Soon enough a deal was struck. Their studies on psychics for ours on industrial scale manufacturing. They also seemed to help themselves to the plentiful food available and recreational facilities. Other than that they seemed to be quite happy with the deal. Caterina was pleased with this exchange and sent well tidings to them and their leader.

Year 9, Issues with the Wildlife (or their issues with us)

Scavenging had become a more and more often thing for the People's Unity Front.With the increasing population it was needed to not have her people die by the 100s. However this meant nature would start becoming stripped bare, having the scavenger guilds go farther and farther. The wildlife, looking a lot leaner, still flees, but worries are coming up by her men. She consults with the leaders of the guilds on what to do. Her engineer of course was adamant on having more energy, and that was going to be a necessity. But the decision on whether to increase in hydroponics, as to let the land recover, or to start building up the defenses, was hard. While it would be morally best to let the landscape recover, her people needed protection and defense from the increasingly scary wildlife. Additional hydroponics would sap their energy, which was scarce, and require possibly even worse means to allow it. She put a go ahead for additional defenses unless the situation changed drastically. If it did then the guilds could handle it from there.

by **The Burning Sun** » Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:30 pm

Year 6

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

by **ApplePieistan** » Thu Feb 15, 2018 5:01 pm

It was no secret Ann was upset about everyone going out and grabbing food for themselves. She didn’t so much care about them disturbing the native aliens or anything; what upset her was how they ruined the scenery! Before, the surrounding xenofungus looked pretty, soothing in a way. With so much fungus torn up from the dirt and eaten, it looks hideous! Sure, it could grow back soon enough, but for now, it didn’t look good. The most bothersome part is how the Space Allies, our friendly neighborhood defenders, did nothing to stop this. For their inaction, the Space Allies were temporarily disbanded, and reassigned to menial labor.

On the bright side, a cool new research facility was finished in Friendland. Test tubes, beakers, a microscope, and best of all, lights! Courtesy of the horribly inefficient coal plant polluting the skies, there can be lightbulbs in the lab. Research can be done during the day, at night, and notes can be written on paper instead of in the dirt. Sure, a few plebs have to dig up and shovel coal into the plant, but it is well worth it. Scientific discoveries are promised to happen significantly faster now. Citizens are… honestly still upset about living in ugly slums, but aren’t upset about the presence of a research facility.

by **Planet Risen** » Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:31 am

The Planet Rises

Year Nine, Friendland

Under the soot-soaked skies pale faces look up in dismay, ashen expressions forming as blood drains in fear. Over the ravaged fungal plains a feeling of abject dread sweeps, as visceral as it is horrifying, and heedless of any orders or compulsions men and women flee. Animals before hunter unexpected. Minds turn to utter panic as the soundless drone increases, even the disciplined shaking in fear and cowering in their homes.

From out of the fungal vortexes come boiling nightmare forms- serpentine creatures, each two meters long if not longer, in numbers beyond reckoning. They writhe and thrash their way towards the human colony with unnatural speed, faster than a man can run, and soon screams and shouts of dismay echo across the mottled sea of purple and crimson as outlying scavengers disappear beneath the squirming mass.

No defenders. No hope. The bloodbath goes on for hours, roaming predators slaughtering those they find and leaving those they do not petrified by cloying terror, minds black and wishing for death.

Eventually the alien assault recedes, sated or distracted by some unknown force, but the aftermath is devastating.

Friendland attacked by natives.
One Population lost. Psychic Terror prevents recruiting new Population for two years, and decreases Harmony by 2 for that period.

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:47 pm

"This biosphere existed in equilibrium for a million years before the arrival of mankind. Our status as interlopers is clear- we have disrupted ecosystems, hunted species which had no natural predators, and devastated landscapes, imposing our own order on the order that had existed since before our species. Is it any wonder that that order did not take to the interlopers kindly?" - Provost Natalya Andrevei, The Annotated Biology of Planet, Volume Two

Communications Tower, Spire of Eternity, Ara Continent
Mission Year Nine

He had ordered the broadcast to be suppressed, and recorded only for individuals with an access code of Specialist or above. In the overseer's office here in the Communications Tower, a recently appended part of the Spire itself, he sat and watched the recording with a long face. It started innocuously enough, a home recording of a family outing- from what the comptrollers had been able to gather, a day beyond the fungal vortices for one of the elites of another survivor colony, named 'Friendland'. Garasov dismissed the odd name as irrelevant data, focusing on the recording. The comptrollers had been so distressed by its contents that he had had to order some of them medically sedated to prevent them harming themselves or sparking a mass panic, but this was the first time he had watched the broadcast personally.

Normal enough, at least for this alien world. A family setting up a small synthread blanket on a patch cleared of the surrounding fungal tendrils, unpacking nutri-bars and water ration jars stamped with "Harmony", some children bickering. The sky was bright, though more cloudy than he ever remembered the area over the Fields of Arrival being, and those clouds looked dark. The broadcast continued for some time, several minutes that the Arch-Fabricator took to straighten up his desk while half paying attention to the vidfeed; he rarely came up to the small cubicle the comms folks had set aside for his use, but a few swipes of a sleeve got rid of most of the dust, and Garasov quickly filed some old records for deletion.

Then the tone of the recording changed. Whoever was behind the camera (the father perhaps?) seemed to see something in the distance, and a curious question was voiced to his wife. She too stood, shading her eyes against the glare of the southern sun, and appeared to gaze off into the tumultous fungal plains of orange and purple with a quizzical expression on her face.

They must have realized what was happening then, or at least what it meant. Panic enter their tones, and one of the children began to cry. The camera was shaking, and though the Arch-Fabricant tried his best to assess the broadcast impassively, he understood why the comptrollers were so distressed. It was hard watching, and obviously something had absolutely terrified these people. As the camera turned away from looking out on the picnic scene a movement flickered in the foliage, and Garasov frowned. One hand swiped the computer, pausing the recording, and he stared at the blurring image for several moments, trying to make sense out of what he was seeing.

It looked to be, without any dramatization, a large length of the fungus, busy moving along at high speed. That was extraordinary. The fungus was alive, certainly, but had never shown signs of anything save the most benign of movements. Tendrils pulling back from pressure, or heat. Fungus paths parting instinctively as wildlife moved through the thickets, preserving easily destroyed stalks from rough hooves or boots. Insensate mobility, in essence. But whatever was moving in the recording had a purpose, and was moving quickly.

Disturbing. Very disturbing.

The light rover that the family had used came into view as the Arch-Fabricator unpaused the vidfeed, and a hand gesticulated towards it as the camera-holder appeared to slow, the rest of the group racing past him.

Then the camera toppled, landing on its side facing toward the rover. Garasov leaned forward. Something unexpected had happened, and there was not sign of the father-figure from the 'Space Friends', merely his family piling into the vehicle, the woman trying to start the machine. At least, trying, until... whatever it was entered the frame. As it appeared, the pink and scarlet and crimson creature, the people went from scared to dumbstruck. Woman and children alike they simply curled up in little balls of fear, their crying audible through the recording, even as the strange wormlike creature coursed toward them with all the speed of a hunting hound.

A few more moments. The leader of the Sons of the Stars sighed heavily, and blanked the screen. God, he needed a drink after that. Something to erase what he had seen. It marched with the reports from the apparent attack on Friendland all too closely, and he could understand why the people in comms were as nervous as cats on a hot tin roof given the circumstances. The Sons and Space Friends were some of the few factions on the planet with any long range communication facilities- who knew how many survivors had already been devoured by these creatures, these worms of bloodred and violet.

No signs of them on the Plains of Arrival. Not yet. He would have to talk to the Wartechs, and allocate resources in their direction. The protection of the survivors of the Harmony was his primary charge, and Garasov was reasonably certain letting them be eaten by weird fungal monsters was not part of that social contract.

by **Novas Arcanum** » Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:15 am

Very WIP

Republic of New Texas

Well, things were getting tough in New Texas. It seemed the pioneering spirit that defined earlier settlement was fading away.Folks began to complain about the lower quality of life and there where yelps of dissent amongst the populace.None the less Michael would make sure to set things straight, and get folks to work, nothing like hard work to ease minds and set things straight.A towering Monument to Texas "The Cowboy" would be constructed in the heart of Fort Dallas.This would serve to remind people of their homeland and as a symbol of strength, freedom and resolve in these hard times something that would push people to try their absolute best no matter the odds stacked against them.

Yes, things around here were starting to stir.The critters seemed less jittery, as the dead red moon rose over the jungles and coastlines.In Fort Dallas, people began to harvest the blooms that soothed their hearts and souls so very deeply.In Fort Houston folks where shocked to see great globs of petroleum washing into shore, and immediately began to harvest this wondrous resource, the murky waters reminding them of the muddy Gulf of Mexico and making them terribly homesick.

by **Labstoska** » Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:10 pm

The Pax Humanitanus
The anniversary for the Pax Humanitanus landing on planet was a rather mixed affair in terms of how people wished to commemorate it. On the one hand you had those who celebrated the event quite lavishly throwing feasts and parading through the streets. It was also these people who caused a great deal of trouble for the authorities with reports coming across from all of central hub that there had been a dramatic increase in the amount of drunk and disorderly peoples on the streets in the aftermath of the celebrations and to the Pax Humanitanus disorder was the one thing that could never be tolerated so the festivities were closed prematurely. Then on the other side of the spectrum there were those who celebrated the anniversary of their landing on planet in a far more sombre and perhaps even spiritual way with slow quiet processions snaking their way through the labyrinth that was the slums of central hub, these processions did often clash with the partyers forcing even more intervention of the behalf of the arbiters -what is effectively the police force of the Pax Humanitanus- and leading to further state of discontent as the pioneering spirit slowly but surely ebbed out of the people. Then there was a third group who consisted mainly of those who were devoutly loyal to the Pax Humanitanus's beliefs and it's ideology and these were those who believed that this entire idea of setting aside an entire day was counter-productive and should be discarded like the rest of humanities flaws, director Crawford himself wished to implement the ideas of this group however the people of the Pax Humanitanus were already being pushed to their limits by the government and many predicted that if they were to outlaw these celebrations then a revolt would be imminent.

A few days after the celebrations had been concluded the planet which had already been thought of as strange enough by it's new Human inhabitants became even stranger as the second moon of this world caused a strange wave of pacifism to pass over the many creatures of this world, not only that but the rather unnerving process of reproduction that was undertaken by the local fungus of this area was now in full effect much to the dismay of the colonists as they discovered that the graves they had buried for those who had not been fortunate in these past 5 years were now infested with fungi, this sudden burst in the amount of fungi was not without it's benefits for some of the younger generation quickly began to discover that the fungi when harvested correctly would yield a substance known to the people of the Pax Humanitanus as spice, this substance was discovered to have a massive positive effect on the Human body however there is no such thing as a free lunch for almost as quickly as the positive effects were discovered the negative ones came into play as well, if an individual were to consume large amounts of spice then they would become completely and utterly addicted to it ,to the point were if they did not receive their daily dose of spice then they would start to attack those surrounding them. The spice did have one more property that interested the board of directors more than any other which was the ability to increase a Human beings capacity to work by 33% so the decision was made to announce to the public that they would be burning all reserves of spice while in actuality they would be gathering the spice up and have small doses of the stuff slipped into the public's food supply, all that there was left to do now was to wait to see the results.

It had been 10 years since Humanity had landed on planet and the Pax Humanitanus had managed to found a quite comfortable place on this world. It was quite evident that they hardly knew anything about this world, from the strange fungus that covered entire continents in a lattice of purple oddities to the mysterious intelligence that seemed to control a great deal of life inhabiting this planet however with the construction of a brand new research facility these mysteries will soon be solved, the great march of progress was also aided by the new Dupont park of higher learning which was a small area set aside for people do conduct their own experiments on the various oddities of this world using some basic equipment that had been set up there. In the new research facility experiments were being conducted to see how the government could exert further control over the populace in order to ensure that the Human race would be able to work at maximum efficiency.

by **Harkback Union** » Sun Feb 18, 2018 6:03 pm

Wavering Enthusiasm...

Although there has been significant progress made across the world in the first decade since planetfall, it has become painfully obvious that life on this alien world is nothing like what it was imagined back on earth. Hard and back-breaking labor paves the path to progress...

Memories of earth haunt the colonists, memories of vibrant cities and woodland critters, memories of good food and blue skies and white clouds... Those already born off-world, or have spent much of their life in space are slightly less impacted, though their numbers are few.

However, some can remember the overpopulation, dwindling resources, erratic weather, wars and civil unrest that plagued earth and often remind their comrades of how privileged they are to take part in this mission, and of their duty to build a new home for mankind.

Effects:
+1 Harmony in every during Years 11-15.
0 Harmony from optimism in years 16 and on.

-

Meanwhile, across the vast expanse of this uncharted world, fragments of the U.N.E. Harmony remain untouched since the day of the disaster.

Effects:
- Each faction may outfit an expedition to locate fragments in the surrounding wilderness. This requires 1 population to be designated as explorers for several years. The exploration mission is more likely to succeed if the explorers are equipped with weapons and/or recon rovers or other vehicles.
- Please notify Harkback via TG if/when a mission is launched
- Explorers continue to require rations to survive and housing at their home base.

by **The Burning Sun** » Sun Feb 18, 2018 6:59 pm

Year 11

Year 12

Year 13

Year 14

Year 15

by **G-Tech Corporation** » Mon Feb 19, 2018 11:28 am

"Energy is the lifeblood of our new world order. Not currency, as was the case upon Earth, but energy. The ability to process materials, power research facilities, arm soldiers, and placate the masses. The world is starved for energy, and thus it must be seen that he who controls energy holds power in his hand. We shall not be found wanting." - Fabricator Tyrol Helmsson, Origination Address, Storenkov Dam, MY 11.3.09

Industrial Warrens, Farholme, Fields of Arrival, Ara Continent
Mission Year 12

I nodded politely to one of the men who looked up as he hurried home, eyes filled with weariness catching an unfamiliar and cheerful face amidst the masses. His gaze left mine again instantly, probably unsure of what to do with someone in such high spirits, but that didn't bother me. In the columns of workers trooping to and from the myriad industries, forges, shops, and manufactories that had grown up around Farholme's central Material Exchange, there were few men or women who did much more than live in their own worlds. It was a common enough existence to focus on what was in front of one's face, rather than what was beyond the scope of visibility.

An attitude that not many in the capitol took, I hoped, while I was in the field visiting the outlying holdings. In my ear the Overseer for Farholme base, Julian Fedyor, droned on; he was talking about projected discharges from the nearby dam on the lower Mirrormere and their need for more generation equipment. His tour of the city had been enlightening, but also in some ways dispiriting- while the industrial figures looked good, the faces that passed me were long and dispirited, citizens of our society trooping home to small cramped survival quarters with little to look forward to. In other factions they might have begun striking for better conditions, save for our immense collections of useful entertainment materials that the Bureau of Commons had been churning out in masses, and their knowledge that others across the planet were much worse off than they.

It had been a miracle, the gene treatments that Medicant Petrenko's team had begun synthesizing with our enhanced industrial capacity. Retroviral rewrites to prevent pain in the aging, to make well the genetically ill children that cropped up in the young couples that teemed in our cities. Cures for the common ailments, and health and good living was something one could so easily forget was of utmost importance to so many people when my own health was looked after by a desperately expensive regimen that left me in peak physical condition.

Ten years. Strange to think that I had now lived so long beneath an alien sun- perhaps even strange than the thought of those decades that had been spent in dreamless sleep, unmoored from the anchor-chain of reality. But here on this new world we were building a society greater than that which we had dreamed of- well, at least, that I had dreamed of. It was a surreal thing, to consider what might have been if the disaster aboard the Harmony had never unfolded. So many different dreams being dreamed, each hoping for their own voice in the direction of mankind. Would we have fallen to internal strife, snuffed out our own species on this world in fractious squabbling and warfare? Flourished beyond the imagining of those scattered remnants that now scraped a living off of the rocks of Planet?

Hard to say. I walked along in a contemplative silence through the serried masses of workers and Sons, towards the main spire, deep in thought.

by **Seno Zhou Varada** » Mon Feb 19, 2018 4:42 pm

The Peoples' Unity Front

Nova Barcelona, End of Year 10, Regarding the Alien Threat

Her followers were frightful. This planet's wildlife was decidedly hostile to their presence. 'Friendland' had only been attacked a year back, but the fear felt like it was just when they got the information. If these beasts got to Friendland they could easily get to them, after all a road was being planned between the two communities. Caterina knew measures had to be enacted to keep her followers safe. This wildlife was no longer threatening but hostile! They would have to be eradicated!

Well the eradication would come later but for now her people had to be protected. She conversed with the guild leaders, and they unanimously agreed, a military was needed. It wouldn't have to be much, even a hundred or so men could have delayed the alien onslaught at 'Friendland'. Sure it wouldn't be good enough forever but it was better than nothing. She dismissed them with messages to each of their guilds, 'Nova Barcelona would be protected, 100 men will be called up for service of Integralism, volunteers are preferred.' Hopefully volunteers would be taken, she wouldn't want a draft. But if necessary, she would do it.

by **World Census Organization** » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:03 pm

Chaand Union
There was a feeling of vulnerability as the Explorer Parties left Podyne today. One hundred volunteers, one fifth of Podyne's population, were organized into five parties. One departed on a makeshift ship, one followed the shore, and three followed the road into the Jungle. It was a desperate move. These men and women were desperately needed here, but the years of silence has taken its toll. We cannot be the only ones who survived the landing... so where are they? We have covered half this continent, yet have seen no explorers, received no signals, found no ruins.

The only artifacts found come from the Harmony itself. A stray shattered solar panel, a piece of unidentifiable machinery, chunks of broken plastics, fragments of demagnetized data banks. It's never much. But the reminders of our survival still give people a slimmer of hope.

I cannot help but compare the departure of the Explorers to the Wilders. One has the vulnerability of the unknown, the other the excitement of discovery. One left reluctantly, the other thrilled to leave the crowds behind. One set out to find life, the other to build it. The mentality of Podyne has changed. Hopefully, this gamble pays off. If it doesn't, I don't know how we will take it.
-Neezan's Private Log
Podyne, 11 Post Landing

by **Labstoska** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:04 am

Pax Humanitanus
The illusion was beginning to wear off, the pioneering spirit of the colonists within the Pax Humanitanus was at long last dissipating into he somewhat endless sea of grievances that they had with their new government. The research efforts from the national ministry of advancements into the fields of psychological control and into advanced policing techniques had managed to stabilise the situation enough in order to ensure further growth and progress however the people within management knew very well that if they did not start providing at least some commodities to the public then the dream of the Pax Humanitanus would soon die.

Director Crawford himself had decided to take inspections of central hub's various facilities and industries in order to show the people that the government was actually listening to their concern. The slums of central hub were admittedly rather crowded and were highly unhegininc leading rise to many, many diseases to rise up and attempt to claim Human lives. Then there was the fear and rumours that circulated through this society. The great fungal cage that surrounded them all though not being actively hostile towards the colonists was very, very unnerving. Rumours had also managed to spread from the survivor nation known as the Space friends of a devastating attack from strange worm like creature that had poured out of a fungal vortex, this lead the people to believe that the Pax Humanitanus's mining and industrial operations would somehow anger the planet and would lead to an inevitable attack by these strange psionic worms and although director Crawford suspected these rumours to be completely baseless it did leave him with a reason to begin expanding the Pax Humanitanus's military and the thinkers of the nation had managed to come up with a rather interesting method in which war can be conducted.

by **Planet Risen** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:43 am

The Planet Rises

Year 11, Lonely Heaven, New Horizons
The arctic winds howl and blow, and as the people at Lonely Heaven scrape a living off of the far-scattered food sources of the polar north, the years grow dark and the glaciers hungry-looking. Wanderers and those who scavenge far from the colony sometimes disappear, a common enough occurrence in the hostile land of grinding ice, but their numbers are growing uncommonly quickly.

Year 11, Podnyne, Chaand Union
In the lowlands no soot yet stains the air, but the teeming masses of humanity still trample vine and branch underfoot as their overlords send them in to the wilderness to scrape a living off of the rocks and trees. Bush and bough are plucked clean by hungry hands, leaving animals fleeing before the ravenous and increasing hordes that follow the dictates of the Chaand Union. The ground around the bases of the Union grows barren, ravaged by long years of subsistence gathering, and the nights grow silent and full of menace.

Year 12, Farholme, Sons of the Stars
As the bases of the men under Garasov spread across the northern continent of the planet, their spreading influence disturbs the many creatures that roam here and there in the wild fields. Though their bases pollute little, the hundreds of souls spread across such a vast area gradually drive the denizens of the fungal vortices further away from habitual hunting grounds and watering holes, and as the Red Moon rises into the sky once more there are signs that ought dangerous may be brewing.

Year 14, Central Hub, Pax Humanitas
It is as the director predicted, and as the people of Pax Humanitas feared. The rumors were right, at least in part. As a decade wends towards fifteen years in the fungal vortex, and the soot from factories darkens the skies, the wildlife of the region becomes hungry, nasty. Isolated incidents of creatures turning on hunters are reported, and oftentimes the fungus ripples and swirls, without any wind, agitated.

Year 15, Nova Barcelona, People's United Front
As the fourteenth year on this virgin world turns into the next, when the winds blow cold and men huddle in their dwellings, disaster strikes. From the watchtower over Nova Barcelona a klaxon sounds, low and piercing- the sound the soldiers warm in their barracks had never hoped to hear; an alien attack, incoming. They were ready, more ready than the people at the neighboring base of the Space Friends had been... but the dread was overpowering, a storm of fell emotion that broke and rampaged against the thin synthmetal walls of the base even as the roiling forms of the febrile native hunters became visible in the distance...

Nova Barcelona is under attack by a Mindworm Boil!

by **Seno Zhou Varada** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 4:40 pm

Planet Risen wrote:
The Planet Rises

Year 15, Nova Barcelona, People's United Front
As the fourteenth year on this virgin world turns into the next, when the winds blow cold and men huddle in their dwellings, disaster strikes. From the watchtower over Nova Barcelona a klaxon sounds, low and piercing- the sound the soldiers warm in their barracks had never hoped to hear; an alien attack, incoming. They were ready, more ready than the people at the neighboring base of the Space Friends had been... but the dread was overpowering, a storm of fell emotion that broke and rampaged against the thin synthmetal walls of the base even as the roiling forms of the febrile native hunters became visible in the distance...

Nova Barcelona is under attack by a Mindworm Boil!

The Peoples' Unity Front

The menace rears it's head!

Soldiers rushed to their posts, strapping armor on and bearing their guns. The dread shook them, anxiety and fear coursed through their bodies, but they still carried on. The population worried behind the synth-metal walls, remembering the news of 'Friendland's' massacre. Children hid under beds, adults hid under tables, everyone seeking to escape the foul beings notice. Caterina remained still in the 'capitol' building, clutching a sidearm at her waist. She was never any good with guns, but she was ready to shoot ~~and miss~~ in a moment.

Then gunfire had opened up on the creatures! The ammo boxes were broken out and the soldiers fired hundreds of rounds at the hunters, hoping to kill the foul beasts. Sure they were a terrifying wave of emotion, breaking down mental barriers, but the soldiers had a wave of hot lead.

Action: The Trooper opens fire at the Mindworm Boil (-1 supplies), Base Core opens fire at the Mindworm Boil

by **ApplePieistan** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 7:27 pm

Friendland

The Space Friends were starting to feel sad, seeing as about one hundred of them were just eaten by aliens. It was a gruesome sight, surely, and it made people feel the need for more protection. Clearly, it was time to bring back everyone’s favorite group of soldiers- the Space Allies. This time, they would need to be tougher, able to withstand whatever damage the natives can dish out. Years were spent researching and crafting suits of armor that were strong, light, and stylish enough to protect the Space Friends. It wasn’t easy, but after much effort, the Space Friends created what looked like suits of armor from Halo. It would protect against a moderate hail of bullets, which isn’t great, but is far better than the standard Space Ally uniform.

Even with the attack on the Space Friends, progress was still being made in Friendland, albeit more slowly. Improvements in science and a switch to greener energy has started to occur. Besides research in new suits of armor, research has been done to construct monorails. Work in this field has been steady, and while it is not yet finished, Space Friend scientists are very excited at the prospect. Currently, the biggest setback is how test trains keep falling down, which may be a problem if it is used publicly. It has been promised this will be sorted out in a couple years, but people are skeptical of this number.

Planetfall - IC

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