[Notes] Birds Of War: The Introduction
Current date is December, 1939 and the world is not as we know it. The major powers are fractured, ruined images of themselves. The beacon of liberty, the United States, is now a twisted jigsaw of competing nations. The Japanese war machine was destroyed before it could get traction. The Bolshevik Revolution of Russia ground down in to a war of attrition that did little but destroy all central authority. To the west, the French and British Empires continue to feud on all levels, while to the East, the Chinese Empire starts to rise again. Germany rises from the ashes, consuming central Europe and the world stands at a crossroads!
It is an age of uncertainty, where no history is set and all avenues are open to the bold.
For Queen And Country!
“Trust me. That war was not so great.”
Disease, war and greed nearly consumed the world in the wake of the Great War. Pushed to the brink by economics, the United States shattered in to a myriad of nations, some neutral and some less so. The Caribbean has become a hotbed of piracy and undeclared war. Korea rose up to destroy and then occupy Imperial Japan with British assistance, only to turn on its British Masters and ally itself with Nazi Germany.
The Russian Empire tears itself apart in a 20 year civil war between White Tsarists and Red Bolsheviks, a war that spills in to Alaska and threatens Pacifica. Nazi Germany, in the wake of Hitlers assassination, slowly consumes Europe, taking possession of a vast network of overseas possessions. It’s alliance with Korea in the far east and the Industrial States of America in the heart of what was once the United States places it in a position to bring war to the entire world in one fell swoop.
Birds of War is a grand stage of unclear borders, mysterious jungle ruins and arrogant, aloof empires. Mobsters prowl the shadows, ruthless corporations rise to crush the common man and adventure lurks behind every corner.
The British Empire is at its Zenith, constantly bickering with its arch rival, the Grand Republic of France! Unchallenged in the last ten years as the United States disintegrated and Russia imploded, both now watch the rising power and aggression of Nazi Germany with concern.
…In A Theater Near You!
“Maracaibo is in the gutter these days, used to the Mayor didn’t need to be bribed, he just did what he was told.”
Once a rural backwater, isolated across a massive inland bay, Maracaibo was ignored by the world until recently. Negro & Sobre el Terreno Oil (N&SeT) petitioned, through its minions in the National Senate, for Maracaibo to be named a free port and a special administrative district. With no real reason to object as there was nothing of worth in the area, the Senate acceded. N&SeT quickly built a refinery in the hills overlooking the massive bay and set about rebuilding the harbor district. One cannot ever say that N&SeT lacks a plan or a vision.
Weeks after the refinery was on-line, N&SeT shocked the world by announcing the discovery of Halo-X, the lighter-than-Hydrogen but safe gas. A superior lift medium that allowed the construction of larger, heavier craft, every nation in the world wanted some.
N&SeT declared it would only be sold in Maracaibo, and only to nations, corporations and persons on friendly terms with both Gran Colombia and N&SeT itself. The result was a boom of population and interest in the city of Maracaibo, a town dominated by one corporation but experiencing growth pains as prices skyrocket and foreigners flood in.
Love Potion Number 69
“The Spear, mien gott, where is the Spear?!”
Magic. The Occult. These subjects strike fear in to the heart of every scientist and religious zealot across the world. Many deny its existence, refute its power, but theChinese, who hide behind their Great Wall of Elemental Air don’t listen, while the Chancellor of Nazi Germany does not care. The Occult is all around in Birds of War, if sometimes subtle. Many claim that Halo-X shows occult properties, defying known rational thought in its behaviors, while some say that a bumble bee cannot fly based on the design of its body.
What is known, is that artifacts with unexplainable powers exist alongside stage magicians who claim magical powers that the sorcerers in the audience sneer at. Magic is rarely obvious or direct, but when it is, it leaves men shaken in its wake.
The Ivory Zeppelin!
“By expanding on Teslas work, I have created…An Even Bigger Death Ray!”
Birds of War is a game of Petro-Punk, where the Internal Combustion Engine and Electricity reign as the main power sources. Clockwork men, fantastic flying machines and examples of Amazing Science! are rare, but within grasp. France leads the world, technologically speaking, with its vast network of universities, though its dominance is threatened by the vigorous work in the old United States.
Due to the death of the United States the Automobile never caught on quite like in our own world. Instead, it was the Zeppelin, the airplane and the autogyro that captivate attention. Every wealthy family has at least one Aero and a membership at the local skyport.
A recent Gran Colombian breakthrough in research has yielded the next-generation breakthrough of Halo-X, a gas that blends the lifting capacity of Hydrogen with the stability of Helium, capable of lifting heavy zeppelins safely. Aeronautics research proceeds at a breakneck pace, as the American States pour their boundless energy in to the next big thing and the large empires prepare for the inevitable showdown that will come.
Don’t change that dial!
“This week, on The Shadow…”
These logs represent our fine player base as it goes about its adventures! Giant robots, hidden temples, amazing aerial dogfights and bar room brawls! The players of Birds of War have it all and do it better!
