Post War Glories

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Glories: Operation Burning Spear

Premise

If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one

The world of Limbo is very much like our own, its many states and nations strove for dominance as states do, and eventually they fought a global war over it. Unlike Earth however, Limbo fought this war with technology equivalent to the 1990s on Earth.

Magic had a long history on Limbo, but next to modern science its power was relatively weak. Small healings, lighting fires and inaccurate divinations where all the mage's of antiquity could manage. However what the scholars of old could not manage the scientists of the Intercontinental Alliance did with modern understanding of physics. Codenamed the Juno Project, The IA's scientists were able to perfect a ritual which would empower a person with vast magical abilities. The ritual worked only on a few set people: specifically girls between the ages of Fifteen and Twenty, with an escalating chance of lethal failure for every year over twenty of a candidates life.

Called Glories by researchers, these young women possessed the power to fly at speeds three times faster than sound, and destroy cities with a single charged blast. By the time of the Juno Project's culmination, the Intercontinental Alliance was losing ground steadily, its members almost cut off by the naval power of its enemy, the Pan- Glevis Union. At a stroke the Juno-Project turned the war on its head, as the Glories shattered everything set against them, sinking fleets, burning divisions and conducting strategic attacks on enemy cities deep in the Pan- Glevis heartland.

Within a single year, the war was over, with the Intercontinental Alliance standing battered but victorious. The question remains however: how will they deal with the post war world... and the divisions that exist between them?

It is 1998 ATE, and the era of Glories has begun.

Setting and Geography

The World of Limbo has Eight continents, Glevis, Lotic, Wesvard, Roko, Javard, Estvan, Colo and Mitsfar. Colo is an uninhabitable icy wasteland at the planets North Pole, the rest however are habitable if slightly smaller than continents on Earth.

Industrial civilisation on Limbo has traditionally been concentrated on Glevis and Lotic, with both experiencing an industrial revolution at about the same time. More recently however, areas of Roko, Wesvard, and Javard have began to developed, leaving only the vast cold continent of Estvan without significant industrial powers, and wracked by the legacy of Glevis and Lotic Colonisation.

Limbo's dating system is based on the Lomian Calendar, which starts at the death of Lom, the most important figure of Lomism, the most important faith on Lotic. It is currently 1998 AL (After Lom).

Magic

Magic has always been a feature of life on Limbo, but not a particularly major one. By tapping ley lines, practitioners could creation various effects such as starting fires, healing illnesses and closes wounds. Powerful users could create bigger effects, but this took years of training and dedicated study, not to mention access to one of the more powerful ley lines or a nexus of them.

With the rise of technology magic fell out of favour in many quarters, it survived best in the medical profession, with most doctors knowing at least a few healing rituals to augment modern medicine. However in other areas magic with its requirements for years of study was superseded by machines, becoming interesting only to a few enthusiasts and theoretical physicists. The creation of the glories has changed that though, and new studies of magic are expected to yield far greater results than the hedge wizardry of yesteryear.

Technology

Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds

Technology on Limbo is roughly the same as earths circa the 1990s AD, however their are notable differences. Rather than hydrocarbons or uranium for power, technology on limbo employs two minerals that do not exist on earth, Ophidium and Hermetium. Ophidium is a solid crystal which when pressured produces a constant level of mechanical and thermal energy, enough to power an internal combustion engine or even, with the right design and mineral purity, a fast jet aircraft. Hermetium on the other hand is a highly dangerous radioactive liquid. Used in Etheric Hermetium reactors to power some large military units and many cities, Hermetium has been of limited military value as a weapon, with EH Warheads generating a huge dose of radiation but little blast or heat. Conventional and EH tipped intercontinental ballistic weapons were deployed in the last war by the PGU, but they proved far less effective than glories.

Hydrocarbons are still used in the creation of plastics and the like and there have been experiments with hydrocarbon fueled jet aircraft and rockets in the hope of greater performance, but most vehicles still use Ophidium engines. Nuclear weapons are unknown and seemingly impossible systems.

In general, due to the war, many of the large scale infrastructure projects of our world have not taken place. While many states have computer networks their is as yet no internet, and most GPS systems were ruined by ASAT strikes in the war. Military technology is notably more advanced than the equivalent on earth, due to the demands of the war, with tanks using 140-150mm cannons and stacked heavy ERA or NERA plates over composite armour. Most military jets incorporate stealth systems and super cruise engines, or simply have high enough fuel fractions for a long supersonic range.

History

Limbo's technology and society matured much like that on earth, however rather than a single industrial revolution confined to one area, industrial processes spread quickly between Lotic and Glevis, with the various countries their spurring one another to one new scientific breakthrough after another.

The Twentieth Century AL was racked by small conflicts over colonies, boarder disputes and the like, however it was only with the formation of the massive alliances of the Pan-Glevisian Union and Intercontinental Alliance that war became truly global. The Pan-Glevisian Union begun as a trade block on Glevis, with various member states using it to settle their differences over trade and form a stronger economic block, but also reduce the security dilemma between them. This did not really bring a zone of peace however as the Union turned its eyes outwards, looking now upon the non-members on Glevis and other industrial powers as potential threats.

Resource wars were another problem, as industrial consumption across two continents increased prices and exhausted ophidium and mineral fields one after the other. The Union's vast military and economic might allowed it to capture many of the remaining resource fields. After a while, a second group, the Intercontinental Alliance formed to oppose the Union. Alliance states were generally somewhat poorer, and the Alliance was somewhat looser, but for the first time the Union found itself facing a near equal challenger.

War was sparked by a small conflict which grew, as everyone had known it would. In January 1990 the Pro-Union government of Iconsia, a substantial power in the seas near Roko was overthrown in a Pro-Alliance Coup with the backing of Alliance intelligence agencies. Union marine and airborne forces were dispatched to restore order, and the Iconsian provisional government asked for Alliance assistance, and soon naval and air forces confronted one another directly. The war escalated quickly and fighting raged across every continent.

The Union's plan was simple. They would hold the Alliance long enough that their superior industrial power would create an army that would bring them victory. As such they fought a fairly conservative campaign, launching only limited attacks and allowing the Alliance to force most of the battles. Despite initial Alliance gains, the war bogged down and the Union's greater industrial capacity began to tell. Invasion fleets bought Union armies to Lotic, invading the Alliance's heartland directly, Alliance capitals were subject to air raids, suborbital strikes, chemical and in some cases radiological attack.

In desperation the Alliance sought a technological solution that would allow them to turn the tide of the war. They found a magical one instead: Glories.

Glories

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Motto and logo of the Juno Project

The first Glories were created by the Juno-Project, an effort based in the Empire of West Lotic, and headed by the brilliant physicist Doctor Alice Koo. Koo's had always been fascinated by magic, and had created several devices capable of causing magical effects and tapping ley lines. Koo theorised that even more powerful off world magical sources existed, and proved this with the Ritual of Empowerment, based on ancient lore, which linked a living person to one of these powerful off world sources.

The first Glory was Doctor Koo's daughter Mary, she proved able to fly at three times the speed of sound, launch energy bolts as strong as a fuel air bomb (Or thousands of fuel air bombs with a few minutes of concentration) and resist at least her own lesser energy strikes, walking unscathed from a test zone where she'd been subject to a bomb yielding ten tons of TNT. After initial tests showed the power Mary now possessed, the Alliance rushed to create others. This proved somewhat problematic as women over twenty had an escalating chance of failure, sometimes catastrophic failure which could destroy both them and the ritual site. Despite these failures, a dozen Glories were quickly created by Alliance members.

At first the Union's intelligence did not take the threat of the Glories seriously. They had heard vague rumors about a secret project, but the idea of magically empowered warriors (especially young women) seemed the stuff of science fiction, not reality. This changed however when Mary Koo conducted her first sortie. She singlehandedly reversed the Union's success in invading West Lotic, destroying much of their fleet and airbases in a twenty four hour rampage which left hundreds of thousands of Union troops dead or captured.

With the power of the Glories revealed the Union scrambled to assassinate them. They attacked several ritual sites, and after finding that Mary Koo had come home to visit her father and younger sister used a stealth aircraft to drop a massive experimental Fuel-Hermetium bomb on the city. Mary survived the blast, but her father and sister, as well as her childhood sweetheart did not. Mary was never the same after the attack. Despite the Union's efforts, more Glories were produced, and the war was turned on its head. Glevis was invaded, with Glories wiping out initial defences and naval units to allow conventional armies to come ashore, by 1995, the war had moved to the Union Heartland.

To this day, West Lotic officials deny that Mary Koo's destruction of the Union Capitals of Koram and Bresan was part of a rogue mission. With the annihilation of their capital cities, and faced with the seemingly invincible Glories, the Union capitulated. Alliance occupation forces were quickly bought in, and the unease post war period begun.

Rules and Concepts

A nation is created with 60 Glory Points and 100 Nation Points. These are used to buy Glories, economy and so on. More Nation points and Glory points can be gained over time, so any which are not used at game start can be banked for later.

Glories

Each Glory has 4 statistics running from 0 to 10. A starting Glory may have no more than 15 points spent on her, and has a maximum of 5 in any stat.

Glory Statistics

Stability

A very important aspect of a Glory, how stable and subject to battle stress she is, and how in touch she remains with reality. Stability tests are made in various situations and failing a test may result in loss of stability and other consequences.

Normal Powers

All Glories have a standard set of powers, including launching magical blasts, flying at speeds higher than the speed of sound and strong magical defenses capable of deflecting vast energies. This statistic represents how strong the glory is in this area. This affects Glory on Glory conflict, and also the yield the Glory can generate in a strategic attack, with each point of power being equal to 1-4 Kilotons of TNT. A power 0 Glory can only generate 1 Kiloton of yield.

Special Powers

Other strange abilities the Glory may have, such as weaving illusions or mind control. Each point is an additional special power.

Endurance

The Glories power reserves. A Glory may fly 1 Mission at endurance 0 +2 missions for every dot of Endurance she has before she needs a rest. Missions happen monthly in peace time or can be increased to daily by the use of one economic action per Glory to increase her magical reserves through support rituals. If you have no economic actions a Glory can be mobilized by forcing a stability or endurance check, though failure may have serious long term consequences.

Conventional Forces

Conventional Forces are less important than Glories, so they are not purchased individually, but rather as a block with nation points. A large conventional military also means you control a larger occupation zone.

Level I: Weak Conventional Forces

10 points

Your conventional forces are fairly weak. You have perhaps 100 combat aircraft, an army of perhaps 100,000 and a total armed forces of about 250,000. Your forces are of average skill. In game terms you have up to twelve divisions, air wings or naval groups. You gain one military intelligence action per quarter.

Level II: Medium Conventional forces

30 points

Your conventional forces are about average. You have up to 250 combat aircraft, an army of up to 250,000 and a total armed forces of up to 500,000. You may instead have a smaller but highly skilled force (equal to level I forces). In game terms you have up to twenty four divisions, air wings or naval groups. You gain two military intelligence actions per quarter.

Level III: Strong Conventional force

40 points

You have one of the strongest conventional forces of the day, with over 1000 combat aircraft, an army of 500,000 or more, and a total force of over a million. You may instead have a smaller but more highly skilled force. In game terms you have up to thirty six divisions, air wings or naval groups, you gain three military intelligence actions per quarter.

Level IV: Military Superpower

60 points

You have one of the worlds strongest military forces, with several million men under arms, thousands of combat aircraft, and a high level of training and skill. Few can stand against your armies without glory support. In game terms you have fifty divisions, air wings or naval groups. You gain four military intelligence actions per quarter.

Research & Technology

Level I: Low research

10 Points

You have few scientists and are not particularly able to research. You make perhaps one significant breakthrough per year, and are significantly behind technologically in at least one area.

Level II: Medium research

30 points

Your Research is about average. You produce perhaps 2 new advances per year, and have about average technology.

Level III: Strong research

40 points

Your technology and science are the envy of other powers. You make perhaps four new advances per year, and have at least one area of technology where you are significantly above your peers.

Level IV: World Leader in Science

60 points

Your state overflows with genius. You make eight new advances per year, and your military and economy benefits from the latest technology in several different areas.

Economy

Level I: Weak Economy

10 Points

Your economy is weak, unemployment is high and few of your industries are competitive. You can take one economic action per year

Level II: Medium Economy

30 points

Your economy is about average, you have some areas of comparative advantage, and most people are employed. You can take three economic actions per year

Level III: Strong Economy

40 points

You are a leading industrial economy, with a host of advanced industries who competes in most global markets. you can take four economic actions per year

Level IV: Keystone economy

60 points

You are a central pillar of the world economic system, with vast wealth and a high standard of living. People line up to trade with you, and goods made in your country are desired world wide. You may take six economic actions per year.

Derived Statistics

Several other statistics are derived from standard national statistics. These are Derived Statistics, and help to determine various things about your countries place in the international system.

Occupation Zone

After Victory in the last war, most powers occupy large areas of foreign territory you occupy. Occupation Zone is equal to you're military power + half your economic power. Each level gives a random roll to determine whether you have something major such as an mineral rich area or strategically vital point.

Trade

Trade is equal to your economic stat plus or minus two with a minimum of zero. Each point in trade allows you one extra economic action per year, but if trade is blocked, you will lose a number of economic actions equal to your trade. If your economy goes into minus numbers, your economy will self destruct and you will begin to drop economic categories.

Research Links

Academics love to exchange science. Your Research Links score is equal to your research level plus or minus two with a minimum of zero. Each point gives an additional research action per year, however, it also subjects all research actions to a higher chance of being stolen. The more research links you have, the greater the chance of theft.

Military Formations and Actions

In the world of Glories, there are three different types of military formations. While smaller formations exist, these large groups are all that the game tracks, as they are the smallest unit deployed to a major operation. Conventional forces are much weaker than Glories, but even Glories are not invincible. It is possible that a sufficient amount of military force (at least 5-6 divisions, air wings or naval groups to even try) might defeat a glory. However this is no means a sure thing, as Mary Koo showed against the PGU's vast armies and fleets.

Divisions are land based units of 20,000 to 25,000 troops. They can come in a variety of different styles and organizations (airborne, armoured, etc.) but most are assumed to be combined arms formations. Specialist units such as marines, mountain or airborne troops should be designated when a division is created. Divisions are assumed to have their own aviation assets (such as helicopters) and in larger and better funded militaries will usually work with an attached group of fast jets.

Air Wings are airbased forces consisting of around 30-40 high performance tactical aircraft or a lesser number of bombers and the like. Air wings are expected to come with an increasing amount of support infrastructure depending on how many you buy. This includes radar control planes, signals intelligence aircraft, tankers and the like.

Naval Groups are a mix of surface vessels and submarines. They may be carrier groups (a carrier and its defensive assets) surface action groups (made up of surface ships with no aircraft involved) or submarine groups (submarines). While not that directly useful for fighting large land wars, they are a vital part of power projection.

Research, Economic, Espionage and Actions

There are no set rules for what you may research or what actions you may take economically, each will be arranged specifically with the GM. Some example researches however might be "higher powered Glories" or "Stealth glories" while economic actions might include "Increase military spending (which would over time buy more field forces)" or "Increase research spending (allowing more research)" or even "create new infrastructure (increasing the size of your economy)"

Creating a new Glory is also an economic action, but each new Glory requires 1 year to train if she is to have a stability of more than 1.

In addition, each power gains 4 Espionage actions per quarter. Some of these maybe used to gain new espionage actions in addition to economic actions.