Hi all, I'm new here! I've been lurking for a few days and have decided to finally 'step into the breach', as it were.
Is anyone else here working on a Sci-Fi scenario for the Coldstone Engine? When I saw the screenshots/previews I immediately though "Here's my chance to get 'Crimson Dark' into the public arena". Its a project I've been working on haphazardly for several years now and it is my dream to actually publish it in one form or another.
If you're interested in Crimson Dark you can take a quick look at some of the artwork I've created for it over at (url="http://"http://www.pnc.com.au/~midnight/Portfolio.html")http://www.pnc.com.a.../Portfolio.html(/url)
A quick summary:
The overall story spans nearly 200 years, but the focus is on two particularlly important periods of human history. The first is the Crimson Dark War, which takes place in the 22nd Century. It involves the first contact with an alien race who turn out, inexplicably, to also be human. They have their own culture, language etc. and some minor physiological differences, but for all intents and purposes they are human. This alien race is named the Laureethsha and is home to several different peoples (like our own nations). The most prominent are the Thalos (ruling superpower) and the Stirathil (a deeply spiritual people who have been enslaved by the Thalos).
The war erupts between Earth and the Thalos government (the 'Sirra Kelath') over a misunderstanding, and lasts for nearly two years. It ends with Earth occupation of Laureethsha, the establishment of a provisional government and the liberation of the Stirathil people. The Earth Alliance is established.
Over the next sixty years, two new races are met, both human (again with their own unique physiological differences). They gladly join the Alliance. However a third race, the Lollen-gunya, is not so eager. An uneasy peace lasts for only six months before the people of the super-democratic republic of Lollen-gunya vote to go to war with Earth.
Almost immediately a warfleet enters the Sol system and fights an epic battle with Gold Fleet (Earth's defensive line). There is no clear victor, but the surviving alien forces destroy all of Earth's shipyards from orbit, and destroy the jump-gates linking the system to the rest of the alliance. The last remnants of Gold fleet manage to destroy the Lollen-gunya fleet, but not before Earth is completely cut-off from the rest of the galaxy. The Gold fleet is unable to make planetfall or escape from the system and find themselves stranded in orbit.
Laureethsha becomes the new seat of the Alliance as the war draws out over the next 14 years. There are catastophic casualties on both sides which ends with both armies agreeing toi a cease-fire. Territory is divided up and the fleets are stood down. The only remaining dispute is over who gets Earth. The arguments go on and on. The Alliance will not abandon its home, but the Lollen-gunya will not accept the humilation of fighting a war with no gain whatsoever. While negotiations take place, it is decreed that the Sol system is off-limits. Both fleets establish defensive perimeters to prevent construction ships of the other race from getting through and building jump-gates - there is a fear that the first people to re-establish contact will ultimately be the ruler of Earth.
Now the game begins...
YOU play an officer aboard one of the few surviving Gold Fleet vessels. Originally a child during the great battle 14 years ago, you have grown up on the fleet which has moored itself in orbit around Mars to take advantage of its resources. You have almost given up hope of ever seeing Earth again (since the Lollen Gunya occupational forces have set up defensive systems that will shoot down any ships attempting planet-fall), and you begin to believe that perhaps both Humans and Lollen-Gunya have been completely obliterated. Nothing has been heard from the rest of the Galaxy for 13 years.
One day an encrypted message arrives sent to anyone capable of receiving. it is from Alliance Command and contains orders for the fleet to prepare Earth for a possible invasion. Either Alliance ships of Lollen-Gunya ships are going to try to regain control over the disputed world, and the Alliance wants to give themselves the upper edge.
Since it is impossible to make planetfall, eight volunteers (including yourself) are selected to enter escape pods and drop down to Earth. Your objective is recon and sabotage of Lollen-gunya facilities. However there is no way to target the escape pods so you find yourself alone on the surface of the planet, with seven colleagues out there somewhere.
And Earth is not as you remembered it as a child. The Lollen Gunya have not been able to maintain control and have walled thmselves up in their own forts, awaiting reinforcements. The dire lack of resources (normally harvested from Mars and the Ateroid belt) has casued civil war and anarchy.
Clearly there is much to be done if Earth is ever to rise from the ashes.
So.... what do you think?
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Of all the things I've
lost, I miss my mind
the most.
