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Core Earth was the home of the last Possibility Wars, but since the invaders disappeared, it has returned to some semblance of its former self, as the rebuilding process starts. The main change is in the United States, which has become a force in the new invasions of Late Possibility Wars. What they are after is unknown, but they are fast proving to be one of the most threatening cosms.
The Core Earth United States since the Possibility Wars Core Earth United States is a surprise player on the field of Torg II. After suffering a long and arduous possibility war lasting from 1990 to 1994, Core Earth didn’t appear to be in much of a condition to be doing any invading. or, for that matter, did it seem as though this underdog would ever stoop to such lows. But stoop it did, on November eleventh 1939 (Terra).
Up until the moment of the invasion, the United States was the only major world power that had not lost its most critical cities and government centers, as had Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan, China, and others. It did lose part of itself to Texarkana and the Wasteland, but these two realms were far from the capitol city of Washington D.C., and the government was able to carry on with little difficulty. The unfairness hadn’t escaped notice, either. Many countries, even ones once allied with the United States, claimed the President, Alexander Givens, had made secret “deals” with the invaders to be spared his most important lands while they all had their collective heads cut off, so to speak. Of course this isn’t true, but it has caused some trouble on what is left of the political arena.
So imagine everyone’s surprise when, on a peaceful evening while light snow drifted through the eastern states, a hole ripped open in the sky over the District of Columbia, New York City, Detroit. and Atlanta. Down came the maelstrom bridges, and the flow of reality spread out over most of the eastern United States. Storms cut swaths across the Appalachians and Great Lakes areas, leaving it its wake a changed land. How the stelae were planted without anyone noticing has been a subject of many heated arguments since, but every realm succeeded in the same thing before Core Earth.
Coming down the bridge with is armed escort of Delphi Council military forces, President-for-life Dennis Quartermain esptablished himself in the White House, converted in the axiom wash, and immediately set about in the process of duplicating the United States of America in the usurped Terra.
Quartermain’s U.S. is considerably more militaristic than that if hs predecessors. He keeps the army in high profile, at least in the more protected areas of the major cities. Despite this, he has explained to President Givens that he is here to assist them in repelling the threat posed by the Gaunt man and his cronies. Givens believes him, and has instructed Dr. Frest to provide aide for Quartermain. On top of this, the Delphi Council’s history of aid to Frest and other resistance groups, at least superficially, has led to a level of trust which makes victims of the Concil’s policies blanche.
Due to the presence of the new government (known as the “New U.S.”), Givens has set up a new capitol city for his Terran U.S. in Houston, Texas, home of the Rocket Rangers and Dr. Frest’s Mystery Men. Logically, it is a good location, since it is close to all four invading realms and therefore, easy to direct military ventures.
World Rules and Axioms Note: These mark a change from the WEG Core Earth axioms and world rules. The Axioms of Core Earth emphasize technology and high social structure, while the magical and social axioms are declining.
Technological: 23
Social: 21
Spiritual: 9
Magical: 7
The tech axiom allows global communication and other modern wonders, while falling short of useful cybernetics or nanotechnology. Socially, Core Earth is capable of near-perfect utopias, but the failings of human greed are simply in the way. However, draconian governments and dictatorships are less and less common (not reflected in the current shift in United States policy to totallitarianism). As mentioned before, magic and spirit are fading fast from Core Earth as emphasis on other subjects like money and power increases. In a couple of years, it is likely the levels of both these axioms may drop by one.
There are four World rules in Core Earth, which tend to show the reality’s natural tendency to reinvent itself.
The Law of Ingenuity: This law is the basis for humanity’s constant pushing of boundaries, both intellecutally and physically, leading to great discoveries. By this law, any person trying to figure out the solution to a problem receives a +3 to their Science, Medicine, Evidence Analysis, or Scholar skills. Has to be for a major problem or setback.
The Law of Balance: This is a change from the player handout and overrules details given there. This law states that a certain amount of balance must exist within any structure. Environment, living organisms, physical structures... everything follows this law. Basically, it means that as one thing increases, another must decrease. Examples of this can be found in everyday physics of all the worlds, but Core Earth is the only reality to enforce this in social, political, economic, and otherwise intangible structures. In game mechanics, this means a character has a more difficult time tipping the balance - he or she must beat a 30 to acquire an add in Aysle or Spiritworld Honor or Corruption, and in Orrorsh a character gaining Corruption starts with 5 points instead of 8.
The Law of Variety: Core Earth is naturally fraught with variety and it encourages growth into new areas. To Torg characters, this means that they have a single free possibility to add toward learning a new skill, thereby lowering the required amount of possibilities to learn it. For example, if John was trying to gain the first add of Evidence Analysis, he would have to spend only 1 add if he had a teacher, or 4 if self-taught. For an advanced skill, such as Heavy Weapons, that would change to 4 if he had a teacher, or 9 if he did not.
The Law of Change: In addition to the balance and new frontier emphasis of Core Earth, there is also an aspect which dictates that nothing is static - everything must change over time. For a Core Earth character, this means subplot cards cease to be in effect after ten adventures or one game year, whichever is longest. A campaign card played on the subplot can cancel this law. For example, Scott plays a romance card and falls in love with a Rocket Ranger. However, since he is Core Earth, the romance is doomed to fizzle in a relatively short period of time unless a campaign card is played on it. The campaign card can be played at any time before the subplot runs out. While this may seem to lead to an illogically high turnover rate, keep in mind the gamemaster may deem certain situations not to require a campaign card, and subplots not generated by a card are not subject to this law.
The Highlord, Dennis Quartermain
Quartermain has become corrupted since his first days as acting President. Originally, it was all about saving his beloved U.S. from the invading Jakatts with Baruk Kaah, but now the taste of power afforded him as all but turned him into a dictator. Everybody is familiar with the changes he has wrought, like reworking the Amendments to abolish presidential term limits while a declared “crisis state” is in effect, or giving the Delphi Council the ability to arrest, convict, try, and punish suspected criminals without proof, due process, or a jury of peers. In effect, he has transformed the government into a powerful entity capable, legally and militarily, of nearly any activity.
The President himself has become one of the richest men in the U.S. Along with other changes, he raised the presidential salary from roughly 100,000 dollars a year to 50 million. This, of course, is apart from the customary freebies, like CIA protection, the White House estate, the retreat in Camp David, cars and jets, and special deals with distributors. It is estimated Quartermain himself is worth 3.5 billion dollars.
But this responsibility is showing. Quartermain is becoming more and more reclusive, taking up strange habits and giving up his old ones. His wife, the First Lady Mary Jean, has absorbed herself in a personal crusade (as most First Ladies do) to clean up sex in everday life. She has formed several commitees, the most powerful of which is the Anti- Smut Censor Board, or ASCB. Now every radio and television station, advertising agency, book or magazine publisher, and other assorted industries are required to pass their products through the ASCB’s stringent requirements. Despite her popularity among conservatives, though, Mary Jean appears to be less and less happy, and public opinion is that it is caused by her husband. Dennis’ hair is now grey, and although he smiles in public, he appears more and more bitter and vile every day. Papers initially attempting to report on this were shut down, the writers and editors alike found huilty of treason, and summarily hanged. More and more Quartermain simply stays in the White House or some retreat, and directs the government through his Vice President, Evan Brennan.
Secretly, Dennis is growing in his bond with Annihilus and it is slowly instilling in him enough possibilities to raise his abilities. They are increasing at roughly half a point per month, or six points per year. In other words, by the end of spring of 1996, every skill will have one more add, and by the end of fall, every skill will have two more adds (roughly one every four months).
The Darkness Device, Annihilus
The Darkness Device Quartermain is attuned with, called Annihilus, has been roaming Core Earth for thousands of years. However, it seldom stays with a Hgh Lord for very long: unlike others, it is very picky and fickle, and has been known to raise a ruler to the hights of power, only to drop him almost suddenly. This is almost certainly a result of the Law of Change in Core Earth. Whether it will be satisfied with Quartermain is up in the air, but for now, it is doing a good job of attuning him and filling him with power. Its whispers to him have drawn him ever further into isolation, but it knows when he emerges he will be a ruler fit to conquer Terra.
Annihilus is a small black cube about ten inches on a side. It is a perfect cube, and in fact is so perfect, it represents mathematical equations with the effectiveness of a slide rule, for a person brilliant enough to decipher it. In fact, it took this form under the guidance of the first Core Earther it came into contact with, a mathemetician from early Sumeria. However, he didn’t have the “attitude” necessary to become a high lord, so Annihilus destroyed him and moved on. The Chinese first witnessed Annihilus’ arrival in the form of a streaking light in the sky in 2566 b.c. The ball of fire landed in the middle East and was found, as mentioned above, by a mathemetician named Ton. After a period of solitude, it fell into the hands of Sargon, the Sumerian king. After his downfall, it worked its way into the hands of Pharoah Sesostris in the 1700s b.c., then to Thutmose III. As with those before him, the pharoah grew great using Annihilus’ power, then fell when the fickle Darkness Device grew weary of him.
Following is a list of all the potential High Lords Anihilus served, starting after Thutmose III: Akhenaton, Nebuchadnezzar II, Cyrus II, Cambyses II, Phillip II of Macedon, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Scipio the Younger, Julius Caesar, Octavian, Caligula, Trajan, Constantine, Attilla the Hun, Charles Martel, Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, Genghis Kahn, Vlad the Impaler, Torquemada, Ivan IV the Terrible, Napoleon, Rasputin, and finally, Adolph Hitler himself.
Even though none of these world-renowned leaders pleased Annihilus, it has great hopes for the future with Dennis. See, he is the first human to ever comprehend the full scope of reality. Perhaps the invaders that troubled Earth have proved to be a boon for Quartermain!
Annihilus’ maelstrom bridges appear as concrete arches leading up to a hole in the sky. These arches are highways, and are free for travel to U.S. citizens, even though the customs posts are very strict and always suspicious. The stelae come in various forms, but always are some sort of appliance, like a television.
Quartermain is judged by Annihilus not to be ready for Gospog just yet, but they should show before the end of the year. When he finally creates some, they will appear as normal gospog in Army oufits for the second planting, rabid dogs in the third, rabid bears in the fourth, and as a normal-looking human in the fifth. But don’t let this last incarnation fool you - it is by far their most dangerous!
Psionics in Core Earth
The newest addition in Core Earth is that of psionics. Core Earth has always had a latent psionics capability, and that was awakened when the Akashans arrived during the original Possibility War. The Delphi Council has adapted psionics into its operations, forming a special branch called Oracle, which specializes in the research and art of psionics. They have a lab, run by an ex-Delphi member named Taurus, in the suburbs of Atlanta.
Delphi psionics in still in its infancy, but it is not uncommon for two or three Oracle agents to be parked near the opening of the bridge in a black van, psychically scanning for familiar psi-prints.
Note: We use an updated version of psionics, to appear here at a later date. Until now, we would recommend using the Space Gods psionics, but one does not need to take into account the three different "alignments" -- they can all be used in the inclination-free Core Earth.
The Delphi Council
Originally, the Delphi Council was formed to deal with the invasion of the Living Land in the United States, and to serve as a gathering organization for Storm Knight resistance.
These days, though, things have changed. The Delphi Council has been corrupted from within. Most of the original Level One members, each with Zodiac nicknames, have left or died (or been assassinated....) The Delphi Council has slowly been incorporated into the operations of the CIA, FBI, and NSA, until it has taken them over in operations. It started with suspicions against a group of storm knights whom appeared to commit treason, and the suspicion spread until Storm Knights became the Delphi Council's worst enemy. At this time, the Delphi Council is Quartermain's personal army, second in command, and backup. It has essentially become the government. In fact, there is a running joke that the D.C. in Washington D.C. stands for Delphi Council now.
Their main base of operations is the Pentagon back on the cosm of Core Earth, but in the Realm, it is the PARTHENON, located in Washington D.C. The building is rectangular and built to resemble to legendary Greek ruin. It is heavily guarded, with army and navy stations nearby, and a network of tunnels underground. Deep inside is said to be a supercomputer which is approaching intelligence, and a hyper-secure eternity shard vault.
The Delphi Council is not an organization to be trifled with. They destroy Storm Knights every day.
Running Core Earth United States in Torg 2000
Core Earth U.S. is, as indicated by the above chapter, now run by Dennis Quartermain and the Delphi Council. They are "loose cannons" in the invasion, and do not follow any sort of predictable order. In fact, it would be fair to say they have declared war on every cosm and realm in existence. Quartermain is power hungry (he is also slowly going quite insane.)
The addition of psionics and the fact that they have invaded Terra lead to some hairy action possibilities. Delphi gunship helicopters are common, the notorious black vans can be seen daily, and sometimes psionics testing can go horribly wrong, leading to psi-battles on the city streets. Mostly, though, this is a realm of espionage and high-tech action.
The other side of life here is still mega-malls, industrialization, crass commercialism and capitalism, and super- patriotic American idealism. These two worlds often collide, leaving average tax-paying, mall-shopping, baseball-playing citizens crawling out from under the high-tech smartbombs and gadgetry.
Suggested materials Movies: Mission Impossible Firestarter Patriot Games Air Force Once any James Bond movie Hackers Books: (Anything I missed? Send me an e-mail!)
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