| From: | GKoth2258 <GKoth2258@***.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | NERPS: Antarctica & Asia |
| Date: | Sat, 24 Jan 1998 18:33:58 EST |
This barren wasteland is home to an untold number of natural riches, even
today. The various United Nation treaties keeping anyone from claiming
Antarctica are still largely in effect, enforced by a small multinational
force headed by UCAS and Amazonia. But what really keeps corporate resource
raiders out of the icy continent are the strange changes wrought upon
Antarctica. It is believed that the geography has changed wildly, mountains
erupting that make Mt. Everest look like a mere foothill. The violent weather
has only gotten more violent and imaging satellites regularly go blank (often
permanently) or "fuzz out" while over Antarctica, thus making any confirmation
of these changes nearly impossible. Since 2043, over 14 expeditions have
disappeared, claiming at least 132 lives. Surviving mages also report a
strange "background count," resembling more of an absence of magic more than a
corruption.
- NO CURRENT MAP AVAILABLE -
(>) Are we talking foveae? Or something else?
(>) Purple Penguin
(>) No. The best way to describe it would be to say that there is "mana"
there, but it is something very different from what exists everywhere else. A
very bizarre sensation. Astrally, it feels like you are traveling through
thick mud, with visibility as if you were in very dense fog. There's
something else about it too, just a feeling really, but you distinctly get the
impression that you just don't belong there, as if you were on a hostile alien
planet or something. Very strange. And exactly the sort of thing that drives
mages to therapy. It did me. So if you'll excuse me, I have to go take my
medication.
(>) Rough Guide
(>) I've heard Shiawase had several aqualogies based in the Antarctic circle
before the Awakening; mostly hydrothermal power plants, and later, prototypes
in their early attempts to achieve cold fusion. Interestingly enough, just
before the Awakening in 2009, there was rumors they were gengineering
experiments going on. My suspicion is they pulled something out of the water
that Awakened a little bit before the rest of the world. Whatever odd forces
are at play in Antarctica, they started happening soon, as Shiawase pulled out
its resources there in 2014
(>) Fact Rat
(>) Don't bet on them having pulled out totally. Each of the Big 8 has some
sort of arcology down there. They're mostly near the edge of the weirdness,
usually within sight of the ocean, but they are there. They are doing their
best to pull every little piece of profit from that god-forsaken chunk of
land. And none of that "multi-national force" drek is going to stop them.
(>) Bored Pirate
ASIA
Afghanistan
This tiny, land-locked mountain nation exists as a nation only in the minds of
it's people. The actual territory of Afghanistan has been a part of Iran (the
Persian Empire) since 2034. Low-level warfare and minor terrorism was
relatively common, but not common enough for major action on the part of Iran.
Until 2054 that is. For reasons still unclear, the Afghan conflict began to
resemble the Soviet-Afghan war of the 1980s. The freedom fighters began to
enjoy increased financial support (from whom, no one is willing to say) and
their conflict again took on the elements of Islamic jihad. The
reintroduction of religion as a major element of their conflict shifted the
entire situation. Suddenly, Muslims from other nations began to travel into
Afghanistan to help in the fight against Iran. Islamic terrorism exploded,
literally, onto a global scale again, affecting virtually every Awakened
nation, even the two Tirs.
(>) You can bet that Algeria had something to do with it. Probably Syria too.
(>) Biz Quick
(>) I thought Iran was an Islamic theocracy.
(>) norg@***.net
(>) You need to move forward a few years. It was a rigid Muslim Shi'a
theocracy, but then Aden (you know, the dragon) up and destroyed most of
Tehran. A couple of years of civil war which ended with the government we see
today.
(>) Biz Quick
And worse for Iran, the Afghan conflict spread into the regions of Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In other words, the jihad had spread
through most of Iran.
Australia
(>) Ah, put a shrimp on me barby, eh? Okay, maybe not. If anyone has ever
wanted to travel to the land "down under, where beer does flow and men
chunder," (sorry, just couldn't resist!) make sure you check out this next
file.
(>) St. Stan
(>) Hey! We women can chunder too ya know!!
(>) Foster's Girl
(insert Lady Jestyr's piece here)
China
China is a flurry of chaos and instability, reverting to millennia old
provinces controlled by petty warlords. There is no central government and
many regions are little better than the war zones common in the South East
Asian War Zone. The last remnants of Maoist China still control Beijing and
the surrounding territory, but the vast majority of China is controlled by
some petty feudal lord or other. With at least a dozen or more warlords, plus
Maoist Beijing and the island nation of Taiwan, China is in a near constant
state of warfare.
(>) Given the political history of the area, the balkanisation of China came
as a shock to many. It's existed as a single entity for so long it is maybe
still hard to believe that it's changed so dramatically.
(>) Stryfe
(>) Wasn't a shock to me, chummer. I've got buddies across the syndicates and
they tell me that the Triads took China down, plain and simple. Seems that a
fragmented nation is a lot easier for them to control.
(>) Belladonna
(>) And that "single entity" wasn't always quite so singular. The boundaries
of China have ebbed and flowed significantly throughout the centuries. While
there has been a China for seemingly forever, there have been all sorts of
other nations in that region also.
(>) Serpent.Eye@****.com
With the collapse of Communist China, Taiwan saw an opportunity to "reclaim"
China as it's own, remembering how they were deposed from power, exiled and
hunted by the communists in the 1940s and 50s. Instead, it became mired in
the feudal politics and petty squabbling. Taiwan is still a relatively modern
nation, but slipping as it becomes more and more entangled in mainland China.
(>) Anyone looking to run in Beijing oughtta see my pal Mock Tse Tung first -
best face mods this side of the Rockies,
and skillchips to make you think you was born floatin in a rice patty.
(>) ping!
(>) Shadowrunning in what's left of China is pretty hard to do, with the
exception of Hong Kong -- that's prime running ground because of all the corps
fragging each other with little or no laws to stop them. In the rest of
China, though, it's very hard to know where you stand with the various
warlords. One might hire you to do a run into the neighboring warlord's
territory, but whether he intends to pay you or execute you when you get back
(often, it's "if you get back") is very hard to say in advance. Take my
advice and stay away from China.
(>) Logarhythem
(>) There's a reason for that, isn't there?
(>) Control
(>) There's loads. Many warlords act like they're gods on earth, so if you
haven't done everything exactly right they may decide you're not worth having
around any longer. Suspected treason is always a good reason for getting rid
of runners, and anyone aspiring to overthrow a warlord may try to use you in
their plans (usually without you knowing it), so if that comes out the warlord
who initially hired you might blame it on you. These internal politics are
very dangerous to get mix up in, and when running in China it's pretty hard to
stay out of them...like I said, it's very hard to know where you stand. Be
very careful, these warlords aren't your typical Mr. Johnsons.
(>) Logarhythem
(>) Add the Awakened creatures from Chinese legends, a small monastery on
every hilltop preaching some obscure branch of the Buddhist faith, and
seventeen-dozen Sufis claiming to have the only "true" Shaolin Kung Fu
teachings, stir in the Celestial Bureaucracy and mages who think wood and
metal are elements, toss in a dash of tong warfare, and then simmer over an
open flame of conflict for a couple of dozen years - that's more like a recipe
for why not to go to China.
(>) Emeraldeyes
(>) Aren't there Geomancers in China these days?
(>) The Neo-Iconoclast
(>) Geomancy, or Feng Shui, never really went away Neo. Once it spread out
and got a hold on Los Angeles office design in the last century, geomancy was
guaranteed to always have a place somewhere.
(>) Cube Squared
Hawai'i
See Paradise Lost.
(>) Ahhh, beautiful land of surf, sun, fun, and Trogs! If there's any place
where it's VERY hazardous to your health to be a Humanis Policlubber, this is
it. When a third of the population can bench press buildings, you tend to
think twice about racial slurs.
(>) Benny the Trog
(>) Don't be so sure of yourself Benny. Unfortunately, some members of
Humanis tend to view areas Like Hawai'i as a bit of a challenge, and try all
the harder the get in. There are several different underground organizations
that have a strong foothold in the Islands that would like to see you roasting
over a bonfire for what you are. Sadly enough, not all of the bigots are
human. Seems there's some elves out there that don't like being outnumbered
so badly. Watch your back Benny, my man.
(>) Rebel
(>) Hey Rebel, sounds like you know a few things. If you're interested in
making a few cred, swing by La Maison D'Indochine next week and we'll talk
biz. Ask the bartender for me.
(>) Benny the Trog
Hong Kong
This corporate haven re-emerged in 2012 after the collapse of China.
Controlled and ruled by the various corporations, there is very little in the
way of law, either corporate or civil. This doesn't mean that Hong Kong is a
haven for crime; the corporations jealously protect themselves, with a side-
affect of this being a relatively low violent crime rate.
(>) Leaves plenty of room for non-violent crime, though. Hong-Kong is a prime
runners market, and it's a lot easier to fit in than in mainland China. The
problem with Hong Kong is that it's small and isolated, and run by the Corps.
If you're running independent here and you frag up, you'll probably die alone
in some dark rat-infested sewer, hiding from the corp police.
(>) Frisk
(>) Hong Kong? Geez, yer tellin' all the little wannabe's to run the Kong?
Remind me to buy into funeral parlors there. I got three words as to why you
keep the hell outta China: Triad, triad, triad.
(>) Ratkliffe
(>) I got three words as to why I keep the hell outta China: I ain't Chinese.
(>) Graht
(>) Actually, that's an excellent point. Most runners are from heavily
urbanized areas with extremely varied racial diversity - making it easy to
blend in because everyone looks so different. When making a run into many
parts of the world, the "curtain of invisibility" that exists in places like
Seattle simply doesn't exist. You automatically stand out because you aren't
Chinese, or Sikh, or whatever. Plan for this - or plan for your funeral.
(>) Asmodeus
(>) Wait a minute. What about the Triads? I thought they ruled Hong Kong.
That's what I read in the "Underworld" file.
(>) Death in Vegas
(>) It depends on where you are looking. The entire underworld is owned by
the Triads. Almost everything else is corp owned. They all play very
dangerous games with each other, fighting and scheming for more power and
influence. Right now I would say the Triads are winning.
(>) Photek
Japan
Imperial Japan is perhaps one of the most powerful nations in the Awakened
world. Japan is also one of a small list of nations that has not suffered a
loss in territory since the Awakening. In fact, Japan has managed to expand
it's territory significantly, gaining control of the Philippines (see
CyberPirates for additional information) and a number of other small islands,
not to mention San Francisco. Japan is the leading force in the region
politically, militarily and economically. Theoretically, the nation of Japan
is controlled by the Emperor, the Diet (the Japanese Congress) and the
megacorporate controlled United Council. In fact the Emperor and the Diet
have very little real political power, with the United Council and the
corporations actually making all the key decisions, much as they try to do
everywhere else. And as they prefer to do, the Council lets the vast Japanese
government bureaucracy take care of the mundane day-to-day operations of
running the government. The Emperor does have a great deal of cultural and
religious power however and his influence should not be underestimated.
(>) It should go without saying, but Ares, S-K and the Azzies aren't on the
United Council. Strictly Japanacorps only. In fact, those three have a
really minimal presence in Japan, even down to a lot of their subsids. And
don't underestimate the power of the bureaucrats. It's nearly a feudal
society, with some of the positions nearly hereditary and with a lot of power
to go with it. Sure they jump when the corps ask, but many of them have free
reign otherwise.
(>) ClubMan@*****.net
(>) Yeah. Gotta love Japan. They claim the metahuman concentration zones
were dissolved a few years ago. I just talked with "a friend of a friend" and
while they don't officially exist, there sure as frag do in fact. Frag, I saw
one back in '51. Hell, did you know they still portray Pearl Harbor as a
"defensive action," that they were winning World War II up until The Bomb got
dropped? Someone's got to tell the truth to those guys...
(>) Gaijin
(>) I think you're being a little harsh, but you are, in essence, correct.
Over the past 70 years, over 80 teachers (that we know of; the real number is
likely much higher) have been thrown in jail because they taught something
other than the Japanese version of truth. Something is indeed rotten in the
Land of the Rising Sun. And has been since before the Awakening.
(>) St. Stan
(>) That doesn't, however, automatically mean that there is a "cabal of
immortal elves" or a "draconic conspiracy" behind it. As history has shown
us, man is capable of feats of self-delusion, hubris, and outright evil that
make the supposed worst excesses of these groups pale by comparison.
(>) Asmodeus
(>) Never said there was some Immortal cabal or that some wyrm was behind it.
It's more like something megalomaniacally rotten in the Japanese culture.
Japan is never wrong. Japan is always right. Japan is mother. Japan is
father. Or something like that. Don't get me wrong. Not everyone in Japan
is like that. But that is how an outsider might view the Japanese culture.
(>) St. Stan
India
Poised to become more than just a regional power before the Awakening, India
has been wracked by internal strife and struggle for the past 40 years. No
one can agree on how to best govern this diverse land and the re-emergence of
magic has only complicated things further. The caste system, on its way out
before the Awakening, has come back with a vengeance and has been further
complicated by metahumans. There are individual elven, dwarven, ork and troll
separatist movements. An extremely complicated nation of the verge of either
greatness or chaos.
(>) How do the metahumans fit into the caste system?
(>) starbolt@******.cfs
(>) Metahumans are a caste within a caste. Humans, then elves, dwarves, orcs
and then trolls. This means that a noble troll is higher up than a human
beggar. Trouble is, you see very few orcs and trolls is the upper castes
(draw your own conclusions). In fact, the highest noble caste is 95% human,
with the rest elves. And I don't think that number is natural.
(>) WildKatt
(>) Considering the persistent stories regarding the number of supposedly
euthanized infants in England during the Awakening (a country that
traditionally placed a much higher value on human life), it doesn't seem to be
a particularly long jump of logic to arrive at the reasons why that number
seems artificially high, WildKatt. The British supposedly removed the then-
current King for having the poor taste to goblinize into a troll - in a caste-
conscious society like India, merely showing to the world that your family
line is so "weak" that it can't breed "true" has economic and
political
consequences far beyond what you might expect to see in the UCAS or CAS in a
similar situation.
(>) Asmodeus
The island of Sri Lanka, while technically a part of India since 2023, has in
effect been ceded to the metahuman separatists, as of August 2058. While
still India in name, the governance of Sri Lanka has been turned over to
metahumans. It is unclear what exactly this recent development will mean for
India.
(>) Sri Lanka has had to deal with separatist violence for a hundred years or
more. When India annexed it in '23 they performed a major operation to rid
the island of insurgents once and for all, and surprisingly, they more or less
succeeded. Over the past two decades, though, more separatist movements have
appeared than ever before. Nearly every ethnic or racial group currently "has
one," and there's a lot of in-fighting between them.
(>) World Wide Watcher
(>) Good merc country.
(>) Infiltrator
Kazakhstan
This former Soviet territory is wildly capitalistic. Anything and everything
is up for sale. Ruled by a strong but vastly corrupt democratically elected
government with very broad powers, this mountainous nation is a free-traders
dream. Originally built on oil profits, Kazakhstan's primary means of income
now is a small 4.1% sales tax on literally every transaction. Considering
everything from BTLs to slaves to LAVs to insurance contracts are sold here,
that is a rather healthy means of income for this mountainous nation. Of
course, this policy of "everything goes" has earned it a reputation just above
the Algerian Theocracy, Syria and North Korea.
(>) My kind of country!
(>) Chrome Dealer
Mongolia
Very little is known about this underdeveloped nation at this time. It is
generally assumed that very little has changed in the past 70 years, aside
from independence from China.
(>) Sorry, boyo, quite a lot has changed if I've heard correctly. Supposedly,
a political order called the Sons of the Tiger or some such drek became fairly
prominent in Ulan Bator back in '49. The Sons want to make Mongolia a khanate
again; rumor has it, they're gaining a lot of popular support. I guess the
Mongolians like the idea of becoming a major Asian power again. My friend
Gutterlark (the source of all this info) says that a potential Khan--a troll
named Oghatai or sumthin'--has been nominated by the Sons.
(>) Witchfinder
(>) I don't know if Witchfinder's information is truth or not, but I do know
this for a fact: relations are strained between Mongolia, Persia/Iran,
Kazakhstan and a couple of the Chinese states.
(>) The All-Seeing Eye
Nepal
Still as underdeveloped and slow as it ever was. One of the few nations in
the area not hit by war or major change. Even with all the chaos in India,
Nepal managed to stay relatively unaffected. Given the continued unrest of
India however, it seems only a matter of time before this small mountainous
nation is drawn into the Indian conflict, especially with the high incidence
of dwarves and trolls in Nepal.
(>) India is convinced that dwarves and trolls from Nepal played a significant
role in the recent separatist "troubles." They can't prove anything, but the
relations with Nepal have been on the chilly side for the past several years.
(>) WildKatt
North Korea
The only communist nation left, North Korea sees itself as the last bastion of
Maoism in the world and they must fight tooth and nail for survival. This has
led to a near constant state of low-intensity warfare with South Korea along
the Neutral Zone and the sponsoring of several different warring factions
within the quagmire known as China. It should also be noted that a low-level
insurrection has been going on in North Korea since the starvations of
1996-99. North Korea has still not completely recovered from that disaster
and the small rebel movement is proof of that.
(>) The rebels get arms from South Korea and the UCAS.
(>) Anon@****.net
(>) Gee, tell us something we don't know.
(>) Anon@****.com
(>) Okay, here's something. Consular Operations (you remember those nasty
slags from the "Aztlan" file we all "never saw"?) has a couple of it's
people
working with the rebels. And strangely enough, the rebels are starting to
sport some new toys with an Ares design if not their logo...
(>) Anon@****.org
Pakistan
The mountainous nation of Pakistan has retained it's position as a regional
power over the last 60 years. However, Pakistan is still an industrial
nation, ill-suited for the modern information age, which is one reason why
it's power is slipping. Of course, the 90-year long arms race with India may
have something to do with that also. It should be noted that border clashes
with India are a weekly occurrence.
Singapore
Something of an irony. One of the world's safest nations (as far as the
official crime rate anyway), in the middle of the most violent region in the
world, the South East Asian War Zone. Singapore, while adding some territory
over the last three decades, remains a free trade zone much like Hong Kong.
The only difference is that there is still a relatively strong government and
their laws are strict and swift. An excellent corporate enclave.
South East Asian War Zone
The region know as the South East Asian War Zone is comprised of hundreds,
perhaps even thousands, of small city-states and tribes in a constant state of
flux. There are so many nations and they are always changing, so it would be
impossible to provide any accurate information other than a very brief
overview. Remnants of the old government of Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh,
Laos and Viet Nam maintain control over their capitols, but very little else
despite their claims.
(>) It's a merc's dream though. There's always some chump with nuyen willing
to hire someone with a gun out there.
(>) VM-68
(>) It's also a merc's nightmare. You never know exactly what is going on out
there. If you like to do more than just blow things up (like plan your
operations), the South East Asian War Zone is not for you. Too much chaos is
not a good thing for some of us.
(>) Tippman
South Korea
Korea is on the verge of being an economic power on par with Japan. But then,
it's been on the verge since the late 1980's. The only tangible thing holding
South Korea back is its constant troubles with North Korea.
(>) Makes you wonder what's really going on there. Think Japan is doing
something to hold South Korea down?
(>) Wildsmasher
South Pacific Islands
The area known as the South Pacific, a collection of small islands covering a
large zone of the Pacific, has been relatively quiet and peaceful. The vast
majority of the islands have "gone tribal," a state of affairs that began well
before the Awakening. This is not to say that they are primitive; rather it
means that their governments and social conditions have reverted to their old
tribal ways. There are over one hundred separate governments in the area,
most of whom have mutual protection treaties against Imperial Japan, which has
annexed several dozen islands. Despite the Japanese Occupation on these
select islands, life still goes on as normal for the people. The only non-
traditional part of the South Pacific lifestyle is the continued tourism,
which is the primary source of outside income
(>) Easter Island: don't worry. Easter is not the new economic superpower on
the block. It has about nil in natural resources, a negligible amount of
trade goods in the form of miniature stone heads and only a trace population
on the main island (the Easter Island resort/casino, located about 120km away
on a small atoll, however, is a completely different story). However, Easter
Island is a magnet for mages and shaman of every breed, as the barrier between
this world and the Next seems to be thinner than any other area, with the
possible exception of Atlantis. Some have claimed to have met people from
their past - regardless of whether they have ever set foot on Easter Island -
and others claim to have found amulet or rongorongo stones leading them to the
secrets of great power. It is well-known, however, that spirits summoned here
slip from their master's control very easily, and only the brave dare summon
Greater spirits in the region at all
(>) Longear
(>) Whatever you say BTL-boy. Atlantis? Only on the trid. True, Easter
Island is a power site. But don't believe the hype.
(>) the Dark Stranger
Tibet
The nation of Tibet gained it's independence in 2012 as the nation of China
was disintegrating. Shortly after Tibet gained independence, the entire
region was sealed by a powerful magical barrier. No one has heard anything
since.
(>) People are becoming increasingly curious though. If you'll recall, Inazo
Aneki (you know, Renraku) was given the "Seal of the Green Gloves" in the Big
D's will. Supposed to let him, or a proxy, into Tibet. I'd love to know what
that's all about.
(>) Curious@*******.com
Siberia
(>) We got this report from a rather odd information gathering group.
For inclusion in this file, we've trimmed a bit of it. The entire huge file
will be put up elsewhere on this board a bit later. All the normal rules
apply, so do try to behave.
(>) St. Stan
(insert Wordman's article here)
