Vaeregoth has fired what might be the first shot in the great war.
The illithid, neogi and scro spelljamming fleets mobilize, and roar down out of Wildspace in a swift assault on the sky ships and Flying Citadels of the Sky-Sea League.
Very quickly, battle is joined, and rages throughout the skies over most of Oerth.
I need Kaboom's statement concerning what kind of defense the Sky-Sea League is making.
- - -
Forrester, the Seers in the great Torilian camp suddenly clutch their heads in pain.
When they recover, they state a great evil has been released.
They state that a terrible evil has been unleashed, and it will soon afflict the Torilians, and everyone else.
Shortly thereafter, Seers worldwide predict impending disaster.
However, what the disaster will be, cannot be determined.
Several things can be divined.
The disaster will be inflicted by something altogether evil.
The disaster will be inflicted by something without pity or mercy.
The disaster will be magical.
The disaster will be sentient.
Vecna has nothing to do with the impending disaster.
- - -
The Industrial Revolution has come to Oerth.
With the aid of Forrester and the Lortmil Technomancy, and with the aid of the Shade in other countries, major things are happening.
Hundreds, then thousands, of factories are going up, to produce firearms, then explosives, then every kind of thing an army would need.
Canning is introduced for the first time on Oerth.
The printing press is introduced, along with the concept of mass production of books, and that new item of propaganda called the Newspaper.
The factories require workers, and they are dragged in off the great serf farms, or they come voluntarily.
Usually, the wages and treatment received in the factories is incredibly higher than what the serfs had in the fields (although by today's standards, it would be considered the most horrendous kind of slave labor.)
The concept of the Work Day is born on Oerth.
When news of the Good Life of the factory workers reaches the rural areas, large numbers of people simply pick up and move to where the factories are.
Cities grow up overnight, as people crowd in, and the authorities are forced to build housing for the workers, and more housing for all the additional people pouring in.
The authorities see, clearly, that ever more people are going to be needed, so they splurge on housing.
The population of places like Veluna City, Chendl, Eastfair, Jalpa, Gradsul, and other places doubles, then trebles.
Railroads are hammered down, with the help of friendly earth elementals.
With magical aid, railroads are put down with incredible speed, and soon all of the Kevellond League has a network of these iron roads.
Now, troops can be ferried from one place to another, and the Sky-Sea League is not needed to ferry them.
However, the Dark Union does it also, and they do it to such an extent that a very extensive railroad network soon stretches from the Bone March in the north to Medegia in the south. The County of Urnst in the west, to Rel Astra in the east.
With the help of magic and earth elementals, power lines are buried in the ground, made thus safe from attack.
Instantaneous communication via lines of copper - now, THAT is a true magic! Everyone wants it, and everyone is building the network as fast as possible.
VAST numbers of peasants and skilled laborers alike are being pressed into service to build, build, build this network.
The magic and wonder of electricity leaves the people of the Flanaess dumbfounded, but it's uses are obvious, and they put down power lines as fast as physically possible.
Great mines are opened up, in every country willing to ravage the land, to dig for coal and drill oil, to power the new electrical plants going up.
With electricity, the war plants are made possible.
With electricity, vast amounts of metal can be heated, shaped, and made into almost anything desired.
With electricity, it seems, almost anything can be done.
Cities like Chendl and Jalpa are soon aglow with light, the stars dimmed, and the light can be seen for over 20 miles away, for the very night sky seems to glow over the cities.
The necessity of building adequate roads for troops is now being addressed, with gnomish help.
Seeing that hardened dirt will not do, the gnomes have invented a hard substance that can be poured onto the ground, to produce a road study enough to bear heavy weight.
With the new tanks in service, the gnomes are encouraging everyone to build these hardened roads for the motorized, mobile machines to travel on.
The Paved Road comes to Oerth.
The Motor Vehicle comes to Oerth.
In some countries, especially the elven ones, there is very real misgiving about all of this.
Especially since there is widespread and massive destruction of the ecosystem as a result of all this activity.
Forests make for quick fuel, and fuel is in extremely high demand.
Forests also must be cleared for roads and power lines.
Forests also must be cleared for new factories, and the cities that grow up around them.
Nevermind that large areas of the cities themselves are being cleared so that factories can be put up, and people are being jammed into the new tenements, 8 stories high - built with the new technology supplied by the gnomes, and considered to be good living indeed by those serfs being housed there.
Of course, I need not mention that the mining is causing more destruction, and polluting the air.
It's all happening. The situation in IRL England of the 19th century, is happening all at once all over the Flanaess.
Led by Anabstercorian, who is from Toril, the Solistarim are furiously moving forward into their own Industrial Revolution, and the din going on under the Godspires would deafen the Gods.
It's happening in Lyrn and Ishtarland, in Erypt and Suhfang, and in the Empire of the Yuan-Ti.
On the Isle of the Phoenix, it's happening.
In Varnaith, it's happening.
In Esmerin and Orcreich, it's happening.
Even in the Underdark, it's happening.
Everyone wants the new Instant Communication Devices, the Instant Power Bringers, the ability to produce the Machines, and of course the Firearms are a hit with everyone.
Even the drow are bedazzled with the wonder of Electricity.
This is the very Lightning of the Heavens, brought down and TAMED for use by Mortals!!
They want it, and they want it now.
