CORELINE (D20 Modern/D20 BESM Setting).

[marcoasalazarm]

A new Timeline detail, especially since I always wanted to add 'Saber Marionette' to this setting and just didn't knew how.

I can also blame in a way the 'Sengoku Jieitai' miniseries (go YouTube it-expect a 'Wild Bunch' ending, though).

THE SECOND BATTLE OF SEKIGAHARA.​

This is entirely the fault of the Warner Brothers (and Sister).

In an Alternate Universe of the 'Saber Marionette' series, the Shogun of Japoness, Ieyasu Tokugawa the Fifth, had managed to join all the city-states of Terra-2 in an effort to contact Earth. The signal went thru the time/space phenomena that was created by CLULESS and reached a radio telescope in Coreline Japan.

Unfortunately, at the time the radio telescope in question was being pestered by American 'Toons (the casts of 'Animaniacs', 'Freakazoid' and 'Tiny Toons') and those who picked up the phone were the Warners.
In proper Animaniac fashion, in the space of five minutes of exasperating conversation, they turned what was a peaceful first contact into a declaration of war that the Warners DARED them to make a reality.

And the Terra-2 governments were true to their word. Their best scientists (actually, Dr. Hess from Gartland) managed to replicate CLULESS' phenomena, and a large army of Marionettes, regular soldiers and Hess' superweapons went thru it, appearing in the town of Sekigahara.

The following ground battle lasted two whole days, with large casualties on both sides (500 JSDF troops, 300 troops from other nations, 2050 Terra-2 human soldiers and countless destruction of equipment, property, Marionettes, 'Autonomous Systems' (Boomers and the like) and wandering civilians) before the Terra-2 leaders were forced to surrender.

As a result, relationships between Terra-2 and Coreline are pretty strained (and will be for some time), Japan has boycotted everything Steven Spielberg (or, at least, cartoons he had some hand with or were produced by Amblin) and the F-SWTI has issued a world-wide APB on Dr. Hess (who escaped to Coreline during the battle).

 

[Raptorial]

What's that coming? Oh no, Gojira!

G-Force Super X-III CDMF (Capital Defense Mobile Fortress)
The Super X-III is a specialized VTOL designed to face down and deal damage to the mighty Gojira himself. With a powerful freezer beam and payload of cadmium missiles, the Super X-III is truly the finest in the G-Force arsenal. The freezer beam found on this aircraft can also be seen on the G-Force tanks.
Crew: 3; Passengers: 0; Cargo: 200 lb.; Initiative: -2; Maneuver: +2; Top Speed: 600 (60); Defense: 6; Hardness: 8 (also has fire resistance 15); Hit Points: 74; Size: Gargantuan; Purchase DC: 52; Restriction: Mil (+3)

Armaments: 20 (honestly a guesstimate) cadmium missiles, freezer beam.

Freezer Beam: Damage: 4d8; Critical: 20; Type: Cold; Range Increment: 150 ft.; Rate of Fire: Single; Magazine: -; Size: Huge; Weight: 680 lb.; Purchase DC: 24; Restriction: Mil (+3).

 

[marcoasalazarm]

Whooah-woah! There goes To-Ky-Oh! Go-Go-Godzilla!

For some stupid reason, I read 'G-Force' and I thought Gatchaman. The ship's pretty well-armed, BTW, although what can a Cadium missile do I'd like to know (Radiation damage?).

 

[Raptorial]

I honestly haven't figured out how much damage the cadmium missiles should do. I was thinking of the Hellfire missiles with an added radiation damage as a possible answer.

 

[Aquarius Alodar]

While you are having your drool fest with the anti-kaiju weaponry, has it occured to you that if the AltHist altverses, particularly........say, some random infantry division from Stirling's 'Drakaverse' get out of the Worchester pickets, we will need *very major backup* down there, if not ordering a planetary security alert....? ..........Yes indeed, they give a new meaning to the term 'Los Bastados' ( @ Marco)

 

[marcoasalazarm]

The Drakaverse is pretty interesting, but they do not belong to the Worcester area. Pretty damn sure that it must be out there, and we do NOT want to end up contacting it...


(EDIT: ------THE FOLLOWING RANT IS THE PRODUCT OF A SICK MOTHER, DOMESTIC PRESSURES AND A SIX-PACK OF BEERS IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT.-----)

Although, unfortunately the only S.M. Stirling book I own is 'T-2: Infiltrator' (although I'm working on getting 'Dies the Fire'-it's just that I severely lack the funds for any proper books right now).

Although I do not desire whatsoever to spoil anything (and probably will change this later), I have always thought that what's behind the 'Worcester pickets' is the Undocumented Features-verse, or rather, a mini-version of it.

And with it, we're talking of the biggest, weirdest, most-everything-AND-the-Kitchen-Sink crossover out there who actually TRIES to explain the crossovers in place (even if, yeah, there's a lot of seat-of-your-pants-better-nod-and-deal-with-it stuff).

And we're talking of Genom-as-the-Galactic-Empire and an army of SDF-1s made in Utopia Planitia.

And if THAT comes out of the Mists, then it's going to be an apocalyptic scenario of the most absolutely overkill (and weird) kind.

I have made no plans of making it come out. But when I DO...

 

[Ravage_mk2]

*imagines an entire SDF-1/Macross class fleet*

-shudder-

Sorry for being silent so long. Completely forgot this place even existed.

Let's see, considering the sheer concentration of potential trouble in just about any given part of Coreline, I'd assume that even the heroes and saviours of the various series/games might end up in SERIOUS trouble.(not to mention the Pre-and Post vanishing humans)

Just how well established are certain "mutual support" alliances? If any?

I'd imagine that the Justice League and Teen Titans would have joined forces. (with the TT's being the "junior" division, as it were)

It'd probably be a safe bet that the Mazinger, Great Mazinger and perhaps even Getter and other Go Nagai series have formed a mutual defensive front vs their respective villains(and anything else that's out for world domination/destruction)

While the odds of the various villains working together is fairly small, and at best such "Alliances of Evil" are rather short term, the threat represented is still significant.

And should a mastermind manage to unite the various villains(or just a key few).... it could well become a very, VERY, dark time on Coreline.....

 

[Aquarius Alodar]

*imagines an entire SDF-1/Macross class fleet*

-shudder-


Let's see, considering the sheer concentration of potential trouble in just about any given part of Coreline, I'd assume that even the heroes and saviours of the various series/games might end up in SERIOUS trouble.(not to mention the Pre-and Post vanishing humans)

I'd imagine that the Justice League and Teen Titans would have joined forces. (with the TT's being the "junior" division, as it were)

It'd probably be a safe bet that the Mazinger, Great Mazinger and perhaps even Getter and other Go Nagai series have formed a mutual defensive front vs their respective villains(and anything else that's out for world domination/destruction)

While the odds of the various villains working together is fairly small, and at best such "Alliances of Evil" are rather short term, the threat represented is still significant.

And should a mastermind manage to unite the various villains(or just a key few).... it could well become a very, VERY, dark time on Coreline.....

Thus the creation of various pocket dimensions and demiplanar 'bolt-holes' in case there is some kind of.........occurrence.

 

[Raptorial]

I'd imagine that the Justice League and Teen Titans would have joined forces. (with the TT's being the "junior" division, as it were)

I think it is now time that I dust off my Blood and Vigilance books and give them another run. It is my favorite d20 Modern superhero book, and it would go great with this setting, IMHO.
EDIT: Some more Warsyness to chew on.
Some Famous Star Wars Companies in Coreline

Arakyd Industries-This successful company has a large following by Star Wars Fictions, and many other Fics as well as Reals can't wait to get their hands on the weaponry and starships that Arakyd cranks out. They are also famous for the probe droids that were mostly used during the time of the Empire.

BlasTech Industries-A weapons manufacturer that has its claim to fame with Reals for the manufacture of the famous "Han Solo special", the DL-44 heavy blaster, as well as the E-series of Stormtrooper weapons. Mastercrafters are no surprise in a BlasTech office or R&D outpost.

Correlian Engineering Corporation-The CEC is not as prominent as it was back in the Republic days, but they have no shortage on sales. With smash hits like the YT-series, they can't really ever be considered out of business.

Cybot Galactica-One of the "Big Two" in the droid business, Cybot Galactica is often employed by big groups such as the GEF. Cybot's claims to fame include the 3P0-series and the LIN demolition series of droids.

Holowan Mechanicals-More of an infamous company, Holowan has created such technological terrors as the Magnaguards and IG assassin droids. Many less scrupulous dealers try to find out where such schematics lie.

Incom Corporation-Another popular starship manufacturer with Fictions as well as Reals, Incom has created such Rebel and New Republic wonders as the X-Wings and T-47 airspeeder, the famous Rebel snowspeeders.

Industrial Automaton-Creators of such droids as the R2-units and 2-1B medical droids, their motto is "A droid for every purpose"...and they do indeed deliver on that. They are the other half of the droid world's "Big Two."

MandalMotors-Mostly employed by the Consortium, MandalMotors is a Mandalorian company that creates such ships as the StarVipers, the key starfighters in Tyber Zann's forces.

Merr-Sonn Munitions-Another weapons company in the Star Wars universe, it only falls short of BlasTech in total sales. While popular with such products as the vibroblade and stun baton, its occasional copycat item has tainted the view of Merr-Sonn in some Fictions' eyes.

 

[Marker Mage]

Maybe Coreline might have gotten Edwin Windsor from How to Succeed in Evil (or might have developed its own equivalent to him on its own)? For those who don't know about that podcast series and want to know more without actually bothering to listen to the podcast, I'll tell you about it in the following paragraph.

The story takes place in a typical world of super heroes and super villains. Edwin Windsor is an evil efficiency consultant. He basically offers advise to various villains on how to improve productivity and such. He manages to do this without committing any crimes himself. The only problem is that they never listen. They never listen to him. Eventually, his secretary that he cares for greatly (she acts sorta like a mother towards him) ends up killed by the Cromoglodon (a creature that seems to be rather similar to the Hulk, but doesn't change back into Bruce Banner). As his dear secretary dies in his arms, something seems to snap in his brain as he decides to become a villain. He decides to show them evil as it should be done. He decides to put the super villains (and possibly super heroes) out of business. He does this by gaining control over the Cromoglodon and using it to start an insurance business that offers coverage against acts of super persons (and letting the Cromoglodon loose upon the companies that don't pay). Edwin Windsor comes rather close to being kinda like Batman without the costume, gadgets, or martial arts skills.

Now what would he do in Coreline you ask? He would basically do the same thing he did in the podcast. He might use a saiyan warrior that's been turned into its ape form permanently instead of the Cromoglodon. He could very well become a champion of AoH purely for putting an end to most of the collateral damage done by fictions.