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The Twilight Age - Tale of Post-Apocalyptic Mars

At this moment, to both Dar-es-Salaam and Martian Commonwealth suprise, Elysium army arrived at force, attacking both in the bay, and on the coastal territories of Dar-es-Salaam alliance, pushing the Dar-es-Salaam to the defensive. After a three months of intensive fighting, Elysium progress inland stalled, and eventually, was entirely stopped once a plague strike hard on their overextended forces...
I would also add attacks on Hellas-held Tyrrhena from the Aetolian Coast. Also, I think the fighting should go on longer, a year at least. It is supposed to be the Great War.

Elysium didn't intervened, and bide their time while colonial government was left to crush the rebellion by their own devices, which mistakenly convinced rivalling powers that territory is a free for the taking.
Maybe the Elysians received a 'prophecy' that made them realize that other two great powers were going to attack them anyway, and instead of relieving their colony, used that time to plan all-out invasion against Hellas and Dar-es-Salaam.

Those differences were also more pronounced by the fact that Isidis wasn't monocultural entity like Elysium, and its populace hailed from many different backgrounds, including Dar-es-Salaam and Martian Commonwealth, and following different faith or had no faith at all.
I would also add 'aboriginal' people who were living in the area when Elysians conquered them.

Elysium never felt a need to remedy this particular issue, on one hand forcing the development towards certain areas, and on the other straight away ignoring a glaring issues with cultural and religious differences.
I am not sure if this is realistic or not. So no comment.
 
I would also add attacks on Hellas-held Tyrrhena from the Aetolian Coast. Also, I think the fighting should go on longer, a year at least. It is supposed to be the Great War.
It could, of course, feel free to amend the post to fit your picture of the event...

I assume a whole war took at least several years, perhaps even the four just as 1st world war took - however if a real world war is any indicator, rapid advance itself would only take a few months (which is what my post references), then both sides digging in and fighting in stuck in trench warfare that defined WW1 for years. Perhaps rephrasing here is in order?

Maybe the Elysians received a 'prophecy' that made them realize that other two great powers were going to attack them anyway, and instead of relieving their colony, used that time to plan all-out invasion against Hellas and Dar-es-Salaam.
Reason I wrote this is, I wanted to leave this up in the air, so people who read the Elysium's lore would connect the dots and assume Elysians indeed waited for a green light from their mage-seers to intervene.

I would also add 'aboriginal' people who were living in the area when Elysians conquered them.
Yes, perhaps a little rephrasing, what I wanted to convey here is that Isidis is half way to everywhere, and as a result, it mostly have people from all the corner of the world stuck under Elysium rule.

I am not sure if this is realistic or not. So no comment.
Colonies usually end up being just for resource gathering, so I spelled that out, but otherwise I don't know... I wanted to create a mixed feeling with allowing some deals of personal freedoms but in the same time forcing the certain development because of resources Elysium wanted from those regions.
 
I assume a whole war took at least several years, perhaps even the four just as 1st world war took - however if a real world war is any indicator, rapid advance itself would only take a few months (which is what my post references), then both sides digging in and fighting in stuck in trench warfare that defined WW1 for years. Perhaps rephrasing here is in order?
Rephrasing seems to be needed. I'd like to make the war a year shorter than the WW1 since it is going to be ended abruptly by the Plague.

The current Casus Belli is the rebellion in Isidis and the perceived Elysian oppression of people from the Commenwealth and Dar-es-Salaam.

Reason I wrote this is, I wanted to leave this up in the air, so people who read the Elysium's lore would connect the dots and assume Elysians indeed waited for a green light from their mage-seers to intervene.
Then let's hope they get the idea.

I wanted to create a mixed feeling with allowing some deals of personal freedoms but in the same time forcing the certain development because of resources Elysium wanted from those regions.
Well, historically the colonizers tend to impose their views on the colonized. But I think your idea could work.
 
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Well, historically the colonizers tend to impose their views on the colonized. But I think your idea could work.
They do, yet they can fail in replacing the original culture should they be one. India practically remained itself despite all the time it spend under British control, same applies for many Asian colonies belonging to French at the time etc.
In some cases, it did work, and colonies were mostly identical to the colonisers, like Canada or Australia for British Empire at the time.
 
Aetolian Dominion was a semi-dependant polity under a State of Elysium, which similarly to Isidis was narrowly specialised to supply of good to Elysium, which ranged from wood, to ore mined Mt. Apolinaris, to a wide variety of plant product grew on vast plantations. With each year, more or more of rainforest laboriously grew in the era before Sorrow was cut down and disappeared, to make place for more plantation to grew an even more tropical product. Unlike Isidis though, majority of the population was fairly content under Elysium rule, harvests were plentiful, and conflicts were rare as many locals accepted Elysium's faith without much of protest. This however ended by the start of Great War, when Aetolians were dragged into the war with Martian Commonwealth.
Their armed forces, mostly committed to policing the relatively content populace, was unable to put much of the fight outside laying a few ambushes where jungle wasn't cleared out, and help they expected to arrive from Elysium wasn't coming, which led to general frustration about the conquered populace. Eventually, help from Elysium did come, and pushed Commonwealth's army from Aetolian territory, but were unable to push much inland past Commonwealth's held Tyrhenna's Plateau, but at this point, front-line practically went though half of the Dominion's territory . Once advance stopped, and front stalled, Aetolians were increasingly pushed to supply both food and emergency manpower to Elysium army that dig themselves on Tyrhenna border. Previously abundant food become scarce, and population become more satisfied. Then Plague hit, inflicting a great loss of lives on Aetolian and Elysians alike, eventually ending the war and preventing Elysium to keep hold over the populace.

When angry mob hit the governmental palace at the capital of Valoro, colonial government was forced to step down, and shockingly enough, Elysian accepted the most of the demands, and pulled out of the country, transferring the remnants of their forces to Isidis they refused to give up due to the strategic fuel sources. As it is now, Aetolian declared the independence on Elysium, but their provisional government was unable to settle with Elysium proper, state was left in chaos, and despite the shipments of resources to Elysium was reduced greatly, future of both countries relations remains undecided.
 
I'll try to combine those two and write about the cause, the process, the end, and the effect of the Great War as well. Probably with some modifications. Might also give Elysium the control over Amazonis Coast too.

In the meantime, you can post them on SB if you want.
 
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I'll try to combine those two and write about the cause, the process, the end, and the effect of the Great War as well. Probably with some modifications. Might also give Elysium the control over Amazonis Coast too.

In the meantime, you can post them on SB if you want.
Shouldn't I wait until modifications are made? Or just should I just post and wait for you to modify to final version?
 
Post ahead. The thread need constant stimulation to keep people interested.
I made a slight chance pointing out that Elysium progress has been stalled for years, and changed "mainland" to "continental" (as in main contiment), but post is out.

Anything else we want done / written?
 
Let's focus on finishing the Great War for now.
I see.

Do we have any kind of summary now? Should we write one? For start, what is the current year of the setting? Let's say it lasted for four years ... perhaps a timeline is in order? Would any other minor factions introduced in SB thread be participants, and if yes, where and on which side? Can we issue re-writers on SB people's ideas?
 
Do we have any kind of summary now? Should we write one?
Not yet, but I am writing one.

For start, what is the current year of the setting?
90 Martian year since the Sorrow, 10 years since the Great War, approximately 169 Earth years.

Let's say it lasted for four years
Martian year is longer than Earth, so I think four years are too long, and the war is supposed to be ended abruptly by the Plague. Let's go with one year and a half, this war does not have the Americans to sustain either side beyond that.

perhaps a timeline is in order?
Probably.

Would any other minor factions introduced in SB thread be participants
Well, you already wrote that your faction was one of the secondary fronts of the Great War. Other factions depend on their writers' will.

Except for Olympus, I am thinking about writing it out.
and if yes, where and on which side?
Again, that depends on other writers.

Can we issue re-writers on SB people's ideas?
What do you mean by that? Regarding re-writing, I think thorough re-write is a must, considering that the setting has been changed heavily from my original vision and I have trouble following all the fluffs, and not all of other writers' fluffs match our setting.

Anything else you want to write about? Maybe something as mundane as lifestyles of Nerinese people? Sorry about not writing more and faster, I have a part-time job to take care.

Also, I believe telephone should be available considering that it relies on lines just as telegraph.
 
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90 Martian year since the Sorrow, 10 years since the Great War, approximately 169 Earth years.
I almost forgot.

Which brings us back to something we already spoke about but didn't really post anywhere, and that is calendar ... we really need some dates for perspective.

Martian year is longer than Earth, so I think four years are too long, and the war is supposed to be ended abruptly by the Plague. Let's go with one year and a half, this war does not have the Americans to sustain either side beyond that.
I forgot! This should be brought in perspective. Perhaps, calendar should be brought up in general world information, years are longer, and dates are completely different. With comparison to Earth, perhaps.

What do you mean by that? Regarding re-writing, I think thorough re-write is a must, considering that the setting has been changed heavily from my original vision and I have trouble following all the fluffs, and not all of other writers' fluffs match our setting.
Olympus is fairly OK, albeit I am tempted to rewrite it a little bit and post it here. There is a second state with high end tech which posed much of the problem.

Then there was Hinderland? Of how it was called? A fascist one? I would like to give it a go, but place it somewhere remote as one of the big craters.

Anything else you want to write about? Maybe something as mundane as lifestyles of Nerinese people? Sorry about not writing more and faster, I have a part-time job to take care.

Also, I believe telephone should be available considering that it relies on lines just as telegraph.
I would still stick to the early 20th century feel where possible, without television, or even radio. Some places won't still have electricity, gas lamps used where available (albeit, we would need to figure what would they use in gas lamps), with electricity being in big cities. Communication still dominated by telegraph and actual post couriers, with phones existing, but still didn't quite figured the kinks with phones being in governmental buildings.

I would even make it there is ... I don't know the English term, but broadcast by wire, actual similar to radio stations, but carried by wire, a new things only wealthy cities with electricity have, but rural areas can't even dream to have as they won't get electricity.
 
I would still stick to the early 20th century feel where possible, without television, or even radio. Some places won't still have electricity, gas lamps used where available (albeit, we would need to figure what would they use in gas lamps), with electricity being in big cities. Communication still dominated by telegraph and actual post couriers, with phones existing, but still didn't quite figured the kinks with phones being in governmental buildings.
I want make it feel like an alternate early 20th century, with more widespread wind-and-watermill electricity to cover their lack of coal and coal gas.

I would even make it there is ... I don't know the English term, but broadcast by wire, actual similar to radio stations, but carried by wire, a new things only wealthy cities with electricity have, but rural areas can't even dream to have as they won't get electricity.
Cool idea, even if I don't know what it is called.

Olympus is fairly OK, albeit I am tempted to rewrite it a little bit and post it here. There is a second state with high end tech which posed much of the problem.
How would you rewrite it?

I forgot! This should be brought in perspective. Perhaps, calendar should be brought up in general world information, years are longer, and dates are completely different. With comparison to Earth, perhaps.
Agreed.
 
I want make it feel like an alternate early 20th century, with more widespread wind-and-watermill electricity to cover their lack of coal and coal gas.
Perhaps, but I would still make it they have problems with coverage and distribution in rural ideas, giving the idea of early century...

With electricity perhaps being from wind and watermills, they can't produce that much electricity, with electricity being scarce due to that.

I would think of something to provide that gas lamp similar fuel, but I am not sure from what plant it should be harvested, or if there can be some animal you can get it from. Obviously, not methane ... even though, is methane power a thing?

By the way, no tidal power plants, because ... moons disappeared, actually!
 
By the way, no tidal power plants, because ... moons disappeared, actually!
It's doubtful that Phobos and Deimos could have any effect on tide anyway. They are too small. The nighttimes are also going to be really dark without a proper moon.

I would think of something to provide that gas lamp similar fuel, but I am not sure from what plant it should be harvested, or if there can be some animal you can get it from. Obviously, not methane ... even though, is methane power a thing?
Yeah, it's called natural gas, and Mars does have them. But I think it'll be mainly obtained as biogas, which can be made from fermenting sewage waters, agricultural wastes, and manure, the latter would be very useful in rural areas, even if I don't think it will be necessarily better than wind-and-watermill electric power.

With electricity perhaps being from wind and watermills, they can't produce that much electricity, with electricity being scarce due to that.
There is also a fuel-burning (either biodiesel or biogas) power plant, you know.

Perhaps, but I would still make it they have problems with coverage and distribution in rural ideas, giving the idea of early century...
Agreed.

I almost forgot.

Which brings us back to something we already spoke about but didn't really post anywhere, and that is calendar ... we really need some dates for perspective.
I am not good with the calendar either. Pretty sure I made a mistake with datings as well.

Also, I think I am stuck with making up the causes of the Great War. Might write other stuff first or rewrite already written fluffs instead. Need to take a time to stand back to get a better sense of direction for worldbuilding.
 
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Also, I think I am stuck with making up the causes of the Great War. Might write other stuff first or rewrite already written fluffs instead. Need to take a time to stand back to get a better sense of direction for worldbuilding.

Fair enough.

What about timescale.

We have 90 Martian year since the Sorrow, approximately 169 Earth years.

What about the other facts about calendar?

How many month in a year, how many days in a month, how many hours in a day? Both, comparatively to Earth, and from perspective of the inhabitants? Did transport to different period changed anything about it?

If there is more than 12 months, how they are called?

Are there any names of eras. Like, Era of Rebuilding (after Sorrow) and so on?

What is current year? 90? Do they call it "post sorrow" let's say 90 PS?

Does it have to be 10 years post war? Couldn't the setting be like immediately post war? Reason for that is changes didn't have a chance to properly sink in, hence lore we wrote is probably still relevant. If there was 10 Martian (roughly 18 or so Earth's?) years in between, many things written in the lore would probably change. Keep in mind how many changes happened in Germany in between 1918 and 1938.

It's doubtful that Phobos and Deimos could have any effect on tide anyway. They are too small. The nighttimes are also going to be really dark without a proper moon.
Also, was there a full dimensional swap? I.e. Mars from main universe for Mars to alternative universe? Then there would be chance planet got empty moons in the process, even though I am wondering what would sudden dimensional shift do to gravitational forces and whether would moon crash into the planet causing even greater disaster
 
What about timescale.

We have 90 Martian year since the Sorrow, approximately 169 Earth years.

What about the other facts about calendar?

How many month in a year, how many days in a month, how many hours in a day? Both, comparatively to Earth, and from perspective of the inhabitants? Did transport to different period changed anything about it?

If there is more than 12 months, how they are called?
Darian calendar.

To summarize:

Martian day is called Sol. Sol has 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds. Martian year is 669 sols (668 in some years). Mars has 24 months (Sagittarius, Dhanus, Capricornus, Makara, Aquarius, Kumbha, Pisces, Mina, Aries, Mesha, Taurus, Rishabha, Gemini, Mithuna, Cancer, Karka, Leo, Simha, Virgo, Kanya, Libra, Tula, Scorpius, Vrishika), and each month have 28 Sols (27 in some).

The crater Airy-0 is a prime meridian on Mars, but currently, Mars has no time zones.

Are there any names of eras. Like, Era of Rebuilding (after Sorrow) and so on?
Good idea.

What is current year? 90? Do they call it "post sorrow" let's say 90 PS?
90 PS or AS.

Does it have to be 10 years post war? Couldn't the setting be like immediately post war? Reason for that is changes didn't have a chance to properly sink in, hence lore we wrote is probably still relevant. If there was 10 Martian (roughly 18 or so Earth's?) years in between, many things written in the lore would probably change. Keep in mind how many changes happened in Germany in between 1918 and 1938.
Admittedly that year was arbitrarily selected. I wanted the 'current year' to be a year when most of the immediate problems have passed, but everyone is still struggling with the aftershock of the Sorrow and recent war, with New Vegas-like post-post-apocalyptic feeling.

How about reducing the year further down to 60?

Also, was there a full dimensional swap? I.e. Mars from main universe for Mars to alternative universe?
Yes.

Then there would be chance planet got empty moons in the process, even though I am wondering what would sudden dimensional shift do to gravitational forces and whether would moon crash into the planet causing even greater disaster
Possibly. Do you think it would be a good idea?
 
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Admittedly that year was arbitrarily selected. I wanted the 'current year' to be a year when most of the immediate problems have passed, but everyone is still struggling with the aftershock of the Sorrow and recent war, with New Vegas-like post-post-apocalyptic feeling.

How about reducing the year further down to 60?
In my humble opinion, you can't simply have everything, we can write about the world after the Great War, but in order to great was happen there needs to be lot of time for things to normalize. Yes, you would still have like 100 earth years, but keep in mind, they need to get food supply sorted out for population to be growing in significant numbers, new society formed. There is an entire new phenomenon interfering with laws of physics as we know it to be explored. Reworking the society is much, much harder, than reworking the technology once you know the basic scientific concepts behind it.

If we really wanted to play post-apocalypse, we need to set the setting merely a few years past Sorrow (and throw everything we have out of the window), otherwise, we wouldn't be able to properly play the post-apocalyptic setting in its purest form.

You can't have both.

Well, you can have both, backstory as it is works, but you can't play both in equal measures.

Even Fallout takes like 200 years after the apocalypse, I think.

For this universe, I would play it to the themes of World War 1, with apocalypse being something that defined the world, long, long time ago, making it the way it is, but isn't playing the role in the plot. Plot should revolve about post war chaos.

Possibly. Do you think it would be a good idea?
Actually, no, something of the size of the moon crashing into the planet is extinction level disaster, that would destroy the ecosystem, which we need for the story to even work (otherwise, it would be far shorter, and far more desperate story, which ends by live disappereaing from Mars completelly)

Darian calendar.

To summarize:

Martian day is called Sol. Sol has 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds. Martian year is 669 sols (668 in some years). Mars has 24 months (Sagittarius, Dhanus, Capricornus, Makara, Aquarius, Kumbha, Pisces, Mina, Aries, Mesha, Taurus, Rishabha, Gemini, Mithuna, Cancer, Karka, Leo, Simha, Virgo, Kanya, Libra, Tula, Scorpius, Vrishika), and each month have 28 Sols (27 in some).

The crater Airy-0 is a prime meridian on Mars, but currently, Mars has no time zones.
Is this treadmarked or moved to original most?
 
Is this treadmarked or moved to original most?
No. It's just a Wikipedia link and summary of that, though. Do you think it is necessary (or appropriate) for it to be threadmarked?

Even Fallout takes like 200 years after the apocalypse, I think.
Well, that's why I specified New Vegas, since that game setting was more like New Western rather than Post-Apocalyptic. But you are right.

For this universe, I would play it to the themes of World War 1, with apocalypse being something that defined the world, long, long time ago, making it the way it is, but isn't playing the role in the plot. Plot should revolve about post war chaos.
Agreed. Do you have any opinion regarding chronology or time passed since the Sorrow?
 
No. It's just a Wikipedia link and summary of that, though. Do you think it is necessary (or appropriate) for it to be threadmarked?
Yes, since it is one thing that sets the world apart from ours, or from Earth in general, it should be in opening post (possibly, with link to the webpage we use as reference)

Well, that's why I specified New Vegas, since that game setting was more like New Western rather than Post-Apocalyptic. But you are right.
And this setting is similar to that, with not being post-apocalyptic. Actually, situation before the Great War should be much better than situation of Wasteland which is still pretty much in anarchy. Post Great War Nerio can be pretty bad in places war touched, but there should be feeling of what people lost recently, thus it wasn't originally an hellhole where war doesn't really change anything.

Agreed. Do you have any opinion regarding chronology or time passed since the Sorrow?
Right now I think it would be like 97 years past Sorrow (AS?). 7 is mostly because I wanted an odd number. I want to create a situation where world is resettled (hence why I stick to 90 Martian years at least, give or take, you originally suggested), re-connected, and make magic and Spirits known concept that has been proven for several generations.
 
Yes, since it is one thing that sets the world apart from ours, or from Earth in general, it should be in opening post (possibly, with link to the webpage we use as reference)
I've added them on the references list on OP.
And this setting is similar to that, with not being post-apocalyptic. Actually, situation before the Great War should be much better than situation of Wasteland which is still pretty much in anarchy. Post Great War Nerio can be pretty bad in places war touched, but there should be feeling of what people lost recently, thus it wasn't originally an hellhole where war doesn't really change anything.
Well, that's my intention.
Right now I think it would be like 97 years past Sorrow (AS?). 7 is mostly because I wanted an odd number. I want to create a situation where world is resettled (hence why I stick to 90 Martian years at least, give or take, you originally suggested), re-connected, and make magic and Spirits known concept that has been proven for several generations.
Any particular reason why the odd number?
 
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Well, that's my intention.
And that's probably the reason why we need a long period of time (and relative peace) before the start of the story so we can let a new society to form over one ruined by the apocalypse. Most of those years aren't there to invent tech, but to allow grow, to allow cities and infrastructure to build, world to repopulate, for a more elaborate faction to form, for population to grow, also for a current world to be distorted to inhabitants...

Any particular reason why the odd number?
I had this feeling fiction loves odd numbers ...

Which actually, it not always true, and adding 3 or 5 or 7 to 90 is irrelevant, even though we could make it so it was actually 99 (for a irony that there wasn't a 100 years of peace in the end, but they got so close). Still, fairly long period of time is needed, as pointed out above, so I would still stick to your 90 years idea
 
And that's probably the reason why we need a long period of time (and relative peace) before the start of the story so we can let a new society to form over one ruined by the apocalypse. Most of those years aren't there to invent tech, but to allow grow, to allow cities and infrastructure to build, world to repopulate, for a more elaborate faction to form, for population to grow, also for a current world to be distorted to inhabitants...


I had this feeling fiction loves odd numbers ...

Which actually, it not always true, and adding 3 or 5 or 7 to 90 is irrelevant, even though we could make it so it was actually 99 (for a irony that there wasn't a 100 years of peace in the end, but they got so close). Still, fairly long period of time is needed, as pointed out above, so I would still stick to your 90 years idea
Well, I am concerned with whether it is a realistic timespan between the Sorrow and the present day for the Nerinese to rebuild and repopulate to fight a global war.

Okay, here is a preliminary proposal of a timeline:

The Era of Sorrow: Zero Hour~9 PS. The entire planet is engulfed in post-Sorrow chaos during this era. The population is reduced to half a million.

The Era of Shadow: 10 PS~30 PS. The shocks of the Sorrow largely faded out in this era, but it still saw an extended period of uncertainty, hence the Shadow in its name. Most polities of this era were very basic, concerned largely with meeting the needs of their immediate dependencies, but they served as the nucleus of later much bigger polities. A gradual recovery of the economy, technology, and learning occurred throughout this era. The population remained at approximately half a million.

The Era of States: 31 PS~60 PS. With the immediate need for survival under control, the polities of the previous era grow into fully organized states, while survivalist groups and small communes gave ways to better-organized free cities. The economy is revitalized as trade routes are restored, and for the first time in decades, peoples of different polities engage in large-scale interactions with each other. The population starts to slowly climb up again.

The Era of Soldiers: 61 PS~85 PS. Not everything goes well. The renewed interactions between the states also lead to tensions and conflicts. Hellas and Elysium engage in the wars of colonization, while Dar-es-Salaam forms in response - and promptly goes for conquering smaller states as well. The growth of a large standing army characterize this era and culminate in the Great War.

The Aftershock: 86 PS~90 PS. The present day. The aftermaths of the Great War and the Plague characterize this era. In many ways similar to the Era of States, with a contracted economy, reduced population, and free cities.
 
Okay, here is a preliminary proposal of a timeline:
This is good idea, we can actually patch a major event with an exact time and date into this later one - still, we may also need add Earth years, perhaps in the bracket, for reference (should anybody else be using it)
 
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