Verdant Archipelago
13-01-2005, 06:54
Hello all, formerly, I was Chardonay, but I got fed up with the lack of internal RP opertunities, so I let it die. Now I'm back, and I need someone to make contact with my nation. Here's the situation.
A very very long time ago, an advanced civilization inhabited an archipelago... we aren't sure if they were human or not. No biological data has survived, and very few structures... the reason for this I'll get to later. This advanced civilization was particularly adept at genetics and biotech, and created a number of bioweapons and gen-engineered critters and plants based on Nationstates Earth's flora and fauna. For some reason, accident or war, we aren't sure which, these weapons were released onto the archipelago and completely destroyed the civilization (in reality, a biowarefare plague killed everyone before a phage could nail it, and the plants and animals escaped). These plants and animals completely displaced local species and moved in... they evolve very quickly and are all hostile. Fortunately, they were designed to require a specific nutrient produced by a single fungus that only lives on the archipelago, so none of these species ever escaped into other waters. Occasionally a kraken washes up somewhere, but not often.
Fastforward to the mid 1700s. A expedition of four ships discovers the islands. One ship survives to return the news. Several nations, none of them wanting the others to gain a piece of valuable if deadly territory, establish colonies with a great deal of effort. The colonies survive, and begin to spread and prosper, though conditions are terrible. There are many goods produced by the island that are in great demand... spider silk is shipped out to the mother countries, processed into cloth, and sold back to the colonists as protective clothing. Some industry gets set up, as trips in and out are getting increasingly dangerous. In the late 1800s, all traffic in and out stops entirely due to large sea creatures hunting in packs. The colonies are cut off entirely, but are largely self sufficient by this point, and have surprisingly large populations (they were used as penal colonies). They develop a little further, but not much.
In 1930 the mother countries, who had advanced nuclear research available to them because of uranium deposits in the archipelago, blow themselves up.
In 1970, an ironclad steam vessel from the archipelago makes it out and reports back that the mother nations are gone. Since then, reports have drifted in about the outside world, and rumors abound regarding the lost colony.
OOCly, there are large oil and uranium deposits in the islands, along with a bunch of pharmaceuticals and materials that can be refined from the wildlife. Eventually, we'll even excavate some of the original owner's facilities.
If you are interested, post here, I'll check out your writing and get back to you. Please, only serious RPers with a good grasp of grammar and story building need apply. Spelling is less important, but grammar and characterization are a must.
A very very long time ago, an advanced civilization inhabited an archipelago... we aren't sure if they were human or not. No biological data has survived, and very few structures... the reason for this I'll get to later. This advanced civilization was particularly adept at genetics and biotech, and created a number of bioweapons and gen-engineered critters and plants based on Nationstates Earth's flora and fauna. For some reason, accident or war, we aren't sure which, these weapons were released onto the archipelago and completely destroyed the civilization (in reality, a biowarefare plague killed everyone before a phage could nail it, and the plants and animals escaped). These plants and animals completely displaced local species and moved in... they evolve very quickly and are all hostile. Fortunately, they were designed to require a specific nutrient produced by a single fungus that only lives on the archipelago, so none of these species ever escaped into other waters. Occasionally a kraken washes up somewhere, but not often.
Fastforward to the mid 1700s. A expedition of four ships discovers the islands. One ship survives to return the news. Several nations, none of them wanting the others to gain a piece of valuable if deadly territory, establish colonies with a great deal of effort. The colonies survive, and begin to spread and prosper, though conditions are terrible. There are many goods produced by the island that are in great demand... spider silk is shipped out to the mother countries, processed into cloth, and sold back to the colonists as protective clothing. Some industry gets set up, as trips in and out are getting increasingly dangerous. In the late 1800s, all traffic in and out stops entirely due to large sea creatures hunting in packs. The colonies are cut off entirely, but are largely self sufficient by this point, and have surprisingly large populations (they were used as penal colonies). They develop a little further, but not much.
In 1930 the mother countries, who had advanced nuclear research available to them because of uranium deposits in the archipelago, blow themselves up.
In 1970, an ironclad steam vessel from the archipelago makes it out and reports back that the mother nations are gone. Since then, reports have drifted in about the outside world, and rumors abound regarding the lost colony.
OOCly, there are large oil and uranium deposits in the islands, along with a bunch of pharmaceuticals and materials that can be refined from the wildlife. Eventually, we'll even excavate some of the original owner's facilities.
If you are interested, post here, I'll check out your writing and get back to you. Please, only serious RPers with a good grasp of grammar and story building need apply. Spelling is less important, but grammar and characterization are a must.