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GSA I: For Love of Country

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  • GSA I: For Love of Country

    Since there isn't really a desperate need for a mod to this story, I'll get this going before I go off to college.

    -

    In 1785 the Final American Colonial Constitution was chartered, it would become the basis for British-Colonial relations for years to come. There was no American revolution and this would always bother fire-eaters in New England, like Samuel Adams and his Sons of Liberty. India was the next nation to enter into a Constitutional Agreement with Britain, but Australia and South Africa would follow. As the Ottomans and China applied for protectorates Britain came ever closer to world domination.

    Europe still posed problems for her, of course, but there was little to be done about that and she could easily ignore them anyways. Then Germany unified under Prussia and The Three Emperor’s alliance began to try to dictate terms to France, East Europe became suddenly, far more powerful than ever before. Russia, Austria and Germany seemed capable of dictating terms to France, the newly united Italy and Spain.

    The Year is 1914, the situation stinks of providence, Prime Minister Theodore Roosevelt of Northern America is beginning to pull his nation to even more autonomy and the Irish are screaming for home rule. Europe seems at the brink of something beyond anyone’s imagination, a war that will slaughter millions. Empires are won and lost in years like this, and the Germans know that as well as the British do.

    -

    The nations are unimportant in this game because you do not play as a nation as you would in a Neverending Story. This is not a Neverending Story; this is a Group Story Activity. The previously described AH is where our story begins. And it is up to you to pick a character to direct in that world. There is absolutely no means of winning; this is not a game, work on having a cohesive plot and on actually writing. There are no Limitations on you, there are no post requirements, if you feel like writing one short bit set in this world, and never coming back, go ahead.

    Characters are our top priority, and anyone involved in the story can make his own, or as many of his own as he chooses. They will be labeled as your own and you alone will be able to write about them, unless permission is given to another author. There are also three Open Characters about whom anyone can write without any permission.

    Vladmir Lenin: A Russian exile in Zurich.

    Minister Theodore Roosevelt: The Minister of America, essentially the President, but accountable to Britain.

    Richard Blair: Father to George Orwell, lives in Bengal, India.

    Rules

    There are going to have to be some basic rules to this thing, and you are going to have to obey them in all likelyhood, and however little I like the idea of moderation I fear that some could become necesarry. (If you are available to help me moderate PM me).

    1) The stories will obey the traditional laws of physics and chemistry and so forth. I will not see Characters flying from hither to thither and doing miracles.

    2) Characters should stay consistent with charicterizations that another writer makes. This is important when dealing with the Open Characters.

    3) Events described in previous posts must be accepted by following posts, if I were to describe a bombing of Vienna by Serbian nationals in the opening story then all other writers would be bound to accept that it has happened. Should posts be conflicting and simultaneously posted we will consider a branching off of the story adn the (potential) creation of a second thread. This is how unlikely we find this to be.

    4) Any post which violates the first rule or, to extreme extent, the second or third, will be voted upon between myself and any I accept to help me moderate. The majority will carry whether to accept or to veto the story.

    -

    You can write as much as you want to, if you feel like you may only write one short bit and never come back, you may keep writing here about the same characters as they trek through this world. Neither is prohibited. Feel free, encouraged actually to comment and if that should get out of hand I will simply create a directory of the stories on this post, allowing readers to skip many of the comments. First Story should, hopefully, set a good example.

    Code:
    Author                       Character(s)
    SKILORD                       Gunther Zyedmann
    Read Blessed be the Peacemakers | Read Political Freedom | Read Pax Germania: A Story of Redemption | Read Unrelated Matters | Read Stains of Blood and Ash | Read Ripper: A Glimpse into the Life of Gen. Jack Sterling | Read Deutschland Erwachte! | Read The Best Friend | Read A Mothers Day Poem | Read Deliver us From Evil | Read The Promised Land

  • #2
    The Last of Promises (GSAI)

    This should provide a good example of how easy it is to write a story for this, this is a total of for pages on Word and took my maybe half an hour to write. Really easy, and it's done, so I don't have to write anymore stories here. I also use an Open character, so if anyone else uses Lenin they have to remember what happens in this story.

    --------

    The Last of Promises



    Günter watched as the man across from him drink his tea.

    It had been years since Vladimir had appeared, phantomlike, from the snow to his exile in Zurich. He offered Günter nothing but a cold stare. This was still enough to secure his loyalty.

    “We will return to Russia, Günter, this I promise.”

    Günter had never been to Russia before, he’d been born and raised in Zurich, he nodded appreciatively to Vladimir.

    He had carried little but promises with him into Zurich, promises of better times to come, of a day when all of mankind would unite under the banner of revolution and the oppressors would be thrown off with a single collective heave. He could speak so easily of these days and so passionately that Günter had become captivated at once by the flaming and exuberant hope.

    Few others would follow them, but they would one day, so Vladimir promised, so it would be.

    “It is in the stars, Günter, we will return in victory to Russia, we will unite the men of Russia behind our banner and we will seize the Tsar and his thieves. It will be a glorious day, but it will not be the last. The workers of the world will see us, they will join us.”

    Günter nodded obediently, a slave to his ideals. The handful of men at the other rough wooden tables of the small café chuckled to themselves.

    They were dressed well, better than Vladimir or Günter; Vladimir noticed this instinctively and began to yell.

    “Bourgeoisie exploiters! They day will come when the blood of the proletariat will no longer grease the cogs of your factories! Then your laughter will turn to sorrow, then your smiles will crack with your backs!”

    The other men were silent for a moment, allowing Vladimir to establish a look of smugness, but the nearest of the fellows turned his chair, a confident grin on his face.

    He was a man who looked acquainted with his smile, his tall features well wrinkled, his hair beginning to gray, “Would you mind sharing some of your teas? I’ve been thinking that there wasn’t an opium den left in the city.”

    Vladimir took a swing, his entire body forced behind it, landing it smoothly into the face of the well dressed fellow. Blood sprayed across the café, the owner rushed from the back to find the tall, smiling man laying flat on the floor with Vladimir standing triumphant over him swinging his foot into the other man’s ribs.

    Günter had backed away the rest of the men from that table, half shocked by the ferocity of the Russian and overwhelmed by Günter's large arms they simply surrendered.

    The wall behind Vladimir suddenly exploded, the noise of a rifle echoed through the café.

    “Get out,” the owner decreed.

    “You bourgeoisie are all the same, threatening the exploited and jeering at them. These days are passing, they shall end!”

    Vladimir stormed out of the café, leaving the rifle free to focus on Gunter as he quickly retreated from the other men.

    -

    Günter had never counted himself a fortunate man, his father had died when he was a child, he had gone on to work in a factory far before his time of playing soldiering was done. He had escaped injury at the factory, almost miraculously and yet had watched as every day of his life was sold away by his mother in exchange for another hour of opium delight.

    She hadn’t often fed him, and he had been a frail, lanky boy. He hadn’t found a place in the gangs that formed and battled with rocks and sticks. This had been his life until his mother died and he had been imprisoned in an orphanage, where life had been harder for Gunter, an amicable soul whose size gave the illusion of a conquest to the more aggressive children.

    “Was that right?” he dared to ask Vladimir as the hid far from the café.

    Vladimir gave him an incredulous look, as though it could not be imagined otherwise, “Anything is justified in the battle against the bourgeoisie.”

    Blood still stained Vladimir’s knuckles; Günter couldn’t stop himself from worrying about the other man.

    -

    It was with vodka that night, that Vladimir told him of his new scheme, “We will go to Russia soon, Günter, and I’ve been preparing.”

    “When?” Günter asked, bemused, Günter never drank, he had seen too much pain to ever loose it all through drink, he had done too many foolish things with drink whispering sweet promises into his ears, but in the end the promises always faded to the blurry walls of a jail cell.

    “Within the week.”

    “And how will this expedition begin?”

    “We’ll walk to Uster, I have obtained us travel past that.”

    “What will we eat?”

    “I’ve stolen some bread and some apples.”

    Günter shuddered at the word ‘stole,’ though he knew it was only the bourgeoisie affecting his morality and that there was nothing wrong with stealing.

    Nothing wrong, he assured himself again.

    Günter stared at his drunk friend, knowing full well that this time was serious and that this time there would be no turning back, it was Russia or nothing, “What will we do when we get there?”

    “We will bring freedom to my countrymen, one day you will come back here as a hero, Günter, one day.”

    Günter shook his head in bemusement as the promise faded away into the cold and comfortless night.

    -

    They stood on the road to Uster, walking quickly from the tall, smiling man in Zurich who, doubtless, was searching even now with bands of police for Vladimir.

    “It shouldn’t take more than three days,” Vladimir had assured him. Vladimir had said it, it must be true and so Günter marched forward, into the cool snow of February.

    The road wound on outside the city, stretching into the distant mountains between Uster and Zurich, and Günter stared silently at Vladimir’s knuckles as they marched into the bleak and unwelcoming future.

    The blood had long ago washed away from Vladimir’s knuckles, but that didn’t stop Günter from worrying about the tall, smiling man, had Vladimir hurt him badly? Would he be in pain? Günter knew that Vladimir could dispel these worries with a few promises. The promises justified everything to Vladimir. They grew sick in Günter’s mind, facing the cold and hard fact that no one had ever kept a promise to Günter, and Günter was beginning to fear that these were no different.

    When the revolution came, what would happen of that smiling man back at the café? Would he be killed? Did he have a family? What would happen to the children, would they go to the orphanage? Günter’s questions harassed him, burned his dreams and ransacked his hopes.

    What would the revolution bring him, would he be somehow happier after it? Would the blood of the smiling man pass his smile on to Günter? Could all of his wealth pass it on? Could every item in his possession somehow bring a smile to him as he ransacked the house as the man died?

    Günter dropped to his knees, dizzy.

    “Are you alright, Günter?”

    Günter nodded to Vladimir, his head shaking and quivering. He would never have the smiling man’s smile, he had given up all hope now. He stepped up and began walking.

    Vladimir had started without him, moving forward as Günter composed himself. He began up a mountain trail on his way to Uster.

    Günter’s tongue was frozen in his mouth, he rushed up the trail towards Vladimir’s rapidly disappearing back as the cold, heartless snow swallowed his final dreams, the last promises.

    The rocks slipped from under him suddenly and Günter was left to tumble down the sheer rock face of the mountain, grabbing a hold a few feet down.

    “Vladimir!” Günter could scream.

    “Vladimir!”

    The bitter, cold snow whistled no comfort into his ears as the questions seared his soul.

    Günter had never been a fortunate man.
    Last edited by SKILORD; August 12, 2004, 07:40.
    Read Blessed be the Peacemakers | Read Political Freedom | Read Pax Germania: A Story of Redemption | Read Unrelated Matters | Read Stains of Blood and Ash | Read Ripper: A Glimpse into the Life of Gen. Jack Sterling | Read Deutschland Erwachte! | Read The Best Friend | Read A Mothers Day Poem | Read Deliver us From Evil | Read The Promised Land

    Comment


    • #3
      Dude, this has to be the most astounding failure in my history here, and I've failed at quite a bit.

      But, seriously, I thought this would take off. I figured I could at least get a little support.



      Ahh well.
      Read Blessed be the Peacemakers | Read Political Freedom | Read Pax Germania: A Story of Redemption | Read Unrelated Matters | Read Stains of Blood and Ash | Read Ripper: A Glimpse into the Life of Gen. Jack Sterling | Read Deutschland Erwachte! | Read The Best Friend | Read A Mothers Day Poem | Read Deliver us From Evil | Read The Promised Land

      Comment


      • #4
        The idea was good, but maybe the setting wasn´t. I just could find an intersting nation .
        "He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know."
        -Lao Tzu

        Comment


        • #5
          Perhaps so, perhaps so.
          Read Blessed be the Peacemakers | Read Political Freedom | Read Pax Germania: A Story of Redemption | Read Unrelated Matters | Read Stains of Blood and Ash | Read Ripper: A Glimpse into the Life of Gen. Jack Sterling | Read Deutschland Erwachte! | Read The Best Friend | Read A Mothers Day Poem | Read Deliver us From Evil | Read The Promised Land

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi SKILORD sorry for no earlier response myself.

            Ill be honest here and say I have not had time to read through this fully, I get the jist of the idea from the other threads regarding this topic and think it might be a good fun exercise.

            reasons why I think its so quiet here: Summer holidays would be the main reason I think, in my case its hard to find time to post here as I play lots of PBEM these days, and have a wife and four kids to give attention too.

            Also I think its possible that being a civ3 stories forum is now becoming a little old hat, the game has been out for a few years now and the activity of those early days has long since past. Conquests saw a revival for a while!!

            Many of the stories written now bare little if no resemblance to civ3. This could mean its time for a change, maybe the civ3 title keeps some potential writers away, there are many who post on Poly that hate civ3!!. Could all writers be brought together into one place to share this stuff ? who knows.

            I commend your efforts here and hope it picks up when folks get back into the routine of their lives after the Summer breaks.

            I think this site now needs a seperate forum devoted to story writing, poems etc and cooperative writings of this nature, and yes maybe even NES , move all the archive there and try to bring in all the other writing fora together in one place ie AC Fiction and the others.

            Other than that we will have to wait for civ4 to see a boost in activity similar to that of 2 years ago.
            A proud member of the "Apolyton Story Writers Guild".There are many great stories at the Civ 3 stories forum, do yourself a favour and visit the forum. Lose yourself in one of many epic tales and be inspired to write yourself, as I was.

            Comment


            • #7
              Perhaps a good idea, Chrisus. In fact probably so.
              Read Blessed be the Peacemakers | Read Political Freedom | Read Pax Germania: A Story of Redemption | Read Unrelated Matters | Read Stains of Blood and Ash | Read Ripper: A Glimpse into the Life of Gen. Jack Sterling | Read Deutschland Erwachte! | Read The Best Friend | Read A Mothers Day Poem | Read Deliver us From Evil | Read The Promised Land

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by ChrisiusMaximus
                Hi SKILORD sorry for no earlier response myself.

                Ill be honest here and say I have not had time to read through this fully, I get the jist of the idea from the other threads regarding this topic and think it might be a good fun exercise.

                reasons why I think its so quiet here: Summer holidays would be the main reason I think, in my case its hard to find time to post here as I play lots of PBEM these days, and have a wife and four kids to give attention too.

                Also I think its possible that being a civ3 stories forum is now becoming a little old hat, the game has been out for a few years now and the activity of those early days has long since past. Conquests saw a revival for a while!!

                Many of the stories written now bare little if no resemblance to civ3. This could mean its time for a change, maybe the civ3 title keeps some potential writers away, there are many who post on Poly that hate civ3!!. Could all writers be brought together into one place to share this stuff ? who knows.

                I commend your efforts here and hope it picks up when folks get back into the routine of their lives after the Summer breaks.

                I think this site now needs a seperate forum devoted to story writing, poems etc and cooperative writings of this nature, and yes maybe even NES , move all the archive there and try to bring in all the other writing fora together in one place ie AC Fiction and the others.

                Other than that we will have to wait for civ4 to see a boost in activity similar to that of 2 years ago.
                Yeah, its like a ghost town here with pretty much no new stories coming out. Do you know a non-civ3 site we can migrate too? Then when civ4 comes out, the people who want to can come back to write about that. I just never play civ any more except for my Vietnam mod which I'm tinkering with and might post if I ever get around to filling out the civiopedia. Any good story site?
                Here is an interesting scenario to check out. The Vietnam war is cool.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by unscratchedfoot


                  Yeah, its like a ghost town here with pretty much no new stories coming out. Do you know a non-civ3 site we can migrate too? Then when civ4 comes out, the people who want to can come back to write about that. I just never play civ any more except for my Vietnam mod which I'm tinkering with and might post if I ever get around to filling out the civiopedia. Any good story site?
                  ouch
                  Gurka 17, People of the Valley
                  I am of the Horde.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    It seems like there are a few more people showing up here now so here's a question, would it be worth a try to set up a second GSA with perhaps a more interesting setting? Would there be interest in doing something like that?
                    Read Blessed be the Peacemakers | Read Political Freedom | Read Pax Germania: A Story of Redemption | Read Unrelated Matters | Read Stains of Blood and Ash | Read Ripper: A Glimpse into the Life of Gen. Jack Sterling | Read Deutschland Erwachte! | Read The Best Friend | Read A Mothers Day Poem | Read Deliver us From Evil | Read The Promised Land

                    Comment

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