deManglers Second AAR

[deMangler]

deManglers AAR 2 -- Version 1.11.00




The "Big Town" of Earthwhite struggles amongst ruins where heavy forest strangles the worm-infested plains. The inhabitants have scratched a living in the domed farms and dwellings, sustained by the dying energies of a degraded liquid energy reactor and subsistence trade with an even more pathetic community of Teximi free-folk to the north-west.
Since the Catastrophe, the difficulty of travelling in the unbreathable air and nursery tales of horrors worse than the worms and jungle terrors, have meant a slow decline into barbarism and death, but now, a new kind of leader brings hope, vision, and a path forward.

[deMangler]

Lets take a look at who I am going to be working with.

Skip Fluoway, worked his way from living out of the refuse heaps as a child all the way up to governor of Earthwhite. Has a way with words and the people know him.





My secretary - Leo Thompwalker, I like the guy. A bit fearless and seems happy in his work. Could find myself relying on him.





Aries Geode, commander of 1st HQ has everything I could want for someone in that role, and at 37 years old, hopefully will be a long-term asset.





John Taylor, director of the Supreme Command Council is... OK. Familiar with covert ops and he can think on his feet. He does need to learn some more about the job, but he looks like he has it in him.





I requested a new junior to run an economic council, but they sent me Owen Zedigo, that guy that did the shampoo commercials. Surprisingly he does have some technical skills but, unsurprisingly no potential whatsoever.





Advisor Rimmy Johnson is a really covert covert ops expert with off-the-scale personal combat and deception. He is 80 years old according to his official records, and he moves like his knees hurt, but who knows what the truth is. Nobody does....






Ok, what else is on my desk…



Cripes! A mysterious note!
Best I set up a Secret Service Council ASAP and put Rimmy Johnson in charge. I can’t have him wandering round ‘advising’ people anyway.

.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Summer 801 AA.**

I am setting up a Secret Service Council, the plan is, with the help of Rimmy Johnson’s deception skills, on paper it will look exactly like an Economic Council with a really bad leader and an octogenarian advisor who really should be in a home.

Unfortunately it also functions exactly like an Economic Council with a really bad leader, and an octogenarian advisor who really should be in a home.

I found out a bit more about that cult – they are called Anima Circle and they have been harassing Owen (Softer. Shinier.) Zedigo for ‘perceived egoism.’ Rimmy Johnson says this cult has information networks, and possibly even alien connections. Maybe I should tolerate them.

I had some of our militia tentatively explore the hostile wilderness beyond the domes, we found some old junk in the plains beyond the jungle to the south-west and we were going to scrap it for replacement cutlery when this crazy old man gets in the way, all emotional, raving about the Galactic Republic and “Velociraptors”, and “Lasers”, turns out he wasn’t crazy after all – he is actually on the payroll,



And he knows all about that stuff. I am putting him in command of those Velociraptors as soon as I can.


I thought better of putting Owen in charge of the Economic Council and recruited a new junior for the job instead. Oscar Robinhands is his name. Nobody of note and I expect him to be replaced as soon as somebody suitable turns up. Rimmy Johnson is already attached as an advisor.



Seeing my staff all sat around the same table, I can see that shuffling allocations between the new Secret Se… I mean new Economic Council and the Supreme council, as well as supporting the militia is going to be a bit of a juggling act but we shall see how that goes.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 802 AA.**

It turns out there are unknown terrors out there after all.



Some of our militia were ambushed, we lost some men, but we don’t know who, or what, it was. We did find some machines though, so despite the danger I am having an ice mine constructed near that Free Folk settlement. If that doesn’t provoke ancient horrors to annihilate us then I have plans for a recycling facility in the ruins.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Summer 802 AA.**
Oscar Robinhands, of the “Economic Council” is suggesting we research sealed roads. I think we should try to discover something actually useful – anybody would think we have this huge territory to mange.
In response to this he has decided to “focus on nothing”, Must be a Sacred Circle thing. Personally I think focusing on a properly constructed concept of lack of inherent existence with a motivation of compassion would be more productive, but it’s his life.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 803 AA.**
Our militia in the forests to the north-east reported hearing rifle shots. Nobody was injured, however we think we got some of whoever it was with our return fire. No bodies were found.
What we did find in some ruins further out, is a derelict ancient Mech. I think it would help morale if I made a public commitment to take it under our protection and study it. While I am making the speech I will also promise that our mining enterprises will flourish - there is that ice mining facility coming on line soon and the discovery of oil and radioactives is a good sign.
To the north east we have run into a band of Tozanorench infantry. This was to be expected sooner or later and shouldn’t pose a problem, the poor mutated creatures can barely carry their weapons. Hopefully we won’t have to fight them though – there are quite a lot of them.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Summer 803 AA.**

Who on Zeriris is Dagmar Weber? Whoever she is, she seems to think that including the words “disaster”, and “serious incident” in the same sentence as the words “minor earthquake”, and “minor factory” is going to motivate me to… hang on a sec…
Hmmm, reports, yadda yadda, hmm sandwiches! Thanks Leo.. hmmmm.. organizations, overviews... aha!

Dagmar Weber, CEO of the Weber Corporation. They do have some influence, could potentially bring in some wealth as we expand…. None of their directors are in our government….

I’ll help them for now, lets see where this goes.

Also – we finished that ice mine, so I have used our remaining industrial capacity to build a makeshift road north-east. I do want to keep that Mech.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 804 AA.**

Discovered some metal we could mine out near that new road.
Some Slavers encroached from the south. They temporarily overran the Free Folk settlement of Biron, and were worryingly close to our radioactives deposit. Luckily that Velociraptor that Glenn Kingstone stopped us from turning into spoons was nearby and we held them off. For now.
Recruited some machine-gunners in Earthwhite, just in case.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Summer 804 AA.**

I caught Skip Fluoway going through my bins earlier.



He pretended he was looking for some old reports and took the opportunity to see what I thought about a workers’ strike. I gave him 17 credits to pay them off.

The rest is just mundane stuff, not buying slaves and training up intelligence experts. Looks like we’re the good guys.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Summer 804 AA.**

Those slavers, calling themselves the "Etherio", attacked our Velociraptor. We killed 600 of their infantry, 10 buggies and 10 tanks, taking no losses ourselves.
We tried to push them back, with some success, but lost some good bikers in the process. There will be much drinking in the Severed Muffler tonight.
Also, we are having some more machine-gunners trained up. We have some good resources without travelling too far into the unknown so my feeling is we should keep ourselves safe and bide our time.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 805 AA.**

Apparently there is someone in the reserve pool called Oliver Allen who is being grumpy. I looked into it and he is basically an untrustworthy emotional autocratic control freak. These people are never happy.

Oh, and get this – Fluoway wants “Total power over one of his estates”.

Ha!

Nope, nope and double-nope. I won’t reproach the old guy, but I never knew he had that kind of stuff bottled-up. I suppose it kind of makes sense for someone who worked their way up from the bottom of the pile, but…..
I had him increase the zone public budget slightly to remind him he actually has a job to do.

While I was making phone calls I had Leo set things in motion to form a Military Research council. We need to make the most of that Mech we found. Problem is the only one with any ability at all in this area is Owen (Fuller. Silkier.) Zedigo. Surely I can find someone else...

We are continuing to hold back the slavers and whatever is in the north-east, this is good for our experience and our forces are becoming stronger. as long as it doesn’t get any worse. We have almost no spare industrial capacity to raise more units.

[finrodfelagund]

Following.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Summer 805 AA.**

A Military Research council has been set up with Pippa Radonriver in charge. She has even less ability than Owen (He’s worth it) Zedigo, and about as much potential, but at least you don’t have to breathe in the fumes.
I find myself tired of saying “I used our remaining industrial capacity to…” so I figure we might just be able to use our remaining industrial capacity to get some more industrial capacity on-line within a year… or so… so I am prioritising it.

Following.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Summer 806 AA.**
I should have thought it through more before I started building industrial capacity. We don’t have a good enough supply of metals, and if the mutants or slavers, or whatever else, decides to rush us we won’t have the ammo. Also, for some reason I don’t remember, I promised to increase bureaucracy which is now going to have to wait. If only I had built that recycling facility….

To make matters worse there are even more slavers to the south west. Led by, you’ll never guess…



The “infamous” Kylie Lithiumhands. No I’d never heard of her either.

Anyway – she doesn’t look like the negotiating type. We have declared war.

.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 807AA.**

I bought all the metal that was available on the market, 251 at a cost of 377. This will speed up the building of the new industry in Earthwhite. Next is definitely recycling. Just hope we can hold off the two slaver regimes for a couple of years. We have a little money left so I am increasing the soldiers pay. They need to know their lives are valued with more than just words, even if we have other things we could spend our meagre funds on.

I had to make a policy speech so I promised more industry, soon™ I haven’t broken the promise to increase the bureaucracy yet, still have some time left though. The private sector has demonstrated their faith in the new leadership of Earthwhite by completing a hospice. So that’s nice.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Summer 807AA.**



Relations with leaders are getting difficult, egos are running rampant. I am doing what I can with pacifying factions and interests, but even the Anima Circle’s positivity projects are causing increased unrest. These are trying times. At least we are holding off the slavers.

To end on a good note – we have had a string of very successful spying missions into the surrounding slaver lands. We should be debriefing them soon.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 808AA.**



We are creeping, very slowly, towards that industry being built. It is crippling. It seems like every season it is still three seasons from completion, all the while, draining what little metal we have.
The opportunity cost of building this is incalculable. For the sake of morale I am spinning it as a necessary effort but in reality, it was a mistake. Secretly I am selling what food, machines and fuel I can get away with and diverting our remaining funds to buying what metal we can afford from traders.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 809AA.**
For some reason a clique of powerful businessmen decided to invest 1000 credits into our government. I took the money, although I am sure it is only a matter of time before their demands roll in. I spent 405 credits on all the metal that was available. The price is sky high 1.94 credits. Hopefully this nightmare will soon be over.

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 810AA.**



I finally had a chance to look at our spies maps. Hmmm. Not sure what to make of that.
Good news though, we discovered solar energy and padded envirosuits and started researching High Velocity Guns. And…. WE BUILT THE INDUSTRY!
Leo interrupted me doing my “we built the industry” dance and thought I was doing a conga. Tried to join in. Awkward moment.

I started building a recycling facility before I forget. After that a metal mine, or maybe some nice new bureaucrat offices….

[deMangler]

**deManglers Journal. Winter 812AA.**

Sigh, back to normal. Since my last entry, Fluoway critically bungled containing a bacterial outbreak (in Earthwhite). The mood in the corridors of power is getting really bad. We did successfully fight off a slaver attack, but that didn’t cheer anyone up so I gave everyone a surprise pay-rise. This seemed to help but this atmosphere of crisis has to end.
I am starting up a staff council. Should give them something else to think about for a while.



**deManglers Journal. Summer 812AA.**

We tried to scare away some slavers with an attack by a group of our bikers, buggies and general military types that were up for it. We didn’t take any losses but they held their ground. They seem to have gotten hold of some heavily armoured vehicles. We really need to get some of those. Also started building some more agri-domes. We are attracting free folk these days and that means more mouths to feed.