Goblin-earth: a brief dossier on Diz's home timeline.

[gruegirl]

META alternate timeline dossier.

**The following is Classified *SECRET*. Possession of this document without clearance is a class-2 offence.**

Official designation: Goblin Earth
Dimensional Coordinates: Unknown
Known Links to earth-prime: Magical doorway in NYC. Unstable, collapsed after less than 5 minutes.
Point of Divergance: At least 500,000 BC, perhaps earlier.
Diverging point: A civilization known as the "Old ones" thrived around 500,000 BC. This civilization possessed advanced magic and technology. They created a massive subterranean civilization as well as engineered a number of slave races to serve them. They disappeared around 250,000 BC.

Description of current differences: Major surface geography remains unchanged, biosphere is also very similar. The primary difference is that spanning the entire planet are a series of artificial caverns, supported by massive columns and arches comprised of advanced and magically charged materials. Tectonic activity have shifted and closed some of these half-million year old tunnels however recent excavation by several of the more civilized inhabitants have repaired these closures and have in some cases opened new caverns. The surface of the planet is covered with agricultural colonies. The vast majority of sentient population lives underground. The largest group of these sentient populations is the "Great Goblin Empire" consisting of a population of Goblins (small green humanoids) and controlling both the surface and undercavern of all of north and south america. Other groups include Orkish Warbands (Various pockets all across the surface), The Human-Dwarven Alliance (Southeast asia), The Elven Northern Court (Northern Europe), the Elven Southern Court (Primarily south africa, exclaves across the middle east and central europe) and the Demonic Horde (Northern africa, most of the middle east). Smaller pockets of lesser human, elven, and dwarven civilizations exist as well.

Threat comparison: Magic use is widespread, although according to our one representative of the dimension (a traveller called Diz) magic carries inherent risks to the user there. In addition technological progress has been halted due to the complete lack of petroleum. The so-called Demonic-Horde may indeed cause some problems, but as a whole prospects for allying with the Goblin Empire against them if such a case arises is very good. Overall threat assessment is class-2.

[gruegirl]

Technology Comparison:

The lack of oil and constant warfare, coupled with rare but present use of supernatural abilities has caused the general technological development of the timeline to be stunted at around the level the prime timeline had during the 1860's with a few notable exceptions. Weaponry in particular has been adapted for use against larger, more powerful, and possibly better armored opponents with an extreme emphasis on ammo-capacity. Diz in particular utilizes a pair of pistols she refers to as "Beast's Teeth" chambered to the rather high caliber of .476 with helixial magazines giving the pistols 50 round capacities. The pistols are bulky and not easily concealed or used without proper training. According to Diz, the primary infantry rifle of the Goblin military is the bolt-action "Lightning" with 20 round magazines. Automatic weapons exist in the form of a hand-cranked gatling gun, though Diz claims that is only used for their "Hard-suited" marines (Officer's note: Primitive powered armor?).

Steam boilers and coal plants are extensively utilized. Both mined coal and bio-coal (charcoal as well as some form of algae processed coal) can be used in these plants. Electricity is being adapted in limited amounts, according to Diz the electric lamp was invented about 10 years before this document's penning in her timeline.

NOTE: The only hard data we have is on the Great Green Goblin Empire's technological capability and only from the report from Diz and the examination of her effects. We know far less about the other nations.

[gruegirl]

Supernatural comparison:

Compared to our timeline, the supernatural training within the goblin-earth timeline is vastly superior. Mutation and access to magic are reasonably recent phenomona. Many of the prime timeline's "traditions" of magic have been lost, and formal training for magic users beyond master-apprentice relationships are nonexistant. This is not so of the goblin-earth timeline. Magic users within the Great Green Goblin Empire are sent to an academy as soon as their abilities are manifest. Upon graduation from said academy (3 years after arrival) they are sent to join either the military, the inquisition, or the imperial corps of engineers. There's a proportion of magic users about on par with our proportion of mutants. There is a fear that "demonic curruption" will occur in magic users without training, and as such attendance in the academy is manditory. According to Diz, failure to do so is punishable by summary execution.

[gruegirl]

firearms comparison:

The only examples of firearms that we have from the Goblin Earth timeline are a pair of "Beast's Teeth" pistols and a single "Serpent's Bite" shotgun. The Shotgun isn't anything special, 8 round revolver-style magazine, lever action and modified to be used 1-handed. Far more interesting are the pistols.



The pistols are constructed of steel with various brass rivets and lead solder holding them together. These softer connection materials cause tolerances are fairly loose similar to a Kalishnikov. The pistols are semi-automatic, with integrated 50 round magazines. Those magazines are held in place with a quick-release ejection clasp around a shroud. Diz has shown that with acrobatic training she's capable of "Juggle" reloading, allowing her to reload the pistols while holding the pistols in each hand. The high caliber rounds are designed for maximum impact, sacrificing range and penetration. Against an unarmored target the rounds are devastating, (in pig tests) flesh experiences horrible ruptures and massive exit wounds. Body armored targets are often knocked from their feet (according to Diz's testimony) where they can be safely detained or further fired upon. The barrel has a floating-bolt system to partially compensate recoil. Attached up top to the magazine shroud, the sight has a blade along the top for close combat. Easilly detachable with a quick-release. Diz pointed out that the original design called for a "ballistic-knife" system which she had removed due to the fact that it cooked off too often under hot situations.


**ADDENDUM**

The following information was obtained from Diz regarding other common weapons of both her own Empire and others within her home timeline.


Goblin firearms:
In addition to the two listed above.
Lightning rifle: The main battle weapon of the Goblin "Imperial Army". The Lightning is a 20 round bolt-action rifle, easily (and commonly) modified to be semi-automatic. The bolt-action can have a clockwork device added to it to cause this semi-auto modification to function. Many soldiers are considered too expendable to receive said modification, or choose not to use it to maintain stealth. The device apparently needs to be wound up to function and makes a ticking sound.
Needle Threader: Utilizing the goblins short stature, the Needle-threader is a 2-man operated sniper rifle about six feet long. One goblin sits in front and spots, using a shield as a bipod and cover. The one behind aims and fires the device. The rifle uses a round apparently filled with mercury although it can be loaded with an armor-piercing round instead. From Diz's description this not only serves as a sniper rifle but also their equivalent to an "Anti-tank" recoilless rifle. 12 rounds, bolt action, but compatible with the same modification to become semi-auto.
Heavy Support Weapon: Apparently a hand-cranked gatling gun. Maxim-style automatic machine guns are available but only for the "Hardsuit marines" as they require precisely machined materials, and are too heavy for regular troops. From Diz's description these "Hardsuits" are a sort of goblin magi-tech powered armor. Only the most elite soldiers are trained in their use.

Northern Elven firearms:
The Northern-Elves apparently use a number of very elegant and intricate weapons. Their ammo capacity is lower then Goblin firearms, however they are more precise and they are much more commonly trained in the "Pistolier's Dance" technique that Diz is. They favor twin revolvers, although apparently the "Beast's Teeth" goblin design cribbed a lot of notes from one of theirs.

Southern Elven firearms:
The Southern-Elves favor shotguns. Diz has described their squad-support weapon as being something akin to a gatling shotgun. They also favor suprise tactics and light skirmishes, luring their enemies out to get close enough to use those shotguns.

Orkish weapons:
Orks are apparently brutish and rarely use firearms. Preferring instead to charge their enemies with large numbers and smash their skulls open. That said, occasionally they will carry horribly inaccurate fully automatic weapons of unknown manufacture. Diz hasn't heard of anyone who's actually gotten shot by an ork, she theorizes that the weapon doesn't actually shoot bullets, but the orks enjoy the sound it makes.

Dwarven firearms:
Dwarves will almost always use single-shot explosive round weapons. Diz describes Dwarven Knights as having a squire go into combat with dozens of weapons since it's often quicker to toss them aside rather than reload them. The weapons make large explosions and are designed to do heavy damage to large numbers of people.

Human Firearms:
Humans are kings of jungle warfare according to Diz. They use lever-action rifles and a variety of revolver pistols, but their greatest strength comes in making reliable weapons. They also favor surprise tactics, and they've concocted some sort of man-portable flamethrower.

Demon weapons:
Diz was less than helpful about this. Apparently Demons "Grow" their weapons based on what they like to use. Thus the specs are less than helpful. Fortunately she says a majority of them would rather rip their quarry apart then shoot them.