Embassy of Duronis II Officer's Manual/Themes and Plotlines

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Embassy of Duronis IIUSS Thor


Warning: spoilers below!


This area will be used to discuss general themes and plotlines to be explored in the Embassy SIMs.

General Goals

Although I haven't clearly fleshed out the overall goals of the entire SIM, I have some ideas, as listed here:

  • Explore the concept of government systems. Monarchy, parliamentary, democracy, and so on.
  • Discuss terrorism as it pertains to the destruction of the "first" Federation Embassy. This can parallel many of the real world experiences with terrorism. What are the goals of these actions, and what effects do they have?

Pre-Work

So far, I'm working on the stuff leading up to when the Embassy opens. For more information on the main character of this pre-work, see the page about Prince Indivar. The pre-work stage in character actually lasts from right around first contact up to when the actual crew for the Embassy arrives.

Rough Plotline for Pre-Work

The main character's story will pick up very near first contact. Here's a sketch of where it goes from there:

  1. Civil unrest occurs around first contact, as people immediately begin to question the philosophical implications of not being the only intelligent species in the universe.
    • The aristocratic classes will not be concerned, as they will maintain that they have the right to rule, and were given that right by the trials their ancestors endured.
  2. Crown Prince Regent Indivar, the Regent of Govinda is asked by his father, Emperor Vikram III, to be an ambassador to the Federation. He has concerns about whether the Federation's ambassadors are being truthful about the prosperity of their people.
    • The Romulans and Zalkonians have also made first contact, but Vikram sees the Federation as the most viable alliance.
    • The Northern Alliance Kingdoms (despite Vikram's background there), see the Zalkonians as the best option. The Zalkonians offer protection from a "watering down" of Laudean society by the Federation, which the conservative population of the Northern Alliance appreciates.
    • Maria United media tends to agree with Vikram, and see the Federation as the best option. The liberal ideals of the Federation jive with Maria United's population.
    • Tanal and Bryque Kingdoms seem closes to the Romulans, as they offer technological supremacy over the other two options. At this point, however, the Romulans have not yet asserted their territorial claim over Til'ahn.
  3. Indivar agrees, and leaves on the USS Enterprise-E to visit Earth and Vulcan.
  4. Meanwhile, an anti-royalist movement is gaining popularity among the Laudeans, as they come to realize that the monarchy is based not on divine right of kings, but merely on a precident that has been unshaken for over 1,500 years.
  5. As Indivar begins his journey home, he is notified that a violent and bloody revolution has begun on Til'ahn. The monarchy has been overthrown and denounced. Indivar and his entourage are advised not to return.
  6. The ship Indivar is traveling on meets with another ship from Til'ahn carrying "royal refugees" who managed to escape the revolutionaries. The group is taken in and heads to StarBase 118 to meet with Federation Counselors and Diplomats who will discuss the situation with the Laudeans.
    • Because the Federation doesn't want to become involved with the revolution, they only extend a welcome to the Laudeans to take residence in Federation space, and offer to help them make sense of the situation. They are not suggesting any form of overt aid to quell the revolution.
  7. Indivar is assigned quarters on Ops, and begins the struggle to make sense of the revolution, and who is now.
  8. On Til'ahn, a new government is being set up with an almost purely democratic bent. The Royal Refugees and Indivar begin scheming ways to remove the new leaders from power.
  9. Possible ending in the far future (long into the Embassy SIM), might be a return of the monarchy in a restrained form?

Themes of the Pre-Work

There are a number of themes I'd like to weave into this story, which are as follows:

  • Aristocratic life: Prone to extremes, idleness, nobility of character, corruption.
  • Humility in the face of trying times.
  • The fickle nature of the mob.
  • Personal struggle in change.
  • Needless violence and death.
  • Positive aspects of order/monarchy?