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Description

Strongly inspired by WoD (World of Darkness) and Hellsing seetings, as well as classic Cold War era techno-thrillers, Angaband is a lore of a world divided by Superpowers, secretly governed by supernatural beings. Before 1980's, it was very similar to our own, despite that most myths and magical rituals have at least some physical ground beside them. They are, however, subtle - there's no fireball throwing mages or giant monsters capable of levelling cities, but instead there's time and matter manipulation techniques, mind control and talking to ancient spirits.

Things changed in 1986.

In this timeline, Chernobyl incident never happened, and ZGRLS Duga project succeeded - an enormous Soviet relay disguised as "Radar array of exotic physics". It was a testing ground. Capable of receiving transdimensional emissions of various phenomena, it became a beacon in an unending Void. Scientists seen it simply as another tool similar to ones used in astronomy, like a radiotelescope detecting FRBs in distant formations. Unfortunately for humanity, it caught the attention of a wandering, disembodied spirit of immense strength exiled from it's own world.

For years, it gathered might on Earth, observing and twisting events in it's likeness - small things, as it's power was greatly diminished through timeless interval it spent inbetween any meaningful reality. It thrusts it's claws deep into Politburo, infiltrating military facilities, State Security stavkas and residences of political elite, destroying, consuming or dominating the key figures that determine Soviet political course. Perestroika slowly and silently fades, with reformists and their backing are either dead or reduced to disfunctional figureheads. It does not pacify discontent and reactionary forces awakened by previous political indecisiveness and economic struggle. The response is brutal and out of proportion, which leads to 1990’s being a decade of major civil unrest throughout the Warsaw Pact, exceeding even Great Purges of 1930’s era. Massive military arsenal and brutal, unforgiving decisiveness for slaughter proves capable of clenching the Eastern bloc together - if only by relentless will of its new, inhuman master. Still, the economic reforms follow - if not to please the people, but to redirect the industrial machine to it’s new purpose. In a turn of a millennium, Soviet Union cuts almost any of it’s “socialist” roots, becoming an effective military/technocratic dictatorship. Welfare is reduced to representative numbers and most of civil and labour rights are gone. Ironically, private enterprise is given more freedom to operate. As long as it benefits the ruling regime. Funds collected from cutting budgets and overexploitation are invested to “new industrialization”, which covers the lands with a black net of factories, excavation sites and logistical hubs. In the terrified West, what became of Eastern bloc is often reffered as...

IRON HELL

It does not help that it’s spirit overlord does not understand vey basic human behavior, such as motivation. It acts materialistically, almost mechanically. It does not utilize lies or deception, and no means of control rather than brute force; hence, strife and unnecessary losses of production follow every step of it and it’s Chimaeras - distorted human souls serving as overseers, executioners and leaders relaying its will. Was it not for this, most hope might have been lost for the free world. Yet, it’s fate not decided.

Description

Strongly inspired by WoD (World of Darkness) and Hellsing seetings, as well as classic Cold War era techno-thrillers, Angaband is a lore of a world divided by Superpowers, secretly governed by supernatural beings. Before 1980's, it was very similar to our own, despite that most myths and magical rituals have at least some physical ground beside them. They are, however, subtle - there's no fireball throwing mages or giant monsters capable of levelling cities, but instead there's time and matter manipulation techniques, mind control and talking to ancient spirits.

Things changed in 1986.

In this timeline, Chernobyl incident never happened, and ZGRLS Duga project succeeded - an enormous Soviet relay disguised as "Radar array of exotic physics". It was a testing ground. Capable of receiving transdimensional emissions of various phenomena, it became a beacon in an unending Void. Scientists seen it simply as another tool similar to ones used in astronomy, like a radiotelescope detecting FRBs in distant formations. Unfortunately for humanity, it caught the attention of a wandering, disembodied spirit of immense strength exiled from it's own world.

For years, it gathered might on Earth, observing and twisting events in it's likeness - small things, as it's power was greatly diminished through timeless interval it spent inbetween any meaningful reality. It thrusts it's claws deep into Politburo, infiltrating military facilities, State Security stavkas and residences of political elite, destroying, consuming or dominating the key figures that determine Soviet political course. Perestroika slowly and silently fades, with reformists and their backing are either dead or reduced to disfunctional figureheads. It does not pacify discontent and reactionary forces awakened by previous political indecisiveness and economic struggle. The response is brutal and out of proportion, which leads to 1990’s being a decade of major civil unrest throughout the Warsaw Pact, exceeding even Great Purges of 1930’s era. Massive military arsenal and brutal, unforgiving decisiveness for slaughter proves capable of clenching the Eastern bloc together - if only by relentless will of its new, inhuman master. Still, the economic reforms follow - if not to please the people, but to redirect the industrial machine to it’s new purpose. In a turn of a millennium, Soviet Union cuts almost any of it’s “socialist” roots, becoming an effective military/technocratic dictatorship. Welfare is reduced to representative numbers and most of civil and labour rights are gone. Ironically, private enterprise is given more freedom to operate. As long as it benefits the ruling regime. Funds collected from cutting budgets and overexploitation are invested to “new industrialization”, which covers the lands with a black net of factories, excavation sites and logistical hubs. In the terrified West, what became of Eastern bloc is often reffered as...

IRON HELL

It does not help that it’s spirit overlord does not understand vey basic human behavior, such as motivation. It acts materialistically, almost mechanically. It does not utilize lies or deception, and no means of control rather than brute force; hence, strife and unnecessary losses of production follow every step of it and it’s Chimaeras - distorted human souls serving as overseers, executioners and leaders relaying its will. Was it not for this, most hope might have been lost for the free world. Yet, it’s fate not decided.