Embers of the Reich

[CorpCommander]

In the months and years following the collapse of Germany after it's surrender in WWII a grand easter egg hunt began. The victorious allies proceeded to pick through Germany looking for german scientists and scientific achievements. German Super Science was hampered only by bad decision making at the top and constant day and night bombing raids. Much of their achievements remained on paper or lab benches. Some of those secrets would determine the fate of nations in the following decades.

 

This campaign follows the path of military investigators tasked with finding these valuable assets and alluding the allies. Some of the secrets left behind are dark and perhaps should never see the light of day. Danger abounds around every corner as die hard Nazis and former Gestapo officers form the Wehrwolf Resistance; seeking to prevent the capture of Nazi super science and to cause the allies as much harm as possible.

 

[Currently I am working up the details of this and doing research. There are several books on the subject I am reading. As a matter of course all rumors and conjecture concerning Nazi super science and occult activities will be given 100% credibilty! The players are mere competent mortals. Wit and courage will allow them to captrue and equip themselves with what they need to survive the dying of the Reich.

 

Anyone who wants to contribute can PM me. I'll post the whole thing for free up on my website.]

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

the reponfa has swung good work

[Makiaveli]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

Not sure where you are going with this. You say the Allies are running around trying to collect the tech, then you talk of the PC's "eluding" the Allies....so are the PCs the good guys are not?

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

good question as i read theOPthe PC'S are german troops aftr the war endeed whether te PCs are heroes or leftover nazis is up to the players/GM

[CorpCommander]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

The PCs are Americans. After the end of the war with Germany the allied nations maintained the alliance but started to act in self-interest. It can be argued the Russians were never in the alliance and just accepted as fighting the same enemy. The Americans and Brits did many joint operations. Name three they did with the Russians. Ok, how about one?

 

Given the self interest angle it was important to keep some things secret from the Brits and to not trust the Russians at all as they were starting to look like they weren't liberating Eastern Europe but conquering it.

 

Interesting NPCs are Dr. Heisenberg's grad students captured in Operation Alsop, Gypsies, defectors and other intelligence agents looking for tit-for-tat sharing. Riht now I'm doing research on actual people who will figure into the story arc as well as actual events. Nominally it will take place between January 1946 and June of 1948.

[tenebre]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

Names 3? no problem

 

Large scale campaign operations with the russians:

 

Operation Verona US/Soviet

Operation Frantic Soviet /allies

Operation Keelhaul Soviet/UK/US

 

There was in fact MUCH cooperation between the US and Soviet forces the issues didnt surface until the late war when Roosevelt left. :-) ( my degree is in Russian History)

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

Not directly relevant, but could easily work into your background:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Gladio

[Yansuf]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

Names 3? no problem

 

Large scale campaign operations with the russians:

 

Operation Verona US/Soviet

Operation Frantic Soviet /allies

Operation Keelhaul Soviet/UK/US

 

There was in fact MUCH cooperation between the US and Soviet forces the issues didnt surface until the late war when Roosevelt left. :-) ( my degree is in Russian History)

 

While I am aware of several "Operation Veronas" in WWII, none of them involved the Soviets. Please specify what this was.

Operation Keelhaul took place after WWII was over.

In operation Frantic, US and British aircraft refueled at bases in the Ukraine; but it was generally considered a failure.

[ned-kogar]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

Sounds like a great campaign - may I suggest you look at BPRD 1946 & BPRD 1947 for some plot, shape and mood-related clues, too?

 

Ned

[CorpCommander]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

Those three operations support my point. There is no equivalent operation to, say Market-Garden. Verona was a limited intel sharing operation. Frantic was limited allied use of Soviet airfields and Keelhaul was a repatriotization of Soviet prisoners. The minimum type of cooperation one would expect. Stalin himself accused the other allies of holding back on the Germans so they could free up more troops to fight the Red Tide. I don't know that to be true but I bet it is credible. That attitude fits more in line with the post '45 state of things in Europe.

 

Consider this: Verona ends in 1945 when the Russians are still fighting the Japanese on the Asian mainland. We don't even share information about escaped Nazi leaders who are at large.

 

You are the first person I've come across who knew even one joint operation. For that you get a cookie! Or at least some Rep!

[tenebre]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

Those three operations support my point. There is no equivalent operation to, say Market-Garden. Verona was a limited intel sharing operation. Frantic was limited allied use of Soviet airfields and Keelhaul was a repatriotization of Soviet prisoners. The minimum type of cooperation one would expect. Stalin himself accused the other allies of holding back on the Germans so they could free up more troops to fight the Red Tide. I don't know that to be true but I bet it is credible. That attitude fits more in line with the post '45 state of things in Europe.

 

Consider this: Verona ends in 1945 when the Russians are still fighting the Japanese on the Asian mainland. We don't even share information about escaped Nazi leaders who are at large.

 

You are the first person I've come across who knew even one joint operation. For that you get a cookie! Or at least some Rep!

 

haha.. look at the breakdown right after Roosevelt... He was the primary reason Churchill and Stalin worked together. The animosity was British against Soviet until Roosevelt's departure. Eisenhower was a staunch anti-communist and this fact combined with Stalin's paranoia created the massive distrust. Roosevelt was quite friendly with Stalin. I mean we gave them tons of planes and vehicles through the war, i seriously wonder what would have happened if Eisenhower had been more median towards the Soviets or even friendly as was Roosevelt.

[tenebre]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

While I am aware of several "Operation Veronas" in WWII, none of them involved the Soviets. Please specify what this was.

Operation Keelhaul took place after WWII was over.

In operation Frantic, US and British aircraft refueled at bases in the Ukraine; but it was generally considered a failure.

 

typo.. Venona .. here it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Venona

re: Frantic... failure or success? how is that relevant to the fact it was joint op?

re: keelhaul .... and? he asked for three ops. and I felt that particular occurring in 47 mad it even more poignant as by that tie there was a severe animosity between the US and Soviets.

 

There were in fact, several instances of Soviets working with various allies, especially considering China was counted among the allies. I think its odd misconception outsid of the historian circles that we were enemies of the Soviets pre 45. Russian has routinely been allied with the US as far back as the revolutionary war in America to the join terrorism task force formed in 1998.

[CorpCommander]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

I think we can forgive Eisenhower. The wholesale looting of eastern Europe by the soviets, the Berlin Wall, Coup d' Main of half a dozen countries. Stalin almost completed Hitler's work. 50 million executions are hard to forgive.

 

Patton may have been assassinated, not by Germans but by Soviets. I wouldn't blame them. If the World could have suffered another war he would have willingly led it.

[Yansuf]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

typo.. Venona .. here it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Venona

 

You are joking, right?

Yes, I know of that one, it was the US and British breaking of Soviet codes. It was certainly not a joint operation with the Soviets.

[tenebre]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

You are joking, right?

Yes, I know of that one, it was the US and British breaking of Soviet codes. It was certainly not a joint operation with the Soviets.

 

yes im joking (context of original answer to post was in jest as he requested 3).

[Vondy]

Re: Embers of the Reich

 

It raises some interesting ethical questions, like how far will the PCs go in dealing with nazi war criminals on the run, to get the tech. As an example, the Mossad found a Nazi war criminal high on their list of people to bring to justice in Argentina in a key position in Pinochet's government. They turned him as an intelligence asset instead of outing him. It remains controversial in Israel, even today. A thematic, scenario question could be: will you wheel and deal with a war criminal like mengele of the butcher of bergen belsen and help them escape to complete your mission?