Look to the West Volume VIII: The Bear and the Basilisk
- Thread starter Thande
- Start date
The nuclear devastation of the Combine homeland seemed at odds with what we know about the threshold weapons doctrine.
This can resolve the contradiction as well as explain why the destruction of the secret archive of the Societist Biblioteka Mundial is so certain.
I would imagine that reconstructing someone's culture after decades of efforts to erase it would be the work of generations. I don't think they'll be leaving any time soon.
Skallagrim
Banned
That, or the whole arrangement is considerably less benevolent that its instigators are making out to be, and they have no intention of ever leaving at all.
Racist news broadcasts? Looks like things aren't too peachy with the reconstruction.
Wonder what chicken-bog is made of.
Wonder what chicken-bog is made of.
Danubia might never fall under proper combine control.
That said I'm interested in whether the claims on Australia/OTL Antarctica wind up amounting to anything, as well as what will become of OTL “great accomplishments” like first to the Poles, first to Climb Mt Everest (say, do we have an alternate name for that yet?), finding ancient ruins (I suspect, with greater Incan presence, Machu Picchu remained known of in South America, and so is probably slated for destruction by the combine), etc. Obviously a “race for the pole” scenario would offend the Combine’s sensibilities, but if the Diversitarians start their own it might become a big thing(tm).
Looks like a reference to the primary antagonists of the narrative with the protagonist nations being the Royal French and their allies and puppets.
Skallagrim
Banned
Seems like a "between Scylla and Charybdis" kind of set-up. As in: all others are caught between the Bear and the Basilisk. Doesn't have to mean either co-operation or direct conflict between the two, but suggests (to me, at least) that they are the two defining threats of the upcoming period, and all others perceive them as such.
I was thinking the Basilisk represented France since the Combine were already associated with the Eye. Why a Basilisk I don't know, maybe something related to the Gallic Rooster?
I'm guessing the title is a reference to a conflict between Russia and France that was mentioned at the end of the last volume. Perhaps the Combine intervenes in favor of the Russians, or a Russo-Combine alliance forms that changes the geopolitical balance, or a three-way conflict breaks out between the Russians, French and Combine. I don't know. Anything but a Societalist revolution in Russia. That would stretch it too much.
Thande
Donor
Thanks for the comments everyone.
Hmm, it is true not many new flags have featured recently...although this is largely because there haven't been many flag changes to existing powers in-TL beyond the established Threefold Eye Societist flag, there are some new entities I could cover. Stay tuned.
) and the terminology for TimeLine A, B, C etc.
Speaking of Nuttall, he recently shared with me (from another writer in turn) a case where someone had got a bad review because they wrote a book set in 2020 which didn't mention the pandemic. A book they wrote in 2018. Why is the Venn diagram of 'people who actually write Amazon reviews' and 'people who should not be allowed to write Amazon reviews' such a big overlap?
Hmm, it is true not many new flags have featured recently...although this is largely because there haven't been many flag changes to existing powers in-TL beyond the established Threefold Eye Societist flag, there are some new entities I could cover. Stay tuned.
I hemmed and hawed over it, but decided that to do otherwise would make no sense given the framing device is supposed to be "OTL but with a secret international timeline exploration programme". I should point out this was originally an homage to a setting Chris Nuttall created where the THANDE Institute is set up in the aftermath of "OTL, but" being invaded by counterfactual 21st century Nazis, but I decided that would be too distracting so it's mutated into just "OTL, but". This is where the name THANDE Institute comes from (it was originally a shout-out from him to me, I'm not that egotistical
) and the terminology for TimeLine A, B, C etc. Speaking of Nuttall, he recently shared with me (from another writer in turn) a case where someone had got a bad review because they wrote a book set in 2020 which didn't mention the pandemic. A book they wrote in 2018. Why is the Venn diagram of 'people who actually write Amazon reviews' and 'people who should not be allowed to write Amazon reviews' such a big overlap?
It's actually a real thing from OTL, maybe a little convergent (though TTL's Carolina has more, not less, rice cultivation) but I liked the idea of getting in something recognisably culturally Carolinian from OTL that isn't 'racism'.
Considering some of the more horrific things that have happened in the immediate aftermath of colonialism’s end like in Africa or between India and Pakistan that might not be a net positive and only bring more turmoil
Especially as LTTW and OTL had the two major power blocks just begging for weak nations to de facto control in their undeclared war