I wish that this game line would come back. There’s a lot of fun to be had in WWII meets Conan.
Santo (Location) – Google Docs
Santo (Location)
Santo – more properly, ‘Espiritu Santo’ is an island in the New Hebrides archipelago which was the site of a truly massive American military buildup during World War II. Engineering teams built camps, Marine and Navy bases, airfields, hospitals, and artificial harbors and drydocks capable of repairing battleships. By post-Serpentfall standards, the island is an endless treasure trove of valuable, and possibly irreplaceable, military loot.
It is also generally considered to be effectively impregnable, given that Santo has become the premier smuggler’s and privateer’s port in the South Pacific. The US Pacific Fleet may be operating at a considerably lower operational tempo these days, but every freebooter from Tonga to Makassar knows that he can sail into the port with a cargo full of ‘goods’ and be asked no impertinent questions. The old floating repair facilities are also still up to the job of fixing damage done by man or monster (again, with no questions asked or answered). And, of course, for people looking to buy: the bazaar at the old Luganville airfield has grown in size to the point where it’s practically a small city. The island is technically under British control; but in practice power is held by ‘inactive’ US Navy and USMC personnel who are increasingly marrying into the local power structure and getting a taste for the buccaneer lifestyle. The island’s military forces are mostly war veterans who are extremely well supplied, including even some air units: it would take a major military operation to conquer the place.
Santo freebooters do generally have a regional reputation as being reasonably decent and good-natured, if rough-edged, sorts (Santo Heroes will typically have either the Sailor (Navy) or Soldier (Marine) professional Edge, and are definitely considered to be on ‘detached assignment’). Santo-based ships won’t attack Allied shipping or neutral civilian vessels — well, the latter may end up paying an ‘escort fee,’ which is sometimes even useful — but anybody looking to hire a mercenary flotilla of PT boats or corvettes should pretty much start at Santo. Sometimes that ‘anybody’ includes American or British flag officers. After all: there’s an armistice with the Japanese, not a peace.
VERY nice.