When I reviewed the first series of posts I wrote
for Their Finest Hour, I found lots of bits and pieces worth including and
expanding for the Blitz Spirit. My favorite piece was a post spit-balling how
the Victoriana subspecies fit in the setting of the Battle of Britain. I really
hope you liked that post too because I adapted it for the Blitz Sprit and
tripled its length!
Here are some of the fresh ideas:
Beastfolk
The
specialized adaptations present in beastfolk anatomy give each member of the
subspecies different routes to serve in civil defense. Beastfolk suited to
tunneling thrive in demolitions, construction, and rescue. Night vision
benefits members of the Royal Observer Corps and the fire watch. The RAF always
needs more meteorologists with an innate sensitivity to upcoming weather
conditions. The fleet of vital fishing, rescue, and patrol boats in the Channel welcome
any beastfolk able to swim long distances and survive for minutes below the
water’s surface.
Dwarves
Something
clicks into (or out of) place in the minds of dwarves repeatedly spending
nights in air-raid shelters. The cozy subterranean world welcomes them. This
effect mostly wears off before morning, but a small percentage refuses to come
back up. If bodily forced to the surface, they wander deep into the underground
and never return home.
Eldren
The exiled
royal families of Europe sought sanctuary in Britain and found it in the eager
arms of English society, particularly among the nouveau riche. They glamorized
the Eldren refugees among them as dashing and tragic romantic figures and
competed over them for houseguests and marriages. Any Eldren with an exotic
accent finds themselves the toast of London for a day or two.
Gnomes
Because of
their frail frames and weak constitutions, very few gnomes meet the
requirements for military service. The families of the few gnomes found
suitable to enlist boast of their loved one’s achievement. Still eager
to aid their country, gnomes use their natural nocturnal natures to help in the
observer corps, the ARP, the Home guard, and volunteer fire stations. While not
the most rugged and athletic of subspecies, gnomes don’t have any trouble
staying alert and awake during long stretches of night duty.
Halfling
A halfling’s
gregarious disposition and low social class makes them a perfect symbolic “man
in the street”. The Ministry of Information devised a series of propaganda posters
with this in mind featuring a halfling character named “Bingo” to demonstrate
the way citizens should behave in a crisis. While many resent being made into a
slogan, other halflings choose to embody the cheery spirit and do what they can
to elevate the morale of their neighborhood.
Ogres
Everyone
makes do with less during rationing. Unfortunately, ogres make do with more less
than others. The caloric intake required by an ogre’s 8 ft frame exceeded the
earliest ration books by a factor of three. The Ministry of Food quickly caught
their mistake and promptly produced ration books specifically for ogres. Still,
many grumble about ogres taking more than their fair share especially in line
at the butcher’s shop. Some rumors maliciously speculate barbaric ogres
abducted a few of the children “evacuated to the country” to supplement their
rations.
Orcs
Even as the
city streets fall into the deep dark of the Black Out, orcs carry on in their
work as night watchmen, policemen, and ambulance drivers. Their perfect night
vision allows them to safely navigate the city streets even on moonless nights.
Many night owls who would have shunned the presence of an orc before the war
feel a small twinge of comfort as they climb into a bus at the sight of one
behind the wheel.
Next week’s post, we’ll look at some
new character options for a 1940s adventurer.
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