An Introduction to the Lost Continent of Randistan

[Commander Carnage]

My local game group have been playing VSF games set in the lost continent of Randistan for sometime. Many memorable games have taken place on those lost shores. Like most VSF settings the timeline in which Randistan exists is different than our own. Below is a short introduction to Randistan for your perusal. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

A Letter to The National Geographic Society on the topic of Randistan from President Roosevelt's Office of Exploration

Rumors of a lost continent have persisted since Phoenician sailors ventured beyond the Mediterranean sea and continued through written accounts by men like Herodotus, Columbus, and De Gama. It wasn't until Baron Von Hasslehorst's discovery of an a map penned by a Indian Nobleman (Khan Seybin Randolifi) from the 12th century that modern explorers knew where to find the needle in the haystack.

According to Von Hasslehorst finding Randistan was much more challenging than simply following a map. The map produced the location but Vedic texts offered the key as to when the journey to Randistan was possible. Von Hasslehorst claims that Randistan only exists on Terra Firma during certain celestial conditions. Those conditions he explains can exist for months to decades. Many leading scholars on cartography and celestial mechanics dismiss Von Hasslehorst as a crack pot who has sullied his discovery with metaphysical nonsense. Edison and other leaders in ether engineering disagree and claim that Von Hasslehorst may have discovered a rip in the ether that surrounds the Earth. Von Hasslehorst's theory about Randistan's transient nature may explain the mythology behind Mu, Lemuria, and Atlantis.

Regardless of how scholars perceive Randistan, the fact is it exists and it remains almost entirely unexplored. Many of the Earth's nations have raced to mount expeditions but Germany is the only nation who has succeeded in creating a large outpost from which to launch its explorations. The British have launched an expeditionary force to the far side of Randistan. Sir Garnett Wolsey is in command of the expeditionary force. The famed hunter Allan Quatermain is already in Randistan scouting ahead of Her Majesty's forces. The Czar's forces seem to be using the distraction of Randistan to put pressure on the European holdings in East Asia. Japan has supposedly launched one of their new undermarine boats to Randistan to find a prospective claim. The CSA has adopted a wait and see policy in regards to Randistan due to their current financial issues.

The flora and fauna of Randistan has been hotly debated in scientific circles as typical German exaggeration. The Office of Exploration has obtained documents that verify some of the German claims concerning the fauna of Randistan proper. Lizards of gigantic proportions along with insects of similar size have been confirmed. It is surmised that many species long thought extinct can be found on the continent of Randistan. The Germans have been very careful about revealing whether Randistan is inhabited by civilized people. Most anthropologists contend that it must be inhabited by civilized folk, most likely of Indian or Oriental origin. According to some Eastern Asian cultures the mythical island of Lemuria was the base of operations for a group of bloodthirsty marauders called the Seng Brotherhood. If Lemuria and Randistan are one in the same it would explain The Brotherhood's legendary ability to escape and pursuit and vanish into thin air.
In the spirit of American ingenuity and adventure the state department is encouraging its citizens to form and man their own expeditions to Randistan. The Office of Exploration is willing to help finance and protect expeditions of civilian experts to help speed up the advance of American interests. The National Geographic Society could be among the first to explore this new continent and carry Old Glory to its shores.

William J Johnson
United States Office of Exploration
 

[Malamute]

Nice background information. Do you have any photos? it would be great to see some of the games.

[Froggy the Great]

The entirely peaceful scholars of L.A.S.T.* having intercepted  this letter through entirely legitimate means and have a perfectly good explanation as to the brown stains on the margins, receive this information with great interest.

What are the current scientific theories as to the similarity in flora and fauna to Atlantis and Cytherea?  We have not yet worked out the kinks in Dr. Darwin's Babbage engine to explain entirely reject, of course, the blasphemous notion of parallel evolution, and are approaching the matter with great curiosity.

* both of them, not at all fabricated.

[The_Beast]

Nothing much to say about the fauna, except it seems to find me rather tasty on occasion. 

Yo, Bill! Going to introduce the lads to Jason Carson and his exploits next? Don't forget the Aeronef sticky!

Doug

[VSF Gamer]

As the Lost Continent of Randistan resides in my basement and I am the keeper of most the photographic evidence of it's existance, I shall attempt to post pictures of the expeditions that have taken place there when I get home this evening.

[VSF Gamer]

Oh and on another note, Commander Carnage is mainly responsible for adding all the great backround fluff to Randistan. Randistan came into being when I needed a name for a country to run a GASLIGHT VSF game in at Recruits, a local gaming convention. Since my first name is Randy and not being overly imaginative Randistan was born. Since then it has grown with the aid of Comander Carnage, The_Beast and alot of other great gamers.

[Commander Carnage]

I just posted some pics of a Randistan adventure on another thread. It was a frustrating experience, if I get a better handle on it I'll post some Mars game pics.

CC