So back to the Folded Steel thought before I rush off to proctor a test.Today we are looking at the Third Fold, what it looks like, what it’s themes are, and the sources of inspiration.
The Third Fold begins not long after the Empire has been defeated. Somehow, despite all being stacked against them humanity has managed to defeat the invaders before they were able to fracture reality in their wake. Sheltered in bastion cities, the reconstruction is beginning but in a world that is much different than the one that came before. The field runs rampant with zones of instability causing strange one of a kind phenomenon to flash in and out of existence. Outside of the bastions, settlers are constantly fighting to reclaim vital land from remnant forces, bandits, and other oddities that have seeped in from the cracks.
During this reconstruction era the focus is on what mankind does to make things right. Enclaves are defined by their role in this. Guardians seek to preserve the society that has managed to weather the near apocalypse, Wayfinders have banded together to strike out into the unknown and tackle the issues in a more aggressive manner, and the Lore Seekers hope that otherworldly knowledge will be the key to righting reality. No matter which Enclave is used, the concern is always with managing hope. A successful operation using a higher tier mech may cause hope to rise, but there is always the chance that a Titan’s mighty presence may just as well drain away the Hope as it reminds other of the terrors of the empire.
Inspiration for the third Fold can be found in a few animes, but in particular you can see it in Southern Cross, Gurren Lagan, and Gargantia on the Verdant Planet. Mankind is close to the brink, and can be tipped either way based on the actions of the Folds enclaves.
From personal preference this sounds the most fun Fold to me. Each of the Enclaves could easily result in very different campaigns.
I’m just imagining a full campaign through all 3 folds. That would make for some amazing stories.
If I had to pick just one Fold it would be this one. I like the open ended nature of the end goal (compared to the second) and the generally tone of it. There is no way I could JUST do this one though for the very reason you gave. Telling a story that stretches through the folds is too epic to turn away from.