[BRØKEN GEAR]
...With the advent of Steam Technology in 1882, it seemed anything was possible; the world was ours for the taking. Seemingly overnight, the City of Rochelle was transformed from a humble market outpost of several hundred, to a prosperous city of several thousand. As Steam Technology displaced the primitive technology of yore, society as a whole became more interconnected, prosperous and accessible. Airships and hovercraft are now the primary mode of transportation and do not suffer the same limitations as their ground and sea-equivalent predecessors. However, land-based modes of transportation is still used frequently by only the poorest of the poor (or those who dislike change and view Airships as a nuisance in an otherwise tranquil sky.)
Society is becoming more industrialized by the minute and, at least for a short while, this time period of industrial and societal expansion was colloquially known as "The Golden Age."
However, Rochelle and the other nearby cities are finally becoming cognizant of the detrimental effects the so-called Golden Age. Industrialism has all but destroyed the fertile land Rochelle held in ages past -- a layer of smoke and soot has settled on the once pristine city. Although the law enforcement system is more efficient than it ever was, crime too has risen exponentially. As factories and engineering plants become mechanized and modernized, the public must seek work elsewhere and there are few jobs left that require any substantial amount of human interaction. Many people are resorting to crime as the only means of supporting their families, all the while Robber Barons are charging incomprehensible rates for housing and taxing residents exorbitant fees. The government is far too busy supervising the multitude of factories to keep tabs on the oppressive landlords.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel; a few renegade airship pilots, engineers and scientists have teamed up to find a new source of clean-burning, sustainable and renewable energy -- MANA.
Mana
MANA is a mystical, novel energy source found in microscopic amounts in the æther (Sky) and thus far, the team has only a vague idea of how to acquire it. If one could harness MANA in large amounts, the technological capabilities would be endless....
Rochelle City, BRITAIN
Limping down the cobblestone walk that led down to the hangar, a middle-aged gentleman holding a walking stick with a hound dog's head grip, carried a plain brown folder. Escorted by his cortege, the stern-faced man and his group appeared boisterous and in high spirits.
"After 12 long years, it's finally done! When the Queen sees this, she'll beg us to be a part of the Royal Rochellian Airforce," a man in a button-up labcoat eagerly stated to his colleagues.
"I'm more concerned about the company that pirate keeps. This is his Airship, after all. He's going to shit himself when he reads our accomplishment." another gentleman by the name of Francis, added. The group of Continentals was clearly anxious to arrive at the hangar and their walking pace quickened. They all leered at the sealed-folder in anticipation.
As the group of men entered the hanger, a humid mist sprayed them and they began to feel their clothes stick to their skin in the dense humidity. "How can these mechanics stand this heat all day?" the gentleman with the walking stick wondered as his grip on the brown folder tightened.
Each time the group visited the massive Airship Hangar, they stared on in awe at the marvel of modern mechanics; airships rivaling the size of the Queen's Palace rested precariously on the ground. Men of all walks of life were working, tweaking, yelling, ordering, commanding, pleasing, thanking, arriving and departing. This hangar was a central hub of commotion and travel. An aristocratic older woman, hooked arm-in-arm with another woman were led down the airship ramp and into the terminal. A few moments later, a young couple and their son departed and spoke some unknown East-European dialect. It was easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the travelers.
"There." The group pointed to a man entwined in a bunch of cable and wire, tinkering with the side panel of an airship. The man was unkempt, dressed like a ruffian and held a lit cigarette between his teeth, but the group expected no more of an airship pilot.
"Ah, Dr. von Hilder, welcome to the Airship Hangar; is it safe to assume my Flight Permits are signed? The Leviathan has been flight capable for years now. You know, you Continental bastards visit the hangar monthly and have somehow managed to sneak twelve year of this procrastination by me," Karl de Tinkenburg III spoke to the Continentals, but did not look away from his airship's maintenance.
"My sincerest apologies for the wait, Karl. But as these "Continental bastards" and I promised, we have finally convinced the Queen of your airship's capabilities and flyworthiness," the Continental nobleman waved the folder in the air tauntingly at Karl. Karl swiped the folder abruptly from von Hilder's hands and shook with excitement as he peeled open the cover and peered inside; Within the folder was a letter from Her Royal Highness Queen Victoria...
Honorable Airship Captain Karl de Tinkenburg III,
I'd like to congratulate you on gaining clearance to fly over Rochelle's skies. Note that I sign this Flight Permit with some hesitation, but the Continentals assured me there is much MANA to be discovered in lands beyond Britain. Should you find this Ore and enrich our nation's resources, I will bring Glory upon you. In exchange, bring Glory to Britain.
But to insure my investment, I command you assemble a team of the finest Airship pilots.
Godspeed and safe flying,
~Her Royal Highness, Queen Victoria
"Well, Karl, it appears you will need a CREW to fly your Airship as you search for sources of Mana." the man who handed Karl the envelope pointed at a crowd working near Karl's airship -- "How about those people over there?"
Our story begins in the Rochellian Hangar, in the year 1894. A team of researchers, robber barons and businessmen known as the Continentals are funding a secret Mana mining project, proposed by Karl de Tinkenburg III. Several airship pilots, mechanics and engineers also working in the hangar overhear some commotion and go to see what the fuss is all about.
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