In an almost mirrored world surrounded by technological prowess and eye opening mysticism, the Age of Volæria serves as the version of how our own world would be like in a 'idea Steampunk-esque' setting. It is a fictional world which takes place in an alternate universe set in a 1920s Neo-Romantic Victorian Inspired setting during during the peak of a technological renaissance. The invention of the technology discovered during their time drastically having changed the culture to a much more conservative one with notions of nationalism and ethnic pride taking precedence over many countries around the civilized world.

As stated before, Volæria takes place in a Neo-Romantic and Victorian/Gilded Age inspired setting. Most of the major history events in their world have mostly also occurred from our own post World War 1 though with addition to the renaissance of technological development particularly in aircraft, the world of flight has slightly deviated from the histories of our two worlds. The might of craftsmanship as well as its innovators have conjured an era of mysticism becoming all the more distant and unrecognizable from that of our own as the dreams of many idealists who aspired of a grand future were finally coming true. As stated earlier, some of the major events during this world have significantly changed some its history, alternating it from ours and becoming a variation of the events which have already transpired in our own history as well as several other elements that will be added in this world later on in the story.

One of such discoveries changed their history is the elemental substance known as "Aetherium" an unobtainium that has many unexplainable, impossible abilities that have yet to be unraveled in the plot. Aetherium is so unknown and mysterious, that it cannot be placed on the elements chart and is unable of being properly calculated on a quantum level. The unknown element has many unexplainable effects one of which is producing a maglev effect that makes object hover when in the presence of high temperatures. The discovery of Aetherium would later help with the development with aviation technology as flying aircrafts would be forged by such a material. This era would be known as the "Sky Age" as stated by historians during this time or the "Age of Volæria" by J.R.R. Tolkien to which it would later be named.

The element, while unknown in its reasons for why or how it functions can be predominately found in portions of southern Africa, northern regions of Canada, Greenland, Siberia, and an even more overly-founded abundance of this commodity being also being located in Antarctica. Shortly after the discovery of using this material for aerial purposes, mining jobs began to sprout by the tens of thousands. Underground cities had also become prevalent, serving as warmer places in which heat is insulated from the outside cold. It was in this era which subsequently reopened the factory businesses and new regulations were set in place as working in such places became safer than before. Things like overtime and child labor however are still in effect though people have never been safer working under such conditions. Unless of course one is to find work in the Arctic which is notoriously known for being though well-paid, a dangerous place as a reportedly 1 in 5 miners would die of hypothermia around the years 1880-1882.

The greatest country with the leading innovation of this technology is Italy whose inventor, Vincenzo Buscemi, was credited for inventing the Aeroplatform in 1885, a stable and floating platform that would withstand any weight put on it without the need for any form of air resistance or helium. Vincenzo Buscemi would later work with curious inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin with the development of the Aeroship (sometimes called an Aethership), which was an Airship mostly hovered with the use of Aetherium. The result was a huge success as every country in the civilized world wanted to gain access to such a technology during the ever so growing age of Imperialism. The free market allowed for many companies to base their technology around such inventions and so the race for the skies began.

It was during this time of technological prowess that San Francisco would become nearly the size of Los Angeles, the time were people were lifted from poverty, and the first World War being fought from 1915 to 1919 with very different battles and ending in a practical stalemate without ending as severely towards the economy of the nations or reparations having been made though involved covering just as many casualties. Austria-Hungary lost a lot of his former territory in the south though still remained a powerful nation despite Yugoslavian Separatists gaining independence though who themselves struggle to maintain their new nation to the south in the Balkans. Peace for the time being is transparent, though the phrase "the war to end all wars" is soon beginning to become all the more fallacious as tensions are beginning to rise once more between nations.

Imperialism had still been alive and well but soon thereafter turning into Fascism as Italy is the first nation to begin becoming convinced of such ideas of national and ethnic pride. With the Bolsheviks taking control of Russia during the revolutions in 1917 and the complete overthrow of the Russian Provisional Government which inevitably led to the Russian Civil War, Democratic Socialists and Liberals from countries such as Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Finland are desperately severing themselves from the newly founded Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The Nordic Confederation formed when Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland joined forces and started mines and trading rights with both Greenland and Canada, Finland choosing to abstain for the time being though remaining a close ally. And with the new era of prohibition opening another underground trade route, one more violent than the world has ever seen before, a new underground criminal organization began to rise. The world has changed significantly in just a few years and no man can truly tell how different things could be in the next ten. Only time will tell...

It is late 1921, just a year after prohibition and during a time of organized crime, and social movements which also bring a plethora of violence and civic unrest around the world. Europe is constantly changing politically with the Bolshevik Revolution in the east and the later Russian Civil Wars which undoubtedly garner to Marxist revolutionaries in the west, the Irish War of Independence still brewing in the work, the Mexican Revolution coming to a swift end but with more ideas and conflicts of interest rising than coming to a closure, Austria-Hungary contemplating a union between themselves and Germany, and much more. The world is constantly changing, reopening ideas for innovation and after the tides of war have just swept away into the violent crashing sea though inevitably on the return as many predict another war approaching in perhaps another ten years and maybe even less. For the time being however, technology is at its peak and the world stands by in awe at the ingenuity and curiosity mankind as accumulated in a few short decades. One of such inventions was the Aetherium based airship (sometimes called an Aethership) which made transportation far easier than any regular plane or boat can take a person.

Though with prohibition, this technology not only helped legitimate businesses with making shipping legal merchandise around the world but also open a window to an ever growing illegal organization - the criminal underworld. Those under such unscrupulous employment often used such technology to smuggle their illegal enterprises over the air and away from any road that could be intercepted by police or government lawbringers. With prohibition on the rise: smugglers, bootleggers, and others seek to expand their businesses using this technology. One group of individuals find themselves particularly attracted to such a deal but inevitably come across odd predicaments that soon tie them into the bonds of history.

Our story is told through the eyes of a crew aboard the aethership Strativella which promptly begins in the Italian-Occupied regions of Tunisia, voyaging across the Western World and taking occupations from anyone willing to conduct business with them, illegitimate ones or not - most of which are cargo and transport-related. Though as criminality is on the rise, so are the growing possibilities of danger which lurk in every corner as such jobs are accepted by the crew. There will be many complications throughout the crew's journeys around the world though their rewards are far too hard to simply pass up. As the plot unravels however, many other odd events have been occurring in the world and this unlikely crew inevitably finds itself tied to its problems. Odd events which cannot be fathomable to nothing more than mere imagination as the crew soon thereafter becomes themselves important figures this particular part of history. Are you willing partake in this grand expedition through the new world?

Greetings,

At some point, I was contemplating posting this as it's been over a year since this idea has been floating in my head. Needless to say, I didn't write much since my first draft and when I saw it once again - I knew I had to work on it again. I hope this setting is as interesting and fresh to you to garner your attention as I've done a bit of research on my part before writing what is in store and although I'm not the greatest writer, I will keep it interesting as best as I can. If this garners not only your to attention, but inevitably to a number of people that are willing to participate in this story then we have a story we can all mutually enjoy. I do not mind having a small group either should it gather little interest as this post is simply meant to at least find several people who are willing to participate.

The plot as you've read it is simply this: A ragtag crew taking jobs across the world, typically those involved with illegal activities. We will be practically traveling across the world (mostly through Europe and eventually the United States as well as parts of Latin America) and inevitably running into strange occurrences throughout the world as secrets kept locked away are beginning to manifest into the world. Think of the show Firefly as this is heavily inspired by and at times almost mirrored to. If you read the the letter written in the beginning which vaguely touches on these subjects, this is essentially what's tied to what is going on in the plot. I don't want to be too specific as to give anyway the story altogether, but it has to do with the underground cities which we will visit at some point as well. We will also first initially begin in Italian-Occupied North Africa in Tunisia before reaching Sicily and taking transporting jobs from there.

As for the writing itself and what I expect for now: Red Rose in November is a high casual/low advanced setting so it is expected at minimum of three paragraphs per post. Those who are undergoing dialogue with other players should consider a collaboration on one post in order to avoid confusion. I will try my best to explain anything else that isn't mentioned later. Please to not hesitate with questions and/or criticism - All is welcome.

Without further ado, welcome to Volæria!

An Introduction:
For a while, I've been meaning to perhaps write this wiki either on a Google drive or some peripheral website you guys could access should you want to read about the lore of this world. However, since it's practically almost a parallel world, I don't really see much use in doing something like that :P . If I could ever choose to write a novel based on this world, it should probably have been more researched and given that at this time I have little to spare since I want to get this going already - I don't think we need much explanation other than just superficial knowledge about this world I've just conjured. Disregard any countries I do not mention, they are pretty much the same as they were in our world. Here are the European nations listed and briefly explain:

As the theme is for most Steampunk stories, most revolve around what is known as the Victorian Era though that term usually refers to the social movement of the United Kingdom that takes place roughly around the Romantic and Impressionistic Eras. The western world of Volæria in Europe and United States are in a mix of several cultures which include both Neo and Post Romanticism as well as Impressionism, often praising the works of early Romantic artists such as Eugene Delacroix, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, etc to also being introduced to Impressionistic artists such as Claude Debussy, Vincent van Gogh, Joseph Conrad, and many more. Many philosophers, writers, artists are all differentiating in their own subcultures, it's all roughly could be categorized as a late Neo-Romantic period all while common folk music is also rising in popularity as the invention of the Phonograph with people finding it simpler to listen to music rather than playing on their own.

The United States, as Mark Twain coined, called this era the Gilded Age as queen Victoria had no reign over America, which would technically defeat of purpose of being a Victorian-themed setting in that country. Nonetheless, these cultures should remain somewhat similar as they did mutually during that time period where industry was heavily leaning towards its technological peak and thus reaching a second Industrial Revolution. Volæria is at a high peak of industrialization in our setting, even more so than in our world since Volæria has the invention of Aerovehicles as well as other machinery which again differentiates it from our own.

It is in this time that transcendentalists such as in the time of the early 19th century are being admired once more as access to buying your own air vessel was becoming notably tangible which subsequently began inspiring those who wanted the chance to explore the world and live a life of stoicism and self-sufficiency. The price of buying an Airship was not as expensive as originally thought as companies were building a notable amount of these vessels to fill the needs of many companies sought to use them for shipping purposes as Airplanes were not yet tested to travel long distances safely and Cargo airplanes not yet invented. Buying an moderately-sized small Aeroship was probably almost the amount for buying a large house and by 1907, there were many who lived in such "Cloudhouses" as later coined by the New York Times in 1909, and many more who would try to undergo adventure of their own outside of civilization, many of which took their lives as part-time cargo holders for companies.

Volæria shares almost the same artists, philosophers, historians, etc. Any man or woman of historical significance is for the most part the same with of course the exception of a few additional members who helped pave the way for our setting as well as modifications to certain historical figures. There are slight differences between our histories which shall be explained through a timeline down further below. Many other things in history in Volæria are also significantly different from that of our own, but will not be fully mentioned since that would be a tl;dr situation. I wouldn't worry about being precise about the lore of this story when it comes to writing your character, nor I do would want you to. The only thing I ask of you is at least try to be by reading the timeline and revolving anything regarding your character around that, should they've taken part of any significant historical precedence.

In regards to language/dialect - I also expect some of who are interested in this journey to keep in mind that I would like dialogue to be similar to that during that time. If anyone of you has ever watched Deadwood, The Age of Innocence, Pride and Prejudice, and other examples of movies portraying this era - you would know that the language they use is a modernized version of how they spoke during those times, and I at least expect some similar accuracy when reading your posts. Keeping a realistic and accurate depiction of the language and dialogue used during this time between our characters could maintain our tone's sincerity. Though don't overdo it, it's not like I'm expecting a work of art of out all of you. There's absolutely no reason for you to be pretentious either.

So basically, this is a Victorian/Gilded Age inspired science fiction RP with a neo-romantic/impressionist art culture that I hope you will all come to enjoy. Please remember to try to remain accurate to the culture with the historical residence I have set to this story. Again, I do not expect you to write in a bloody Shakespearean tone of dialogue, but to at least try to maintain some vigilance over your language for this time period since it will help with the tone of this story. If you would like to read more about the culture around this time period, read the links under "some considerations" below.

Most of the technology revolves around practically every other steampunk setting, the only exception are the other elements that are being brought into this world. The invention of the radio, alternating current and other better developments of electricity/technology are predominant as they were in our world around 1913. Just think of Volæria on being in terms with something similar to Bioshock Infinite with the exception of being mechas/robots and vigor (sorry guys). HOWEVER, as stated earlier in both the plot and prelude: there are odd elements which are being added onto this world though will not be used until later in the story.

Of course as you have read throughout these entries, one facet which has changed their world is the discovery of unobtanium (or fictional element) known as "Aetherium" which essentially produces a maglev effect on gravity itself, thereby in addition to being a superconductor. I don't expect you to be physicist and understand these terms (as most scientists cannot truly comprehend what it is), just to realize that these are the reason as to Volæria has been able to create such a unique setting. Basically, it's a metal element, located which cannot even be classified on the elemental chart which produces a levitated effect, being able to float in midair, hence why there are artificial floating islands in this world.

Since Aetherium is a elemental substance which counteracts gravity, it also interferes with the aerodynamics of aviation-vehicles, usually making Aerovehicles containing them often slower the more weight of Aetherium they have on their vessels. Aetherium is mostly used for larger vehicles such as large Airships and such, which I will talk more about later. The term "Aerovehicle" is going to be mentioned quite a bit and is practically synonymous with the term Aircraft though it is mainly focused on the term relating to anything used to transport people and goods. One could argue that the term "Aetherium-Based Vehicle/Aircraft" or "Aethership" could make a much more suitable term, there are a multitude of people who insist on simply calling them airships.

I do not expect you to read and memorize this part of the post, though if you are interested, here basically my citations as well as a few articles you should probably read.

On an idea of what the culture of Volæria is like:

• Wikipedia article on Romanticism
• Wikipedia article on Impressionism
• Wikipedia article on the Gilded Age
• Wikipedia article on the Victorian Era

On language used during this time:

• A Dictionary of Victorian slang (1909)
• List of Victorian slang terms
• More slang terms
• Short series of Civil War diaries from soldiers
• Short series of World War 1 diaries from soldiers
• History of Modern English (1800 - Present)

On technology:

• Short video of World War 1 planes taking off
• Another video of Hydroplanes taking off
• Timeline of airplane history in our world
• Aircrafts during WW1 ranked by their speed

Real Life Historical Events:

• Good Timeline of WW1

April 20, 1725 - Sir Isaac Newton conducts research on Aetherium, though never being quite successful in his studies, Newton provided some insight on the substance itself to other scientists.

1820 - Sir Humphry Davy isolates Aetherium, being the first by record to do so and is later tasked with conducting research on this substance.

May 28, 1882 - The Age of Volæria begins when Italian inventor and engineer Vincenzo Buscemi later is able to construct the first known successful Aetherium-based platform later known as an 'Aeroplatform' though no real great inventions would come until years later.

January 2, 1883 - Ferdinand von Zeppelin comes in contact with Vincenzo Buscemi and begin collaborating on a project in order to create the first Airship without the need of hydrogen or helium.

January 2, 1888 - Ferdinand von Zeppelin and Vincenzo Buscemi create the first ever Airship without the need of hydrogen or helium and start a company known as "Aria" which would later assist countries from around the world build aircrafts similar to this one in order for combat purposes.

1890 - "The Hot Cold Rush" begins when nations become aware that Aetherium is mostly founded in South Africa and Antarctica. Mining soon begins thereafter.

May 11, 1891 - Italy is the first country to build a major mining colony on Antarctica known as the "Porta del Cielo", it facilitates around 5,000 inhabitants.

June 3, 1892 - The United States pays 20 million dollars for Italian and Spanish Engineers to work in America. The New York Times dubs Italy as the "Flying Empire" due to being the most technologically advanced nation in the world on terms of aviation with Spain being at number 2.

July 16, 1892 - New York Times releases a figure of the health and well being of miners and estimates that one of five people who mine and colonize in Antarctica die from either hunger or hypothermia. Regardless of this fact, thousands begin to pour into the job sites as the pay rate is hardly anything to pass. As revenue expands however, colonies become more sophisticated and safer for miners.

April 21, 1898 - The Spanish-American War begins, being the first war to ever make use of War Aircrafts.

August 10, 1900 - The Spanish-American War is brought to an swift end with an American win, leaving 27,000 casualties.

July, 1900 - The Luftschiff Zeppelin LZ1 makes its first flight, being the first Airship to fly without the need of Aetherium. Its demand, however, cannot compete with the Aetherium-based Aircrafts and is thus not as in demand. Zeppelin then coins the term "Aethership" in contrast to "Airship" which mostly consists without the need of Aetherium. Some today however, still often confuse both terms and are at times traded and/or confused with one another.

December 12, 1901 - Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic wireless signals.

April 22, 1902 - It is now estimated that now one in twenty people miners die in Antarctica.

February 8, 1904 - The start of the Russo Japanese War begins.

December 17, 1903 - The Wright brothers invent the first ever self-sufficient flying engine that does no require any use of Aetherium, making it faster than any other aircraft in existence. This invention would be later known as the "Aeroplane".

February 26, 1906 - Upton Sinclair writes his book, "The Jungle", a book depicting the poor environments of the food industry, the FDA is formed thereafter.

March 11, 1906 - The Russian Empire wins the Russo-Japanese War, Manchuria is annexed by the Russian Empire.

April 18, 1906 - The famous 1906 San Francisco Earthquake occurs, leaving around 3,000 causalities. with recent contributions to technology, the city is rebuilt and restored in a very short amount of time. Nikola Tesla, famous inventor and engineer reinvents the aeroplatform, though being modified for lifting tall buildings from the ground. This would later attract many visitors towards San Francisco and became an iconic city soon thereby being the pinnacle of technology (as seen here). It is then that San Francisco's population booms with size, becoming as equally as populated as Los Angeles and is known as the "City of Steam."

August 10, 1911 - J. Frank and Charles Duryea, along with Nikola Tesla build the first successful, electric-powered hover car known at that time as a 'wheel-less carriage'.

September 17, 1915 - Austro-Hungary declares a war on Serbia, just after a second assassination attempt on Franz Ferdinand.

January 17, 1916 - The Schlieffen Plan goes entirely successful with Paris now under German occupation.

February 1917 - The February Revolution occurs as Finland dives into a civil war for independence from the Russian Empire.

February 17, 1917 - Italy joins the Central Powers and invades French Tunisia.

April to October 1917 - A significant number of French troops defect to Germany.

March 1917 - Russian Provisional Government is formed shortly after Tsar Nicholas II's abdication.

April 1917 - The United States joins the Allied Forces.

October 25, 1917 - The start of the Russian Civil War commences as Bolsheviks attempt to take Petrograd (modern day Saint Petersburg) in what was later known as The October Revolution.

November 7, 1917 - The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic is formed.

December, 1917 - Finland declares independence from Russia.

January 1917 - December 1920 - The Spanish Flu.

March 1918 - 1919 - The Berbers Famine occurs, resulting in the deaths of millions of native born North Africans, many believe this to have been a deliberate plan by colonists to replace the North African populations. Spain, Italy, Great Britain, and France all state that the war had a significant impact on the food shortages. Constant rioting ensues while communist indoctrinators infiltrate the region, attempting to spark a revolution and tensions rise thereafter.

July 11, 1919 - After years of bloodshed, all countries during participating in World War 1 call a cease fire.

September 20, 1919 - Leaders of Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway form the Nordic Confederation as Social Democratic leaders fear the rising tide of communism. Finland abstains from the union. Mining ports and trade rights between Canada and the newly formed Nordic Confederation shortly begins thereafter as large amounts of Aetherium is found in Canada's northern regions. America joins soon after. An alliance is formed between the British Empire and the Nordic Confederation.

October 1919 - The United States Congress signs National Prohibition Act and many other countries choose to follow the idea of banned liquor.

November 3, 1919 - The Treaty of Versailles is signed, no reparations are needed from other countries and the war is declared a draw.

December 1919 - Social Democrats in Finland claim a unitary parliamentary republic and Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg is elected its first president after failure by the German Empire to install Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse as king of Finland.

1920 - Fascism in Italy and Spain is on the rise as many of thousands

March 1920 - Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Jamaica contemplate a union between their countries and perhaps with Spain. Tensions between the United States and the Latin countries begin to rise.

March 1921 - Poland officially gains independence from the Soviets and form the Second Polish Republic.

Dear interested reader (PLEASE READ),
This will not be first come, first-served. You may apply for a character that is already taken, though you might have to convince me that yours is better than the one previously posted. If you are not accepted, there are other positions you may take. Just PM me for the details if you are still interested and don't get picked.

• The Captain: Salvatore 'Il Dulce' Brucchelli
• Second in Command: - Ali Hassan-zadeh played by SgtEasy
• Pilot: - Giovanni Amatore played by Elkhar
• The Mechanic: - TBA played by Traps
• The Weapons Specialist: - Astera 'Asta' Laukkanen by Artymis
• Intelligence:- Henry Wallace Rosenwald by Mag Lev
• Diplomat/Public Relations: - Frederick Charles II of Hesse-Kassel played by FoxFire
• The Passengers: - None for now.

The list above shows the occupations available aboard Strativella which your character will take part of. There are seven positions open which pretty much covers all of you. If this story however garners more attention when its posted on the other forums, then there will be competition and I will choose the best characters suited for their roles as crew members aboard the Strativella. This is not a first come, first served though you guys will have more time to do your characters than the others who might garner interest later if it comes to that. Those who are not accepted can choose to take the role of a passenger who will most probably only be temporary in our story and/or an antagonist (most likely working with International Police, rival smugglers, or members of illegal enterprises which I will probably explain later). Please talk to each other before writing yourself down for a certain job since someone else might be working on a character for that very position. Most of our crew members are already well-acquainted with one another, but we will not elaborate more into how your characters got aboard the vessel and how they all know each other until your characters are officially accepted. This leaves us to one quick thing to keep in mind which is not to write past the date around in which the Great War ended which is around July of 1919 in your bio, for that is when you are hired by the Captain, Salvatore Brucchelli. We'll get to how we got to know each other later, but for now just write down what your occupation is in the application.

When it comes to writing a character, I've already provided a template for you down below under 'code'. You may choose to use it whether or not you want to, that's up to you. However, you must at least include the same exact info as it does on the template regarding info on the character. Also, you may choose to use whatever color you want when it comes to writing your character.

Another thing I would like to mention is for you not to have extremely OP characters that are completely without flaws. One of the pet peeves I run into while either writing a story, reading one from another person either through Role-Playing or a Book is that I've really grown quite bored of cliché characters that are either written so poorly or simply written out of lack of originality. Not that I run into many in this website, though you do get that guy at times and even I sometimes am guilty of this predisposition. For example, the typical male character who is essentially everything that encompasses every other male character which you would normally find in the vast majority romance novels is so boring its appalling. It's become a foundation of what most main characters are today with absolutely no objectivity. Rather, I would want to see you guys write more diverse characters, and since this is a fictional setting, I would like you to surprise me with whatever you have.

Another pet peeve would be again, a character without personality or possesses 'holy traits'. There has never been a saint in the history of the world without being encompassed by some demons. If your character has any, what are they? Does it affect what they do significantly, or does it have an affect others more than it does themselves? Personality aside, there should absolutely be no one who is essentially an immortal demigod who can't be beaten (ie God-modding). Though we are in a fictional world, please refrain from writing a badass Clint Eastwood like character who can jump into battle, be shot seventeen times and not be hit, while killing all of his aggressors, and lighting a cig with the sparks of his gunfire. It doesn't happen in real life, and if it does, it's very rare.

One thing I'd like to remind you when editing the template is to not write over the bold segment. For example, it would be really weird if instead of writing: Name: Niko Bellic - you wrote something like this: Name: Niko Bellic. It's kinda annoying and perhaps it's my OCD that's making me force you to write this way, but that's how I want it.

If you are going to use artwork for your character, please don't use wacky or unrealistic looking characters. That means no anime, sorry. Here is an example of what I want on terms of an artist depiction. You may use sketches as well and it doesn't have to be a Romantic-era painting, but it certainly shouldn't extremely unrealistic (like a guy holding a huge railgun or anything like this). There are also some pictures you can use also. You do not have to use a picture or image and if you are willing to just describe them, that is perfectly fine.