I don't like to bump without good reason to, so I might as well bump when I have extra ideas! Still free as a bird at the moment. 

An extra shot:

[hider=Steam-Clouds In Staccato (Steampunk + Alchemypunk / Slice-of-Life)]

When Vernebury was founded, its denizens knew nothing sweeter than the titter of birdsong on a midsummer day, accompanied by the sweet flesh of fruit from its bountiful orchards. The land, socketed in a subarctic valley, knew torrential summer downpours and thick sheets of snow in its frigid winters, but the constant sunlight in the farming months granted it a booming agricultural industry, growing flora of unimaginable flavor and physical dimension.

It was on these grounds that Vernebury settled upon this untouched frontier, careful at first not to disturb the wildlife--massive and fatty in their own right, in order to survive the frigid winter. When the autumnal equinox came and went, however, the new residents were startled to find the tides of ice and frost had already arrived. Stocking their larders with all the food they could freeze and huddling around their wood-fired stoves for warmth, a woman of great vision sat down to work, sipping on tea flavored with peaches she'd carefully cultivated herself to survive the hoary climes. This woman was Astrid Piering, who pioneered the first alchemic-steam furnace, turning the bountiful snow to white-hot water vapor and heating her cabin home with the prototype that would grow the simple town of Vernebury to the massive city of Kellingsholm, named after her late wife who'd perished during the plague.  

Her invention brought architects and curious academics flocking to the fair city, and within a decade, the Piering University of Applied Alchemy was founded. Miners and metalworkers followed them, and soon, the simple sound of birdsong died beneath the humid tune of industry. The other Piering daughter, a visionary in her own right--perhaps owed to being raised alongside her sister, who possessed a certain singular madness--ascended to governorship, a post which only grew over the next twenty years, until she was the leader of a small nation, living in the frigid wastes that all other countries--short sighted and war-minded--had failed to claim. 

This was a hundred years ago. The burgeoning country of Fumereach declared its independence from the Amblesby Monarchy, who sought war in reprise--but went to war in the winter, and created only casualties for themselves as they failed to breach the brass-and-steel walls of Kabering to the south. The war ended without a single shot fired from the side of Fumereach--as they would have it--and they were left to maintain and grow their small nation, seen now as an international resource of erudite knowledge, massive conservatory refuges and national parks, and an alienage for refugees caught up in the cutthroat politics of the outside world.

Though birds no longer live in the cities themselves, massive community-led apiaries have ensured that the simple birdsong can be enjoyed yet still, as the Congress of Academics has placed special care into sustainable growth and preserving the natural wonders, even in the wake of their substantial progress. Steam-pipes intermingle with coiled branches, as streetsides remain temperate even in the thick of winter, a thick coat of warm steam enveloping every street and alleyway. 

It's a new era for Fumereach, as creature comforts are largely accounted for, and their eyes turn towards the stars. The first space shuttle is set to be launched in three years, and great advancements have been made in the alchemological pursuits, with all flavors of tinct and potion to cure what ails the commonfolk. Though alkahest remains unfounded and gold untransmuted, it was perhaps the solvent to strife that became the greater goal.   
 
Steam-Clouds in Staccato is a dreamy little story about pleasant things. Scenery and simple problems, about times where things like politics are no true danger and the troubles come from stumbling in our stride, not falling behind. While, of course, bad things will happen and there will be difficult times, this is ultimately a kind-hearted comedy with the intention of producing moments of earnest humanity and overcoming the day-to-day. Plus, the feeling of braving the frontier, meeting new creatures and blazing new trails is naturally inherent. Just thinking about writing this one gives me the warm fuzzies.
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