Welcome to [as of yet unnamed], an eldritch victorian fantasy tale of suspense!

The idea I have is simple:

In this game you will take on the role of an investigator performing an inquiry into a strange occurrence. Each character may have their own reason for doing this; they could be a hired detective, a concerned citizen, or perhaps have a personal interest or agenda tied to the conundrum. The characters will at some point intersect, forming a party, and work together to solve the mystery.

The setting:

Imagine your standard Tolkien-esque fantasy world; elves, dwarves, orcs, and men. They live in a perpetual magical medieval age, fighting for the forces of good or evil. The elves are the immortal masters of magic, the dwarves are the peerless masters of artifice, the orcs are the fearful masters of war, and the humans... they're mostly there. Until, that is, they undergo an industrial revolution. Suddenly the world is turned on its head, and after only a short century, remade. Railroads run through the once untamed wilderness, carrying roaring engines and trains to and fro the growing human metropolises. Factories spew black smoke into the sky, drowning the rooftops in smog. Electric lights burn along cobbled streets in the night, casting sharp shadows on brick buildings. Magic, once a natural part of everyday life, has become the taboo art of mystics and charlatans. And all the while, the ancient forces of good and evil lurk in the background of the modern age, waiting for their moment.

I'll go into more detail once we've got a few players, or if you have any specific questions. Feel free to apply or ask below!

The biggest question I have is how does magic function, why it was stamped out so successfully, and why didn't the older more successful races like the dwarves especially...not become even more successful industrialists?

The biggest question I have is how does magic function, why it was stamped out so successfully, and why didn't the older more successful races like the dwarves especially...not become even more successful industrialists?

Magic is an art in which you bend or contradict natural law with your mind, often with the aid of spells, chants, runes, and other arcane paraphernalia. The elves claim that magic was bestowed to them by the gods, who in turn used it to create the world and everything in it. It takes a lot of time and effort to learn magic, compared to the relatively fast return on investment that industry yields. That, and the fact that the use of magic, as well as magical artifacts, tend to distort natural law in its proximity, made it impractical to employ in cities as industial enterprises expanded.

The elves, naturally, shun industry because of their aptitude for magic. Elven culture also suffers from arrogance towards the other races, making them see industry as a very human thing. The dwarves are disgusted by the exchange of quality for quantity that industry often applies. They strive for perfection and praise individual skill, making the automated process of industries seem like a low thing. That said, there are of course individual elves and dwarves who see the benefits of technological progress and industrialization, but as a culture they do not. The orcs never got a chance. The nomad warrior tribes of the orcs were quickly subdued by the modernized human armies, and while some clans still roam the wilderness as bandits and raiders, most orcs find themselves as slaves working the machines of the factories in human cities.

I hope that answers your questions!

<Snipped quote by Bacon is fluffy>

Magic is an art in which you bend or contradict natural law with your mind, often with the aid of spells, chants, runes, and other arcane paraphernalia. The elves claim that magic was bestowed to them by the gods, who in turn used it to create the world and everything in it. It takes a lot of time and effort to learn magic, compared to the relatively fast return on investment that industry yields. That, and the fact that the use of magic, as well as magical artifacts, tend to distort natural law in its proximity, made it impractical to employ in cities as industial enterprises expanded.

The elves, naturally, shun industry because of their aptitude for magic. Elven culture also suffers from arrogance towards the other races, making them see industry as a very human thing. The dwarves are disgusted by the exchange of quality for quantity that industry often applies. They strive for perfection and praise individual skill, making the automated process of industries seem like a low thing. That said, there are of course individual elves and dwarves who see the benefits of technological progress and industrialization, but as a culture they do not. The orcs never got a chance. The nomad warrior tribes of the orcs were quickly subdued by the modernized human armies, and while some clans still roam the wilderness as bandits and raiders, most orcs find themselves as slaves working the machines of the factories in human cities.

I hope that answers your questions!

ya it does, i like youre thinking. this does seem interesting and a little grim(poor orcs :sadneko). Ill definitely apply to join if and when we get started. <3

@Bacon is fluffy Cool, thanks :)

Now all we need are a few more interested players!

Hi! Can you tell me what it's about?

You there?

@Writing Novice I would gladly help you, but I'm not sure I understand your question. What do you mean?

Consider me tentatively interested.

I'm tentatively interested, although I'll probably have to look at the ooc thread once it's up to fully decide.

I've started work on the OOC. Should be done in a day or so.

I'm interested but I'm curious as to whom will be running the plot. Are we all trying to solve one mystery or each a mystery of our own?

@Fuzzybootz Our characters will be solving the same mystery, hence the team-up. But each character could start their investigation from different angles. We'll hammer it out in PMs and the OOC.

@Golem Sounds good to me.

Tentatively interested, myself.

Sorry about the delay. I'm nearly there with the OOC. Shouldn't be much longer now.

@Bacon is fluffy@Writing Novice@Havoccultist@Nanolyte@Fuzzybootz@CollectorOfMyst

OOC Is up! Check it out: roleplayerguild.com/topics/190974-the…