Newspaper clipping from The London Post dating 1891

PRUSSIAN ROYAL FAMILY ASSASSINATED; DEUTSCHES THEATER BOMBED;HUNDREDS WOUNDED

At roughly 6:00 pm local time yesterday, an explosion rocked the famous Deutsches theater in Berlin. Kaisar Freidrich the III (53) and his family were attending a performance of Parsifal. Eyewitness accounts claim that the explosion took place just under the royal viewing box. So far, fatalities are at 68, those included are the Kaisar, his wife Josephine (49) and two of his sons Johann and Georg (29 and 26). The Kaisar's youngest son, William (24) has yet to be found.

Details are still rare, but many in the Prussian Government suspect PLLF (Polish-Lithuanian Liberation Front), a terrorist group that many believe to be backed by Russia. Czar Alexander has yet to issue a statement, but the Prussian Army has been put on high alert.

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So this is going to be a Steampunk RPG that takes place in turn of the century Europe. Players will play royals, engineers, soldiers, or whatever they wish.

I only have a few rules

1. No godmodding.
2. Get along with both the GM and fellow players
3. If it is your turn to post, but you are unable to, either post here or PM me.

Here is a sample CS Sheet. I will post my own character at a later time.

Name:

Nation:

Age:

Occupation:

Description: (Pictures or written words is fine. Prefers non-anime pictures)

Family:

Equipment: (I tend to use real world tech, but with a steampunk bent to it. For example, you can have a Gewehr 1888 rifle, but semi auto instead of bolt action. But that's just me, you guys can go nuts.)

Personality:

Bio (be basic here. We can go into more detail when we figure out the plot):

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Here's my character

Name: Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern

Nation: Prussia/ Germany

Age: 24

Occupation: Heir to the Kingdom of Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire

Description: Here

Family: Father, Mother and Older Brothers all deceased. Various cousins and relatives at court.

Equipment: Mauser C96 (capable of semi and full auto fire), Model 1852 Prussian Saber

Personality: Wilhelm never put much thought into becoming king. As the youngest and last in line, he figured his future would be wasting away in a nice estate, drinking and wenching himself to an early grave. Now that finds destiny thrust upon him, he has chosen to step up to the needs of his people. He occasionally finds himself in way over his head, but he would do anything for the betterment of his people.

Bio: The youngest of the House of Hohenzollern, Wilhelm's family is killed in the Deutsches Theater Bombing. Orphaned, exiled, and always in danger, Wilhelm now serves his people as Kaisar and plans for the upcoming war with Russia.

Wilhelm is an above average swordsman, but only an average shot (hence why he prefers a gun with fully auto capabilities). He has a fine military education, like his father and brothers, but he never had much chance to use it.

Have fun guys!

Name: Dmitri Pyotr Ivanovich

Nation: Russian

Age: 26

Occupation: Bodyguard/Okhrana Agent

Description: 6"5, bald and heavily bearded as well as having a stature that is pretty...well, Russian, Dmitri looks scary to most. He is physically refined, and built around strength more than agility. As a bodyguard, this tends to be moreover a useful trait. He has brown eyes and a brown beard, wearing usually a black duffel coat that fits his stature. Even though he is young, the fact that he has this well developed a beard, as well as a few scars on his face and hands, suggests he's seen more than enough years. He also wears a white shirt of sorts when not wearing his duffel, and a black pair of trusty boots. He looks like the face of a Russian that could serve a Regent as a guard, from a mile away. He doesn't wear a hat usually- and the fear factor does increase in some ways because of this.

Family:
Dmtri's father, Pyotr Vyshnegrasky Ivanovich, was a Noble in Russia (died from nothing other than Kidney Failure, wahey if you can guess why)- while his Mother now is simply a head of a teaching board in Karelia, Russia. Dmitri has an older and a younger sister, Anna and Jadwiga respectively. Dmitri's godfather was a Colonel in the Russian Imperial Army,

Equipment:
Flask of Vodka (Reasons)
Diary
TBC

Weaponry:

Nagant-Federov Avtomat Rifle
--Capable of Fully-Automatic fire, firing 6.5mm Arisaka Rounds.
-Rifle is still prototype- and is still relatively inaccurate in full-auto.
-Bayonet is usually mounted on the bottom lug.
-Doesn't carry this around on close protection duties.

-Nagant Revolver
-Chambered for 7.5mm- Swedish Variant.
-Quickloader- used for Close Protection

Naval Cutlass (Shortened)
-Handle has been adapted, to deal with situations where the revolver will simply not do.

Personality: Dmitri is a surprising character in some ways. Toughened, reinforced, he looks like he could crush your soul by looking into your eyes for long enough, combined with his appearance, and perhaps he does not know when to stop doing this- to good friends, or vile people. But he has some education- and speaks English, German and his native Russian tongue fluently, his father a noble working as a diplomat and sometimes bringing Dmitri along on trips abroad, being able to also read and write in the former to to a limited extent. He has a tamed set of anger- and if brought about to his state, he won't take no quarter with whomever his enemy is, being brutal and almost stoic to his methods while when calm, can be perhaps a good friend to count on. As a bodyguard, he values his life as nil compared to the people he is protecting, and will keep a vigilant eye out, being a man who respects who he deals with unless he knows full well of their status. Though he is bad with his alcohol. Russians, and particularly ones like Dmitri, take a lot to get drunk. So when he is, it's usually after a ridiculous quantity of spirits. And he isn't fully in control when he is drunk...

Bio: Dmitri was born in Sevenomorsk, Karelia- in the far north of Russia, to a reasonably well-off family- the son of a former Naval officer who moved to Sevenomorsk and then became a diplomat, while his mother was a member on the local board of education. As a boy, he went with his father often to trips to Europe, the son of one of the Tsar's Diplomats, and he was educated well, despite the harsh conditions in this area of Russia. He found himself to be strong, and his father always wished for Dmitri to stay on in the Navy, as an officer. This was something he did- and his six year conscription from the age of 18 onwards was spent in the Russian Navy, stationed at his town of birth. He found himself very capable, and by the end of his service, was the Captain 3rd Rank of the Petrogradskii Nevskii, a destroyer stationed in this remote region of the world. He left at the age of 24, and following advice from his father, as well as his prior influence, moved into the world of working as a Bodyguard- viewing the Navy as merely too harsh an existence that made him no money. By this point, Dmitri was a hardened, and well trained soldier, being feared by his own men aboard the ship. He saw that the world had changed- and the Navies of the Sea would be replaced by the Navies of the Air. His father died a year ago- and following his move to more mainland Europe, finds he is able to earn better pay, and support himself better- something which his many talents and skills provide well for him in his role. He serves whomever pays best- and finds his talents are very adaptable for a man like him. He also keeps strong ties to back home, aware that of his position, he is in a good position to listen in on some nobles in European society.

Another fact of Dmitri, is that he is a member of the secretive Okhrana- the Tsar's Secret Police, who suppress all Socialist and Populist, or even Liberal or any word of Democracy in Russia in any shape or form. To say the least, he is more of a paid asset abroad to deal with foreign threats to Russian Autocracy, and due to shady reasons following his military service, now serves as an overseas member, an agent of sorts to carry out the Okhrana's will in his position in Europe. Combined with his occupation, it gives him an unparalleled reach into certain individuals in Europe- in particular, dealing with threats that concern Russia. You'd be very lucky to know this, since you'd either be dead or in a prison cell if Dmitri knew about it.

Name: Gustav "Lion" Berntson

Nation: Kingdom of Sweden

Age: 33

Occupation: Captain on HMS "Göteborg" in the Royal Scandinavian Air Fleet.





Equipment:







Personality: TBA

Bio: Gustav come from a family with deep military roots, and he constantly strives to live up to the glory of the Berntson family name. He was born on his mother's estate on the western coast of Jylland, Denmark, and lived there for for his first 5 years until his father sent him back home to Sweden to start his education. As he began attending school, he proved that he spoke both Swedish and Danish fluently because of his parents, and after 10 years he also spoke fluently English, and could understand German to an extent. While his father worked the rest of his political carrier for a unification of all the Scandinavian countries, Gustav grew to become a leader-figure amongst his fellow students in Stockholm.

While the Scandinavian people began the slow integration into the United Kingdoms of Scandinavia, Gustav and his fellow students graduated from the school with good grades, but while most of his friends would continue to study, Gustav felt that it was time for him to follow his family's military heritage. He joined a regiment of volunteers from all of Scandinavia, fighting for the South African Republic against the British South African colony, and like his father and grandfather, proved his commanding skills when his company's captain was killed and Gustav took command of the men, repelling the British attack. Promotions followed, and so did his men into the heat of battle.

Gustav came home mostly unharmed except for the regular bruises and scars, and joined the Swedish army. Life in the Swedish military was peaceful compared to his time in South Africa, but he enjoyed the prestige of the military life and its discipline, though he didn't mind the peace. Mostly peaceful, but sometimes accidents happen. When inspecting an ordinance factory as an army representative, an artillery-shell blew up next to Gustav, destroying his arm and injuring his right side.. His arm was barely saved thanks to a mechanical arm that could be mounted on his arm. Without it his arm is useless, and so he was pulled from the army and given a position in the slowly growing Scandinavian Air Fleet. But the arm gave him regular pains, and Gustav began taking unknown medication to bare with the pain.

Copy pasting from IC as I update slowly.

Question: Seen as Germany and Austria-Hungary united into one super-state (if we decided to use the backstory written in the interesting check), would it be possible that the Scandinavian countries also united, though Finland is still under Russian control, thus a reason for the Scandinavians to ally themselves with the Germans in-case of war?

ONL said
Question: Seen as Germany and Austria-Hungary united into one super-state (if we decided to use the backstory written in the interesting check), would it be possible that the Scandinavian countries also united, though Finland is still under Russian control, thus a reason for the Scandinavians to ally themselves with the Germans in-case of war?

I think a Scandinavian Union under Stockholm, recreating the old personal unions under Denmark, seems reasonable to me at least.

Then I would like to ask for permission to have my character lead a ship of Scandinavian pilots, Swedes, Danes, Norwegians, Icelanders and exiled Finns, against the blasted British and the despicable Russians.

Sounds good to me old chap. Sorry i havn't been on very much. New house means house warming parties.

Updated my CS, more will be added :)

I'm going to wait for Nobody to get his CS up, as I believe that my character was to be a bodyguard to his Prince or something.

Name - Kai Shigeru

Nation - Japan

Age - 29

Occupation - Airship Captain

Family - Kai Shigeru's mother (Kai Shigeru) and father (Zaki Shigeru) are both retired in the Shikoku region of Japan.

Equipment -





Personality - Kai is very calm and collected, and almost always focused on his airship ferry business. Towards his crew, he is very strict, and pushes them to go above and beyond their expected duties, a trait he acquired from years of watching his parents run the same airship. He has also become a very good judge of character through passenger interaction. Kai very set on his own opinions, and will often send a customer he sees as a danger to his ship, crew, or passengers away, even if they mean no harm. He will protect his airship and his crew without mercy, and his proud of the Shigeru's Lotus and it's flawless reputation.

Bio - Kai was born an only child on the Shigeru's Lotus as it was traveling around the world. He grew up on the ship, and knew it's corridors and rooms as well as the back of his hand. He ate, slept, and breathed that ship. It was his home. Through his teenage years, he juggled home-schooling and learning to maintain and run the airship as well as a harlequin would juggling pins. He knew it was his future to own and run the Shigeru's Lotus, and he embraced it with all the passion and effort he could muster. As he aged, he became better and better at maintaining the ship, and eventually took over the ship. When they landed back in Japan, his parents turned the ship over to Kai when he was 27 as an announcement of their retirement. Kai happily accepted the ship, and with that, their parents left. The crew respected him as they had his father when he captained the ship, and Kai's newly inherited business was running better than ever.

This is going to sound really, really pedantic...but weren't the Russians also at huge quarrels with the Polish nationalist movements at the time? I mean, the Russians and Germans actually had some co-operation on that factor- and it's just the one bit of Alternative History you'll need to walk carefully around, in order to make a war-threat between Russia and Germany better. I can advise that the Germans/Russians were at huge odds over Russian alliance systems to the French...something which of course, the Germans would be threatened by. And all the Balkans before even WW1, was a powder keg which is just German/Russian bitching for most of the 1890s/1900s/1910s. Though I'm fine with the PLLF, it would need the right spin- I like the direction though.

Also, I believe that Fredrich III died in 1888- though if he hadn't of died of inflamation, then I can only imagine that yep, that'd be fine- it was just a wonder really. All of this is just drawing from what I know of the period.

I like the idea of a United Kingdom of Scandinavia- and I can only imagine the idea of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and their attached territory in Iceland/Greenland bickering with Finland. Finland at this time was basically Russian, no matter how entirely you paint it- sovereignty was very, very limited, so I could only imagine why the Scandinavians are tempted to work with Germany. While Sweden has remained very neutral, and Denmark has previously had issues with Prussia over Schleswig-Holstein, I could imagine the idea that they would want Finland to join- and even support Socialist efforts in these regions to usurp the Tsar's rule. Another thing of interest is that Alexander III is batshit. Coincidentally, he dies a year after this RP's setting, but after 1881 when his dad, Alexander II was killed by a bomb, he basically repressed the Russian people to all hell and kept Russia's backwardness by reactionary policies and all (interesting facts- he was strong as anything, and could bend coins with his hands...yeah, Russia. Died of kidney failure too!) . So perhaps this could be another biting point- I believe he didn't get on well with people like Bismarck and Wilhelm I, so I can't imagine him being all too friendly when there's airships at stake. The French would play a huge role in arming the Russians up, and building their railways due to huge, huge natural resources they tapped into- you could imagine perhaps Russia being like a goldmine for resources, and creating a force of unquestionable size. I really like the fact that it ties very well to what I've studied of Germany/Russia, and the period couldn't be better really- this is really the meat of when we see escalation (in reality) to WW1, and considering we've thrown a Steampunk feel to it...yeah, politics and the entire RP will be very, very interesting indeed.

kingkonrad said
This is going to sound really, really pedantic...but weren't the Russians also at huge quarrels with the Polish nationalist movements at the time? I mean, the Russians and Germans actually had some co-operation on that factor- and it's just the one bit of Alternative History you'll need to walk carefully around, in order to make a war-threat between Russia and Germany better. I can advise that the Germans/Russians were at huge odds over Russian alliance systems to the French...something which of course, the Germans would be threatened by. And all the Balkans before even WW1, was a powder keg which is just German/Russian bitching for most of the 1890s/1900s/1910s. Though I'm fine with the PLLF, it would need the right spin- I like the direction though.Also, I believe that Fredrich III died in 1888- though if he hadn't of died of inflamation, then I can only imagine that yep, that'd be fine- it was just a wonder really. All of this is just drawing from what I know of the period.

Just kidding. But still, I am just trying to have fun with the history books. By ripping their guts out and Frankenstein-ing my own creation.

Speaking of history books, may I write a short story on how the United Kingdom of Scandinavia came to be? :)

Haha....yeah, that's fine, I mean it still works, it's just a insight perhaps that I gave- it could still work, since Germany and Russia are brilliant at bitching in this period about each other. The UK is sitting at the other end of the table just going "Meh, fuck that" and sticks it's head out till 1914. Welcome to British foreign policy involving Europe!

I'm just waiting for your character now Nobody- I thought of having him serve as a bodyguard to his character since you mentioned you'd have a Prince, in some form or manner- though I'm fine if that isn't the case. I did shamefully use Alexander III of Russia as a significant influence on Dmitri, but still, this isn't a regular European reagent when you look at him...that fucking beard just settled why Dmitri has one. Could be quite funny, if perhaps Dmitri was mistaken for him...

.http://2012historyb.wikispaces.com/file/view/aleksandr_iii.jpg/168848635/aleksandr_iii.jpg

Now what do you think of the glorious HMS Göteborg, the fastest and deadliest airship in Northern Europe?

ONL said
fastest and deadliest airship...

We'll see about that.

TeddyBearMafia said
We'll see about that.

In Northern Europe, so France isn't included. But fine then, I challenge you to a duel!

ONL said
In Northern Europe, so France isn't included. But fine then, I challenge you to a duel!

Hey, I'll have you know that it snowed in Montpellier last year! Like one whole centimetre!

In Imperial Russia, snow fall on you.

Dmitri's going to be a fun character, I can only imagine- he'll be a wildcard, in terms of his allegiances to say the least. I think surprisingly enough, he's going to dislike a lot of the characters in this RP unless they're French, or maybe even to some extent, German (though it really, really depends here).