Premise
Baker's Rest, more commonly known as Blackfinger, is the technological hub of the New World. A good comparison would be Menlo Park; where some of the greatest minds are brought together to build and contract machines to improve mankind's life; and then those machines are sold by men to keep a semblance of power and control in their areas. Unlike Edison (a scumbag) the leaders of Baker's Rest control the release and sale of technology not for financial control; but to keep stability. Between the corrupt and cruel nation of Jefferson to the West, the Old World obsessed scavengers of Old Glory to the East, or the growing danger of a new militia led by the mysterious and cruel General; a sudden shift in power could throw the small nations of surviving peoples into a bloody warfare.
All it would take is a spark. And Blackfinger is the ultimate powderkeg.
Background
The world has ended.
It’s easy to start out with that: the world ending. Because it implies everything ended. And that, as many things are, is a lie. The thing about this world: it’s creatures and its inhabitants is that they continue to survive long after things should have brought them to a designated end.
When the great blackout came, it came at the worst time globally. Scholars still argue what caused the great blackout; some argue it was the biggest solar flare in the history of earth; others argued it was an EMP blast launched from some foreign nation. It didn’t matter what caused the great blackout, only that it happened and it took away our entire modern world.
Everything had become so mechanized. Machines and computers controlled most of our modern lives. They built our machines, ran our cities, kept us alive and entertained us. And in one swift moment: we lost it all. Cars stopped working. Infrastructure broke down. Millions died in the first week. By the time the winter came: a cold and harsh winter; millions more died. Cities became giant crypts of the dead, wrecked with disease; and as the years passed, became dangerous crumbling monoliths to the old world.
America was no more. How could it persist when nearly every leader perished in the first weeks? But there’s something about humans: even when most them die out; some still survive. Against the odds they continue to scrounge and scavenge. They form groups, then communities, then settlements and finally we have the world today.
Modern technology was lost to us; but in that loss we discovered that some things still worked: old technology, tossed to the wayside and put out of use for centuries now became the tools to keep society alive. Steam combustion, black powder, horses; things regarded as quaint in the old world became the way to survive. Those with the means to harness this technology became the new centers in the new world.
These new growing cities were called Steamtowns. Built on rivers, on the banks of old decaying cities, in large farmlands or anywhere safe from the debris and danger of the old world, these became the seats of new nations in the shadow of nations passed. The most famous Steamtown was known by many as Blackfinger, though its true name was Baker’s Rest. Blackfinger was the heart of manufacturing in this new world; acting as both a trading city on the lower banks of the Great River, and as the heart of new invention. It’s the heart of the Freetowns, a loose government based around the Great River. It’s where this tale begins.
Technology
Due to the mysterious event known as the Blackout, all modern technology is worthless. The technological advances in these 80-odd years after the Blackout has led mankind into a technological boom like the late 1800s, a time of rapid invention and technological discovery. The steam engine, gunpowder and new devices reign supreme in this steampunk wild west.
Still, weaponry and invention still occur; the weapons are not simply carbon copied versions of guns from the 1800s, though designs may be similar to the cap-and-ball black powder pistols or the rotating barrel volanic pistols you've seen in westerns and in video games. Players are allowed creativity with their weapons; especially since in this time period scavenging is still a good course of metal and parts. Horse-drawn carriages may have a base that was originally an Old World car, for example.
Vehicles range from horse powered (carriages and the sort) to trains and smaller steamboats. Zeppelins and balloons DO exist, but those are in the hands of the fabulously wealthy. The reason that older cars (pre-computer cars, for example) are not still being used (as well as gas-combustion engines) is due to the ravages of time. This story takes place 80 years after the fall; and even the most meticulously kept vehicle can't last forever under harsh weather conditions and a lack of fresh parts. Plus, gas does go bad, and without access to oil refineries, gas' use has lessened while wood and coal powered engines work better.
Terms and Nations
Old World: Anything pertaining to the world before the great blackout.
Great River: Known in the Old World as the Mississippi; the Great River is the spine of the Freetowns, and the largest trade river on the continent. The Great River has remained surprisingly unpolluted compared to other large water bodies; due to Old World contamination.
Blackfinger: Refers to both the town of Baker’s Rest and to its inhabitants due to the excess of blackpowder and coal that many of the populace work with. Someone who is an excellent engineer may also be referred to as a “Blackfinger” even if they don’t hail from the city.
Barger: People who make their living on barges or steamships; trading up and down the Great River. Bargers tend to both deal in ferrying people up and down the great river as well as delivering supplies between towns.
Coppers and Silvers: The currency agreed on in the nations for trading. All currency is metal, and is referred to into lower change (pennies) called coppers and dollar values (silvers). Gold items like coins, jewelry and bars are super valuable in this market.
Scavvers: The most dangerous job in the New World can sometimes be the most lucrative, if you find the right things and have the right buyers. Scavvers make a living exploring the ruined Old Cities; but run the risk of death and disease.
Freetowns: A loose collective of cities built on the Great River. Each town in the collective is run by a council of elders. Many of the Freetowns are connected to rails, which has made the Freetowns the biggest trading partner of all the nations in the New World; putting them at a precious position when conflicts break out between other nations.
Jefferson: A huge agricultural nation to the west of the Freetowns. Jefferson has one of the strongest economies in the new world, though it is also the harshest and most inhuman of the nations. The largest agricultural center in the New World; it also boasts a hefty drug trade, gang violence and human trafficking. The major city of Jefferson is New Rojas; which acts as both a rail hub and the largest trading city in the New World.
Brighton: Northwest of the Freetowns and north of Jefferson, Brighton occupies large forested and mountainous regions of the new world, with heavily spiritual populaces born from Old World groups. The major trade good from Brighton is furs and cloth. Brighton is the most sparsely populated nation of the new world; and many live near the city of Young’s Hope; which is the only Brighton city connected to the rail line.
The Capes: Directly north of the Freetowns, The Capes refers to a small nation built around the Great Lakes regions. A harsh, cold part of the New World The Capes sports the biggest fishing industry in the New World.
Old Glory: The far-eastern nation, draped in pagentry and obsession with the Old world nation. Old Glory is most known for scavvers, as Old Glory is a dangerous nation home to many of the largest old cities. Those drapped in the colors of the Old World nation are kept at arm's length, in fears of them baring plague.
Rules
Since this is in Advanced, I hope everyone who applies understands the basic forum and RP rules. From obeying the laws of the land (aka the Guild's rules). Basic respect and decency should be given to everyone, regardless of writing ability or attitude. Golden rule applies heavily.
Respect me and RP staff. Please.
No power gaming. This should be the most known and basic rule there is. No called hits, shots, kills, etc. This RP is character heavy and character driven. That means that every post is not going to be a violent shoot out. In fact, many situations will require critical thinking instead of combat prowess.
Post your character applications in the OOC. If I (or my co-GM) accept you, then you can post in the characters tab.
I will be posting at least once every 5 days. I would like to hold everyone to that standard, unless something comes up. I understand people have schedules, school, work, etc. Trust me, i'm a teacher; I understand. If you will be absent, please let me and the other players know. We can either move the plot along with you NPC'd, or we can hold off until a better time.
About the GM
In case people don't know about me or are worried about my GM credentials, i'd like to take a moment to at least give some information about myself. I've been roleplaying both on forums and on messenger/chats now for over 14 years. I have GM'd for multiple RPS on the Guild (most lost to the last big Guild crash) and I have participated in countless more RPs. My main RP area is in Advanced, and I am a character focused writer. I have a Bachelor's degree in English and a Master's Degree in Secondary English Education. And while I've spent much of my adult life working on writing and reading comprehension, I am also a human and I make typos. And I understand typos. I will not insult you or treat you differently for how you write, and I ask that you don't treat me any differently if I have formatting errors or spelling mistakes. We're all human.
My normal RP time is 4-10 PM Eastern US Time.
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