Few scholars agree on much, but none would deny our world of Ithica has a past studded with noteworthy events, the happenings that form the very substance of history. Whether it be the rise of the great conqueror Veren in the West, or the campaigns of the Goblin general Mastix in the East, the one other thing none dispute is that those seminal events are often as grisly as they are influential. Our history is, bluntly, a history of bloodshed.
It should come as no surprise then, that we find ourselves on the very brink of making history. Some would trace the origins of our current situation to the events of some centuries ago when the human nations of the western continent took up the sword and began to push east, ending the blissful isolation of countless indigenous species. Many cite the plunder of that early conquest as the force that drove the innovation of the last century, others say the cultural exchange brought novel ideas to skilled engineers, the truth is it doesn't matter. As the powers of the west raped the east they used whatever they took, physical or cultural, to drive an industrial effort in preparation for the fight that all knew was on the horizon.
We saw the first hints of that imminent and defining conflict twenty years past, when the Verenjost parliament, a loose confederation that ostensibly governed the Rozdelenic nations, collapsed in the face of a civil war. The military regime which took its place, nearly uniting Verens old empire in the doing, almost immediately came into conflict with the southern nation of Irdkraal. Northern Sorace, having just annexed nearly half of neighbouring Bawelna, leveraged its bloated military to prevent the powerful New Rozdeleny Regime from growing beyond control.
The intervention stopped the Regimes advance and slowly forced the first war of the modern era into an uneasy ceasefire. It will not last. In the years since its historical ally Bawelna barely staved off total defeat while it stood paralysed and unable to help the Confederation of the Ruére has nearly doubled the size of its army, its position between Sorace, the Regime, and Irdkraal making its all inevitable involvement in the conflict its neighbours are embroiled in a deciding moment that the world has held its breath anticipating for over a decade.
Of course, the east should not so easily be forgotten. The old Eleven Rhaetian Empire has for the first time in memory begun to open its doors, recruiting military advisers from across the world. Above it the Goblins find themselves at last in a position to repel the foreigners that have encroached on their lands for far too long.
As the world circles towards a confrontation the lies of which has only ever been hinted at all will be forced to take a side. The Regimes historical enemies in Aberys, Irdkraal, and Sorace form an axis to resist it while the burgeoning revival of Verens empire secures allies in Bawelna and Kolbara; both sides also look to secure allies in the Ruére basin, along the north coast, and in the mysterious east.
Historical Technology from 1890-1914: Essentially everything that existed in this era, can exist IC. No restrictions beyond the practical considerations associated with these technologies in real life.
Historical Technology from 1914-1920: Rich industrial nations can use much of this technology, that said as we haven't yet had our 'great conflict' a lot of this might not be common.
Steam punk Technology: This setting is low steam punk, that means that while the whimsical and otherworldly technologies of that genre exist, they are often more subdued or limited than they would otherwise be. Take for example the airship, in this setting airships exist, but not in the form of enormous air battleships. Generally speaking airships will rely on either integral or overhead balloons, and while most airships will not be armoured that isn't to say they are incapable of mounting armour. That said, you can safely assume the absolute max for an airship at the moment is something comparable to an 'air destroyer'. Specifically, armour which is resistant to small arms but not impervious to them, artillery but nothing larger than might be considered a small or medium field gun on land.(edited)
What applies to airships can generally be applied to most other 'pure' steam punk technology, albeit with one major caveat. Airships, generally speaking, are a far more mature technology that most other steam punk technologies in this setting; in essence they are less expensive. In this way things like articulated prosthetic exist, but are generally available only to the elite. Tesla and other energy weapons have been manufactured as prototypes, but their cost and impracticality usually constrains them to the lab. Bulky diving suit like power armour can be found, but is uncommon, existing largely as a curiosity or a vanity of the wealthiest nations. Strange and unpredictable chemistry exists, but usually is in the purview of the state. If you have a steam punk technology you want to ask me about, do this in private, we don't need drama over unapproved technologies souring things for other players.(edited)
With that in mind, 'mixed' steam punk technology is where you can really feel free. That is to say, real technologies scaled up to steam punk proportions. Double tracked trains, enormous paddle wheelers, the engineering impossibilities of reality can usually be waved, so long as one is willing to be reasonable and not exploit this to the detriment of other players. This is a closed RP, and I expect you to work with everyone.
DISCLAIMER: By its very nature this RP demands a lot of world building and collaboration, do try and work others into your history as much as is feasible. No nation is an island, even island nations. Beyond that, note that this sheet can be added to if you want, but at least try and meet the minimum you see here.
Name: (What's your nation called?) Government Type: (Does the old guard reign, or has a modern political movement taken over the nations highest functions? Monarchies, Democracies, Juntas, your nation fits in somewhere.)
Culture: (No nation is without culture, in fact culture is usually what makes a nation. Explain yours.) History: (How did your nation get here? What wars did it fight? What intrigue has shaped it? Try and collaborate on this.)
Military: (Mostly optional, this can be fleshed out IC. If you have the time, provide an overview of your military and its capabilities.)
[IMPORTANT INFO: Collaborate on religions, 1-3 is the general number I'd like to see. Every nation can have its own brand, but the product has to be consistent to an extent.)
