"You're stark barking mad, sir!" "Oh please, miss, I know you read The Aetherial just as well as I do. With the latest innovations in travel, it's entirely feasible. Airships, steam trains, the occasional skimobile, submarine and aether jumper. Why, it's practically a stroll through the park. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to discourage me so you could take all the credit for yourself."
"And if I didn't know any better, I would say you were challenging me. And what, pray tell, would be the purpose of such a journey? Beyond the sheer thrill of it, of course." "To prove it can be done! To push the boundaries of human ingenuity and showcase the marvels of modern science. Imagine the headlines! Intrepid Duo Travels Around The World In 80 Days!"
"It is an absolutely ludicrous proposal, sir, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say you knew me too well." "Then we have an accord?"
"Indeed we have. Cheers, Mister Wellington. To 80 days of adventure, wonder, and discovery!" "To making history!"
"To trains that run on time!" "To meeting all manner of fascinating characters!"
"To impeccable fashion, even in the jungle!" "To never running out of tea!"
"To not encountering rogue automatons!" "To always remembering where we parked our airship!"
"To keeping our wits about us during whirlwind romances!" "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, Miss Hawthorne..."
"Oh alright, then; to always finding our way home, no matter how far we go!"
Image source: Tesla City, by Eddie Mendoza on DeviantArt | Header source: Coventry Garden Regular, on 1001Fonts
The Game
Welcome to Around the World in 80 Days. This RPG is inspired by the video game 80 Days (which, in turn is inspired by the classic Jules Verne adventure novel from which I stole the title, cough), but with a twist, namely that it is set in an pseudo-Victorian-era Steam/Aetherpunk fantasy world, and that it will feature 2 teams competing to travel the globe... within 80 days, of course
This will be a very loosely GM-ed RPG. It will rely on the players' imagination to get themselves into interesting situations and make up just as much of the worldbuilding and story, especially as this will be very much a slice of life and character- and interactions-driven RPG.
For this reason, before applying, please consider that aside from IC writing, I will also ask that you commit some time and interest to actively discuss, plot, give suggestions and feedback, and generally chat, jabber and be merry in OOC (Discord). I understand that life can make this difficult, but I do consider this crucial to the health, success and fun of the RP!
GMing will mostly be done through setting up a region travel guide-style (defining feel, culture, landmarks, interesting events, and transportation methods), by playing the team leads (who will poll their team on important questions and give them challenges/sub-quests), and by loosely keeping track of each team's progress with a semi-random system that I won't bore you with (distance travelled, money, challenges, etc.). As I said above, there is a discord group in which we can discuss what fun and interesting things could happen. And yes, there will be a world map that will be updated as the journey progresses.
The Teams
WANTED, Companions To A Lady On An Adventure! | WANTED, Fellows To Join A Dashing Explorer In A Quest! |
|---|---|
| Miss Eliza Hawthorne, botanist, sharp-witted, well-hatted, and usually perfectly composed, seeks equally fit souls as accompaniment on an expedition around the globe. Must preferably be sober, have a valid passport for Aetheric travel, and be well acquainted with using various forms of travel with grace and a positively positive attitude. We shall prove beyond a doubt, that this lady can go into the Uncharted and come out on top! Find Miss Hawthorne this Friday at The Gilded Pavilion, Londinum to take your applications into consideration. And as for you, Augustus Wellington: be prepared! Your cravat may always be infuriatingly peccable, but you’ll find that no amount of ruggedness will outmaneuver someone who is always two steps ahead. May the best team win… and I do believe we both know which one that will be! | Ladies and gentlemen of daring disposition, I am Gus Wellington, dashing archaeologist and curator of some repute. I am gathering a team of only the bravest and/or the most foolhardy to join in on a quest to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days! Fancy, eh! Encouraged to join are those that are experts in: navigation, advanced linguistics, obscure historical trivia, and the occassional cocktail mixing. Those who think being fashionably late is an acceptable travel strategy need not apply. Interviews will be conducted at the Gilded Pavilion in Londinum this Friday. And as for you, Miss Hawthorne: you may possess a certain elegance, true, but style alone will not help you dangle from an aether jumper. So if you'll indulge me one last tip: please do be careful. May the best team win… and I do believe we both know which one that will be! |
The World
In Anno 1899, Caelon, our world, stands on the cusp of a new age. Our industrious heart of Grand Albion is connected in ways our forebears could never have imagined. With steamtrains and submarines, caravans and carriages, airships and aether jumpers, no place seems too remote: from our very own capital city of Londinum; to vast and green Manoran, where the echoes of creation can still be heard in their gem-lit jungles; from the frigid snowscapes of Arinor, realm of dusk and starlight; to the Naburian expanses, land of dynasties, djinn and dragons; and from the bustling ports and eclectic societies of New Albion; to places some say are even more elusive. Connecting it all is the Aether, a realm of existence wondrous and wild, an element of nature that flows throughout the very fabric of our world. Its clever usage has become the cornerstone of our new age, in both constructive -and destructive- ways. Yet the great thinkers and tinkerers of the world brim with optimism at this turning of the millennium. For to live in the Aether Age is to live in a time of great possibility, limited only by one's imagination.
The Rules
GENERAL CODE OF CONDUCT: Standard board rules apply. Don’t be a d*ck (but don't be too easily slighted either). Aim to post at least once every 1-2 weeks, and up to as many times as you want. Anything else can be discussed and determined by the group in OOC. The GM decides on matters that can’t be resolved by the group, and can always be consulted. Keep real-life politics, religion, and drama 'off the table'.
PLAYER ENGAGEMENT: To join, please commit to active participation both In-Character (IC) and Out-Of-Character (OOC). Engage in the Discord server for OOC discussions, plotting, announcements, and jabbering about. For IC, post at least once every 1-2 weeks, and be interactive with other players. If you need to take a break, that’s OK, just make sure to notify us.
CHARACTER APPLICATIONS: Though this is a very open game, in which characters can jump in and out of the action as wanted or needed, not all applications will be automatically accepted. Make sure your character fits the setting, and plays well with the others. Note that this story takes place in a fantasy world, so feel free to let your creativity go wild when it comes to your background. The only limit I want to place on characters relates to Aether: though it is a 'magical' substance, it is very much a wild force of nature, so fireball-flinging 'wizards' don't really fit the setting. Your writing style, general attitude, and activity levels from other games may influence my decision for acceptance.
PLOT CONTENT: Stay up to date on the story and lore. If you have questions, ask. Propose any potentially major ideas or side-plots in the Discord or via PM’s to ensure they align with the main plot and other characters’ stories. Though roleplay may involve mature themes, there will be no explicit 18+ roleplay. Include in your character sheet's writing sample an in-character answer to a random question, as if you are being interviewed by your chosen team lead, to prove you read the rules.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Have Fun! :)
