Rise of the Steam Machines (Steampunk/Scavenger/Sky Pirate RP?)

[Arkitekt]

Interest Check: Descriptive style rp, more for the high casual to advanced side of things. A free range, open plotted rp, where characters may or may not involve themselves with the main plot. Do as you wish, or decide to faction up, the choice is entirely up to you. Multiple characters played by one person is acceptable. NPC's are also welcomed, though limited. This rp is intended for character growth, and also relationship building within ranks or other society groups.

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The place: Port City

Port City is the main trading port in the Timmerill Empire. A bustling city full of trade posts, markets, small business, and is mostly comprised of working class citizens. A hodgepodge of buildings and shacks, almost one on top of the other. Most of the people that live here are poverty stricken, hard working, blue collar types, with only a handful of aristocrats and the wealthy are barely that.. The people of Port city work their fingers to the bone just to make ends meet. Many men, and women alike, work in the salt planes, or in the coal mines just north of the city in the mountains. The commute to both is by railcar. A set of tracks runs east to west and ties the districts of the city together, making it fairly easy to get around. Another set meets up and runs from the docks and shipyards, running north to the mines, and beyond to the inner empire through a mountain pass. Traveling by railcar can be difficult, as it is highly regulated by the Emperors troops.The city is in a police state and heavily regulated by the Emperor and his troops. Everything from common household items and food, and even medicine, are all regulated and rationed. Many have little, and only some have a lot.
The city is in constant turmoil and skirmishes between the Emperor and several resistance groups are commonplace. Everyone in Port city is fed up with the Emperor and his regime, but no one wants to aid the resistance for fear that it may cause problems for themselves. The Emperor has deployed steam driven war machines and large steam powered airships to combat these small pockets of resistance and everything has come to a head.

Times were hard in Port City and had been for a while. The poverty stricken people who called Shanty Town home had it the worst of all those who would call this port home. The Emperor, however, was not without problems of his own. Though his empire was financially sound as an economic powerhouse, and his amassed foot soldiers and gun ships were a formidable force, complete control over this great city seemed unobtainable..
The Emperor, Ashe Fontaine, had seized control of Port city and all of its assets during "The Great War" as it was to be called. He soon declared this new territory a police state, and regulated its inhabitants to extremity. Though he maintained his occupation over the territory, it has remained in a constant state of turmoil and chaos due to several pockets of resistance fighters. These factions aim to return Port city, and the people that call the city their home, to the freedom they once knew. However these factions struggle to unify against the Emperor and his troops, making it difficult to gain any real ground against him. If ever united, these factions could prove to be a real threat to the Emperor and his regime.

The Emperor has employed steam driven war machines to combat the resistance, and has had great success using these to his tactical advantage. Many have died, resistance and citizens, as bystanders fall in the skirmishes in the city streets. No mercy, or quarter is ever given, and morale for the resistance is at an all-time low, and little hope is to be had. These machines tear through the city streets causing major collateral damage, slaughtering innocent and freedom fighters alike. These machines are outfitted with high caliber artillery, flame throwers, and edged weapons, and can inflict massive amounts of damage to flesh and buildings.



Ashe Fontaine has also amassed great airships to regulate air-trade commerce, the seizure of contraband and various other commodities, and to hunt down and annihilate any resistance in the air. These vessels are steam powered, and are much faster than the airships of the resistance. However, they are bulky and loud and are not as stealthy as the air and wind driven ones that are common in the skies over Port City. Stealth is key for the resistance, and they go to great lengths to disguise themselves as common merchant vessels and strive to avoid the imperial ships at any cost.

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The Places of Port City

Imperial Compound

The imperial compound is a cluster of massive structures that dominate the inner skyline of Port City. The compound used to be where the old city hall and government buildings and barracks as well before Ashe assumed control. These massive alabaster buildings are heavily fortified and were to be used for the protection of the citizens of Port City. It lies at the very heart of the city. thick walls surround the compound and stand at a hundred and twenty five feet. These walls are also equipped with several docking stations for air vessels. Other walls span out from the compound like the spokes of a wheel, dividing the different districts of the city. These walls are further fortified by troops and heavy artillery cannons.

The inner compound has never been used by any of the inhabitants of the city, and the layout of the compound is not clear. It is very difficult to gain access to the inner compound. The face of the walls are sheer and smooth, and would be nearly impossible to climb. If not granted entry by an entrance point (there are only three), then access by air is perhaps the only other option.

The Shipyard and Docks

The docks of Port City are multi-layered, and quite numerous. They are located to the south of the city, along the shores of the Sapphire Sea. This is the primary place for the importing and exporting of goods for the city. The different layers make use of both air and sea vessels, and can be quite tricky to navigate. They are positioned in a very tight fashion and are usually congested. It is very easy for one to get lost or "turned around" if you will, and if you aren't a local merchant or captain, it is likely that you will end up lost for a good while. There are also cargo elevators that are used to load and unload goods and equipment, providing easier access routes to the warehouses just beyond docks.

The shipyard is located to the east of the docks and is used to build and refurbish ships. All manners of fabrication and engineering goes on here. Welders and fabricators, metal workers, etc., find employment here. New ships are built, but mainly the refurbishing of older ships is more commonplace. Most people don't have the money required to build new vessels, and scavenged materials are utilized primarily for refurbishment. The shipyard is capable of building even the largest of ships and vessels, and is a marvel that remains from before the war. It was the pride of Port City, and people from all over the empire came to the city to make use of it. It was the place to go if you wanted a quality crafted ship.

The Upper Reaches

The upper reaches are reserved for the "high society" in Port City. Large buildings, high rises and complexes, that house and entertain the wealthy. They are few in number, and by the current standards are extremely wealthy. The people who reside here enjoy all the comforts of the empire, and nothing is spared. Fine shops and dining, lavish town homes and gardens, are commonplace here. Access to the districts is highly regulated, and few outsiders are permitted within these walls. Marble and granite encase almost everything, and fine polished brass accents and hardware adorn nearly every gilded nook and cranny. The people of the uppers rarely venture outside of these districts, nor do they need to.

Districts 3 and 5

Districts 3 and 5 are known as the commons, and house the middle class. Relatively well kempt buildings and small complexes are common, as well as townhomes and some lofts. The people here are easy going, but they too feel the pressures of the imperials and their enforcers. Many pay protection fees and taxes here are numerous and high. Many of the people here are broke because of these taxes, but they make the choice to live here instead of living in the squalor that is Shanty Town. These people are usually small business owners or shopkeepers and servants. They do their best to pedestal themselves to those that live in the shanty, though there is little difference, other than appearance. Good, hardworking citizens, who often turn a blind eye to the imperials grip on the city and their freedoms.

Districts 4 and 6

District 4 and district 6 are the mercantile and market districts. They are located conveniently near the commons districts of 3 and 5 and also district 7. Many open air markets and venues of all types can be found here and are utilized by the middle and lower classes. Shops and eateries, entertainment of all kinds, brothels and taverns, this is the place to go if you need anything, or just need to blow off a little steam. Pick pocketing and muggings are commonplace. One would think the imperial troops would police this type of behavior and crime, but they love to watch the spectacle of Port City's inhabitants turning on one another, and even encourage it. Corruption here within the imperials is high, blackmail and pay-offs are the norm. Sometimes one can buy more information here than one can find on their own.
The Merchants districts are used as a commons area, where people go to meet up or hang out, to go and see a show or play. However, one should always have a side arm on them when coming here, especially if they aren't street savvy. Most any item can be found and purchased here, even some goods make their way on to the black market... if you know the right people.

Shanty Town

Shanty Town is the name given to District 7 by its inhabitants. The people here are rough and tumble, blue collar types. Everyone here is poverty stricken. The name comes directly from the districts appearance. Shack upon multi-layered shack. It is littered with tiny buildings and the alleys are countless. The pathways and streets seldom have names, save for the main ones, and most navigate this district by landmarks. It is the most densely populated district in Port City, and is roughly the size of all the other districts put together.
The people of Shanty Town are mostly coal miners, and salt flat workers and the like. Those who are employed otherwise must travel to other districts for work, and are required corresponding passes to do so. Most of them travel by rail, but many do so on foot as well. There are small markets everywhere in Shanty Town, and offer lesser goods, though the black market here is prime. Many of the items on the black market wind up here because everyone is afraid of getting caught with them in the merchants district of 4 and 6. These items are highly sought after, and are very obscure.
The crime rate in Shanty Town is nearly three times that of the other districts and is less regulated by the imperials. Prostitution and illicit drug use is high, murder, rape, and robberies occur all too often here, and there isn't much that is don't to ratify it either. Most people from the other districts do not travel here often, and almost never do so alone.

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The Resistance

These freedom fighters are comprised of everyday common men and women, and some soldiers left over from the war who provide military know how and training. Every citizen of Port city is fed up with the Emperor and his regime, though few will give aid to the resistance, as they fear of the repercussions it could bring upon them and their families. "The Crimson Fists" are perhaps the strongest, and best outfitted of these factions. Sky pirates, led by a commander Slade, are very organized, and conduct acts of espionage and the looting of munitions from the Emperors depots, turning them against the mighty regime, unleashing deadly attacks from the air and ground alike.

Resistance Groups

The Crimson Fists

The Crimson fists are perhaps the most organized and effective group in the resistance. Members of this group are very hush hush about their participation and membership, but chances are, if you live in Port city you already know a few of them. The Crimson fists hit the imperials right where it hurts, raiding and looting weapons and munitions depots own by imperial forces. They disperse these looted weapons and munitions amongst themselves and other resistance fighters and turn them on their enemies. They are the backbone of the resistance, and without their aid, all hope would be lost.

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The Bengals
The Bengals run sabotage and espionage missions on the ground in Port city. A highly secretive, and tight knit group of individuals who want nothing more than to see the imperials fall from power. They relay coded messages within resistance and help to organize strikes with other resistance pockets. It is highly unlikely that anyone would know anyone who was a Bengal. They have been known to commit suicide if caught and hold extremist morals and ideals. They are the eyes and ears of the resistance and nothing happens without them knowing about, or orchestrating it.

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Technologies

Most everything in Port City is run by coal burning, steam driven machines. Electricity is also commonplace, and usually supplied by coal burning power plants, or by battery. Diesel Fuel and other flammable gasses can be found here as well, but are not abundant. Gunpowder, sulfur, and alkaloids are also common. Exotic metals and the like are present, but extremely rare.

Weapons technologies are black powder muzzleloader, rim fire, percussion, (WWII and pre WWII type weapons are all acceptable).

Simple bionics are also acceptable, within reason.

My Character/ example

~Delilah Rose~

Origin: Port City (District 7, Shanty Town)
Sex: female
Age: 24
Ethnicity: Caucasian

Class: gunslinger, scavenger
Occupation: gunsmith, tinker
Demeanor: guardian, bon vivant
Disposition: strong willed

Background:

Delilah is a gunsmith from district 7, also known as Shanty Town, and is the poorest district within Port City. She takes on jobs smithing guns and other various items that are mechanical in nature. She is perhaps the best in all of Port City, at least that is the word. She was taught the trade early on by her grandfather Gerard. She works by day, and in the late afternoon she scavenges around the district and various other lots around Port City for valuable items and hardware that she needs. She is a hard worker, and takes on numerous side jobs, as she is the sole provider for her family. Her parents were both killed during "The Great War" when she was a teenager, leaving her to care for her younger brother Francis, or Frankie, as they called him. Frankie is not easy to care for, and stays sick often. Delilah does her best to keep him in good health, but things are tight as they are.
Gerard helps as much as he can, but he is elderly, and lost his leg during a skirmish in the war. Delilah was able to fashion him a leg from various parts and it works alright for what it is, "but it isn't a proper limb..." as she always says. Delilah is very strong willed and believes that people can accomplish anything if they put their minds to it. She has a go-getter personality and doesn't have time for people who always make excuses. Her "bon vivant" demeanor often gets her into sticky situations, due to her inability to not give in to her thrill seeking nature.
A rough and tumble kind of gal, who doesn't mind picking fights, or getting her hands dirty. She has very sarcastic tongue, and loves picking with others. She has no trouble holding her own in a hard knocks city like the Port.

Skillset:

Delilah is quite the marksman. She has been around guns all of her life and it definitely shows. It is said that she can hit a fish eye at fifty paces, and doesn't mind making a bet on the subject with nonbelievers. She is also a master tinker, and is very mechanically inclined. She can fix or fabricate most anything she, or anyone else, may need.

She is also handy at stitching up moderate lacerations, and dressing mild to moderate wounds. She can also set bones and make stents, and has various other field medic skills like fixing dislocations. However, she is no surgeon, her medical knowhow is very basic.

Equipment:

Delilah carries a .45 caliber revolver, which she tweaked herself. The barrel is counterweighted, the trigger mechanism lightened, and also fashioned a detachable scope made from brass. She also carries a small, four barrel pepperbox style .22 caliber derringer, and a small stiletto style knife. She also usually carries a shoulder bag, with a small set of tools used for scavenging and another set for gun maintenance, and a few medical supplies such as a suture kit and antiseptic (when she can acquire it) as well as bandaging gauze.

1. Do not use or control anyone else's character(s) at any time.

2. Do not utilize information that your character has not been privy to at any time. This will not be tolerated. Information in this RP is hard to come by, and you may only use knowledge given to your character by another character, or by witness of your character, or information given in OOC by another player or administrator.

3. Know your characters limitations. Don't deviate from your characters skills or characteristics.

4. NPC's- npc's in general may be utilized by any player, as long as these npc's do not deviate from their normal tasks or purposes. If you have a question on the matter then it is probably better to ask beforehand.

5. Respect the guidelines of the given technologies. New technologies may be discussed and, or added at a later time.

6. Remember, this is a descriptive style RP. Act like it.

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Disclaimer

This RP is intended for mature players only and will more than likely contain mature content and explicit language. By reading this I will assume that you are at least 18 years of age and will not be legally responsible for any minors..

[ONL]

Question: Please explain more in depth what you mean by this being a "Descriptive" RP. And the Crimson Fists are meant to mimic various communist groups?

Other than that, seems rather interesting :)

[Arkitekt]

Well, I wouldn't say they were communists?? Socialists maybe?? Resistance fighters, against the emperor and his legions... yes. And by descriptive I mean details, described.. but not so much that it just turns into mindless rambling. At least a few paragraphs to a page or two, not 22, you know??

[Stairdweller]

Hi, I came from the other interest check thread. Here's a character:

Name: Sybill Bordeleau (Pronounced BORE-da-low)
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Origin: District 3

Appearance: Shorter than average, moderately overweight but also quite muscular, with decent curves. She has a darker, tanned complexion, dirty-blonde hair to her shoulder-blades and hazel eyes. Despite being quite a bit more muscular than is fashionable for a woman, she puts a great deal of effort into dressing fashionably and appropriately for each situation, as least as much as her income allows.

Class: Melee fighter
Occupation: Salvage Diver

Personality and mannerisms: Sybill makes a point of being forthright, though she tries to couch it in humour rather than blunt impoliteness. She is the first to laugh at jokes, and often inserts witty remarks into others' speech, In fact, years of acting this way has made it hard for her to come across as serious, even when she is. She is also rather stiff in her pride - she doesn't like to admit weakness or inability; that's where the humour actually started, turning her fears of inadequacy into jokes, instead. Her parents instilled in her a need to maintain appearances at all costs - they were, as the saying goes, "too poor to paint but too proud to whitewash" and Sybill is much the same.

Background: Sybill had a solidly lower-middle class upbringing. Her father was a small business owner who ran a small restaurant specializing in sea food - which was actually a joint venture with her uncle. As both of Sybill's two other uncles and grandfather were fishermen, this worked out well. Her mother never worked, of course, except the demanding and unpaid work of raising four children in the family's home above the shop. all four f the children were able to receive schooling, though this was a considerable strain on the family resources and led to mother and father going without many of the things they would have liked.

Sybill was always fascinated with the port, but did not want to be a fishwife and eventually settled on her diving career. She learned to do a variety of underwater work while armoured in her pressurized diving suit, including repairs to the hulls of ships and salvage work that has occasionally brought her out of the city proper to dive on wrecks. She has long been in the habit of stealing small and useful salvage from her employers and selling it under the table to make ends meet. She lives alone, in a rented room in a boarding house in district 3.

Equipment: She owns her atmospheric diving suit and the necessary tubing and bellows, although she stores it in a locker facility at the docks because it is too bulky to keep in her room. (And what would be the point?) She owns a single pair of wire-rimmed spectacles, with two flip-down magnifying lenses that she modified herself, to allow her to examine small details. In theory, she will also be able to assess gemstones, though she hasn't ever actually found any of note. She owns a long barrelled .45 revolver, and a navy-style cutlass with a stylized brass pommel. She wears both items on a worn leather belt around her waist if she thinks she might face danger. She also owns a good set of picks, wire brushes and cleaning solutions, for working with salvage.

Skills: She has an excellent eye for detail and good night vision, honed by searching for salvage in the murk beneath the sea. She can generally identify precious metals from fakes. She knows a bit about ship construction and function, and knows how to do construction work like riveting. Her most important skills are those that revolve around diving of course, and she is also a fine swimmer when out of her suit. She isn't the best shot with her revolver, it's mostly to make a show of being armed, but she is strong and nimble enough to be pretty dangerous with her cutlass.

[Arkitekt]

@Stairdweller, very nice. I think that is quite an original character and well thought out. I would have never expected a diver, but it should fit nicely with the environment, as there is lots to be salvaged. Have you decided whether or not she going to be in the resistance or not? I think she would fit well as a part of Slade's crew. Anyone with ship knowledge and strength would do well within his ranks. The resistance is fairly secretive, and most of the work they do would be behind the scenes. Also, they could make good use of any good scrap that she may want to fence on the side. Her involvement could be a full commitment, or merely just a trade relationship, again it is all up to you.

My character Delilah is half on board with Slade's crew. Slade and her father were friends during the war, so he kind of takes care of her, offering side jobs, or trade work whenever she needs a little extra. Gun modifications, courier services, acquisition of obscure items and the like. You are also more than welcome to play more than one character if you wish.

[Stairdweller]

Having thought about my options, I think it would make sense for her to be a part of Slade's crew. I can see her beginning by trading salvage to the rebels and then eventually just joining them outright.

[Arkitekt]

that is more or less what my character will be doing. Port city is highly regulated by the Emperor, and things are only going to get worse. It is only a matter of time. The resistance factions will eventually make up the bulk of the plot, but remember that the plot is loose, and will be controlled by the players involved in it. The people in port city are extremely oppressed, and more of the same is to be expected. I think she will fit nicely within the crew.

[Stairdweller]

Great! I shall await more developments.

[Arkitekt]

Sorry things have been slow. Every time I try and get on here the guild is down. I haven't abandoned this project. Also I just got a Wacom tablet for Christmas so I should have some concept drawings up soon.

[Whoami]

~Shae Terra~

Origin:
Unknown

Sex:
Female

Age:
34

Ethnicity:
Caucasian

Class:
Agent

Occupation:
Spy

Personality:
Shae is a clever individual who tries to manipulate and coerce her way out and into things. She is a master of blending in and as such is capable of changing her mannerism to match the environment. When she is most true to herself, she is playful and flirtatious. But even when she isn't trying to pry for information, she still ends up finding herself doing so. Shae isn't a killer or a thief, and has a strong sense of honor. The woman is respectable and knows her place, she is a set of eyes and ears for others; a tool of learning. Shae has no desire to lead or to fight for any faction, where there is conflict, there is a use for her skill set. As such, Shae thrives on war and rebellion. The vixen knows how to take control of most situations, either through her voice, body or her manipulated pawns.

Disposition:
Mysterious and Flirtatious

Background:
"You can make a name for yourself as you fight a battle. But your name only becomes a target. Your battle seeds more. And you only grow older. You can't fight forever. But in joining me, Shae, you can put all of those named figures in your pocket and manipulate the way a battle plays out. In doing so, you won't become some hero or enemy of the state, but a benevolent figure who controls the ebb and flow of the world. Join me, Shae, and make the world your sand castle."

Those words captured Shae into a world of intrigue and a web of lies that she spun. Before Shae was fourteen, she was a nobody with no notable history. She passed through the world like any normal person did. On her eighteenth birthday, a firefight broke out between rebel forces and the imperials. While everybody close to her survived, her home had been reduced to rubble and she had been left with nothing. Shae became even more of a ghost than before. Before her home, along with the rest of the neighborhood, was lost, at least she was a young girl who was in college for psychology. But since then, she never had the money to keep herself in, forced to live with her family in a muddy alleyway as others regarded them as rabble.

As the months went on and winter eventually took a hold of the world, her parents devoted all of their resources selflessly to Shae. She had the food, the warmth, the small shelter for only one person. It wasn't rebels or imperials, or thugs or anybody who killed her parents. It was only the cold bite of winter and Shae for using everything they could afford. It was just on the verge of the new year when they went to sleep in the falling snow and never woke up. With no job, no proper home and nobody to watch out for her, Shae had to do everything herself. She had become quite skilled at sneaking into cafes and stores for food and clothing. What she couldn't sneak into, she persuaded her way through things.

Shae had been living on the streets for four years, now accustomed to her life of thieving and coercing others into doing things for her. Shae had grown up into a confident girl, she had gathered a small group of tight knit friends who also lived on the streets. They formed a small gang, and with more hands, came bigger, more high risk jobs to keep themselves going. They managed to raise their status from homeless to low common, having done enough crooked work to afford a home. It wasn't long before they were noticed by certain powers. The first to approach the band of five, was a Bengal scout, he tried to recruit them into the fold. They turned him down, blaming the rebels for the destruction of their old life. Then came an imperial recruiter three days later. When they refused, the recruited took them forcibly with a small retinue of soldiers. Shae managed to escape before she was taken, but she never saw her friends again. Once again, Shae was homeless, and it was in a tavern when the third party found her.

Shae had to work as a wench in some back alley tavern to get by. A man, looking too respectable to be in such a grimy establishment took her to a room. Shae had been working there long enough to get the idea. But the man stopped her before the first shoulder could have even been exposed. He told Shae that he was a member of a very powerful organization, an organization that 'walked an unseen road that everybody used'. He presented elaborated on this, and told Shae that she had never been unknown to them, as nobody truly is to the organization. The man then went on to speak the lines that swayed Shae into his tutelage.

Shae had virtually vanished from existence. There was no record of her. No memory. Shae spent years finessing her aptitude with subterfuge and manipulation. She became what was known to the organization as a Raven, a creature that sees all and knows all. Shae is now thirty-four, she has been a raven for the organization now for fifteen years. The organization uses this rebellion and any other conflict of the world to pull the strings and change the world any way they want. Shae was tasked with emerging to the imperials, becoming a spy for them. From there, her first task with the imperials was to infiltrate the Bengals. Shae was right where she was supposed to be, just as her superiors had predicted. She was a spy for both the imperials and the Bengals. With her information as the bate, and her web of lies spun, Shae can now dominate the entire conflict and achieve a higher, unknown goal of her superiors.

Skillset:
Shae is a spy, a very effective one at that. Her talents include being able to talk her way out of nearly any situation as talk others into them equally as well. She is adept at sneaking around, going places she shouldn't be and leaving no trace. Another talent for her repertoire is the ability to change who she is. One moment, Shae can be this poor gutter-girl begging nobles for money, or a foreign princess to some rich family. Shae is a masterful actress, and the world is her stage.

Equipment:
Shae caries with her a small kit of lockpicks and a a number of different drugs, disguised as jewels in her ear rings. She has four ear rings on each ear, allowing her to have eight different types of poisons and drugs, though she usually keeps two of each. Shae's arsenal of drugs and poisons range from truth drugs, sleeping drugs, aphrodisiacs and cyanide if she is ever captured and needs to protect her secrets. If Shae needs to protect herself where taking a life is the only option, Shae carries a small snub nose revolver which she usually hides in a boot, her brazier, or at her thigh when wearing a dress.

Other:
Shae's skill in manipulation have earned her brandings as a witch or a succubus to some. None are true, she just knows what makes people tick.