Lauder — Roleplayer Guild

Welcome to the new age of machines and steel! Welcome to the Age of Steam!
Inventions like steam engines have revolutionized the world, replacing the times of feudal holdings with the growth of industrialism. Yet the switchover is not yet complete. Nations only change in baby steps while society at large is growing in turmoil. This is the age of both wonders and horrors, a dangerous time of ideas and ambitions. You're a nation in this mad world vying for power. Will you succeed? Or rather you succumb to the tides of change?
The choice is yours!

Welcome players to the Age of Steam!
This is a roleplaying game set in a fantasy world equivalent of the 19th century. You can use various fantastic elements like elves, griffons or unique materials but the essence of the game will be on two concepts: Technology and change in society. As the title implies this game would involve heavy steampunk elements. Did you like the spider mech from Wild Wild West? You can build it. Would like to have ironclads in the skies? You can have them. But keep in mind the world has yet to truly catch up with technology. Cavalry charging war engines of steam would certainly not be out of place in this setting. In a way you can imagine this as a weird world caught between the Napoleonic era and World War One. Yes, the sharp contrast between the new and old will be actually one of the game's charms.

Races
You can have dwarves, elves, orcs, halflings and anything else you imagine. Humans are preferably the dominant species in the setting but it's entirely up to what the playerbase wants. While fantasy-inspired think less about mystic explanations and rather something you'd use to describe aliens in Star Trek. More often than not fantastical races represent a stereotype, a nationality, an ethnic or even a social group. Fantastical racism, indeed. While not a clear requirement it's always easier to draw up a conflict between two different races.

Creatures
You can have various non-intelligent fantastical creatures to enrich the game. They can range from weird looking equivalents of regular animals to truly mighty creatures. In case of the latter though try to think of the balance, even retroactively. If your mighty dragon can shrug off bullets then how did anyone defeat them during the medieval times? I am not against weird creatures but think of how they would fit into the setting, too.

Magic
In the ages of old there had been mysterious wise men treasured by all nations. They were the magicians who turned for ancient mystic arts to perform what often could be only considered a miracle. Yet with the Age of Steam their position faltered and magicians became an increasingly rare sight. Magic had almost disappeared from this world, enough that most commoners believe their existence is a myth. Yet they exist. Magic is an old art with only a limited number of practitioners. Spells, potions, enchantments and curses are all plausible to those with money and the right connections. Magic can do things impossible with science yet in general technology provides similar results at more affordable cost. Magic is the most popular in nations haven't yet experienced the full effects of industrial revolution.

Technology/Materials
Again, I mentioned steampunk. You can have various amazing inventions which might seem fit to the 19th century Victorian theme at first but in real life they would be impossible. For example it'll be generally accepted that steam engines can be made lighter and more compact than they historically were. You can have walkers, airships and so on. Same way you can invent fantasy metals and unique elements so long you can insert them into the setting well. Lastly, keep in mind that more often than not all these technologies would be new and very expensive. Again, the contrast between these amazing machines and the relative mediocrity of anything else is one of the points.
Aetherite is a strange and rare mineral gaining increasing importance. It can be refined into Aetherum which has the curious ability to negate gravity. It's commonly used in skyships, replacing the previous hot air and hydrogen gas balloons. Aetherum requires a low but constant electric current to operate. As a side effect it's possible to change altitude by just raising or lowering the current's power. On the other hand electricity generation is difficult which usually limits Aetherum to the size of skyships.


Battles
Ah yes, the dreaded battle mechanics that I literally cannot comprehend how some people come up with a formula for. Thusly so, I would like the two roleplayers who are engaging in a battle to sit down, have a clearly define your army compositions, strategies, decide who is the winner, and relay the winner of the battle to me. I would like battles to be described with as much effort as you can put in! Just don't die in doing so, that would be bad.  

Posting
Alrighty, so regarding posting. This is freeform, however, I do have hidden mechanics in place that occur depending on what your nation does. Say you mention nothing on your economy in any of your posts then my trap card will activate, either saying that you may be entering a depression or something worse. Make sure that you are taking care of your nation, we wouldn't want any civil wars to break out now. Do not feel the need to tackle every topic in every post, I just wish to inform you on this. 

World Map


Nation Submission Guide
Name of Your Nation Goes Here!
(Image of your flag/insignia/symbol - optional)


Nation Intro
Talk to us about your nation in brief. Anything which can give a quick impression to other players what your nation is like.

Geography

(Choose a color and draw your borders on the map. Also you get the freedom to describe the environment and geography of your nation here, within reasonable limits. You can even talk about the important zones or places within your borders.)

History
(Talk about the history of your nation. You can make it barebones if you want or collaborate with other players to establish a shared history.)

Society
(What is your nation is like. You can describe your demographics (special mention to the various races), culture, religion and even your government. It's a bit complex category so if you feel like it you can split this up.)

Economy/Industry
(What is your economy like? What do you mine, produce, trade? How developed is your nation in terms of technology? Anything unique you invented or even make?)

Military
(Unsurprisingly you must also talk about your military. How militarized are you? What is your army like in general? What kind of equipment you use? Any special units or machines worth mentioning? I think you already know how this goes.)


The change had already begun!
Lauder Member

The Tired One

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