The Campaign Builder's Guild

Following the lead of Steerpike with his excellent Cadaverous Earth and furthermore with Luminous Crayon and his equally excellent Jade Stage, I wanted to use this little format to present my setting of Pinnacle. Pinnacle takes a few pointers from Opus, my previous setting, but in no way is Pinnacle intended to defunct or replace Opus – the two are entirely different beasts, though some stylistic similarities can be drawn between them. Pinnacle, contrary to Opus, will start here on the CBG boards rather than the wiki. Opus was the opposite, and seeing that Pinnacle is far less detailed and still in its developing stages, I thought I'd start by posting the smatterings of notes I have on it so far and see what everyone thinks and/or wishes to contribute to it (criticism is likewise appreciated, as are general comments of "I like 'X'!" without any other comments attached – they keep me going).

Pinnacle is going to be written from the perspective of Eadgard, the most powerful and influential country of the world, responsible for inventing steam-driven flight machines. Countless other, smaller cultures and countries exist, each with varying people of human origin, but none so far have advanced to the degree that Eadgard has.

So, without further adieu, I present Pinnacle.

[ic=Setting Details]System: Not sure yet, though narrativist systems seem ideal; I'm open to other options, however.

Tone:  Adventure, Dark, Over-the-Top, Science!

Inspirations: Steampunk, Biopunk, Victorian Society, H. G. Wells, Myst, Bioshock, Charles Darwin, Transcendentalism, The Prestige

Genre: Steampunk Fantasy with splashes of Science Fiction and Biopunk

Technology Influence: Steampunk/Industrial Revolution type stuff, lots of "implausible" and over-the-top devices such as jetpacks, piston fists, etc., as well as plenty of fantastical plants such as Helium Trees and carnivorous shrubs.

Magical Influence: Magic is generally the stuff of legend, but there's a strong influence of alchemy and specialized injections (mutagens) to create evolutionary mutations in seconds within subjects, though the process of using mutagens is restricted and/or illegal in most parts (maybe).

There may be some degree of a less prominent, older, and much subtler magic that evades the scrutinizing eye of science, though the practitioners of such an art are few and far between.

Ecology/Races: Humans are the "common" race of Pinnacle, if not the only. It's possible I'll add other evolved species to mix with humans, but only a few and I'm deciding whether they'll be anything like elves or dwarves or other "humans by another name.," or if they'll be bird-like and/or quite alien in their evolutionary process.

Churches/Religion: The primary church believes in one God, the Insomnolent One, who gave up his sentience for the betterment of humankind. Other ideologies and religions exist, as well as multiple churches devoted to the Insomnolent One, but I have yet to hammer out the details.

Planar Cosmology: Right now, there's nothing beyond the Material World of Pinnacle.[/ic]


The World is Active and Mountainous – The planet on which Pinnacle takes place is round and similar to that of Earth in mass and size, but has had a far more active and volatile past. Pinnacle's tectonic plates are far more fractured and numerous, and with the writhing, molten core, huge, jagged mountains have knifed their way up to the surface, cooling and hardening into the massive monoliths that serve to break the vast swathes of land and ocean. The world is still active, of course, but the span in which such changes take place are nothing to the fleeting lives of the folk that inhabit it.

After Centuries of Isolation, People are Connecting – The valley nation of Eadgard has won the race no one else knew about: the invention of flight. Civilization has lived out its life in countless pockets, isolated and shielded by the daunting peaks, valleys, and oceans before them. Airships known as warks traverse these once insurmountable peaks and constantly discover distant, once unknown colonies who herald them as gods, curse them as invaders, or hide deeper into the recesses of the mountains.

Technology is Steam Powered/Magic is Conjured from Smoke and Mirrors – Pinnacle is very much a steampunk setting, and geological vents leading to the deepest, molten caves have long since provided power for the advancing people. Eadgard, the country at the pinnacle of advancement in the modern era, has developed airships to scan the skies and pass over the peaks of mountains. Firearms have long since replaced the sword and bow, though some older cultures still hold onto their ancient spears and blades, distrustful of the new technology that assails them. Magic is the stuff of myth and legends and so far as anyone knows, no one is capable of conjuring spells of any sort.

All Things have an Essence – Essence is a liquid found within the spine of each creature (insects and other vermin that lack spines are "essence-less" according to modern chymists). When extracted, essence can be distilled and directly injected into the individual to, for a time, alter their genetic being and grant them power. A cheetah might grant the boon of incredible speed or a hawk might provide enhanced vision.

The Environment is Wild and Bizarre – New biomes of life, trapped and protected for countless centuries, have developed organisms that live in such an effective state of harmonious balance that even modern day savants cannot grasp its Machiavellian nuances. Across the once impassable Pillars of the Queen lies a place of verdant bliss, where monstrously large plants, man-eating beasts, and spires of crystal nestle themselves. The colony of Walden thrives there, a place of explorers and businessmen,


Things Worth Pondering that I Haven't Quite Figured Out

Essences - I haven't nailed down how, exactly, the social scene regards these "essence injections" (mutagens seem a likely name). I'm thinking they are somehow seen as obtrusive to what must be the most divine and perfect people (after all, they are heralded as gods by some cultures; they have reason to be prideful), but subtle alterations (such as those that change sight, voice, etc.) are acceptable. I imagine there are even more volatile ones that can cause folks to sprout fur, claws, breathe fire, etc.

My goal isn't to turn this into some sort of X-Men clone, so I might downplay their significance if it seems to be going that way. Pinnacle has a degree of over-the-topness to it, but I want to keep it somewhat on the back burner.

Something is Spreading – At the height of this great era of exploration, sickness has arisen and stricken hard at the people, though no one is sure why. Some philosophes claim there to be a disharmony in the spirit of man, that such unity was never to be made, while priests of the varying faiths call heed to a blight upon humanity for trying to overextend its reach, and even stranger are the scientists who herald this new era that of disease and rampancy from these new folk.

This is, naturally, the diseases that are spreading as a result of such elongated isolation coupled with sudden exposure. I don't want to make it so rampant as to wipe out all civilization, but I also want it to be an early threat in the setting. This was left out of the other setting bulletpoints as I figured this would be something solved by the players (the colony of Walden is looking to find some sort of herbal cure, and I think it could make a great adventure arc).

Isolation - Having done some degree of research in isolated cultures, I can safely say I have yet to reach a conclusion as to how various cultures would develop, or if one could even develop something as complex as technological flight all on its own. I would like to cement some degree of evidence that the main culture (Eadgard) has been in isolation from others by adding lots of what we would think of as archaic viewpoints and mindsets (lots of outdated worldviews, racism, sexism, other isms, philosophical fallacies, incorrect theories of mind, etc.)

I've currently exhausted my posting resources, so I'm going to retire until I can come up with more stuff to post. As always, comments and criticisms appreciated! Thanks for reading  :).

I think you accidentally posted this twice. Just in case there was a reason for this, I've locked the other one, but I haven't deleted it yet. Let me know if it was a mistake.
All taken care of.  :grin:

Quote from: Weave
Essences - I haven't nailed down how, exactly, the social scene regards these "essence injections" (mutagens seem a likely name). I'm thinking they are somehow seen as obtrusive to what must be the most divine and perfect people (after all, they are heralded as gods by some cultures; they have reason to be prideful), but subtle alterations (such as those that change sight, voice, etc.) are acceptable. I imagine there are even more volatile ones that can cause folks to sprout fur, claws, breathe fire, etc.

I think the powers-that-be would make some effort to control these substances and the popular opinions about them, banning some while legitimizing others, spreading propaganda, etc. They may even be interested in developing mutagens that could be used to keep the masses better under control -- imagine if PCs were to stumble upon a secret laboratory engaged in just such work?

Quote from: Weave
Isolation - Having done some degree of research in isolated cultures, I can safely say I have yet to reach a conclusion as to how various cultures would develop, or if one could even develop something as complex as technological flight all on its own. I would like to cement some degree of evidence that the main culture (Eadgard) has been in isolation from others by adding lots of what we would think of as archaic viewpoints and mindsets (lots of outdated worldviews, racism, sexism, other isms, philosophical fallacies, incorrect theories of mind, etc.)

With Science! already being as over the top as it appears to be, I wouldn't worry much about the plausibility of developing technology in isolation. I do think you should emphasize stark differences between cultures, and giving the Eadgarders an arrogant sense of superiority along with a plethora of archaisms would go a long way toward creating the right kind of atmosphere.

First of all, I like this. :D

It seems to have some of the same qualities as Opus, in the sense of having a Victorian/steampunk feel, words with exclamations like Science! and Adventure! being prominent things, and generally being a bit over the top, yet also distinct from Opus-- the lack of magic, for one. On the other hand, essences are pretty wild stuff, and might be in the realm of "sufficiently advanced technology," at least sometimes. Bioshock Infinite and His Dark Materials sort of come to mind as other references for the feel you seem to be going for.

Like Opus, you seem to be beginning by focusing in on a single advanced civilization, Eadgard, which is kind of "The Bastion" here, if I understand correctly. I agree with you that the idea of this civilization in relative isolation developing advanced technology might be somewhat unrealistic, but I also agree with Ghostman, at least to ask the question-- do you care about realism in this regard? If you do, there are plenty of ways around it, of course, like other technological civilizations that are "off the map," or something.

One thing I like about your settings is that you don't really shy away from introducing viewpoints that might be strange or objectionable to modern readers, but generally do so in a way that doesn't seem like you're beating the reader over the head with them. In this case, it seems like the technologically superior and somewhat isolated Eadgard would, upon expanding out into the world and encountering "inferior" civilizations, adopt a rather colonialist attitude-- these outmoded ideas would help to create a "British Empire" feel, which can really strengthen the steampunk vibe, of course. I could see some neat contrasts in a party of PCs, where some are quite prejudiced and full of a sense of their own racial/cultural superiority (in a system like FATE, this means plenty of aspects to compel!) and others have a more nuanced, tolerant view.

Keep it up, I look forward to seeing more. :D

First off, thanks for the responses! I'll get to answering them more directly in a moment, but I think I have thought of a way to make the idea of them being isolated yet still having developed technological advances in a manner I can jive with. I've always been fond of the sort of "We weren't the first ones" trope, especially when it involves ancient, more advanced technology that can't yet be replicated or understood. With that in mind, I give you the Killimsa.

[ic=The Killimsa]
A dark-skinned folk who are said to survive on nothing but the thinnest air, the Killimsa descended from the peaks long ago, though so few were seen that even their presence has become something of a folkloric legend amongst Eadgardans. From the Pillars they descended, dressed in their vibrant blue and teal decorum, taken from the rare mountain flowers that thrive in the thin heights.

They came with many gifts, gifts which unknowingly brought the people of Eadgard out of their age of stone and wood. They provided them with a social hierarchy of rule, with machines that could create light without fire, ones that ran on bottled lightning and glowed vibrantly with precious gemstones. They spoke of great, metal birds that could store many men within them and ascend to incredible heights, the veritable harbingers of the warks no less, but they did not bring one with them. They left just as they came, descending deeper into the valleys and across ravines with slithering ropes and coiling light-cables.

The Killimsa vanished. Whatever remains of their advanced technology lies scattered in the forlorn peaks that even warks cannot climb, eerily abandoned and eternally alone. Above the cloudscape the peaks of the Pillars rear their heads to the sun and stars and atop them are wondrous, abandoned cities of glass and gold with spires that stretch to the heavens beyond. Amidst the cloudscape below, caught in the fog of dense rain and cold, are forests of thin, iron spires licked by lightning, their roots entrenched within the mountain to some, perhaps mythic leyline that sluices the power to the cities above. Great, open and vaulted ceilings, most of which are glass, and immense spyglasses pointed to the heavens and the world below mark the Killimsa's realm. Their scriptures are written in a strange, coiling verse that none can read, but some claim that there is much left there; switches waiting to be thrown to turn on the great cities, ships that can sail beyond the starsea above, and treasures of gemstone and glass beyond the wildest imaginings. The ascent, however, is harrowing and dangerous, and getting lost in the lightning-licked forests of iron is a an ever-relevant threat.
[/ic]

If "lightningpunk" was a thing, this is what I'd imagine it to be. The Killimsa would definitely dip into the over-the-top "fry people with plasma blasts of concentrated lightning" schtick, if that was their thing (if anyone has seen the Disney Atlantis movie, I'm sort of picturing the Atlantean technology they have there). I imagine them as looking fairly Incan and probably have lots of tight-fitting, shimmering attire to prevent the high winds from blowing them about (Killimsa "royalty" would have very long, billowing clothes worn as a statement that the wind is no threat to them). They'd be a peaceful people, but their vanishing would be a mystery.

I'm toying around with the idea of them having left behind some sort of talisman or whatever that Eadgardans might revere... though it treads a little close to some fictionalized version of the 10 Commandments. The basic gist is that they not only provide a central reason for why Eadgard would have made it this far being (mostly) isolated, but also as a cool place to set expeditions for players.

Quote from: Ghostman

Quote from: Weave
Essences - I haven't nailed down how, exactly, the social scene regards these "essence injections" (mutagens seem a likely name). I'm thinking they are somehow seen as obtrusive to what must be the most divine and perfect people (after all, they are heralded as gods by some cultures; they have reason to be prideful), but subtle alterations (such as those that change sight, voice, etc.) are acceptable. I imagine there are even more volatile ones that can cause folks to sprout fur, claws, breathe fire, etc.

I think the powers-that-be would make some effort to control these substances and the popular opinions about them, banning some while legitimizing others, spreading propaganda, etc. They may even be interested in developing mutagens that could be used to keep the masses better under control -- imagine if PCs were to stumble upon a secret laboratory engaged in just such work?

I very neat idea! I imagined the higher-ups would try to control them, but I also see subtle augmentation as commonplace. Blood tests would be a common ritual in high-security areas to prevent any would-be terrorists.

Quote from: sparkletwist
First of all, I like this. :D

It seems to have some of the same qualities as Opus, in the sense of having a Victorian/steampunk feel, words with exclamations like Science! and Adventure! being prominent things, and generally being a bit over the top, yet also distinct from Opus-- the lack of magic, for one. On the other hand, essences are pretty wild stuff, and might be in the realm of "sufficiently advanced technology," at least sometimes. Bioshock Infinite and His Dark Materials sort of come to mind as other references for the feel you seem to be going for.

Bioshock Infinite is something I've been wanting to get my hands on, but I haven't read His Dark Materials yet... thanks for the recommendations! I'm glad you like it.

Quote
Like Opus, you seem to be beginning by focusing in on a single advanced civilization, Eadgard, which is kind of "The Bastion" here, if I understand correctly. I agree with you that the idea of this civilization in relative isolation developing advanced technology might be somewhat unrealistic, but I also agree with Ghostman, at least to ask the question-- do you care about realism in this regard? If you do, there are plenty of ways around it, of course, like other technological civilizations that are "off the map," or something.

It's a good question to ask. I have a desire to create at least the sense of cohesion so as to be "realistic by virtue of it being consistent with the logic of the setting," which, for all I know, leaving it unanswered might very well be. For the time being, I've chosen to try and create an outlet to let it seem mildly more plausible, though predominantly it gave me an avenue to open up more adventures (I'm talking about the Killimsa).

Quote
One thing I like about your settings is that you don't really shy away from introducing viewpoints that might be strange or objectionable to modern readers, but generally do so in a way that doesn't seem like you're beating the reader over the head with them. In this case, it seems like the technologically superior and somewhat isolated Eadgard would, upon expanding out into the world and encountering "inferior" civilizations, adopt a rather colonialist attitude-- these outmoded ideas would help to create a "British Empire" feel, which can really strengthen the steampunk vibe, of course. I could see some neat contrasts in a party of PCs, where some are quite prejudiced and full of a sense of their own racial/cultural superiority (in a system like FATE, this means plenty of aspects to compel!) and others have a more nuanced, tolerant view.

Keep it up, I look forward to seeing more. :D

I see Eadgard as being these arrogant, colonial jerks in the eyes of everyone else, and I think giving them these sorts of archaisms, as Ghostman suggested, will go a long way. Of course, they're not all like that (the PCs and plenty of NPCs) but the stereotype persists.

Thanks again for the comments :). I'll keep posting more as I think of it!

[ic=The City of Bray]
The City of Bray sits amongst the largest, most advanced country of the known world (Eadgard). Gifted by a winding, fertile valley and a massive cleft rich with minerals and precious col, Bray sits poised upon its throne to take the rest of the world.

In an act of purest decadence and hubris, the once meager city has well outgrown its valley's boundaries and began climbing up the foothills on either side of the mountains, digging deeper and stretching higher despite the increasingly treacherous terrain, all in an attempt to avoid scarring the precious, verdant farmland that surrounds it at the base of the valley. Purified mountain spring waters collect in a massive basin at the center of the city, providing fresh, clean water for all the inhabitants and giving a vibrant forest of decadent fountains that cast water high into the evening air.

Six great towers in the center of the city serve as docking stations for the sacrosanct warks returning from colonization missions, each tipped with one of the momentous founders of the city and those responsible for its expansion into the new world. As one travels outwards, the maze of walkways and buildings further devolves into a labyrinth of tunnels, bridges, and stairs that lopsidedly attempt to climb the mountain, both luxurious in design yet bedraggled in execution. Poorer residences and foreigners make their homes in the uneven foothills of precariously leaning towers, shunted walkways, and claustrophobic streets of buildings that seem to lean in towards one another, nestled in crags and half consumed by the mountain.[/ic]

[ic=Power Groups of Bray]
[ooc]This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some of the fun groups I've come up with for the city. This will end up being a long list, I'm sure.[/ooc]

Hoppers
Hoppers are deviants of the industrial world. Capable of "hopping" machines through careful manipulation and tinkering, hoppers take control of steam, spring-loaded, or other mechanized devices with ease through precise but quick mechanical manipulation. With just the right adjustments, steam channels can be rerouted, wires crossed, gears shifted, and so on, to sabotage a device or even usurp it. Given that hopping takes a degree of manual dexterity and close proximity to the machine, hoppers are typically missing a finger or two from the occasional gnashing gear or pulverizing piston.

Piston Fists
Also known as "Bruisers" and "Fists," each member of this counter-riot police force is equipped with two mechanized gauntlets of immense size to pummel convicts into submission. Due to the concussive power of the fists, they are also employed during routine police raids for drug trafficking by breaking down walls to secret storerooms.
Pistonfists were put into use during the season of the Summer Riots, where alchemically augmented criminals began waging open war on law enforcement and commanding the lower streets. When waves of standard police units were brutalized day after day, a man by the name of Victor Warren began his work upon more efficient means of regaining order. More than matching the alchemically muscled brutes in strength, pistonfists scoured the under city of criminal warfare and successfully ended the summer-long riots.

Scissor-Men
At the fear of degeneration (the idea that humankind once began as a pure, perfect race but has since been contaminated and devolved through time), there are some vivisectionists who would see to it that not only was humanity's evolution steered in a positive direction, but also that they themselves played an active role in it. Known colloquially as the Scissor-Men but once professionally as the Advancement Combine, these radical leaning scientists and biologists have decided to act upon their desires to see humanity thrive in a future of their own design.

The Advancement Combine (their first moniker), though once an esteemed organization advocating the evolutionary advancement of humanity through augmentation, has since devolved into a heretical cult after increasing suspicions by the police exposed their egregious experiments. Driven apart by political backlash, dissolving funds, and public outcry, the Combine all but broke apart on the surface, but behind the public curtain their remaining devotees retreated deeper into anonymity and clung to their increasingly radical ideals. In the safety of the shadows the Combine continued their experiments, funded by enigmatic investors and unbound by the red tape of the political regime.
   
The Scissor-Men are popularly considered fictional boogeymen to scare children into obedience, but there are those who are wise to listen to the children's rhymes and know not to turn down the alleyways lit by the flash of silver steel or hushed with the soft snip of scissors.

Tinkers
The drive to protect humanity from the onslaught of wilderness that surrounds it, coupled with the advent of steam and lightning technology has led to a strong investment into invention on a previously groundbreaking scale. Tinkers, as they are called, are the men of science and technical experimentation, the true pioneers of this newfound field, and garner their moniker from their apparent stream-of-consciousness method of invention. Nothing quite like the Tinkers has come before, leading to a whimsical mechanical spree of never-before-seen and oft impractical and/or malfunctioning creations. However, every once in a while a breakthrough creation emerges that blends the line between science and magic, and shakes the foundation of society to its core. [/ic]

Reading the IC block text I initially got the impression that the Killimsa were space aliens. :huh:

I like the city and it's factions, especially the creepy Scissor-Men.

This has appeal.  City of Bray could be fun; I like cities that stretch up.  Imagine I could play a street tough in those back allies, dealing a little essence (cut, of course) here, doing a little mortality work there...

Piston fists fit in with the over the top part, though I admit it makes the riot cops less fearsome and more hilarious.  Long arm of the law indeed.

For some reason I get reminded of Malifaux, having read this.  Not much in the way of similarity, so I don't know what that's supposed to be about.

I think I'll watch this, see where it goes and what inspires.

M.

Quote from: Ghostman
Reading the IC block text I initially got the impression that the Killimsa were space aliens. :huh:

I like the city and it's factions, especially the creepy Scissor-Men.

I've been tossing the idea of the them around for a bit, and they might be a little too out there. I wanted them to be advanced but they broke too far from the steampunk feel, I think. I wasn't sure how to make "advanced steampunk" really happen, and I wasn't even sure if I wanted steam power involved at all. The result was something quite alien! They are probably too weird for the setting so I'll likely scrap them, but the concept behind them might appear somewhere else in the setting, though less bizarre.

I'm glad you enjoy the city and factions, particularly the scissor-men. I channeled a bit of my Cadaverous Earth in creating them.

Quote from: Chaomesh
This has appeal.  City of Bray could be fun; I like cities that stretch up.  Imagine I could play a street tough in those back allies, dealing a little essence (cut, of course) here, doing a little mortality work there...

Thank you. I, too, am a fan of shamelessly crazy cities that go up and up.

Quote
Piston fists fit in with the over the top part, though I admit it makes the riot cops less fearsome and more hilarious.  Long arm of the law indeed.

For some reason I get reminded of Malifaux, having read this.  Not much in the way of similarity, so I don't know what that's supposed to be about.

I think I'll watch this, see where it goes and what inspires.

M.

Heh, "long arm of the law," I'll have to use that. Piston fists border on over-the-top and going overboard for me, so they walk a precarious line. I may or may not keep them, but I also have a particular image in mind with them, so it helps that they don't look quite so ridiculous to me.

Malifaux, huh? Looks interesting! Hadn't heard of it before. I shall investigate it forthwith!

Malifaux is a crummy table top wargame I'm afraid.  Your work is more appealing.  I'm going to thumb through the rulebook later on tonight to see what triggered the memory.

If there's anything you can salvage from Malifaux though, go for it.

As for piston fists, what if they were built into enforcer machines like the ones from FFVI?  They'd look...really questionable...on the arm of a human.  Your game though, by all means go with what appeals to you the most.

M.

Very interesting.  A few questions:

1) Fauna.  Is it mostly terrestrial, or a lot weirder?  I'm guessing the latter?

2) The Scissor-Men.  I love them - extremely Moreau-ish!  OK this wasn't really a question.

3) Government.  What kind does Eadgard have?  The Victorian thing suggests a monarchy, but I could just as easily see a kind of Theocracy, or a Technocracy, or something more democratic.

4) The Poor.  In our world, the industrial revolution essentially created the idea of an urban underclass.  Does such a class exist here, or has technology essentially defeated poverty?  What do the shady parts of Edgard look like?  Illicit essence-parlours?  Junkyards full of discarded tech?  Steamborg thugs?  There's mention of alchemically altered criminals; those sound pretty cool...

5) Artificial Intelligences.  Do they exist?  Babbage-engine-brained automata, maybe, or something a little sleeker?

I have not yet had a chance to read it in full, but I really like what I've seen so far.  I love steampunk and steampunk-inspired settings, so I will be watching this, and giving you a fuller response when I can.

Quote from: Seraphine_Harmonium
I have not yet had a chance to read it in full, but I really like what I've seen so far.  I love steampunk and steampunk-inspired settings, so I will be watching this, and giving you a fuller response when I can.

seconded

Quote from: Steerpike
Very interesting.  A few questions:

1) Fauna.  Is it mostly terrestrial, or a lot weirder?  I'm guessing the latter?

I mentioned a cheetah and hawk earlier to provide some basis of familiarity for people, but in reality I don't see either of them existing in Pinnacle. I'll certainly have birds and cats (ideally ones that sound "fast" or close enough to provide a degree of insight as to what they do) but they'll be different. Since the mountains have sheltered many pockets of wilderness, there's a ton of diverse and weird species, like six-legged fire-spitting lizards and insects that carry hallucinogenic pollen. I guess it all depends on your definition of weird.

Quote
2) The Scissor-Men.  I love them - extremely Moreau-ish!  OK this wasn't really a question.

Thanks!

Quote
3) Government.  What kind does Eadgard have?  The Victorian thing suggests a monarchy, but I could just as easily see a kind of Theocracy, or a Technocracy, or something more democratic.

The government of Eadgard is something I'm still mulling over, but something like a democracy or meritocracy seems a little too forward thinking for them. I'm looking to spice their industrialized advancements with strong doses of antiquated thinking, so a monarchy or theocracy ala a pharaoh or something (I'll invent my own titles, naturally). I imagine it to be governed primarily by a single man (or woman, if I want to inject more of a "For the Queen!" feel, though Eadgard is probably pretty sexist), perhaps with a lot of religious authority invested within him/her.

Quote
4) The Poor.  In our world, the industrial revolution essentially created the idea of an urban underclass.  Does such a class exist here, or has technology essentially defeated poverty?  What do the shady parts of Edgard look like?  Illicit essence-parlours?  Junkyards full of discarded tech?  Steamborg thugs?  There's mention of alchemically altered criminals; those sound pretty cool...

There are plenty of poor folks, and even practically slaves (most often foreigners of lands who refused to comply with the colonization). There's a strong divide between the haves and have nots, I'd imagine, but most of this depends on what sort of government I see Eadgard having.

Shady parts of Eadgard (in Bray) would be found nestled between the crevices of tall towers and seeping into the cracks of ravines and underneath cliffs. These would be the poorest of poor places, veritable scrapyards more than homes, clinging like barnacles to the underside of those with the means to elevate themselves from such places. There would, of course, be lots of seedier areas for even the higher-ups to partake in illicit evening entertainment, probably far from the hallowed halls of their own estates, no less. These would definitely involve essence-parlours to incite or deaden emotions and senses, heighten sexual pleasure, and such. There would even be the other extreme, with vivisectional grafts to certain nightwalkers looking for something wilder. I'm picturing lots of fetishistic pursuits and a degree of grotesque alterations, but on the other end I could see some guy with a furry fetish chomping at the bit for a gal who grafted cat ears and a tail to her body.

Biological grafts would not be very popular due to their permanency and considered deviant, delinquent behavior, especially when the much "safer" alternative of essences are available and only temporary. Also, they aren't very safe. Lots of disease and infections from ill-attached parts. Gross.

I don't want to get too into the idea of grafting, especially biological ones (because that's just so darn creepy), but there'd certainly be mechanical ones, though they'd be used more as a utility than a means of deriving pleasure.

Alchemy is the process that creates essences (I might change it to "chymistry"), so they're really just mutated brutes with a bunch of essence flowing into their bodies to make them pretty insane (Bane comes to mind). I intend to use them to great effect!

Quote
5) Artificial Intelligences.  Do they exist?  Babbage-engine-brained automata, maybe, or something a little sleeker?

This is something I hadn't considered. I really like the idea of babbage-engine-brained machines... I might have to steal that idea!

Quote from: LordVreeg

Quote from: Seraphine_Harmonium
I have not yet had a chance to read it in full, but I really like what I've seen so far.  I love steampunk and steampunk-inspired settings, so I will be watching this, and giving you a fuller response when I can.

seconded

Thanks! I'm just glad to have people following.