Tinkering with Steampunk

[Seraph]

(...)his writings seem very sensible, which is surprising considering the reputation he's received over the years.

'Sensible', I perceived it too. Maybe I will read some of it some day.

How are you doing with your work? Any updates? I looking forward to it.

The idea of the Werewolves is pretty clear in my head, and to a lesser extent on paper, but it's just in note form.  It will be another day or two before it's ready to post.

I was looking at game systems, and I thought the World Of Darkness system was one of the more viable options.  I'm not sure I like the specifics of Vampire in every case (although they might be useful when it comes to designing Vampires in my setting, if I end up using their core system).  I haven't seen the specifics of Mage yet.  I also like One Roll Engine, from what I've seen.

Now, back to work on my Werewolves . . .

Why not check out the specifics for Werewolf? Interesting fluff, if nothing else. Definitely WoD style, although it might be a bit too Native American for your tastes.

I did check it out, and ironically their crunch is more appropriate than their fluff, which is (as you suspected), too "Native American" for this particular setting.  Good Stuff in general though, and a good deal of the abilities could be kept with different fluffy explanations.

[SDragon]

Right, well, that was a case of lack of clarity on my part. What I meant was, you should check out the specifics of the crunch, and that the fluff is interesting, even if it isn't of any use for this setting.

[Seraph]

There are many paths to power; some subtler than others.  There is the politician who seeks political power, the general who seeks military might, the explorer or scientist, author or actor who seeks fame.  Then there are those who seek power in . . .  unconventional ways.  London is a curious city.  So prim and proper, so sensible, so concerned with overcoming the wickedness in us, in . . . suppressing it.  But all around us we can see filth and strife and bawdiness.  Prostitutes litter the streets, a testament to the power that those elicit urges, pleasures, and desires hold.  There are those who seek power in what others suppress.  There are those who would strike a hard bargain with the darkness, with the primal side of man'"the sinful side, for a slice of that power.  But as they seek bestial power, the line between man and Beast becomes blurred, and the definition of 'humanity' comes into question.

Werewolves are the product of a bargain with dark forces: a demonic pact conducted in an esoteric ritual out of the Key of Solomon, or some such esoteric text.  To imbue himself with a great bestial power, a magician may call forth a demon, and take it into his body.  The demon grants them power, but at the cost of their control, for the demon, though housed by a human Host, retains autonomy of spirit, resulting in a constant bid for dominance.  The magician may give himself over to the Beast, or he may fight or he may fight the demon urges at every turn, but sooner or later the Beast will gain the upper hand.  In the City of London, where a façade is the modus operandi, none exemplify it better that the werewolves.  There are, after all, many who speak of their 'inner demons,' but few who can mean it literally.

 

Calling the Beast:
[ic]Samuel stepped into the Circle.  He had been chosen by lottery to be the recipient'"to be the host for the spirit.  He was a bit nervous as he still wasn't used to Magick.  He had done a few Ceremonies since his induction, but he was by no means a veteran.  Still, the order had made it an equal chance, and so he had been chosen.  Arthur had instructed him as to what to do.  Arthur seemed to know what he was doing, although he admitted that he had never done this particular Ceremonie before.  That did little to quiet Samuel's nerves, but he stepped into the center, taking arduous care not to disturb the lines on the ground Arthur had drawn with the chalk.  What they were doing now was dangerous work, and it was important that the symbols were all inviolate; their lives may depend on it.  As Samuel stepped into the circle, his companions closed the gap where he had stood and began to chant.  They spoke in Latin, invoking the demon'"Andras was its name. Arthur was leading, reading out from the Book while the others followed.  That was when he saw it: the smoke.  Candles burned along the rim of the Circle, but their smoke, when it was visible was white.  The smoke Samuel saw had no apparent source, and wafted, thin and black. . .[/ic]
While a lone magician can call a demon and become a werewolf, a demon will more readily respond to the combined energies of a group of like-minded individuals than to the call of a single mage.  Calling the Beast involves a lengthy and intricate ritual in which a Circle must be erected on the floor, usually drawn with chalk, but other substances are acceptable, including oils, charcoal, and ink.  The important point is that the boundaries of the circle, its demarcations, and contained symbols, glyphs, runes, and sigils are not marred smudged, or otherwise violated during the Ceremonie.  A very skilled magician could even draw a circle in the air, so long as they could manage to avoid them all, but to do so would require a great exercise of visualization that is unnecessary to the working of the ritual.  Symbols drawn visibly work just as well and are easier to respect.  It is important, especially in workings such as this, that the symbols be not disturbed, for a break in the circle and its symbols is a break in the magic that binds the demon.  An unbound demon is a dangerous and unchecked force, which can attack the magician, or even attempt possession, which comes with none of the benefits of lycanthropy, and none of the control.  
If everything is executed properly, then the demon will appear.  There is often no physical sign of the demon, only a presence in the air, or an image in a mirror.  If there is a physical form, however, it is nothing but shadows and wisps.  As long as the demon is bound it cannot take on a true corporeal form.  At this point the magician can communicate with the spirit, state his intent, and make the bargain.  

The Sigil:  Each demon has a very specific sigil by which they are called and bound.  To summon a demon requires explicit knowledge and implementation of its personal sigil.  This is very important to making the pact with the Beast, but the knowledge of the demon's sigil has other effects as well:

Excepting the initial transformation, in which the host magician accepts the demon into his body, and thus initiates the change himself, the demon within a circle containing its sigil is bound from causing the host to transform into his Gauru form.*A werewolf in a Death Rage somehow lured into a circle with the demon's sigil will instantly revert to human form.*

 

Note: A lot of this is repetition of the Being A Werewolf section from Werewolf: The Forsaken, but bear with me for Setting specific fluff.

The Two Worlds:
[ic]'Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it.
Think'st thou that I, who saw the face of God
And tasted the eternal joys of heaven,
Am not tormented with ten thousand hells
In being deprived of everlasting bliss?''"Mephistopheles in Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe[/ic]

As creatures of dual nature, werewolves are equally part of this world and the Spirit world, or, in the case of demons, Hell.   Demons on earth traverse the Shadow Realm: a hellish reflection of the material world.  The Shadow Realm is the world of spirits, and in it can be seen all manner of spirits that likewise walk the earth: demons, angels, and certain kinds of supernatural creatures.  If a werewolf wants to look across the boundary between the worlds to see what is happening on the other side, the player rolls Wits + Em¬pathy + Primal Urge. On a success, the character can see a blurry image of the Shadow Realm for one turn (sacrificing his perception of the material world).  In this way werewolves can see spirits who have escaped into the physical world (but not yet taken a host or fetter) even if they remain invisible to normal humans.

If a werewolf wants to physically cross the Veil into the Shadow Realm (or exit it), he must first find a locus. A locus is a wellspring of spiritual energy that erodes the Veil and attracts spirits of all types who feed on the energy that has welled up. Having found one, the character stands in the locus's area of influence (which grows wider the more powerful the locus is), and, erecting a Circle with his demon's Sigil, the player rolls Intelligence + Presence + Primal Urge. When he enters the area of influence of a locus, a werewolf is in¬nately aware of it, though he does not know exactly where the locus is. To find the locus specifically, have the player roll Wits + Investigation + Primal Urge.

Essence: No real change.  See Werewolf: The Forsaken.

Shapeshifting and Rage: For their characters to willfully change forms, the players roll Stamina + Survival + Primal Urge. On a successful roll, the character assumes the form the player selected and his traits change as listed on the character sheets. (For the purposes of shapeshifting, always roll the character's unmodified Stamina, regardless of what form he's wearing.) Changing shape takes one full turn, in which the charac¬ter can do nothing else. Should the player choose, though, he can spend one Essence for his character to change instantaneously without a roll.

When the bargain is made and the demon takes its seat in the host, the werewolf gains the ability to augment himself by the essence of the Beast within.  Besides the natural human state, he has three forms which he can utilize at will.  These forms are granted by the pact itself, and can be freely utilized without risking Humanity.  They are the Dalu (a more bestial and muscular humanoid form, in which werewolves practice rituals), Urshul (the savage form of a terrifying dire wolf), and Urhan (the form of a normal wolf). Should a werewolf in any form suffer enough damage to fall unconscious or die, he automatically reverts to his mortal Human form.

There is a fifth form: Gauru: The Beast.  It is the form of war, in which they unleash the power of their Rage. A werewolf can willingly assume the war form just as he would assume any other, but doing so is to travel down a dark road, and to place one's own sanity in jeopardy.  (SEE:  Losing Humanity)  Using the Gauru form is different and less stable than the other forms.  For instance, the werewolf can take on the war form only once per scene, and he can remain in it for only a number of turns equal to his Stamina + Primal Urge. (Again, use the character's unmodified Stamina to make this determination.) What's more, each turn spent in the Gauru form, the werewolf must roll Resolve + Composure to maintain control.  Failure results in a Death Rage in which the demon inside is able to wrestle control away from the host.  If the werewolf succeeds at fighting off the Death Rage, when he has exhausted his Gauru form he either switches immediately back to his Human form, or the player must roll or spend Essence to switch to another form. While he is Raging (i.e., in Gauru form), the werewolf can do nothing but attack or move toward an opponent whom he intends to attack, and he cannot use complex weapons such as guns or bows. Nor can he gather the presence of mind to talk. On the plus side, though, he is immune to wound penalties while he is Raging, and his bite and claw attacks inflict lethal damage.

The Death Rage: A werewolf whose Rage is upon him is a fearsome foe who makes his enemies tremble. A werewolf who loses himself to his demon's Death Rage, however, is a danger to not only his enemies but to his allies and even to himself. When the demon wrests control away from the host, the werewolf becomes a mindless killing machine, un¬able to distinguish friend from foe and unable to stop him¬self from ripping and tearing anything he can get his claws and teeth into. A Death Rage can be prevented, but once it has begun it must run its course. To prevent a Death Rage, the werewolf's player rolls Resolve + Composure and hopes for a success. If he fails, the werewolf assumes his Gauru form (without a roll or Essence expenditure; even if the character has taken that form once in that scene already) and attacks anything in reach. The Death Rage ends at the end of the scene, only when everyone around the werewolf is dead or the werewolf himself is dead or incapacitated.

A werewolf is in danger of Death Rage when he suffers aggravated damage, when a wound is marked in one of his last three Health boxes, or when he is hurt or terribly humiliated outside a combat situation. The latter circumstances outside combat rely on Storyteller discretion, but the humiliation ought to be fairly signifi¬cant. Slipping on the ice on a sidewalk and having some pedestrian snicker probably wouldn't threaten a Death Rage, but having a lover cheat on you with your best friend certainly would.  The Beast inside is strongest at the Full Moon, and at such a time, a werewolf suffers -2 to their dice pool to resist a Death Rage.

Health and Regeneration: No real change.  See Werewolf: The Forsaken.

Sharpened Senses and Tracking:
[ic]The Beast knelt, lowering its snout to the earth.  The London fog had begun to set in already, giving the air and all around a damp smell.  It might have confused a lesser predator, but the beast had tasted his blood in that candle-lit room and the bloodlust overtook it.  It could still taste the issue of his veins in its mouth, could summon up the smell in its mind despite the fog.  Then, sucking up the scent a final time, the beast caught up the path of its prey and bounded off at unnatural speed.  Its quarry did not have long.[/ic]

No Real Change.  See Werewolf: The Forsaken

Silver: No real change.  See Werewolf: The Forsaken

Losing Humanity:
[ic]The cold woke him rudely.  Samuel looked about with groggy eyes to see the grimy alleyway and the refuse that made his bed.  Clambering to his feet, he braced himself against the brick wall to his left.  Where was this place?  He stumbled toward the street, strangely unsure of his feet, when he stepped in the puddle and the sharp cold shot up his bare foot and leg.  He had no shoes.  He had not clothes at all.  What in Bloody Hell happened last night?  Blood.  He was covered in blood.  He began to panic.  Whose blood was this?  How did this happen?  Where am I and why am I here?  He searched his memory of the night before.  The Circle.  Men in robes.  The Order.  The Book.  The Sigil.  What happened next?  He raised a bloody hand to his bloody face.  The images had stopped.  He only imagined a memory of pain and terror, of screams and cries for help.  Something had gone wrong.  Something terrible had happened, and he was the cause.  He looked once more at his bloodied hands and slender fingers, and they looked to him as claws, talons, knives.  It was only a passing fancy, but it aroused a terrible thought.  I killed them.  No, it couldn't be.  Could it?  No, I'm making it all up.  It's just a wild fancy.  A smell drifted across his memory, a smell of mingled blood and perfume.  That perfume'"he knew that smell.  It was Arthur's ceremonial oil.  The anointing oil.  The blood.  The perfume.  The Screams.  And the thought, the irrational thought that refused to leave his mind.  I killed them.  I killed them.  I killed them.  Tremors fell upon him, and Samuel collapsed on all fours.  He was shaking violently and spasmodically.  His body twisted and contorted as by some other force besides his own, and he could feel it creeping up his spine'"a thick black presence filling his veins and dominating his rebellious muscles.  It burned as it twisted inside him, working its way into his head.  Then he heard it speak.  It spoke in strange words of a language he did not know, but he knew what it wanted.  He knew what it was.  The Circle.  The Order.  The Book.  The Sigil.  The Ceremony.  In his mind Samuel stepped into the circle. The incantation.  The summoning.  He felt again the punch against his chest as it all began.  The pain.  Eyes not his own watched from his skull as his skin burst forth a thick-haired hide.  His nail blackened; grew thick and long.  A voice not his own let out a bestial yowl.  The fear.  He could sense their fear.  He could see it, and feel it a part of himself.  It drove him, it filled him with a strange lusting.  They scattered.  The Book.  Arthur's book lay inside the circle, fallen amidst the panic, and there lay Arthur just outside the Circle.  The fear.  The panic.  The desire.  Arthur wanted the book, but Arthur wanted to get away.  Could it be risked?  Arthur crawled away.  The pain.  The convulsions.  Samuel screamed in agony, and fell to his knees.  Arthur could no longer resist, he reached for the book, his hand crossing the boundary of the circle, and Samuel's senses shot learned new acuteness.  His eyes locked on Arthur, as Arthur's hand closed on the book.  Yelping with terror, Arthur scrambled away, his cloth robes smudging the chalk circle on the floor.  The bonds were broken.  The Scream.  The Blood.  The Pain. Samuel turned from the bleeding Arthur to see a robed man holding a smoking pistol.  Filled with rage, Samuel leapt after his attacker, biting into his neck and ripping out his carotid artery.  Looking wildly around, Samuel found the room abandoned.  A trail of blood marking where Arthur had stumbled away. . .
What have I done?  What have we done?  The crushing fear, the despair, and the guilt welled up in Samuel as the Beast came over him.  He'd done murder, and seemed about to do so again . . .[/ic]

The balance between man and beast is a tenuous one.  In constant conflict between man and the demon inside them, a werewolf must be careful if they are to avoid losing their humanity, and giving themselves over to the Beast.  A man can only do so much horror before they lose all trace of their humanity and become a true monster.  At Humanity 7, where all Werewolves start, sins and misdeeds can cause moral degeneration in the form of lost Humanity.  When the character commits such an act, a number of dice are rolled based on the severity of the sin.  The worse the sin is, the fewer dice are rolled.  If the roll fails, the character loses a point of Humanity (Willpower can't be spent on this roll).

Werewolves with reduced Humanity will justify their sins to themselves, becoming more imbalanced.  In the future, it will take a more grievous sin to reduce their humanity further.  At Humanity 6, to kill a human while overcome by the Beast can spark such a role, while at Humanity 4 you will forgive yourself killing anything as long as you are legitimately overcome by the beast.  At Humanity 2 you can give into the Beast, and kill willfully, as long as you aren't hunting them for food.

Characters who do lose humanity also risk becoming unhinged mentally.  If a degeneration roll is failed, immediately roll the character's reduced Humanity as a dice pool.  This can be any form of minor but pervasive mental disorder such as depression or a phobia.

Lunacy:No real change.  See Werewolf: The Forsaken.

[Nomadic]

Little old lady got mutilated last night
Werewolves of London again

... I love it, it just sounds so awesome. I can't comment too much on the crunch since I am not familiar with it. However, the fluff was excellent. It really evoked the feelings of loss of control to the possessor.

[SDragon]

Well, aside from what I've already told you, I do like the part on becoming a werewolf. It's definitely a change from the norm, and fitting, as well. Is lycanthropy still contagious?

I didn't read much of your being a werewolf, because, well, the WoD stuff kind of made my eyes glaze over a bit. If there's anything in there that's already setting specific, can you point it out for me? Keeping the whole Spirit World connection does seem appropriate, though.

[Seraph]

Well, aside from what I've already told you, I do like the part on becoming a werewolf. It's definitely a change from the norm, and fitting, as well. Is lycanthropy still contagious?

I didn't read much of your being a werewolf, because, well, the WoD stuff kind of made my eyes glaze over a bit. If there's anything in there that's already setting specific, can you point it out for me? Keeping the whole Spirit World connection does seem appropriate, though.

A lot of it is just semantics changes.  There were a lot of little changes, either in terminology, or wording, with some additions and deletions that suited it to the setting.

This important setting specific differences would be:
[blockquote=Shapeshifting and Rage]What's more, each turn spent in the Gauru form, the werewolf must roll Resolve + Composure to maintain control. Failure results in a Death Rage in which the demon inside is able to wrestle control away from the host.[/blockquote]
and
[blockquote=Death Rage]The Beast inside is strongest at the Full Moon, and at such a time, a werewolf suffers -2 to their dice pool to resist a Death Rage.[/blockquote]
The latter is mostly to tie in the classic "werewolves transform at the full moon" which was not in WoD werewolf.  To make the classic idea fit the demonic/conflict interpretation, I chose to have the Moon affect transformation, rather than cause it.

[Ninja D!]

I have not read anything but the very beginning in this thread and I have not been following it at all. However, seeing that it says "steampunk" in the title, I feel the need to drop in and point people at this lovely gem I learned of today.

[SDragon]

I have not read anything but the very beginning in this thread and I have not been following it at all. However, seeing that it says "steampunk" in the title, I feel the need to drop in and point people at this lovely gem I learned of today.

That is incredibly cool. Bowler hats and everything. With all due respect, though, the cast seems a bit incomplete...

[Seraph]

[ooc]Ok everyone, this post amounts to me first spouting off a bit of actual history, before delving into a buch of possibilities for the development of an alternate timeline for Steampunk'd London around the reign of Queen Victoria.  Be prepared, it's rather lengthy, and, as you will see, a lot of it is still in the consideration phase & subject to change.[/ooc]

First Century CE: Lanterns filled with hot air float above China'"a kind of primitive hot air balloon, but this was not applied to human flight until 1783.

875: Abbas Ibn Firnas flies a primitive glider, which while capable of slowing decent, had no way of steering or landing.

1206: Al-Jazari releases the Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, describing 50 mechanical devices & their construction, including clocks, pumps, suction pipes, automatic doors & gates, hydraulic automata, humanoid robots, and analog computers capable of simple functions.  

Late 15th Century: Leonardo Da Vinci draws up plans for an ornithopter'"a flying machine for that replicates the flight pattern of birds'"and a helicopter, among other inventions, but neither of these are tested at a scale to demonstrate human flight.

1777: James Watt releases the Watt Steam Engine, a vast improvement over the Newcomen model, in efficiency, but the Watt engine still operates on low pressure steam, and thus remains in limited utility.  Mistrusting the technology, Watt uses his patent to prevent high pressure steam for many years.

1784: William Murdoch designs a 'road locomotive' or 'steam carriage' but his employers Boulton and Watt dissuade him from seeking a patent.  Had it been created, it would have been the first automobile.  Murdoch also invents Gas Lighting, Pneumatic Tube Messaging, and the Sun & Planet Gear.  He is a brilliant innovator & make many improvements to Watt's Steam Engine which Watt claims as his own.  

Early 19th Century: Murdoch and a man called Perkins each invent 'steam guns.'  Perkins' gun is capable of firing 1000 musket balls per minute at deadly velocity, but is not adopted by the military either out of cost concerns or simple stubbornness.  

With all of this happening (or almost happening) in our actual history, it isn't hard to imagine the kinds of things that could exist in an alternate history.  What if the principle behind the Kongming Lantern were applied to larger balloons?  What if the Chinese had hot air balloons by the 5th Century?  Balloons could be used for spotting, & for firing down upon invaders.  Perhaps the Mongol invasions take the Knowledge of manned Hot Air Balloons along the Silk Road, into the Middle East & Eastern Europe by 1250?  The Umayyad Caliphate ruled Moorish Spain from 781 to 1421 (or something like that).  Mongol invasions reaching the Middle East could bring technology to Umayyads & influence such characters as Abbas Ibn Firnas.  Would it really be possible for the Chinese to create balloon of that size (to generate that amount of lift) at that time?  The models seemed to have gotten by on a candle, but fuel for a large balloon would be heavy.  It might not be then that the course of history diverged after all, but let's keep their balloons in mind, and presume that the Mongols did still bring their little balloons to the Middle East (for Signaling).

Perhaps at Ibn Firnas?  He did manage to create a flyer of sorts.  He was able to make a controlled descent, but crashed because without a rudder he could not steer, and he had no means of landing.  Perhaps he could have gone back & fixed his mistakes.  He would not have been capable of achieving lift'"humans are too heavy & not strong enough to operate wings that way.  That was where Da Vinci came in, bringing in a system of pulleys to make up for this.  Perhaps Firnas died before he could conceive of pulleys, but managed to make a flying machine.  What would be the use of this device?  It would certainly make for a pleasant diversion, but in what way might it significantly impact the course of history?  It wouldn't seem to have much military application.  It would need to start from very high ground.  The pilot could then make use of projectile weapons or possibly grenades (once gunpowder comes onto the scene).  But how easy would it be to get atop a high enough position to make a descent?  It could presumably be done from a castle wall, but it would be a suicide mission; anyone who flew out from the wall would land behind enemy lines & be captured.  Actually, if a number of them left at once, they could seriously harass enemy troops, dropping grenades or shooting arrows until they landed, and then assaulted the enemy forces hand to hand.  They could be designed to look like dragons to sow fear in the enemies.  Fire spitters?  Actually, this could seriously affect the outcome of certain battles.

While Al-Jazari seems quite important, it doesn't seem like his inventions would have a huge effect on the actual course of history.  His automata were practical, but their use was largely prescribed'"hand washing, drink pouring, music playing.  Perhaps these could have become wider spread than they did, paving the way for a steampunk culture that includes automatons & robots.

Da Vinci?  Leonardo designs an ornithopter that allows for lift, & thus actual human flight.  Requiring operation of pulleys, etc, by both hands & feet, the pilot is completely occupied with the flying of the craft, & can't actually put himself to other task (like shooting or dropping grenades).  Unless they could release the controls & drift for a few moments.  Seems like it would still need to start from a height; starting from the ground you'd never get lift.  You would, however, be able to flap wings, & thus gain height.  This way, you could fly circles over enemy troops, ultimately returning to the castle walls.  Also, Da Vinci's helicopter, while shown to work, has problems, such as the entire craft spinning.  Perhaps he goes back to redesign a way to isolate the rotation.  It's possible that this could require pedaling.  Anyway, sets stage for more impressive helicopters.

Regardless of when the first changes in the timeline start occurring, it is still the First Industrial Revolution that launches everything forward at speed.  Watt's Steam Engine provides the spark for powering all kinds of vehicles and devices.  Murdoch invents Sun & Planet Gear, thus turning the vertical motion of Watt's piston engine into rotational energy.  This sees a number of uses:  Murdoch applies it to his own Steam Carriage, to Dirigible Airships, & even to Da Vinci's helicopter.  Steam power quickly takes over; steam trains connect the farthest reaches of Britain by land, and Zeppelins drift above the sky.  In London, small, commuter zeppelins take people across the city.  Perhaps the Pulzonov application of Steam Engines in the Steel Mills gives early rise to high-rises and sky-scrapers (but with an appropriately Victorian aesthetic)This way the zeppelins never really have to land & deal with weird Ballast issues & venting gas.  Saves resources this way'"more efficient.   Large Zeppelins could serve as homes for the rich or as war machines.  They would be outfitted with cannons and Gatling guns, & perhaps other odd technologies.

Al-Jazari's automata have long ago created robots for practical use.  There is, as of yet, however, no artificial intelligence per se.  They can be programmed to perform specific tasks under specific circumstances.  The range of tasks they can perform has expanded since Al-Jazari's time, to include mining activities, pulling carriages, opening doors, and even defense.  The latter, however, they have not proven to be very good at, due to the lack of intelligence.  They can make basic attacks, and may be able to locate 'enemies' but they have no capacity to dodge or parry attacks, nor any ability to adapt to their enemies or vary their attacks.  As such, automatons are not often used in such capacities.  Complex tasks are still left to humans.  Automatons have made their way into the textile industry, however, running looms automatically, able to safely navigate small spaces formerly worked by children.  Women and children are now kept out of the factories and at home, where they can be proper Victorian housewives.  Sexist attitudes are perpetuated.  Women do not work in textile mills, nor can they work in the mines any longer.  Women in the mines had been an issue, because women, not wanting to ruin their clothing, would work in the nude, raising a number of problems, including associations with prostitution, and that without clothing, there was no symbol of the difference of men and women to keep the women ideally feminine'"Which was another problem:  working in the mines was not womanly work.

With women and children out of work, replaced by hydraulic and steam powered automatons, poverty reaches new levels, women riot for jobs, Luddites storm factories & destroy machines, and workers go on strike.  Some women stay home and teach their children, who now also are unemployed, and some even become teachers. This means that in spite of a very high unemployment and poverty rate, education and literacy on the whole improve.  Many women, however, without other means to aid their families, are forced into prostitution.  Brothels grow in number, as do Asylums and reform houses devoted to saving 'fallen women.'  

Unemployment being an issue across the board, a number of interesting phenomena develop, such as street performers of such types as musicians, comedians, clowns, mimes, mountebanks, magicians, freak shows, channelers, mediums, and hypnotists; a surprising number joining convents and monasteries seeking not only salvation, but a roof & food to eat; some are even desperate enough, bored enough, or crazy enough to put themselves in harm's way as adventurers, hunting monsters & seeking out criminals on commission.