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Steam and Steel Discussion Thread, Westward, Ho! |
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Rohirrim |
Oct 14 2013, 10:47 PM
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Mouth
Joined: 18-January 13
From: Greyhawk
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This is a new Steampunk Western RP that the Colonel and I are planning, and we're looking for contributors. It won't be freely drop in/drop out, but if you want, we can work something out at a point in the adventure. The year is 1859. The story starts in the town of Dodge, Kansas. The characters are in a saloon in the slaughterhouse district.
-Horses are for middle and lower class people. The military, law enforcement, and upper classes all use steam-powered horse automatons, or "burners". These are classified by their metal plating:
Iron: Draft horse Steel: Cavalry, heavy Brass: Cavalry, light Copper: Civilian, fast and weak Bronze: Civilian, slow and tough Tin: Pony
-Railroads have been established throughout all the major towns. They also run on steam, as do the zeppelins that service large cites.
-Where there is no steam, there is clockwork. Used since the beginning of the century, clockwork powers smaller machines and cut-rate automatons.
-In the early stages of development are some gigantic war machines; walkers, battle carriages, Darwinist mutants, the like. The American state governments are all buying them as tensions between the North and South grow hotter.
-Charles Darwin and Nikola Tesla are both regarded as great scientific individuals, responsible for mush of the world's rapid growth. (Ignore the timeline issues.)
-Firearms are still somewhat the same as in this period in history, with sniper rifles, hi-powered steam and clockwork guns, and rockets, as well as combat automatons, being some differences.
*Mustard's Stuff* -Due to Darwin's recent theories and progress in mutation, white Southerners have adopted the idea that Anglo-Saxon Americans are God's chosen race, who are superior to all others through natural selection on account of the fact that they've conquered most of the known world.
-Secondly, in order to make them more efficient at working, black slaves are genetically manipulated and mutated. Generally, there could be a huge social stigma against mutating people (if they're not genetically superior white Anglo-Saxon people, at least) but seeing as black people are seen as subhuman there's not a problem for them there.
-Anyway, this leads me into my next point; people are sometimes mutated using genetic manipulation for various reasons, and these mutants face the same level of prejudice and bigotry that black people would have faced at the time, even if they're white, on account of being 'genetically corrupt'. As a result, having 'indentured mutants' is a thing where they're kept as slaves in all but name; one of the things Lincoln can be pushing for, and one of the things that eventually sparks a civil war, is giving mutants the same legal standing as non-mutants. I'll admit that the idea is shamelessly cribbed from the Remade in China Mieville's Bas-Lag novels, but it could be interesting.
- Minor occult element in their as well; occultism was a big thing in the West around that time, with people convinced stuff like telepathy, telekinesis and communicating with the dead could work, and could work in a scientific manner as well. It could be interesting to have something like telepaths and telekines (perhaps limited ones) and mediums be included in the world. The pioneer of telepathic practice was and is Sigmund Freud.
-Since Darwin, Tesla, and Freud have contributed so much to this society, they have almost Demi-God status and some people actually worship them, with neither their encouragement nor approval.
Happy trails, pardners.
This post has been edited by Rohirrim: Oct 17 2013, 11:17 PM
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Colonel Mustard |
Oct 17 2013, 09:44 PM
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Master
Joined: 3-July 08
From: The darkest pit of your soul. Hi there!
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Alright, here's my character. Let's be off, and all that.
Name: Mr Algernon 'Algy' Demontjoy (In reality, it's Lucius Delmont, but due to...extenuating circumstances he prefers not to use that name)
Age: 26
Appearance: A gentleman of refinement, class and style, Mr Delmont is never, ever improperly dressed. His three-piece suits (which he always wears) are perfectly tailored, and the top hats that he wears with them will, of course, be colour co-ordinated with his suit. His right arm is mechanical, a finely crafted device of brass, ivory and ceramics, with a pen placed in the tip of his main index finger. The right side of his head, as well as most of his forehead and the top of his skull, is covered with an expressionless mask of white china, and what remains of his hair is black (it goes without saying that it is meticulously kept). Those who might see him beneath his shirt will discover that most of the right side of his torso is covered in finely engraved steel.
Occupation: When asked, Lucius typically describes himself thus; "I am a gentleman of business. In stocks, typically, but also in railroads, gold, steel or telegram wires. Wherever there is money, you see." In reality, he is a fraud, cheat, con-man and liar, who make his money ripping off whoever he feels is the most profitable.
Skills: Lying, bluffing, fast-talking, cheating at gambling (that's his bread-and-butter, really, when he isn't thinking up larger and more profitable schemes), forgery, being generally charming and socially adept, affecting a very convincing English accent ("An English accent is the most refined, you see. Unless it is Northern. Perish the thought of those accents!").
Worldly possessions: His extensive array of suits and fashionable clothing, tools used for forgery. For weapons, he carries a Smith and Wesson Automatic Dual-Chambered Revolver ("A revolver is a gentleman's weapon. Any other firearm just seems crass to me") and has a foot long blade of thin, straight steel concealed in his mechanical right arm.
Biography: The story he gives is that he is an Englishman born into a family of noble descent, but one that is absolutely penniless, and that he came here to the new world to seek his fortune anew. If you believe him, the reason he gives for his extensive mechanical injuries are of an unfortunately timed accidental explosion at a railway site he was inspecting with the thought that he might invest in it.
In reality, 'Algernon' was born and raised in New York, and has never visited anywhere in Europe, let alone England. There, he grew up doing what he currently does in the south; ripping people off and conducting elaborate schemes in order to rip people off for even more money than usual. Unfortunately, one of his schemes ended up going awry and a local crime boss was out for Lucius' blood; in what was supposed to be an execution, he was brutally beaten, attacked with a knife, lost his arm and was left for dead.
Miraculously, he survived and was able to pay for a mechanical arm as well as appropriately fashionable coverings for his injuries. It was abundantly clear to him, however, that getting out of New York as soon as possible would be greatly conducive to his continued survival, so he upped sticks and headed south without a word, starting a new life under a new name and new personality. Either unwilling or unable to learn from his past experiences, 'Algy' now does much the same as he did before, with his main targets being rich, (usually) single women he can take in by his act as a down-on-his-luck aristocrat from the motherland.
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Rohirrim |
Oct 17 2013, 11:13 PM
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Mouth
Joined: 18-January 13
From: Greyhawk
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Name: Jonah Markwit
Age: 22
Occupation: Aeronautical Engineer
Appearance: Jonah is pale, pasty and thin as a wire. He is most decidedly not a cowboy, indeed. He spends most of his time indoors, fooling with his various inventions. He dresses neatly, if only by virtue of never having to get dirty. He usually wears a brown wool vest over a white cotton shirt, a brown felt bowler hat with black ribbon, brown trousers, and standard cowboy boots. He also has a pair of green-glass goggles he wears when the sun is simply too much for one hat. He has long brown hair, kept trimmed in a bob, long thin fingers, brown eyes, and a long pointed nose.
History: Born in San Francisco, Jonah took up work for the Union Pacific Railroad, supervising tunnel building. He rose through the ranks to become a zeppelin engineer, and designed his own, "The Capricorn." He does freelance work around the west and is in Dodge to assist with the changing of the compressors on a cross-country skyliner.
Personality: Detached and aloof. Not a mean-spirited person, just an apathetic, uncaring person. He thinks nothing of gender or race. He does, however, take into account your social standing. Rich people are his favorite kind of people, particularly rich people he can talk into investing. Overall just out of it, spacy, and generally just not caring.
Possessions: Plans for the "Capricorn", a copper-plated burner, a flask of whiskey, some beef jerky, a small Bowie knife, and a Winchester Steam Carbine. This weapon fires silently, leaving only a near-invisible discharge in the air. It fires far, as well, up to 1000 yards. This baby was picked up in Louisville with some extra cash, and he's kept it for protection ever since. Slung over his shoulder, it's his only weapon.
Skills: Sneaking, code breaking, arithmetic, shooting (to a degree), running fast, not dying, riding, hiding.
This post has been edited by Rohirrim: Nov 14 2013, 01:56 AM
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Elisabeth Hollow |
Oct 18 2013, 12:57 AM
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Ancient
Joined: 15-November 12
From: Texas
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Copying and pasting my Black Betty character sheet from the Turn of the Century RPG we STARTED. changing a few things.
Name: Betty Bridges
Alias/nickname: Black Betty
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Race:Hispanic mixed with Irish
Nationality: American
Career: Prostitute/information specialist
Skills: Forgery, kickboxing-type martial arts, throwing-knives
Gang affiliation (if any): none
Equipment: Switchblade Clothing and Appearance:
She has deep red hair, thick and curly, to her waist. Wears red lipstick to match her hair and black eyeshadow, heavy eyeliner. She's pale and curvy, standing at a height of 5'5'' and 160 lbs. Several tattoos on her body, including full sleeves on both her arms of various colorful images, and up the sides of both her legs and twining up her torso. Has cybernetic-looking bat wings tatted on her back as well. Wears black dresses with deep red undertones. Has the pale skin and freckles of her irish ancestors, but the build of her hispanic ancestors.
History: Betty grew up in a Southern town in America with her grandmother. Her parents were killed when she was four by a serial killer passing through her town. A black slave was strung up and accused of the murderers, even though he was innocent. Being the only eyewitness and due to her young age, her pleas that he was innocent went unheard as the man was lynched in the streets. her grandmother picked them up and moved to Dodge, Kansas, where she died twelve years later, leaving a young Betty alone in the town.
With no formal schooling other than basic learning, Betty was forced to turn to prostituting. Taken in by the local Guild, she was educated in the arts of pickpocketing, grooming, self-defense, art, Western culture as well as music. (She has a lovely singing voice, ask any of her Johns.)
With her former life gone, Betty woos and beds the highest standing public officials. Her recommendations spotless as well as her reputation as a prostitute (disease-free, cybernetic and mutation free, as well as cultured, soft-spoken, and intelligent) has made her highly sought-after, both for her skills and her company.
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Elisabeth Hollow |
Oct 26 2013, 07:23 PM
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Ancient
Joined: 15-November 12
From: Texas
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I think I'm sober enough to post now XD
If anything is off, please let me know.
EDIT:
Just so we're clear about the prices, I did a bit of research and prostitutes charge about $50-$150 for oral sex NOW, depending on time of day, circumstances, and dress of the man.
Converting the currency from 1860, $1 equals about $10.22(back in 1980) I'm sticking with those prices because Liz no like math and not sober all the way, lol.
So five bucks back then is $50.10 with my conversion. So five bucks for a handy was pretty expensive, but still on the lower side. Given Betty's expertise, she normally charges about ten to twenty dollars, but because of the dingy area, she's lowering her prices. She's in no way a "cheap whore," but makes exceptions.
If a woman NOW says "five bucks for a handy," RUN.
This post has been edited by Elisabeth Hollow: Oct 26 2013, 07:42 PM
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Elisabeth Hollow |
Oct 26 2013, 08:38 PM
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Ancient
Joined: 15-November 12
From: Texas
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I'm just trying to help with the currency issue lol EDIT: Here's an Inflation Calculator to help a bit. This post has been edited by Elisabeth Hollow: Oct 26 2013, 08:44 PM
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