Make sure you’re good scientists, not mad scientists, so someday you don’t destroy the world.
-My Chemistry Teacher
Welcome to SteamNES!
This is your chance to weave your own threads into the tapestry of a world- a world much like ours. The medieval world is fading away, being replaced by the world of science and technology. Great nations are spread across the world. However, power is not in their hands. It is in the hands of a very few. People who have an unnatural mastery of technology. The ability to engineer elabourate mechanisms, minds made up of naught but gears and clockwork. The imagination to create something beyond the wildest dreams of others, the skill to build it. These people are known as many things. The ‘Gifted’. ‘Sparks’. ‘Insane’. Some believe these gifts to be divine gifts- others, the direst curses. No one can understand how the Gift works. Even if a Spark explains how something is done, even if those instructions are followed to the tiniest detail, none can match their creations. Now, as a new age of humanity arises, follow your dreams. Build a mountaintop fortress to continue your studies in peace defended by fiendish traps and mechanical goons, explore the world by zeppelin and flier, carve out a small kingdom of your own, or seek to take the world in a storm of steam and technology!
Rules
This is a Story NES. There are still stats, simple, descriptive ones. However, the meat of this NES is in stories. You play as individuals (and their followers, in some cases), rather than nations. You can do, within reason, whatever you want.
These will act through stories, short and simple or long, descriptive and elabourate, whatever you want! I will make short, quick updates saying what happens, and update the map to show cities, borders, bases, and what have you. Orders are not necessary, though if you insist on sending them, they’re allowed.
Gradually, you can build up technology and forces, to be used basically however you want.
I will update with a short writeup and a new map.
All people are welcome to join! I don't need huge stories, even short little blurbs on what's going on will do if you're short on time.
Long stories, of course, are greatly appreciated.
Starting Template
Name/Player
Colour: A dot to represent your character on the map.
Nationality: Choose One, or ask me for details and I’ll help. Most of the nations all have real-world equivalents that may be fairly obvious. The colours may help.
Bio: Your character’s story.
Technology:Starts of as 'Generic', that is to say, steam-powered robots, small lighter-than-air fliers, and other baseline steampunk fare. Every Spark is capable of making these things. Later on, I will show what things you specialize in.
Forces: 1 Mechanical Man (you can call them whatever you want)
Map
Halls of the Gifted
Doctor Isaac Hayden, Mg.D
(1644 to 1686, by the Northern Calendar, -40 to 2 by the Spark Calendar)
This Vestlundic Spark, of some noble descent, always showed an aptitude for theoretical science. After completing a prestigious degree, he lived a fairly nondescript life as a professor at the Royal College of Vestlund. This all changed in 1679, when his Gift (at the time, a nigh-unknown phenomenon) manifested. His behaviour became more erratic than normal, but rapidly developed a field known to this day as 'Aniotic Physics'. Using this, he went on to create the S3 (Super Solenoid System) drive, the most powerful engine yet developed, as well as several other unrelated inventions for the military. The S3 would prove to be his destruction. During the testing of the second version of the S3, the exotic engine exploded, annihilating itself, Hayden, and all of the crew aboard the RVS Grenadier.
His death was a harsh blow to the scientific community, for not only were many developments in Aniotic theory and S3 creation lost with him, so was the opportunity provided in all of his future inventions. He is survived by one prototype S3 unit, and his myriad small inventions for the Vestlundic Military.
Father Leonardo
(1410 to 1457, by the European Calendar, -54 to 3 by the Spark Calendar)
Leonardo grew up as an impoverished peasant in the Espanic countryside until a spiritual awakening compelled him to begin a life of religion. For the first half-century of his life, he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the High Priest of Espan. He was always interested in the rationalist ideal of mixing science with religion, often studying with the greatest minds of the time. However, over time, his personal beliefs shifted from pious to fanatical. He began committing terrible crimes against those outside the Church, operating on their minds and bodies to 'convert' them. Upon the discovery of his actions, the reaction was so negative that even the fervent nation of Espan turned against him. Exiled, Leonardo left with only a cart, some supplies, and his first 'conversion', a young boy named Raul. Traveling to Sitala to practice his machine/human hybridizations on the local Yuwish population, he then traveled to Rabiyya beginning a reign of terror that would last for a third of a decade. Killing and 'converting' hundreds of locals, he wreaked havoc in the northwest of the country. His crusade was finally brought to an end when he was attacked by the assassin Malik al-Safwani, then a large Rabiyyan party hunting him. Escaping thanks to the work of his 'Crusader' walking armour and Raul's bravery, he traveled back northwards. However, once the group had escaped to safety, a part of Raul's long-damaged mind returned to consciousness. Raul realised that he had been lied to for years- Leonardo hadn't found him alone and mortally wounded. Raul had been brutally mangled by Leonardo, and his parents murdered. Furiously, Raul turned on his 'Father', decapitating him and breaking his body, leaving it to be consumed by the scavenging beasts of the mountains.
Leonardo had few relations with other Sparks, only once having a violent encounter with Doctor Leopold Vermeulen, and another time being sought out by Peter Williams, at the time seeking allies for his fight in the Anglian Civil War.
Peter Williams
(1418 to 1457, by the European Calendar, -46 to 3 by the Spark Calendar)
Born into a well-off but title-less family, Peter Williams had always been both a skilled engineer and a shrewd businessman. He founded the first commercial rail line in history, in Anglia. Building up a transportation monopoly, he rapidly became one of the most powerful and wealthy men in the country. As many have noted, power corrupts, and absolute power... oh come on, you know how it goes. Actions by the government and the upstart Spark Ryan Amedeus to create airships to circumvent the monopoly resulted in Williams' sabotage of the Amedean airship, resulting in huge bad press for the government. The political turmoil was only exacerbated by Williams assassinating Prime Minister Winston Brown, and pulling several strings to get a puppet government elected. Those who realised the manipulation turned against the 'New Government', triggering the Anglian Civil War. Williams' Steam Destroyers and Steamhulks aided the New Government, but his forces were not sufficient to overcome the huge antagonism that had built up against him. He fled the country for Rabiyya, searching for an ally in Father Lonardo during the midst of the civil war, only returning to command the final stages of the war. A final offensive was sent against Simon MacTavish' communists based around Oxford, who were supported by the Sparks Ryan Amedeus and Katherine Aylor. In the Battle of Oxford, Field Marshall Gaig nearly managed to defeat the rebels, only to then be flanked by forces from Lord Gabriel Blacktyde and Cid Hibiki. With the New Government's army crushed, Peter Williams fled via airship for a second time, only to be intercepted and shot down by one Cid Hibiki's Griffon Airships. Crashing into the Channel, the wealthy industrialist's body was not found until it washed up on the coastline near Caen, in Gallia. Being shipped back to Anglia, the Williams family managed to bury their son in the family cemetary without raising too much attention.
Peter Williams, for all else that may be thought of him, was the prime innovator and master of practically-applied Steam Technology in his time.
Updates
February, Year One
April, Year One
August, Year One
November, Year One
May, Year Two
November, Year Two
July, Year Three
March, Year Four
July, Year Four
February, Year Five
November, Year Six
July, Year Seven
April, Year Eight
-My Chemistry Teacher
Welcome to SteamNES!
This is your chance to weave your own threads into the tapestry of a world- a world much like ours. The medieval world is fading away, being replaced by the world of science and technology. Great nations are spread across the world. However, power is not in their hands. It is in the hands of a very few. People who have an unnatural mastery of technology. The ability to engineer elabourate mechanisms, minds made up of naught but gears and clockwork. The imagination to create something beyond the wildest dreams of others, the skill to build it. These people are known as many things. The ‘Gifted’. ‘Sparks’. ‘Insane’. Some believe these gifts to be divine gifts- others, the direst curses. No one can understand how the Gift works. Even if a Spark explains how something is done, even if those instructions are followed to the tiniest detail, none can match their creations. Now, as a new age of humanity arises, follow your dreams. Build a mountaintop fortress to continue your studies in peace defended by fiendish traps and mechanical goons, explore the world by zeppelin and flier, carve out a small kingdom of your own, or seek to take the world in a storm of steam and technology!
Rules
This is a Story NES. There are still stats, simple, descriptive ones. However, the meat of this NES is in stories. You play as individuals (and their followers, in some cases), rather than nations. You can do, within reason, whatever you want.
These will act through stories, short and simple or long, descriptive and elabourate, whatever you want! I will make short, quick updates saying what happens, and update the map to show cities, borders, bases, and what have you. Orders are not necessary, though if you insist on sending them, they’re allowed.
Gradually, you can build up technology and forces, to be used basically however you want.
I will update with a short writeup and a new map.
All people are welcome to join! I don't need huge stories, even short little blurbs on what's going on will do if you're short on time.
Long stories, of course, are greatly appreciated.
Starting Template
Name/Player
Colour: A dot to represent your character on the map.
Nationality: Choose One, or ask me for details and I’ll help. Most of the nations all have real-world equivalents that may be fairly obvious. The colours may help.
Bio: Your character’s story.
Technology:Starts of as 'Generic', that is to say, steam-powered robots, small lighter-than-air fliers, and other baseline steampunk fare. Every Spark is capable of making these things. Later on, I will show what things you specialize in.
Forces: 1 Mechanical Man (you can call them whatever you want)
Map
Spoiler :
Halls of the Gifted
Doctor Isaac Hayden, Mg.D
(1644 to 1686, by the Northern Calendar, -40 to 2 by the Spark Calendar)
This Vestlundic Spark, of some noble descent, always showed an aptitude for theoretical science. After completing a prestigious degree, he lived a fairly nondescript life as a professor at the Royal College of Vestlund. This all changed in 1679, when his Gift (at the time, a nigh-unknown phenomenon) manifested. His behaviour became more erratic than normal, but rapidly developed a field known to this day as 'Aniotic Physics'. Using this, he went on to create the S3 (Super Solenoid System) drive, the most powerful engine yet developed, as well as several other unrelated inventions for the military. The S3 would prove to be his destruction. During the testing of the second version of the S3, the exotic engine exploded, annihilating itself, Hayden, and all of the crew aboard the RVS Grenadier.
His death was a harsh blow to the scientific community, for not only were many developments in Aniotic theory and S3 creation lost with him, so was the opportunity provided in all of his future inventions. He is survived by one prototype S3 unit, and his myriad small inventions for the Vestlundic Military.
Father Leonardo
(1410 to 1457, by the European Calendar, -54 to 3 by the Spark Calendar)
Leonardo grew up as an impoverished peasant in the Espanic countryside until a spiritual awakening compelled him to begin a life of religion. For the first half-century of his life, he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the High Priest of Espan. He was always interested in the rationalist ideal of mixing science with religion, often studying with the greatest minds of the time. However, over time, his personal beliefs shifted from pious to fanatical. He began committing terrible crimes against those outside the Church, operating on their minds and bodies to 'convert' them. Upon the discovery of his actions, the reaction was so negative that even the fervent nation of Espan turned against him. Exiled, Leonardo left with only a cart, some supplies, and his first 'conversion', a young boy named Raul. Traveling to Sitala to practice his machine/human hybridizations on the local Yuwish population, he then traveled to Rabiyya beginning a reign of terror that would last for a third of a decade. Killing and 'converting' hundreds of locals, he wreaked havoc in the northwest of the country. His crusade was finally brought to an end when he was attacked by the assassin Malik al-Safwani, then a large Rabiyyan party hunting him. Escaping thanks to the work of his 'Crusader' walking armour and Raul's bravery, he traveled back northwards. However, once the group had escaped to safety, a part of Raul's long-damaged mind returned to consciousness. Raul realised that he had been lied to for years- Leonardo hadn't found him alone and mortally wounded. Raul had been brutally mangled by Leonardo, and his parents murdered. Furiously, Raul turned on his 'Father', decapitating him and breaking his body, leaving it to be consumed by the scavenging beasts of the mountains.
Leonardo had few relations with other Sparks, only once having a violent encounter with Doctor Leopold Vermeulen, and another time being sought out by Peter Williams, at the time seeking allies for his fight in the Anglian Civil War.
Peter Williams
(1418 to 1457, by the European Calendar, -46 to 3 by the Spark Calendar)
Born into a well-off but title-less family, Peter Williams had always been both a skilled engineer and a shrewd businessman. He founded the first commercial rail line in history, in Anglia. Building up a transportation monopoly, he rapidly became one of the most powerful and wealthy men in the country. As many have noted, power corrupts, and absolute power... oh come on, you know how it goes. Actions by the government and the upstart Spark Ryan Amedeus to create airships to circumvent the monopoly resulted in Williams' sabotage of the Amedean airship, resulting in huge bad press for the government. The political turmoil was only exacerbated by Williams assassinating Prime Minister Winston Brown, and pulling several strings to get a puppet government elected. Those who realised the manipulation turned against the 'New Government', triggering the Anglian Civil War. Williams' Steam Destroyers and Steamhulks aided the New Government, but his forces were not sufficient to overcome the huge antagonism that had built up against him. He fled the country for Rabiyya, searching for an ally in Father Lonardo during the midst of the civil war, only returning to command the final stages of the war. A final offensive was sent against Simon MacTavish' communists based around Oxford, who were supported by the Sparks Ryan Amedeus and Katherine Aylor. In the Battle of Oxford, Field Marshall Gaig nearly managed to defeat the rebels, only to then be flanked by forces from Lord Gabriel Blacktyde and Cid Hibiki. With the New Government's army crushed, Peter Williams fled via airship for a second time, only to be intercepted and shot down by one Cid Hibiki's Griffon Airships. Crashing into the Channel, the wealthy industrialist's body was not found until it washed up on the coastline near Caen, in Gallia. Being shipped back to Anglia, the Williams family managed to bury their son in the family cemetary without raising too much attention.
Peter Williams, for all else that may be thought of him, was the prime innovator and master of practically-applied Steam Technology in his time.
Updates
February, Year One
April, Year One
August, Year One
November, Year One
May, Year Two
November, Year Two
July, Year Three
March, Year Four
July, Year Four
February, Year Five
November, Year Six
July, Year Seven
April, Year Eight
