A Mirror Has Two Faces

“Electricity has changed everything for the worst. There’s no two ways about it. I remember when I first started out. An engine was measured by its craftsmanship instead of its efficiency. A clock was praised for its intricacies whether or not it told the correct time. And a gun was a gun whether or not it could actually shoot.

I built my steamclock business purely for the thrill of using my hands. I built it all and that’s the only thing I’ve ever been proud of. It’s hard, turning nothing into something, even if it’s hardly something. I scratched and fought, I worried and anxiously battled the omnipresence of ruin. I’ve had a few ulcers from the stress of it all. But I did it, I made it. And now electricity is taking everything, literally everything away.

Have you heard? A clocksmith using electricity can pump out a steamclock in a quarter of the time it takes a steamsmith. And it’s easier too. They have these little tools; these little electric-powered tools that look like the teeth of the devil that can mold copper like clay with a precision unmatched by human hands. If I could only get my hands around the neck of the man who discovered this ‘devils fire’ I’d show him how precise human hands can be.

My business is in shambles. People have started using words like ‘foppish’ and ‘inefficient’ to describe the very clocks they once worshipped as technological miracles. And that pales in comparison to the larger picture. I might say I’d be pleased if the only outcome of this discovery was the destruction of my life’s work. But I’ve heard whispers saying that war is brewing. There are others like me, others who won’t, or can’t, accept the direction the world is running. The rivers of gossip that course through every pub in the city run deep with hatred for electricity and those who wield it, and it’ll only be a matter of time before something sparks a revolution.

Just one spark, like the first spark of an ‘electrical current’ is all it will take to send this entire world headlong into battle.

They say electricity can even turn a human body to stone.

I pray for us all.”

-Alden Greenwall

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Hey everybody! I posted part of this idea on the One-on-One RP forum and after thinking about the plot some, I realized that it would be much more suited to a group RP setting. Alright, so as you might of guessed from the intro this is going to take place in a Steampunk setting. Read up if your not familiar!

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The Story:

A man by the name of Rodnick Belfiore first proposed the idea of utilizing electricity about a decade ago. Despite his strong scientific evidence, he was unable to produce a working electrical model, and he was dismissed by the governing party - The USL (United Steamsmith League). This was at the height of steam powers glory. Those who understood and could properly harness steam power (A.K.A. Steamsmiths) were both revered and feared for their power and ingenuity. The USL had its hands deeply ingrained in the government and its influence could be felt through just about every facet of society. This was a time of prosperity for the middle and upper classes, for they had the means to afford and benefit from steampower. The lower class, however, was less fortunate, and was forced to grovel under the feet of the populace.

Ten years later, Rodnick appears before the USL again, this time having perfected his use of electric power. Worried that this new source of power might undermine their economic and political monopoly, the USL rejects Rodnick's findings once again. This time, however, he refused to slip quietly back into the shadows. Realizing that there was a large potential labor force for his market, Rodnick began to employ the lower class in factories that were entirely run by large electrical generators. Blaming steampower for their troubles, much of the lower class was quick to embrace this cheap new power source.

As it became more popular and people began to realize the efficiency and effectiveness of electricity, the USL found themselves severely threatened and began to run smear campaigns against the usage of electricity. They called it 'devils fire' and claimed it was 'dirty energy' that 'undermined the power that had sustained the world for decades'.

As support grew for each side of this 'power war', the likelihood of this battle remaining with propaganda seemed less likely. The stage was set for a war that could tear the world apart. On one side, the powerful steamsmiths that had developed and perfected their craft for near a century. And on the other, the newly coined electrosmiths that wielded a power that they didn't fully understand.

Will one side previal, or will the land be torn asunder by steam and lightning?

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What do you guys think? The story is going to be extremely freeform in the beginning. You basically have artistic license to create any characters/factions/inventions that would logically fit in a steampunk world.

*loves steampunk* I wish I wasn't leaving !!! >> *sigh* have fun with this it looks awesome

I'm in, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!

>:D

Awww, thanks Kaislynn, I wish you weren't leaving either!

Glad to have you on board 2401! I'd like to get at least four of us in on this before I make the OOC thread, so hopefully we can get more interest.

*poke*

Huh...

*pokes back*

I am interested, though I must say, it has been a while since I roleplayed in a steampunk setting. Will you be providing more information about the world in the OOC?

Yep! I was waiting to see if we could get enough interest to make it worthwhile to write everything out. I've got a lot on my plate right now so this may not start for a few days, but I'll get an OOC thread up soon so we can get this rolling!

Twoface_ecafowT wrote:Yep! I was waiting to see if we could get enough interest to make it worthwhile to write everything out. I've got a lot on my plate right now so this may not start for a few days, but I'll get an OOC thread up soon so we can get this rolling!

Fuck yeah! *arm pump*