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Engine of War
This is a resurrection of an rp I started on the Bethesda Studio forums a while ago which failed due to the onset of my GCSEs... so I'm posting it up here, a first post and a half don't you think :D annoyingly I can't post links yet so I'll add the map and lore site later
Prologue
A train passes across the final Bridge towards Imperial Central, the heart of the Tamriellic rail network. The occupants are unnaware of the civil war, delayed by hundreds of years that will soon decend upon Cyrodil. And all because of the escape of one man.
Crassus stood, staring out of the window, staring down at the guards patrolling the walls below. He leant forwards against the port, the cold steel of the bars reminding him of his imprisonment. He was stuck here. That, was unacceptable, he was emperor, not a criminal! He shifted, the slippers making little noise on the thick carpet, he'd chosen them especially for this. Tonight he'd be free!
He'd spent his whole life here, trapped. The council had moved his family here, high up in the Jerall mountains years before his birth, as soon as the power of the Imperial family collapsed. Now he was here protected’ against threats to his security. Its Ironic, he thought, I'm trapped here, in the traditional centre of Imperial power, guarded by men who were once unquestioningly loyal to my family.
Well tonight would change all that, Crassus' wife had passed away recently; he had nothing to live for. This meant that the Council couldn't hold him, without leverage there was no obedience. There was a crack down below; it seemed to come from everywhere. Echoing round the mountainside. A man fell. Suddenly the guards were all alert, scurrying round beneath him, desperately looking for the sniper, whilst keeping low, trying not to be the next victim. Crassus waited, watching raptly from the window. Another few rounds sounded from the hills, still no sight of the sniper but nobody else fell. A shout! a guard by the gate signalled frantically. The Blades ran forwards, towards the parapet overlooking the huge gate.
There was panic, a Blade ran off, searching for sleeping soldiers no doubt. The men who remained on the walls let off a volley at their unseen opponent. The Blades ducked down and a return volley could be heard. Crassus was the only one who saw a small black shape flit over part of the walls, far away from the gate. The figure darted inside Crassus waited, the guards were busy at the front, more men began to swarm out from the building, the high tech, enchanted musket that was the standard weapon for the Blades seemed to be gaining the upper hand over whatever they were up against, their volleys became steadily closer together and they began to duck down less as replying volleys began to diminish. A wet thunk by the door. A couple of seconds, a click. The door swung silently open Crassus drew a knife, he’d smuggled it upstairs from dinner, in anticipation of this event. A man, dressed in baggy grey gestured to him, beckoning Crassus closer. The man reloaded a tiny crossbow, odd weapon that, must be ancient Crassus mused as he followed the man, stepping over the corpse of a guard and through the maze of corridors, towards moonlight.
Introduction
Magic had been the greatest force in Tamriel for a long time. It permeated every aspect of the lives of the citizens of the empire, from the obvious - the Arcane University, the guild, the monsters and gods of nirn. Then came the Industrial Revolution. Suddenly people could make things quickly using huge machines, travel all across the country using trains, which were nearly as fast as magical transport. Technology was cheap! It provided jobs and cheaper goods, trade and travel were opened up to more people than ever before and places that had seemed off the edge of the world were suddenly just a days journey away.
Guns were rising too, powder and shot had finally truly replaced the bow, and melee was becoming a secondary option, despite its surprising longevity, propped up for hundreds of years by magick. Magic itself began to decline as more and more people became enraptured by technology, enthralled by its new and exciting charms they were drawn away from the typical haunts of the intelligent; the vast halls of the (expanded) Arcane University.
Cities swelled and Cyrodil became the heart of an ever expanding industrial boom, its cities swelling so much that they had to rely on the support of neighbouring provinces to feed its growing population. The Imperial city spread across Lake Rumare which became black from the industrial waste spurned by the huge factories that rose out of the immigrant slums on the far banks of the city. The White gold tower itself was tainted by the sting of pollution. Thick black smog hung over the city night and day. Peasants in far off lands set off to walk its golden streets, only to end up in its slums, the cobbled streets around them covered with black soot and human filth.
The inner city, lit by miraculous electricity is home to the rich of Cyrodil; their homes ring the The Ocato University for Mundane Arts which sits inside the White Gold Tower, the hereditary seat of the emperor
History
Religion
Nine Divines are still very prominent in Cyrodil, because they actually did create the world, belief in them hasn't been shaken as much as it was in real life. Daedras are less worshipped, as the available countryside diminished, the shrines were moved to people's houses, making them harder to find. This kept the worshippers safe but, it was much harder for potential worshippers to find the shrines so the religion declined. It is still very prominant in other provinces which are more sparsely populated however.
Government
During the immediate aftermath of the Oblivion Crisis Cyrodil was changed forever when the Elder Council took power. They reappointed the emperor once the situation was stable (after about a year of intense peacekeeping). However during this time they enjoyed wielding their increased power and wished to hold onto it. So they forced the new emperor to sign a document: The Landlord’s Declaration. This was an agreement that forced the emperor to relinquish some of his power to form a 'Oligarchy' this system of government gave the Elder Council and other nobility, specifically the counts far greater control of their own affairs. The Emperor retained his influence, the 'Archons' sat in an extended form of the previous Elder Council including around 100 of the most influential people in Tamriel. The members all had one vote, except for the Emperor who had 5, meaning that his vote was enough to pass many laws using the simple system of majority decided by the council. The system however, began to slowly drain the Emperor's powers as the other members ganged together to improve their own rights.
Many of the council's members were businessmen and so it acted as a strong barrier for any laws to help the poor. The council was more interested in high profits than working conditions.
In its current state the Emperor has been phased out of direct government all together and has become no more than a figurehead, tightly controlled by the Council.
This has lead to a well organised government that is mostly concerned with trade. For the average citizen it is perhaps worse than a monarchy because a monarch is more impartial and is more likely to have some interest in aiding the poor, even if it is at the bottom of his list.
Races
There is no gender or racial discrimination in the Oligarchy, a trade government doesn't do well if its prejudices bar trade opportunities. The large numbers of immigrants however are loathed by the populace so there is a lot of bad feeling between the human races and others, especially the beast races who migrated in droves to try to find work in the factories of Cyrodil.
The Legion
The Legion is outfitted in simple blue trench coats, they are commonly known as bluebottles due to the colour of their coats and a common joke about the Legion hanging around by bars for reasons other than civil disturbances. There is also the Imperial Guards who act as elite infantry and as body guards to the 100 councillors. Rank is denoted by the design of a Tricorn hat worn by all officers. Of course the government can't afford to arm all these men with guns and so most are armed with extensive legal powers, an axe and a crossbow.
Technology and its studies
Rail
The railways are state run, they are a major source of transportation for everybody and none of the elder council members could agree on an official owner (there were several people with valid claims who had constructed large parts of the rail system for profit.) It was nationalised because it was decided that it would be better, and more convenient if the railways all linked together and had standardised charges. Running of the railway is on a rota so that people can spend no more than 4 years in charge at a time.
The spread of Technology
Technology has been quickly taken up by the major trade centres, the industrial revolution began in Skyrim, but the new tech was quickly taken up by the Imperials who exploited it fully. Cyrodil is the main industrial province of Tamriel and other nations have emptied to fill its cities. Most surrounding nations are dominated by abandoned towns and huge farms. Those who stayed behind have m,ade a fortune buying up the cheap land for farming. Most major cities in Tamriel are large industrial centres although more magically inclined races have been slower on the uptake and other provinces, most notably the Summerset Isles are lagging behind on the technological front. They are however far more magically oriented due to their aversion to technology and so magicians from these provinces are usually far better than their comrades from Cyrodil.
Elsweyr hasn't changed much, other than the shift in weapons and armour. They still wear medium armour, because they can deflect bullets to some degree, and do not impede the khajiit movement. However, they have shifted their weapons to guns for the most part, though many backward tribes stick to the scimitars and claws.
The cavalry of Elsweyr are the envy of the world, though the Senche has actually come to replace the Senche-raht as the battle mount of choice, due to the greater mobility. The natural skill with sabres, combined with the introduction of the repeater rifle, has gone well with the intelligent mounts of the Khajiiti. It is not one soldier enemies facing Khajiiti cavalry have to handle, it's two.
The cities haven't really "resisted" industrialization. It just was pronounced dead on arrival. The Khajiit culture values art, beauty, and passionate romance far above wealth and profits.
Improvements in cartography and archaeology have lead to major discoveries of the remains of an ancient civilization under the deserts of Elsweyr, as well as ancient Khajiiti artefacts, leaving the place a hotbed for smugglers and fortune seekers.
Border Watch, the town sitting on the border of Elsweyr and Cyrodiil, is a haven for the Renrijra Krin, who have been fuelled to greater acts of terrorism following the appointment of an Argonian as count of Elsweyr, they are a violent group, and Southern Cyrodil has been plagued by these terrorists for hundreds of years.
Summerset Isle and Morrowind have become the last haven for those who reject technology, ironically the epicentre of inspiration for Tamriellic technology is in one of the strongest anti industrial revolution communities. The Elves have refused to comply with the whims of Cyrodil and have become centres for magical research as those who wish to learn magic must leave the smoggy environment of the cities. Valenwood has also resisted because of the symbiotic lifestyle the wood elves share with their forest. Their resistance means little however and the forests of Valenwood are becoming ever smaller. Black Marsh remains wholly unexplored due to the diseases and harsh swamps that stop logger entering the land. Many Argonian tribes are still unaware of the industrial revolution and so Black Marsh is unlikely to be disturbed any time soon.
Dwemer
The Dwemer are still far superior craftsmen to the modern races of Tamriel, Dwemer metal still remains a mystery and so many dwemer devices could not be put into practice. As such the Dwemer didn't play a large role in the technological advancement of Tamriel because Dwemer tech relies on materials that the modern races simply can't use so, anything inspired by the Dwemer must be remade.
Dwemer artifacts have served as a consistant source of inspiration and of theoretical solutions for the problems facing the modern technology. Often however, people don't know what the dwemer machines do and so it is only with hindsight that people realise how similar the functions of som of their own machines are to those of the Dwemer. There are some true archaological enthusiasts in the society, sons of rich nobles who have forsaken a more mundane life to study and explore as they seek their fortune, lying deep in some abandoned ruin.
Universities and Societies
The Ocato University for Mundane Arts (OUMA)
Named for the founder of the Oligarchy The Ocato University for Mundane Arts (OUMA) resides in the old imperial residence of the White gold tower. The Imperial family was moved out into the country by the council. There is no engineer’s guild, the profession has become very widespread and the government has worked hard to prevent such a powerful trade union from forming - it could ruin their businesses. The mages guild has declined and offers no serious rival to anybody, magic has become something extra to be combined with a major in technology if the student wishes to go into one of the more technical fields of the day.
Fighter's Guild
The Fighter’s guild hasn’t changed much over the centuries; it’s still a centre for mercenary hire, though it is becoming much more popular as crime levels in the cities increase.
Mage's Guild
The Mage’s Guild has declined along with the Arcane University. It is still powerful however and has lots of influence in the least industrialised parts of Cyrodil especially in Skingrad where a second magical university has been started up.
Thieves' Guild
The Thieves' Guild has spread quickly with the population boom and is one of the major gangs that roam the slums of Cyrodil. They have become far more ruthless in recent years as they have been involved in turf wars with the other major gangs of Cyrodil.
The Dark Brotherhood
The Brotherhood has seen a rise in customers of late; the power plays of industrialists have given the brotherhood many targets for assassination. They have abandoned many of their old rituals and are more businesslike in their dealings.
Arena
The Arena has blossomed, most towns now contain a coliseum and gladiators are internationally adored as they travel round Cyrodil, fighting in the various tournaments available.
Imperial Archaeological Society
The society is mostly a collection of nobles who have lots of time and money. They aren't interested in archaeology for its historical meaning o much as how good something old would look on their mantelpiece. As a result later generations have lamented this period as being worse than the indifference seen before it.
This contrasts greatly to the younger members of the society who are eager young historians interested in making money from finding the next great breakthrough in some Morrowind ruin.
The society is, like most aspects of the empire, dominated by conservative members who dislike change and resist innovation and enthusiasm, especially in the archaeological society which is seen by many of its members as a gentleman's club for hobbyists. Many of the truly great archaeologists are amateurs who have a passion for history rather than official society members.
Archaeologist's Guild
Founded by the Imperial Archaeological Society to provide them with diggers who will work for low pay, because of their enthusiasm. These diggers are often far better trained than their employers and many a digger has made his fortune from an item deemed worthless by his employer.
The Imperial Society
The Imperial Society is a collection of the greatest minds of the day. They convene at the OUMA and provide council for the Oligarchy and a goal for those who wish to be scientists or great thinkers. Many of their members were great innovators; one of the Founding members was Bjjorn Septim, an adopted member of the royal family and the inventor of steam power.
Major Persons
Bjorn Septim (Nord) - Bjorn an old man. It’s been about 50 years since his invention and he has missed his chance at the imperial throne. He still holds great influence within the society but he has lost most of his power in the outside world.
The major men of the day are mostly industrialists. Tamriellic trade has caused the formation of large trusts, giving some buisinessmen virtual monopolies over certain resources. Most of these men live and work in the other provinces so they won't feature greatly in the rp. A few you might meet and will see the influence of are:
Industrialists
Germanicus Sextius (imperial) - Steel.
Germanicus is one of the most influential men in the Imperial City. He has a seat on the Elder Council and controls the views of many fellow councillors because of his prominent position in the trade circles of Tamriel, he effectively wields the votes 30% of the council through trade deals and contracts. Germanicus is probably the most ruthless man on the council and believes strongly in rugged individualism - everyone must look after themselves and expect no help. This effects his policies and he blocks many of the charitable ideas that come from other parts of the council.
Mathieu Bellamont (breton) - Shipping,
As well as the dock fee he owns his own fleet of merchant vessels which can be hired as an alternative to the docking fees. Mathieu is an important man. While it is impossible to truly hold a monopoly on shipping Mathieu was the one who extended and rebuilt the Imperial City Waterfront after The Wage Riots staged by the people of the city in desperation as they were being made to work for almost nothing to fuel the industries of the land. Mathieu now effectively owns the docks after manipulating his stewardship of the Waterfront whilst he rebuilt. While he isn't a member of the Eldar Council (many members think that he is a crook and he is shunned for his trade, background and behaviour) Mathieu commands a great influence in the Council, His ownership of the docks is used by terrified councillors as a weapon to limit the power of the growing trusts. Mathieu is a shrewd man, though laid back; he has a large and steady income and spends his life enjoying it. The Council however is correct about his criminal bent and he controls the Blackwood gang, a large, well organised group of immigrants, mainly Argonian (hence the name) The gang is very influential in the Imperial city and other harbour towns but falls away with Mathieu's influence as you get further from the water.
The Emperor
Crassus Septim (imperial) - Crassus has no real power anymore, though his family is rich and varied, many members are on the elder council still, mostly adopted men who Crassus tried to sway into supporting him. The people still like their emperors, Crassus would be a very popular man, if he could escape from house arrest...
Counts + Descriptions of towns
Janus Hasildor (vampiric imperial) - Skingrad
Janus has made Skingrad into the city of the rich, unlike other cities Skingrad has forgone industrialisation, relying on its vineyards and clean air to attract money. Skingrad is still the major source of Cyrodillic wine and has grown to include a university of magic. Because Skingrad is removed from the dead, dark world of that the other cities of Cyrodil inhabit it has become a haven for the natural flora and fauna of Cyrodil, alchemists have flocked to the area, providing a big boost for Skingrad. Due to the numbers of mages the city began to be seen as a place for the rich, Hassildor catered for this, turning Skingrad into a resting place for the movers and shakers of the Imperial city.
Severia Lalelius(imperial) - Chorrol
Chorrol has been absorbed by the wave front of the expanding Imperial city, the suburbs of Chorrol cross without a gap into the shantytown surrounding the capital. Severia has fought a hard campaign to maintain the independence of Chorrol and, though she has won she gained many enemies on the Elder Council, putting her in possibly the weakest position out of all the councillors. When Chorrol met the shanty town its property prices fell. Nobody wanted to live on the edge of a slum. Chorrol then, has gone downhill and had been absorbed into the slums as the rich left, their houses instantly filling with Squatters. There is not much that can be done about Chorrol's downfall and so Severia is looking weak as her powerbase is on the brink of disappearing.
Therdon Irgola (redguard) - Kvatch
Kvatch never regained its status as the second city of Cyrodil, after it was rebuilt it was pulled down the same road as the other cities, becoming a highly industrial zone. The city did have its advantages, it was on a main road so much of the trade from Anvil passed through it, it was near Hammerfell and so it had good trade relations with that province. It was also the nearest industrial centre to Skingrad and so made lots of money off the rich of that city travelling into Kvatch to purchase goods. The city has rebuilt its arena and is famed for its uniquely brutal slave matches where two contestants on death row fought to the death to escape their sentence for as long as they kept winning. Irgola himself is a redguard trader, in the absence of a count the city opted for democratic elections and so, once every 4 years the populace vote in a new mayor. This person represents Kvatch on the Elder Council. Because of its democratic tendencies Kvatch has been the first city to introduce welfare laws; it has a minimum wage and free healthcare, making it the most heavily taxed city in Cyrodil.
Aditte Moreau (breton) - Anvil
Anvil is the second most important city in Cyrodil. Aditte, the countess has spent much of her life crafting it into the second port of Cyrodil. It has many advantages because of this: its is free from the docking taxes of Mathieu Bellamont though his fleet is still present, there are many major cities in western Cyrodil and so Anvil sees lots of trade and is a natural conduit for trade to and from Kvatch and Skingrad. Anvil isn't an industrial city, it is dominated by the huge railway lines which flows the main roads across the continent. Vast shipments of cargo arrive by boat and leave by train everyday, each however must pass through the Anvil Exchange, the local Merchant's consortium. They are run by the Countess and have given Anvil real commercial influence, especially around Anvil and Kvatch.
Tharsten Broad-Axe (nord) - Bruma
Tharsten was once the leader of the most influential marauder gang in Tamriel, they scoured the Skyrim mining trade and caused the empire great problems, especially the industrialists who hated him with a passion for their loss of profits. Eventually the Council sent out a party of Legionnaires to deal with Tharsten. They were defeated and riled up the Nord who invaded Cyrodil, capturing Bruma in the process. The Legion acted fast however and his forces were pinned down in the city. Meanwhile, the Elder Council put forward a motion to offer him the status of Count of Bruma. This may have seemed odd but many of the politicians, the counts and provincial governors of the council wanted to limit the growing power of the industrialists. They narrowly carried the motion and sent an envoy to Tharsten who had finally been besieged in the city of Bruma after an extended campaign of guerrilla warfare against the well armed legionnaires.
Tharsten wasn't a stupid man and so he accepted the offer, assuming governance of the city. Tharsten is opposed to technology and has returned Bruma to traditional Nordic values, creating a sprawling Nordic hold. This hasn't been good for the economy of the city and many people have been left jobless or in dire poverty because of the harsh winters and the poor economic management.
Lucretus Valerius (imperial) - Cheydinal
Cheydinal has become a thriving industrial city, capitalising on its trade links with Morrowind and House Hlaalu. The current count, Valerius has done well for the city, he is currently trialling the world's first official postal service and has produced many such ideas in the past. Cheydinal trades directly with the capital and is therefore under its influence making the Cheydinal little more than a satellite of the Imperial City, soon to follow in the footsteps of Chorrol.
Idromea Arenim (Dark Elf) - Bravil
Bravil has always had a large Dark Elf community and they now run the city. Bravil is a hotbed for trade coming up the river towards the Imperial City and has reaped the same rewards as Leyawin and the Imperial City itself. This has finally pulled it out of its economic problems and the city has become a productive industrial city, aimed mainly at providing a suitable rest stop for the crews of the large cargo ships.
Vistha-Kai (Argonian) - Leyawin
Leyawin is another important trade city. However its business is far more sinister than that of Anvil. Leyawin is at the mouth of the niben, still miles from the Imperial city or any other major city. It doesn't receive many goods shipments, though there is still a large fleet there, carrying goods to other provinces. Leyawin's main trade though is slaves. With an Argonian in power you might think this odd. However the city's economy rests upon the illegal trafficking of people across the empire. Many immigrants come to Leyawin from Black Marsh. This is something that is put to use by Leyawin's underworld, including the Blackwood gang who, unlike other recruit the immigrants rather than let them be enslaved.
Weaponry
Flint Lock Musket - Muzzle loaded, slowest gun to load and inaccurate over long distances the Flint Lock musket is an obsolete weapon. They are however cheap and widely available.
Cap Lock Musket - Muzzle loaded, slow to load and inaccurate over long distances the musket is slowly becoming an obsolete weapon. It does however still pack a real punch and its not to be scoffed at. This is the common weapon of the Legion and the Imperial smooth bore is the most common weapon in Tamriel.
Flint Lock Rifle - Older version of the rifle, cheaper and more common, it is however slower to load and less accurate. It is a heavy weapon and the barrel is too long as the designers were trying to make up for its inaccuracies.
Cap Lock Rifle - more advanced than a musket, they load even more slowly but they are accurate and have more than twice the range. Rifles have Cap locks and fire lead balls still, the powder must be hand measured for each shot so, like the musket they are effectively single shot at close range. Rifles are still ignored by most militaries but they have been picked up by skirmishers across the world, they will often be used by successful bandits. They have been widely accepted by the beast races, though not as their core military weapons. Any elves who are technologically inclined also favour these weapons. Unusually these weapons aren't often manufactured in Cyrodil.
Bayonet - knife onna stick. The bayonet can be attached to the end of a rifle or musket, or used on its own. They are standard issue for almost all rifle units.
Revolver - classic revolver, rare and mostly found in prototype form thought there are some truly reliable versions. It is short ranged but deadly. 6 shot magazine these weapons are favoured by the city underworld for their convenience and availability.
Flint-lock pistols - out of date these weapons are one shot. they take nearly a minute to reload and are inaccurate, they are very cheap however.
Cap-lock pistols - Standard weapon of the day these weapons are virtually one shot. they take nearly 30m seconds to reload and are inaccurate, they are very cheap however.
Sabre - A cavalry weapon that has become the most widely used type of sword.
As well as this there is the standard array of medieval weaponry, though that is mostly way out of date.
Magical weapons
Magical weaponry is limited mostly to enchantments; the dynamics of these have changed since the Oblivion Crisis as weapons became more powerful and so, damage enchantments less useful.
Magic is now used to aid the caster instead of hurt the opposition directly for example: Many people make use of night eye enchantments as night scopes or detect life to spot camouflaged targets. People tend to let the gun do the killing and use the magic where it will do most good: aiding aiming. Or stealth, snipers often put a silence spell on their guns and invisibility on the smoke from the shot.
Of course people do still use magic bullets, for example shooting an artillery piece's powder supply with a fireball, but these enchantments aren’t as common as they once were.
Other possible enchantments include using a rage spell to snipe a target from 500m using the spell to make sure that they attack those trying to help them, making their death more certain. Summoning spells have also become more widely used on guns, its is very worthwhile to be able to summon a daedra in the middle of a rifle unit, especially because summoning magic is short ranged, making the enchantment invaluable on a bullet.
Character Conduct and Creation
This rp starts freeform but I will try to get people involved in the main quest through in game events. Everybody will start on a cross Tamriellic train from Sentinel to the Imperial city. It makes stops on the way so you don't have to be coming from Hammerfell. During the first thread or so I will give each player an event to kick off the main quest for them. If you would like something specific please tell me when you pm me your sheet or even write it yourself if you like :P
Character Sheet
Name:
Race:
Age:
Class:
Skills: (up to 7 skills, please make a spell section if necessary, skills don't have to be from the original TES games. There is a marksman and a weapons handling skill, one lets you shoot accurately, the other means that you know how to use your gun so that it won't backfire. )
Physical Description:
Mental Description:
Clothes:
Armor:
Weapons:
Misc Items:
Bio:
Rules
PM ME YOUR CHARACTER SHEET BEFORE ENTRY
No ubering
Do not character control
romance is fine
keep PvP fair, I'll leave it up to the players involved unless someone does something ridiculous
what I say goes
do not control another player's movements
you can decide the outcome of fights vs npcs but be realistic
If you search for stuff I will tell you what you find.
You can have up to 7 skills[/u]
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