The Golden Age of Sky Piracy (Low-Fantasy Steampunk RP Sign Ups)

The year is 1867, the beginning of a golden era of technological innovation, but also the resurfacing of an old threat- piracy. Like the ocean pirates before them, sky pirates have begun to collect a reputation along the last half a decade, and it has become a pressing issue to the many governments of the world. Many great powers, including the British Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia, have created dedicated task forces to stopping piracy in their territory, but it still seems ineffective at combating the issue (It is rumoured this is because of rampant corruption inside the groups, though no country seems to be willing to investigate themselves, and are much more content to blame the others). The ease of access to modern dirigibles, complete with the most advanced weapons tech known to man, is becoming a thorn in the side of many a country. Some, including the French, have outright banned the personal ownership and flight of dirigibles over their territory, going so far as to use advanced weaponry to blow them out of the sky.

Outside of the human population, this world is also populated by other beings: Orcs and Elves. Both are treated as inferior classes, and racism is rampant, especially to the Orc population. Just last year, in 1866, Orc populations were treated so poorly that a large-scale riot broke out in London, as well as several other areas throughout the British Isles. A large-scale punishment program has seen much of the Orcs moved into slums, shantytowns, and (if they become dissident) labour camps. Elves have not seen it well either, with nigh-genocide of native Elven population being committed by the United States of America (in fact, this is a large cause of the Civil War, in this universe a still-ongoing conflict), and multiple mass exiles from Russia, many of them ending up in places like Poland. Areas such as Australia and New Zealand are regarded by many as world-wide exemplars of civil rights to non-human citizens, and it is not uncommon to see mixed couples publicly. A far cry from the streets of London, most certainly. The world's most well-known Elven figures now all operate out of Poland and Australia. Likely due to their mistreatment, it is not uncommon to see large crews of non-humans on Pirates' ships.

Magic is a very common thing in this universe. In fact, anyone with enough basic knowledge of it should be able to create basic forms of magic- essentially party tricks for the upper classes. However, fundamentally, magic functions very differently from the many fantasy universes one may be familiar with. Intensive magic, as well as any discipline under that umbrella (Medical, Constructive, and Destructive) is just that- intensive. It is not uncommon to see beginning mages drop from the amount of strain the magic puts on their bodies. You can not just take a swig of some "potion" and suddenly go back to full magical capability, and you definitely are not going to be casting dozens of your best Magic Missiles left and right before you lose capability. Even basic spells, such as a simple fireball, take upwards of two years to be able to accomplish reliably, and without immediate risk of internal damage to the caster. The danger of magic is such that, in 1623, the most powerful mage known to man, Sir Isaac Popov, died after casting forth a massive golem of clay. This golem later went on to destroy large swathes of land across Prussia, killing an estimated 115,000 and leveling an entire city. This is the only instance of such magic ever occurring, as no person has ever come close to his level of skill, nor has anyone ever been stupid enough to try it. If you read this entire thing, put 'Hooby Gooby' in the "Other" section of your character form.

Mages are rarely seen in the criminal world, as their prowess with magic almost guarantees them a well-paying job, though it is not impossible. One of the most infamous Sky Pirate captains, Legretta Scott, was a graduate of the American Mage College in Boston, and her crew is well known to use magic when they board airships. However, for the most part, destructive magic has been supplanted by the advent of gunpowder. With it's extreme power, ease of creation, and low risk to the user, it is much more common to see a crew armed with pistols and rifles than with magic. On the same note, in 1838, a large detonation of gunpowder created an explosion 10 times the power of the largest recorded fireball created by Sir Issac Popov, one that put him in a coma for 8 months. With this detonation, it became rather clear that gunpowder was here to stay, and in turn many of the world's militaries outright removed any and all magic lessons from training. Destructive magic is now primarily used in airship crews as a quick way of destroying an enemy's balloon. Constructive magic is also commonly used in the creation of weapons, a 'smith's way of polishing up and personalizing a weapon just a bit more for a customer.

With the advent of brand new steam technology, humanity has made extreme leaps in technology, sufficiently industrializing much of the world. Among these technological marvels are the 5 floating cities: New London, Port Parteau, Las Grenadas, Courtland, and Xiyet. Port Parteau in particular is known as a hub for illegal trafficking rings and pirates. Many infamous Sky Pirate captains have been sighted by citizens passing through, most notably Phineas "Redbeard" O'Connor, a suspected resident of the area. Modern airships are also wonders to behold- massive, spectacular displays to the glory of science, with enough room to house at least a decently-sized hotel's worth of people for a 5 months. When armed properly below deck, these ships can become moving fortresses, being used for everything from banking, to borderless colleges, to military bases that can land in an instant. Combined with revolutionary new boarding guns that will harpoon an enemy's deck for you, there is also a lot of room for piracy. While these boarding cannons were originally only intended for military vessels, it didn't take long for models to leak to the pirate market, and soon there were dozens of variations on the original design.

New London: Several kilometers above London, the world's largest flying city resides, a crown in the British Empire. Constructed in 1863, New London is so significant that the Queen has permanently moved residence there. Notable for it's incredibly modern police force, clean streets, and wonderful food, New London is one of the safest places in all of Europe, and it is likely to stay that way for many, many years, as the wealthy move there to avoid the squalor of the streets of London.

Courtland: Built in 1860, Courtland is the third largest flying city, yet the most populated one by a long ways. With just over 1 million residents, Courtland is home to many different people, all just off the coast of Italy. Courtland is a hub of creation, with artists, playwrights, and musicians all coming to live in the city. Outside of this, the city is mostly notable for it's wonderful view of the sea, as well as it's cultural hodgepodge, with no one lingua franca in it.

Xiyet: Created in 1862 just above the city of Fuzhou, China, Xiyet is the fourth largest flying city, as well as the only one in Asia. Unlike many of the other flying cities, Xiyet is a perfectly normal city in essentially every way. It is not uncommon for residents to commute to the city below and vice versa, and the nature of the city makes it a great technological hub for Chinese inventors and architects.

Las Grenadas: Created in 1856, just off the coast of Portugal, Las Grenadas is the most technologically significant place of the last century. As the oldest floating city, Las Grenadas provided the template for all that followed, and also demonstrated that the now-united Iberian Empire was still more than capable of pushing the envelope. Possibly as a result of it's age, it is the second largest flying city, and definitely the most well-developed. It is easily the one with the highest standard of living, with only New London coming anywhere near it. The experimental nature of the city also meant that certain technologies are present on it that others do not have. The most well known experimental feature of it is the 'nightdome', a steel, telescoping barrier that can close in an instant, and goes up at around 22:30 every night, effectively barring night-time travel in and out of the city. Las Grenadas is certainly the most well known and best developed flying city.

Port Parteau: Created in 1866, Port Parteau is the youngest and smallest flying city, as well as the only one not located near any main land, as well as the only one not attached to any prior countries, instead being a completely free state. Port Parteau is a common stopping point for traders when moving between Europe and the Americas. It is also a pirate hotbed, with many of the most well-known pirates currently either residing there (or at least being rumoured to) or stopping there regularly. As a result of this, many military convoys opt to avoid the area out of fear of pirate attack in the night. As well as being a criminal hub, it is incredibly well-armed, with well-made cannons of all types protruding out of underdomes of the city, effectively making any assault that isn't full-on military scale complete suicidal. Though small, Port Parteau is another culturally varied, extremely equal city-state with a vehemently nationalistic population.

Modern weapons technology is largely reliant on 3 things: Gunpowder, steam, and Magic. There is a lot of crossover and mixing in types of creation, but for the most part the main 3 aspects have their own, distinct features.

Gunpowder: Despite having existed for hundreds of years, gunpowder-based weaponry has only exploded in popularity in the last 30 years, as repeating carbines, revolving rifles, and double-action revolvers have permeated the modern weapons market. On ships, outdated magic-based cannons have seen replacement by the cheaper, more easily maintained, more reliable gunpowder cannon. Common issues with gunpowder weaponry include: Bulkier and slower to reload than magic weaponry, gunpowder storage is potentially dangerous (See: Volatile and explosive).

Steam: Steam weaponry, while impractically heavy for most regular foot use, has exploded in popularity on sky ships, where they can operate off of a common power supply. Steam weapons are valued for their versatility, especially as it is relatively easy to improvise ammo for them. Steam-based cannons are almost as common as gunpowder ones, and are almost universal on all British Royal Navy vessels, both on and off water. Common issues include: Extra water and coal, meaning extra overall weight, more difficult to maintain then gunpowder weapons, more required maintenance than gunpowder weapons.

Magic: The oldest form of weaponry, magic weapons have been around since 706, and has the largest possible use. Magic is imbued in many things, from common swords to customized magic cannons that have no need for gunpowder or water. Combine this with the more reliable nature, as well as the versatility of the magic, and it is easy to see why it took so long for a technological revolution. The majour issue is that these weapons are expensive. The cheapest magic skyship weaponry is about 3 times the cost of even the most expensive gunpowder cannon. On foot, magic weapons are all but gone, limited to a few hand weapons from ages past, and yet a sword imbued with magic still runs double the cost of a revolving pistol. This cost also extends into repairs- if any piece of magic weaponry breaks, a professional magic repairman will need to be called, and they charge a premium for their services. However, if the person can afford it, magic weapons are some of the most versatile, reliable, and powerful weapons on the market. Common issues include: Cost, maintenance, and difficulty in use.

Legretta Scott: (Elf) Captain of the Kimberly and Graduate of the Mage's College of America. Her crew is infamous as one of the few that regularly employs and uses magic of all sorts (though they also quite regularly uses firearms and cannons of the gunpowder variety). One of the few Elvish refugees from America's attempted genocide of the native populous, Scott has a vendetta against the United States, and will regularly assault union airships. Currently the price on Legretta Scott's head is 1,000,000 US Dollars, 20,000 Pounds, and 200,000 Francs.

Michael M. Madsen: (Elf-Human mix) Founder of Port Parteau, Madsen was a dissident to King Galil from a young age, being arrested 4 times from the ages of 17 to 21. At the age of 44, Madsen finally gathered the funds (and the weapons) to create a floating city-state in peace. While officially a place founded by a disenfranchised Frenchman, Madsen is rumoured to have also made Port Parteau with the intention of creating a force large enough to overthrow the French government. Written works by Madsen are currently banned across the entirety of France, and his remaining family have all been mysteriously killed following the completion of Port Parteau.

Phineas S. O'Connor: (Orc) Also known as 'Redbeard', O'Connor is easily the most wanted pirate across the sky. Starting his life out as a member of the Royal Navy, O'Connor talked his original crew aboard the Black Eagle into mutiny. This set him off into a life of piracy, and his ships are currently carrying well over a hundred men and women from all walks of life. Some of his most famous exploits include the capturing of the RMS Brigador and the raiding of 3 American military convoys. O'Connor is far from a good man, killing upwards of 200 men himself, with his crew easily having killed over 10,000. Currently, the price on O'Connor's head is over 3,000,000 pounds, 1,050,000 reals, over 800,000 Liras, 80,000 Francs and over 2,000,000 US Dollars.

John McBride: (Human) American pirate and captain of the aptly named McBrigate, McBride is well known as a man with a good sense of humour. Do not let this fact make you think him less of a threat, as McBride has killed hundreds in his time as a pirate. The crew of the McBrigate detonated barrels filled with gunpowder across the streets of an Orc ghetto in New York, and nearly destroyed the Black Eagle, almost killing Phineas O'Connor in a brief engagement. McBride has also shot many innocent soldiers aboard an Iberian Navy ship called the Blossomer. The price on McBridge's head is up to 700,000 Dollars.

Jocelyn C. Bianchi: (Elf-human mix) An Italian pirate with a small crew and captain of the Volpe. Well known as a fiercely independent woman, her crew consists of little but females, with 2 men out of a crew of 36. She works closely with Jeanine Santos and her crew, and trusts little other in the sky. She is most infamous for taking very few ships for herself, instead preferring to destroy ships, leaving the crews of them to plummet to their deaths. Bianchi has a bounty of 45,000 Liras and 20,000 Reals.

Jeanine Santos: (Elf) An Iberian pirate, with a crew comparable to that of Legretta Scott's. Santos is the captain of the Roca Hambrienta. She works closely with Jocelyn Bianchi, and the two have concocted several schemes together. She is most well-known for the seducing and killing of James Brown, a British Navy commander. Currently, Santos has a bounty of 200,000 pounds and 13,000 reals.

Catalina McDaniel: (Human) An Australian pirate, and captain of the Red Eagle. McDaniel is good friends with Phineas O'Connor, and an associate of Legretta Scott. The Red Eagle has become a name synonymous with freedom in Australia, with McDaniel regularly assaulting prisons to add to her crew. Her actions have garnered her a hefty bounty of 300,000 pounds.

Jeremy McDaniel: (Human) An Australian pirate and brother of Catalina McDaniel, captain of the Siberian. While McDaniel has gotten a name in with pirates of many other species, McDaniel's crew is well known for co-operating with the US government in executing Elven populations in the states of Texas and Louisiana. McDaniel is well-known as compliant with only the US government and nobody else. His most well known action (outside of his work with the US) is an assault on the Black Eagle, an action that saw his previous ship, the MacDonald, destroyed, and saw Legretta Scott put into critical condition for several months. He subsequently got his next ship by attacking slave convoys. Currently, McDaniel has a bounty of 150,000 pounds and 50,000 reals.

Juliette Miranda: (Human) An Iberian pirate, and captain of the King Phillip. Miranda is known to keep a crew of exclusively humans, refusing work to even the hardiest orc or elf. Miranda got a name for herself by capturing the King Phillip in a swift and brutal assault that left half of the crew dead and the other half surrendering. From there she has garnered a reputation for equally speedy assaults that destroy enemy crews within minutes. As far as pirates go, Miranda is one of the most dangerous, as well as one of the most efficient, in the sky. The bounty on Miranda's head is currently 400,000 reals, 30,000 francs, and 200,000 pounds

Kurt C. McDonnel: (Human) Captain of the Big Frown, McDonnel is a well-known associate of Legretta Scott, being the man who smuggled her out of the United States to his home in Ireland. McDonnel is also ring leader of the EFA, a group of pirates dedicated to smuggling Elves out of America before they can be executed. It is suspected that the EFA has saved over 200,000 lives. As a result of his affiliation, McDonnel has a bounty of 500,000 US Dollars, though the Irish government refuses to arrest the man, and many recognize him as a hero.

King Jean F. Galil: (Human) The new King of France, instated after the revolution successfully killed the previous Royal Family down to the last child. Galil and his group of new loyalists spent 20 years fighting the revolution back, eventually winning in 1812. Now an old, old man, Galil is paranoid of anyone who could threaten his power. As a result, Galil has set back technological progress in France by several decades, outlawing dirigibles and silencing any dissent with force. Port Parteau was created in defiance of Galil's will to keep France isolationist and restricted.

Lady Dolores Lawler: (Human) Leader of the Irish Republican Army, the force currently fighting the British in a war for independence. Lawler is also the de-facto leader of government for the independent areas of Ireland. She is known to harbour criminals from the British Empire and give them jobs in Ireland. She is also known as a close friend of Legretta Scott, and the crew of the Kimberly is regularly seen fighting alongside Irish Republican airships.

John F. Doyle: (Human) Leader of the British Anti-Piracy Operation (BAPO for short), Doyle was on the Black Eagle when O'Connor caused his mutiny. Doyle's task force consists of over 10,000 men, 15 airships, and over 5 million pounds of government budget.

Watcher: (Orc) Not much is known about Watcher. The only things known by anyone outside of Port Parteau is that he is a male and that he is a magical genius. Dubbed the most powerful mage of the last century, Watcher has shown capability of remotely casting spells anywhere in Western Europe. He is willing to help people out, for a price. He has seemingly committed to assisting the IRA, though it is uncertain how faithful he would be to the cause if he were found by the British. He is currently confirmed to speak English, French, Gaelic, Arabic, Yiddish, Latin, Italian, and German fluently enough to write extensive letters in each, though he is rumoured to know many, many more.

Franz J. Joseph: (Elf) Leader of the Prussian Gruppe Gegen Piraterie (GGP for short), Joseph is known as one of the best captains in the sky. His task force has captured or killed 2 of the most infamous captains of the sky, Francene Bellomo and Jean Moreau. With only 5000 men and 4 ships at his disposal, it is considered by many tacticians a complete miracle that the task force has done so well.

French Revolutionary War (1789-1812): The French Revolution began over an extreme economic disparity between the poor and the rich. Initially starting as riots, eventually the revolutionaries organized and moved to kill the royal family, a task they eventually succeeded in 1792. At this point, a new force, loyal to Jean Galil, engaged the celebrating revolutionaries, slaughtering them by the thousands in the streets. The revolution concluded with the defeat of revolutionary forces by Galil's loyalists.

The American Civil War (1850-Present): The American Civil War began over a report of the government committing mass genocide of Elven populations across the country. Swiftly, multiple groups sprung up around the country, claiming to be a part of a rebel army called the American Freedom Fighters. They almost immediately began armed conflict. As the war began, it soon became clear that the report was, in fact, real- with pictures of burned-down towns turning up in newspapers worldwide. No other countries have officially gotten involved, likely due to lack of concern for Elvish populations. The Irish revolutionary government has declared it's support for the Elf-supporting factions, but has yet to send soldiers to assist in the war effort. Fighting in the Civil War has been bloody so far, with over 400,000 killed just by the conflict itself. Elf casualties are so high that accurate numbers are nearly impossible to get, though it is suspected that at least 2 million have died at the hands of the government operation. As the fighting is still ongoing, it is impossible to say who will win, though recent casualties and defections from the AFF suggest that days may be numbered for rebel forces.

The Irish Republican Conflict (1853-Present): In late 1853, reports of a riot in Dublin had reached British Parliament. The Prime Minister ordered to put down the dissidents with violent force. When reports came back that the soldiers sent were killed, Delores Lawler declared that she and her army, known simply as the Irish Republican Army, were now in control of Dublin, and that Ireland was a free state. What has ensued was a violent conflict that has seen the government forces pushed further and further back by the Irish rebels. The conflict reached a peak when two revolutionaries detonated bombs inside parliament, killing themselves and multiple congressmen in the process, as well as killing the Prime Minister who started the conflict to begin with. Ever since, fighting has escalated to extreme levels, with many parts of Northern Ireland being barely habitable warzones.

The Fourth Great Mages' War (1562-1623): Reasons as to the start of this conflict have been lost to time, with the only remaining records of it showing absolutely terrifying casualty numbers. Divided into categories of how they died, 15 percent of the over 900,000 casualties were simply from overexertion. Fought between Prussia and Austria, the war eventually ended in favour of the Prussians, completely annihilating the Austrian state. The conflict eventually came to an end when Great Mage Isaac Popov died casting a spell that accounted for over 10% of the war's casualties. Despite these casualties mostly being Prussian, Austrian king Hans Anders was near when the spell was cast, and was killed in the golem's subsequent rampage, alongside both of his sons. His wife surrendered to Prussia out of fear for her daughter.

The First World's Fair (1851-1851): The first ever gathering of all the countries in the world, held in London. This is where many of the most radical ideas in steam technology were forming at the time, and is where the plan for Las Grenadas was first revealed. Lasting from June 23rd to July 15th, the First World's fair was an called an "astounding success, and demonstration of the times to come" by the Oxford University Press. All succeeding World's Fairs have been held in Las Grenadas.

The Second World's Fair (1856-1856): Started just 3 months after the completion of Las Grenadas, the Second World's Fair became a demonstration ground for the wonders of steam technology, as well as what went into making a floating city function properly. Most of the inventors looking into the floating city concept were in attendance this year, and the founders of the next 4 were all paying close attention. This event is also notable for seeing an attempt at destroying the city, with a masked man running towards the engine room keeping the city afloat, before being shot to death by guards. Investigations turned up no connection, but conspiracy theorists suggest it may have been France, the Iberian Empire's neighbor, trying to keep it from surpassing them.

The Third World's Fair (1861-1861): Held from July 22nd to July 25th, the Third World's Fair was notable for being the debut of New London. With the Queen in attendance, expectations were set high from the get go. Other technologies revealed at this World's Fair included the world's largest Sterling-powered Airship, the RMS Newport. Widely considered to be dominated by the British, the press lauded this Fair as a wonderfully enjoyable time, if shorter than the previous two.

The Fourth World's Fair (1866-Present): Held from June 5th to July 9th, the Fourth World's Fair was the first public showing of Port Parteau, as well as the first demonstration of possible steam weapons for infantry. France, barred from attendance, had two men show up regardless. One of them attempted to kill Michael Madsen shortly before the end of the festival, as the other attempted to hijack a ship set for Port Parteau. The events were public and brutal, with at least two dozen being killed in the crossfire for each. So far it has been widely considered one of the most interesting, yet dangerous events in recent history. After this, the Fair organizers announced that it would be changing location next time.

The Iberian Unification Conflict (1811-1813): In December of 1811, the Spanish Empire launched a surprise attack on Portuguese ports across the coast. Shortly after, they declared a state of war, with the two first entering open conflict on January 28th, 1812. Most of the conflict occurred over water, with only 3 majour battles occurring over land, and over a dozen occurring over water. However, with their ports blockaded and their supply running low, Portuguese forces surrendered to the Spanish on March 18th, 1813. Instead of brutalizing the people, however, the Spanish and Portuguese worked themselves into a new country, named after the peninsula they resided on. The two nations would, in the coming years, become one of the premier powers in Europe.

The Anti-Piracy Act of 1860: An act passed by British Congress in 1860 that detailed what qualified as sky piracy, and named multiple well-known pirates and crewmen. Established BAPO to destroy any and all piracy in Europe and the Americas.

Nathaniel Hiller - Played by Boodor85

Hugo Aijian - Played by aeiou