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These High Skies
A Victorian Adventure
The Grand Bazaar, Central London, 1887
A chilly afternoon
It's packed with people. Scores upon scores of them littered the shop rows, peering into the latest brass machines and poking at trinkets brought from the far clutches of The British Empire. The Bazaar had it all... priceless Earth Vases from The plains of Africa to the smoothes silk from the depths of The Orient, all up for sale if you have the right kind of coin at hand. Despite this, it is a place where the rich mingle freely with the poor. Here, it is the sellers who choose who they sell to. Using
A true paradise amongst the industrial steam from the airships up above and the factories down below.
A paradise you're not looking for.
The Turk re-adjusts his Fez before he grabs his monkey companion and places it back onto his shoulder.
"Good pay you say? " he smiles as he counts his gold. His prosthetic arm, covered in gears and brass, squeaks as he pushes the gold pieces from one side of his palm to the other. "The Expanse is a risky, dangerous place, but can earn you the money you need. More than exploring the jungles of South America and safer than civilising the Artic," he shrugs, "Besides, being a crew member on an airship is much easier. Just transport big boxes over large distances. Shoot down a pirate or two. Act as the Empire's law enforcers of the Sky for awhile. Simple enough."
You nod your head, before throwing a couple more gold in the monkey's direction. It picks it up, inspects the coin a little closer under the sunlight before chucking it over it's shoulder towards the salesman.
"Yeah... I know just the person," he ducks under the counter. After several bumps and curses, he reappears with a sign up form, "Fill out your details here and here and...here. Sign here, here and here. Mail it to this address with 5 pieces of Rostyiron and, if accepted, expect a blood, red marble, tightly wrapped as a gift on your doorstep from Captain Stewart himself."
You show a look of confusion and shock, only for a brief moment. But it's enough for those sharp eyes of his to spot.
"No... I don't know how he does it. Maybe he's an Alchemist . Not a creeper, definitely, not a stalker," he shrugs before cracking open a smile and raising a finger up at the sky, "You won't see much of those up there."
You quickly glance down at the sheet, before tucking it away neatly into your jacket. You give the young Turk a handshake and nod before shifting and disappearing back into the ever moving crowds of the Bazaar.
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"These high Skies" is primarily an adventure RP, combining elements of combat, resource management, quests and more in a magical, steampunk world.
The RP is set in an alternate 1887, where large Zeppelins roam the heavens and Tesla Coils are everywhere. Up above the clouds lies The Expanse, a strange, seemingly infinite expanse where the laws of nature hang in limbo. Discovered in the late 18th century when the first manned hot aired balloon broke through the clouds and spotted the impossible.
Floating objects. Rocks and earth apparently. Higher than any mountain. Countries around the world sent up their own airships and sure enough, they covered the skies.
First, only the scientists and explorers took notice. Perhaps a few ambitious entrepreneurs too. Floating rocks didn't seem to have any money making benefit and really only caught on interest in the science world. That's until they sent a man up to one of the rocks and brought back Minerals. Many different kinds, never seen before. At first, many dull burned far better than coal. They discovered some had addictive properties and even replaced tobacco due to it's proximity to the european nations and were common. This encouraged monarchs and companies to pour money into the these explorers and mode of transport. Like the continent of Africa, the skies were divided and owned by mostly European countries, adding another source of income to Empires.
Mechanics and engineering flourished, boosting technology further. Soon enough, the Minerals were hitting the market, cheap enough for the common man to afford.
And when a tinkering, amateur alchemist accidentally mixed just the right amount of Mineral into his concoction...well...it destroyed and re-wrote the basis of science.
Miracles, they called it. Short distance teleportation, telepathy, levitation and so on. These miracles only occurred by pure chance. Acquiring the specific minerals were rare and putting together a perfect concoction by pure chance was even rarer. Only a few miracles and recipes were written down, but the rest are lost to time and even more need to be discovered.
You are part of the Crew on board the RMAS Richfield. A medium-sized cargo boat, specialising in transportation of small deliveries. But don't be fooled, The Expanse has it's nooks and crannies amongst those floating boulders, hiding away the darkest secrets.
In These High Skies, you along with the crew can trade and explore amongst the floating rocks of The Expanse, meet strange and unique characters and embark on side-quests all while tearing away decades of mystery and conspiracy.
