A Lost History

Our story takes place in a Victorian Revival Setting, where honor is valued and duels are common. Many decades have passed since the upheaval, and the devastation that ravaged the planet is lost to history as mankind forges ahead.

The Past
In the late 1800's, the Earth was siezed in the grip of a series of massive quakes, moving continents at an unheard of rate. The earth itself was nearly turned inside out as continents rose and fell for nearly three decades. For nearly three decades this continued and in the end, the planets surface was unrecognisable.

The violent movements rearrange the structure of the planet, bringing new elements and compounds to the surface while rearranging the earths magnetic field, destroying the familiar north and south poles while creating rivers of incredibly intense magnetic force. These rivers made iron, steel, and other magnetic materials useless while giving rise to masive single poled lodestones that seemed to hang in the air, repeled by the earths new magnetic fields.

These stones were sources of wonder and innovation for the struggling survivors, being used to built massive sailing ships that traveled the sky as was done in the past. Mankind could have been stalled at this level of technology for centuries if not for the discovery of Micoria, which seemed similar to soft iron, nearly useless on its own but rapidly heated on contact with water, boiling it to steam.

Within a span of only a few years, and barely a generation after the great upheaval that destroyed civilisations, mankind had resumed where it had left off, salvaging the remains of steam engines to make use of these new discoveries. Massive airships powered by sails roamed the skies, trading goods and bringing the remains of mankind closer together.

The Present
Society is evolving. Where the remainder of humanity had once been united in it's struggle for survival, it was now breaking apart. With prosperity came greed. Corporations are claiming land, fighting amongst themselves and those outside of society, raiders and pirates that seek to benefit from the work of others and take what they will through violence.

Land ownership falls under three categories. The excavation company Global Minerals is the most powerful of these. Initial a mining company, they exploited the land, mining for metals and Micoria. In recent years, they aquired many manufacturing centres, no longer needing to outsource production.

Their largest competitor has a similar history. Once simply a manufacturing company, Hercules Engines has broadened its reaches to include mineral excavation after many of its contracts were cancelled by Global Minerals.

The remainder of land is either owned by smaller companies that produce food or textiles or unclaimed for various reasons, and is inhabited by raiders and pirates that prey on the convoys that travel the trade routes through this land.

With mankinds return to progress, came a return to exploration. Along with tales of a world that no longer matched any maps, came tales of a beast that had long since been restricted to legend. Once pushed to the edge of extinction, dragons had returned. Coming from secluded islands and the wilderness of the far north, the seized territory immediatly and held it with extreme ferocity.

The Technology
With the majority of the earths iron now being powerfully magnetic, new metals such as copper and bronze must be used. Since the upheaval these metals are easily mined and used.

The steam engine is now the primary force behind industries, driving progress and letting mankind have control over its domain like never before. Heavier than air flight is just emerging, with biplanes being used heavily by pirates and by convoys escorts alike.

Airships have progressed beyond the use of sails, and instead use steam engines to power them across the sky, over land and sea to deliver goods. Preying on these airships are the pirates with light aircraft launched from hidden airfields battling the ships own aircraft and mounted weaponry.