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, welcome to Quintessence: The Hotaether Element

07:05, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Setting Information.

Posted by NarratorFor group 0
Narrator
GM, 1 post
Wed 7 Oct 2020
at 00:57
  • msg #1

Setting Information

This game is set in an alternate-history Earth, in the year 1905.  The following historical timeline provides the significant dates of divergence from our own timeline.

Pre-History:  The End of the Age of Dreams
The Great Dreamers withdraw into the deepest Sovereign Realms of Dream

circa 3300 BC
Early Sumerians codify sorcery, learning to make use of the mutated natural elements found in “thin” zones (later called Loci).  Techniques are devised to refine these elements which, when ingested by humans, allow greater feats of sorcery to become performed.  Despite the dangers, these become the first Inoculated Magoi (later Arcanists).

circa 3300-2800 BC
Despite great secrecy and the significant dangers of Inoculation, the knowledge of sorcery spread across Mesopotamia and into Egypt.  The number of Inoculated Magoi remains very small.

2590 BC
Gilgamesh, the fifth King of Uruk and an Inoculated Magos, unites the city-states of Sumer into an empire spanning the Fertile Crescent.  His 25 year reign culminates in the invasion of Egypt.

2570 BC
Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, defeats Khufu the Egyptian Pharaoh.  Lower Egypt is incorporated into the Sumerian empire while Upper Egypt remains under native Egyptian rule.  The Great Pyramid of Khufu remains half-finished.  Monumental ziggurats are built on the Giza plateau over the next several decades.  The unfinished Great Pyramid becomes the building platform for the largest ziggurat ever constructed.  For centuries thereafter, similar platforms are constructed for the base of the most important monumental structures of the Sumerians and their successors.

2464 BC
Attempting a tenth Inoculation, King Gilgamesh disappears.  The fragile Sumerian Empire collapses in the wake of his disappearance.

2270 BC
Sargon of Akkad usurps the throne of Kish and begins a series of conquests that reunite the Sumerian Empire, building a new capital at Akkad with the help of the great sorceress Althan-Ya

2055 BC
Mentuhotep II of Thebes ascends to the throne of Upper Egypt.  With the Akkadian Empire disintegrating and control over Lower Egypt slipping, Mentuhotep invades.  By the end of his 51 year reign, all of Egypt is reunited under Egyptian rule for the first time since the defeat of Khufu.

343-335 BC
Aristotle, in Philip of Macedon's court, learns about sorcery from Queen Olympias the mother of Alexander the Great.  While she was trained as a Magos, she refused her first Inoculation and married Philip instead

335 BC
Aristotle returns to Athens, founds the Lyceum and writes his greatest works.  Like his mentor, he spurns inoculation as inhuman and spends the rest of his life attempting to formulate an indirect means of understanding and using the magical substances.  His unfinished treatise is lost after his death, although fragments can be reconstructed from his other works and quotations of the lost treatise in the surviving works of his contemporaries.

circa AD 100-300
Various flavors of Gnosticism become popular among the Magoi in the vast Roman territories.  The Magoi retain a Gnostic-tinged philosophical tradition up to the present day.  Latin-speaking Magoi begin using the terms 'arcanist' and 'arcanism' to describe themselves and their art.

circa AD 1310
A number of Latin texts, together called the Summa Perfectionis Magisterii, regarding alchemy and metallurgy surface under the pen name “Geber”.  Geber is the Latinization of the name of a 9th century Persian alchemist.  It is unknown if these were new works or merely translations of the earlier Persian alchemist.  The works included discussions of the “magical elements” of the Magoi and describes attempts to isolate and distill the magical essence from the unusual substances found in the Loci. Magoi attempt to destroy all copies of this text, but are unsuccessful before the invention of the printing press in the 1440s make their suppression efforts futile.

October 1520
Aztec priests of Tezcatlipoca, called the Smoking Mirror, use arcanism of an unknown nature to contain and eradicate the smallpox outbreak in Tenochtitlan that occurs after the expulsion of the Spanish forces under Hernan Cortes.

January-March 1521
The new Aztec Emperor, Cuitlahuac, destroys the weakened Spanish forces before Hernan Cortes can make alliances with other populations or receive reinforcements.  Cortes is sacrificed and flayed at the festival of Tlacaxipehualiztli in March.   His skin is worn by the chief priest of Tezcatlipoca for twenty days.

AD 1500-1800
Native shamanism and arcanism mitigate the impact of European pathogens and equalize the combat forces in conflicts.  Several native cultures in eastern North America form confederations to resist European incursions.  In the tropics, the Spanish take possession of much of the Caribbean, but never again make inroads into the mainland domain of the Aztecs.

AD 1656
A printed English translation of the previously unknown 16th century physician and astrologer, Paracelsus, surfaces.  Collectively titled the Archidoxes of Magic, it is a refutation of the beliefs and practices of the Magoi and attempts to present a rational basis for the existence of magic in the world  It also presents a system of three elements:  the Tria Prima (mercury, sulfur, salt) to explain the properties of the magical substances used by the Magoi to perform their magic.  Rapid dissemination of printed copies of this manuscript again makes suppression by the secretive Magoi impossible.  This event marks the beginning of the integration of Magoi/Arcanists into larger society.  The Magoi are still treated with varying degrees of fear and respect, but by the mid-nineteenth century their presence in society is well-known.

AD 1693
Famous English philosopher Isaac Newton suffers a nervous breakdown.  From this time until his death in 1727, he is observed to grow more and more eccentric in his behavior.  In light of the posthumous publishing of a large body of his writings on alchemy, dreaming, and prophecy, it is thought that around this time Newton successfully isolated and extracted the magical essences now known as the “Alchemical Salts” and distilled the substance now known as Lucidos, setting the stage for the industrialization of arcane power in centuries to come.  Newton's nervous breakdown is attributed to his ingestion of Lucidos and his abrupt and untutored introduction to the Sovereign Realms of Dream.

AD 1755
Isaac Newton's great-niece publishes his collected works on alchemy, the realm of dream and a surprising amount of prophecy which Newton claimed to have received in the “highest” realm of Dreams.  Newton's work on alchemy served as the foundation for further alchemical research which eventually led to the discovery of Hotaether and thence to the development of modern British industry.  His taxonomy of the Dreamworld is still used by modern Dreamers.

AD 1760-1800
British and German scientists work to develop and add to Newton's work on alchemy and scientific mysticism, just as they have done with his work in mathematics, physics, and optics.

AD 1776
The Age of Steam is considered by many to have begun with the first successful commercial applications of James Watt's much-improved steam engine.  In subsequent decades, a number of inventors, engineers, and industrialists make use of the latest scientific and alchemical advances to push the United Kingdom into the forefront of the industrial revolution.

AD 1793
Introduction of Dr Ebenezer Sibly's “Reanimating Solar Tincture”, a healing elixir.  Unfortunately, this elixir is of mixed efficacy, resulting in a number of deaths as well as healing.  JR Saffrell releases a refinement of the tincture without the negative results, this product is called Physicane.   Subsequent refinements make various formulations of Physicane for various ailments and physicane became a generic term for these elixirs.

AD 1808
John Dalton publishes his New System of Chemical Philosophy, in which he details his experiments with a substance he dubs Hotaether.

AD 1803-1865
Despite promises to the contrary, the United States government does little more than token efforts to prevent white settlers from moving into the interior native lands.  This results in a protracted conflict, as the native populations of the Cherokee, Creek, and Iroquois join together in a Triple Alliance.  These conflicts ebb and flow over the years, although the net result is incremental pushing of the native tribes westward.

AD 1827
In response to the crushing of the Greek Revolution by the combined Ottoman/Egyptian forces, the United Kingdom, France, and Russia send a navy to the Aegean which annihilates the Turko-Egyptian fleet.  These naval victories are followed by further victories by Greek and British forces on land.

AD 1831
In the aftermath of defeat in Greece, the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II fails to deliver promised rewards to the Egyptian Pasha Muhammed Ali in return for Egyptian aid against the Greeks.  Infuriated, Muhammed Ali invades Syria and defeats the Ottoman army, driving them deep into Anatolia.  Intervention by the British and French halt the Egyptian invasion and force a cease-fire.

AD 1832
The Treaty of Constantinople establishes the Kingdom of Greece in the Peloponnese and Central Greece.

AD 1839
The cease-fire ends, with a resumption of war between Egypt and the Ottomans.  In response, the UK sends an expeditionary force under the command of one of Britain's most famous and decorated soldiers, Field Marshal Sir Arthur Wellesley, former Prime Minister and 1st Duke of Wellington.  The British force, with some Greek elements, make short work of the Egyptian military and occupy Egypt and the Levant.  When negotiations with the Ottoman Sultan break down, Wellesley (without authorization) marches on the undefended city of Constantinople and occupies it making the new sultan his “guest”.

AD 1842
The Second Treaty of Constantinople cedes former Ottoman territories of West Thrace, Thessaly, Macedonia, and Ionia to Greece.  Nominally, the treaty returns control of East Thrace (which includes Constantinople), Egypt, Syria, and the Levant to the Ottoman Sultan (who, in reality is completely under the power of the British).  British military forces begin setting up permanent bases in Thrace, Egypt, and Syria.  To mollify the other European powers, former Ottoman territories in North Africa are ceded to the French and the territories of the Crimea and Caucuses to Russia.  Free passage through the Bosporus is promised to all European powers.  The Greeks are incensed at being denied the possession of Constantinople, but their reliance on British power for their independence prevents this from becoming a point of hot conflict.

AD 1843-54
When it becomes clear that the Sultan is a puppet of the British, the Ottoman governors of Asian provinces in Anatolia, Iraq, and the Arabian peninsula all declare themselves with titles as a head of state and establish independent states that immediately start squabbling with each other over territory and precedence.  The Duke of Wellington and his successor spend the next decade bringing these wayward provinces to heel, forcing them to acknowledge the Sultan's (and thus the British Empire's) authority.

AD 1847
The “Atmospheric Railway” system of pneumatically driven trains revolutionizes travel in England, whisking travelers to their destinations at speeds up to 70 mph.  Over the next 50 years, such atmospheric rail lines are built connecting the great cities of Europe and all across Britain.

AD 1851
The Great Exhibition opens in London, showcasing British industrial might.  Notable for the first public demonstration of Ampheres, portable power supplies based on Dalton's Hotaether.

AD 1852-1855
William Armstrong, the 1st Baron of Armstrong, completes experiments and refinements that ultimately lead to standardized Ampheres.  In the same time frame, he creates both a black powder and a Hotaether version of a heavy field gun for the British Army.

March 4, 1865
Abraham Lincoln becomes President of the United States on the strength of promises of bringing an end to the long-standing conflict with the native populations, and begins negotiations for the importation of British Hotaether technology.

June-November 1865
A series of stunning victories over the Triple Alliance led by US forces under the command of General Robert E Lee allows Lincoln to keep his word to the nation to bring a victorious conclusion to the war.  The Treaty of Fort Defiance sets the US border at the Mississippi River, and leaves New Orleans in US hands.  Native populations are forced to move west of the Mississippi and settlers west of the Mississippi return to the east side of the river.  The Republic of Texas is also formally recognized.

AD 1883
The luxury Orient Express atmospheric rail line is opened, linking London, Paris, Munich, Vienna, and Constantinople.  It takes three days for travel from London to Constantinople.

AD 1884
William Armstrong invents the Aetherspark Rifle.  The pistol follows two years later.  In the years leading up to his death in 1900, Armstrong is also responsible for a number of other refinements and applications of Hotaether technology for military purposes, including experiments in clockwork, Amphere-powered, artificial limbs.

AD 1893
The luxury airship service between London and Constantinople begins.  It provides sleeper service with a total travel time of only a day for those wealthy enough to afford it.

AD 1901-1902
Jaguar Guards of the Aztlan Empire emerge from the desert to invade the southern lands of Kali Forno.  Simultaneously, the airborne Eagle Guards land at the mouth of the so-called Great Bay of the Ohlone tribe and begin fighting their way south.  The disunited and technologically backward tribes of Kali Forno fall, one after another, until by mid-1902, the Aztlan controls all of the territory between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean from the Isthmus of Panama to the Great Bay of Kali Forno.

AD 1903
Aztlan begins construction of a naval and aerospace base on the peninsula south of the Great Bay, calling the settlement Atoyatl in reference to strong tidal currents at the mouth of the bay.
Narrator
GM, 2 posts
Wed 7 Oct 2020
at 01:00
  • msg #2

Glossary of Setting-Specific Terms

Alchemical Salts:  refined product of mutated natural materials found in Loci.  Alchemical salts can be used by inoculated arcanists to boost their arcane powers, at some personal risk.  Prolonged exposure can warp a user in unexpected and unpleasant ways.  Alchemical salts form the basis for most of the other wonders of modern medicine and technological.

Amphere:  term for the “steam battery” containing compressed Hotaether.  Available in a variety of sizes and used to power any number of clockwork devices

Arcanist:  generic term for any person capable of wielding arcane powers of any level.  An inoculated arcanist has altered their body with alchemical salts in order to be more powerful.  A minor arcanist relies only on their innate human abilities.

Diamondpane: nigh-unbreakable “glass” as hard as steel.  Originally designed for use in submersibles and similar vehicles, it has acquired for use in submersibles and similar vehicles, it has acquired dubious popularity among assassins due to being perfectly transparent while capable of being as sharp as steel.

Charms: less powerful arcane workings available to non-inoculated arcanists

Ephemera: images drawn from the Dreamscape that can be skillfully manipulated to manifest in the minds of observes in the physical world creating, in effect, illusions

Hotaether: a magical gas produced by specially imbued steam engines.  In its compressed form, the gas stores phenomenal amounts of energy compared to regular steam.  Uncompressed Hotaether, or “slack” as it is known is in this form, is lighter than air, allowing airships to float.

Ember:  a crystal that grows flaming hot when blown upon; used commonly as a lighter by the wealthy and otherwise well-equipped.  Embers are very small and fit into pocket-sized cases or mountings, but the very rich can afford fireplaces filled with them.

Fate Cards: a device used to allow characters to influence the course of events by allowing repeated tests to resolve a situation or granting additional narrative discretion to the player.

Figments:  Defender of a person's Reverie created by the subconscious when an invader is attempting to force his way into a target's dream

Inoculation: The process by which an arcanist imbues themselves with alchemical salts to increase their powers.  The process is increasingly dangerous as more inoculations are undertaken

Locus (Loci):  A region, variable in size, where the barrier between dimensions is especially thin.  Natural materials are mutated over time by exposure to alien energies.

Lucidos: arcane drug used by Dreamers to enter the collective unconscious.  Lucidos is not physically addictive, but has proven to be psychologically addictive in some cases; temperance campaigners in many major cities rail against the 'evils of Lucidos'.

Lumen:   a product of industrial chemistry and alchemical salts, Lumen is a pale blue crystal that naturally forms in wafer-thin sheets.  Lumen emits a harsh blue-white light when electric current is run through it.  It is used as an inexpensive form of illumination.

Magos (Magoi): the ancient Greek term for a sorcerer.  Used exclusively to refer to arcanists trained in the ancient ways by one of the secretive societies of sorcerers. This term is becoming archaic and has been replaced in common parlance by “arcanist”.

Patterns: structured arcane workings that allow inoculated arcanists to create more powerful and predictable effects, and to do so more safely

Physicane: generic term for a number of patent medicines derived from alchemical salts.  These medicines are expensive, and can have side effects, but greatly enhance the human body's ability to recover from traumatic injury.

Power: in addition to the more mundane meanings of the word “power” is the most common term for the arcane energy that an inoculated arcanist can store in their body and use to create and sustain arcane effects.  Some serious academics insist on the term “arcane potential,” and some stodgy old mystics employ the term “mana,” but both are becoming less common in ordinary usage.

Elixir:  A generic term for any variety of mystically-imbued patent medicines.  These, too, make use of the properties of alchemical salts.  Elixirs are specifically designed to combat particular ailments.  Their creation and use is a key part of medical training.

Voxcrystals:  voxcrystals, grown in factories like other steam-age products like diamondpane, are columnar crystals much longer than they are wide.  In their freshly-grown state they look similar to natural tourmaline, with bands of colors, especially reds and greens, along the striated edges of the  crystals.  Slices cut from a single crystal, up to 10 to 15 for a large specimen, will vibrate in sync, even after separated.  This means that crystals placed in the appropriate housing, a “Voxbox”, and powered can be used as a means of remote communication with a range extending to the horizon between those who have a voxbox housing a slice from the same crystal.  Such communication is secure and cannot be 'tapped' unless another slice of the same crystal is obtained.
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