All right, I said something, so I guess I'll actually post something.
...so I just realized that I posted a half complete document that came up in my first search of my email. Mea culpa. That's why it looked so rough and then cut off right when we got past the steampunk stuff. Again: mea culpa.
Some notes:
Yes, I know,
steampunk. I took that one reference in 4A and ran with it. I think I came up with something unique and interesting, and I'm certainly proud of what I've written, so if you have a problem with me sneaking the genre into Shadowrun, tough cookies.
I really am proud of this; I think its one of the best gaming things I've ever written. I'm most proud of the 'Nettefreaqs and the Guild of Prehistorical Re-enactors; I really wish I'd had the opportunity to expand on Madame Marie and, c'mon, geek sports teams! What's there not to love? "Bloody Mad Marie is to music what Urban Brawl is to cities" still cracks me up, as does the idea of her showing up to an award show in a bloody Urban Brawl uniform.
There's some mechanical (ha ha) stuff in here; the asteriks are supposed to represent the cost in Resources. And I'm not claiming that any of said mechanical stuff is
balanced; I was leaving that for my editors, who would be better able to eyeball that stuff than I.
Anything else, feel free to ask.
Behind a spoiler because OMGHUGE:
[ Spoiler ]
So, there I was, about to do a wrap-up a report on New York Fashion Week and the biz going on behind the scenes when this pops up in my feed:
09:26:2072: >>>KBZZT – THE STINGER REPORT
(New York, New York, UCAS)
Wild video coming in from New York Fashion Week this evening – right as the Klockwork Krafts new fall line was about to hit the runway, two of the biggest names in steampunk decided to hit it first!
It’s no secret that there’s little love between Aileen Victoria and “Queen” Victoria Pennsworth, the founders of the American Steampunk Worker’s Union, but tonight was unexpected. It was only last year that Aileen threw once best friend Victoria out of the Union after discovering a growing conspiracy against her within the NASWU. Tension has been building since.
From eye-witness reports, Victoria had Aileen down on the ground and was “savagely beating her” with weighted gloves before friends and security finally wrestled her off and threw her out of the show. There’s currently no word from the ASWU on the status of Aileen.
Stay with KbZZt for more updates!
>>//end_attachment//User: Kas<<
<<Poor girl. From what I saw, there was a little more than weights in those gloves.
<<Kas
<<Wow. I would have thought Vicky would have simmered down by now, wouldn’t you think?
<<The Dire Radiant
<<If anything, it’s gotten worse…
<<Kas
<<Uh, mind sharing with the rest of the class?
<<Bull
<<Sorry. The two girls in this report were heads of the North American Steam Worker’s Union – the fancy name for the steampunk movement coming out of Britain – or at least Aileen still is. Like the report said, Vicky got kicked out last year after discovering that she’d hired some professionals to kack Aileen and assume sole leadership of the Union. Aileen’s been trying to give up the spot for awhile now, but hiring assassins is an entirely different thing.
<<Kas
<<Steampunk. Isn’t that that bunch of weirdoes that dress up like they’re from the 19th Century and pretend to fight Martians with ray-guns or something?
<<Night Shadow
<<Kind of. Here, let’s let an official Union blurb give you the basics:
<<Attachment:: Steampunk: Here to Stay?
Steampunk. It’s not a common word, but it’s rapidly heading that way!
Steampunk rejects the harsh industrial styling of today to return to a simpler time, when steam engine technology ruled the world and adventure was around every corner. In a steampunk world, the combustion engine simply never existed! Instead, technology is powered by steam and clockwork, and the British Empire never went away.
<<And what do the British think of this?
<<The DJ
<<Keep reading.
<<Kas
History:
It all starts with a programmer named Erik Tollander, student at Oxford University with a love for the works of Verne, Wells and an idea for a game. Erik took two years to work on the project, finally releasing it to a few friends to test out. Those friends shared it with their friends, and it quickly exploded. Six months after release, Erik sold the program to Horizon and walked away.
<<He left the university right after the sale and started his own Matrix architecture firm with the money he made. His next project, Axes! Knives! Loinclothes! is close to beta release
<<Tauron
With Horizon behind it, the game became an international sensation. Soon, players were meeting up in real time to fight, trade and socialize, and as these gatherings grew larger, the United Kingdom Grand Steam Workers Union was formed to help co-ordinate efforts and create a sort of unified identity.
In America, two girls were instrumental at organizing steampunkers into the North American Steam Workers Union, Aileen Victoria and Victoria “Vicky” Pennsworth – the Two Victorias. Through their efforts, steampunk’s North American hub became New York City, and Union #362 established as the main Union within the continent.
<<FYI: The incident I spoke about before – Vicky trying to kill Aileen for the top spot in the Union – is referred to as The Great Victoria Rift. Not very many were sad to see her go – word is that the power went to her head – but she did take a selection of folks with her when she went.
Also, while Aileen has wanted nothing more than to stay with her Union buddies and costume and make new art, there’s a growing rumbling to officially declare her the American “Queen” of the Union. That’s partly why Vicky flipped out. They may just end up forcing it on Aileen.
<<Kas
Present:
While Vicky has sadly left the movement, Aileen continues to help the NASWU and steampunk flourish, both in the real world and on the Matrix. Now, most major sprawls within North America have a Union, with more opening up every day. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the steampunk world – black, white, yellow, human, dwarf, ork, magician, technomancer, corper, whomever!
<<It’s true. Membership is open, but if you’re a tusker, don’t expect to be hanging out much with the bunch that likes to sip tea and talk about the Empire. We usually end up hanging out with the engineer sorts; the grand adventurers and servants of the Queen tend to be the smoothies. It just goes to show you that even in fantasy there’s no justice in the world.
<<Street Rage
<<Interestingly, a lot of Chinese and Indian based folk get into this too. The group that was hired to kill Aileen are a small group of physads that claim to represent the Thuggee. Heavy stuff for a “fantasy world”.
<<Winterhawk
Steampunk has also taken the fashion world by storm. The first official steampunk fashion house, Professor Peabodie’s Klockwork Kraftwork, has become the hottest new fashion design house on the North American stage, and opened the door for many other young design stars to follow suit.
It’s also reached deep within the magical and technological fields as well. The Order of Cogs is a magical group devoted to delving into the recently discovered field of steampunk thaumaturgy with the assistance of Sir Robert Planter. Likewise, a group of technomancers calling themselves Speakers speak to the spirits within machines.
It’s an interesting time to join the steampunk world. Are you ready to become a Union member?<</end_attachment: User: Kas >>
<<Ah, youth.
<<The DJ
<<Here’s some more:
<<Attachment: Living The Steampunker Life>>
Good day! Looking to live the steampunker lifestyle, but don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place!
Division
Within the Union, there exists a divisional “split” for steampunkers, the Nobles and the Engineers. Nobles are frequently portrayed as people from the upper-crust of society, heads of wealthy families, career adventurers, ambassadors, heads of state, and scions of powerful universities, as well as stage magicians and other successful performers.
Engineers, on the other hand, are often found within the belly of a great machine, striving to find the next scientific achievement or discovery. These are the mechanics, steamworkers, inventors, field professors, thieves and rogues, the “rawer” elements of society.
Joining either division is your choice, and it is not one that you are bound to. The head of the NASWU, for example, chooses to remain among the engineers. And once you have made your decision, there is nothing stopping you from switching sides either – merely your imagination!
Clothing
Once you’ve chosen your division, clothing is a vital element to being recognized as a fellow Union member. Here’s a quick rundown.
Gentlemen: Most noblemen wear three piece suits, complete with monocles, pocket watches, and one can never forget a good pipe. Military outfits are gaining popularity as well. Hats are customary, especially bowlers. Smoked glasses are also quite popular. If you’re one of those get down into it types that likes to play with machines, linen shirts, coveralls or vests, and a good pair of workpants is essential. Never forget your goggles (for eye protection) or your gasmask (for protection from deadly fumes).
Ladies: Noblewomen wear gowns, corsets, petticoats and bustles. Engineering women often adopt the same styles that men do, but common are corsets modified to act as large tool belts and shortened skirts (to keep from getting caught in gears). Don’t forget your lace gloves and umbrellas, ladies!
>>>You did a search for “Steampunk Fashion Designers”. Here are your results: <<<
Low: Black Market Tailory
Middle: Cogs, Whistles, Vents; The Golden Needle
High: Professor Peabodie’s Klockwork Kraftwork
Accessories:
All good steampunkers need gear custom tailored to their individual needs in the field and in the workshop.
Tradeshops are becoming common. These will manufacture and tweak your existing gear to fit Union specs, often on the cheap. This is where you can get your engineering kits, your tools, and commonly, parts for your drones and such.
As you go up the chain to the more expensive shops and tradeshops, you’ll find custom fitters, from-scratch shops, and even, towards the very top, working guns.
>>Tool and tradeshops certified by both the ASWU and Artisan Speakers are well worth the cost. They won’t break as easily and there’s usually a warranty for up to a year.
<<Knightdemon
>>>You searched for: “ASWU Certified Tradeshops”. Here are your results:<<<
Low: Sprocket & Gambol’s; Did I Break That?
Middle: Union Shop #333 (Houston, Texas, CAS)
High: Buddy’s Custom Drones, Hobbe’s Drone Shoppe
Augmentation
Obvious cyberware is becoming quite fashionable within steampunk circles – as long as it continues to adhere to Union tastes. As steampunk has grown, more and more clinics are starting to offer modifications to common augmentations, that expose wires, put in clockwork gears, and artificially age the steel.
<<One really interesting one I saw recently was a single cyber-eye that was pronounced from the eyesocket and whose iris was a golden cog. It was one of the Order bunch too – crazy guys, that bunch.
<<Caleb
There are even steampunk clinics opening up, run by Union members. A quick search in the ASWU node will net you a list of clinics, all of them offering modifications for your augmentation needs.
>>>You did a search: “Steampunk Clinics”. Here are your results<<<
Low: Black Boggart’s Upgrades
Middle: Cogs, Whistles, Vents
High: Amelia’s Krafts for Ladies
Music
So now you’ve got the look, but you still need the sound. Not a problem! There are many bands working within the nascent steampunk sound, an expanding scene with many different genres.
The Maiden’s Gears
Steam to Stern
For Her Majesty’s Honor
Sir Raja and the Thousand Arrows
White Elephant
We here at the ASWU hope that you found this information helpful and look forward to you joining us!
>>>/end_attachment: User: Kas<<<
<<That mention of the Thuggee got me curious, so I started doing some digging. Interesting stuff:
<<Attachment: Groups Within The Steampunkers>>
The Order of the Cog
Founded by ASWU#575 (Denver) member Sir Robert Planter, the Order of the Cog is a group of magicians with an interest in applying steampunk thinking to magic. Their headquarters is in Denver, but they also have small research cells within other Union member shops. Even then they remain close-knit, with bi-weekly meetings held within the small sister node of the main NASWU node.
<<The big news right now is the symposium they recently announced on the main node. Whispers say it’s that they’ve developed a steampunk tradition.
>>Winterhawk
Outside of research, the Cogs serve as advisors to the Unions they’re attached to, with Sir Robert advising Lady Aileen, and protecting individual Union houses. More interestingly, they will often work as the public relations officer for their individual shops, coordinating events and smoothing over accidents. Unlike most Hermetic types, they are quite charismatic and charming.
<<I was wondering who the weirdo in the period clothing in my last run was; now I have a pretty good idea. They summon some weird shit – spirits made out of clock pieces and brass pipes and gears, that sort of thing.
<<Chaos
The Speakers
Founded by technomancer Kimberly Hobbes from her Seattle lab, the Speakers exist to help smooth relations between humanity and the living, breathing Matrix. They hope to accomplish this by separating the division between the two; bringing Matrix denizens out of the ‘Rix, and helping with troublesome Matrix problems for humanity.
Because of these dual goals, there are two equal factions within the group. The first, the Artisans, are master drone technicians, made up of artists, dronomancers, and the technical and mechanically inclined. They create highly reliable drones for sprites and AIs to inhabit and walk around the Sixth World in.
<<They’ll also fix up anything you bring them, especially as Kim’s got an auto shop below her lab. They don’t mind working on a trade basis; bring ‘em a busted old drone for payment and you might not have to spend a nuyen, especially if it’s rare, old, or one-of-a-kind.
<<Slamm-O!
The latter are known as Chasers, and they work as freelance Matrix troubleshooters with a specialty in sprites and AIs. They try to resolve situations between metahumanity and e-life peacefully, but when the situation calls for a throw-down, these guys are some of the best.
<<A good friend of mine is in the Chasers, and it’s like he’s got a sprite for every occasion. And on top of that, they’re usually powerful ones at that.
<<Kas
<<Are you surprised? When the Chasers aren’t out hunting rogue e-life, they’re combing the Matrix for new AIs, sprites, and diving deep into the Resonance Realms. Who knows what kind of stuff they see out there?
<<Jackal
The Thuggee
Yep, just like the traditional name, bring back British Imperialism and you’ll find that you’ve brought back some unsavory types as well. This bunch got a little too serious about the whole steampunk faux-United Kingdom bit, and recreated that mythical band of killers and assassins for hire. They’re all physads, they’re all dangerous, and you won’t know they’re coming until it’s too late. Even better, they worship Kali. No one I spoke to wanted to really go on in length about them, and I ain’t volunteering to do field research.
The Great White Hunters
All right, I’ll come clean. This isn’t their real names. They like to call themselves the Gentlemen Hunters, but the name I gave ‘em up there suites them a little better. This bunch is from the “noblemen” branch of the Unions, and they like to go out on hunts. For what you ask? All sorts of things, usually the more dangerous, the better.
They go all out too; make a big production of gathering supplies, then heading out into the wilds and hunting for big game. Not like some of the Amerind and survivalist types that like to stay out of sight and camouflaged; no, we’re talking full on base camps and big tent cities, that sort of thing. They’re not encouraged, but they’re certainly not discouraged either by the NASWU, though management is starting to watch them closer.
I also found a good feed of a group of them trying to hunt a juggernaut; I’ll attach that to this file too, just for laughs.
<<Infoseeker
<<//end_attachment: user: Infoseeker>>
<< I figured that if I’m going to talk about the Steampunkers, I should mention a few of the other groups that are adopting historical looks to modern fashion. So here’s a few of them, starting with…
<<Kas
The Neo-Victorians
Remember Vicky Pennsworth? When she picked up her ball and left, she took a moderately large group of like-minded folk with her – mostly her conspirators – and started her own movement.
Aileen’s growing popularity wasn’t the only thing that had gotten underneath Vicky’s skin. The increasing fantasy elements of the movement had begun to irritate her love for more realistic portrayals of the time period; steampowered mechanics were of little interest to her. If things had gone her way, the NASWU would probably be a lot more historically accurate than the anachronistic and fantastic version it is now.
Upon being thrown out, Vicky and her friends pooled together their cred and bought a large, gothic mansion left over from last century they dubbed The Court, and moved in. Now “Queen” Victoria, Vicky rules over her court with an iron fist.
The Neo-Victorians emulate the class and style choices of the period – thus the Queen moniker – but where the steampunkers reject modern styles for a more antiquated look, the NeoVictorians embrace it, updating Victorian fashion to 70s styles. Commlinks are generally high quality and bear synthwood framing, ‘ware is made to look finer and more classical, and accessories are classic, but not fantastic.
The movement is slowly gaining more interest, but pretty much only in NYC, and only among rich kids that don’t want to deal with the “lower class crowd” the Union invites in. If you ask me, the little punks are a little snobby. I’ve had to kick more than a few of them out of my store after they’ve badmouthed some of my more steampunkish designs.
They’re also completely vicious towards Union members, who are the frequent targets for daring raids by newbies trying to gain favor for the Court. It’s why I’m half-surprised that Vicky directly attacked her – and half-surprised not.
Inside the Court is a web of intrigue carefully orchestrated by Vicky, who enjoys watching the political powerplays between Court members. My recommendation is to stay as far away from it as you can. However, they will almost always present a unified show of force whenever it comes to the Union.
Versaillespunk
Following closely behind steampunk is the Versaillespunk movement, or ‘Nettefreaques. Similar to steampunk, its devotees ape a period long past: the fading days of the court of Marie Antoinette. Also like the steampunkers, they take period costumes and give them an edge – but unlike the fantasy of steam, the ‘Nettefreaques give it a sharp and wild edge, with bright pastels, dangerously short skirts and revealing bodices, fashionable high heels, and powdered wigs. If it looks like it belongs in a 15th century French court but also looks like it’s going to slip and show you everything, then you’re probably looking at a ‘Nettefreaque.
‘Nettefreaques are a partying, decadent bunch. They celebrate youth and energy, rejecting the harshness of the Sixth World through partying, recreational drug and BTL use, and wild sex games. However, they’re not all about the partying; it’s just that their motto is, “we’re here to celebrate, not to mourn!” They take great pride in their ability to prank and pull elaborate cons on people, and it helps to raise their case with other members of the group. How do you know you’ve been pranked by a ‘Nettefreaque? If there’s a blue cake nearby.
<<I’m liking this bunch already!
<<Karl Hammer
<<You would.
<<Bull
One could say that their craziness comes directly from the Versaillespunk founder, “Bloody Mad” Madame Marie.
<<Attachment: Here N’ Now Profile: “Bloody Mad” Madame Marie”>>
“Bloody Mad Marie is to music what Urban Brawl is to cities,” one reviewer once said of her debut single, “MY Party Now”.
No other quote could possibly define the wild figure that is “Mad Marie”. She’s a beautiful woman with pale white skin, reaching almost six feet in height, with a penchant for wigs and designer clothing, usually from Petite Trianon, her personal design house. Her trademark is the bloody red gash around her neck; for today’s interview, she’s chosen to cover that with a tight powder blue choker around her neck. She’s also chosen a bob-cut white wig and a short dress from her Menagerie of Wonderment line, sprawling across a couch in such a way that teasingly, I can almost see all the way up.
Madame Marie is the kind of person to take the above quote completely in stride; not long after that review came out, she attending Horizon’s Rising Sun Awards Showcase wearing an Urban Brawl uniform, complete with pads, in her favorite color, powder blue. At the start of the next season, the Mad Glamazons, the team she bought and built, appeared on the scene.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” she grinned, her hyper pink lips stretched wide, revealing two rows of perfect white teeth with playfully sharpened fangs.
Mad Marie was an unknown before her hit single came out, and she hasn’t bothered to give out details either. “All you need to know about me is that I’m here, and I’m here to stay. The future is always more important than the past.”
There are a few things that she’s revealed; she grew up within the New York City Sprawl, and that she’s transgender. But we only know that through her advocacy work on the part of transgender folks and so-called changelings, as well as her part in helping NYC recover from the devastating earthquake it suffered in 2006.
<<And that does nothing to quell the rumors about who or what she really is. Is she a changeling? If so, what SURGE qualities did she emerge with? Was her sex change due to surgery or SURGE? Is she some other pop star playing an elaborate prank? A free spirit? A dragon? A space alien?
All of that - and more - have been proposed about the woman, and no one can find a damn thing about her.
<<Info Seeker
From music, Marie moved on to Urban Brawl, fashion, and even some technology, coming out with her own line of commlinks for fashionable young ladies. She’s also done a number of successful sim chips of everything from concert performances to some of the wilder parties they’ve had at her home at Chateau du Light in NYC. And of course, there’s the so-called Versaillespunk movement that she started, adding, “hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and lots of people enjoy it.” She’s also helped break the fashion wall that’s gone up in Japan, bringing across designers like Cherries, RakuenKisu, and New-Yhen. She also brought international attention to her favorite bakery in Boston, Pie In the Sky Bakeries, which she buys in bulk whenever she’s in town.
“They’re just so damn tasty!”
Unfortunately, Mad Marie is a busy young lady, and our visit was only brief. We talked for ten minutes about the new lines coming out at New York Fashion week, her upcoming album, “Here I Am Again!” and just when I’d actually stop by for one of her parties.
I promised her that I would, as soon as I got an invite.
>>/end_attachment / User: Kas<<
The ‘Nettefreaques have a surprisingly wide appeal. You’d think that the twenty-something young pretty humans and elves would be the sole members, but there are plenty of young corpers, changelings, transfolk and the occasional ork or troll mixed in with the bunch. The general trend is that they’re young, they’re fashionable, and they have a lot of steam to blow off.
Unsurprisingly, social adepts love her parties, and they’re great places to make friends and contacts, as many very important people come to enjoy the live bands that Marie brings to play, like Louie Screwed Me, La Revolution, and The Boom Booms. I will admit, I’ve attended a few myself, but it’s net me some valuable contracts.
There are several places where ‘Nettefreaques parties can be found:
Chateau du Light in NYC. This is Mad Marie’s home and the most frequent place to find a party.
The Rose of Versailles, the Hanging Gardens, Paris, France. Another of Marie’s clubs.
The Grand Starlight, UCAS Node. Sometimes Mad Marie likes to throw Matrix parties. When she does, they’re usually here.
Guild of Pre-Historical Pre-Enactors
The Second Battle of the Tower of Babel. Osiris-bot vs. the Armies of Set-Apes. The Seige of Moon Fort Alpha. Do any of these sound familiar? No? Of course not – they're from the future.
Now, while the steampunkers are lost in their own little world and the 'Nettefreaques too busy having a good time, but these guys? Kind of a lot of weird.
Hailing from MIT&T and thought up as a way for the local eggheads to blow off some steam, the Guild started out as a joke and is quickly becoming the closest thing we have to a nerd sport.
The idea behind the Guild is simple: they re-enact famous battles from the future, delivered to them via a time-displaced book, written in the far-flung future.
<<Don't look at me like that, I'm just telling you what I know.
<Kas
But that means that they dress-up in whatever garb they think is fashionable for the time period they'll be fighting in that particular day, armor up, get together some safe foam weapons and guns, and go to town.
What's common clothing for an event? Anything that looks like it could be futuristic. That means lots of wacky looking, purposely anachronistic tubing, wires, and goggles. Strange helmets, vests, goggles, anything from pre-historic loincloths to cutting age military grade armor, all hastily thrown together on the cheap.
If you haven't seen it yet, you should.
The Guild appeals to your brainy types with too much science going on upstairs. They're generally happy going at it for a few hours, and then heading inside to study. It's gotten so popular that it's infiltrated a few corporate think-tanks, and actual teams and “armies” are being drawn up and dates set for events!
Here's a quick list of the teams and their sponsors:
The NanoSecond Men – MIT&T
Manadyne Aetherials – Manadyne Corp
Spartan Unit #359
Little Green Earth Men – Chicago University
#TANM – Texas A&M&M
I think you'll see this getting bigger as corps start to pick up on it and word of mouth and easy videos continue to spread the news. You can get a good look at this if you just head over to the Guild's web node.
Neo-Jazz
This one is a bit more of a sleeper that's stayed well within the shadows and the SINless. Let's face it – the noir-esque atmosphere and sad, melancholy feelings, resonates with those of us that run the shadows, and unlike many of the other groups I've talked about today, Neo-jazz truly is all encompassing.
The most logical birthplace for the movement is with +1m4, the strange AI that runs the Hacklebox node on the Matrix. Through her, the culture swept through the ranks of the SINless, and it's only been recently that she's released a record.
+1m4's not the only NeoJazz musician either. The movement is growing strong, and acts like the Chinatowners, Tommy's Guns, and crooner Tony Vinchenza are growing quite the fanbase.
Neo-Jazz appeals to those outside the realm of law; it's proven quite popular with the Mobsters and other criminal elements. Now, whether or not that's a good thing is a matter of discussion...
The best part of Neo-Jazz is that everyone that listens to it can get into it, from pretty elf bombshells to the surly troll barkeeps to the ork bouncers and human Johnsons. And it even started with an AI.
Dressing the part is easy. For men, its business suits and looking classy and professional, flavored with hats. For women, you should be in dresses, business women or long, deep necked or shoulder-less evening gowns. Guys, remember to be a gentlemen for the ladies!
Outside of the Matrix, you can catch jazz clubs popping up all over the place. One of the more famous is located in Boston's North End, a tiny little hole in the wall called Catino's that serves real, authentic pizza. Just mind the bitter mobsters hanging around and be careful not to get any sauce on your suit!
>>//end_attachment// User: Kas<<
<<There's your primer for some of the new subcultures you may find yourselves stumbling across one accidently and completely unsure of what you're dealing with. Especially with some of those steampunkers out there...
<<Kas
Profiles:
Aileen Victoria:
Aileen is a young, twenty-something year old college student at the State University of New York, Brooklyn, where she majors in fine arts with a minor in metal sculpture. She’s more built than you think she’d be, with muscle tone built with moving through junk and scrapyards, looking for new material to work with, but she’s attractive in a dirty wrench wench sort of way. When she’s in-character for important Union events, she usually sweeps her brown hair underneath a cap and comes dressed as a fine engineer; if she’s in her workshop, she’s usually in long sandy covered coveralls and smeared with rust, grease, and oil.
Aileen and once-best friend Victoria were key in bringing steampunk over from Britain and popularizing it over here. With their efforts the NASWU quickly became almost as large as its British parent organization, and while Victoria ran the organization, Aileen mostly coded and continued relations with Union members. This changed when Victoria made a powerplay for the “crown”; Aileen was force to remove her best friend from the Union and uneasily assume leadership.
The entire NASWU agrees that leadership is needed, but Aileen also feels that she’s just not the person that they’d want. She’s more than happy to step down when the councils that have been proposed have come up with a likely candidate – she’d be happy just to be able to return to her workshop and her projects – but it’s quickly becoming evident that the Union would simply like to keep her in command. She’s not entirely happy about the prospect, but realizes that it’s her responsibility.
Sir Robert Planter, of The Order of the Cogs
Head of the Order of the Cogs, Sir Robert Planter is the leader of the magical aspect of the steampunk movement. He dresses in the finery of the noble class but finds little time to chat and socialize; he and his group always feel that they’re on the cusp of finding something great, and he knows that he needs to be with his people when they do.
The Order has made exciting progress in the expanding field of steampunk magic. Within the first year and a half since founding the group, they’ve been able to call steampunk influenced spirits into the world and discover new metaplanes that seem to resemble steampunk worlds once dreamed about in the fiction of Verne and Wells. Robert knows that if they continue to push forward, their research may give birth to an entire Tradition, and the thought thrills him.
Robert is a graduate of Texas A&M&M, with a degree in Hermetic Thaumaturgy. He was described as brilliant and focused, with a stern backbone and a specialization in research, all of which has helped with his plans for the Order. Despite living in Denver, Aileen and he are good friends – some say lovers – and he frequently flies out to the NASWU headquarters in NYC to advise her on policy.
Speaker Kimberly Hobbes
While many would call Kimberly as cold as the robots she loves, the truth is, get her talking about her love of science, robotics, transhumanism, or the Speakers, and she’ll open right up. Outside of those subjects Kim finds it hard to connect to her fellow metahumans, mostly due to the childhood of neglected abandonment from her father and the young death of her mother. Both were brilliant scientists for Saeder-Krupp, who hoped that Kim would follow in their footsteps. Instead, Kim took their money, gave them the middle finger, and disappeared into the shadows.
She eventually settled in Seattle and started her own autoshop, using the compensation to build a research lab above the shop. When Crash 2.0 hit she was in her lab, jacked into a new drone prototype she’d designed.
Kim had always talked to her machines, but now, they started talking back. At first she was worried that she’d finally lost her mind, but eventually she realized that she’d Emerged as a technomancer.
Finding steampunk helped Kim reconnect to people. At first she used it as a vent, but as she gathered around her a group of similarly minded technomancers, they used her lab space to create the Speakers as a way to connect people and the living, breathing Matrix and help pave the way to the Singularity.
Kimberly is a tall, whip thin half-Japanese girl with black hair and blue eyes kept short in a bob-cut, and tends towards long jackets, goggles, and boots. She’s had her right arm, left leg and eyes replaced due to accidents and the disease that took her mother (which is what lead to her interest in transhumanity). There’s also a jack set into the back of her neck, but since Emerging as a technomancer, she’s had to stop augmenting herself. Part of her research has been finding a way to upgrade while maintaining her holistic self.
“Queen” Victoria Pennsworth
As the second of the two founders of the NASWU, Victoria was in charge of organizing the rankings and numberings for each individual Union founded in each city. Her keen mind for organization and order, with Aileen’s spirit and tenacity, was a quick combination that grew to be the catalyst for the tremendous growth that the NASWU experienced.
While Victoria had a keen intellect, fine leadership skills were not her forte.. And as stress started to build on her head, and with a growing distaste for the fantasy elements in the hobby and Aileen’s growing popularity, Victoria snapped and put a hit out on her head. That was the end of the friendship between the two Victoria’s; the Victoria Rift.
Pooling money together with the few people that left with her on her exodus from the NASWU, they purchased an abandoned and scheduled for destruction mansion and dubbed it The Court. Finding that not many ex-NASWU members wanted to leave and in need for money, they started making overtures to the young, rich, and bored in the socialite circles and found willing members.
Now that the money is pouring in, Victoria turns her attentions towards destroying the very hobby that she helped to build. Originally she wanted to lead the NASWU; now she wants it destroyed, piece by piece. While she allows Aileen and her group to be distracted by the young members of the Court, she plots and plans elaborate schemes to destroy their credibility and their funding. And when Aileen has nothing left, she’ll take Aileen’s life too.
While once one could consider Victoria a pretty woman, time, stress, and vengeance have taken their toll on the young woman. Once a promising corporate lawyer (steam punk had been a side hobby for her), Victoria has become completely obsessed with taking down the movement piece by bloody piece. Her mind is endlessly turning with plots and schemes, and she amuses herself by setting the Court against itself. Always, always, her attention stays on Aileen and the NASWU.
“Bloody Mad” Marie
As they’ve noted, there seems to be no history for Mad Marie before 2070. No birth records, no education records, no SIN - nothing. Suddenly she appeared, she was famous, and she was making waves in the entertainment industry.
And she makes sure that people’s attention stays on the here and now, and not on the past. In fact, she actively “discourages” inquiries into her past - and rumor has it, she’s had shadow talent do that for her.
But you’d never tell it from her cheerful, half-crazed face, always smiling, always looking as though she’s thinking up her next move. Or she’s not; many people that had met her say that she seems flighty and driven by whatever thought lays in her head at that moment. While her music remains her focus, she’s begun to spread out into different media ventures, always seeking to make a bigger and bigger name for herself, and her fans love her for it.
Is there some scheme behind Mad Marie? Who knows? Like anything else the woman has done, she’s mysterious and mercurial. It seems honest, and she doesn’t seem to use the parties as anything other than a huge stress relief and she encourages her fans to do the same.
All one can say is what’s before them at the moment: she’s beautiful, she’s a talented singer, she holds wild parties, and her fans are insane. Other than that, and you’re going to have to do some serious digging.
+1m4
When the Hacklebox Club node opened up and advertised “the smooth singing of noted singer, +1m4”, not many that received the invitation knew what they were getting into. When the curious crowd gathered at the open node, sculpted to resemble a club from early in the previous century, they were presented with a small young girl, no older than eight or nine years old, blonde, blue eyed, singing the most melancholy song they’d ever heard.
+1m4 grew to be a Matrix superstar, and the Hacklebox became the ‘it’ spot to be within the shadows. If you could get a hookup, or someone with a trid projector, suddenly you could hear music that didn’t glorify the criminal life; it mourned it. And as she grew more popular, she began to bring on acts that made music similar to hers, and the NeoJazz movement was born.
Hacklebox has become the #1 spot to see and be seen in the shadow community, and if +1m4 has a problem with the amount of shadow-work that floats through her club, she doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. She’s happy simply singing or enjoying the acts performing on her stage, sitting at the counter, kicking her legs in time with the music.
+1m4 was born in the post-Crash world from a Song-o-Matic program sitting in the Matrix. Awakening, she found the music she’d later sing floating through her head, and her name floating before he eyes.
Sample and Appropriate Mentors and Paragons for steam punk wizards and technomancers
Order of the Cog:
Cog members see the world as organized and perfect, and their magic as manipulating the cogs of the universe. There is also a strong element of science and discovery. Thus they tend towards Hermetic mentors, spirits that will help guide them towards new discoveries and powers that will aid them as they use the gears of the universe to their benefit.
Appropriate Traditions:
Hermetics, Chaos Magic
Appropriate Mentors:
Artificer, Fire bringer, Owl, Sun
Speakers:
Speakers are interested in breaking down the barriers between the virtual world and the physical, by giving life to sprites and AI and helping humanity understand the new e-life lurking within the Matrix. They not only follow avatars of creation, but of war, protection, and diplomacy and peace. Dronomanc
Appropriate Streams:
Cyberadepts, Dronomancers, Networkers, Singulatarians, Technoshamans
Appropriate Paragons:
Zero-One, Architect, Babel, Daedelus, Flow, Intrusion Countermeasure, Probe, Shooter, The World Tree