Hello, this is your invitation to join us in an exciting new roleplay!
Roleplay Title: The Jade Empire
Roleplay Genre: Steampunk/Alternate Universe
Roleplay GM: Louanne Learning
Setting: 1858, in an alternate universe, in Shanghai, China, situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River. The Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze, flows through the city.
The original walled city is Chinese-controlled, under the administration of the Qing dynasty. It retains its traditional character, with narrow lanes, low-rise wooden houses, teahouses, temples, and a dense population of Chinese residents.
Foreign settlements and Western power are found outside the city walls. The British, American and French presence—traders, missionaries, offices, churches, homes—is well established.
Shanghai is a key port for the export of tea, silk, and porcelain, and the import of opium, textiles, and manufactured goods. It’s a fusion, and a collision, of Eastern and Western commercial systems, with a current (1858) population of approximately 250,000.
Note: The story may eventually make its way to the mountains to the west, maybe to the ruins of ancient Chinese civilization. I’d like to see a grand quest in the making.
Basic Story Lore:
Shanghai’s dual nature consists of Daoist and Confucian values, Chinese opera, ancestral halls and bustling markets co-existing with Anglican churches, Western-style homes and English-language newspapers.
People tend to be classified as the Elemental People (the Yuánsù), or the Developed People (the Fādá). Examples of Elemental People are traders, farmers and hunters. The Developed People live a more multi-faceted existence based on science, philosophy and rational thought.
The British, American, and French—even if they have been there for years—are considered Foreigners.
This will be a story of conflicts—between Eastern and Western values, and between good and evil. I hope to develop strong protagonists and antagonists, and an epic battle.
Note: Despite the Chinese setting, we will be posting only in English, please.
Genre – Steampunk
Steampunk creates a world in the 19th century with advanced (often fantastical) technology based on steam power. These are plot-driven stories, relying on action, with some underlying social commentary.
Sort of a combination between fantasy and science-fiction, it’s about re-imaging the past.
The main elements of steampunk are:
An emphasis on the empowerment of individuals in the face of industrial standardization and the advance of modern bureaucratic government
Technology is an important aspect of steampunk. Feel free to invent, as long as it runs on steam power. There are a lot of ideas online. Don’t worry about being too narrowly scientific. If the technology is cool enough, the suspension of disbelief should be no problem.
Inventive technologies, a strong plot, fascinating characters, and an engrossing setting, plus a lot of fun, bring steampunk to life.
Characters –
Each player begins by creating one or two characters. Use the following template:
Name:
Male or female:
Age:
Chinese, British, American or French?
Physical appearance:
Backstory:
Personality:
Other information:
Once you have a profile complete, message it to me for approval, and then I will post it in the Character Index thread.
Please read rules posted below.
Please use only this thread for all your comments and questions.
Now, let’s play!
Roleplay Title: The Jade Empire
Roleplay Genre: Steampunk/Alternate Universe
Roleplay GM: Louanne Learning
Setting: 1858, in an alternate universe, in Shanghai, China, situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River. The Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze, flows through the city.
The original walled city is Chinese-controlled, under the administration of the Qing dynasty. It retains its traditional character, with narrow lanes, low-rise wooden houses, teahouses, temples, and a dense population of Chinese residents.
Foreign settlements and Western power are found outside the city walls. The British, American and French presence—traders, missionaries, offices, churches, homes—is well established.
Shanghai is a key port for the export of tea, silk, and porcelain, and the import of opium, textiles, and manufactured goods. It’s a fusion, and a collision, of Eastern and Western commercial systems, with a current (1858) population of approximately 250,000.
Note: The story may eventually make its way to the mountains to the west, maybe to the ruins of ancient Chinese civilization. I’d like to see a grand quest in the making.
Basic Story Lore:
Shanghai’s dual nature consists of Daoist and Confucian values, Chinese opera, ancestral halls and bustling markets co-existing with Anglican churches, Western-style homes and English-language newspapers.
People tend to be classified as the Elemental People (the Yuánsù), or the Developed People (the Fādá). Examples of Elemental People are traders, farmers and hunters. The Developed People live a more multi-faceted existence based on science, philosophy and rational thought.
The British, American, and French—even if they have been there for years—are considered Foreigners.
This will be a story of conflicts—between Eastern and Western values, and between good and evil. I hope to develop strong protagonists and antagonists, and an epic battle.
Note: Despite the Chinese setting, we will be posting only in English, please.
Genre – Steampunk
Steampunk creates a world in the 19th century with advanced (often fantastical) technology based on steam power. These are plot-driven stories, relying on action, with some underlying social commentary.
Sort of a combination between fantasy and science-fiction, it’s about re-imaging the past.
The main elements of steampunk are:
- A story set within a world using a real or imagined version of the technology of the 19th century
- Technology and devices driven by steam power or counterweighted clockwork
- Victorian-era class and economic structures
- Implicit or explicit social critique
- An adventure-oriented plotline
An emphasis on the empowerment of individuals in the face of industrial standardization and the advance of modern bureaucratic government
Technology is an important aspect of steampunk. Feel free to invent, as long as it runs on steam power. There are a lot of ideas online. Don’t worry about being too narrowly scientific. If the technology is cool enough, the suspension of disbelief should be no problem.
Inventive technologies, a strong plot, fascinating characters, and an engrossing setting, plus a lot of fun, bring steampunk to life.
Characters –
Each player begins by creating one or two characters. Use the following template:
Name:
Male or female:
Age:
Chinese, British, American or French?
Physical appearance:
Backstory:
Personality:
Other information:
Once you have a profile complete, message it to me for approval, and then I will post it in the Character Index thread.
Please read rules posted below.
Please use only this thread for all your comments and questions.
Now, let’s play!
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