Londinium, Steampunk and You ( Plot/Setting)

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

Forum Setting:
Once upon a time, people used to say "All Roads lead to Rome."
These days, the saying is "Everything Flies through London-town."

Welcome to Londinium, the hub of the Heta Empire skies. Cargo, people, ideas and intrigue all fly by airship in a land where men are gentlemen, women are ladies, and people live or die by their reputations.
The modern Steam Standard means there are profits to be had; where there are merchants there will be pirates, and where there are pirates there will be protectors... thus starts the three way tug of war that is the skies of Heta Empire.

The forum is set somewhere around the year 1892, though it's not exactly like our own... Airtalia: The Heta Empire has a slightly different history, with different names, but hopefully you'll recognize the places and enjoy your stay.


What Is Steampunk
Steampunk is basically a 'what if', a re-imagining or alternate history where technology took another route somewhere around the victorian era

What is Steampunk
Girl Genius A 'gaslamp fantasy' webcomic
You Can't Take the Sky From Me A hetalia steampunk AU.
Airborn Steampunk YA book series. highly recommended.



this thread will be updated with relevant information as it becomes canon.
Please check the Word Of Lud hotline for questions.

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

Londinium is the capitol of the Heta Empire, and thus the hub of all wheelings and dealings. It has come to be somewhat of a truce state- should a Airman meet a pirate on the street they will both pretend not to know what the other is.

Country Vs. Personal Name

Airmen, Pirates and Merchants all use country names as Call-signs and when on duty- personal names are for private and incognito use.
For example, Ludwig would be Captain Germany on his ship and Ludwig Beilschmidt when talking to his friends in the bar; England could be a very well known and feared pirate but Arthur takes tea at the shops and no one notices.

Civilians of status have taken to giving themselves codenames as well- Veniziano's tailor shop or France's perfumery would be of high renown, and it would be rude to address the owners by given name (I.E. Feliciano or Francis) while in their stores. (examples only.)
It's said that Emperor Rome has had courtiers killed for forgetting his title, though that friendly Romulus in the bar tells everyone the Emperor's not that bad.

The Country Codenames started out as a Military/Nobility and high-class affectation and have trickled down- they are very formal things and many, especially among lower classes, see them as stuffy and unnecessary. Despite this, many of Londinium's growing middle class with aspirations to greatness have begun taking on Country Names.

Full example: Ludwig, a military brat from an upper class family, would have had a country title from a young age, sort of like European/ British Nobility titles. He would carry this title over into his military Career. It is a sign of intimacy/ friendship among higher classes to invite someone to call you by your given name.
Forms of address from most formal to most informal would progress as such:
Captain Germany -> Captain Bielschmidt -> Mr. Germany/ Mr. Bielschmidt -> Germany > Ludwig

The Heta Empire covers Albion , Most of Europa, and has a few far-flung territories here and there. They have trade relations with the American Union countries and the Cyrillic States, and often accept people from other countries into the HetaForce Airmen as a gesture of goodwill.

+ Asiatic Council: China, Korea, Japan
+ American Union Countries: Canadia, American Free States, Mexico
+ Cyrillic States: Rus, Ukrayne, Belarus. Has sovereignty over the Baltics.

Emperor Rome is the 3rd Hetalian Emperor. The first one was great, the second one was a puppet of his advisors and the third.. expanded their territory, made trade agreements and treaties and has been in general pretty freaking bad-ass and politically wily since he took the throne in his own early 20's. he's got at least 2 20+ plus grandkids by now and hasn't been assassinated yet, so the empire's been pretty stable for a while.

Airships There are many possible designs an airship can take- check out the Steampunk Inspirations thread for some ideas, but the basic concept looks a lot like this:
Example ship
Most ships will have some kind of large envelope to keep the ship aloft. it's up to you whether you want your ship to be a streamlined, all-inclusive zeppelin or a decadent, how-does-this-thing-stay-in-the-air confection that looks like an actual ship that just happens to fly.

The Bar ...Where everybody pretends not no know your name o/`
The Bar, run by the Formidable Hungary, is an unspoken truce ground for the factions of Londinium. Everyone needs a safe place to unwind, and anyone who tries to start something in Hungary's bar will feel the flat of her frying pan as it sends them out the door. It's bad form to directly act on things you overhear in The Bar, though spying does happen....

Money Steam may be the new standard, but money stays the same regardless. The Heta Empire Crown is a solid currency, with paper banknotes and precious metal coinage... though like the modern day, there seems to be less and less actual precious metal in said coins.

Money is worth more than it would be in the modern time, and some people's whole yearly income could be 400$ or less. don't spend that 50 cent half-crown all in one place!

Clothing
Think Victorian and Edwardian (again, the steampunk inspirations thread in the OOC is your friend!) and mix and match. As only rich people can really afford to change their clothes every fashion season anyway it would make sense to have a range of styles.

it's still terribly scandalous to see a women's leg much past the calf, especially bare, oh my! if you want your female character to be able to move easily, think split skirts (aka riding skirts, basically really wide open leg trousers that look like a skirt when standing) or sufragette style 'bloomers'. As of course this is an AU and people like playing with costume design, don't feel too restricted by this.

Military Uniform As modeled by swiss
Female Uniform As modeled by Belarus
Airmen's Women's Core Dress Uniform

Technology:
Obviously Lighter-than-air travel has made huge advances, and with that comes advances in other areas too!

You have this anachronistic feel of an older society that has been propelled by a new revolution - it's a reimagining of a time that never was. So you can reinvent modern ideas with a retro feel. And you can also take antique technology and re-invent it.
-quote taken from France, one of the moderators.

FMA-style automail limbs, Swordguns, the beginnings of self-propelled transportation and moving pictures- many things are changing and advancing, sometimes even past our own world's technology, and coexisting right behind much older ideas and tech. Just don't get too carried away ^_0
Electricity is not widespread, though it's becoming more accepted, and indoor plumbing is de rigeur.

Miscellaneous Other
Failmap of Eurasia
AKA lud forgot how huge Russia is OMFG.


If you read all of this, you get a double chocolate chip cookie!