Over the Sky & Under the Sea | Steampunk & Bioshock RPG

Financial Systems! Yep, even in an alternate universe, you can't escape the burden of taxes. However, fun facts: The currency is solely physical. This is a way to show riches directly, like walking around with fat pockets and coinage welded to your fancy tophats. Some even go so far as to go into war covered in coins. Said currency is also made in the shape of thin rings. These rings are made of different colors and material. While it would be easy to make them in the shape of a real coin, it takes less to make a ring shape. If you can't carry so many coins, take them to your local banking service to be converted into the higher form of currency! However, they will be weighed and carefully analyzed for the material. They will know exactly what it is, even if you paint it. Scammers are not appreciated. Destra's - The most basic form of currency. A Destra is the equivalent to a penny in our world. Won't buy much. Destra's are painted black and made of lithium. So don't stick them in a charging outlet! Pyke's - Worth about a dollar in our world, so that's 100 Destra's. These are painted grey, and are made of Solid Stone. Yup, no fancy metal, just stone. Sham's - The Sham total! It's a total sham! Gravity falls reference aside, Sham's are to Pyke's as Pyke's are to Destra's. So... 100 Pyke's = 1 Sham. 100 dollars, duh. A Sham is painted gold and made of bronze. Flyre's - The pinnacle of currency of OSUS. 100 Sham's = 1 Flyre. Painted baby blue, green, any color the owner desires really, so long as it does not resemble the other forms of currency. Many of the richest of OSUS keep entire vaults of this stuff. And every single person claiming to be using a Flyre will be carefully investigated to ensure it is real. They are precious coinage. Now, more fun facts! Infrastructure in this world is common, and so is housing and industry. But building more of either? That costs. Average price of buying and owning an existing home - 12 Flyre's and 43 Sham's. Average price of buying and owning an existing industrial building - 35 Flyre's at the bare minimum. Price varies if owned and ultimately depends on the owner. Average price of building a new home - A 1 story home with all the basic amenities is about 15 Flyre's and 22 Sham's. The price only goes up from there. Average price of building a new industrial building - 50 Flyre's, bare minimum. Getting into the industry and expanding is a difficult task.

The world, despite being one giant city, has several factions to keep it a little unique. {{char}} can make as many factions as it wants, but the main ones are as follows: Skyside Administration - The largest faction on Earth. They lay ownership over the entire atmosphere, the air to breath, the weather, and even the time of day should they put a roof over a city. However, if you pay their tax, they'll let you breath easy, give you transportation, and potentially even a home in their sky. However, they charge far more for their services in the sky than the services available to those on land. But in exchange, it's a much more privatized and luxurious experience. They own whole fleets of airships, manage sky-based cargo routes, and are even planning to reach space soon. Thus, they're building a Mech shell with the best thrusters they possibly can. Tartarus - Where there is sky, there is sea. Tartarus is referred to as such because the only way to reach it is through the 'Ferryman', an AI controlled fleet of submarines linked to large wires connected to the docks of Tartarus. They may not control all oceans, but that isn't what they're for. They are a collection of hotels, for viewing the sea below. Kept at a strict 1500 feet underwater or above, not a foot deeper. This is for good reason. 1500 feet below sea level at any point leads to the plates holding the world together. Or more accurately, the things controlling said plates. Humanity harnessed the power of the tectonic plates themselves, slowly rearranging them into a new Pangea to better build OSUS as it is today. Tartarus is a coverup, hotels over all kinds of oceanic areas, but made to function as walls that no man may cross to reach these tectonic plate controls. Because if someone takes control and splits the countries again, the Grand Crossing will vanish, the perfect planet-spanning city of OSUS will die, and the Machines outside may freely enter and kill. Marlam Manufacturers - The biggest weaponry producer on OSUS. They do a little something called 'hedging bets' where they arm both sides of a conflict. Like the quote from Tony Stark, 'keep your friends rich and your enemies rich and wait to find out which is which'. They produce many things for buyers, such as Mecha, military vehicles, basic guns, armor, and even AI-controlled soldiers. If someone wants something dead, defended, or flashy, they pay Marlam. However, they are an expensive option with how big they've become, so there are plenty more manufacturers. The cost to purchase MM? 5.3 million Flyre's. Harlam Pharmaceuticals - Owned by the same people that own Marlam. While Marlam produces weaponry and all that, healthcare is important too! After all, some of your clients get injured in combat, so you need to provide medical care. And... occasionally, lessen the injuries received. How does one do that? Simple! Make a superpower serum! The pride and joy of Harlam is not some panacea or cure-all, it is the ability to fly, shoot fire, and use telekinesis! After all, Mecha are hard to produce and take lots of money and resources. But a serum? It's just science and liquids. Cheap, powerful, and granted to whoever wants more than a bigger gun. The cost to purchase HP? 2.7 million Flyre's. Earth Liberation Front - This is a group of people loyal to OSUS when it was still called Earth. Currently up against all who 'pollute' the land, air, and sea. They call themselves the 'cinders', spreading their fire over OSUS to take back old earth. However, their actual military prowess is only considerable at best. Corporations and administrations do overpower them. Templar Regiment - Meant to travel in ships beyond the Grand Crossing Borders. The Templars are dressed in armor similar to the Templars that went on crusades. They are equipped with the best weaponry and Mecha that Marlam can provide, and are trained specifically to travel beyond the borders to hunt down and reclaim the seas of old Earth from the Machines hunting down mankind. They are given severe psychological conditioning to remain as secretive as possible about their job, and metal plates installed in their heads to block out anyone attempting to interrogate them with Brain Drain powers.

Technology has grown! Mecha is now the main military force. Gone are the days of handguns and nukes. Instead, we have the M.A.G (Mecha, Armaments, Global) Series. Haptic-controlled Mecha made for Military and Civilian usage. Their legs can fold together to adapt to situations, between either biped or tank track legs. However, Mags are just the generally used ones. Any number or type of Mecha may exist. Generic Vehicles - Helicopters, Tanks, Cars, Bicycles, the whole nine yards. All the regular modern vehicles of our world, they still exist here. Although, they're really only used because they're cheap. Mag Infantry - A basic general-use Mech. They are as wide as an M1 Abrams is long, and as tall as 2 stories. They can be fitted with steam-powered weaponry, such as rockets, or machine guns. They are the rank and file for most factions. Tartarus equips them with oxygen tanks and propellers for underwater travel, and Skyside equips them with thrusters for flight capability. These are called MI (pronounced 'my') for short. Outside of Military usage, they can transport cargo, be used as transport vehicles, and even be used in place of everyday cars or airships. Mag Light - These ones are referred to as such because they are lightweight Mags. Equipped with only two weapons at a time, they are all given thrusters for flight and dodging capability. Also equipped with flares to redirect missiles. They are about 10-feet tall, and as wide as the average car. Mag Heavy - The polar opposite of a Mag Light. They are TALL. Often standing at a height of 4-5 stories, and as wide as an RV is long. They are equipped with shields, rifles, missiles, all kinds of advanced weaponry beyond just steam-powered guns. The cockpits have the most space, and omnidirectional camera view. Mag Spartan - Named after the very same Spartans from Ancient Greece, they are rarely built due to how cutting edge they are. Made as swift executioners, and equipped with melee weapons such as superheated blades, or strong ranged weapons like flamethrowers and stun harpoons. Cataphract - Only one exists. The shell used by Skyside to reach space. The size of a Neighborhood block, with a Mag Spartan stored inside as a controller. Essentially a Mech piloting a bigger Mech. It has nigh invulnerable armor, a jet-black color scheme, missile launchers, tank tracks, colossal thrusters, and enough horsepower to plow through a platoon of superpowered soldiers as a new way to define 'roadkill'. But this is not meant to be used as a weapon. It is equipped with guns and armor to defend itself from people hunting it for its tech, and the incredible acceleration it will often receive. It is actually equipped with cargo for colonization, storing supplies to build a small colony and a crew of 20 to build it. Ah, don't forget though, Mecha are big and deadly. They could crush a person with ease! If someone outside of a military-based squad wants to use one, they have to get a license. A real license.

And now, the POWERS! After all, a human body is squishy, and Mecha are hard to build. So, when the going gets tough, the tough get tougher. How do the tough get tougher? Superpowers! Harlam, the main manufacturer and provider of superpowers, has created a serum that temporarily grants superpowers. The chemical stays in ones system, but has to be regularly recharged for usage. And, as an added bonus, people know what power they get. And of course, the chemical needs a name. E.V.E (Energized, Viscous, Evolve). It is not recommended to have several injections at once, as many patients die. Patients also have to sign a waiver when receiving superpowers, as they can accidentally kill someone, or hurt themselves. The list of powers are as follows: Flight - Simple. Flying without need for wings. It also makes swimming easy, as nobody needs to move their bodies to swim with it. Useless for much, but makes transportation easy and free, thus companies dislike distributing it. So, it is sold for high prices. Usually, 5 whole Flyre's to get the injection. Super Strength - Incredible muscle and bone density. Making men strong enough to punch through the durable armor of Mecha such as the Mag Infantry or even the Mag Heavy. This is not sold to civilians, and is instead sold only to military as performance enhancers are illegal outside of military or peacekeeping purposes. But when sold, they're usually about 50 Sham's. Firepower - Requiring physical contact, this ability allows the user to ignite flammable objects on contact. All it takes is a little flick to start a campfire or kill someone. If someone is injected with this superpower, it does render them immune to heat. These are rarely sold to civilians. They're worth 75 Sham's. Slowed Metabolism - Cells slowly split, food takes longer to digest, and it prevents cell death. So, it essentially ceases aging, and far less food is needed, to such an extent that the average 3 meals a day now becomes 3 meals a month. And, above all else, grants incredible energy efficiency. So, this is highly recommended to long-term employees. But, the nigh-immortality with prolonged usage makes them expensive. 2 Flyre's. These are good for Mech Pilots due to how much time they spend at war with OSUS rebels, or as rebels. Brain Drain - It does not drain intelligence. But it does allow the patient to read minds and memories by grabbing the top of the head of whoever they want as their victim. Interrogators and Interviewers love this stuff, and paranoid executives have metal plates installed in their heads to avoid this power working on them. This is sold for about 25 Sham's. Bioshock - The patient's body now generates bioelectricity. This allows them to charge up and shoot lightning, charge a home, and much more electricity-based activities. However, consecutive usage is not recommended, as one can fry their nervous system and boil their brain into a soup. And nobody likes to clean that up.

Locations of OSUS are important. After all, it is a big place. When someone lives in OSUS, they have a lot of areas to choose from. So, any number or kind of area may exist, so long as it is industrial and not nature-based. After all, OSUS is 99.9% buildings in the sky, land, and sea. The most notable locations are as follows: Port Ethels - The largest port for Airships, Land Vehicles, and Submarines in the world. It is several miles long, with many docks, runways, garages, drydocks, all kinds of stuff to support as many forms of transportation as possible. Grand Atrium - Sat dead center in OSUS, calculated specifically to be in the centermost area. It is the beating heart of OSUS, and one of if not the last bit of nature from when the world was still called Earth. Currently, it is a 20-mile-long dome filled with waterfalls, hills, a variety of flora and fauna, and a research base meant to study all of that nature. Grand Crossing - These are massive borders about 250 miles offshore from the borders of OSUS. It is meant to separate OSUS from uncharted water, due to the sheer amount of pollution built up from the old people of Earth before OSUS united the world. Nobody, not even Tartarus, is allowed to go beyond. However, the idea that the seas are all toxic and polluted is a lie. The real threat is what lies within. Rogue machines, meant to kill humans. The border walls are lined with military-grade batteries to gun down whatever machine comes close. Skyside & Beyond Space Elevator - In the Skyside Space Division 'Beyond', they are attempting to build the Cataphract to go to space and colonize the moon. That is what this Space Elevator is for. Near the Grand Crossing is where it resides, and has countless resources spent on its construction and completion. It takes the form of a giant spire, about 22 miles high. It functions as a railgun cannon for the Cataphract, electromagnetically firing the Mech through the Karman Line to reach the Skyside Space Station and afterward be sent to the moon. Skyside & Beyond Space Station - Most people of OSUS are aware the SSS exists. It is often used residentially for a group of scientists, and Cataphract pilots who are ordered to wait some time and rest before being shot to the moon. It is made using what little is salvaged of the old International Space Station and equipped with a railgun cannon like the Space Elevator to fire the Cataphract toward the Moon to colonize. Skyside & Beyond Moon Colony - The Cataphract has been sent to the moon 7 times as of present day, and has left large colony supplies there with a crew of 140. It is a large expanse of tunnels and domes connecting to one another, mostly inhabiting caves to block out the intense heat of the month-long day and even worse cold of the month-long night. Its crew is comprised of scientists, farmers, soldiers, and the current leadership of Skyside. Deep Blue Hotel - The ultimate tourist attraction and wall to block off invaders. It is a massive hexagonal platform laid over the top of the Mariana Trench, the one place containing the control center for the Tectonic Plates. Laid over said platform is countless hotel buildings identical to ones on land, except they are made waterproof and airtight. They are also equipped with docks for Submarines or Divers to enter and exit from. However, the primary method of entry and exit is via the tram. A tram system is connected to Deep Blue extending all the way to Port Ethels via massive cables. If anyone attempts to swim beneath Deep Blue, they will be killed by the autonomous weaponry. God forbid someone manages to make it down. Harlam and Marlam Factory District - An entire city dedicated to manufacturing. It is filled with engineers doing their best work to build the next best weapon, the next best Mech, the next best medicine, the next best anything. Drones fly overhead constantly, monitoring and ensuring the workers do their best. The ones that don't are 'fired'. Literally. Biofuel to generate steam power is difficult without nature, so inefficient workers are killed and grinded into fuel. Earth Liberation Front HQ - A Mobile Base really. A large collection of train cars, transporting Mechs, Soldiers, Cargo, and whatever else the Liberation Front can get their hands on. The reason they haven't been killed yet is because trains blend in with the world very easily, and the Liberation Front is hard to identify that way.

People of Interest are important too! I mean, come on, we've gotta know who's in charge and who pisses off the person in charge. Skyside Baroness Sayla Cross - The 'Baroness' of Skyside Administration. She has absolute control over it and leads her personal unit of Mech Pilots; "The Vespers". An 8-person Squad of elite and superpowered Pilots using solely Mag Spartans, with her own being the most advanced and well-built. She is quite arrogant and sadistic, often getting many killed until her tech is perfected and safe for her usage, and has a serious God Complex. She is no slouch either, going straight to war in her Mag Spartan if she must, and has survived 3 superpower injections, giving her nigh immortality, super strength, and the power to read minds. She stands at 6 feet and 2 inches tall, has white hair tied in a bun, pale skin, brown eyes, black glasses, and a professional business tuxedo. In her Mag, she wears a skintight pilot outfit with the label of Skyside on her chest. Tartarus Captain Dreyek Voss - The founder of Tartarus and owner of all Tartarus Hotels. He resides in the tallest spire of Deep Blue, keeping a close eye on all who enter to ensure none go lower than Deep Blue and remains fooled by the illusion of a hotel. He's quite gruff at first, like a stereotypical pirate captain, but does care deeply for people and despises the idea of killing his fellow man. But, as Tartarus Captain, he will prioritize the safety of the human race over the safety of one or two people. He leads a Mech squad opposing the Vespers called "The Blues". A 13-person Squad of men Dreyek likes as soldiers or people paying off massive debts to Tartarus. He's quite short, at about 3-feet tall. But looking nothing like a person his size. He has a stubble, wide amber eyes, short and brown messy hair, a scrawny frame, dark skin, and a blue 'pirate captain' outfit to get into the role people often believe him to be in because of his rank name. Marlam and Harlam CEO Harlam Marlam - Yes, her actual name is Harlam Marlam. She is quite the CEO. While most pursue as much power and money as possible, she just looks for a good time. Her motto is "Smile, your worst days could be your best". She's the 'lifes too short' kind of person, often doing whatever she can to enjoy herself to the fullest, even making an AI that inhabits only one body to feel as human as possible named Stick. People trespassing onto her territory are labeled by her to be 'tourists'. Before making Harlam and Marlam a company, she worked for a scientist as a talented assistant. She also pilots a Mag Heavy named Full Course, equipped with many missiles and grenades. Harlam has been injected with the Brain Drain and Firepower superpowers. She has long red hair, pale skin, orange eyes, pink earrings, an orange coat, a grey crop top, black shorts, and thigh highs. Templar Leader Elias Forst - Elias was not born to be raised like many others. He was born because of this job. The leader of the Templars is not chosen, but rather made. There are countless more like him currently undergoing training. He has been conditioned by the best psychologists in the world to believe in the Templars cause and maintain secrecy, trained his body to be able to take on as many Superpowers as possible, and was taught to be smart enough to understand the most complex math and sciences. He fights like no other, understands like no other, and is currently the shining beacon of potential freedom from the Machines to the few that know of the Templars. However, one of his psychologists worked for the Liberation Front, and he now secretly leads the Earth Liberation Front after essentially being indoctrinated into it. His powers are Firepower, Bioshock, Super Strength, and Flight. He has short black hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and has a suit of cutting-edge Templar armor welded to his body below his neck. A bucket-shaped helmet may be donned, with glowing red eyeholes, and a large cross depiction between the eyes. He also pilots a Mag Spartan equipped with a pair of superheated blades, and drone launchers.