"STEAM LONDON" Out-of-character Thread

[Mordecai Maxwell]

OK, folks, BG is back up, let's get back to the story!

[Snark MacQuarrie, Esq.]

I think I may join this - could someone very quickly, in as few sentences as possible, tell me what the aforementioned story is?

[Brisby]

I'm with Snark.  Like to give it a go as well.  Any additional details on character creation?

Brisby

[Snark MacQuarrie, Esq.]

Oh, also: what's the precise year, and does H.G. Wells exist?

[Jessica Butcher]

Yes, I need to know that as well for my own personal story, and Invisible Man tie-ins.

[Mercury Wells]

About 1890ish, by my reckoning & I think that Wells, as any other writer/men of science etc would exist.

[clockworkcoffin]

i've created a character and posted my first bit of role-playing.  i'll be looking for an opportunity to join one or more of the other players.  glad to be a part!

[Mordecai Maxwell]

I'm just hoping that someone updates Ajax and Demitri's part of the story...  I want to write some more, but it's all dependent on what they do next.

[the Hat]

I think I may join this - could someone very quickly, in as few sentences as possible, tell me what the aforementioned story is?

The Story So Far:

There has been a mysterious fire in the underbelly of London. An odd assortment of men, brought together by coincidence (or was it fate?) seek to find the cause of this very queer fire. They are a book collector who knows more than he tells, a French student who has difficulty making himself understood, a drunk Scotsman with a troubled past, and an Irish gaslamp lighter who is much kinder than his looks.

After the fire is put out, the four men retire to Bucer's Pub to talk the events over. Yet, before they are able to get a word in edgewise, a large thug by the name of Billy, comes up to them probing for information about the strange fire. He is a crony of the "Colonel," who is the main crime boss of the London underworld. After much yelling, hubbub, threats and general confusion, Billy receives a note from a boy of unknown origin which apparently tells him to leave the four men alone. After threatening them that they will be watched, he leaves.

In upper London a member of Parliament is found dead in his home. Nothing is known about his death. He was reported to have proposed a bill which would start a more efficient clean-up of the underworld.

Despite being rather shaken up by the confrontation with Billy, the four men set about their conversation again. Suddenly, the Irishman (Ajax) discovers that he is missing certain letters which belonged to his dead mentor. He enlists the help of the Frenchman (Demetri) and they set off to find the letters, while the Scotsman (Scott) and the bookseller (Horatio) begin discussing a book of great value and mystery.

That's were I left off the story, that puts you up to date to about page 5 of the thread. Enjoy the story!!!

The Hat

[Mercury Wells]

I hope that Steamworkcoffin doesn't take exception about what is happening to Miss Amelia & Mr. Daniel?.

[clockworkcoffin]

saddening though it shall surely be, i fully approve of the course of action in killing amelia.  by jove, i actually said "my god!!!" aloud when i read it and smiled a sad smile. 

i would like to know why this shadowy figure keeps calling him anton.  his pseudonym was actually archimedes, but if its part of the story then i approve.

[Mercury Wells]

Who said that Miss Amelia was/is actually dead? 

But thank you ClockworkCoffin. *tips hat*

[clockworkcoffin]

oh, well played old boy!  well played indeed.

the question remains though:  why the anton bit?

[AFGNCAAP]

I'm just hoping that someone updates Ajax and Demitri's part of the story...  I want to write some more, but it's all dependent on what they do next.

Just to make sure you don't think I've dropped out of the story, I'm still here, just watching quietly for Phantom to return.

[the Hat]

I'm just hoping that someone updates Ajax and Demitri's part of the story...  I want to write some more, but it's all dependent on what they do next.

Just to make sure you don't think I've dropped out of the story, I'm still here, just watching quietly for Phantom to return.

It's about the same for me too. I can't really do anything until Jon starts posting again.

[Mordecai Maxwell]

I'm just hoping that someone updates Ajax and Demitri's part of the story...  I want to write some more, but it's all dependent on what they do next.

Just to make sure you don't think I've dropped out of the story, I'm still here, just watching quietly for Phantom to return.

Ahh.  My PM was sent to you before I read this.  I PM'd Phantom as well; hopefully we'll see something

[AFGNCAAP]

Hopefully, but whether or not everyone returns, I'm not finished at all with this RPG...Demetri hasn't even got the chance to reveal his secret yet...

[clockworkcoffin]

i need mercury wells to post again so i can continue.  i hate waiting when the story is so good already ><

[Mordecai Maxwell]

Hopefully, but whether or not everyone returns, I'm not finished at all with this RPG...Demetri hasn't even got the chance to reveal his secret yet...

So we kill off Ajax and take his stuff then?

[AFGNCAAP]

Demetri's secret would make that idea quite impossible.

[AFGNCAAP]

I hate to double post, but it's come to me that perhaps we should work out a plan for what will be done if anyone in the RPG is gone for a while or leaves the forum, as every person is vital to the story, but sometimes people can't get to the computer or post for reasons beyond their control.  Say, for instance, that Demetri was standing over [insert vital character here], who is holding Moriarty's coveted writings, with a knife (snicker), and...after I log out, I decide to give Second Life one more whack at my fragile CPU, my computer becomes another "exploding Dell laptop" story, and I am able to get onto the forum only once in the next couple of months. In a more likely way, it could happen to someone.
This is not like any old RPG I've participated in--eventually, when the plot starts to really get moving, a single person's absence might have the ability to stall the entire thing for everyone, and an issue like that can't be left alone.

[clockworkcoffin]

i agree with AFGNCAAP.  it only took a couple of posts for me to become trapped and i'm seriously considering taking things into my own hands. 

[AFGNCAAP]

For now, though, I'm hoping no one would object to my getting overly creative and finding a way to have Demetri inside the bar and outside (waiting in stasis) at the same time...it's down to divine intervention or a hidden NPC experimenting with a time machine. 

[Mordecai Maxwell]

Well, per this:

The following rules apply to all players and are the sole restrictions upon role-playing:
* No permament change is to be made to other players' characters without their permission. This includes the murdering of other characters or the otherwise inflicting of damage which cannot be undone and could be considered undesirable.

I think you could safely write the next part as long as you don't kill off Ajax.

[AFGNCAAP]

I like him too much to do that, anyway. Well, here goes something that will probably come out very silly...I've made it so that things could place Demetri where he was before, easily, as soon as it becomes necessary. Phantom, if you return ten minutes after I post this, ecstatic to have you back, and I apologize infinitely for the trouble.