I ran an RP in this setting for a while somewhere else, so I thought I'd pitch it to you guys. What thoughts?


Essentially, the setting is a fantasy set in the 1800s, during the Industrial Revolution. As well as the numerous human races, there are elves, dwarves, dragons, vampires and assorted other fantasy creatures, and magic is in competition with technology. Each player will control a nation, which could be Britain, France, China, the Elven Collective or the Gargul Clan of Mountain Dwarves.

It's the year 1830. The Industrial Revolution has been advancing for almost a century, and the seafaring powers of Europe are establishing their overseas empires. Although, on the outside, it looks like the Europeans are abandoning magic and embracing technology, in reality this is far from the truth, as witch circles and magical societies emerge like a disease, and the Scandinavian and Scottish spell-casters cling on stubbornly. In Eastern Europe, powerful vampires are asserting their control, and the old vampire-states are beginning to get restless. Meanwhile, the Africans are coming under the sway of the Europeans in the West, the Arabs in the North, the great Zulu Kingdom in the South, and vampire lords in the unseen darkness of inner Africa. For the most part, they still rely on their varied magics, often cast by their revered shamans and witch-doctors.The Aborogines do not yet stray from their southern homelands, where they remain in their were-loving clans, still casting the same hunting magic as they have for millennia. A few weres have made their way into northern Africa, and even Europe and the Americas, where the occasional shape-shifter among the native races is their genetic legacy. The Ottoman Empire is collapsing, while various Arab states seize power, some of them treading down the first steps towards industrialisation, while others try to consolidate their magical abilities. For many years the Mage Societies have controlled magic in the Middle East, but their grip is weakening. The nomadic Asiatic tribes are little changed, still roaming the vast steppes of central Asia on horseback. However there are rumours of a powerful magic-user in the North, who has gone beyond their usual weather-, hunting- and healing-magic. In China, the battle between magic and technology is fierce, as the Emperor encourages his people to stick to the old ways, while the eunuchs relentlessly push for industrialisation. With a disputed succession to the throne thrown in, the whole nation seems to be ripe for break-up. The weak Indian states do not seem to have much hope for resisting the Europeans, who have established colonies all along the coast. Their only hope is to rally their greatest mages to fight back against the European scourge. The Japanese are vehemently anti-technology, holding on to their ancient rituals and skills. Among the Japanese, there are many powerful magic-users, trained in arcane arts from all over the world. Finally, among the human races, there are the Yupik, spread out over the north-eastern most corner of Asia. A simple, hunter-gatherer race, they are nevertheless magically-gifted, and this combined with their proximity to the Elves could mean that they yet have an important part to play.

However there are many other races with relevance in the world. To the south of China, the Ring Sea is heavily populated by Goblins, themselves beginning to tinker with technological artefacts, while even further to the south the Orcish clans are beginning to federate. Far to the East, the Elvish continent of Salirian has been discovered by European explorers, and the ancient, stagnant Elvish races are beginning to bcome more active. The Sea Elves see new trading partners, the Steppe Elves and High Elves see people in need of guidance, the Forest Elves see a threat upon the world of nature which need to be dealt with, while the Lesser Elves see an escape from the generations of serfdom they have suffered under the senior Elvish peoples. The first half-Elves have been born, and it is only a matter of time before the possibility of Elvish vampires is tested. Even further to the East are the Americas, which have begun to be colonized by the Europeans from the East. In the continent of East America, the Anthros hold sway, their varied, primitive races occupying the southern two thirds of the continent, while in the north Mountain Dwarves and Hill Dwarves live in their vast underground halls, sporadically harassed by Cave Trolls, in the west the Cliff Dwarves cling to the coasts, and to the east, the European colonies are gaining ground. On the northern ice, Snow Dwarves and Ice Trolls roam, while on the easternmost peninsula of West America, the Hobbits live the agrarian lifestyle they always have. The Plains Dwarves are going through an expansion, as a new tribal god is born, encouraging them to expand from their dusty plains, while the Andean Dwarves to the south play with their treasures, and stroke their long skulls, pondering their next move. To their east, the Gnomes readily take tricks and inventions from the immigrating humans, adding to their ancient mechanical sciences, and are rapidly creating factories and machines. They may well overtake the Europeans technologically. Throughout, the Anthro clans live in between the dwarven and gnomish clans. To the South, the sub-continent of Amazonia has been little explored. All that is known for sure is the presence of Dragons and Lizardmen, as well as the ubiquitous Anthros, although the rumours of the explorers and the folkore of the Dwarves tells of cities paved with gold, and great ziggurats built in homage to the Dragon Overlords. Dwarven chieftains and human conquistadors hope to find the truth about this dark jungle.

It is a time of great danger, and great potential. Any small nation, young or old, could carve itself a niche, or exploit the endless conflicts and dichotomies in place throughout the world - men vs elves, old vs new, magic vs technology. The tale is just beginning.

Here are some maps -
Races
Climates/Biomes
Geography