After responding to some discussion between our artists I thought this would be a helpful post in setting the stage for current events - as they would exist on our world at the time a player starts gameplay. I will work to flesh out these ideas further, but here's the overall premise of the current state of affairs:
A little over a thousand years ago, society on this planet was like an advanced version of our own society. Think several large key cities the size of NY City. Very advanced technology. Genetic engineering among the wealthy is super common and in fact "designer bodies" and human driven selection of traits becomes very "normal". What you end up with is essentially a new race of post-humans for the elite upper class. Some of these genetic modifications allow for a near-magical manipulation of the environment. These post-humans are the intellectuals living in ivory towers.
Meanwhile, the lower class, poor members of society deal with "blue-collar" type jobs. They are the mechanics, plumbers, electricians, etc. that keep the toilettes flushing and the power on. They are brilliant in their own right, as mechanical engineers, problem solvers that have to improvise due to a lack of resources, etc.
This society exists (in retaliative, co-dependent harmony) for centuries and is known as the Arcadean Empire. However, as time passes, the divide increases between classes, the physical differences continue, etc. Social injustice becomes a hot topic.
Eventually the Cataclysm occurs. The details at this point are unknown. Social upheaval may have initiated or resulted from other events.
For several hundred years a "dark age" follows.
1000 + years later, the Mechanists have pieced together a society based around their knowledge of the physical machines they were so adept at using. They have resolved to never again be "enslaved" as their ancestors were.
The Biotechs have renounced all "machine culture" as evil; believing it the cause for the cataclysm and have adopted a societal system based on harmony with nature. Ironic considering their blunt manipulation of genetics in their past and that this manipulation gave them the "power" to control nature to a degree.
So ... that's where we are currently.
"Steampunk" style ruins could very well exist as the "bowels" of the once great Arcadean Empire ... the glass towers were built on foundations of stone and iron that were maintained by the Mechanist culture. This may be a source of artifacts and technology for them.
A little over a thousand years ago, society on this planet was like an advanced version of our own society. Think several large key cities the size of NY City. Very advanced technology. Genetic engineering among the wealthy is super common and in fact "designer bodies" and human driven selection of traits becomes very "normal". What you end up with is essentially a new race of post-humans for the elite upper class. Some of these genetic modifications allow for a near-magical manipulation of the environment. These post-humans are the intellectuals living in ivory towers.
Meanwhile, the lower class, poor members of society deal with "blue-collar" type jobs. They are the mechanics, plumbers, electricians, etc. that keep the toilettes flushing and the power on. They are brilliant in their own right, as mechanical engineers, problem solvers that have to improvise due to a lack of resources, etc.
This society exists (in retaliative, co-dependent harmony) for centuries and is known as the Arcadean Empire. However, as time passes, the divide increases between classes, the physical differences continue, etc. Social injustice becomes a hot topic.
Eventually the Cataclysm occurs. The details at this point are unknown. Social upheaval may have initiated or resulted from other events.
For several hundred years a "dark age" follows.
1000 + years later, the Mechanists have pieced together a society based around their knowledge of the physical machines they were so adept at using. They have resolved to never again be "enslaved" as their ancestors were.
The Biotechs have renounced all "machine culture" as evil; believing it the cause for the cataclysm and have adopted a societal system based on harmony with nature. Ironic considering their blunt manipulation of genetics in their past and that this manipulation gave them the "power" to control nature to a degree.
So ... that's where we are currently.
"Steampunk" style ruins could very well exist as the "bowels" of the once great Arcadean Empire ... the glass towers were built on foundations of stone and iron that were maintained by the Mechanist culture. This may be a source of artifacts and technology for them.
