Lemuria 1883 (Alt History) - Steamclock RPG By CristianAndreu Watch

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Sixth in the series of regional maps I'm making for my homebrew roleplaying game Steamclock, this time focusing on Lemuria, in the alternate version of 1883 in which the game is set.



This semi-imaginary continent groups together the lands of Greater and Lesser Lemuria, as well as the subcontinents of Australia and parts of Antarctica, separated on the east from the continent of Mu and the Archipelago of Hiva (coming in the next map, hopefully) by Cook's Gulf. Together, this whole ensemble is known as the South Indies, the last great frontier.



The general situation of Lemuria goes as follows:



-Owing to abundant valuable resources and monumental expanses of open land, the Great Powers, chiefly through their Trade Companies, have quickly seized immense chunks of the continent. The British EIC and the Prussian KBG in particular have taken the most active role in this, often clashing with each other.



-The high degree of independence granted to the companies have resulted in a chaotic, almost lawless situation for most of the colonial frontiers. Mercenaries, soldiers of fortune, escapees, and all manners of colourful folks make their livelihood off this, working for this investor or that merchant adventurer.



-The western reaches of Lemuria are home to absolutely ludicrous types of megafauna and megaflora, ie oversized creatures and plants. The islands of Lesser Lemuria hold the most dangerous types, and thus exploration of its interior has been nigh-impossible, while more agreeable behemoths inhabit the Greater Lemurian mainland.



-Leviathans of uncertain dimensions track the deepest trenches of the Southern Ocean, and are known to sometimes cause havoc on the surface. French adventurers, suffering from an unhealthy mix of bravery and madness, have become fond of chasing after these creatures, often with catastrophic results. But after one such creature, the mighty Mangetout, managed to be captured and killed off the shores of the now-thriving Fortunate Islands (making the few surviving sailors absurdly rich), new monster-hunters have been sailing the perilous waters.



-Parts of Lemuria were already settled before Europeans got there. In the west, particularly around the Gulf of Lemuria, ancient, sophisticated, and exotically rich rajs and sultanates of old Indian ascent had carved their own microcosm, which was shattered with the arrival of the Great Powers. Further inland, fantastical aboriginal kingdoms have ruled for countless years around the fertile shores of the Sea of Wandja. Some are said to be able to pull the strands of the mythological Dreaming to affect the world around them.



-The cold, unforgiving wastelands that extend southwards remain mostly unmapped. Rumour has it of cultures and realms still further south, there were the ice meets the sky, and legends of strange creatures and ungodly calamities beyond are not altogether unheard of, though few give it credence.



-Though mostly untouched in any permanent manner by the events of the Day of Thunder, the rise of the swallowing Red Flag Fleet in Southeastern Asia has not gone unnoticed in Colonial Lemuria; pirate hideouts have sprung all over the place, and old bands of sea-bandits have decided to join the Crimson Scourge as tales of its power keep increasing in scope.



-This triggered a particularly severe series of mutinies in the woefully mismanaged prison-colonies of the Eastern Administration, under the not-so-watchful control of the EIC, from which the fresh-faced confederation of thugs, bandits, transported culpables, and multitudinous wretches known as the Brotherhood of St. Dismas sprang, swearing nominal loyalty to the Red Flag Fleet as means of securing their independence. Though the EIC has offered bountiful rewards to those capable of supressing the revolts, the situation worsens by the day, in no small measure thanks to the conniving of rival Trade Companies and local kingdoms wishing to undermine their operations.



-And, of course, it is also said mountains like to get up and walk around central Australia.

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