No one remembers much from the days before the desert. It was once said that the whole area was covered in a huge body of water called an Ocean but some people argue that once it was a lush expanse of greenery. Now there is sand further than the eye can see and beyond how far a man can walk before he dies of dehydration or heat stroke.

No ones knows for sure what happened to create the desert. There are records of some sort of weapon being tested and it spreading a disease that drove people insane. These people started using other weapons that baked the earth and destroyed every living thing. Or at least that's what most people believe. True knowledge of what happened has been lost and learning has been pushed to the side in favor of survival.

Most modern technology was lost with the cities of the world and gradually people have started to use mechanical devices, some steam powered some powered by other means, to make their lives easier. Scientific research is very common in the city, as is trying to revive pre-war technology.

There is only one known city in the desert. That city is Vexotia. The city itself is safely hidden behind massive walls made of some strange material, as hard as stone but able to be made a large seamless surface. Some of the more learned Citizens could probably tell you what it is, but they don't usually leave the safety of their household unless unavoidably necessary.


The slums surround the city walls. The houses in the slums are usually made from scavenged items from the desert and cast offs from the city. There are a few factories of sorts out there that make things that the city needs, which is how most people in the slums live. Life in the slums is usually short and painful. Money is power and those who don't have it usually resort to barter, food for labor or whatever they can scavenge or steal. To steal however one must get into the city...

There is only one way into the city itself and that is to acquire a pass.

1. Citizen pass: These are people born in the city to parents possessing full citizenship. They're generally raised in the lap of luxury and most have never even seen the slums, much less set foot into the desert. They're generally disliked by the other classes. These cost more than most people living in the slums will ever see.

2. Worker pass: These people are the workers in the businesses inside the city. They have strict times that they're allowed in the city and if caught outside of those times then they are either executed or incarcerated depending on the mood of the person that catches them. Generally these are exchanged for half of one's wages, jobs in the city are hard to get however. Generally a person from the slums will use the other half of their wages to start trying to save up for citizenship for their children.

3. Crewman pass: There are not many sand ships. They go out and scavenge items from the desert, usually bringing in tidbits of the past to sell to the rich Citizens and scrap to sell to the ones living in the slums. Crewmen are the workers on the ships and are allowed only in certain parts of the city. They're generally regarded as dangerous people, or even criminals because of their rough lifestyle and if caught in the residential areas without citizen escort are generally executed on sight. The captain supplies these to the crew. It's good money but the dangers of the desert are numerous and few crew members survive their first run.

Sand ships are bizarre crosses between a modern day tank and a paddle boat. They generally are more like moving fortresses than ships. They have special devices attached to the bottom that churns sand under in a fashion similar to how a paddle boat churns water, allowing it to glide. Some are equipped with other methods of propulsion, but this is rare.

The Dawn Falcon is one such sand ship, though one with a strange reputation. No one had seen it before the day it appeared on the horizon, obviously not having been built at Vexotia. The captain is young, the atmosphere is lighter than most sand ships and they bring back some of the strangest items, traveling into areas most ships dare not go due to obstacles or infestations of strange monsters. She's equipped with a furnace as well as wind turbines to power the paddles.

The Falcon is looking for crew members. It's a hard life but the rewards are vast. Are you ready to climb from the slums and risk life and limb for a better life? Some crew members can make enough money to afford a Citizenship within a couple years but is that risk worth it to you? Maybe you're just sick of living in the slums and want to live it up a bit before you die? Maybe you're interested in life before the desert and want to look at some of the old ruins yourself?

This is freeform, meaning send me a character concept. If you want to play one of the main places you'll need to have been on the ship for a while.

Crew members:

Captain Ardis Winfall (npc)-17- an uncanny young man supposedly was raised in the sands. Opportunistic and cunning he became the captain of the Dawn Falcon at only 13, convincing people onto the ship by making them believe his first mate was actually the captain. Cold blooded in battle but light hearted in general. Seems to be driven to find something.

QuarterMaster/First Mate: Lucas Newman (npc)-32- a fair hand with the guns and his hands alike. A quiet man unless calling the crew to order. Tends to Brood a lot and occasionally will talk about his lover, long lost to the sands, when drunk. Rumor has it he once ripped a sand shark in half to rescue Ardis when he was swallowed whole, but he just shrugged if asked about it.

Master Gunner: – Jenna will be takin care of all our creature killin needs.
Ardis: "This one time I saw a gunner forget to clean his weapon and it blew up in his hand... just sayin... Sand can get into important places..."

Navigator: Eol's going to keep us on track...should I be worried?
Ardis: "If we end up lost circling the same rock formation for two days again, I'm going to quit bothering with navigators and just let the ship do what it wants."

Engineer: – Reralae's gonna keep us from breakin down out in the sands.
Ardis: "Let's hope she's got quicker fingers than ol' Tommy did, he did real well until he got lazy and tried to fix something without turning ti off first... took us a week to get all the parts of him out of the gears."

Boatswain: Needed – Sort of Third in Command.

Doctor: – Kamina'll get ya straightened out.
Ardis: "Hope none of Engie's gadgets get sewn up in someone this time."

Chef: – We'll see what Celeste will cook up.
Ardis: "And hope it's better than the last fool, was only right the sharks ate him, was the only thing that'd eat his cookin."


Any number of deck hands, apprentices to the officers and whatnot: Needed – Pretty much any other position you can think of.

Any of these can be filled with NPCs if no one wants them. I just was giving ideas more than anything.

Been kicking this idea around for a couple years, but never really could get anyone else interested in it.

I wanna be your chef!

My only problem is time... what's the post-count per week?

Hehe i'll put you down Celeste.


No real post deadlines with this Almerin, it will have to flow however people want. If things get slow I'll give people a poke in the bum with a cattle prod, but with post collaboration and this being creativity instead of rules based it's not anything demanding.

If people aren't interested in the story enough to post once in a while, then they really have no business being involved in writing it is kinda my outlook on this. Edit: This is directed of course at people who are online all the time but then don't post and don't say anything to you or anyone else about why they haven't, not at the people who are just honestly busy.

"Nonono! This gear has to be turned flipways in order to align with this one and regulate the pressure release valves for the coolant to circulate properly around this junction! Yes, the other one it's currently connected to is important, but I'm going to get to that in a moment. You just keep working the hand crank while I make the necessary adjustments, before I connect it back to the pump flow. Don't stop, or we're gonna be monster chow! What? You didn't hear there is a mountain range chasing us? Nevermind then, just keep it up as if your life depends on it, or don't, whichever motivates you more. I'm going back to work. Stop telling me how to do my job! I know what I'm doing!"
Totally what went through my head when I read 'engineer'

Side note: If you're wondering what's being talked about by a 'mountain range chasing us', google image search 'Jhen Mohran'... it's pretty big

Reralae, you're awesome. You've certainly got the engineer's place if you wish it, sugar. :3

Edit: I found a quote about steampunk that cracked me up.

“It’s sort of Victorian-industrial, but with more whimsy and fewer orphans.”
- Caitlin Kittredge

I know I'm new here but I think this would be a pretty awesome game to play. Ever heard of the Victorian Era Speed Surgeon? If you'd have me you got yourself a doctor. =)

http://www.cracked.com/article_19569_5-insane-doctors-from-history-who-put-house-to-shame.html Speed Surgeon is #5 on the list

I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass on this one then. I can't commit to a lot of posting, with my own game going, and the rest of my life being quite full. I'm not going to be half a part of something either, since that won't do any good to anybody. Games like this usually have a shooting start, which I won't be able to keep up with.

But people out there: Join this game! It sounds really promising.

Bwahaha I like it. :3

Almerin I'm sorry you can't work us in. I'm probably going to be stretching myself to do this, but I couldn't resist, so I can understand. I do hope that you lurk though.

I forgot to say... This is a human setting but if you would like to have some little mutations or body modifications you're welcome to ask. I may be okay with them.

Some people have an uncanny sixth sense about them. With Ardis it is a "desert sense" about him. I'm open to you guys letting your characters have a mild innate ability, but no like shooting fireballs out your eyes or controlling the very earth under the ship. Little things like faster than average reflexes (enough to dodge out of the way when your latest invention explodes) or being able to tell if the stew's gone off and should probably not be eaten by the crew without actually smelling or tasting it.

Can I have gravy-sense?

Is that where you can tell if the gravy is perfectly thickened?

and whether or not a meal is too foul to be masked by the taste of gravy.

is the best superpower ever. Yes you may.

you're the best!