Thread: Burgeoning Dreams of Steam and Magic [-:IronicallyHaru:-]

Faerun , a vast continent on the world of Toril and home to a plethora of sentient races. Inhabited by those who hold the Old Magic elves and dwarves and gnomes and even the halflings. Though all can agree that the most prosperous and numerous of races are the humans. Their ingenuity and high rate of procreation has led to them swiftly overtaking the other races and becoming the predominant species. Not blessed with strong ties to magic, humans have come to rely on their swift intelligence and ingenuity. Though some are able to grasp the intricacies of magic, most simply do not possess the close ties with the world that is required for such feats. There are humans who exist with ties to that Old Power, and in this they are royalty. Bridging the gap between their more common human brethren and the races that can command powers most can only dream of. hat is not to say that humans do not wield power. They do, and it comes with their inventive ways. Though it has not long been in this world, Faerun is in the midst of an Industrial Revolution. Looking for a way to further themselves in the world, and being a violent and virulent race, humans discovered something. Blasting powder. Gunpowder if you will. Though refinement of the product has a long way to go to be used for personal arms, the more crude version available is already being put to good use, mining the earth for coal and other minerals to feed the machines that humans now have come to rely upon. Great locomotives rumbling over the earth on tracks of iron and airships taking to the skies, belching black smoke into the air. The various human royals in the land control the mines, control the coal, and thus control the adcancement of technology. Able to call upon their bloodlines and bridging that gap between old and new, as mentioned, they have risen to prominence above all others. This influence that they have, as well as the unnatural destruction that the mines cause to the earth, has put them at odds with the old races, bringing humans to the brink of war as tensions rise. Not only war with the other races, but with the other human kingdoms, as humans are inclined to do. One such family is House Solidor. A reigning family along the Sword Coast , House Silodor has subsumed many of the surrounding areas, setting out to establish their technological empire. This assimilation of other human forces has added to their might, their military swelling in rank and number. In addition they are preparing to ally themselves with other royal families across Faerun, marriages already arranged for the Prince and Princess. House Solidor had been blessed with a son and daughter both, fraternal twins born over two decades ago, on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution and never knowing the world as it had existed before. Though only by a few minutes, the Prince had been born first. Stafngrimr Solidor as he was named, and going by Staf to his friends, carries the Old Power as so many of House Solidor had done in the past. His father had not gained such blessing, and when it was found that the boy held such ability, his father brought in many people to help the boy harness it. Blessed with the power of the leopard, Staf can call upon that power and transform . It took many years to perfect this, though now Staf does have complete control, able to change at will. His ice blue eyes remain the same, shining through with intelligence and wisdom in all forms. Though battle-scarred, Staf is known as a fierce warrior, and honorable. The Solidor's have made their home in Waterdeep on the Sword Coast, a huge port city and a hub of commerce in Faerun. The population of the city has boomed in recent years, now soaring over two million mortal souls. Humans account for nearly seventy-five percent of the population, though the older races also make it their home. Airships can be seen over the city at nearly all hours of the day and night, and Waterdeep holds the largest railyard in all of Faerun, with the huge belching locomotives carrying not only passengers but tons of freight to and fro across the continent. Raw materials for the machines, as well as the coal mined to the East. A stronghold as well as a major political and financial hub, Waterdeep had grown to be one of the most important cities in all the Realm. Staf strode through the halls of the palace, his expression one of barely contained anxiety. His marriage had been planned since he'd come of age in his twelfth year, and now, nearly a decade later, the date was quickly approaching where he'd be married. He had met his bride-to-be of course, and though she was a lovely girl, his heart had always belonged to his sister. As twins that had been inseparable, and both promised to others, they had come to understand but it made the weight no less unbearable. Seeking comfort in one another's arms they'd been lovers now for several years, since they both had been about fifteen. To say that Staf's heart was heavy was a bold understatement, and the Prince could feel his leopard pacing. The affection of the big cat was unmistakable, and though a part of him, it was almost a separate entity. The leopard, known as Colm, was like a different side of Staf's personality. His mind was his own, but there was a definite influence from his beast, and it was not happy at all. They had both known this time would come, and yet had hoped that somehow things would have changed. Staf wasn't even sure where he was walking to until he found himself standing outside the door to his sister's room. With a sigh he knocked on the door, hoping that she would answer.