Steampunk Alive! The Great Train Robbery

The following is what I had written thus far for the LARP at MOTAT that wasn’t run. Thought I’d see what people thought of it. heck, I might even get round to running it in the future if people are still interested:

[quote=“The Blurb”]The year is 1855. Since the advent of Charles Babbage’s Difference and Analytical Engine, the United Kingdom has become a scientific and political powerhouse. The Technological Revelation has been underway for sometime now, and Great Britain has been leading the way. Under the leadership of the Industrial Radical Party also known as the Gear Heads, formerly lead by Babbage, steam power technologies have become common place and the colonies have been kept underfoot.

Some three years ago, Lord Reginald Montgomery Rothchild, the Duke of Yorkshire established the Shinra Railroad Corporation with the express purpose of establishing a long-distance passenger train service to unite Great Britain under one effective train system. Today, June Twelfth, is the date of the the first passage of the regular Service that has been dubbed the ‘Rothchild Express’ after the companies founder. You have either been cordially invited to attend or have paid a decent sum for a ticket to board the Express.

Also rumoured to be travelling about is a small cache of gold bullion that is being shipped to London for safe storage in the Bank of England. Going hand in hand with that rumour of insurrectionists and pirates who have heard of the transportation of this bullion and are planning to rob the train. There is no way that this train ride could go wrong is there?[/quote]

[quote=“The Member Groups”]Bureau for General Affairs
Membership: Limited.

Established by Prime Minister Sir Donavon Pryce as a means of finding and either imprisoning or eliminating the rebellious factions within Britain and it colonies. Given much independence and little oversight this intelligence branch tends to be very secretive and mysterious. Your leader is Victor Szasz, though he is known to most as simply the Question. There have been reports of a rebel faction boarding the Rothchild Express with the purpose of robbing the gold bullion to finance their mission. Your job is to stop them at all costs.

High Society
Membership: Open.

You are the cream of society. Rich and extravagant, you need little reason to party. The opening of the Rothchild Express Line is one of those flimsy excuses as you all gather in celebration. Many of you are aquatinted with Lord Rothchild, having attended one of his many extravagant get togethers previously. Many of you are inventors or members of industry who have made your fortunes under the Gear Heads.

Upper Middle Class
Membership: Open.

On the border between middle class and high society, you bought tickets to this event, willing to rub shoulders with the High Society types in an attempt to make the right connections to shatter that boarder. Includes factory owners, wannabe inventors or members of the former upper class that were disposed during the technological revolution.

Independents
Membership: Limited Open.

Members of the Peoples Independent Alliance, you fight for the freedom of the colonies that make up the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom. For to long you have been kept under the heel of the oppressive government of Her Majesty. During the passage of the Rothchild Express, your goal is to rob the cache of Gold Bullion that is being carried on board.

Pirates
Members: Limited Open

You are the modern day gypsies of the world. You swear allegiance to nobody except your captain, and even that has been known to waver if they become ineffectual. Though most pirates have no place to call home, the island of Tortuga has been declared a Permanent Autonomous Zone, free of the influence of any one nation or government and safe haven for pirates and scoundrels.

Royal Train Marshals
Membership: Limited.

With this new combined train service established a branch of law enforcement was needed to ensure that its passengers were protected and the law would be enforced while the trains traversed the different police jurisdictions. So the Royal Train Marshals were established and given this task. During this inaugural trip they are also tasked with the mission of protecting the bullion that is being transported to London.[/quote]

I’d be very keen for this! I’d love to play one of the royal train marshals!

I was thinking of play testing this game between now and Chimera 2012 with the possibility of running as a game. Would people be interested in giving this a go, and what would be the recommended number of people if I did?

I’d be fairly interested in helping playtest. Not sure about numbers, though- possibly between 10 and 15, as an upper-ranged guess?

These are purely my opinion on numbers :slight_smile: but i think something like this would be cool:

Bureau for General Affairs
Membership: 5 - 7

High Society
Membership: 6 - 8

Upper Middle Class
Membership: 8 - 10

Independents
Membership: 5 - like a tight knit well organised team.

Pirates
Members: 8 - pirates very rarely go walk about without numbers :wink:

Royal Train Marshals
Membership: 4 - 6 - kind of like an elite team?

Again like i said - purely my take and opinion!

Be cool if MOTAT let you loose on their train :slight_smile:

That it would Snake. But I’ll see what the level of interest is before I start getting to grand of an idea of where I want to play it.

[quote=“Helikaon”]
Pirates
Members: 8 - pirates very rarely go walk about without numbers :wink:[/quote]

They can’t help it, you see. They’re so cool that even if one wanders off by themselves, they quickly accumulate more pirates :smiley:

<— would be keen :smiley:

Same and likewise. I’d probably have to beat David up to get some help with gear first though rofl. :slight_smile:

Get in line Robbo :wink:

still keen for this dude :smiley: