Today, we’re serving up a Victorian, Alternate History, Action Epic for our Random Setting!
While exploring the depths of the Dark Heart of Africa, a vast and advanced civilization was discovered! Spanning the heart of the areas that the British call the Congo are sprawling mega cities that are completely obscured by the jungle canopy. Utilizing electricity and powered by a mysterious, combustionless fuel they call “Quickiron,” the people of the Qaisharan Empire have electric lights, vehicles, flying machines, and most horrifyingly, weapons!
The Qaisharans have kept themselves hidden until fabled British explorer, Rhys St.John discovered them just half a decade ago while searching for the roots of the Egyptian civilization. Bringing back several examples of their technology and even a delegation of the Qaisharan Empire to London, Rhys St.John was knighted as diplomatic relations were established.
However, that was short lived.
The growing instability in Europe between the Prussians, the Russians, and the French were only made worse by the discovery of this race of advanced people living in Africa. A new wave of Colonialism and Diplomacy swept in as Brittan’s influence in Africa waned in the north and east and increased in the west. European countries were clamoring for this mysterious Quickiron, hoping to harness its qualities for technology as well. Small pieces started to get smuggled out of Qaisharan and as the new century looms, an arms race has started as well. Even America has interest in Qaisharan, with their own spokesman, Theodore Roosevelt serving as an ambassador to the Empire.
As with all things as the world becomes smaller, greed is taking over, and the influences of the outside world are starting to push in on Qaisharan. With the major European powers spending tons of silver and gold just to jockey for position in Africa, there are other problems at home that are being neglected. The entire situation has snowballed into a giant powder keg. Money is exchanging hands so quickly for all these activities that it can be difficult to discern who is getting paid by whom and where the money is coming from.
Weapons, technology, and ideas are flowing in and out of Africa. The Africans don’t like it, the Qaisharan have moved from being open in their relations with Brittan, America, and France to threatening to go back into seclusion, and the other European states are posturing for war. It is January 1st, 1889, and things are getting very interesting all around the globe, but for the time being, the Qaisharan Empire seems to be under everyone’s magnifying glass…
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