Interesting People:and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog

...to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."

Known by the codename Magog, this agent is a representative of a new organization within the United States interested in preserving the nation. Operating beyond the normal realm of warfare, this company will gladly employ espionage, assassination, and outright sabotage to ensure the protection of the Union against a world of potential foes.

As the son of one of the company's founders, Magog has much to prove. Of all the company agents, he is the most willing to utilize the extra-normal abilities of people worldwide. If they can be swayed by promises, money, or outright threats, Magog will do everything in his power to ensure that the Union has an arsenal of interesting people at its disposal.

Interesting People: See No Evil, Hear No Evil

Already a celebrity in 1895, the young Helen Keller is an influential, controversial figure in the United States.

Breaking away from her parents, Helen moved to New York city with her companion Anne Sullivan at the age of 11. Already a celebrity due to her amazing development despite physical adversity, Helen was a media darling. Pulitzer saturated the market with stories of the "Child born in darkness," permitting Helen and Anne to live comfortably in the capitol city on residual income alone.

Unfortunately, in 1892 Anne Sullivan died during a labor riot outside the capitol, a collateral casualty of strikebreakers trying to suppress a worker's demonstration outside Rockefeller Center. The loss of her companion tortured young Helen, and she fled to the only other group that suffered as much as her in that springtime conflict - the Socialist Workers Group of America.

Now, Ms. Keller is both spokesperson and mascot for the worker's movement, and can always be found at the shoulder of Eugene V. Debs, the movement's leader. With Deb's elocution and Keller's pitiably story, they have increased the membership of the movement fourfold in the last three years.

Helen has one other, much darker, secret though. Since she suffered her crippling illness in 1881, Ms. Keller has been cut off from the sights and sounds of the world, living literally in silent darkness.

Into that darkness, a things found its home. A cruel, capricious thing, which whispered to Helen when none others could. Over the years, this spirit has become one of the foremost influences into Helen's life. Indeed, it was likely the spirit that orchestrated the murder of Anne Sullivan, in order to foster hatred and loneliness in Helen, and to drive her to an upcoming political force.

Known to Helen as either "the Phantom" or "the Dark Man," the spirit has recently become strong enough to act through her, directing her actions to its whims. Whether it is a solitary creature, or one that follows the guidance of something more malevolent, has yet to be determined.

A preview of coming attractions...

Worth its weight in gold.

Closeup: The Confederate States

Tougher'n a Ten Cent Steak

Following its victory in the "War of Northern Aggression," the Confederacy entered into a prolonged period of growth and development. Bolstered by the Union reparations, and strong ties to European powers. For several decades, the Confederates experienced a period of industrial revolution that transformed it from a primarily rural nation into one of the most advanced nations worldwide. A steady stream of airships carry goods and soldiers from the enormous cities of Atlanta and New Orleans, and ports along the gulf teem with ironclads. Savannah in particular benefited from Confederate development, becoming an American cultural center as highly regarded as Paris and London in the international community.

Unfortunately for the South, in the latter years of the 19th century European opinion has begun to turn against it. Its staunch refusal to reverse its stance on slavery, and a strongly militaristic outlook, has lost the Confederacy some of its strongest overseas allies. The Wiemar Republic and England in particular have moved away from the South politically, choosing to ally with the Union instead. Of all the Confederate's former allies, France alone remains an unwavering supporter of the Confederacy. Presidents Boulanger and Forrest meet frequently, seeing in each other a kind of kindred spirit.

The Good
Hm. I'm going to be honest here. The Confederates are one of my two major "Bad Guy" nations, so I'm not going to stress the good about them. There are a few bright spots, though. Satirist Samuel Clemens in Mississippi works against the Confederate government, by both publishing seditious pamphlets under the pseudonym "Mark Twain," and by financially supporting rebellious groups of escaped slaves led by the pious John Jasper. "Twain" is a perpetual thorn in the side of the Confederacy, particularly due to the actions of his young terrorist wards. To the west, a mysterious man dressed in the uniform of a Texas ranger rides as a vigilante. This "Lone Ranger" has become something of a horror-story for Confederates in the region, particularly those who abuse the native population.

The Bad
For what little good there is in the Confederacy, there is plenty more bad. Bloodthirsty military commanders stand poised at the border, ready to fall upon the Union at the first chance they can get. President Forrest's political party gains new members with each passing year, and nearly half of the nation's money is dedicated to growing its already massive military. This leads many to believe that the Confederates are preparing for a strong expansionist bid, with the North the most likely target.

Unlike the halted effort of its northern neighbor, the South has an aggressive homestead movement. The New Mexico and Arizona territories are home to pioneers, and prospectors hoping to replicate California's success mining the southwest. This westward expansion frequently brings the Confederates into conflict with the natives of the Pueblo Nation, typically resulting in battles with teams of southern cavalry.

The Weird
The South is home to some of the most concentrated supernatural weirdness of all North America. In the intractable lands of the bayou, monstrous creatures both great and small threaten insignificant communities, while psychics and voodoo priests terrify those in the nearby cities.

Of particular note, the vengeful spirit of a murdered slave visits those arrogant enough to summon him. To date, there have been none able to survive the visits of this hook-handed "Candyman." Meanwhile, a mother/daughter team of fortune tellers drift around the eastern edge of the Confederacy, predicting doom and great suffering for the nation.

Working alongside Mark Twain, the elderly Harriet Tubman toils to bring slaves to the relative freedom of the north. Known by her nom de guerre Moses, Tubman is the best Pike (trafficker of slaves) in all the Confederacy. Having suffered a massive head trauma in her youth, Moses now possesses powers of precognition that allow her to circumnavigate the patrols that stand between her wards and freedom.

Tubman's constant ally, Mark Twain, has in recent years become something of an oddity himself. Twain possesses a piece of parchment -- impossibly large if ever fully unfurled -- which contains a replication of the real world, albeit in two dimensions. Like a satirical deity, Twain observes the movements of the creatures on his "Flatland," hoping to glean insight into the three dimensional world.

USA 1895: The Ugly

Whoa! I totally forgot something!

Following the passage of the Civil Rights bill, a far-right group of Republicans broke away from the party, to form the Liberty Party. Unable to come to terms with the new status of black Americans, they formed an ultra-conservative, ultra-religious group interested in ousting the current government and overturning its recent rulings.

Led by former Millerite (don't worry, we'll get to them soon enough) Apollos Hale, the Liberty Party is a recent, but fervent, addition to the Union's political landscape.

Note
Okay, I'll admit. The Liberty Party in IT:A is probably influenced by a current beverage-themed group of US citizens. BUT! The name and concept actually come from a book by Allen Steele, so I'm still staying true to the spirit of the game.

Closeup: The United States

America, Fuck Yeah!

Following its defeat in the Civil War, the Union suffered a series of setbacks. The loss of goods produced in southern states, combined with enormous war debt and crippling wartime reparations to the South, forced the Union into a prolonged state of economic depression. For the whole of the 1870's and into the 1880's, the Union endured an immense financial burden.

Many important civil projects were halted due to lack of funds. The fledgling Homestead Act was stopped in its tracks, preventing large-scale westward expansion into Union controlled territories, and construction of the Overland Route halted, leaving the railroad half-built.

Because the territories were largely cut off from the central power of government, the Wild West remained wild. Native nations were able to maintain control of their ancestral lands, and many planned cities degraded into the status of ghost towns. Larger towns and cities undertook their own railway construction projects, hiring native labor to connect themselves to the large cities of the east. The Union's railways became a tangled mess of tributaries, branching off of the iron trunk of the incomplete "Trans-Continental Railway."

The Good
In recent years, the Union has become able to balance its debts. Industrialization in the Union will always suffer from the economic strife of the Depression, but it is gradually catching up to the level of neighboring nations like the Confederacy and Canada. In large part, this is due to a trade agreement with Wiemar Germany, which requires the craftsmanship of Union steel for its massive "Metropolis" project.

Socially, the Union has moved forward under the helmsmanship of President Benjamin Harrison. Now serving his second term, President Harrison was able to pass through a civil rights bill co-authored by the elderly Frederick Douglas. The bill grants full equality to black men living within the Union. This not only ingratiates the Union in the eyes of anti-slavery nations such as England and Germany, but also helps strengthen ties to rebel groups of slaves within the Confederacy. This also opened the door for the senatorial candidate Booker T. Washington, an influential man who stood at the head of the equality movement.

Due to the Union's inability to expand aggressively westward, the nation has been forced to establish an agreement with the native nations that are still largely prevalent in the territories. This has proved, though, to be an unforeseen benefit for the nation. With native statesmen an active part of government, the Union no longer has to worry about the threat of raids on its territorial holdings. This is in stark contrast to the Confederacy, which must fight bloody battles for every westward step it controls.

The Bad
The Union is not without its problems, however. In the aftermath of the war, it was forced to move the nation's capitol beyond the range of Richmond's guns. During a time of economic strife, the Union turned to oil baron J.D. Rockefeller, who pledged to rebuild the capitol in New York, financing a massive Plaza to contain the chambers of government. A clever, conniving man, Rockefeller later used the nation's debt to him to force the overturning of the Sherman Anti-Trust laws, permitting barons like himself to exploit the workers of the Union.

This led to the formation of massive socialist and labor unions throughout the North. Created in response to the barons' exploitative practices, the socialists have recently become large enough to be considered a third political party in the nation. Led by Eugene Debs, the socialists have proved a thorn in the side of the redevelopment within the Union, their violent strikes interfering with production across the industrialized cities of the nation.

Lastly, much of the Union's military strength is, by necessity, dedicated to securing the southern border. The Union lives in constant fear of a Confederate invasion, and in response has built one of the largest military forces on the planet. Native border guards patrol much of the Midwestern expanse, while ironclad riverboats stand on guard to the east.

The Weird
Strange things are afoot in the world, and the Union is no exception. The state of New Jersey has been recently plagued by a devilish figure that torments those who wander too close to the pine barrens. Steamships have been demolished whole-cloth by monstrous things lurking beneath the Great Lakes. Rumors of ghostly warriors decimating mining communities have begun to reach the eastern cities. Worst of all, a black train has begun to ride the twisted back ways of the Union rails, spewing sulfur fumes and the tormented cries of its passengers.

Circa 1895

There's one big thing that I forgot to mention in my initial post. If you're a huge stickler for specific dates in your alternate history, this is probably going to frustrate you. The game tries to stick to a general era (i.e. early 1800s, mid 1800s, late 1800s) but we tend to fudge dates around in order to include particularly interesting people and events when we need them.

North America
Since most of this game will take place in and around North America, there are a few things that need to be clarified for the players.

First, and probably most significant, is that the Confederacy was the victor of the War of Secession. Utilizing their trade ties to Germany, the Confederates traded for airships that they used to control the battle of Gettysburg, which broke the Union force. Subsequent battles were similarly won via air superiority, and the Confederates forced the Union to recognize them as an independent Nation. Since then, the Union and Confederacy have entered into a sort of cold war, utilizing specialist agents and spies to foil each other along the border.

Weakened by the losses of the Civil War, the Union was unable to maintain control of the Territories. Some chose to remain under the umbrella of Union protection (Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Washington Territories), others threw in with the Confederates (Indian, , Arizona, and New Mexico).
California (and the region we know of as Nevada) follow a very similar path to the 13 original colonies. Initially built up by Spain, they declared - and won - independence from the homeland to form their own nation.

The Wild Cards
Both the Union and Confederacy have "wild cards," territorial holdings that are not entirely under their control.

The Confederates have to deal with the Republic of Texas, which considers itself an ally of, but not subject to the laws of, the Confederacy. The Union has the Kingdom of Heaven, a powerful Mormon conclave that controls much of the Utah Territory.

Both are content to work with their host nations, but act with their own interests in mind at all times.

For the Uninitated

This blog is dedicated to Interesting Times, a pan-generational alternate history RPG. In the spirit of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, many of the characters are taken from era appropriate fictional sources. Many others are based on historical figures, and a few come from basic concepts too cool to overlook, like the werewolf or the gray skinned alien.

For the time being, this blog will be dedicated to Interesting Times: America 1895. The content of the blog is specifically directed at the PCs, but if you're into bizarre history and fictional minutia, you might find something interesting there as well.

That said, once more into the breach!