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.