Diesel Realm
| Region | Fume's Belt and its surroundings |
|---|---|
| Age | Diesel Age (the era of diesel engines, echoing resilience amidst uncertainty) |
| Locations | Gasburg, Pistonburg, Brassland, Copperpipe River |
| Climate | Temperate oceanic |
| Founding | Founded 850 years before Fork III (Ignis Solis) |
| Cults | Synchronists, The Church, and Tenebris Lux |
Geography and Climate
The Diesel Realm encompasses the culturally effervescent cities of Gasburg, Pistonburg, and Brassland. Enclosed by the dense industrial region of the Fume's Belt, with its intense production flowing through the Copperpipe River, the region experiences a temperate oceanic climate with cool, wet winters and mild, moderately warm summers.
The landscape features rolling hills, mist-shrouded forests, and serpentine rivers that connect the realm's urban centers. The industrial cities are a fascinating blend of towering smokestacks, expansive factories, and intricate networks of pipes and conveyor belts. This unique combination casts elongated shadows and cloaks the streets in a perpetual haze, where bohemian cafes, avant-garde galleries, and lively intellectual debates spill out onto the cobblestone streets, inspiring innovation and creativity.
Pre-Fork History
The deep-rooted history of metal and coal mining in Gasburg, Pistonburg, and Brassland dates back 850 years before Fork III (Ignis Solis). This rich legacy of resource extraction paved the way for the region's transformation into a thriving industrial hub.
Central to this evolution was the widespread adoption of combustion technology, which accelerated the growth of the realm's economy and infrastructure. Diesel machines and vehicles became integral to the region's expansion, enabling rapid transportation, efficient production, and an overall increase in the critters' lifestyle pace.
As the region's industrial output flourished, so too did its capacity for scientific and cultural innovations. Universities and cultural centers thrived, transforming the region into an epicenter of intellectual development. This vibrant environment nurtured the emergence of the Synchronists and other avant-garde art movements, enriching the realm's cultural tapestry.
In contrast to these technological advances, Fume's Belt society was also deeply entrenched in the occult. Upper-class dinners were full of spoon-bending, hypnosis, levitation, crystal healing, aura reading, past life regression, and pendulum divination, mostly performed by Tenebris Lux members.
This cult originated in the Diesel Realm's universities, evolving from secretive collegiate societies. Within these institutions, the group conducted studies in occultism and relativity. The group took a deep interest in forbidden knowledge and is known to follow the obscure teachings of the Lead, a legendary alchemical critter from another era.
In addition to academic interest, they were also involved in a series of political machinations with a focus on harnessing atomic power for their destructive purposes. Their ongoing conflict would propel the realm into the Fork III and shape the course of its history.
Notable Pre-Fork Events
In the sequence of pivotal events leading up to Fork III, the history of the Fume's Belt and its surroundings was deeply impacted. Among these events, the renowned ~Fire Incident~ holds a prominent place.
The Fire Incident
Undertaken by the University of Pistonburg, an audacious venture unfolded beneath the Fume's Belt, an expansive subterranean conduit linking the Diesel Realm's three cities. The initiative aimed to construct a massive particle accelerator to expedite subatomic particles to extreme velocities and energies, thus enabling an investigation into the fundamental fabric of matter and energy.
This project was the era's costliest endeavor, bolstered by generous governmental backing, eager to weaponize atomic energy, and opulent industrialists yearning to utilize the power for industrial benefits. Despite wearing protective gear, the lead scientist of the project suffered significant health degradation due to prolonged radiation exposure. However, their fixation on the project only grew stronger, leading to a fiery transformation where they evolved into an entity of fire, known as the Fire.
Rather than succumbing to the flames, the scientist developed a unique capacity to assimilate intense flames and high-energy radiations. This allowed them to finalize the project while becoming an entity of pure energy.
The Schrodinger Critter
Renowned in the annals of modern art history, the ~Schrodinger Critter~ stands as an emblematic experiment conducted by the Synchronists. This audacious undertaking sought to materialize the elusive concept of quantum superposition in an accessible, physical form.
The experiment consisted of enclosing a critter in a sealed, lightless room for an indefinite period. Throughout this duration, the critter was left in a state of uncertainty, unable to discern whether the world outside was teeming with life or engulfed in death. This ambiguous state of existence would only dissolve when the room was reopened, shedding light on the truth. This emblematic experiment believed to be orchestrated just before the advent of Fork III, served as a profound exploration of quantum principles through the lens of artistic expression.
The Silent Prophecies
The Film, revered for his significant contributions to silent horror cinema1, vanished mysteriously after a catastrophic fire consumed Croissant Studios. His sudden disappearance sparked intrigue that led to a detailed exploration of his extensive oeuvre. Thousands of fans and curious gathered to pay their respects in their funeral, with an empty coffin held, which added more mystery to the event.
Fans and experts meticulously scrutinized countless hours of unreleased film footage, interpreting the silent material through skilled lip-reading. They unveiled a series of concealed prophecies embedded within the silent scenes.
These enigmatic revelations were compiled into a series of books, aptly named ~The Silent Prophecies.~ These works present a foreboding image of the Diesel Realm's impending calamity, predicting its ruinous end in an event ominously dubbed ~The Shout,~ symbolizing a nuclear explosion -- an apt metaphor for the ultimate, unheard shout.
- The Film's production is so extensive that only during the year prior to the Croissant Studios incident, they produced, directed and starred the movies ~Hypnosis: Slave of a Foreign Will,~ ~The Ghouls Goes to the Moon,~ ~The Sinister Dr. Acula,~ ~Scared to Death,~ ~Walking Death in Linen Stripes,~ ~The Ghouls Goes to the Moon Again~ and ~The Attack of the Giant Pelican~↩