Steampunk Technology

Overview
The science and technology of the world of Brassy's Men is similar to that found in the late Victorian period of our world, except stretched toward the fantastic along every dimension. Steampunk technology refers to any piece of technology which did not or could not exist in the real world of this time period. Some devices are similar to realistic inventions, just ahead of their time. Others are truly impossible even to this day. One thing is constant: the technology of the world of Brassy's Men affects every aspect of life in London - but not always for the better.

On Science and Technology
Traditionally, Science is the purview of those seeking to expand the range of human knowledge by both careful experimentation and leaps of intuition. Technology is the domain of stalwart engineers who seek to transform the fruits of scientific inquiry into devices for the benefit of mankind. In this time period, however, there is often little distinction between those who work on either side of this thin line. True, there are those whose gifts lie more toward the theoretical, and there are those who eschew lofty thoughts in favor of a greasepack and a solid wrench. But this period is home to many who straddle the line effortlessly, using their own two hands to prove out their inventive dreams. In short, characters in the world of Brassy's Men should have no compunction about being Inventors in both senses of the word, carrying through their visions from the initial spark through the production of devices for the masses to enjoy.

On the Effects of Technology on Society

• Organizations involved in Science and Technology
  
• Effect of tech on social problems (poverty, disease, hunger, undereducation, overpopulation of the poor) [Basically none, for one reason or another]
  
• Availability and Attainability of technology [What leaks down to the lower classes, what is reserved for middle class and above]

On the Categories of Technology
Any piece of technology in the world of Brassy's Men can be characterized by two primary criteria: the Motive Force and the Application. Some devices may harness more than one Force, or be designed for multiple Applications. But at least one of each must always be specified. An Inventor will tend to specialize his or her practice toward one or more of the Motive Forces and one or more Application. No single person can master the entire realm of Technology, excepting perhaps Doctor Pietr Brainerd(1) himself.

The various forms of Motive Force available for Invention are as follows:

Clockwork - The theory and operation of clockwork devices has been well tested for many years. Few look toward the field of Clockwork Studies to produce any new breakthroughs, but nearly all residents of London can point to at least one clockwork device which makes their lives easier. If nothing else, look to the tower housing Big Ben! And perish the thought that it's clockwork mechanisms may soon be replaced with Electrics; such proposals are entirely too radical and dangerous! Clockworks are tried and true and tested. Who knows what damage a defective electrical appliance might wreak.

Clockwork mechanisms derive their power from a wound spring. In smaller devices, this spring may be wound by hand; the repeating revolver is a common example of this. Larger clockwork apparati may require a more powerful means of winding; a waterwheel or windmill will suffice. Hybrid devices are also becoming more common, in which case a steam engine may be used to provide the initial energy, without the inconvenience of requiring a portable steam boiler.

Clockwork devices tend to be very stable, not terribly prone to breaking down at the most inconvenient moment. They typically do not require the application of rare materials, excepting those devices meant to operate on either an exceedingly fine or colossal scale.

Steam - Ever since James Watt's initial steam engine design, the world has been taken by storm by the continuos rush of steam driven innovation. Truly this is the Age of Steam. Steam power has been applied to nearly every possible use somewhere in the Empire, even those to which it is not most aptly suited. No other motive force provides the combination of sheer power, reliability, and numerous axes for improvement and experimentation. Rival steam engine and steam turbine designs are all the rage throughout England and the remainder of the civilized world. Scarcely a season goes by without some new inventor out to prove himself by staging a public competition between their novel design and whichever engine is considered to be the standard of the day. Often such exhibitions end badly, as the rush for publicity and glory leads these striplings to ignore the basic precautions of their craft. More than one up and coming Steam Inventor has perished in the scalding humours of their own creation.

Steam engines function by harnessing the expansion of water into steam through a system of pistons and gears. All steam devices therefore require a boiler and some means of fueling it - coal is the most popular choice, although oil-powered steam turbines are becoming more common, and may prove to be a valid contender. The novelty in steam engines comes not in the design of the boiler, but in the innovations applied to the pistoning systems. However, special ultra-high temperature boilers are even now under consideration. Such devices would undoubtedly provide more power, crucial for driving large devices such as His Majesties Dreadnoughts, but sadly require more and more rare materials to produce casings capable of withstanding the enormous energies being harnessed.

Steam devices can range from extremely stable, for older well-tested designs, to extremely hazardous. But the Age demands a degree of recklessness for those who aspire to inventive glory. Few remember the name of the second-place winner in the 1862 London-Edinburgh Locomotive Challenge. Fewer still remember the names of the ten who died in horrific boiler explosions. Stem devices also tend to be larger than their clockwork counterpoarts. Very rarely will you find a handheld steam powered device without a backpack generator to power it.

Electrics - Those who delve into the highest of high-powered Steam Engines are often considered quite reckless by their colleagues. Those who experiment with Electrics are often deemed quite mad. The harnessing of the Electromotive Force toward the service of man is a hazardous road, not fully understood by even the most prestigious members of the Royal Academy. Although in truth it is often said that Electrics are a younger man's game, and that those Distinguished Persons who command the chairs of Oxford and Cambridge no longer have the flexibility of mind to adequately comprehend the enormity of this new science.

The basics of electricity have been known for some time, of course, even before Franklin's experiments with lightning. But it is the bending of the electrical daemon into a device that operates repeatedly and reliably that has eluded most of our inventors up to this point. There are clearly exceptions, of course. Electrical lighting is becoming commonplace among the households of the elite - although the dispute between those espousing Alternating Current and those devoted to Direct Current ensures that no single system could ever power all of London. It is rumored that the Royal Army has been experimenting with Electrical Weapons, some small enough to be handled by a single soldier, but such devices would be prohibitively expensive, never able to replace the sturdy rifle.

Electrical systems are generally powered in one of two ways, although more exotic options such as the direct harnessing of lightning or electrical eels is always a possibility. The first class of devices makes use of large generators which are in turn provided with rotary acceleration through some more conventional means - a steam engine, or perhaps a waterwheel. The second class of devices, much smaller, draw their force from Electrical Storage Cells. Such devices may be made mobile, of course, yet their Cells typically last only a short while, and must eventually be replaced. Some inventors are working on methods to produce rechargeable electrical cells, but their work has been fruitless so far.

A special note must be made of the Grid, or more properly the Grids, for there are two separate networks of cables that carry electricity to select locations in London. It is of utmost importance that one who intends to use a device connected to the Grid make note of the distinction; more than one death has been attributed to some careless socialite eager to show off her new Electrical Curiosity without being aware that its internal engine is not compatible with the "'flavor" of Electrics supplied to her home.

Chemical - It is easy to overlook the use of Chemical Energy as a Motive Force in devices, for it lacks the flash of Electrics or the thundering imposition of a titanic Steam Turbine. But where would our sailors and soldiers be without the simple expedient of chemical energy powering their shipborne guns and handheld rifles? The humble bullet may in all fairness be considered a marvel of compaction and energy storage, deficient only in that it tends to be of use only once.

More interestingly, those who labor in the field of Chemics have been hard at work enhancing the capability of substances that have been known for hundreds of years. Recent advances in experimental protocol and laboratory equipment have enabled many of our young inventors to find innovation in corners where others might not even think to search. Consider coal, in many ways the cornerstone of our economy and the unsung hero of the Steam Age. Few realize that the grander steam engines of our day would not even be possible were it not for the invention of several succeeding waves of Charged Carbonite Derivatives, or in the common parlance "Tenfold Coal". The heat produced by burning a single lump of this miracle substance is more than equivalent to ten times the weight of ordinary fuel - the science has far outpaced the parlance in this case. And with hotter fires comes greater steam power, and the many miracles available to us today.

Also do not overlook the application of the Chemical Sciences to the medical field. We now have access to a range of pharmaceuticals undreamt of by previous ages. No longer must we place deadly fear in the first coughing signs of consumption, when a range of dozens of possible cures has been provided us by the long-suffering and underappreciated Chemists.

Biological - Of close relevance to the Chemical Motive Force is the Biological. Those who seek to study the workings of the plant, animal and human kingdoms are beginning to piece together many of the mysteries of Life itself; a hunt some might consider more lofty than any simple engine design. From these scientists we may take advantage of advanced surgical techniques, many of which may provide the terminal patient with a new lease on life, granting them a stay of months well past the time initially allotted them.

Not all are enraptured with advances in the Biological sciences, of course. There are always those who will claim that man is trespassing on the realm of the Lord as they delve into these matters. But such naysayers will not to turn aside the keen probing intellects who labor in this field.(2)

Biological Inventors work with their counterparts in the Chemical field in the development and production of pharmaceutical substances, ranging from the simple Cure for Aches of the Brain to the far more complex, and expensive, Tonic for the Moderation of the Pulsing of a Man's Heart. The holy grails of this field are twofold: the Reversal of Aging and the Restoration of Life. Neither goal has been accomplished, although many charlatans have marketed substances which claim to fulfill these ancient needs of mankind. But who is to say that even now a lone researcher is not perched on the edge of discovery? Society would indeed be changed by the introduction of either of these grand achievements.

Atomics - Few outside of the rarified circles of academia could venture even a close approximation of a definition of the field of Atomics, although the word is bandied about casually enough in Picadilly Circus pubs. Indeed to the common man the field of Atomics is akin to magic. The truth of the matter is stranger. Only a few Inventors have sought to harness the powers of the Radioactive Elements, those strange and deadly ores that have only recently come to the public stage. Truly the field of Atomics promises great things, but may also lead to disaster should its energies prove too great for Man to yoke.

The cause of Atomics has not been helped, of course, by the exploits of Professor Caspian. It has been only four years since the mad inventor and public enemy sought to hold hostage the halls of Parliament with his self described "Atomic Engine of Destruction". Luckily his plans were foiled before any demonstration of the power of his engine could be made, and the papers were quick to point out that there was no evidence that his vaunted Engine was even operational. The confirmation of this fact could not be made by independent scientists, as the device was quickly sequestered, as was the Professor himself, in the clear interests of national security.

This concludes our examination of the sorts of Motive Force that may be applied to Technology. The list of Applications of Technology is more straightforward. Roughly, we may divide the Applications of Technology into five categories. It is rare to find an Inventor who is an expert at more than one, although a typical Clockwork Repairman, for example, may find him or herself requiring a degree of familiarity with all five.

Vehicles - Vehicles range from the very small (Doctor Farkinson's Clockwork Wheeled Shoes for Men) to the very large (The HMS Indefatigable Herself). None have proven ubiquitous enough to replace the horse for personal transport, although it is clear that Steam now rules the seas. The very wealthy or lucky may even hope to occasion a ride upon one of Englands few operational Airships.

Weapons - No technology exists for long before it is bent into the service of the defense of the Empire. Advances in all forms of Motive Force have been applied to weaponry, ranging from variations upon the repeating revolver all the way up to the Navy's massive artillery engines. The Inventor who specializes in the design of weapons may always be assured of a steady career, although the Empire is not shy about appropriating for its own exclusive use those technologies which it may deem to be a threat to her borders.

Industry / Communications - It is convenient to categorize the fields of Industrial Devices and Communications Devices into a single heading, as often those Inventors skilled at one find opportunity to ply their skills upon the other. London's Grid is a fine example of Industrial Technology writ large, as are the massive Textile Milling Machines which serve to employ so many of our lower class citizens. The telegraph has long formed the backbone of our Empires communication, yet it may prove that Wireless Communication Engines will overtake her soon, giving the humble telegraph a well deserved rest.

Personal Gadgets and Curiosities - There has sprung up in recent days quite a market among the wealthier members of society for the purchase and utilization of personal gadgetry. No longer is a diamond thumb-ring the mark of wealth that it once was, unless said ring should occasion to spring open and play music from the latest G&S operetta. A gentleman who does not fancy himself a complete Luddite may often boast of the numerous devices contained within his walking stick - whether a Magnesium Torch for the dispelling of shadows or a simple Lodestone Bulb for helping to find one's way home from the Club. Not all gadgets are of such utility, however. It is considered a mark of great status to be able to display a truly unique device at the climax of one's dinner party - and an occasion of great shame if said device should fail to operate when the demonstration is demanded. Those who would seek the patronage of the wealthy to fund their development of Curiosities should take care to test their inventions most thoroughly in private before the public unveiling.

Automata - The exclusive field of automata is a field of study pursued by extremely few Inventors. Few organizations have the resources to procure the rare materials, precision milling and intensive labor required for the construction of a true Engine of Automation. Babbage was, of course, the progenitor of this field, but it does no discredit to the man to note that those who followed in his footsteps have surpassed his grandest hopes. The Criminal Analytical Engine in the basement of Scotland Yard is known throughout the world, and is credited for enabling the Inspectors to unravel numerous mysteries that might otherwise go unsolved.

Yet for all of its impressive record, and the records of similar Engines operated by the East India Trading Company and the Government itself, it is easy to overestimate that which has truly been accomplished. None of these engines - nor the lesser automata such as the Iron Horse or the Steam-Powered Elephant -begins to approach the cognitive capacity of even the smallest child or the thickest dullard. In short, none of these devices can be said to think, or to be alive, regardless of how the common man might be fooled into thinking so. In truth, the goal of true mechanical life has thus far escaped our Society.

Except, of course, for the Brassy's Men.

(1) Dr. Pietr Brainerd, inventor of the Brassy's Men.
(2) With the sole exception of the Anglican Church which considers biological research an act against God, and an act of Blasphemy. Hence, biological research is illegal, and can get you fined or thrown in jail, or worse.