- Location
- Great Khanate of Scotland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The former!
a Newtonian System OR a Story of Magic, Exploration, and Space Travel
- Thread starter ScottishMongol
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
The former!
Mars
- Location
- Great Khanate of Scotland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
"The inhabitants of Mars have a small talent for war.
Before the coming of the Earth powers Mars was divided into a number of small kingdoms. Its chief inhabitants were local humans, who came in a variety of races with skin-tones ranging from reddish-brown to ivory, and their chief occupation was fighting each other in never-ending ritual wars, although gambling, drinking, and wrestling are also popular pastimes on the planet. They had primitive technology, only knowing the working of bronze, though they were more sophisticated in the magical and alchemical arts.
Mars remained on the edge of the Solar Community, such as it was in the pre-Earth era, and thus had intermittent contact with the Solar Empire, the Moon, and so on. Thus, it has been invaded once or twice, and each time the invaders have left behind some of their people to be assimilated; Centaurs have taken up residence in the planet's open plains, there is a large population of Amazons on the planet (for among the more standard Humans of Mars both men and women were known to fight), and even the Dwarves, though chiefly craftsmen, are doughty fighters at need. All have thrived in their new home.
Mars was ruled by semi-divine kings who used magic and mysticism to cement their rule. Mars is still known for its great stepped pyramids, though the old monarchies have been overthrown and in some few cases made into vassals of the Earth powers. There was little in the way of an aristocracy before Mars' conquest by Earth powers, only a bureaucracy under the control of the royal houses. Instead, warriors in Martian society were commoners, citizen-soldiers called up to fight by their rulers in ritual wars fought largely for slaves, prestige, and to discern the favor of the gods. It was for this reason that personal martial prowess and honor was highly valued, and a large number of citizens were known to drill during times of peace, so as to not shame themselves when the time came to fight. Wars were simply affairs, fought between blocks of infantry, and were fought until one side surrendered. Terms - whether to take prisoners, conditions of surrender, time and place of the battle, and so forth - were negotiated beforehand, and it was unheard of for these terms to be forsaken by any of the participants. A warrior who was defeated in battle could be expected to be taken as a slave by the victor, and either set to work as a laborer or, in some cases, ransomed back in the event of a future victory in battle.
The Martians are brave and daring, an honorable people among whom deception and lies are almost unknown. It was for this reason that they were extremely easy to conquer.
Mars is an arid world, with a single large ocean covering its northern regions. The massive volcano of Olympus Mons and the Valles Marineris are some of the most spectacular locations in the Solar System, though in the course of things the Hapsburgs claimed those as their own during the conquest of Mars. The Hapsburg domains are the largest, but the Dutch and French have equally respectable colonies on the planet, and in the course of things even the British Extraterrestrial Company has large holdings on Mars.
Mars is the Bringer of War, and it was the competition to claim as much of the planet possible that sparked the Twelve Year's War between the Hapsburgs and the Dutch, which drew in several other powers on Earth and beyond. It was the only major conflict involving Earth powers since the Great Solar War, and while many colonial possessions changed hands (on Mars, a good chunk of the Dutch holdings were transferred to the Hapsburgs in exchange for the Dutch seizing Hapsburg possessions on Mercury) the balance of power has changed little. The first battles of the war may have been fought on Mars, but it quickly expanded to other parts of the Solar System, and only a few major battles would ultimately be fought on the Red Planet.
The status of the various Earth colonies may vary, but it should be noted that many have prospered thanks to the importation of Mercurian crops, which do well in arid soil. They are of course grown on farms worked with slave labor, for many of the warriors of Mars who survived the conquest were taken as slaves by the victorious Europeans, though during the Twelve Year's War several slave revolts broke out, some of which are still ongoing since the Martians, already fierce fighters, appear to have learned some significant lessons from the European conquests. The British Extraterrestrial Company attempted to rectify this by shipping in African slaves to replace the native Martians, but found to their consternation that the Africans were just as willing to rise up against their masters, and the Company's stock has taken a serious hit as it attempts to hunt down the rebels.
In any case, Mars is rather quaint when not actively hostile to outsiders, and aside from some singularly impressive natural vistas has little to offer the extraterrestrial traveler, and thus we shall move on to the outermost planets and their associated satellites."
Before the coming of the Earth powers Mars was divided into a number of small kingdoms. Its chief inhabitants were local humans, who came in a variety of races with skin-tones ranging from reddish-brown to ivory, and their chief occupation was fighting each other in never-ending ritual wars, although gambling, drinking, and wrestling are also popular pastimes on the planet. They had primitive technology, only knowing the working of bronze, though they were more sophisticated in the magical and alchemical arts.
Mars remained on the edge of the Solar Community, such as it was in the pre-Earth era, and thus had intermittent contact with the Solar Empire, the Moon, and so on. Thus, it has been invaded once or twice, and each time the invaders have left behind some of their people to be assimilated; Centaurs have taken up residence in the planet's open plains, there is a large population of Amazons on the planet (for among the more standard Humans of Mars both men and women were known to fight), and even the Dwarves, though chiefly craftsmen, are doughty fighters at need. All have thrived in their new home.
Mars was ruled by semi-divine kings who used magic and mysticism to cement their rule. Mars is still known for its great stepped pyramids, though the old monarchies have been overthrown and in some few cases made into vassals of the Earth powers. There was little in the way of an aristocracy before Mars' conquest by Earth powers, only a bureaucracy under the control of the royal houses. Instead, warriors in Martian society were commoners, citizen-soldiers called up to fight by their rulers in ritual wars fought largely for slaves, prestige, and to discern the favor of the gods. It was for this reason that personal martial prowess and honor was highly valued, and a large number of citizens were known to drill during times of peace, so as to not shame themselves when the time came to fight. Wars were simply affairs, fought between blocks of infantry, and were fought until one side surrendered. Terms - whether to take prisoners, conditions of surrender, time and place of the battle, and so forth - were negotiated beforehand, and it was unheard of for these terms to be forsaken by any of the participants. A warrior who was defeated in battle could be expected to be taken as a slave by the victor, and either set to work as a laborer or, in some cases, ransomed back in the event of a future victory in battle.
The Martians are brave and daring, an honorable people among whom deception and lies are almost unknown. It was for this reason that they were extremely easy to conquer.
Mars is an arid world, with a single large ocean covering its northern regions. The massive volcano of Olympus Mons and the Valles Marineris are some of the most spectacular locations in the Solar System, though in the course of things the Hapsburgs claimed those as their own during the conquest of Mars. The Hapsburg domains are the largest, but the Dutch and French have equally respectable colonies on the planet, and in the course of things even the British Extraterrestrial Company has large holdings on Mars.
Mars is the Bringer of War, and it was the competition to claim as much of the planet possible that sparked the Twelve Year's War between the Hapsburgs and the Dutch, which drew in several other powers on Earth and beyond. It was the only major conflict involving Earth powers since the Great Solar War, and while many colonial possessions changed hands (on Mars, a good chunk of the Dutch holdings were transferred to the Hapsburgs in exchange for the Dutch seizing Hapsburg possessions on Mercury) the balance of power has changed little. The first battles of the war may have been fought on Mars, but it quickly expanded to other parts of the Solar System, and only a few major battles would ultimately be fought on the Red Planet.
The status of the various Earth colonies may vary, but it should be noted that many have prospered thanks to the importation of Mercurian crops, which do well in arid soil. They are of course grown on farms worked with slave labor, for many of the warriors of Mars who survived the conquest were taken as slaves by the victorious Europeans, though during the Twelve Year's War several slave revolts broke out, some of which are still ongoing since the Martians, already fierce fighters, appear to have learned some significant lessons from the European conquests. The British Extraterrestrial Company attempted to rectify this by shipping in African slaves to replace the native Martians, but found to their consternation that the Africans were just as willing to rise up against their masters, and the Company's stock has taken a serious hit as it attempts to hunt down the rebels.
In any case, Mars is rather quaint when not actively hostile to outsiders, and aside from some singularly impressive natural vistas has little to offer the extraterrestrial traveler, and thus we shall move on to the outermost planets and their associated satellites."
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bookwyrm
Doom of Public Libraries
- Location
- Wichita, Kansas
African, indigenous, and mixed-race confederations like Janga Angola or the Black Seminoles were already badass enough, but now the image of Tars Tarkas trained in Capoeira and Bantu ironworks is one that gives me a very warm feeling as I think on its inevitable result to the honorable Extraterrestrial Company's bottom line.
the Jovian Moons
- Location
- Great Khanate of Scotland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
"There are four moons orbiting Jupiter. All are larger than Earth's Moon but smaller than the Earth itself, and their names are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Each has its own unique life and climate, but one race is found on all four celestial bodies: the Moon Spiders.
As the name indicates, the Moon Spiders resemble giant, intelligent spiders. While their appearance may be terrifying or unsettling to men even with strong constitutions (I myself have seen hardened soldiers and experienced diplomats develop a serious nervous tic when confronted by one) they are in fact quite amicable, being thoughtful planners and skilled conversationalists. They are well-traveled, having visited Mars, Venus, Mercury, and even Earth's own Moon, and are highly sought-after by interplanetary merchants. This is because of their webs, which are extremely strong and tough and can be cast very widely indeed. During the wars of the Lunar kingdoms against the Solar Empire, many Moon Spiders served as mercenaries and were key in the defense of the Lunar kingdoms - each ship in the Lunar fleet had a Moon Spider aboard who would cast webs out to allow for the passage of boarders onto Solar ships.
Moon Spiders may thus be found on multiple planets, but the center of their own civilization is the Jovian Moons. Here they spin their vast webs between mountain peaks, weaving elaborate cities and highways out of silk, catching birds, bat-winged reptiles, and fish such as can be found there. They are a practical and intelligent people, and have a significant talent for natural philosophy. The libraries of the Moon Spiders, inscribed on silk scrolls, are not to be missed.
Of course, the Moon Spiders' kingdoms have been made vassals or colonies of the European powers, along with the other inhabitants of the Jovian Moons. We shall now discuss each of the four Jovian Moons in turn.
Callisto is the most populated of the four moons, and has been divided in three by the Dutch, the French, and the Holy Roman Empire. It has a mild climate, and there are many centaurs dwelling in the grassy lowlands. Since the Moon Spiders make poor laborers (and indeed, many colonial administrators consider them to be too creepy to deal with as part of day-to-day business) they are left to their own devices, and the European powers have been obliged to import colonists from Earth - the Dutch have imported African slaves, the Hapsburg dominions were settled by a variety of laborers from their Latin American dominions, and the French Viceroyalty of Callisto is home to many French-Canadians from their North American dominions. The colonies on the Jovian Moons currently represent the furthest extent of Earth's influence, and the colonies on Callisto in particular mainly exist to feed and administrate the other colonies of the Jovian Moons (such as there are) and to service merchants traveling to Jupiter and Saturn. They are otherwise thinly-settled.
Io is highly volcanic, and dominated by the British Extraterrestrial Company. While they have several mines which are useful for obtaining minerals and some rare alchemical ingredients, the climate is considered inhospitable and is seen as a hazardous posting for colonial administrators. Prior to its conquest by British Forces it was home, most curiously, by a tribe of Humans claiming to be descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel (if this is true, one Jewish natural philosopher has said, they must have been very lost indeed). Indeed, natural philosophers and religious scholars have shown enough interest that they have traveled all the way out to this otherwise awful rock to make a study of the language and religious practices of the locals, in order to discern if they truly are descended from the Israelites (there is currently no scholarly consensus, although I hear there has been some significant debate between Earth Jews and the people of Io over which of the local wildlife is kosher). These tribes have been removed from the land under which the best mineral deposits are, but are otherwise left to their own devices and ruled through local intermediaries.
It was a shame about the fire that broke out in the Moon Spiders' library on Io during the British invasion, but really, these things happen all the time.
Europa is an icy world covered almost totally in oceans, and is claimed by the Holy Roman Empire - although when they arrived they discovered, unaccountably, that some adventurous Basques had somehow obtained voidships of their own and beaten them there and begun exploiting the rich fishing grounds. The Hapsburg's governor has taken the colony in hand and currently the moon's chief export is dried fish. Due to the scarcity of dry land, this is the only place where Humans and Moon Spiders live in close proximity, and to the surprise of many the arrangement has been quite successful. The Moon Spiders' silk is very useful in making sails, rigging, and nets for fishermen, and in return the colonists are able to produce or import many things the Moon Spiders otherwise could not produce themselves. Some Jesuits are busily trying to convert the Moon Spiders to Catholicism, and they seem to actually be making some significant headway.
Ganymede is a dull, icy moon, bitterly cold and dry, with stony soil almost useless for agriculture. Indeed, the whole celestial body has little worth visiting for (even the local Moon Spiders do not seem to like it that much), but the French have decided to place a few outposts here and claim it on the off chance that it actually proves useful for something. The French-Canadian settlers have not thrived, and thus have become rather notorious space pirates as a way to make a living.
Indeed, due to its location on the very frontier of the colonial powers' control, the Jovian Moons are a hotspot of activity for space pirates and privateers, and several of the colonies here are known (or at least suspected) to be pirate havens. The Jovian Moons are also a fine place for those wishing to escape the notice of the empires, and thus riff-raff, scum, and outlaws from all across the Solar System have made their way here. Between the rather dull climate and the disreputable locals, the Jovian Moons do not have much to recommend to the interplanetary traveler."
As the name indicates, the Moon Spiders resemble giant, intelligent spiders. While their appearance may be terrifying or unsettling to men even with strong constitutions (I myself have seen hardened soldiers and experienced diplomats develop a serious nervous tic when confronted by one) they are in fact quite amicable, being thoughtful planners and skilled conversationalists. They are well-traveled, having visited Mars, Venus, Mercury, and even Earth's own Moon, and are highly sought-after by interplanetary merchants. This is because of their webs, which are extremely strong and tough and can be cast very widely indeed. During the wars of the Lunar kingdoms against the Solar Empire, many Moon Spiders served as mercenaries and were key in the defense of the Lunar kingdoms - each ship in the Lunar fleet had a Moon Spider aboard who would cast webs out to allow for the passage of boarders onto Solar ships.
Moon Spiders may thus be found on multiple planets, but the center of their own civilization is the Jovian Moons. Here they spin their vast webs between mountain peaks, weaving elaborate cities and highways out of silk, catching birds, bat-winged reptiles, and fish such as can be found there. They are a practical and intelligent people, and have a significant talent for natural philosophy. The libraries of the Moon Spiders, inscribed on silk scrolls, are not to be missed.
Of course, the Moon Spiders' kingdoms have been made vassals or colonies of the European powers, along with the other inhabitants of the Jovian Moons. We shall now discuss each of the four Jovian Moons in turn.
Callisto is the most populated of the four moons, and has been divided in three by the Dutch, the French, and the Holy Roman Empire. It has a mild climate, and there are many centaurs dwelling in the grassy lowlands. Since the Moon Spiders make poor laborers (and indeed, many colonial administrators consider them to be too creepy to deal with as part of day-to-day business) they are left to their own devices, and the European powers have been obliged to import colonists from Earth - the Dutch have imported African slaves, the Hapsburg dominions were settled by a variety of laborers from their Latin American dominions, and the French Viceroyalty of Callisto is home to many French-Canadians from their North American dominions. The colonies on the Jovian Moons currently represent the furthest extent of Earth's influence, and the colonies on Callisto in particular mainly exist to feed and administrate the other colonies of the Jovian Moons (such as there are) and to service merchants traveling to Jupiter and Saturn. They are otherwise thinly-settled.
Io is highly volcanic, and dominated by the British Extraterrestrial Company. While they have several mines which are useful for obtaining minerals and some rare alchemical ingredients, the climate is considered inhospitable and is seen as a hazardous posting for colonial administrators. Prior to its conquest by British Forces it was home, most curiously, by a tribe of Humans claiming to be descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel (if this is true, one Jewish natural philosopher has said, they must have been very lost indeed). Indeed, natural philosophers and religious scholars have shown enough interest that they have traveled all the way out to this otherwise awful rock to make a study of the language and religious practices of the locals, in order to discern if they truly are descended from the Israelites (there is currently no scholarly consensus, although I hear there has been some significant debate between Earth Jews and the people of Io over which of the local wildlife is kosher). These tribes have been removed from the land under which the best mineral deposits are, but are otherwise left to their own devices and ruled through local intermediaries.
It was a shame about the fire that broke out in the Moon Spiders' library on Io during the British invasion, but really, these things happen all the time.
Europa is an icy world covered almost totally in oceans, and is claimed by the Holy Roman Empire - although when they arrived they discovered, unaccountably, that some adventurous Basques had somehow obtained voidships of their own and beaten them there and begun exploiting the rich fishing grounds. The Hapsburg's governor has taken the colony in hand and currently the moon's chief export is dried fish. Due to the scarcity of dry land, this is the only place where Humans and Moon Spiders live in close proximity, and to the surprise of many the arrangement has been quite successful. The Moon Spiders' silk is very useful in making sails, rigging, and nets for fishermen, and in return the colonists are able to produce or import many things the Moon Spiders otherwise could not produce themselves. Some Jesuits are busily trying to convert the Moon Spiders to Catholicism, and they seem to actually be making some significant headway.
Ganymede is a dull, icy moon, bitterly cold and dry, with stony soil almost useless for agriculture. Indeed, the whole celestial body has little worth visiting for (even the local Moon Spiders do not seem to like it that much), but the French have decided to place a few outposts here and claim it on the off chance that it actually proves useful for something. The French-Canadian settlers have not thrived, and thus have become rather notorious space pirates as a way to make a living.
Indeed, due to its location on the very frontier of the colonial powers' control, the Jovian Moons are a hotspot of activity for space pirates and privateers, and several of the colonies here are known (or at least suspected) to be pirate havens. The Jovian Moons are also a fine place for those wishing to escape the notice of the empires, and thus riff-raff, scum, and outlaws from all across the Solar System have made their way here. Between the rather dull climate and the disreputable locals, the Jovian Moons do not have much to recommend to the interplanetary traveler."
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EBR
Self-Requested Ban
- Location
- Khazaria
The very lost tribe of Israel on Io disputing the kashrut of Ioan wildlife with the Jews of Earth is great. 
Which of the ten do they claim to be descended from?
Also liked;
-The generally pretty chill Moon Spiders
-The Basque fishermen getting there first
-The British accidentally burning down an invaluable cultural site being passed of as "these things happen"
-Jesuits in space!
Which of the ten do they claim to be descended from?Also liked;
-The generally pretty chill Moon Spiders
-The Basque fishermen getting there first
-The British accidentally burning down an invaluable cultural site being passed of as "these things happen"
-Jesuits in space!
- Location
- Great Khanate of Scotland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The very lost tribe of Israel on Io disputing the kashrut of Ioan wildlife with the Jews of Earth is great.
They're divided into clans, with clan names that indicate descent from Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Asher, and Zebulun, but they're rather vague about exactly how they, you know, wound up on one of the Jovian Moons. They know they're descended from them somehow, though. The main debate is over trying to connect the dots, as it were.
(Of course, if they were making shit up it would just raise further questions!)
EBR
Self-Requested Ban
- Location
- Khazaria
Like "how did they even learn about Judaism in the first place".
Jupiter and Saturn
- Location
- Great Khanate of Scotland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
"Jupiter and Saturn are the outermost planets in the Solar System as well as the largest, with Jupiter being larger and closer to the Sun, and Saturn being smaller and father out. However, both planets resemble each other more than any of the inner planets; they are vastly larger in size than Earth, and their inhabitants and cultures are very much the same. Saturn also lacks moons while Jupiter has four, which we have previously discussed. I shall thus be discussing both planets in the same chapter, making distinctions between their cultures where relevant.
Being such large planets with vast amounts of land, it should be of no surprise that they in fact are inhabited by giants. The giants stand about ten feet tall on average, though many stand a few feet taller than this. They are in many respects superior to Humans, being longer-lived and possessed of great intellect, and their society is quite advanced. They have a sophisticated grasp of natural philosophy, one that in some respects even surpasses that of Earth.
With their massive telescopes (which they call "microscopes") they have been observing the affairs of the inner planets for a very long time, and they find our various squabbles, wars and trade and so forth, rather amusing - despite their great size and strength, they are a peaceful people, ruled by law, spending their pursuits in natural philosophy, music, and love. Their religion is monotheistic, organized under a single hierarchy (there is an Archpriest of Jupiter and an Archpriest of Saturn), and the churches have their own religious laws and courts which often conflict with those of the secular authorities. Their religion prescribes the covering of the head and the abstinence from alcohol, which in some respects calls to mind the Muslim faith.
Let it not be believed that they are a completely virtuous race, however, for the giants of Jupiter are much given to drinking, gambling, and throwing of parties which the Saturnians find improper (to say nothing of loud and annoying), while the Saturnians are considered dour, with minds more concerned with practical machines, caring little for art or beauty, though it should be said that their philosophy is the equal of the Jupitereans. The Saturnians are also said to place more importance on their political leaders, and so are more concerned with the achievement of political power and the machinations of the political process, while the Jupitereans believe in the rule of law and not men. Among giants, their women are considered the intellectual equals of their men, which perhaps puts the outer planets closer in habit to Venus than Earth, and the President of Saturn is indeed a woman.
As has been mentioned previously, life on the outer planets is much larger in scale than life on the inner planets; many animals, insects, birds, and so forth have been transported to other planets for use as beasts of burden, although other animals from Jupiter and Saturn, such as the lion-rats and the giant wasps, are so fearsome that it is perilous for the small folk of the inner planets to walk alone in some places. The plants as well are of great height, and very fast-growing, and only a few have made their way off-planet, for they are not well-suited to the shallow soils of our inner worlds.
Giants are not much disposed to travel beyond their own planets, though they seem to have a much greater understanding of gravity and the movements of celestial bodies than the natural philosophers of Earth do, and it seems that we have much to learn from them. However, they have determined that we do not have much to offer them in return, and thus aside from a few natural philosophers, diplomats, and explorers, not many Humans have walked on the worlds of the giants, while only a few of their most curious natural philosophers have in turn made their way to Earth, where they found our wildlife of more interest than our governments or philosophy (they were quite taken with whales, which are among the only animals on our world which resemble those of their own in scale).
And so we have reached the limits of our knowledge. As the Solar System comes to an abrupt end beyond Jupiter and Saturn, so must this narrative come to an abrupt end. Perhaps in the future some explorers or natural philosophers may discover new worlds, or travel to other stars, or perhaps some great change in the balance of power will occur, and thus it will fall to other natural philosophers to add to the vast total collection of human knowledge, perhaps building on this contribution that I myself have made."
Being such large planets with vast amounts of land, it should be of no surprise that they in fact are inhabited by giants. The giants stand about ten feet tall on average, though many stand a few feet taller than this. They are in many respects superior to Humans, being longer-lived and possessed of great intellect, and their society is quite advanced. They have a sophisticated grasp of natural philosophy, one that in some respects even surpasses that of Earth.
With their massive telescopes (which they call "microscopes") they have been observing the affairs of the inner planets for a very long time, and they find our various squabbles, wars and trade and so forth, rather amusing - despite their great size and strength, they are a peaceful people, ruled by law, spending their pursuits in natural philosophy, music, and love. Their religion is monotheistic, organized under a single hierarchy (there is an Archpriest of Jupiter and an Archpriest of Saturn), and the churches have their own religious laws and courts which often conflict with those of the secular authorities. Their religion prescribes the covering of the head and the abstinence from alcohol, which in some respects calls to mind the Muslim faith.
Let it not be believed that they are a completely virtuous race, however, for the giants of Jupiter are much given to drinking, gambling, and throwing of parties which the Saturnians find improper (to say nothing of loud and annoying), while the Saturnians are considered dour, with minds more concerned with practical machines, caring little for art or beauty, though it should be said that their philosophy is the equal of the Jupitereans. The Saturnians are also said to place more importance on their political leaders, and so are more concerned with the achievement of political power and the machinations of the political process, while the Jupitereans believe in the rule of law and not men. Among giants, their women are considered the intellectual equals of their men, which perhaps puts the outer planets closer in habit to Venus than Earth, and the President of Saturn is indeed a woman.
As has been mentioned previously, life on the outer planets is much larger in scale than life on the inner planets; many animals, insects, birds, and so forth have been transported to other planets for use as beasts of burden, although other animals from Jupiter and Saturn, such as the lion-rats and the giant wasps, are so fearsome that it is perilous for the small folk of the inner planets to walk alone in some places. The plants as well are of great height, and very fast-growing, and only a few have made their way off-planet, for they are not well-suited to the shallow soils of our inner worlds.
Giants are not much disposed to travel beyond their own planets, though they seem to have a much greater understanding of gravity and the movements of celestial bodies than the natural philosophers of Earth do, and it seems that we have much to learn from them. However, they have determined that we do not have much to offer them in return, and thus aside from a few natural philosophers, diplomats, and explorers, not many Humans have walked on the worlds of the giants, while only a few of their most curious natural philosophers have in turn made their way to Earth, where they found our wildlife of more interest than our governments or philosophy (they were quite taken with whales, which are among the only animals on our world which resemble those of their own in scale).
And so we have reached the limits of our knowledge. As the Solar System comes to an abrupt end beyond Jupiter and Saturn, so must this narrative come to an abrupt end. Perhaps in the future some explorers or natural philosophers may discover new worlds, or travel to other stars, or perhaps some great change in the balance of power will occur, and thus it will fall to other natural philosophers to add to the vast total collection of human knowledge, perhaps building on this contribution that I myself have made."
- Mr. Anthony Foote
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- Location
- Great Khanate of Scotland
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Japan, Korea, and the native kingdoms Southeast Asia are vassals of the Chinese Emperor. The Europeans have been pretty distracted from East Asia by all the various planets.
Thank you! This is basically all I had planned, I just had an idea for alchemical spaceships and wanted to flesh out the setting. I think I did a pretty good job!