Knights Over A Scarlet Sea

A homebrew setting for a dieselpunk RPG, inspired by Porco Rosso, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Crimson Skies.

Far above the waves, In fragile machines of canvas and wood,

these men risked all in duels to the death. Called upon to fight with singular intelligence, endurance, and coordination,

they were cut from a special cloth, brothers in arms and heroes to their war-weary public.

But that time has passed. And so these knights of the air

The Great War is over, yet peace has not returned to the Scarlet Sea. An era has passed, one of empires and beauty, and a new one struggles to be born. The veterans of war chase dreams of that new future; and without question the greatest chasers are the pilots. In sleek, rainbow-liveried planes they duel again in the skies above the Scarlet Sea as masters of their own fate, whether pirate or mercenary or bounty hunter.

The Scarlet Sea

The Scarlet Sea

Overview

The Scarlet Sea has been associated with battle and death since time immemorial. The northernmost spur of the Colleterrean Sea, the Scarlet Sea was long considered the dividing line between western and eastern Europe, separating the Tyrnian Peninsula from the Plain of Ulm. In antiquity, it was a narrow expanse of water much fought over by Etruscans and Dorians for shipping routes to their coastal cities. Tyrnian tin and silver mines were emptied to conquer rich farmlands and endless pastures, and by 198 BF the sea was so critical to linking the territories of the Reman Empire that a permanent naval fleet, the only armed force permitted within the boundaries of Tyrnia, was established to control it.

In the modern era, much enlarged by the Great Flood, the Scarlet Sea remains important to global trade. The heartlands of the Teutonic Empire and the goods of central and eastern Europe pass through its waters, carried on hundreds of ships and headed for far-flung cities in Africa, Asia, and beyond. Countless smaller vessels ply the coastal trade, while the proven successes of the Great War have sparked a boom in aerial travel and shipping.

Nations

The principal nation of the Scarlet Sea is, or was, the Teutonic Empire. This land of proud, fractious princes has dominated eastern Europe for more than a thousand years. That history is coming to an end; the defeat of the Empire in the Great War has unleashed the long-suppressed forces of nationalism and republicanism. As the Teutonic princes squabble for an empty throne and radical reformers plot their overthrow, the delicate fabric holding it together is being ripped apart.

Conversely, victory in the Great War has had the opposite effect on the Tyrnian Peninsula. This region, once the heartland of Europe's largest empire, has long been divided between rival republics, fiercely independent city-states that jealously guard their prerogatives. The defeat of the Imperial Powers and their allies in the region have emboldened the revolutionary nationalists of Tyrnia to agitate once more for their homeland's reunification, by referendum if possible and force of arms if necessary. Older, cooler heads argue for the preservation of historic distinctions and cultures, and are shouted down in the streets. For rising powers such as Nacria or Caltiberia, victory in the Great War seems to mean the dissolution of their state into a new Tyrnian whole.

Other minor nations dot the borders of the Scarlet Sea, struggling for survival. The restored Kingdom of Thetas, having won independent from their Olmec masters in the Great War, intrigues and kills as it fights to integrate all its people, willingly or not. The Republic of the Five Isles likewise struggles to maintain its independence, safeguarding its faith and way of life from its expansionist sibling. The restless Venes, the long-subdued Etrurians, the Drusian separatists; minor peoples and races of the Teutonic Empire see a chance in the Empire's defeat slice off nations of their own from its carcass.

Characters of the Scarlet Sea

The pilots of the Scarlet Sea come from all manner of backgrounds, one of the levelling effects of war.

Veteran

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	3	1	1	2	1

Starting Wound Threshold: 11+Brawn

Starting Strain Threshold: 11+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110

Starting Skill: Ranged, Light (1)

Three Rounds Rapid: Once per encounter, your character may spend a Story Point to re-roll up to 3 dice when making a ranged attack.

Laborer

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
3	2	1	1	2	1

Starting Wound Threshold: 12+Brawn

Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110

Starting Skill: Resilience (1)

Moment of Glory: Your character may add a total of 3 Boost (blue) dice per session to Brawn checks, gaining 3 Wounds per dice added.

Craftsman

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
1	2	3	2	1	1

Starting Wound Threshold: 9+Brawn

Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110

Starting Skill: Mechanics (1)

Journeyman's Learning: Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point to re-roll up to 3 dice during an Intellect check.

Profiteer

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
1	1	2	3	1	2

Starting Wound Threshold: 9+Brawn

Starting Strain Threshold: 9+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110

Starting Skill: Negotiation (1)

Spread the Wealth: Your character may add an additional Advantage (green) dice up to 3 times per session to rarity/acquisition checks by any player.

Aristocrat

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
1	1	2	1	2	3

Starting Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn

Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110

Starting Skill: Leadership (1)

Blue Blood: Your character may add a total of 3 Boost (blue) dice per session to Presence checks made by any player, gaining 3 Strain per dice added.

Intellectual

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
1	1	3	2	2	1

Starting Wound Threshold: 8+Brawn

Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110

Starting Skill: Knowledge (1)

The Trivium: Your character may add a total of 3 Boost (blue) dice per session to Intellect checks made by any player, gaining 3 Strain per dice added.

Careers

Pilot	Mechanic	Medic	Captain	Adventurer		Socialite	Spook	Bard
Athletics	Athletics	Cool	Charm	Charm	Charm	Charm	Alchemy	Alchemy
Brawl	Discipline	'	Cool	Coercion	Coercion	Cool	Arcana	Charm
'	'	'	'	'	Coordination	Deception	Cool	Divine
'	'	'	'	'	Deception	Knowledge	'	'
'	'	'	'	'	Ranged	Negotiation	'	'
'	'	'	'	Piloting	'	'	'	'
'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'