Better Than Real Memory

About Albion

Albion is more or less Steampunk Victorian England. It's not exact, but it's a good rule of thumb when thinking about Albion to just picture it that way. Most of the jobs involve machinery or factory work in some way, and there is a high reverence for science, rational thought (Circlism is considered more "rational" than other religions, even), and machines.

In Albion, there is a very strict social hierarchy, but class mobility is fairly simple, at least through the lower and middle ranks. There's Royalty, the Nobility, the Upper Class (mostly wealthy merchants, doctors, lawyers, factory owners/managers, scientists, and higher ranking Circlist Priests), the Middle Class, which is itself stratified into Upper-Middle, True Middle, and Lower-Middle, and the Lower Class, or Poor.

When MJ was born, her parents were True Middle; by the time MJ's third sister was born, the Ripleys were comfortably Upper Middle, thanks to Edgar's job as a Steamfitter. Had Edgar Ripley not died, they may have wound up in the Upper Class if he could snag a promotion to Manager. As it is, the family has fallen to Lower Class (though MJ maintains most firmly that they were no lower than Lower-Middle, and has tried hard to maintain the illusion that they were at least True Middle). People do treat you differently based upon your class standing, of course. For the vast majority, the higher class you are, the better you are treated.

Albion is mostly sexually equal: women can apply for the same jobs as men and are given consideration based upon their individual skill alone (usually). They are expected to dress as the men do when on the job, but this is more to do with safety considerations: it is fashionable for women to wear frilly lace and have long hair, and in jobs around machinery, these things could be dangerous.

However, when I say "fashionable", what I really mean is "expected". An adult woman with short hair is viewed as either poor (because she had to cut her hair to sell it to a wigmaker to make money) or criminal (convicted prisoners have their hair entirely shorn and it's kept that way while you're inside; if your hair is short, it means you were released from prison and are growing it back out). When not working, it's fully expected that women will be wearing dresses and skirts.

It's also considered that a woman will start husband hunting around the time she turns 16. Her education is not considered complete until 18, and many women do go on to college; while a woman pursuing higher education and degrees in science, medicine, and law (or other professions) is fine, she's also expected to be keeping an eye out for a suitable romantic match. A woman not in college and without a single suitor at 18 is considered something of an odd duck: this is the main reason that MJ tells people outside of her acquaintance that she's 16.

Despite the advances in gender equality, Albian society is still predominantly racist and homophobic. Homosexuality is seen as unnatural; the usual slang term for a homosexual of either sex is "defective", as if they were a piece of machinery that is out of whack or misaligned. Albion has colonies in Ganarajya (India) and in certain parts of Ifrika (Africa); these are considered vassal states, and their non-white inhabitants are viewed as backwards savages. Slavery is still largely accepted throughout Albion, though the Abolitionist movement is making inroads. Non-white individuals are considered to be lower in the social strata than even the poor.

The Ripleys were a fairly progressive family: they do not personally treat those of other social classes differently, and MJ's mother was just starting with the Abolitionists when her husband died and she turned to drink. There aren't many people of other races around MJ's neighborhood; the few she has seen have been servants (or slaves) of other people just passing through. Her experience with non-white people is therefore VERY limited (if not nonexistent). She tends towards judging people on their merits rather than their skin color, but she can be a little condescending without meaning to be. Her thirst for learning about other people, places, and cultures helps, but she may come across as wanting to "study these strange savage people" (again, unintentionally).

The family never talked about homosexuality, so Edgar and Louise's views on "defectives" remains unknown to MJ. If asked about her own stance on it, MJ would say that she's never met a defective, but she's sure they're nice people, really. She would view homosexuals with pity, not derision.

OOC NOTE: MJ is a lesbian. She has not realized this yet. She has always assumed she would marry to advantage for her family and have children and lead a normal life. Her pre-PIF life was fairly insular, with the only women she saw on a regular basis to be her mother and sisters, her three best friends, and her much older neighbors. She hasn't come across anyone she's found particularly attractive (of either sex). People have just assumed that, since her father's death, she's been driven to take care of the family and hasn't had time to go about the necessary (for a woman) business of husband hunting; it's certainly what MJ has been doing, after all.

Basically, it's not that MJ is closeted so much as she's unaware that she's IN a closet - she thinks there's just a lot of jackets outside.

Scientists in Albion occupy a special place. A good scientist is damn near a rock star in Albion, and any tendencies that fit outside the norm are generally given a lot of latitude. There is a formal ranking system that scientists go through, overseen by the Scientists' Guild. The testing is rigorous, some would say grueling, but the rewards - both monetarily and socially - for being a high-ranking scientist are considered worth it. The designations aren't generally known by those outside the Scientists' Guild and higher level employers who require them; most of the public has renamed the designations along the lines of popular fictions and perceptions. (Ranks 10 & 9 are used on their own, i.e., a rank 9 member of the Scientists' Guild is an "Igor". Ranks 8 - 1 are usually appended to the front of the word "Scientist"; thus a rank 3 member of the Scientists' Guild is called a "Rather Mad Scientist." The exception to this is rank 2, where they're generally just called "Stark Raving Looney".)

Rank Common Name Actual Designation
10 Henchman (or "Hench") Research Assistant
9 Igor Chief Assistant
8 Irrational Academic
7 Crazed Researcher
6 Deranged Savant
5 Insane Distinguished Scholar (DS)
4 Mad Contributor to Scientific Knowledge (CSK)
3 Rather Mad Knowledgeable Adept of Science (KAS)
2 Stark Raving Looney Master/Mistress of the Scientific Arts (MSA)
1 Maniacal Luminary of Scientific Pursuit (LSP)

Ranks 5-1 have their abbreviations tacked onto the end of their names and titles, just as dentists are "DDS" and doctors are "MD". For example, Professor Sturmgard was "Rather Mad" by popular nomenclature and thus her full name and title is properly "Professor Lisa Sturmgard, KAS". You technically could append every single abbreviation (i.e., Professor Lisa Sturmgard, DS, CSK, KAS), but it's considered exceedingly pompous and condescending. It's OBVIOUS that if you're an MSA, then you also qualified already as the lower levels.

Scientists often have assistants who aren't ranked at all; this is what MJ was for Professor Sturmgard. Some scientists hire teenagers to run errands and assist in their labs and then sponsor their educations so they can work their way up the ladder (and, of course, be more valuable to the scientist themselves). These quasi internship-apprenticeships are increasingly common, as many of the higher ranking scientists are lacking in some of the social graces and are possessed of other...behavioural quirks; a good assistant who is willing to put up with you is a valuable commodity. (It's quite likely that Professor Sturmgard would've become MJ's Sponsor in time, an outcome MJ was quite hoping for, especially with Professor Sturmgard looking poised to be upgraded to Stark Raving Looney sometime soon: being Sponsored by such a high ranking scientist is quite an honour.)

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About Terra

 This is for quick reference (mostly for myself) as to the names of the common places/things in MJ's world.

A Note on Colonies: As in our world, Albion (England) has lost control and reign over their colonies in North Columbia (North America). There is a significant movement in Albion to "retake" the lost Albian colonies in North Columbia, but most people think those guys have more than one screw loose upstairs. However, there is an active struggle to maintain colonies in Ganarajya and Ifrika: in the former, the colonized are starting to get rowdy and uppity; in the latter, there's competition from Deutschenland for resources, land, and power, especially in the south.

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Circlism

Circlism is a sort of Zen Christianity: Circlists believe that this life is just one of many along the Circle of our Spirit Lives. You must live out each of your Spirit Lives before your soul can find peace. You may be helped along in your life by one of many Saints. Most commonly, you appeal to the Saint of your profession, but many are named after Saints in order to draw their attention. Albion itself has its own patron Saint, Albia.

Each Circle has 12 spokes, one for each life that must be lived. Living a normal or good life will move you forward along your Circle, thus bringing you closer to finishing the Circle out and going on to the Heavenly Rest, free forever from the burdens and pains of mortal life. Living a bad or evil life will move you back along your Circle, to re-live lives squandered in selfishness and greed.

No one really knows how far along their own Circle they are. Someone who is thought of as wise is generally complimented by telling them that they must be far along their Circle by now; someone who is seen as a moron is derided by the query, "First trip on the Circle, then?"

The Saints were once mortals who lived every single one of their 12 lives near-perfectly; upon escaping from their Circle, they chose NOT to stay in the Heavenly Rest for eternity but agreed to help those still trapped in mortality. They look much like our world's Catholic Saints save for the lack of halo and the addition of wings: Circlist Saints all have wings so they can fly about between everyone's various Circles as well as visit the Heavenly Rest from time to time. The Saints therefore represent all that is Best of humanity: selflessness, compassion, and all-around good-heartedness.

However, there is no God/dess to restrain the power of the Saints. They are incredibly powerful beings now, and they were mortal once. The Circlist Church maintains that a Saint would never do or wish harm on anyone for any reason, but that doesn't stop the laymen and women from attempting to invoke a Saint's wrath upon their enemies.

There is no Hell. There is no Devil and there are no demons. Demons are a superstitious belief from back before the enlightenment of Circlism became widespread through Albion (and large portions of the West). Your actions, and yours alone, determine what happens to your soul (unless, of course, a Saint becomes involved).

And, naturally, Circlism is not the only religion on MJ's Terra, but it is the main religion in Albion. There are, of course, those who don't believe in any religion, or who believe in other religions instead. While there have been Crusades in centuries past, these were never sponsored by nor endorsed by the Circlist Church; however, the Church didn't do anything to stop these wars either. The official stance is that your own actions will determine your soul's place, after all, so there is little need for violent proselytizing. There was never any such thing as the Inquisition, either. Circlism is less "Ours is The One True Path and if you don't believe it, we will MAKE you!" and more "Well, I guess you'll just be trapped on the Circle for all eternity then, won't you?" It's SMUG, not overbearing.

MJ's family is, like many working families, more concerned with getting the Saints to intercede benevolently in their own life than in wishing harm upon others. Life's hard enough without someone powerful working against you. The Ripleys are a generally tolerant bunch, despite Albion's general racism and homophobia: do right and good and they'll stand with you. They don't really care what color your skin is or who you choose to bed. They're not activists about it though, and frankly the subject of homosexuality is still spoken of in hushed tones on the rare chance that it IS brought up. The Circlist Church has made no claims about superior races nor "deviant lifestyles"; it is only popular opinion that believes these things.

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Holidays & Celebrations

 Albion's holidays don't precisely mirror British holidays because of the differences between Christianity and Circlism. There are some equivalents though:

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Circlist Saints

 Thought up as I think of/need them. There is SOME relation to Catholic Saints, but not always a direct one. Sometimes, I just like the name.

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Content of this site belongs to either J.L.Roberts, Isnit Weyrd, Blizzard Entertainment (for the roleplay sample, which mentions specific World of Warcraft content), or the respective characters' creators. Plaigirizing characters is a no-no! Please don't do it. ^_^