This article originally appeared in Pyramid #23

Assignaton with Her Exaltedness

Using Over the Edge's Al Amarja in Castle Falkenstein's New Europa

by Kirt Dankmyer

Warning: This article discusses many of the "secrets" of the Over The Edge background. If you don't want to spoil the fun of Al Amarja, don't read this article.

kay, so you've read Castle Falkenstein and all the source material you can get your hands on, from Verne to Wells, and your players are simply itching to have their Dramatic Characters swash buckles, right wrongs and win the admiration of Ladies (and Gentlemen) everywhere, all before the bright backdrop of New Europa. New Europa is a vast place, however. Comme Il Faut describes no less than seven possible Themes for campaigns, all with their own possible sub-Themes, all of which can be set in practically any part of New Europa, from Bayern to the Bear Flag Empire. An aspiring Host might wish one could focus on someplace more manageable - like an island.
Which leads to the shadowy world of Al Amarja - a place of strange conspiracies, weird science, and urban development gone mad. Initially, it may seem that the island of Al Amarja has nothing to do with the Steam Age, but consider for a moment. Strange conspiracies? The Steam Age is full of conspiracies, from the Seelie versus the Unseelie, to the World Crime League, to the various intrigues of the New Europan empires. And weird science - one need only give it a more Steam Age tint, and a lot of the fringe science of the Edge can become the Infernal Devices they truly are. . . .

This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.



Article publication date: February 1, 1997

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