Victoriana Bundle of Holding- Do yourself and the world a favor...

Once again, Bundle of Holding offers their Victoriana Bundle. Its got PDFs for everything you'll need to run a Victoriana Campaign, and if you give a little extra you'll get everything you'd ever want.
They are also offering a more broadly appealing "Steam-Powered"  bundle, featuring the Victoria supplement:  Concert in Flames.
Both are a steal and it's for a great cause. Go check it out.

Here are the links to the bundles.
Victoriana Bundle
Steam-Powered Bundle

Victorian Carriages Part 2- Phaeton and Tilbury

Nothing establishes a Victorian setting like carriage wheels rolling down a cobblestone street. For something so iconic, a little more information really immerses games session into the world of gaslight.

Until the 1900s, the word carriage effectively meant a vehicle for transporting people, encompassing a plethora of vehicles. In the 1850s, carriages became more economical and more focused on carrying passengers comfortably. More and more middleclass families bought carriages causing an even greater variety in use, design, and levels of luxury.

This series of posts focuses on different sorts of carriages, and gives Game Masters enough information to make any ride, chase, escape or traffic accident unique.

Phaeton/Victoria

In the late 1700s all fashionable gentlemen clamored to drive a Phaeton. Pulled by one horse or two, the light open carriage with four large wheels could reach incredible speeds, turn well, and looked very dashing. The Phaeton did not need a driver’s seat, as its owners often wanted the thrill of driving themselves. The most stylish Phaetons (called High Flyers) had oversized wheels, and high mountings making them exciting, and dangerous.

That danger is why Phaeton’s are named after Phaethon, son of the Greek sun god Helios, who once drove the chariot of the sun. Phaethon lost control the chariot and drove too close to the earth. To prevent the chariot from burning the world, Zeus stopped it with a lightning bolt, killing Phaethon.

Tastes change, and modifications in design gave the Phaeton a broader appeal.  Safer, lower Phaetons with better springs led to even more diversity of design, such as Phaetons with a collapsible top, Phaeton’s with larger wheels in the back, and  Phaetons with a seat in the back for footmen.

King George IV wanted the joy of driving his Phaeton, but with more comfortable seating and an easier entry. In 1824, he commissioned a carriage similar to the Phaeton with a much lower body, smaller wheels, a foldable hooded top, and a wider seat. The resulting carriage went by many names: the Pony Phaeton, The Queen’s Phaeton, and the Victoria.

The Victoria’s gentle ride, pulled by a mule or pony, and the ease of entry made it a popular ladies’ carriage as more and more women began to drive.

Tilbury/Stanhope

The Tilbury

The Stanhope

A fast sporty subset of carriages, gigs have two wheels, light open carriages, springs for a smoother ride, and are pulled by one horse. Their speed and light bodies made them popular in racing, but also made them prone to terrible accidents.

In the early 1800s, Tilbury (a carriage manufacturer of London) designed two very popular gigs: The Tilbury and the Stanhope.  Carriage maker, John Tilbury, and the Hon. Henry FitzRoy Stanhope collaborated together on the design of their gigs, with Stanhope providing financial support, and Tilbury the manufacturing.

The Tillbury gig has a high padded seat and backrest curving with the back of the carriage body, a wooden dashboard panel in the front, and a small metal grill for luggage in the rear. The two large wheels and a complex system of leaf springs kept the ride smooth on bumpy roads.

After naming the Tilbury after himself, John Tilbury decided to name their next collaboration after his patron, Stanhope. Stanhope enjoyed driving and racing, giving him numerous ideas for the next generation gig.

In 1816, Tilbury produced the Stanhope. The Stanhope’s sleeker appearance and more efficient design lead to its use in horse-races, both in Europe and America. The rubber rimmed wheels, modern spring design, and increased space for luggage lead to much imitation in gig design.

By the 1850s, both models fell out of favor, but Tilburys and Stanhopes remained popular, often seen racing over dirt roads or in carriage accident reports.

Victorian Carriages Part 1- Brougham, Wagonette, and Sociable

Nothing establishes a Victorian setting like a carriage going down a cobblestone street. For something so iconic, a little more information can really immerse your games into the world of gaslight. Until the 1900s, the word carriage effectively meant a vehicle for transporting people, encompassing a plethora of vehicles. In the 1850s, carriages became more economical and more focused on carrying passengers comfortably. More and more middle class families bought carriages causing an even greater variety in use, design, and levels of luxury.

This series of posts focuses on different sorts of carriages, and will give Game Masters enough information to make any ride, chase, escape or traffic accident unique.

Brougham/Clarence 

 

The body of a Brougham (pronounced "broom"), contains a seating compartment for two passengers. The body is boxy, but the sides curve and meet in the back. A step hangs below the doors on the either side to help passengers step in. Glass windows on the doors and the front of the body allow passengers to see out. The driver and a footman or extra passenger sit on a box seat in the front of the carriage. A single horse can pull the Brougham’s light four wheeled frame (only 800-100 lbs.).

The earliest Broughams had a sword case in the back panel for weapons, a feature which may still be available. In the 1840s-50s the brougham was one of the most commonly used carriages by the middle and upper classes.

The Brougham has several variant models and other types of carriages based on its design. A convertible version, called the Brougham-Landaulet, had a soft folding top and back. In the early 1840s carriage makers Laurie and Marner built the Clarence. The Clarence differed from the Brougham by being pulled by two horses, seating four passengers inside and lowering the driver’s seat. Cabbies snatched up secondhand Clarences to use hackney carriages (the forefathers of the modern taxi).

Wagonette

 

Some histories say, in 1845 Prince Albert introduced the design of a German carriage to Great Britain. British carriage makers adapted the designs to make the Wagonette. Although the story may not be true, the Wagonette saw much use from Queen Victorian and her children.

Designed for family transport, Wagonettes have long benches facing the middle along the sides of the carriage. Benches could fit 4-6 comfortably, and children could be squeezed in. The benches have space for luggage beneath, and some Wagonettes had removable benches to make room for more cargo. As Wagonettes are open topped, some came with removable covers to shield passengers from the elements.

The driver sits on another slightly elevated bench across the front. Some Wagonettes have a short door in the back to make it easier for passengers to board. Simple, utilitarian, and pulled by one horse or two, people of all classes in all different parts of the British Isles used Wagonettes, 

Sociable

 

Sociables are open topped carriages with curved boat-like front and back ends. Inside, a row of two seats in the front and a row of two seats in the back face each other. With two rows of passengers facing each other and exposed to the world around them, it’s not hard to understand how this carriage got its name. Folding hoods at the front and back could be pulled up over the seats to protect from the elements, and to gain a little privacy.

There are a few optional elements in Sociable design. One horse or a team of two horses could be used to pull it. Not every Sociable had a driver’s box in the front, meaning a passenger in the back did all the driving (hopefully one facing forward). Some Sociables have side doors, a helpful addition. Despite the relative low-slung body, stepping over and into a carriage could be quite a task to a well dressed lady. 

The Aos Si- A Foreboding Fairy

Awhile back, I wrote up an idea for a campaign using UFO trappings to build a conspiracy of fairies threatening the world, however, I neglected to provide the fairies.

Our mainstream pointy eared elves (Eldren in Victoriana) evolved from fairy stories, but the Eldren are just a part of human society. Any fairies in a gaslight fantasy world need to be distinct. The creatures in today’s post emphasizes the creepy and inexplicable side of fairies typified by the stories of Arthur Machen

Description

If the world is a log, the Aos Si are the worms, millipedes, and silverfish scuttling and slithering under it. They emerge from underground burrows to carry victims away though the tunnels leading back to their fairy world. Sometimes the people come back, sometimes they don’t, and sometimes something else comes back.

Aos Si vary in size from two to six or seven feet tall.  Although short insect-like legs extend down the sides of their bodies, Aos Si usually have two sets of elongated appendages to use as arms and legs when upright. Dark barbed plates cover their backside, and may even extend over the head like a pillbug. Sets of small black eyes and sharp mandibles make their faces incapable for showing human emotion.

Because of their strange appearance, the Aos Si rely on their ability to reach into another's thoughts to stay hidden in plain sight. Around mankind, Aos Si project a visage (their Glamour) to appear human. They can trick the mind into seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling the illusion, but if they have to fool more than a couple minds, the strain  breaks the glamour.

Once their glamour breaks, the projection of normalcy degrades. Their movement appears lurching and uncoordinated or too fluid, like they have no bones; their eyes might shrink into small dots, or seem to grow wide. Their enchantment continues to degrade unless the Aos Si regains their audience’s confidence, or they will be unmasked for what they truly are.

If glamour doesn’t work, the Aos Si have a wealth of ancient treasures in their barrows to tempt pliable humans into making deals. More than a few greedy men have sold away their neighbors for a bag of gold, but what do the Aos Si want with them?

In the country, superstitious farmers whisper that Aos Si steal infants from their cradles. A small Aos Si tricks the parents and takes the babies place. Do they gain power from the familial bond between parents and newly born child? Or do they just want the child?

A human might be kept in the world of the Aos Si and sent back to infiltrate the humanity. There could be entire communities made of returned humans barred from returning to their masters until the work is done. 

Some people return confused and unable to speak. Do the Aos Si feed on their thoughts and ideas? Are imaginative children and reclusive scholars a veritable thought  farm for the Aos Si? 

In the fight between Order and Chaos the Aos Si must have some sort of arrangement to stay neutral. Do the humans serve as offerings to one power or another?

It could simply be no human words equate to their use for humans and the Aos Si like it that way.

Aos Si

Physical:  7          Initiative: 6

Mental: 9             Health: 8 AR 2

Social: 6                Quintessence: 42

Traits:  Otherworldly Empathy +3, Inhuman Intelligence +2,

Qualities:

Glamour: If no humans can see it, an Aos Si starts projecting an illusion to appear human. To maintain their illusion the Aos Si must pass a Mental test with three black dice per human seeing it. Additionally, forms of magically enhanced senses (such as the Magnetist ability ‘See the Supernatural’) add 6 black dice to the test.

Damage: Clicking Claws and Mandibles (5)

Adventure Ideas

Members of an isolated village refuse to discuss any of the recent disappearances. Even their families seem glib about the missing loved ones, despite the fear in their eyes.

A farmer found an old crown made of gold left at his door. Ever since he took it inside, strange diseases plague the town’s animals. Everyone blames the farmer. Did he accidentally agree to a deal of the Aos Si?

Portrait Cards and Pub Names

I’ve added a PDF of portraits to the resources page. You can print and cut out the portraits to use as handouts, an NPC generator, character portraits, or however you want to enhance your Victoriana sessions.

I’ll update the PDF when I have enough illustrations to fill more pages.

As this post is little anemic, here is a fun minigame I play about once per Victoriana adventure:

Pub Names

British pubs are known for having strange names. My players tend to visits pubs to seek local information, regroup after splitting up, and make the richest character pay for a meal. Instead of having a list of pub names ready to go, I prefer to put individual players on the spot with a mini game of Mad Libs. Just ask a player for a particular kind of word (noun, adjective, type of boat, weapon, color) and then ask another player for another sort of word (verb, positive adjective, fish, light source). Combine the words to name your pub.

Here are a few examples:

The (negative Adjective) (position of authority) - The Ugly Judge, the Clumsy Captain

The (method of murder past tense) (food) - The Stabbed Apple, the Poisoned Biscuit

The (farm animal) and (position of authority) - The Sheep and Bishop, The Duck and Duke
the (word often used to describe a machine) (fish) – The Efficient Mackerel, The Well Tended Sardine

The (common house hold item) and (uncommon animal) – The Spoon and Mare, The Lamp Wick and Pig

The (color) (profession) - the Red Lamplighter, The Brown Barman

It’s a quick bit of fun to get the player involved without slowing down play. It works well in my group, it might be fun in yours.