Steampunk Story - Tumblr Posts

An attempt at writing

Here is a practice segment of my story. I had a good time writing this, so I may just end up writing more passages in the future. I might do one regarding Pierre, because he may or may not be my favorite character.

~“Mechanical hooves tore up the earth as it trotted through the dense forest, easily traversing uneven terrain. Steam shot out from its nostrils into the cool air, head bobbing slightly with each step. On its back sat a sturdy harness, stitched with gold and laced with metal. Clamps around the horse's chest kept the harness in place, barely shifting during the trip. It was pulling an expensive carriage, one that would rarely be seen outside of Brenning’s richer residences. Its polished wood was trimmed with golden filigree, forming waves of leaves and flowers that stood out from the darkened body. It was sturdy and well crafted, creating a rather smooth ride for its passengers.

A sharply dressed automaton sat in the carriage's driver seat, back straight and leather reins in hand. Their eyes remained forward, focused on the road ahead. Even as they turned their head to speak, bright eyes never drifted from the path. 

"Dr. Nyland, sir." They started, pausing for a second as the carriage passed over a rough patch, jostling slightly. "We should be arriving within the hour, apologies for the long trip. Old Mara is doing her best, but this terrain isn't as friendly as the city streets." The driver glanced back at the passengers before sitting back up, gently shaking the reins in their hand. The horse snorted and picked up it’s pace a little, gears clicking with each step.

Inside the carriage, the doctor glanced up from his book to look out the window. Jeter’s eyes were the only source of light, which were staring back through his reflection.

“No need to apologize, we are in no rush.” He replied, slowly looking back down at his book. Emalia slept soundly at his side, leaning against him as soft breaths escaped her. She was undisturbed by the rocking of the cart, or by the loud snoring coming from the third passenger. Jeter took a deep artificial breath as he tried to focus on the words in front of him, shutting out all sounds once more. 

Henderson insisted on coming along, despite previously complaining about the potential company. “Only going for the dognose, nothin’ more.” The man had stated as the three headed towards the city earlier that day, and it was the truth. He didn’t do much other than down as many glasses of wine he could get his hands on, using the party as an opportunity to get drunk before being forced to go sober for another few weeks. Near the end of the event, Henderson had gotten into an argument with another one of the guests, which later became physical.

The other patrons at the event had become nervous once the shouting started, and Jeter felt his patience immediately snap. He wasted no time in weaving through the humans and automata, finding his student with a fistful of another man's suit. Before any punches could land, the doctor pulled Henderson away and told a nearby butler to collect Emalia.

Everything had calmed down by the time the horse passed through the city’s gated entrance, as if the forest created a sense of drowsiness to pass over whoever entered. Henderson had fallen asleep as soon as the lamplight died down, and Emalia followed not long after. Jeter enjoyed these moments of bliss, where he could shut out the outside world and focus on his studies. Of course, he was still fully aware of his ward’s body pressed up against his arm, but nothing else mattered.”~

Some (Non-spoiler) facts about Pierre:

~ He is able to flatten and fold his body in order to fit into most crevices. His body is extremely flexible, as his inner mechanisms can easily shift and collapse into whatever size is needed. As long as his head can fit through the entrance, his whole body can follow.

~His eyes are a large ring with a circle in the center. This is a model specific trait, and means that the automaton has the ability to record whatever they see. This model of automata have insanely good photographic memories, and is perfect for Pierre’s job.

~Despite his age and appearance, Pierre can hit some pretty high speeds when running. Able to easily outrun a horse when needed, which isn’t a very common scenario. Fences and walls barely slow him down, as he can easily climb/jump over most blockades in Brenning.

~He has yet to change his metal plating, despite it being rusted, scratched and broken. This is because it has yet to hinder his ability to work, and so there is no need to upgrade his body. Unlike more “modern” automata, Pierre’s plating is unable to be penetrated by bullets of any kind. Dented by, yes, but the bullet will not pierce through. This does not mean he is invincible though, as he does have multiple open wounds on his head and body.

~His model is able to record and play back anything he has heard before, and has extremely good hearing. If standing completely still and no one is speaking, Pierre can actually pick up the heart beats of any humans in the room. This comes at a price however, as very loud noises may startle and stun Pierre for a few moments while his programming adjust to the sudden input.

~The voice Pierre uses for himself is actually that of the man who created the plans for his body, and later helped calibrate him. This man, who Pierre never learned the name of, spent hours talking to him in order to have a large library of words to use. A millennium later, and Pierre still uses that same voice. For new names or words, he stiches together syllables of different words and is able to shift their tone. This makes it less jarring and sound more natural.

~Rarely ever uses weapons of his own, finding it easier to take people out using his speed and strength. Pierre is agile and can react suddenly, incapacitating an enemy within seconds. He tries not to kill his opponent, relying on non-lethal take-downs the majority of the time. He does possess a pair of twin pistols, and is equipped with bullets that can take out any automata with ease. (These bullets are only provided to those who work as security for the Tower)

~Pierre’s creator programmed him to “smoke”, despite not having lungs. The creator assumed that having an automaton that shows human habits might be easier to trust, and so Pierre never goes anywhere without a pack of cigarettes in his coat. This “human habit” rule also applies to his attire, since it isn’t really needed for his job. But, his creator liked the aesthetic, and so Pierre dresses like a classic detective.

Brief summary of how my steampunk characters speak

I just want to get as much information as I can out, and I want to write something rather easy to describe.

Jeter: Usually fairly flat, but will emote when around friends. He is professional and precise, and will never use slang unless he is quoting someone else. Rarely ever raises his voice, even when angered. Jeter has a high level of patience, and it shows through in his speech. Has a slight accent, though its hard to distinguish exactly what it is. (HC voice: Jon Sprocket from The Cog is Dead)

Emalia: Soft spoken and shy, may speak slowly in fear of accidently stumbling over herself. People may mistake her voice for whispering, as she doesn't necessarily want to be heard all of the time. She never raises her voice, or speaks sternly. Emalia is very passive in both personality and voice, and rarely ever uses slang. (HC voice: Phillipa Soo aka. Eliza from Hamilton)

Henderson: No matter who he is speaking to, he is impolite. Uses slang or curses almost every time he speaks, and has no regard for authority. Slightly more polite towards women though even that is debatable. His low patience impacts his speech, and it doesn't take much to get his voice to raise in volume. Has a cockney accent that only gets thicker when angered. (HC Voice: Peter Kaleghan aka. Agent Meyers from Murdoch Mysteries)

Zala: Speaks quickly and nervously, constantly stammering and stumbling over himself. Uses a lot of scientific terms when talking, especially when conversing with Jeter. His sentences are occasionally broken by nervous chuckles, or he may just slowly falter into silence. He assumes everyone is annoyed by his presence, so he will try his best to keep his statements quick. Unfortunately, his tends to ramble and change topics, trying to get all of his thoughts out before forgetting them. (HC Voice: David Michael Bennett from Steam Powered Giraffe)

Odin: Rarely ever speaks unless spoken to, and even then he will say as little as possible to get his point across. Very polite no matter who he is speaking to, as his programming sees everyone as superior. His sentences are created through cutting up previously heard words and forming his own speech out of them, which may be jarring to some. The most common voice is Zala's due to spending so much time around the man. (HC Voice: Literally anyone you can think of)

Pierre: Monotonic voice no matter the situation, unable to emote at the range a human is able to. He is polite and precise, but also fairly secretive. He has a thick air of mystery surrounding him, and he will not speak about anything not pertaining to the exact task at hand. When speaking to witness' or victims, he lowers the volume of his voice and may use more casual wording. Nothing about his past or about his boss is ever uttered, and refuses to talk about anything pertaining to his own life. (HC Voice:Andre Braugher aka. Raymond Holt from Brooklyn 99)

Some basic notes about the first "human" automaton

District was the first ever automaton to gain consciousness and form a personality, over a millennium ago. Before them, automatons were built only for physical labour or entertainment, never for companionship. Everything changed the day District started to show signs of “humanity”. They had put down their own items in order to help another automaton with a heavy load. This may have been seen as a small gesture, but it was a surprisingly big step in automata development.

As the years went on, a group of scientists had the idea to try and reproduce District’s way of thinking, wanting to create conscious automata. After years of experimentation, they were able to “upgrade” The base programming of newly forged automata. This first set was originally titled the “A-01” or “ancestors”. These first 11 successful conscious automata would later become the Circle, a highly efficient group who oversee the wellbeing of Brenning.

As the years passed, District’s body became nearly unusable due to the hundreds of experiments they endured. In a last ditch effort to keep the automaton alive, they built a large “life support” type machine around them. This later became the Tower that sits in the heart of the city, and appears to be a large clock tower on the outside. Their original body was also scrapped, and now District is a massive being who is able to store and reuse any information and input they receive.

The inside of this clock tower is full of pipes and gears, and can be considered a living building of sorts. District themself is now rather large, built into one of the rooms of the tower. They are constructed using multiple human skeletons, which are constantly replaced and tended to. Despite their age, they always look relatively new. Alongside a multitude of skeletons, District also possesses a multitude of voices. There is no rhyme or reason to which voice they may use for any occasion, as the voices may be used once per sentence, or even overlapping each other when they speak.

District is seen as a god to most automata, as everyone seems to know their name, but are unable to prove/disprove their existence. Only the Circle, and a select few mechanic automata have ever met or spoken to District directly. To the Circle, District is seen as a parent, or as a boss. They receive and follow orders, no matter how mundane they may seem. District only wants the city to prosper and grow, and will use any means available to keep things in order.

The city functions through the eleven members of the Circle, who answer directly to District. For example, any and all chief constables are in communication with an agent of the Tower, who will bring those reports to Pierre. Pierre, regarding the information, will decide whether or not the case is large enough to get the Tower involved. If not, the agent will then return the letters to the chief constables. If Pierre deems the case an issue, he will then converse with District. Every major decision is made by them and their word is final. If District deems the issue a threat to the city’s overall wellbeing, they will get Pierre involved. If not, they will simply deploy a small set of Watchers to handle whatever the problem is.

Once the number of Circle members dwindled, District had to upload some of their own memories and traits into each one. Each member now had more than one aspect to keep track of, and were properly upgraded to do their tasks. District is very careful with their "children", and will constantly make sure they are fully functional and not in danger of breaking or giving way.

District has the ability to manually reset any automaton that they deem appropriate. Most automata with a criminal record will be forced to get their lives reset and rebuilt from scratch, all memories are then passed over to District for storage and later examination.

Just like the ability to cut off one's life, District can also resurrect fallen automata. This is mainly used to aid interrogations or to bring a victim back from the dead. (Of course with no memory of how they died.)

Crimson Stained Copper

If I were to describe my story with a genre, it would be cyber/steampunk. This is because there are aspects of my story that seem futuristic, but everything has a steampunk/victorian aesthetic.

The plot:

The story mostly takes place within the city of Brenning, where humans and automata live side by side. It's a city that prides itself in its security and progress, but things have been happening these last few years. People have been disappearing during the night, with the kidnapper leaving no trace behind. There are rarely ever signs of a struggle, and the scene of the crime is always set up to seem like the person had packed up and left. There has been no leads on what could possibly be happening, until someone stumbles their way back to their home.

A detective, a doctor, and a scientist. All three are trying to figure out where the stranger had gone, and why he was the only one to reappear. Something is off about the man however, he was changed somehow, his memory fogged to the point of disorientation. He only remembers his name, but everything else is a mystery. Scars he can't recall, voices he can't decipher, he's taken in by the detective in order to piece together the accident and who may be behind it.

The characters:

Jeter Nyland: A famous automaton doctor in Brenning, skilled in nearly every type of surgery. He is patient and diligent, not resting until his client is healthy once more. Emalia's guardian, Henderson's teacher. (Headcanon voice/actor: Jon Sprocket from Death of The Cog)

Emalia Nyland: A young woman who was orphaned at a young age, and later taken in by Jeter. She is soft-spoken and creative, keeping all of her thoughts in a journal she constantly carries. Jeter's ward, Zala's cousin. (Headcanon voice: Melanie Leishman. Headcanon actor: Phillipa Soo)

Henderson Balgraven: A slummer turned prosthetist, thanks to necessity and Jeter's teachings. He's grumpy and aggressive, but still enjoys helping people with his skills. Jeter's student. (Headcanon Voice/Actor: Peter Keleghan)

Zala Nyland: A scientist who isolates himself in his manor in the woods, alongside his automatonic "siblings". Extremely nervous and intelligent, he loves to study life and death. Emalia's cousin and Jeter's confidente. (Headcanon Voice/Actor: David Michael Bennett)

Pierre Romanski: A detective who works directly under the overseer of the city, tasked with finding out who the stranger is and why he returned. Diligent and cold, he always finds his answers. Son of District. (Headcanon Voice Andre Keith Braugher)

Catalyst: A paranoid man who returned after seemingly vanishing into thin air, unfortunetly he can't recall a thing. He's confused but polite, trying his best to help Pierre solve the mystery of his past. (Headcanon Voice/Actor: TBD)

Three practice panels for my comic, starring Jeter, henderson, and Zala.

In this specific scene, Zala has just returned from studying the stranger that was found on the outskirts of town. Zala conducted multiple tests on the man, and was met with some strange results. It was if the man had died weeks ago, but was still alive somehow. He is able to walk and talk, but he lacks the necessary physical aspects of life. If he has a heartbeat, it is strong enough to be heard, but too weak to be felt when adding pressure to different points of the body. Long, abnormal scars run down his back and shoulders, but they look like they have been healed for years. It's strange, and no one is sure about what may have happened, and how this man is alive.

Zala immediately visits the Nyland household, wanting to talk to the pair of doctors living there. The man may be a scientist, but he wants the input of the only other people he trusts enough to discuss such a strange topic.

Henderson is rather put off about the idea of a "walking corpse", while Jeter is rather intrigued. It's not every day a scientific marvel stumbles into the city.

Both Jeter and Zala are interested in learning more about this stranger, but at the same time, they are worried about other people learning about the event. If the city were to hear about the walking dead, there would be widespread paranoia.

A couple WIPs of comic panels

I had the urge to draw some unrelated panels from random scene ideas.

The panels will rarely overlap, or take a different shape unless an action scene is taking place. I was inspired by Ava's Demon with this kind of panelling, since I personally find it less confusing to follow. (And I want to make my comic read more like a detailed storyboard for a movie.)

I try to make each character have their own color for the sketches, so that it is easy to identify them, even from a distance. These colors will also be used in their text when they speak, to make things easier when a character is speaking off screen. Each character will also get their own font as well. (Except for Odin, who will be borrowing different fonts while speaking, to show that he is indeed using recorded audio to converse.)

Every story must have a catalyst, something that launches the main plot into action. In Crimson Stained Copper, the catalyst takes the form of a strange man. Who is he? Where did he come from? What is up with his body? Nobody knows, but there are people searching for answers. Since everything about him is a mystery for now, I will be referring to him as "Catalyst".

He should be dead. At least, that's what Zala said after giving the man a quick look over. Pale skin that was cold to the touch, eyes that didn't react to light, and skin that was either too loose or too tight. The man barely even had a heart beat. For all Zala knew, he was studying a walking corpse.

Catalyst can't remember anything before waking up in a dark alleyway. His thoughts are cloudy, fogged memories that he can't understand. He hears voices, sees blurry faces but nothing fits together. This has lead to his senses to constantly be on high alert, and he has become extremely paranoid. He never sits still, eyes darting around as if searching for something to ground him.

Only politeness comes from Catalyst, no matter who he is speaking to. There is also a layer of fear in his tone, since he has no clue who to trust and who to avoid. His words come quickly, trying to minimize the amount of time he has to spend with people by speeding up the conversation. He stammers, and repeats himself, but that is the least of his worries.

Headcanon voice/actor: TBD

Patience, The Towers "Gentle Giant"

The newly forged automata of Brenning need a teacher, someone to teach them how to become part of society. Everything from etiquette to stocks are placed in multiple courses over the first decade of the new-forged lives. Every class, every individual lesson is taught by one single person. This is a daunting task to most, dealing with the responsibility of making sure every automaton turns out perfect.

This is where Patience comes in. An automaton who houses multiple streams of thought, able to organize and keep track of everything the new-forged would ever need. Patience is an old and wise being, their knowledge being collected over centuries of life. They can answer any question and solve any puzzle with ease, no matter the subject or complexity. Because of this, Patience in in charge of everything pertaining to schooling and the preservation of information/culture.

But, every dime must have a second face. A side that can be called upon and seen if needed, as long as the flip is justified.

Patience stands at 13 feet tall when their body is relaxed, and is indeed a force to be reckoned with. Their mind is sharp and dangerous when called upon by District, carrying out whatever task is needed. Executioner, The Reaper's Scythe, Death's Vulture. Names whispered amongst those who handle any mess left over from Patience's duties.

What exactly does Patience do? No one is certain, but the automaton can be seen standing vigilantly next to District when not happily teaching the new-forged how to fit in. Their dime is usually on its head, showing a cheery and almost maternal side. But if the coin were to flip over to tails, no one wants to be in their way.

Experimenting with a style to see if it was more fun to use and I actually quite enjoy it?? So I think I have found the style I will use for my comic, as this could potentially create some nice atmosphere. Also, using this style, would allow each character to be identified by their own colors. Jeter would be brown/gold, Henderson is Burgundy/Mahogany, and Zala would be green, etc. Most environments and objects will be in simple black and greys.

These two images are a little muddied, which is something I will practice with as time goes on.

Also, these two panels are not connected, even though it looks like Jeter and Zala have spotted each other across a room. I promise, Zala is too much of a recluse to attend any event that includes strangers.

Henderson and Emalia

It isn't very common, but Jeter will allow Henderson to take Emalia for a walk in the city. The young woman is a little nervous during these walks, as he relationship with Henderson is a complicated one. The man however, finds that these walks are the only times where he is completely clear-headed and relaxed.

His pace is rather slow, due to his hefy weight of around 400 pounds. The speed is also due to the very noticeable limp he has, making it uncomfortable to go any faster than a leisurely pace. Emalia doesn't mind the speed, and quietly walks at his side without complaint.

While drawing this, my brain kept saying "If only Henderson wasn't a huge asshole, otherwise, he'd give very good hugs." He is so friend shaped.

Writing practice, rough draft

I want to keep this page updated constantly with things related to my story, no matter how rough it is. So here is a little blurb I wrote today just because I had a sudden burst of motivation.

“Mr. Balgraven?” Emalia knocked softly on the man’s door, raising her voice just a little. She waited a moment to see if he would answer, leaning towards the door to listen for any signs of life. Only the quiet sounds of someone walking about could be heard, instead of his usual grumbles of acknowledgement. “Dinner is ready whenever you’re hungry. I made beans and venison, your favourite.” Again, she listened for a response, anything to say that she had been heard. After a moment, the young woman sighed. She gave one more soft knock before returning downstairs, heading into the dinner room to start getting things set.

Jeter was sitting in his usual spot, at the head of the table. A novel was held in one hand, thin fingers keeping the pages open. The sun that came through the window highlighted his features, the golden filigree on his cheek flashing in the light. He lifted his gaze as his ward entered the room, eyes darting over her shoulder then back to her face.

“Will Henderson be joining us tonight?” The automaton asked as Emalia made her way around the table, placing empty plates and cutlery down. She shrugged, straightening everything out.

“He didn’t answer.” The young woman replied before heading into the kitchen, retrieving the small pot of beans. “If he doesn’t come down soon, I don’t mind-” Her words trailed off as the manor’s stairs creaked loudly, indicating that they were no longer alone. Both people looked up as Balgraven carefully made his way down the stairs, struggling a bit with each step. He grunted as he finally hit the floor, hand still tight around the railing.

The older man limped his way over to the dining table, glancing between the two already present. Placing a hand on the wooden table, he slowly lowered himself down onto the chair. It creaked under his weight, protesting the sudden heft. Balgraven got himself comfortable, shifting in the seat a few times. He made brief eye contact with Jeter as he leaned back, giving Emalia enough room to put food in front of him. She was unable to look him in the eye, but nodded slightly after receiving a mumbled ‘thanks, kid.’

“Henderson.” Jeter spoke up once the table was cleared, and teacups replaced the plates. The man in question fished a cigar from his overcoat, sticking it between his teeth.

“Emalia and I were talking about going down to the market tomorrow, perhaps you’d like to join us? It might do you some good to get out of the house.” The automaton's words were met with an amused snort. Balgraven lit his cigar and took a few puffs, looking across the table with a cocked brow.

“You’re really inviting me to join your little excursion? How kind of you.” With a chuckle, the older man leaned back in his chair. He tapped the table a bit in thought, smoke pouring from his lips. Jeter raised his eyebrows slightly, eyes remaining expressionless. A beat of silence passed between them, both sides awaiting an explanation.

Jeter folded his hands together, tapping a finger against the opposite knuckle. Balgravens eyes darted down at the sound, and sighed.

“Fine, I’ll tag along. But I better not hear any complainin’, you asked for this.” Pointing a finger towards the automaton, the man narrowed his eyes. “And no bossin’ me ‘round either. I’m going out to relax, not to do your biddin’.”

“I am aware, Henderson.” Jeter replied blankly, unfolding his hand to pick up his cup. He bobbed the teabag up and down a few times. “But there are some things you must be aware of. This outing is not a reason for you to get drunk, nor is it an excuse to shirk your duties. We will be going into the city to gather supplies, nothing more.” Tilting his head back, Jeter poured some tea into his mouth. Balgraven grumbled something but ended up nodding reluctantly.

“Fine, you have my word. No hooch.” He raised the hand with his cigar, holding it in a mock boy scout salute. He lowered it once Emalia re-entered the dining room, a small plate of pie in each hand.

She smiled at the men, placing one of the plates in front of Balgraven. He waved the cigar smoke away before the young woman leaned in, making sure she didn’t get a lung full of it. Emalia was quick to exit his personal space, taking her spot at the table. Her smile didn’t fall as she started to eat, enjoying the lack of tension in the room. “Emalia. Henderson here will be joining us tomorrow, I do hope that is alright with you.” The young woman froze before slowly lifting her head, looking towards the man. She seemed hesitant to speak, unsure on how to react to the news. “He has promised to be on his best behavior”

“I…” Emalia looked to Jeter then back, uncertainty in her eyes. “Mr.Balgraven can tag along, sure.

Just some CSC drawings

A few drawings that I have done over the past few days.

Pierre, Henderson, and Jeter in the same room. There is no context for this yet, I just really wanted to draw them all together. Jeter is pretty frightened of theis 8 foot automaton before him, unable to look away. Henderson is rather desensitized to everything at this point in his life, and is more intrigued than anything.

A human version of Pierre, designed by a good friend of mine! I decided to draw him in my style, along with a few small changes/additions. He is still a secret agent/detective, but now he can travel whenever he wants. (Automaton Pierre was only allowed outside of the Tower at night.)

I saw this pose and immediately wanted to draw Pierre. Despite his size and age, the automaton is insanely agile and quick. Once he is locked onto a target, it is near impossible to lose him. He rarely ever travels without his trench coat, but I really wanted to draw him in his more casual attire.