Defenders of the Mechanical Kingdom:  A Clockwork Dreaming (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0Yhe00CeIUraVBta3l3OWYyMFE/edit?usp=drive_web)<br/><br/><br/>At the heart of reality, there lies a kingdom where all the realms of magic intersect.  At one time, it was known as Falkenstein, the Magic Kingdom, but as the years went on and realms which used technology instead of (or in addition to) magic, the kingdom became a Vernian magic-steampunk utopia.  Benevolently ruled by the sorcerer Yensid and his cabal of wizards and faeries, the Mechanical Kingdom has been a place where good ultimately triumphs over evil, true love conquers all, and the heroes and heroines find their "happily ever after..."<br/>... until now.  The Greek god of the Underworld, Hades, has formed an alliance of villains, evil faeries, and assorted ne'er-do-wells and, backed by the stolen eldritch power of the Crystal of the Mechanical Kingdom, has laid siege to the kingdom, capturing Yensid and Merlin and driving Flora, Fauna, and Meriweather into exile.  But hope is not completely lost.  The Genie of the Lamp, freed by Aladdin after their adventures, has gathered as many heroes and princesses as he could find, in the hopes of defeating Hades and his allies and freeing Yensid and Merlin.<br/>The Mechanical Kingdom's architecture has been heavily influenced by the realms which surround it.  Victoria City, the central hub of and gateway to the civilized lands of the Mechanical Kingdom, resembles a blend of nineteenth-century New York, London, Paris, a New England fishing village, and Golden Age Hollywood.  Protected from storms by the rocky cliffs of Cape Suzette that guard the southern edge of Robinson Bay, Victoria City is reached by ship from the south via Hyperion Wharf.  Just beyond the port facility is Faerie Cross Station and the eastern terminus of the Victoria, Port Orleans and Western Railway.  Victoria City covers a land area the size of Manhattan and is home to approximately two million souls.  Several hundred thousand more commute in from the other lands of the Enchanted Kingdom for work.  The skyline is dominated by a small handful of skyscrapers (including Imperial Tower, Xanatos Tower, and the Stark Building), and at the northern end of Kensington Road stands the Romanesque Revival castle, the Palais de la Belle et la Bête.<br/>Prometheus Island, a mostly-dormant volcanic island in Robinson Bay, is only seven miles off the western coast of Victoria City, and is usually shrouded in fog.  Prometheus Island is connected to the mainland by a seven-mile long causeway which carries a two-lane road and a two-track railway line.  A small community of sailors, pirates, submariners and airshipmen live on the northeastern coast of the island in the shadow of the Maison du Nemo, the home of Captain Nemo of the Nautilus.  On the edge of the settlement is an Adventurers' Club decorated with an eclectic mixture of archaeological artifacts.  The far side of the island is densely forested, and there are Atlantean ruins amid the trees.  It is rumored that prehistoric beasts roam the woodlands on the caldera's slope.<br/>To the east of the castle, off the northern end of Kensington Road, lies Port Discovery, a Vernian spaceport which is home to Star Command Headquarters, the Galactic Federation's Prisoner Teleportation Facility, the Imagination Institute, and Starport Seventy-five and the Star Tours Terminal.  To the north of the castle lies the Provincial Quarter, which is more medieval in appearance, dating back to the days when the Mechanical Kingdom was the Magic Kingdom.  To the east of the Provincial Quarter and north of Port Discovery, the Storybook Circus has come to town and set up its winter headquarters, and west of the Provincial Quarter lies Saratoga Springs, home to wealthy horse breeders.  To the east of Hyperion Wharf lies the Grand Victorian Hotel, which is connected to Port Discovery via a monorail, as well as the Robinson Bay Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Boardwalk.<br/>West of Victoria City, along the northern shore of Robinson Bay, is Mystic Point and the Mystic Jungle.  The town of Mystic Point is a hodgepodge of building styles, ranging from Polynesian and Tibetan to Arabian, African, and Spanish Caribbean.  The town lies in the shadow of a craggy mountain inhabited by a yeti, and is dominated by Mystic Manor, the home of the late Henry Mystic.<br/>Even further west lies the town of Port Orleans, which blends the architectural styles of New Orleans, the antebellum South, and post-Revolution Philadelphia.  North of Port Orleans is the Old West town of Coronado Springs, which overlooks Thunder Gulch and Big Thunder Mountain.  Fort Wilderness and Fort Langhorne are garrisons for the Royal Guard just outside of Coronado Springs – Fort Wilderness to the north, Fort Langhorne to the west – built to protect the frontier of the Kingdom.<br/><br/>The character creation guidelines are included in the PDF file under the link.  Go ahead and claim your characters for this campaign, and when we're ready for the attribute auction, I'll post an announcement, with rules of how the auction will be conducted.