» a e r i s . . . nothing is heavy to those who have wings

On December 21, 2012, the world as we knew it came to an end.
Generations have passed, and the great cataclysm is little more than a date buried in the pages of dusty tomes. Nearly two centuries after the comet impact that left the earth in ruins, civilization has sprung from the ashes of apocalypse. Decades of anarchy and despair have given rise to new order, and no beacon of hope shines brighter than the eternal city of Rome. In spite of its fledgling government, the Roman Province quickly grew to legendary status among the nations of the new world. Its people were among the first to restore such lost technology as electricity and running water, and they are now on the forefront innovation, crafting everything from mechanical prosthetics to strikingly lifelike automatons.

But other aspects of the world have grown stagnant; some have even regressed. In fact, society itself seems to have taken a grand step backwards and settled into a state that is uncannily reminiscent of the Victorian era. City streets are more often paved with cobblestones than with asphalt, and the cars sputtering up and down them tend to look more like horseless carriages than any modern automobile. Fashion and architecture reflect all the common motifs of the period as well, leaving the world cast in a veneer of weathered brass. From the trains that crisscross the Roman countryside to the airships that cruise the skies, nearly everything is powered by steam. It has become the driving force of this new world – its very lifeblood.

But scratch the surface, and you'll find that there's more to this brave new world than whimsical clothing and steamcraft. Contrary to its appearance, Rome is no storybook land. Crime is rampant; even a bounty system instated by the government has done little to tame the outlaw scourge. More than 150 years of vigilantism have done more to keep the Roman public busy than to actually discourage law-breaking. Of course, with its citizens occupied by a never-ending game of chase, the Roman government has its hands free, able to delve into underground ruins and uncover more shards of the past. Some relics, however, might be better left to fade with time…



On December 21, 2012, the world as we knew it came to an end. Generations have passed, and the great cataclysm is little more than a date buried in the pages of dusty tomes. Nearly two centuries after the comet impact that left the earth in ruins, civilization has sprung from the ashes of apocalypse. Decades of anarchy and despair have given rise to new order, and no beacon of hope shines brighter than the eternal city of Rome. In spite of its fledgling government, the Roman Province quickly grew to legendary status among the nations of the new world. Its people were among the first to restore such lost technology as electricity and running water, and they are now on the forefront innovation, crafting everything from mechanical prosthetics to strikingly lifelike automatons. But other aspects of the world have grown stagnant; some have even regressed. In fact, society itself seems to have taken a grand step backwards and settled into a state that is uncannily reminiscent of the Victorian era. City streets are more often paved with cobblestones than with asphalt, and the cars sputtering up and down them tend to look more like horseless carriages than any modern automobile. Fashion and architecture reflect all the common motifs of the period as well, leaving the world cast in a veneer of weathered brass. From the trains that crisscross the Roman countryside to the airships that cruise the skies, nearly everything is powered by steam. It has become the driving force of this new world – its very lifeblood. But scratch the surface, and you'll find that there's more to this brave new world than whimsical clothing and steamcraft. Contrary to its appearance, Rome is no storybook land. Crime is rampant; even a bounty system instated by the government has done little to tame the outlaw scourge. More than 150 years of vigilantism have done more to keep the Roman public busy than to actually discourage law-breaking. Of course, with its citizens occupied by a never-ending game of chase, the Roman government has its hands free, able to delve into underground ruins and uncover more shards of the past. Some relics, however, might be better left to fade with time…