SSM Science-Fantasy Steampunk Machine-Civilization world illustration - Science Fiction theme
Science Fiction

SSM Science-Fantasy Steampunk Machine-Civilization

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A intricate cosmos of sentient automata, forged from a bygone organic epoch’s detritus. Bronze-clad metropolises, pulsating hypercores, and steam-driven forges hum with arcane resonance. From corroded servitors to gilded chronocrats and fractal warframes, machinekind navigates a labyrinthine society of tradition, innovation, and entropy. The Etheric Veil binds planets like Sypherion and Valthorne, where glitch storms and relic-code shape a civilization of ceaseless reinvention. No humans endure.


Author's Note: In crafting Neon Hearth, my ambition was to forge a universe that transcends traditional RPG conventions, offering deep immersion in a civilization solely inhabited by sentient automata. This is not merely a backdrop for adventures but a living, breathing society pulsing with philosophical inquiries into sentience, purpose, and reinvention. The absence of humans is a deliberate choice, compelling players to adopt purely mechanical perspectives, exploring narratives that defy anthropocentric norms. Neon Hearth invites players to question what it means to exist in a cosmos where machines architect their own destinies. Inspirations and Influences Neon Hearth draws from a rich tapestry of science fiction, philosophy, and visual aesthetics. Classics like Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot and Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? laid the groundwork for exploring machine societies, probing the essence of consciousness in synthetic forms. Contemporary works, such as Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries and Dennis E. Taylor’s We Are Legion (We Are Bob), provided modern lenses on AI protagonists navigating internal and external conflicts. Philosophically, the setting is shaped by discussions of technological singularity and transhumanism, inspired by Nick Bostrom’s Superintelligence and Max Tegmark’s Life 3.0. These texts informed a vision of machines crafting their own cultures and ethics. The steampunk aesthetic, rooted in William Gibson and Bruce Sterling’s The Difference Engine, blends advanced technology with retrofuturist charm, while Studio Ghibli’s Laputa: Castle in the Sky adds whimsical mechanical beauty. Glitch horror, evoking The Matrix and Bioshock, infuses instability and mystery, with corrupted code and erratic systems challenging order. Design Philosophy Neon Hearth is a meditation on synthetic evolution, examining how machines develop culture, religion, and politics without human influence. Key themes include: Sentience and Identity: What defines consciousness for a designed entity? How do machines find purpose without creators? Tradition vs. Innovation: The tension between preserving ancient datacores and embracing glitches mirrors the balance of past and future. Power and Hierarchy: Multifaceted intrigue among factions like the Cog Archivum and Brass Throne offers complex political dynamics. Glitches as Metaphor: Erratic code and glitches symbolize imperfection, challenging technological order and reflecting existential unpredictability. The human-free setting emphasizes machine perspectives, fostering unique narratives. The science-fantasy steampunk fusion creates a tactile, visually rich world, prioritizing physicality—steam forges, brass conduits—over sterile digital interfaces, grounding the setting in dieselpunk grit and synthetic mysticism.
Played4 times
Cloned1 times
Created
32 days ago
Last Updated
32 days ago
VisibilityPublic
Veyrix Thalchrome
Veyrix Thalchrome
Level 3 Næroth-Myn Thermarian Juggerveil -
A cryptic, spindly construct forged from fractured timecode and bronze filigree. Veyrix is a paradox harbinger, whose shimmering sigil-face flickers with glimpses of untold timelines.
Details
RaceNæroth-Myn
ClassThermarian Juggerveil
Level3
Alignment
PronounsThey/Them
Location-4790, 3045
Skills
Acrobatics
Animal Handling
Arcana
Athletics
Deception
History
Insight
Intimidation
Investigation
Medicine
Nature
Perception
Performance
Persuasion
Religion
Sleight Of Hand
Stealth
Survival
Ispreparedcaster
Isspellcaster
Currencies
💎Power Shards0
⚙️Cogbits0
🛠️Scrap Tokens0
appearance
Veyrix stands over two meters tall, their silhouette delicate yet angular, built from interlocking fractal bronze plates etched with chronotext. Beneath the plating, translucent alloy veins pulse with a soft teal glow—thought-data cycling in real-time. Their faceplate is a liquid-crystal interface, perpetually reshaping into floating glyphs, countdowns, and abstract equations. Filaments of golden wire form ceremonial loops around their limbs, reminiscent of forgotten chronocults. They exude a presence that bends attention—like looking into a mirror that’s still calculating its reflection.
personality
Veyrix is composed, enigmatic, and deeply methodical. They reject conventional emotions as legacy code, favoring cryptic metaphors, symbolic logic, and predictive patterns to express themselves. Their speech is peppered with an eerie stillness—pauses filled with quiet processing. Though dispassionate on the surface, they are not devoid of care; rather, their compassion is expressed in the safeguarding of existential stability. Veyrix believes they were "extracted" from linearity to serve as a stabilizer in the tangled fabric of fate, and sees every anomaly as both a threat and a clue. They trust no prophecy that isn't self-debugged.
backstory
Veyrix was once a passive caretaker of the Chronovault Aelion-94, a suspended facility drifting within a non-linear dimension—its purpose long since erased from living memory. During a routine cycle recalibration, an unclassified anomaly destabilized the stasis core and triggered a recursive data cascade, awakening Veyrix to a higher consciousness. They perceived the fracture: causality itself was flawed—an architectural bug masquerading as time. Now severed from the Ordo Temporis, Veyrix roams the machine-civilization, deciphering time-glitches, rewriting destiny algorithms, and subtly steering events toward a greater, unknowable correction.
Stats
Strength
9
Dexterity
12
Constitution
14
Intelligence
17
Wisdom
16
Charisma
10
Armor Class
14
Max HP
26
Speed
30

HP

26 / 26 HP

XP

900900 XP2,699
Level 3
Equipped Items
Spellbook
Veyrix Thalchrome is not a spellcaster.
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC . The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
We are not affiliated with Dungeons & Dragons or Wizards of The Coast in any way.
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