| Longer history... |
[Aug. 2nd, 2008|05:15 pm] |
Starting in the 1st century AD Steam Power was almost on the side of the old Gods, a fledgling, she was no god, but personal embodiment of a new invention. Seeing as Steam power was experimental in the 1500-1600 she was lovingly watched over by the most brilliant minds of the time giving her a reverence for science.
Steam engines were complicated. And while steam power was the base for what came after steam power, and steam turbines are still used sometimes in conjunction with other things, steam has been called, costly, slow and ineffective since the step toward oil, electric, and even nuclear. Anything that leaves steam out of the mix seems to be newer and faster. Steam was a long time coming and she has improved steadily from her first incarnation. In the first century AD to the 1700s she was a work in progress, propelled by other natural powers (fire and water etc.), it seems mortals harnessed nature to create more power, so Steam more than most new Gods on some level knows that the Old ones are/were powerful, and still have some small amount of power, as they powered her first life on distant shores, she on some level knows that fire, and water are still part of why she is here. This knowledge gives her depth of character and wisdom, but when you are devoutly worshiped as Steam Power was it goes to you head a little (insert sarcasm on the word little).
Steam power drives the industrial revolution, because of how the engines are built the create the need for centralization and large factories, further enforcing the urbanization of the industrial world. Steam Power was given birth to years ago, and yet as she grew stronger she was directly connected to old gods, and then began to crush them. TV, Divorce, Cellphones, Internet; these Gods know so little about what came before them, while Steam and a handful of New Gods were almost "Intimate" with the old Gods, were at close range when they began to stick the knife in, maybe that's why the older new gods (like Steam Power) are more vicious, or would seem to be. But if they are still in such high demand like Alcoholism and Oil, they've never really known what losing their power is like, they've known it could happen and feared it but rarely have to take power draining action. I think that's what makes Steam Power a bit scary to others. Just her presence will be a reminder for them not to get too comfy...
In England where steam power innovation was springing up everywhere Steam Power is a Male god. He sensuous, ruthless, and sort of the counterpart of America's Steam Power, they are strikingly similar but without England's Steam Power America's would not have come to be at all. Richard Trevithick an inventor who spent the late 1700's early 1800's creating the first steam locomotive, and drilling devices brought steam power to a new plateau, soon the industrial revolution came to America and steam power (already a God in England) bloomed like a deadly rose. So while steam power was useful and in a form of semi-consciousness earlier, the 1700's the 1800's were her glory, even into the 1910's and 1920's steam was useful.
The rise and fall for Steam was almost erratic, spending so much time in a America before the Industrial revolution she was not a god then, but she knew more was coming for her. Like royalty on the short list for succession, she bide-ed her time, watched scientists and inventors, really all the men who wanted to profit, and then it was like wildfire, she was here, there and everywhere. She watched the government stake claim to all the land to the west, and her power grew. She was beloved by men, women and children. giving people the opportunity for a better life, for wealth, for a fresh start. She used to watch the families carefully seeing how strong mortals were of spirit, and how they could put their devotion an faith into many things. As a God she was good to many families, but when her greed got the best of her she turned on farmers, and settled folk. The people who refused to give up their land when the railroad came to town, she was in Pinkerton's ear whispering, threaten them, scare, them whatever you do, get them out of here.
She went to at all the grand parties, and lush gala's make sure that she seduced the right men, charmed the right women, she wanted to make sure that her life force ran across the country like a system of veins, keeping her alive. But her foolishness was one of her great downfalls. The scientist. The men she used to love and know by name, she forgot them when she went hunting bigger game, as such she did not see the new engines coming around the curve. She didn't see that the men who put her on the map were dying and the new men thought her of her as dead. She fell from grace starting in WWI, war brings new invention and economic booms, so while the twenties roared, Steam Power weakened. By the time America was in the throws of the great depression, so was Steam Power...Her story isn't over, but this where Steam Power was pushed out of the pantheon, and was found wandering America, weary, unsure of her place. |
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