The year is 1921, and the world is gripped by the final throes of the Great Colonial War, a brutal and unrelenting conflict that has reshaped the global order. For over two decades, the great empires of the world have fought bitterly over control of Africa and its vast resources, leaving millions dead and entire nations shattered.

This is not the world as history once knew it. The Steam Revolution, ignited in 1760 by Great Britannia, forever altered the course of civilization. Instead of an industrial age defined by coal and crude machines, the world became one of brass, gears, and billowing steam. The mightiest empires are powered by towering automatons, steam-driven airships that blot out the sun, and mechanized war engines that rumble across the battlefield like walking fortresses.

At the head of the global order stands Great Britannia, the undisputed ruler of the seas and skies. Its vast empire stretches across the world, secured by fleets of ironclad dreadnoughts, mechanized battalions, and a network of human-like automatons serving in every aspect of society. With its allies—the German Confederation and Qing China—it fights to maintain its dominance over the colonies.

Against them stands France, Russia, and Japan, a coalition determined to tear down Britannia’s empire and claim Africa for themselves. France, ever ambitious, pushes the boundaries of warfare with deadly bio-weapons and swarms of steam-powered war machines. Russia, master of brutal efficiency, fields massive walking fortresses, great mechanized citadels that roam the battlefields with unstoppable force. Japan, its technology advanced with Russian aid, has forged a fearsome war machine of its own, integrating traditional warfare with cutting-edge steam and Tesla energy weapons.

Europe itself remains a fragmented battlefield of shifting alliances and proxy wars. In Italy, the Balkans, and Iberia, minor nations are torn between the influence of Britannia, France, and Germany. The once-mighty Ottoman Empire clings to survival, propped up by Britannian steam technology but plagued by internal revolts. The newly reborn Byzantine Kingdom of Greece stands as Britannia’s stronghold in the eastern Mediterranean, while Hungary, backed by France, fights to expand its influence in the Balkans.

Beyond the battlefields of Europe, the world is undergoing a transformation unlike any seen before. Automatons, originally created for labor and war, now serve in homes, factories, and offices. Some are nearly indistinguishable from humans, capable of thought, emotion, and even rebellion. Yet despite their growing intelligence, they remain without rights, treated as tools rather than individuals. The whispers of an Automaton Liberation Movement grow stronger, and many fear that the machines may one day rise against their creators.

Meanwhile, the African nations caught in the colonial struggle—Zulu, Ethiopia, and Dahomey—continue to resist foreign domination, wielding a mix of guerrilla warfare and stolen steam technology to fight back against their oppressors. In the Americas, the United States, Canada, and Mexico watch the war from afar, seeking their own slice of the African continent while carefully avoiding direct conflict with the European titans.

Now, in 1921, the world stands at a crossroads. France is on the retreat, its forces pushed back on multiple fronts as Britannia and its allies gain the upper hand. The Russian war machines continue to march, Japan’s forces dig in, and Germany’s grip over Central Europe tightens. But the war is far from over, and the scars of conflict run deep.