The world that our campaign takes place in is virtually identical to that of the year 1900 in every way, save for some key differences. Yes, all of the historical events that do not directly contradict these select modifications did happen; high society is fairly prim and proper, at least on the surface, Lawrence Hargrave, on his part, paved way for the Wright brothers, the Curies continue to conduct their research, and the events leading up to the first World War will be brewing in the horizon in the near future.

 

Gender equality

One of the most visible changes between the chapters in our history books and those of Ad Lucem, is women’s position in society. In our version, it was the early stages of the French revolution that set fire in the hearts of women, and what began as an unorganised, but nation-wide emancipation movement in France during the years of 1790-1793 gave life to an ideal - Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (equality in particular) in its broadest sense, that spread across Europe. Stories of women battling in the ranks of the revolutionaries (not to mention the amount of popular literature and the fashion craze of rosettes and bonnets it spawned) was unheard of, new and wonderful. The word “suffrage” was never used. During the following century, political liberalism grew rapidly in popularity, the sciences thrived, and women fought fiercely for their right to be included in the progress of humankind as equal-standing individuals, and not simply homemakers, mothers and wives. Certainly the sanctity of the institution of marriage remains as rigidly in place in Ad Lucem as it did in actual history, but the church had relinquished some of its control over the changing world, allowing women to do “God’s work” in fields traditionally perceived to be masculine domains.

Sadly, not all equality made such leaps and bounds in our modified history. The bridge between the poor and the rich is vast, and the classes rarely interact. Monarchy is the norm, as the game takes place in England, where the time of Victoria’s rule has been a fairly untumultuous era of peace and prosperity. Some change has happened for the better, but in some cases society just is not ready to reinvent itself.