Mr. Nicodemus Mannerings kindly sends word of a roleplaying game system that he encountered at his local gaming convention – called Passages – which seems very amusingly tongue in cheek and variably Steampunk. Why variably? Well it seems to allow you to base your adventures off the most famous of Victorian era literature – thus the above image (taken from an upcoming adventure all about the Jabberwocky) is obviously inspired deeply by the Alice in Wonderland stories. Note the piece of toast in the Mad Hatters pocket. But I simply must quote some of the descriptive text, it’s really rather amusing:

“The only Game Preparation of agreeable taste to all palates, and an excellent substitute for Cod-Liver oil. Prescribed by eminent practitioners to lymphatic and scrofulous children; to adolescents for troubles associated with growth, amenorrhoea, etc.; to adults for asthma, syphilis, and female hysteria; and to all ages for chronic bouts of ennui.”

Female hysteria? chuckles Not sure a roleplay game can do much for that, but I digress – it’s a humerously written and quite appealing roleplay system, if only for the tone of the writing. It seems to be quite rule and roll light, and mentions by name the opportunity to be at the helm of the Nautilus – so our favourite authors do not seem forgotten.