"In London, 1868, the upper and lower classes are divided quite literally, and the memory of the Automaton Catastrophe of 1865 haunts the public memory. None are more haunted however, than the inventors and their patrons who had, in their incessant desire for progress, nearly set their society back one hundred years. Now Inventing is banned, but that does not mean it no longer occurs. How best to profit from this new and emerging black market? You'll need the help of the Acquisitions Bureau"
Can be read here [1]
or here: [2]
A Steampunk Webcomic with some tangential historical content.
Acquisitions Bureau contains examples of:
- Ambiguously Gay: Sparks is Very Flamboyant, but mentions having a late wife, whom he seems to have genuinely loved.
- Alliterative Name: Theodore Thaddeus Thatch III
- The Atoner: Theo Created the Machines that were responsible for a lot of suffering, and is tearing himself apart trying to atone.
- Apron Matron: Eliza seems to be the one the Urchins go to when they need help.
- Bad Liar: Oh Theo. You're not very good at telling a fib.
- Blatant Lies: Sparks on the other hand...
- Beware the Nice Ones: Mr. Thatch Can serve up a cold, calculated dispatching to anything that threatens those he loves.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Mr. Thatch is A very Gothic Figure. It is implied he had a fall from grace that landed him Downstairs.
- Faux Affably Evil: A very False friend, but he has a harder time disguising his lack of empathy.
- Fighting Irish: The Delacys
- Fiery Red Head: The Delacys again.
- A Foggy Day in London Town: There is a lot of Smog Downstairs
- Insistent Terminology: Aarnan and Eliza are "Irish-Twins" (Siblings born within the same year), not Twins. (the fact that they are actually Irish is to blame for the confusion)
- Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality: If Theo's interaction with that prostitute is anything to go by.
- Third Wheel: Due to the fact Aarnan can't move when his mechanical components are being repaired, makes things awkward when Eliza decides to keep Theo company as he works.
- Gadgeteer Genius: The Grabber and Razor-Spring-trap are the first gadgets to appear, but he has also built the rampant automatons and Aarnan's prothetic arm.
- Speech Impediment / Porky Pig Pronunciation: Theo Has t-t-trouble exp-expre- talking when he's f-flu- nervous.
Word of God says it was much worse as a child. - Parental Substitute: Acts like a dad to the Urchins, going so far as to chide them for eating messily and wipe their face, before telling them it's past their bed-time.
- Nice Guy: Theo Feeds orphans, returns wallets, and rescues children from the clutches of Mechanical Abominations.
- The Irish Diaspora: A survivor of the famine, The Delacys have come to London in hopes of a better life.
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Magnificent Bastard: Sparks: So suave, So cunning, Such a bastard. - Mama Bear: Eliza takes on an Automaton with just a Cricket-Bat when she suspects it took one of the Urchins.
- Mood-Swinger: As mentioned under Fiery Red Head Eliza can go from singing happily to bashing skulls to a protective and nurturing Apron Matron in a matter of minutes.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Fiery Red Head that he is, the slightest thing will set Aarnan off, especially if he thinks he's not being taken seriously.
- Knight Templar Big Brother: Aarnan: Justified in that he and his sister run a bar under a brothel in the seediest part of town, and Eliza has been mistaken for one of the Bordello's girls on a few too many occasions.
- How Dare You Die on Me!: Sparks Says this whenever a death would inconvenience him.
- Gas Lighting: One of Spark's favorite tactics, though it helps that Theo is trusting and gullible.
- Ship Tease: Theo and Eliza have some romantic chemistry.
- Sophisticated as Hell: Sometimes Sparks's polished veneer slips, revealing something like this
- Token Evil Teammate: Sparks is Slimy as a slug, but at least nominally on the side of our heroes
