Note: In the world of Cenotaph 1919, HG Wells was not only a science-fiction writer, but a historian. "War of the Worlds" is not a fiction novel, but a historical record of the First Martian Invasion.
Faction: The Cosmists
Rocketry in 1919 was in its nascent stage as a scientific tool. While long used as a weapon of war, or as a children’s toy, rocket science was only just beginning to ponder the use of rockets to exit the atmosphere. In the wake of the First Martian Invasion in the 1890’s, many great minds were intensely scrutinizing the future of rockets as a way to strike back at the invaders.
Mathematician Konstantin Tsiolkovsky worked out many of the core equations for rocketry in the 1910’s, including what would be necessary for a rocket to achieve spaceflight. Putting these equations to practical use, Robert Goddard patented designs for solid-fuel, liquid-fuel and multi-stage rockets. The stage was set for the dawn of a Space Age – until the Great War and the Second Martian Invasion.
As it became clear that, this time, the Martians were not going to be defeated this time, a group of scientific philosophers called “The Cosmists” started seeking out and rounding up rocket scientists around the globe, taking them to secure locations far from Martian influence or patrols. While nowhere is truly “safe” anymore, there are parts of the world the Martians seem to have little interest in – these are the places where rocket scientists are hidden away today, working steadily to advance the science of rocketry and the hope of humanity to either escape Earth or counter-attack Mars.
Among the ranks of the Cosmists were many Bolshevik Revolutionaries who had fought in the recent Russian Revolution. While the great nation-state of Russia is no more, these militants transitioned to the Cosmist Special Forces who are responsible for searching for rocket scientists and transporting them to safety. These largely independently operating squad-cells can be valuable allies for those who are trying to survive in the wastelands, especially if they have any aptitude or education in mathematics, physics, or – of course – rocketry.
So as not to concentrate humanity’s best hope forward in one place, separate labs exist across the world, and their work is distributed via a network of couriers. Cosmist mail couriers are usually seen as off-limits in most local conflicts, inhibiting their work is seen as a crime against humanity by most civilized entities. Many small enclaves may try to house Cosmists, either temporarily or permanently, to gain protection from Cosmist Special Forces.
