The Mechanisms

Character Group
Name:	The Mechanisms
Type:	Band
Fandom:	Stowaways
Members:	Doc Carmilla (Past,) Jonny D'Ville, Nastya Rasputina (Past,) Aurora, Scuzz Nishimura (Past,) Ivy Alexandria, Ashes O'Reilly, Drumbot Brian, The Toy Soldier, Gunpowder Tim, Raphaella la Cognizi, Marius von Raum
Other:
Related:
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The Mechanisms, also known earlier by Doctor Carmilla and the Mechanisms, were an Oxford-based Filk cabaret group that centered on the titular band causing "fun when possible, violence when necessary, and if [they’re] very lucky, both at the same time." Over their decade long career, the band produced seven albums and one single, as well as forty four short stories referred to as the fiction, providing additional information on the characters played within the albums. While every album offers a unique viewpoint on the events they portray, each is known for being a tragedy in its own right.

Real Life Band

While the characters of the band are entirely fictional, they are played by real people. While some are more popular names, not all of them prefer the limelight. In order of the character group, the characters are played by:

• Doctor Carmilla - Maki Yamazaki
• Jonny D'Ville - Jonathan Sims (writer)
• Nastya Raputina - Anonymous
• Aurora - N/A
• Scuzz Nishimura - Anonymous
• Ivy Alexandria - Morgan Wilkinson
• Ashes O'Reilly - Frank Voss
• Drumbot Brian - Ben Below
• Toy Soldier - Jessica Law
• Gunpowder Tim - Tim Ledsam
• Raphaella la Cognizi - Rachel L. Hughes
• Marius von Raum - Kofi Young

Characters

The in universe band, like its' real world counterpart is chaotic, with a colorful cast of characters with varying personalities. Again in order of the character group, these characters are:

Doctor Carmilla

A vampire scientist from the planet Terra and the creator of both the band The Mechanisms and the various mechanical limbs and body parts the band owns. A survivor of an abusive relationship, Carmilla is often brutal in methodology while trying to be well intentioned. Considers herself the band's mother, in addition to properly being Aurora's mother. Much of her lore is wrapped in mystery, as her actor, Maki, holds the character very near to her heart and has faced fan upset before.

Aurora

May or may not contain flesh, if Maki's lore is being applied.

Albums and Single(s)

Once Upon A Time (In Space) (OUATIS)

The debut album, released August 4th, 2012, focuses on the empire of King Cole, the rebellion against him, and at the end of the day, sacrifice for a loved one. Being directly inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, the album of New Constantinople is a strong blend of fantasy and science fiction. 38 minutes, 22 seconds.

Plot

Some time before any other event known, the once kindly King Cole found a way to mechanically extend his lifespan, with the downside that his jovial nature slowly gave way to a cruelty that inspired him to seek conquest. While this happens, a pair of twins are born, Snow and Rose. As they grow, Snow is described as a gifted politician, and Rose as a gifted warrior. The two sisters remain close, at least close enough for Rose to invite her sister to her wedding. There, she intends to wed Cinders, her beloved. The day of joy though, is cut short, as King Cole storms the wedding, killing all but the two sisters and Cinders. He takes Rose, giving her to his scientists, telling them to create his finest soldiers from her genetics. Thirty years pass, as both Snow and Cinders work to find their Rose and defeat King Cole and his hordes of clone soldiers, though not together. It is at this point, the Mechanisms enter the plot. For the last thirty years, they have viewed the planet, seeing the war as nothing more than entertainment to them. However, Nastya found issue something interesting while the crew viewed the planet, a previous attempt at a clone of Rose Red, a creation known as the Briar Rose, put into a mechanical coma thanks to her extreme strength. Thanks to Aurora asking, Nastya playing Jonny like her fiddle, and no one actually seeing Jonny as captain, the crew make landfall on the planet, freeing Briar in the process. The crew and Briar watch as the rebels led by Snow take advantage of the chaos, striking Cole directly.and ultimately killing him, though losing many in the process. In the end, Briar and Cinders are the only ones left alive, the real Rose waking from her coma only to see her sister die in front of her. While she kills Cole's highest ranking soldiers under only herself, she dies to the king. It is unknown what happens to the two afterwards, as the crew helps them reunite, remarking on the age difference now between them.

Characters

• Rose Red - A young woman used as the genetic base for a supersoldier project.
• Snow - Rose's sister, and the leader of a rebellion.
• Cinders - Rose's betrothed, and had Rose not been kidnapped on the day of their wedding, her wife. A rebel, though one less involved in the fighting than Snow.
• King Cole - The tyrannical king of New Constantinople, the one who had Rose kidnapped and the guests of her wedding slaughtered.
• Jack Spratt - A young member of the rebellion who shirked orders to get drunk. Served as a martyr when he died fighting a particularly strong Rose Red clone.
• Briar Rose - The first attempt at cloning Rose, she was too powerful and killed many before being put into an artificial coma. Later freed by Jonny and Nastya.

Songs

• "Old King Cole"
• "Rose Red"
• "Pump Shanty"
• "Cinders' Song"
• "Our Boy Jack"
• "Sleeping Beauty"
• "No Happy Ending"
• "Laid in Blood"

Ulysses Dies at Dawn (UDAD)

The second album, released July 16th, 2013, focuses on a grimy planet where everywhere is the mob-ridden underworld. Controlled by the Olympians, those rich enough to live effectively forever, the City is directly inspired by 1920's mobster culture and Greek myths. 1 hour.

Plot

Some years ago, Ulysses, a powerful soldier, helped to defeat the last remaining

Characters

• Ulysses - A person of unknown gender who is forced into giving up the secret of their vault by The Suits.
• Oedipus - A once beloved doctor who found a cure to the Sphinx virus, though he sold it at far higher prices than most affected could afford. Seeks entrance to the vault to have enough money to leave the City.
• Heracles - A mercenary who killed his children and wife, though it is unknown if the event was caused by his father, Zeus, or not. Seeks not the money, but an end to his tasks set by his father to be free of his debt.
• Orpheus - A tortured musician whose lover and muse was taken into the Acheron upon her death. Seeks the money gained as a reward for entering the vault to recover and rebody his love.
• Ariadne - A woman betrayed by her lover, who took all the credit for bringing down a killer robot haunting the lower levels of the City. Seeks the vault to have the money to regain her prestige, as her parents created the robot she later helped kill.
• Hades - One of the Olympians, the mobster leaders of the City. They brought the Suits together as a favor, and themself have no interest in entering the vault. in truth, they are Ashes, looking for a bit of fun.
• Daedalus - The true leader of The Suits. Sought the code to enter the vault because it had what "can break the Acheron and challenge the Olympians."

Songs

• "Broken Horses"
• "My Name is No-One"
• "Riddle of the Sphinx"
• "Sirens"
• "Favoured Son"
• "Trial By Song"
• "Underworld Blues"
• "Ties That Bind"
• "Torn Suits"
• "Elysian Fields"

Tales to be Told Volume 1 (TTBTv1)

The third album, released November 28th, 2013, is a bit of a mixed bag, with two songs focusing on the backstories of the band members, two on the (at the time) recently released Ulysses album, two focusing on various sights the band had come across in their space travel, and uniquely, a song that serves as a prequel to the (once again, at the time) upcoming High Noon Over Camelot. Additionally, one more song used to be on the album, though The Ballad o' Lil Lemon was later removed for some in hindsight, quite racist lyrics that the band "didn’t add anything new [to], [they] unquestioningly copied."

Songs & Stories

• "One Eyed Jacks" - Jonny's backstory, explaining his past with his home planet, parents and how he became the first of Doc Carmilla's Mechanisms.
• "Iphis" - An additional story from the City, in which the titular Iphis seeks a deal with Isis, an Olympian, and suffers the consequences.
• "Prometheus" - An additional story from the City, a retelling of the story of Prometheus, who in this song is a man who assisted a group of rebels in maintaining their resources.
• "Redeath" - A tale with little known origin, no one knows what the song is about.
• "The Ignominious Death of Dr. Pilchard" - After a doctor who seeks to steal the secret of immortality breaks onboard Aurora, the crew laughs at his stupidity before throwing him to Carmilla.
• "Gunpowder Tim vs. The Moon Kaiser" - Tim's backstory, explaining the Lunar War, in which Tim lost his best friend, Bertie, becoming a member of the crew after his mortal death.
• "Pellinore and the Beast" - An additional story from the Camelot Space Station, telling a story about a woman who hunted a grand beast, though she could not kill it, seeing beauty in what it had created.

High Noon Over Camelot (HNOC)

The fourth album, released July 25th 2014

Plot

Placeholder text. Vox remember to add plot later.

Characters

• Arthur Pendragon - The sheriff of Camelot and one of three lovers. Part of the quest for the G.R.A.I.L and sole survivor of Fort Galfridian.
• Lancelot Pendragon - Lover of Arthur and Guinevere. Described as a sharpshooter.
• Guinevere Pendragon - Lover of Arthur and Lancelot. Described as the quickest draw of the three.
• Mordred - Son of Arthur and Ygraine, raised by the Saxons after the death of his caravan. He spends the bulk of the story attempting to keep peace between the Saxons and Camelot.
• Gawain - A young man described as hot-headed. He hates the Saxons for the death of the caravan in his absence and sparks the final battle at Camlan by attacking a Saxon who was trying to kill a scorpion before it could hurt Mordred.
• Galahad - A travelling preacher man who is told to sit in the Siege Seat by Merlin, and who discovers that Fort Galfridian is falling into Avalon because of this. Leader of the quest for the G.R.A.I.L.
• Merlin - Actually Drumbot Brian, he has been hung upside-down from the gallows for many years before the beginning of the album. He is the prophet who gives various prophecies to Arthur, Gawain and Galahad to varying succsess.
• Joseph Robert Mathea - Captain of Fort Galfridian and first holder of the G.R.A.I.L. He locks himself in stasis post a rebellion, and is only awoken by the arrival of the Pendragons.
• Unnamed Woman - Assumed to be Ygraine, Mordred's mother and one of Arthur's lovers. Narrator of the track "Empty Trail."

Songs

• "Gunfight at the Dolorous Guard"
• "Empty Trail"
• "The Hanged Man Rusts"
• "Hellfire"
• "Blood and Whiskey"
• "Skin and Bone"
• "Holder of the Grail"
• "Peacemaker"
• "Once and Future King"

Frankenstein

The only single, released April 13th, 2015

The Bifrost Incident (TBI)

The fifth album, released January 28th, 2017

Characters

• Lyfrassir Edda - An inspector with the New Midgard Transport Police, tasked with investigating the recent crash of the Ratatosk and dealing with a trio of rather familiar prisoners.
• Odin - Previous ruler of Yggdrasil, a dictator who cared more for her own image than her people. Set about building the Ratatosk Express as a way of cementing her legacy.
• Loki - A political insurgent, and at one time a dear friend to both Odin and Thor. After killing Baldr to set back the construction of the Ratatosk, she was "killed" by Odin for her crimes.
• Thor - Second in command to Odin, and once, Loki's friend. He seems to be a staunch believer in the current regime, until it directly affects him, that is.
• Sigyn - Loki's wife, who stepped up in the wake of her "death" to serve as the current leader of the resistance. Loves her wife dearly, and is both proud and resigned to fight for the resistance.
• Kvasir - A member of the resistance, though a low ranking one. Was used as fuel for the Ratatosk.

Songs

• "Odin"
• "Loki"
• "Thor"
• "Sigyn"
• "Losing Track"
• "Red Signal"*
• "Ragnarok I: Runaway"*
• "Ragnarok II: The Calling"*
• "Ragnarok V: End of the Line"* *There is an argument to be made that each of these songs, as well as "Ragnarok III: Strange Meeting" and "Ragnarok IV: Jormungandr" are either song or narration.

Tales to be Told Volume 2 (TTBTv2)

The sixth album, released January 28th, 2018 is yet again a mixed bag album, giving backstories and assorted tales from other worlds.

Songs & Stories

• "Drop Dead" - The story of a girl searching for her father, finding the instrument that binds him to life and getting hopelessly involved herself. Arguably inspired by Crypt of the Necrodancer
• "Hereward the Wake" -
• "Twisted Threads" -
• "Actaea and Lyssa" -
• "Pieces" -
• "Stranger" - A story from an unknown planet, where a robot hiding his nature is found out by his lover. Inspired by the folk tale of the Crane Wife.
• "Lucky Sevens" - Ashes' backstory, describing their youth on the mob planet Malone as they were betrayed by their adoptive uncle before burning the planet to the ground.
• "Lost in the Cosmos" - Brian's partial backstory, describing the cold of space after he was thrown from his home planet for being a witch.
• "Alice" - A continuation of Once Upon a Time (In Space) taking place sixty years later on a planet that believes King Cole's war is still going.
• "Swan Song" -

Death to the Mechanisms (DTTM)

The seventh and final album, released May 23rd 2020

Songs

• "Tales to be Told"

• All from The Bifrost Incident
• "Lost in the Cosmos"
• "Underworld Blues"
• "The Hanged Man Rusts"
• "Hellfire"
• "Riddle of the Sphinx"
• "Cinders' Song"
• "Rose Red"
• "Death to the Mechanisms"
• "Drunk Space Pirate"

Fiction

The Fictions are a series of short stories taking place within the universe of The Mechanisms, mostly written by Morgan and Jonny, though both Jessica Law and Nastya's actor had wrote some of the earlier fictions as well. Many focus on the crew of The Aurora, while others focus on the before and after of the albums with the exception of The Bifrost Incident, which lacks fictions for an unknown reason. One fiction, The Prisoner of Dorian Gray, teased at an unreleased album centered around classic horror novels.

Post DTTM

[Placeholder] something something Ben and Kofi solo albums, Jonny quote from TMA about accidentally writing Nikola Orsinov for Jessica Law.

Softwire

See page: Softwire

Example Fanworks

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

Animatics:

• Sigyn - The Bifrost Incident by Rysttle WInters on YouTube
• The Mechanisms Ragnarok IV: Jormungandr animatic by sadmages on YouTube
• Sleeping Beauty animatic also by sadmages on Tumblr
• The Aurora Strikes animatic by hatnhousejacket on Tumblr

Fan Art:

• Unofficial poster by reegis on Tumblr
• Violinspector Barbie meme by dropitdoeeyes on Tumblr

Fanfiction:

• The Stars Claim Them by Stargazer_lilies on AO3 (2022-ongoing) - a long running crossover between TMA and The Mechanisms.