It is the age of England, under the stern rule of Queen Victoria. The British Empire has expanded throughout the globe, and the world is described as being brought under the light of civilisation.

It is also a time of adventure, discovery, and scientific progress. Those born to the right families can look forward to working at the forefront of modern technology as the world succumbs to the power of steam.

But engineering and steam physics are not the only fields of study for a budding savant. There are other, darker sciences to be explored.

The story begins in an uncharted part of the South Seas, where a cave stretching deep into the earth is filled with screeches and howls of torment.