Aposynthesis

Geographically, Earth in 1890s but with some steampunk/cosmic horror nonsense happening.   The integration of Cuboids, artifacts of mysterious origin into steam engines, have revolutionized science, bringing with them new technologies and mainstream acceptance of what once was derisively called 'magic'.   The British Empire stands strong and dominant. The USA is looking to its own borders, seeking to settle the Fungal Reaches that border Mexico, an inhospitable but resource-rich area. Australia basks in its Cuboid-derived riches and pumps out one invention after the other. China is in unrest and trying to modernize, which proves a difficult task and brings with it civil unrest and conflicts. Most of Africa is occupied by colonial forces, excluding Ethiopia as a result of massive walls of unexplained origins. Russia has been inaccessible and impassable for about a century, with no one able to go in or out.   Then London was devastated by an unknown force that spawned from its industrial center. At the same time, the massive rotting skull lodged at the Grand Canyon, the center of the Fugal Reaches, stirred. Corpses kept moving after death, and their souls persisted.   Finally, the stars began to blink out of existence.   (Content Warnings: Blood, Gore, Body Horror, Identity Issues, all that cosmic horror stuff. Also all the problems of the late 19th century (Imperialism, worker exploitation, racism, sexism, homophobia etc))