Game Overview

## Introduction

Four Pillars is set in the land of Ásaterra, a once powerful empire, which was divided by civil war nearly a hundred years ago. Forced into an uneasy alliance by the threat of foreign powers, the opposing sides of the war have evolved into the four political factions which currently rule Ásaterra: The Legion of the Maor Dlí; The Guild of Croesus; The Circle of the Arcane; and the Warriors of the Dark Sun. Ásaterra was divided into four Provinces, and each faction keeps order in their respective area, with a council comprised of one member from each faction ruling the entirety of Ásaterra.

The game began with a chance encounter between members of all four factions, who were all investigating a magical anomaly near the River Dìleann. After proving that they could work well together when push came to shove, these members were rewarded for their service by the Council of Ásaterra, who used them to form an elite unit known as the 'Expeditionary Force'. Since then, the Council has deployed the Expeditionary Force to investigate unusual occurrences around Ásaterra, as well as using them as a display of unity between the factions.

The four Provinces of Ásaterra are mainly divided along cultural lines, such as the borders of the previously independent lands that became part of the Ásaterran Empire. Because of this, each of the provinces has their own unique cultural quirks which may be exhibited in their attitudes, architecture, style of dress and traditions. Each province is ruled by a faction, however that does not necessarily mean that an inhabitant of that Province is a member of that faction. Although the identities of the factions are tied to the lands they govern, these lands are vast and not everyone agrees with their ruling faction. For example, a person who lives in the Western Province may be a member of the Warriors of the Dark Sun because they are more closely aligned with their views.

The Deities of Four Pillars are very real, and very much a part of every day life. The existence of the Gods cannot really be up for debate when they turn up in your local temple or ritual circle every so often; or when now and then you really upset them and end up covered in blue spots, or which permanent hiccups, or much worse. The Gods of Ásaterra are similar to the Greco-Roman pantheon in that they have unique personalities, are all powerful, and can be very, very petty. However, just because people know that the gods exist, that doesn't mean they have to *worship* them. Some people have a couple of particular gods they worship; some pray to whichever god is relevant at that specific time; some have a patron god they follow exclusively; and some people don't follow any of them and avoid divine shenanigans like the plague.

## Look and Feel

Four Pillars is a high fantasy setting, which draws from a variety of historical influences from a variety of locations. Some of our historical sources include Anglo Saxon England, Ancient Greece and Rome, the Byzantine Empire, Renaissance Europe, Vikings and more! We have also drawn inspiration from fantasy literature, film and video games, some of which include Lord of The Rings, Dragon Age, Game of Thrones, Merlin, Skyrim and The Witcher.

This is not a historically accurate setting; rather we have drawn from history and fantasy to create our own world with unique cultures and characters. However, we are a grassroots system and thus we strive to make LARP accessible for new players. We therefore do not have rigorous kit standards, and encourage you to use the briefs for inspiration to create something that will suit your character's personality as well as their background. For more information on creating kit for your character, see our page on costume here.

## The Council

The High Council of Ásaterra is formed of four Councillors, each from one of the factions. Each faction has it's own unique way of selecting a councillor, and terms last four years, with elections at the end of this period. There is no limit to the number of terms a councillor can have; Southern Councillor Ealasaid Tallach, for example, is currently on her third term. As there are four members of the council, a tie breaker is often required when making decisions. This job is given the High Councillor, a position which rotates from year to year. For example, the Legion Councillor will be High Councillor the first year of the term; the Guild the second year, and so on and so forth until the end of the term.

The Councillors are helped by the Assembly, comprised of individuals sent by the Liege of each territory to help support the running of the land. Then there is the Civil Service, lower ranking individuals who help with the day to day running of Ásaterra.

## Lieges and Territories

Each of the four Provinces of Ásaterra are divided into eight territories, each governed by a Liege. Each Province has it's own cultural name for it's territories and it's Liege's, such as the Thanedom's of the South, or the Electorates of the North. Like councillors, Liege's are chosen in different ways in each Province; these positions can be elected, for example, or inherited via bloodline. Anyone standing for the role of Councillor must be backed by a territory; therefore, Councillor's themselves are often Lieges, or a person nominated by a Liege.

These territories are often further internally divided against lower ranking nobles or landowners, who answer to their Liege.

## Species

Ásaterra is a giant melting pot of different species, as the Empire was created from many formerly independent countries involving many different species. Every known mortal species makes their home in Ásaterra, as it contains a wide range of different climates and biomes. Originally inhabited by humans, Ásaterra began it's expansion over a thousand years ago, conquering the goblins and trolls of Monmouth, and forging an alliance with the elves of Ulaidh. Further expansion saw the dwarves of the Karak's forming an alliance with the budding Empire, the absorption of the nomadic ogres, and the discovery of the beastkin living within the deep forests. Orcs were amongst the last species introduced into Ásaterra, after the invasion of the South, where they lived side by side with the human Southern Clans. Vampires, although technically classed as a species, are actually one of the eight mortal species who have been metamorphosed into a new, immortal creature. Vampires are not born; they can only be created via the transferal of the condition under a set of specific circumstances. Therefore, vampires are the only species in Ásaterra who are viewed with suspicion and receive prejudice, although if their powers are bound, they are legally accepted as citizens.

Half-species are common across Ásaterra, and can be of any species except vampires or beastkin. The children of a cross species union inherit the racial bonus of only one of their parents; the player can choose which they would rather have.

## The Wider World

Ásaterra is at the edge of the continent, surrounded by ocean on three sides. It is bordered by the Dominion of Treth to the north-east, and the Land of Skovva to the south-east. Stretching beyond them is the Eastern Wastes, an vast area of wasteland stretching for hundred of miles, blighted beyond recognition by some ancient tragedy. Clinging to the northern coastline is the Monarchy of Valclya, which is accessible only by an arduous trek through the wastes or by sea. No one knows what lies further east than the wastes, as no one has ever attempted to cross them and returned to tell the tale.

North of Ásaterra is the land of Huángjīn Xīwàng, which is believed to be where humans first came from. It is rarely visited due to the secretive nature of it's three Empresses, who have closed the borders to all but limited trade. Very little is known about this land. It is known that another land lies far across the ocean to the west, but again, very little is known about it. Recent contact has been from raiders who seem to be fleeing something in their own land. Indeed, they must have been desperate to make the crossing to Ásaterra, as the ocean to the west contains the Witch Waters; an area of ocean which is plagued by magical storms which ships rarely return from.