Lithosphere

Lithosphere
A nation of dwarves and recently revealed changelings, whose people have come to a rocky introduction to the world in recent times. A rather flat country with surprising underground thermal activity, possibly due to vast mining operations. To the East, vast forests supply Lithosphere, as well as other nations on the continent with plentiful lumber.

Lithosphere is in a state of constant turmoil. After having its royal family killed and impersonated by doppelgangers, the Boldieri Family led a coup to bring power back to the hands of the dwarves. Marko assisted this coup by providing them a harmless recipe for changeling detection. Unable to stop their sheer numbers with attrition fast enough, the doppelgangers left changelings as scapegoats then took over the Church of Gorm Gulthyn – a lesser known dwarven deity of defense. As clergy, they have spread anti-changeling propaganda and have sold "blessed" furniture that animates when alarmed. They used to rely on the Evenwoods for wood but with a change in leadership, they have had to turn to other means – slowing production. The Boldieri Family took Marko's recipe and made it an addictive, ingested drug that is harmful to shapechangers – disguising it as rock ices and selling it in chain shops called Rulf's Rock Ices. Queen Avihegre was strongly against this and declared Avia a safe haven for any changelings who wished to flee to safety. When a Rulf's Rock Ices opened down the street from the Mark's guild hall, members went to investigate - finding proof of the rock ices laced with drugs after fighting off employees, the manager, animated furniture, and an animated rock ice making machine. Realizing there may be more problems afoot in Lithosphere, members ventured to Radna to establish a teleportation circle and find out who is shipping animated furniture and these horrific drugs. They learned that the furniture was made by the Evenwoods and sent to the church of Gorm Gulthyn for enchanting. The drugs were rumored to be one of the Boldieri Family operations to make money.

To tie up loose ends, greater doppelgangers killed and impersonated Porf the Pizza Maker to free a rakshasa that had been infiltrating the Mark as a chaos-causing goose. The Evenwoods ambushed their daughter and Mark member at the time, Eris, while she was on a date with another former Mark member, Safewater Spire. They overwhelmed the duo with their numbers and capabilities - putting Eris back in the prison that was the Evenwood estate. However, Josie Boldieri - daughter of Don Boldieri - was Safewater's former fiance and wanted a chance to kill her personally. She planned a hostage situation with Eris - promising the Evenwoods a chance to ambush the Mark and crush it while she gets her revenge. Predicting an ambush, the Mark sent an advance force of their strongest to confront the Evenwoods while Safewater led a smaller group to Josie's ransom location to free Eris. After some difficult battles, the Evenwoods were apprehended and Eris was freed after Safewater managed to have a heart-to-heart with Josie and convince her to stop the drug trade if the Mark makes her head of the Boldieris and by extension - the Lithosphere Mafia.

While some members of the Mark went to investigate the Evenwood manor for any useful documents on the furniture trade, the Lithosphere Mafia was holding a party on an ambitiously large ship to determine the new head of the Lithosphere Mafia. Josie entered with members of the Mark in tow. After attempts to sway the vote in Josie's favor ended in stalemates, the party became a ship-wide festival of carnage as ambitious leaders and their guards fought among each other. Emerging from the bloodbath, Josie and the Mark were left facing a paladin of Bane and his soldiers - both with different ideas and goals for the Lithosphere Mafia. After a fierce battle and attempts to invoke a geas on one of the members, Josie and the Mark were the last ones alive on the ship along with staff that managed to hide from the chaos. With a mob leader as an ally, the members enjoyed their party boat time.

With Eris cracking down on the trade of furniture to the false church of Gorm Gulthyn and Josie destroying the drug operation, the Mark came to know where the remaining doppelgangers in the plot were cornered and hiding. Taking a small force of members, the Mark stormed the church and found the doppelgangers pullnig the strings. After cutting them down and giving the evidence of conspiracy to the authorities to publicize, the leadership of Lithosphere began to work tirelessly to pay reparations to wronged changelings and end racial hatred towards them.

## Locations

* Evenwood Forest
* Durfenhall
* Radna
* Lumosa
* Forneworth
* Coastal Views