Through Companions and Journeys

#### **General lore:**

The year is 4921 by the Leyaheiff calender, the most reliable established calendar. The world is full of war and conflict over trade, resources, ethnicity, there's simply too many reasons for so many wars to count them all. The wars tend to stay at small skirmishes and battles, but with the advancements that seemingly came out of the shadows, the common man has begun to harness power akin to the mages of what is becoming the old times: Fire powder. In the days of old, a single mage or his creation could change the course of a battle, giving the obvious victor a crushing defeat. Fire powder is attributed to no group, nation, or person, and few nations have control of the fire powder, as well as a good enough economy to equip troops with these new weapons. The nations known to possess fire powder are: ***PLACEHOLDER - NATIONS WITH FIRE POWDER***. Most nations with fire powder either keep it under wraps as a secret weapon or flaunt it as a deterrent. Magic has always been a tool of the skilled and the elites, most races not having a widespread combat-capable affinity of magic, with only exceptions and those who go through rigorous training able to anything above party tricks and minorly useful spells. Not only is there the crisis of the fire powder and the expansion of the great empires, but many minor nations have begun to confederate or form alliances, the most dangerous being the confederacy of the caste, a raiding and barbaric confederacy of unsettling monsters, beast men, and the other outcasts of society. While other nations begin to improve their militaries and defenses, afraid of attack from the major empires. The world is an unstable place with many vying for power, resources, and glory.

#### **Tldr/threads of conflict (PLACEHOLDER - RE-DO AS NATION LORE EXPANDED):**

##### **Fire powder bearers:**

Some nations openly posses and equip their troops with fire powder weapons, great siege weapons and hand cannons capable of slaughtering enemies at a level only capable before by mages. Many nations want this carefully guarded technology to equal the playing field and defend themselves, while others want the powder to have their small armies crusade and exponentially expand their nations.

##### **The old guard:**

With technology advancing and culture shifting, many want to hold their old standings, afraid of the future and what horrors it may hold, or even worse - that they may lose their standings. Some simply oppose advancement, while others attempt to compensate by growing their nations ever larger.

##### **The subjugated:**

With the mega-empires of old times growing larger and larger, or being defeated left and right, those under their rule look again at independence. Vassal states, provinces, what have you, they wish to have their own power and answer to no man on this planet.

##### **The barbarians:**

With hordes of uncivilized and uncultured monsters cropping up and finally not fighting each other for once, those who have anything to be raided are at danger, fighting against hordes of enemies uncaring of death and fighting in a way no army has fought for thousands of years.

##### **The bulwark builders:**

So many nations afraid of the world and it's dangers, they have begun to make as many alliances and to expand and use resources to build a sturdy defense, but how long until someone throws a pre-emptive strike, seeing a threat that does not exist; or perhaps even several groups seeing a resource they all believe they must have, and being willing to fight and bring their allies in for it?

#### **Nations and groups:**

##### **A:**

All Folk's People's Democracy

Axtanerian Republic

##### **B:**

Balenois Barony

Baotsuki Junta of the People's Army

##### **C:**

Cenezello Meritocracy

Confederacy of the Caste

##### **D:**

Divine Sultanate of the Kalatarrashaska H'kadom

##### **I:**

Ia'Tayyib Autocracy

Illanian Democracy

Ilyaskerov Autocracy

##### **N:**

Neatrelouis Republic

Nettlinfeinde Barony

##### **T:**

Tautehilm Kingdom

Timonskaati Kingdom

Tinevilandrel Lordship

##### **V:**

Venitalli Democracy

Valyria

##### **Y:**

(The) Yelenada Confederacy of the Oftuni Peoples

#### **Player-important info: (EMBED LINKS)**

##### **Classes:**

Caster

Engineer

Hospitaller

Man-At-Arms

Picaro

Ranger

##### **Races:**

Dark Elf

Dwarf

Gnome

Goblin

Havlin

High Elf

Human

Ia'Keltarrashkani

Oftuni

Ork

Spawn

Wood Elf

##### **Starting Equipment:**

One may request any starting equipment they please on their character sheet before the campaign starts, and they will start with whatever gets accepted. However for the unimaginative, remember your character's backstory and that you will be starting in a city and likely expect to camp outside of cities at some point or another. For further assistance, a good example inventory is available (however bear in mind it was meant for a ranger's class)

Commoner clothes [Equipped]

Brigandine [Equipped]

Brigandine gauntlet [Equipped]

Longbow [Equipped]

Steel messer [Equipped]

Quiver [Equipped]

~ Broadhead arrows (x20)

Family crest necklace [Equipped]

Mask [Equipped]

Backpack [Equipped]

~ Hygeine supplies

~ Spare Clothes (x3)

~ Rations (x12)

~ Bota Bag (Water, 1/1 gallon)

~ All-Man's coin (x100)

~ Waxed tent cloth

##### **Starting Scenario:**

The party's characters has all come to the city of Janexmunt, a semi-important and northernmost city of the All Folk's People's Democracy, and have been called to a meeting with the Provincial Representative of Janexmunt: William Orange IV. For whatever reason your characters have accepted a mission on the behalf of the Provincial Representative, who cannot have his hands dirtied with investigating some corruption that has been becoming a bit confident and less underground, affecting the general public and being untouchable by the government.