The Principalities of the Reach

“Here there is freedom, my children. Freedom to build, freedom to rule, freedom to do as we choose. This is where our story begins, and should we be found unworthy, this is where it ends.”

“The Principalities of the Reach” is not a name adopted by any nation. It is the name the other nations have given to an expanse of land where politics, wars, borders, and even life are ever changing. Nobody can predict at any time how many micro-nations claim to exist in the Reach, nor can anyone accurately predict what will appear or vanish next.

OOG Note about the Reach: The Reach is an open playground available to players whose characters simply can’t fit anywhere else in one of the other Nations. Choosing the Reach as a background gives the player the ability to devise a small micro-nation that their character originated from, with few restrictions on the politics of the land. The basic guidelines are that it be small (There are always many Principalities in the Reach, you can not come from one leader that united or conquered it) and the Principality can not have a long and storied history (Principalities rise and fall frequently but do not often last beyond the lifespan of the individual or group that founds them)

If you choose the Principalities of the Reach as a National origin, then you accept that your character will not likely see National plot directed their way. While there will always be many plots running in Numina and you may even encounter personal plot tailored to your character and background, the Principalities of the Reach simply won’t have National Plot.

### Geography, History, and Climate

Lying to the west of the inland sea, the Geography and Climate of the Reach are nearly incomprehensibly varied. Throughout the ages the land has often been shaped by those with power and will to shape not just a Principality but the very land to their desires. Geomancers, weather controllers, Nature workers, and others have all had their impact on the land and the long reaching consequences of this have left both dense rainforest, snowy tundra and everything in between in various places of the Reach.

History is likewise nearly impossible to track within the Reach. Scholars can devote a lifetime just to simply tracking the names of Principalities and rulers as they come and go, without even finding the time to actually explore the values, politics, or prerogatives of these Principalities.

A very few notable groups have made strongholds in the Reach that have stood the test of time. Some of these groups are like the Hearthguards - a powerful military order that chooses to maintain it’s keep within the Reach so as to remain neutral to the Nations of the world. This is in fact not uncommon and the Reach is seen as a place where a powerful enough group can establish a base of operations while maintaining political neutrality.

### Politics, Government, and Economy

Politics, Government, and Economy are all everchanging in the Reach. It is up to each Principality how these things will develop, and rarely if ever do they impact lands outside the Reach.

### Notes for Players

The Principalities of the Reach is provided for those players who desire a land completely apart from any of the more developed Nations. If it is critical to your background that your Mother was a queen, then perhaps she was queen of a Monarchy here within the Reach. Likewise if you want to play a character completely divorced of any national loyalty, the Reach could be an option for you.

Costume, RP, and background are all up to the player who chooses the Reach. It is fine to decide for yourself cultural rules, common looks, holidays, behaviors, or other elements to give flavor to a character, but anyone choosing to do this should be aware that few if any characters will have any idea what these things are due to their extreme specificity to small Principality.

As a reminder of what was said above, If you choose the Principalities of the Reach as a National origin, then you accept that your character will not likely see National plot directed their way. While there will always be many plots running in Numina and you may even encounter personal plot tailored to your character and background, the Principalities of the Reach simply won’t have National Plot.