Lore

An age Of Decay, ended

Legend tells of a great fungal plague which swept the land, consuming all that it touched.

## The plague

Long ago, nobody knows how long, the fungus was beaten back. By who? Even the wisest elder won't be able to answer for sure. Some say it was their god, some say it was scientific advancement, and some even say it was an Emperor who died long ago.

Empires were crumbled, kingdoms were buried. Today the sentient folk of the realm live in general disarray, lorded over by petty robber Barons who lead gangs of crooks. But a new age is coming, one of War Bands and Banners. Factions rise to vie for control of the land, to forge new empires and scribe new kingdoms through diplomacy, economics, and war.

## What remains?

By now the fungus has mostly disappeared from the world, however some traces still remain. Some spores changed living organisms beyond recognition, turning them into mutant monstrosities beyond recognition or understanding. These things roam the countryside seeking a dark place to call home. The Mushroom sprouts tore asunder buildings and ate whole cities as they crept. After the fungus retreated, there was nothing but wilderness where there was once a beautiful city. The fungus even left an impact on the hearts of men.

Men are now less religious, less magical, and less kind than before. Some men rove in bands taking advantage of undefended settlements. Some sail the open seas terrorizing any who dare take up the sail. Others take root in towns, lording over the inhabitants to cater to their every whim and sick fantasy. Others even worship the evil that has past, and other evil yet discovered.

There is still good in the realm. Those who would see the disorder corrected. Those who would call upon their god to help those in need. Mostly, these people belong in the ranks of the rising Bannermen.

## The gods of the realm

In ages past gods ruled over men, and men were cared for by gods. The fungal plague swept faith from normal men, and spread even into the realms of the heavens. As the gods suffered so too did their power, and thus so too did the faith of followers. Today the gods of old are a distant memory, and not widely celebrated. More common are local gods. Within the realm there are thousands of gods just as there are thousands of towns and settlements.

Below are just a few examples of what the people of the land believe in.

### Human Dieties

* Atul - Symbol of a Turtle - God of Order and light. Followers are dogmatic and cult-like, though they proclaim their methods are for the good of the world.
* Vyvoxsis - Symbol of Lightning - God of tempests and Thunder - praised by all sailors for safety on the high seas.
* Rash - Symbol of a Giant - God of War and Death, has two dire wolf pets. Legends say he was once the mightiest mortal in all of the land, and a great leader.
* Aercules - Symbol of a Gladiator - God of the arena and war. Said to have been Rash's one and only rival in life, as well as the descendant of Gixiax.
* Varonia - Symbol of a female Fox - God of Nature and Life. Varonia and Maul represent the duality of nature, of how it gives and takes. They are often depicted together chasing each other’s tails.
* Maul - Symbol of a male fox - God of Trickery and Knowledge.
* Spoogles - Symbol of a baby Griffon - God of Creation and Fertility
* Blathanna - Symbol of a mushroom - goddess of death and decay - said to have ruled the world during the age of Mycelium. Definitely very evil.

A note on alignment: All gods except for Blathanna are seen as Neutral, only caring for their particular followers. Though followers usually believe their god to be good…

### The Draconic gods of good and evil

Gixiax and Volutha -  Symbol of two wyrms eternally circling each other, one eating the other’s tail. Said to also be worshiped by mythical creatures such as Dragonborn and kobolds.

Among the known sentient races, the Draconic Cult is seen as dangerous, and usually kept at arm's bay. The dragons themselves exist merely in myth and legend as gods of good, evil, and eternity, and most people believe they hold no power.

### ANd more!

Make up your own gods and local deities. Above are just a few gods which may or may not be widely known. Spread your OWN religion to other players and research how to tap into their divine abilities on the battlefield and elsewhere! If your religion becomes popular enough, it might make it’s way here!

## Magic

True Magic is dead. At some point between the coming of the plague and the present day, the art of ‘casting spells’ disappeared. But the people of that time wove their magic into items of great power. Today, 'Mages' utilize these extremely rare relics of the world that was, to achieve a pale imitation of what wizards once could. Circles of magic casters no longer exist. Gone are the days of Bard Colleges, Wizard Schools, Druid Circles, and the like. Most political entities do not believe in magic any longer, saying instead that the old histories are nothing but myth and legend.

When it comes to GOB, players will have to research or explore to find magic artifacts. For actual play, game magic will be flavored to come from these artifacts.

## Races of the Realm

In GOB2 we had a very strict policy about Humans being the dominant people. This time, we want players to drive and create the world in tandem. We also want to take a step back away from a world directly inspired by Dungeons and Dragons 5e, and give GMs and Players the freedom of picking out their own concepts, no matter how wild and crazy (provided it is low magic and low technology).

Below are a few examples of exotic races which players can choose to feature in game (but are not limited or required to!)

The Spore-Born - Peoples of the world so transfigured by the fungus from long ago that they no longer resemble their original race, but are completely new and sentient creatures. Their temperment varies wildly, from being totally feral, mind insane, to being extremely intelligent. Unfortunately for the peoples of the world, there is no sure fire way to tell from a distance. These people are often discriminated against for this reason.

Elves - Elves, who claim to have previously been immortal, now live mortal lives in close-knit xenophobic communities. They still live quite long, and remember the age of mycelium. But they are hard pressed to share any history, lest they remember a traumatic experience. They can often live over 700 years, but the difficult world that exists today tends to shorten that lifespan.

Dwarves - Dwarves, who love the deep and dark depths of the world, were particularly hit by the sunshine-hating fungus. However, some communities flourished by cutting themselves off from the world. Legend says that when a group of miners go missing from a cave in, it is due to them cutting into a Dwarven settlement and being ambushed.

How does this translate to Actual Play? Depending on the system the GM is running, you can either pick directly from books, or work with the GM to create something new and Homebrewed. Most likely we will continue the tradition from last season of Giving humans some added benefit to make them more attractive.

## Technology

Gob3 is set in a world rising from the ashes of a dark age. Civilisation is only beginning to repair itself. Look to the technology of the early middle ages: forts made of wood, but no castles. Spears and padded armor are common, maybe a sword and chainmail if you are lucky. The engineering marvels of the past are mostly beyond reach - unless you rediscover how.