Welcome!
Greetings, foolish mort--err-- intrepid adventurers. You are currently en route from Archaios to the beautiful Talhani Isles, where the sun always shines, the waters are crystal clear, and the jungles are filled with the mysterious ruins of a highly-advanced civilization that seems to have vanished some time shortly after the events of
The Extinction War.
Some Background
The current year is 1590 EP, a cool 370 years after the events of the previous campaign. The choices made throughout the battle against
Cataclysm resulted in a world that found itself having to largely start again from scratch (for more information on the immediate fallout, see the
Epilogue of the previous campaign), but as the saying goes: time heals all wounds. Before long, a new age of exploration and discovery saw Archaios explorers sailing across the seas and discovering lands rife with new resources, opportunities, and secrets to uncover.
In the Talhani Isles, Archaios settlers have had a presence since 1516 with the settlement of
New Providence. Since then, numerous
Colonies have been chartered. However, they are not alone within the Isles. Indeed, many of the islands have been inhabited for several centuries by an
Assembly of allied nations from the mainland of K'allpa. The major players include:
- the Kingdom of Elen'nar. A kingdom of elves that were the first to come to the Talhani Isles from their ancestral homes within the Harkan Mountains of K'allpa. They have existed for ages and possess knowledge and technology beyond the rest of the factions. They appear to be forthcoming with their wealth and insights with their allies, but their aloofness always hints towards something they aren't sharing with the group.
- The Palaxi Dominion. A highly disciplined and regimented kingdom of dragonborn originally native to the southern reaches of the continent of K'allpa. Despite the relative peace of the age, the dragonborn remain as ready as ever for battle; something that has been both a blessing and a concern for their fellows in the Assembly. Early Archaios settlers learned this the hard way when a full-scale military conflict very nearly broke out when the settlers inadvertantly attempted to claim land already within the Palaxi Dominion.
- The Karrera Clans. A small but influential conglomerate of kobold clans whose primary goals in the Talhani Isles is to unlock the secrets the Atotakah left behind. They are inventive and crafty; making up for their physical meekness with surprisingly advanced technology and their penchant for intelligence-gathering.
But even these established realms are relatively new in the grand scheme of things. Prior to the conclusion of the Extinction War, the Talhani Isles were primarily inhabited by a highly-advanced civilization known as...
The Atotakah
Much like
The Antecean Empire of Archaios, the
The Atotakan Empire was a sprawling kingdom of humans believed to have originated from the jungles of the continent of Sakria. They possessed a knowledge of magic and engineering far more advanced than anything else seen on this world, but some time shortly after the Convergence, they seemingly vanished without a trace.
Now, only their ruins remain; fragments and pieces left behind to be studied and reverse-engineered. While their ultimate fate remains a mystery, what remains of them has catapulted the kingdoms of the Assembly and Archaios alike into a new golden age of science, magic, and discovery.
Where Do You Come In?
As previously mentioned, your fresh, baby-faced, level 1 adventurers are currently aboard a ship (the
HNS Guiding Light, to be precise) heading from Archaios to the artificial island-city of
Threshold in the Talhani Isles. In order to have the most immersive gaming experience possible, consider the following questions when fleshing out your backstory:
- What called you to the life of an adventurer? What goal(s) do you have that can be accomplished by adventuring?
- Why are you travelling to the Talhani Isles? What prompted you to make the voyage? What is your destination? (read the Talhani Isles Codex Entry for more info on prominent locations) Are you part of a company, guild, or other organization carrying out orders?
- Were you born in Archaios and are making the voyage for the first time, or were you born in the Isles and are currently making a return journey?
- What connections do you have in the Isles? Family? Fellow guild members? A supplier? A business opportunity? Looking for a fresh start? Having one or two NPCs that your PC already knows can go a long way in building a connection with the setting.
- Is there anyone you know from Archaios who may make the voyage to find you? Would this be a cheerful reunion or a harrowing encounter?
Lastly, please keep in mind the following when building your character:
- Fighters, rangers, and artificers all gain proficiency with firearms.
- Other classes may substitute one weapon or tool proficiency for firearm proficiency.
- you may swap out any weapon from your starting equipment for a firearm and 20 pieces of ammunition.
- class features and feats that deal with bows will also generally apply to firearms (i.e., the archery fighting style works with firearms, as does the sharpshooter feat. The crossbow expert feat also applies to firearms, with a pistol functioning in the place of a hand crossbow).
- You may have one (1) common magic item at the start of the game. Consider it something akin to an heirloom that your character came to possess in their backstory (give some consideration to where they got it and what kind of meaning it has to them).
Finally, be sure to take a look at the current
List of House Rules, as we're changing some things up since the last campaign.
Some Local Idiosyncrasies
A few cultural or commercial differences that are distinct from the setting of the previous campaigns:
- Paper Money. We're in civilized time now, and a standardized currency has been adopted by the Assembly nations. The currency is derived from the value of gold, so for all intents and purposes, commerce works the same as it did with coins. Indeed, some non-Assembly affiliated factions still use classic gold coins.
- Common Language. Since Archaios' ingratiation with the Assembly, a common tongue has been established that most of the citizens of the Assembly speak when dealing with each other. Each of them still retains their native tongues and often uses them for internal dealings.
- Notice Boards. A common practice found in most Archaios colonies; official resources are often stretched thin, resulting in the need to bring in outside help to deal with local problems. Because of this, local officials will post petitions for aid in public spaces. These requests can range from dealing with nearby monster dens, escorting expeditions, relieving an area of bandits or pirates, and sometimes even lifting the odd curse or two. These boards are an invaluable asset to any aspiring adventurer.
- Religion. As the Talhani Isles are home to number of diverse kingdoms, it stands to reason that a great number of faiths are practiced across the region. From Archaios especially, there are quite a few niche and esoteric faiths, creeds, and cults that have leapt at the opportunity to share their beliefs in a new world. Read the codex entry on Religion and Spirituality in the Talhani Isles for a more detailed breakdown of the more prominent beliefs.
- Companies. As mentioned in the epilogue, the fallout from the Extinction War and the universal strain on resources gave rise to prominent, private entities that would eventually grow into full-fledged Companies, who were instrumental in getting the world back on its feet. In the current age, companies have an influential presence within the Talhani Isles, with many of them having been chartered by the crown to settle new colonies. If you aren't already working for own of these organizations, odds are you'll likely be picking up jobs with them as you embark on your adventuring journey. Read the codex entry on Talhani Companies and Guilds for more information on the largest of these groups.
- Magical Wares. At least within Archaios Colonial territory, the buying and selling of magical items is a rare service. Old World institutions like The Lunar Forum or the Circle of the Enlightened have no presence within the Isles. Because of this, you'll be hard-pressed to find a brick-and-mortar store just selling a wondrous item. Granted, there are plenty of alchemists who can brew up some minor health potions or weapon grease, and some local weaponsmiths know how to infuse some basic enchantments into their blades, but only the highly wealthy or influential have access to the private auctions that would contain something like a Flametongue or Ring of Spell Storing.
- "New Kid on the Block" Prejudice. It is not uncommon for the newest Assembly nations to draw sideways glances and long pauses when dealing with the more established nations. There is particularly bad blood between the Palaxi dragonborn and the Archaios colonists because of their introductory conflict that occurred before the rest of the Assembly smoothed things over.
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