Common Knowledge

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Khorvaire is a continent in the northern hemisphere of the world of Baoria- Most people know the legends of the Progenitor Dragons but not everyone believes they are more than myths- The world is old and many civilizations have risen and fallen over the ages- Magic has dominated the advancement of technology supplanting much of mundane engineering- Magic is commonplace as is magical technology

THE LAST WAR AND THE MOURNING

The Last War dominates recent history
It lasted for over 100 years
The war ended only two years ago in a tense armistice
The sudden appearance of The Mourning scared the parties in the war into a cease-fire
There are many theories of what caused The Mourning, but no one really knows the truth
Grey mists rose across the nation of Cyre, wiping out or mutating everyone and everything there
Rumors, legends, and ghost stories telling tales of mystery and horror abount

THE DRAGONMARKED HOUSES

The Houses are politically and financially powerful
The Twelve is a council of the Houses that was created to facilitate cooperation and communication between the Houses. Supposedly.
Over the centuries of its existence, it has gradually developed into a power of its own, separate from the Houses
They are often thought of as a hybrid of nobility and business cartel
Their primary loyalty lies with their House over anything else be it religion, nation, or politics
The Houses are not equal in power or wealth
Most Houses dominate one sphere of influence, defending their interests against any competitors
The Houses generally are populated by one family or bloodline
Not all House members have a dragonmark, but most dragonmarked belong to a House

THE WARFORGED

The Warforged are a race of sapient constructs created to be fighters in The Last War
When The Last War abruptly ended, many of the surviving Warforged found themselves without a purpose or employment
Some people are afraid that the directionless Warforged will become a lawless force now that the War has ended

FIREARMS

Firearms exist, but are uncommon and expensive
Some use magic to operate, while others use the recently invented gunpowder to fire their ammunition
Formal training in their operation is scarce and expensive, so few people have developed proficiency in their use

POLITICS

Prior to The Last War, Khorvaire was ruled (in most part) by the kingdom of Galifar
Galifar was comprised of The Five Nations
The Treaty of Thronehold ended The Last War
It dissolved Galifar and divided the Five Nations into twelve independent nations
Not everyone thinks this was a good plan
The new nations have a fragile peace between them that has not had long to develop