Harrowing Frontier

Game Concept: In this game the player characters have traveled from a traditional fantasy homeland and are actively involved in beginning phases of colonizing a new continent. The most real world equivalent is the discovery of the Americas in the 14th century. The only foothold established in the new world is the small island colony named, Harrenshore. From this offshore base of operations, players take a short ferry ride to nearby areas, giving them the majority of the day to quest or explore, before returning to the ferry and heading home. Characters are considered to be safe within the town's walls as they rest up and pursue personal goals. This design allows sessions to be self contained adventures and the participating players to change easily. The flexibility lets players drop in and out of the narrative without missing critical information. There will be multiple player groups that are existing in this world, which may indirectly effect the each other in minor ways. Characters start fresh off the boat at level 1, with normal level progression capping out at level 10. You do not need to write elaborate backstories for your characters as their narrative will unfold through play.

My ultimate vision is to have a persistent setting. One we can return to at any time for a nice adventure. I also want to empower player characters to modify to the world they inhabit. Meaning character's can aspire to build their own shops, organizations, ships, or other ventures; with this website acting as a tool to keep track of everything.

There are just 2 critical actions needed to play in this game; Read this introductory page and selecting one of the character creation options by clicking on the labeled image directly below this paragraph. If you wanted to dive a little deeper, the next thing I recommend is visiting Rules for this Setting. If you want even more details about the world, explore the links at the bottom of the page. I don't want to overwhelm anyone and the use of this site is not mandatory for players to participate in this game. One final note, the Settings Summary is just to give some context to the world and the details will be expanding upon during play.

Setting Summary: For thousands of years, all that was known was the Old World. Here the Vensair Matriarchy carved out a sizable empire through their superior technological innovation and political manipulation. Standing against them is The Circle of the Lands, a collective alliance of independent city-states, united in order to preserve their sovereignty. For now, these powers are at peace, content to idly move their pieces around the board and focus on their local affairs.

Recently there has been a revolution in technology. Gossamer crystals. When these fragile crystals are mounted in metals with specific patterns, they interact with water. When embedded into an elongated tube, the water becomes a powerful jet. At first this invention helped with crop irrigation and aqueducts, but it was eventually spread to other uses. When applied to sailing ships, these “Gossamer Engines” shortened travel times when assisting traditional sails, but more importantly freed ships from their dependency on the wind .

Emboldened by this new technology, venturing captains pushed the boundaries of the known world. The most successful was the explorer, Vasco Harren, who discovered a new continent and returned with a hull full of treasures. Seeing the wealth this new world offered, the Vensair Matriarchy launched and funded an expeditionary force to establish a foothold. These efforts lead to the founding of Harrenshore.

Harrenshore has become a fortified town built on an island within the a sheltered bay. The geography here provides fantastic cover from the rough seas and a short trip to the mainland. A large harbor area services ocean bound ships as well as local captains that ferry groups back and forth to the mainland for a small fee. The Vensair Matriarchy acts as local government and security through a sizable military garrison, but generally stays out of people's daily affairs. Most of the general population are humble minded and support the maintenance of the garrison in one way or another. More unscrupulous members of the society keep to tavern backrooms as they cook-up schemes to strike it rich.

Your journey across the sea is perilous and even with the assistance of Gossamer Engines. With the old world feeling like a lifetime away, you set your sights on the possibilities that await you. With a heavy thud, you boot falls on the wooden docks of your new home, Harrenshore, the edge of a Harrowing Froniter! What you do now, is entirely up to you!