An Introduction to High Albion

A World Primer

Introduction

High Albion is a Victorian magepunk world dominated by two major superpowers: the Empire of Albion in the north, and the Mu Confederation in the south. Both regions are still recovering from a devastating war fifteen years ago, when they were allies against the Little Dragon and his Cult of the Leviathan. In the years since the war ended, the former allies have become wary of each other, and have engaged in an endless campaign of espionage.

Atlas Overview

The world has three major continents and several thousand islands. The continent of Lemuria is the largest, and dominates the southern hemisphere; it is the home of the many nations that make up the Mu Confederation. North of Lemuria is the continent of Elbid, with the great island of Albion about two hundred miles off its west coast. The Empire of Albion is the dominant political power in the north, and directly or indirectly controls many of the nations of Elbid. Far to the west is the continent of Ohontsi, whose many peoples have managed to stay out of the contest between Albion and Mu, at least so far.

The People of High Albion

Most of the population of the world is human, but they are not alone. Beneath the surface is a race of mysterious cave dwellers called the Troglodytes, who have their own civilization and carry on limited trade with the humans abovground. There are also the Changelings of Inisfal - these are the descendants of humans caputured by the Sidhe Courts of Faerie, who were changed by their stay in that magical realm, and are not quite human any longer. Finally, there are rumors of merfolk living in the oceans of the world, but no credible reports of them can be found.

A Brief History of the World

The oldest nation in the world is Kemet, where The Pharoh Undying became the first of the Living Gods thousands of years ago. In the centuries that followed, several other living gods arose in the south, until all of Lemuria was divided among them.

On Elbid, the rulers of the Pallaman Empire sought to make themselves into a pantheon of living gods, but were stopped by the rise of The Church, which worshipped a greater god from beyond the world of mortals. The Church worked to prohibit all use of magic in Elbid, and was largely successful for over a thousand years. About four centuries ago, movements to reform The Church and eliminate corruption that had infested it resulted in several sects separating from it entirely, most of which took a different approach to the use of magic.

On the island of Albion, the Church of Albion was founded, with the monarch as the head of the religion. The Church of Albion lifted all prohibitions on the use of magic. Over the last four centuries, magic has come to pervade every aspect of life in Albion, and today it is one of the most magic-heavy locations in the world.

Meanwhile, on the continent, The Church Wars raged. The kingdom of Carovingia was the center of some of the worst fighting, and spent centuries locked in a series of terrible civil wars. Finally, about fifty years ago the warring factions were reunited under a charismatic scion of the Carovingian royal line. Little did they know that the young scion had been illegally resurrected only weeks before taking the throne - and when his spirit was called back, it came back changed. For twenty years, he reigned Carovingia, building his forces and laying his plans. He declared himself to be The Little Dragon, the herald of the Leviathan, and began to rampage across Elbid in the name of his god, conquering everywhere he went.

Opposition to the Carovingian forces was slow to coalesce, and for the first several years of the war Albion was the only significant opponent the cult faced. They created and fielded vast armies of Taloi, bronze soldiers animated by spirits of elemental fire that could march and fight without food or rest. Along with other magical war machines, Albion slowed the advance of The Little Dragon. But the Cult brought magical horrors of their own to the field, and between them they soaked the ground of Elbid in blood.

Meanwhile, the Living Gods of Lemuria watched the situation in the north with growing unease. The Pharaoh Undying of Kemet was particularly displeased with the advance of The Little Dragon, and Kemet began to provide material aid to Albion and the other nations opposed to Carovingia. In response, the Cult of the Leviathan conducted a new and devastating magical ritual, aimed directly at Kemet and their Living God.

This ritual was designed to take advantage of the network of magical associations that bound the Pharaoh Undying to his worshippers and made him a Living God. In one terrible night, both the Pharaoh and every one of his worshippers that were within Kemet's borders were slain. This became known as the Calamity in Kemet, and virtually wiped out the most powerful nation of the south in a single blow. Only foreigners and children too young to have become bonded to the Pharaoh's worship were spared.

While the attack on Kemet strengthened The Little Dragon's position in the short term, it also became his undoing. The other living gods of Lemuria were galvanized by the attack on their eldest, and took the unprecedented move to unite. They formed The Mu Confederation, and entered into the war against The Little Dragon.

Even then, it was two years before the Cult of the Leviathan was defeated. A group of Albion mages and Living Gods from Mu managed to call down a massive stone from the sky upon the capital of Carovingia while The Little Dragon and his chief generals were there, destroying the city and the leadership of the Cult. While some of the cultists escaped the devastation, this was the end of the Dragon Wars.

The Current Situation

In the fifteen years since the end of the war, the Empire of Albion and the Mu Confederation have solidified their power and their spheres of influence. While they were allies against The Little Dragon, they do not trust each other and each is looking for an opportunity to weaken their rival without igniting another great war. Smaller nations on Elbid and Lemuria have been forced to align with one side or the other, and both great powers have begun annexing territories beyond their continents in a quest to gain the advantage. So far, the nations of Ohontsi have managed to remain neutral, but are under increasing pressure to pick a side. Agents of both powers infiltrate their opponents, in a campaign that has been nicknamed "The Great Game". In the meantime, agents from the subterranean Troglodytes conduct their own clandestine operations against the surface nations, and cultists who survived the Dragon Wars pursue their nefarious plots in the shadows.

This world is intended as a setting for tabletop roleplaying games, and there are many secrets embedded in the world that players should not know beforehand. If you would like to have access to all of these secrets, you can join the Lorekeepers group here.

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