Hi everyone,
It seems like we’re making good progress on characters and backstories so far, which is great. I do want to propose another question before our Session 0 (when we find out how all our characters meet), which is the setting of the start of the campaign. Like I said in my first post, the world of Astrodia is big and has a lot going on. So, I figured I would let y’all choose beforehand the backdrop that seemed most interesting to y’all. Basically, this would be the region of Astrodia we would have Session 0 in and where the campaign would begin. Again, this does not mean y’all are locked to this part of the map, but by knowing what interests y’all, I can put more focus on it at the start, and it allows me and y’all to start thinking about how/why your characters would be in a certain part of the world. I have provided some adventure hooks for the different regions. These aren’t necessarily things your characters will be dealing with (especially at the beginning of the campaign), but their effects can be felt in the world and they will likely be shaping how the campaign progresses. They should be mostly independent of your character’s backstories and journeys, except in some cases which will be revealed later.
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The Magical War and the Legacy of the Magistus – The Endymion Empire has spread, capturing nearly all of the once independent city-states on Valedrune. The only holdouts are the Kingdom of Artmegía, Marseille, and a relatively small city of Pentamarone. All magic is strictly monitored within the borders of the Empire. Spellcasters can only learn certain types of approved magic at government run schools. Those with inherit magical capabilities are placed on registries and prevented from using magic except at pre-approved locations and times. Magical gems known as Keystones are distributed by the Empire’s government to local leaders to allow for the casting of approved spells to benefit the towns and cities by those not trained in magic. (Think of it like a magical welfare system). Some view this level of control as tyrannical and reprehensible, while others belief the harsh laws and support from the government have only made life better. However, the Empire is still somewhat reeling from a recent failed attempt to annex Marseille.
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The University and the Witch of the White Forest – The Kingdom of Artmegia’s entire economy, government, and way of life is centered around the Academy of Arcane Arts, the most prestigious school for magic in Astrodia. Spellcasters and non-spellcasters have traveled across the world to learn different types of magic and skills at the colleges and campuses that can be found across Artmegia. And with the crackdown on magic from the Endymion Empire, the enrollment rate is higher than ever. However, things are not perfect. Years ago, a curse began to spread from the White Forest, thought to be the home of a coven of witches, into the Kingdom, threatening the Academy and its students. It is unclear why, but before the curse could do any real damage to the Kingdom, it retreated back into the Forest. Some believe the Forest is safe now, while others believe the curse could return at any moment and threaten Artmegia’s way of life again, but all who have gone to investigate haven’t returned.
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The Nation Built on Miracles – The Closed Land, a pejorative name given to the continent by the more “enlightened” people of Valedrune, never had any official borders, governments, or economies. It was simply a collection of different groups of people with different beliefs and ways of life that happened to live on the same land mass. That changed when the Nation of Dogmatika emerged shortly after the Great Cataclysm, a surge of magical energy across Astrodia that corrupted and nearly destroyed everything in its path, around 100 years ago (later clarified by Tommy in Session 12 as about 150 years ago). The Nation is a theocracy, headed by the leader Maximus who calls the denizens to worship a new God, not found in the Solemn Pantheon. While they do not force conversions or proselytize, they parade their Saints, adorned with the holy marking, Stigmatas, that allow them to perform miracles, convincing much of the central Closed Land to join willingly. The church has recently anointed its newest Saint, said to be the most perfect one yet.
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Where have all the Dragons gone? – For millennia, mortal races held little sway in Astrodia. The world was dominated by Higher Beings. Dragons, giants, sea monsters, phoenixes, etc. Primordial beings that, while not Gods, held significant power and dominion over the world. That was until the Severance. A mysterious event that saw the disappearance of nearly all of these Beings. It has been lost to history what exactly the Severance was or how it caused the disappearance of the Higher Beings and the emergence of the mortals as the dominant force in Astrodia nearly 1000 years ago, but the Beings’ lingering power can still be felt across the land. Several sects of those living in the south of the Closed Land are dedicated to preserving or restoring the influence of the Higher Beings, and a conflict is brewing within many of the tribes of how exactly to go about that.
The party selected option 2, Artmegia.
Ulfr would have found his way to Artmegia after he met a traveling mage who described the academy to him and presumably told Ulfr that some of the college folk might be in need of day labors. Privately Ulfr was also excited by the idea of being around those who study books for a living. Perhaps it might help him understand his desire to learn and compose more verses…but he would never presume the academy would ever allow him to enroll so he’s hoping to absorb what he can from the outside.
From Tommy (DM):
The Silverquill college is the part of the academy that focuses on words, encompassing literature (including fiction, essays, drama, and poetry), languages, linguistics, oratory, rhetoric, and dramatic performance