UO Roleplay Lore
- UO Roleplay Lore**
The universe which UO Roleplay takes place is a bit complicated—so an open mind is extraordinarily important. Here at UO Roleplay, we have attempted to composite the realm of fantasy and the knowledge of science into one believable playing experience. We attempt to explain what fantasy worlds so often take for granted using the tools of imagination, science, and the UO Gaming platform. Once you create a character for UO Roleplay, you, the player, will have to abandon your knowledge of planets and stars in the real world. Therefore, all planets are really just the same planet on separate planes of existence known as shards.
The Lore of Fracture Our Shard / Our world is known as Fracture. Our shard the Fragment of a gem that has cracks in it, inside it there is a sphere (our world) the cracks in the gem have started to touch the surface of the world.
The Pantheon – Major Deities
Waltrian – The High God: – Waltrian symbolizes life, creation, warmth, and light. He sits at the head of the pantheon. His followers range from the devoutly faithful to the simplest peasants. Those who practice also believe that he was the first god to set forth to begin shaping the world and that he gives them the life, light, creation and warmth. While Waltrian himself is generally seen as a benevolent god some of the sects that have sprung from his following have extremely devout followers who do not share his usually benevolent nature. In general, the non-secular Waltrian practitioners respect the laws of the various realms, are welcome in most communities, and support the common good.
Allies: Innovera, Kistas, Lasko and The Followers of the Virtues
Avatar: The Light bringer
Clergy: Referred to as ‘The Prism of Light’ or ‘The Prism’
Practitioners: Various humanoid races but largely Humans, and Elves
Waltrian Sects
The Cycle – The followers of The Cycle are opposed to the use of arcane magic to extend one’s life, arcane magic for the purposes of healing and to any forms of necromancy. They do practice certain forms of clerical magic but in nearly all cases this is only to treat wounds that were not already fatal. They believe that natural beings should live, and die, beholden entirely to the world as Waltrian and the gods created it. Members of this sect most often consist of alchemists, simple healers, warriors and paladins. They do not usually travel in the company of arcane magic users, but only the truly zealous seek to see it done away with outright. They may not agree with all of its applications, but as magic is so central to the world, they understand that it would not exist as it is today without it. However, they are vehemently opposed to necromancy as well as the immortal incarnate and have been known to hunt and destroy such person(s) when they’re found even in violation of local customs and laws.
The Oath of Dawn: – The members of The Oath of Dawn are largely paladins, though they have a following among the fighter castes throughout the realms as well. The Oath of Dawn believe Waltrian’s cause to be righteous and are often found battling in dungeons, wastes, and harsh and rugged wilderness in attempt to keep the creatures of the dark at bay. As with the members of The Cycle sect they are adamantly opposed to Necromancers and the immortal incarnate. Their members may travel and fight alongside practitioners of arcane magic so long as it suits their goals and does not break with the tenants of their faith. They are often at odds with The Cycles more zealous practitioners and at times this erupts into outright bloodshed.
The Setting Sun: – The members of the setting sun are more a caste than a sect. They’re largely comprised of practitioners of the Waltrain faith who once fought in his name. Many of them are far too old or feeble to continue to battle along their younger brethren and so they have taken to securing trade routes, pilgrimage paths and holy sites along the likes of town guards, mercenaries and commoners. As many of them are in their twilight years they often serve as elders and councilors in smaller villages and settlements. They openly welcome The Oath of the Dawn but are often reluctant to associate with members of The Cycle as their fervent behavior often invites unintended consequences on the communities they call home.
The Shadow’s Edge: – These are often reformed criminals, thieves, and rogues who found Waltrian’s light and now use their less than honest talents to serve as spies and informants for the clergy as well as the other larger sects. Their alignments and allegiances are as complicated as the men and women who comprise their membership. If The Cycle comes crashing through the streets of your town in search of a necromancer in hiding it is a safe bet that a member of The Shadow’s Edge is involved. They can sometimes serve as scouts and guides to The Oath of Dawn and have even been known to infiltrate groups of bandits to relay plans and information to the likes of The Setting Sun such that they can prepare their communities for impending attacks. Their activities are just as often welcome by the communities they ‘serve’ as they are scorned.
Innovera – The Shaper: – Innovera symbolizes craftsmanship, mercantilism, innovation, knowledge and fortune. She is loved by merchants, craftsmen and inventors as well as those in less common industrious professions. Adventures and the like who serve Innovera’s clergy are often mercenaries who make their living shepherding trade caravans guarding, prospectors, or serving aboard merchant vessels. The scholars who serve her generally confine themselves to craft halls, libraries and any other place wherein one might find an inventor hard at work. Despite her faithful’s love of coin, they are generally generous to those in need. They often heap scorn on to those who they view as lazy. The non-secular members of her faith are generally welcome anywhere they wander and it is not uncommon for them to become pillars in their community. Her sects are perhaps the most curious among the major gods. Unlike Waltrain, such as, their differences are far more than ideological and they are almost always at odds with each other more than anyone else. Her secular practitioner usually keep to fringe towns as their habits and practices usually grate on anyone they meet.
Allies: Waltrian, Kristas, and Lasko
Avatar: The Maiden of Trade
Clergy: Referred to as ‘The Purse of Innovera’ or ‘The Purse’
Followers: All humanoid races, but generally dwarves, gnomes and halfings
Innoverian Sects
The Parsimonious: – The Parsimonious are generally miserly. They often embody the best, and worst, qualities of Innovera’s faithful. They curry favor with members of Innovera’s faith that are not so skilled or wealthy as others and it is not uncommon to find them encircled by mercenaries, high walls, and all of life’s finer things. They’ve never seen a coin that couldn’t, or shouldn’t be in their pockets. They do not get along with members of The Alms of Innovera.
Alms of Innovera: – The members of The Alms of Innovera, which is just as likely to include Paladins as it is merchants and craftsmen believe that they can spread Innovera’s faith to the world by giving away their material wealth. While Innovera isn’t as popular with humans a decent number of the humans who follow her belong to this sect. They are, for obvious reasons, usually at odds with the Parsimonious.
The Keepers: – The Keepers safeguard what they consider to be forbidden knowledge born of labors of industry. They believe that some of Innovera’s knowledge is whispered to her faithful and is their purpose to secure and safeguard it from the masses. They are not above committing industrial espionage, bribery, and even murder to obtain the things they’re after. While they are only a very small and extreme sect of her faithful they often practice in secret as their beliefs usually fall afoul of common law.
Kistas – The Enchanted: - Kistas symbolizes magic, knowledge, and the arts. Many of her followers include practitioners of the eight circles as well as the more advanced schools of magic, along with bards, and many of the combat castes such as battle mages and spell blades. Unlike the other deities she does not have a formal clergy and there is no recognized hierarchy among her faithful. Many of her followers gather at universities and libraries throughout the realm and her sect is divided into the different specialized schools of magic. Many of Kistas’ followers despise the dragon and demon cultists. Many of Kistas’ followers are accepting of the followers of the virtues
Allies: Waltrian, Lasko, Innovera, and the followers of the virtues.
Avatar: Mistress of Magic
Practitioners: Nearly any race
Magic in Britannia: – Britannia’s council of the towns, who rules in the absence of their Monarch, formally banned the practice of Necromancy. It is not formally taught or practiced in Britannia without falling afoul of the law. Britannia specializes in the ‘combat’ magic schools, and these specialized warriors are trained at Moonglow’s Lyaceum. Magincia is another seat of power. Their combat schools include the Battle Mages, Spell Blades, The Hexed and The Heralds.
Magic in The Lone Islands: – The Lone Islands does not restrict much in the way of magic but many of the smaller towns outside of Narrowhaven and Principle are usually left to fend for themselves. In stark contrast, despite the presence of the Narrowhaven Academy, Narrowhaven is protected by a militia to keep the peace, recognizes no formal leader at this time and pride themselves on their resilience and a common air of civility. Those who practice magic within the walls of Narrowhaven are welcome by the militia so long as they do not cause problems. Those that do cause problems, if they’re not done in by the militia, will usually be undone by the bands of adventurers that are drawn to this haven of limited rule of law where the seat of power can shift in either direction depending on who is attacking or defending the town on any given day.
Magic in Calormen: – The Calormen Empire is an empire in name only and does not currently have a reigning emperor. Many of the smaller villages simply fend for themselves while the large cities such as New Tashban and Varstaad have trained soldiers to defend their settlement. Calormen is well trafficked by seasoned adventures who wander its vastness and practice all sorts of magic. It does not have a recognized center of magic like The Lone Islands or Britannia but even the smallest Calormen settlements include a magic shop.
Schools of Magic: Sorcery, Wizardry, summoning and Magery
Combat Schools of Britannia: - The Spell Blades, The Battle Mages, The Hexed, and The Heralds
Lasko – The Warrior: – Lasko symbolizes honor, war, valor and strength. He is said to be wed to Kistas and considering the closeness among adventurers who worship in their respective patronage it is not surprising to find that where a spell caster who worships Kistas is traveling they’re in the company of a warrior who worships Lasko. Lasko’s faithful also include some of the members of the combat magic schools. As with Kistas they do not recognize a formal clergy although many of those who worship Lasko entrust matters of faith to his paladins who join them on the battlefield. They had a large following in Trinsic before its fall and if they had anything remotely resembling a clergy many of them were wiped out when the city fell. The followers of Lasko are commonplace among town guards and militias who see him as their patron. As with those who follow Kistas many of them despise the demon and dragon cultists that have spread ruin and destruction across the realm.
Allies: Kistas, Innovera, Waltrian, and The followers of the virtues.
Avatar: The Lord of Battle
Practitioners: Nearly any race
Gruthafay – The Horror – Gruthafay symbolizes hate, rage, pain, murder and darkness. This deity can appear as man, or woman, and its worshipers include thieves, murderers, many of the non-humanoid races, much of the Drow, and all way of other persons and creatures that have fallen out of favor with society and the other gods. Its followers are a natural ally for the cultists worshipping the demons and dragons and they formally recognize those who worship at the shrine of Chaos. As you might expect they aren’t generally welcome anywhere and they gather in dungeons and holdfasts along trade routes and roads throughout the entirety of the realms. As this deity symbolizes so many awful things and encompasses many of the realms dregs its followers aren’t traditionally secular except that they’re wholly committed in their pursuit of evil. Those who worship Gruthafay and live among society are usually criminals or members of organized crime, assassins, spies and practitioners of forbidden magic.
There are no deities they will not challenge and no group they would not battle, including themselves.
Practitioners: Nearly any race
Allies: The dragon gods and demon prince cultists, the followers of chaos
The Dragon Gods: - Entities of pure destruction, and likely the source of creation for all magic in the world. The Dragon Gods are chaotic entities, with their true motives nearly unknown. What history has shown, however, is that the Dragon Gods create, and then they destroy. The various magic they create is able to be used by any entity. There are 13 known Dragon Gods and their leader is rumored to be Ghel-Arrad. The Dragon Gods are unique beings, unable to be duplicated for any reason.
The Daemon Princes: - The Daemon Princes are beings of pure evil and malice, and rulers over the Abyss. They are led by a powerful daemon known to mortals as Trephir'k'aeyrit'ryulaq, who was deformed many ages ago. They affect the mortal world in more than one place, as they exercise their powers on people. Their goal is mainly unknown except for the fact they wish to rebuild their leader. History has revealed though, that ages ago they tried to conquer the surface world, but their leader was destroyed by a spell long forgotten in time. With this knowledge it is believed that they will attempt it again soon. There are 11 Princes in total, and one Lord, all of which are unique and could not possibly be imitated at any time, nor would they allow it, as they would destroy such an imitation in an instant.
Cults and Minor Religions
The Dragon Cults: – As the name states the Dragon Cults worship ancient and powerful dragons that reside in the realms. They come from all walks of life, are at odds with most of the realms as well as their established religions and wield the power of their masters in hopes of giving control of the known realms to the dragons.
The Demon Cults: – Like the Dragon Cults the demon cults worship the demonic denizens of every good natured citizen’s nightmares. Their true motive is unclear but it would not be unreasonable to assume they’re intent on cloaking the world in fire and seeing it burned to ash all in the name of power.
The followers of Virtue: – After the defeat of Exodus and the closing of the Age of Darkness, Lord British created a Virtue system designed to be a new vision of life, for which people might strive. As most of the evil from outside had been vanquished, Lord British wanted people to start rooting out the evil that lurks within themselves. Each of the eight main towns was dedicated to one of the Eight Virtues, and Shrines were built near each one of them. Castles and Shrines were also created to be dedicated to the Three Principles that lead to the Virtues. The three Principles are Truth, Love and Courage.
The places in Britannia associated with the Three Principles are:
Truth: - The Lycaeum
Love: - Empath Abbey
Courage: - Serpent’s Hold
The places in Britannia associated with the eight virtues are:
Honesty: - Moonglow
Compassion: - Britain and Cove
Valor: - Jhelom
Justice: - Yew
Sacrifice: - Minoc
Honor: - Trinsic
Spirituality: - Skara Brae
Humility: - Magincia
The relationship between the Principles and Virtues is sometimes explained this way:
Honesty is respect for Truth ("that which, when you have it, means all may rely on your every word")
Compassion is Love of others ("the quality that compels one to share the journeys of others")
Valor is Courage to stand up against risks ("that which answers when great deeds are called for" and "the cloak that protects the other virtues")
Justice is Truth, tempered by Love ("that which should be the same for nobles and serfs alike")
Sacrifice is Courage to give oneself in name of Love ("that which is loath to place the self above all else")
Honor is Courage to seek and uphold the Truth ("that which shirk no duty")
Spirituality is to seek Truth, Love and Courage from one's own self and the world around ("that which, in knowing the self, knows all")
Humility is the opposite of Pride - the absence of Truth, Love or Courage ("That which serfs are born with, but nobles must strive to attain").
The followers of Chaos: -The followers of Chaos are also primarily rooted in Britannia. In addition to making pilgrimages to the Chaos Shrine they believe that the virtues should be codified into a set of draconian laws. Further, they believe in the anti-principles of Falsehood, Hated, and Cowardice along with the anti-virtues.
Honesty Thou shalt not lie, or thou shalt lose thy tongue.
Compassion Thou shalt help those in need, or thou shalt suffer the same need.
Valor Thou shalt fight to the death if challenged, or thou shalt be banished as a coward.
Justice Thou shalt confess to thy crime and suffer it’s just punishment, or thou shalt be put to death.
Sacrifice Thou shalt donate half of thy income to charity, or thou shalt have no income.
Honor If thou dost lose thine own honor, thou shalt take thine own life.
Spirituality Thou shalt enforce the laws of virtue, or thou shalt die as a heretic.
Humility Thou shalt humble thyself to thy superiors, or thou shalt suffer their wrath.
The Watcher Cults – The Watchers are a group of immortal beings that have been known to travel to the realms for various reasons. While not gods themselves many of them are incredibly powerful. Their true motivation for almost anything they do is a complete mystery, even to their faithful.
The Immoral Incarnate – Some scholars speculate that many of The Watchers are, or were at one time, the Immortal Incarnate. These beings live and die in a natural cycle except that they will eventually reincarnate with completely intact memories of their past lives. Their following is not large enough to make them a cult per say, however, many of them gain loyalists throughout their lives who will patiently wait for their reincarnation and the chance to serve them again. As with The Watchers the Immortal Incarnate are a near mystery. It is believed that, like The Watchers, they have fought both for and against the realms on either side of their large scale conflicts. Despite that several of them have helped defend the realms in the past, of their own volition, this hasn’t stopped The Cycle from hunting them.
Vampire Covens – While not a religion, and though many of them support Gruthafay, some very ancient vampires are worshipped by slaves, thralls, and hopefuls in secret in smaller towns and holdfasts throughout the realm. Some hope to gain vampiric powers, others are simply enslaved by them and serve as a means of survival. Along with the dragon and demon cults they’re one of the few groups who have earned near universal hatred and scorn from nearly every corner of the known realms.
NOTE: While not an absolute, these are the faiths, factions, and groups that will play a role in the lives of the people (primarily NPCs) in the realm. Your characters may, or may not, subscribe to this pantheon, but it is the presently recognized pantheon in Fracture
The Lands and their governance
The Kingdom of Britannia The Formation of the Council of Towns: – Following the disappearance of Lord British the council of towns was formed to help govern the realm. The previous Council of Towns was largely wiped out in Trinsic, except for Elder Sarah Lyons. She is the only sitting member of the Council who has been in her positon since its formation. All other members of the Council are relatively new to their posts. The Council of Towns controls trade routes between Britannia and the other continents of the realm as well as with each other. Nearby cities usually engage in mutual defense pacts. Individual rule of law is determined within each town by and for each town.
Founding Cities:
Britain
Cove
Ocllo
Jhelom
Minoc
Vesper
Trinsic
Skara Brae
Nujel’m
Yew
Later additions
Moonglow – Joined after the Fall of the Council of Mages
Magincia – Joined after the Fall of the Council of Mages
Unaffiliated Towns
Wind
Serpent’s Hold
Buccaneer’s Den
Delucia
Papua
Biographical Information on the members of the Council of Towns:
Lewis Fairchild
Age: 38
Race: Human
Position: Minister of Britain, unofficial 'leader' of the Council of Towns
Lewis Fairchild was born in the Lost Lands provincial city of Delucia to two devout followers of Lasko. At a young age Lewis found himself orphaned after his parents were killed during a raid conducted by orcs. His closest blood relative had married into a minor noble house who presided over Cove, house Estwein. Every man and woman in Cove serves for a time in the militia, and his new status as nobility did not exempt him from that. Lewis, along with his cousin Wallace Estwein, served in the militia for the majority of his formative years. His early years were spent running messages and supplies between guard posts, fetching water and provisions, or mucking out stables. As time went on he eventually learned the way of the sword, the soldier's life, and would have been quite content to remain in the militia had it not been for a fateful encounter with Bayard Bosen. Bayard Bosen, the patriarch of house Bosen and father to young Roth Bosen, was a devout follower of Lasko and at the time Britannia's champion of Valor. While Lasko has no clergy to speak of Britannia's champion of Valor is most often a member of his faith, and it is a title earned only by his strongest and fiercest warriors. During a visit to Cove on his way to confront a threat that lingered in nearby dungeon Covetous Bayard asked for some of the militia to join their expedition as a means of gauging their potential as candidates for service in Britannia's military. While both Lewis, and his cousin Wallace, joined the expedition Bayard only had Lewis pressed into service when their expedition was completed. While many are reluctant to admit it, this caused a rift between Lewis and Wallace that still stands to this day. Lewis completed his training in Jhelom, alongside Roth Bosen, and upon his return to Britain he was reinstated as a full noble and given lands just outside of Britain. Several years later, when Trinsic was destroyed during an attack by Demons and the previous Council of Towns was all but destroyed Lewis' lands sat on the road between Trinsic and Britain. He rallied Britannia's soldiers along the roads and from nearby towns and using a hastily assembled barricade they managed to keep the demon hordes contained to Trinsic. The fortifications they built on that day can still be seen, and are still manned. Britain's minor noble houses confirmed his appointment as Britain's new minister shortly thereafter. Elder Lyons of Skara Brae, as the last living member of the Council of Towns, was ferried back to Skara Brae but tasked Lewis with assembling a new Council of Towns while she was in recovery. Today Lewis is seen as the 'leader' of the Council of Towns, and while not an official position, Britannia would be hard pressed to find a better man to fill it. His task of assembling a new Council of Towns was a difficult one that often left him frustrated for the first time in his life though that frustration is rarely apparent in public. He maintains 'warm' terms with almost all of the members of the Council of towns except for Paige Lyons who he treats with a sort of reverence.
Wallace Estwein
Age: 35
Race: Human
Position: Captain of the Cove Militia, Lord of Cove
Wallace Estwein was the first and only son to Cove's leading house. In his early years he spent his childhood apart from the people of Cove due to a weaker constitution and he was often stricken with illnesses of varying severity. He was delivered from his sicknesses by a dying priest of Waltrian who had served house Estwein and is said to have invoked his god directly so that Wallace could be healed. From that point on he was considered something of a miracle child and the men and women of Cove were certain that he was destined for great things. That all changed with the arrival of his cousin Lewis. Wallace spent many years living in Lewis' shadow and even became embittered by it for a time. After Lewis was selected by Bayard Bosen to server in Britannia's military he went before his family and told them he'd planned to become an adherent to the Virtues and spend his days ministering on them from the temple in Britain. By some stroke of luck, or perhaps the will of the gods, while the town was in an uproar over his decision he met a young woman named Emily with whom he traded goods in order to prepare for his journey. It is, by now, a local fable of sorts but in that most brief of transactions she managed to talk him out of his decision and even win his heart. Then, a new man, Wallace recommitted to Cove and to the militia. He went on to serve for a very brief period in Jhelom and trained under Roth Bosen, who also stood as the best man at his wedding to his now wife Emily. He maintained his rank of Captain when he returned to Cove where he now serves as head of the militia. When he was petitioned by his cousin Lewis to join the Council of Towns, he accepted the position out of a duty to Cove, and Britannia than to his familial rival. To this day he and Lewis still maintain frigid relations but the two rarely reach an impasse that they cannot break for the good of Britannia. Wallace is often seen as the 'weakest' member of the Council, even behind relatively new appointees Sylvani Windrider of Moonglow and Wendell Thorpe of Magincia. He, often grudgingly, votes in line with Minoc and Vesper but almost never in opposition to Lewis.
Sarah Gideon
Age: 28
Race: Human
Position: Mayor of Occlo
Sarah Gideon was born somewhere in mainland Britannia to roving gypsies. Her mother died in child birth leaving her father, the clan's elder, to raise her alone. Her formative years were spent on the roads between towns, learning the bardic arts for which her people are known, and because her clan knew enough magic to merit their entry they even traded and performed in the city of Wind. Her father accepted payment from a group of mages, lead by a former elven mage from the Britannian royal court, named Unaxx. Unaxx and his mages were hiding from the Council of Mages and then smuggled across Britannia in secret to safe havens spread throughout the realm. One day Sarah met a woman, Madelyn Silstree, several years older than her who was not only a talented bard but a prestigious mage. She had only just joined the mage exiles. Madelyn took Sarah under her wing and began to show her the ways of magic along with how to use a sword. In time Sarah's clan began to let Madelyn stand apart from the mage exiles and she was welcomed to stay and live amongst their community as long as she wished. As time went on Sarah's clan continued to smuggle mages out of Wind but, it seemed, while they would arrive at their destination without issue on return visits they would sometimes learn that their former charges had either disappeared or been killed. Sarah's clan depended on that coin, and the renegade mages were all but certain someone was leaking their location to the Council of Mages, and that the leak was originated from somewhere within his clan. A former member of their clan had left their way of life to become a Templar who guarded Yew's court of Truth. Out of an obligation to her father the Templar agreed to investigate the clan and see if he could find where the leak was coming from. Madelyn, who they would later learn was a Herald for the Council of Mages, was found to be the culprit behind the leaks. When she was confronted with the evidence brought against her swords were drawn and spellfire was exchanged. During that confrontation Sarah's father was killed and Sarah was forced to kill her former mentor. She assumed the role of clan elder, and though she still helped smuggle renegade mages across Britannia to escape the Council of Mages, her clan agreed to begin hunting down their operatives within Britannia's towns, at the request of none other than Sylvani Windrider. One night, acting on that goal, she fell afoul of a group of guards in the walled city of Trinsic and found herself confined to their jail. When the true motivations for the laws she had broken were discovered then High Paladin Reldar Thobin pardoned her for her crimes and she was smuggled out of Trinsic on a boat to Occlo only hours before operatives acting on orders from the Council of Mages attacked the jail and were killed by Reldar's paladins. Upon arriving in Occlo she assumed a position with the volunteer guard and oversaw its reformation while using her new influence to help the renegade mages in Wind keep an eye on their enemies in Moonglow and Magincia. After their former mayor was killed in Trinsic when it fell Sarah was given command of the Volunteer Guard and managed to keep the town in order until the panic that began to run rampant through it's populace resided. As the ranking member of Occlo's Volunteer guard Sarah was appointed to the post of Mayor when Lewis Fairchild made the call for the appointment of new Council members. She is fiercely loyal to Britannia and has a resolve that would leave even the most dedicated of soldiers dumbfounded, she considers Sylvani Windrider of Moonglow to be one of her greatest friends and during her time in Occlo often fed Sylvani's renegade mages information regarding the movements of the Council of Mages. She is usually a voice of moderation on the Council but is often at odds with Lord Darius Lor of Vesper or Wendell Thorpe of Magincia. She is a member of the Island Triad an unofficial 'wing' of the Council of Towns consisting of Nujel'm, Moonglow, and Occlo.
Roth Bosen
Age: 36
Race: Human
Position: Commander of Britannia's Armies, Lord of Jhelom
The wild warrior son of Bayard Bosen rose to his position as commander of Britannia's armies not on his father's name but on his skill as a commander, his peerless dedication to Britannia, and his tireless quest to secure the continent from any and all who would do it harm. Roth Bosen was born in a field tent in Britannia's desert of Compassion only a stone's throw from a battlefield. His formative years were spent traveling Britannia never far from his father's side and he often undertook imaginary adventures when left to his own devices once his father was set out on whatever task he'd been given to undertake. This often placed him square in the path of whatever trouble their was to be found. His father decided it was best he expend that energy learning the art of combat. Thus in a relatively short time the years training with squires, knights, and soldiers left him with skill and grit few men with experience and twice his age could match. He was still a young man when he was sent to Jhelom and placed into the same group of 'raw' recruits as Lewis Fairchild. What was at first a competitive rivalry grew into a lifelong friendship after their training exercise in the jungles south of Trinsic was unexpectedly set upon by ophidians. With many of their seniors dead or dying around them Roth and Lewis assumed command of their squad and only through sheer and unmatched ferocity held off the Ophidians until paladins from Trinsic arrived to put the Ophidians down. Lewis eventually returned to Britain after his claim to nobility was formally recognized, due in no small part to lobbying by Roth's father Bayard, and Roth remained behind in Jhelom. Over the course of the next several years Roth continued to rise through the ranks until he had command of most of Jhelom's soldiers and was given a seat on the Council of Towns after the fall of Trinsic. When word from Occlo arrived about the rebellions taking place in Magincia and Moonglow Roth martialed his forces without waiting for orders and helped the Battle Mages crush their oppressors in Magincia. He later regrouped with volunteers from Occlo, as well as renegade mages from Wind, and helped to route the Council of Mage's forces in Moonglow. Ultimately this lead to his promotion to his current post as Commander of Britannia's armies. He still continues to serve in his role as the representative from Jhelom, but spends more time on his military duties. He has offered more than once to step down and allow another to be appointed to the post but he has been unable to find anyone deemed suitable for the job. While he remains as active in the Council of Towns as he can he makes no secret of his distaste for politics. Most of the members of the Council of Towns pay him proper respects, and value his opinion, but he is often at odds with Darius Lor of Vesper and Wendell Thorpe of Magincia. The former believes he is unfit to be considered nobility and the latter believes he is an unthinking brute. Despite that none would dare question his loyalty to Britannia and expect to survive the reprisal. As he is on good terms with both men he often plays mediator between Lewis and Wallace. He depends heavily on Paige Lyon's rangers from Skara Brae to act as his eyes and ears around the realm, and as such, will often consult her for advice.
Wendell Thorpe
Age: 38
Race: Human
Position: Magister of Magincia
Wendell Thorpe was born and raised in Magincia to a prestigious family of mages who have dabbled in everything from extra planar summoning to necromancy. He is the only member of the Council of Towns who also served on the Council of Mages. Wendell has been studying magic since before he could walk, and it is said there are few walking the realms who can match his level of knowledge on the subject. Wendell was the brainchild behind the Council of Mages Triallum ritual and even today he considers it his crowning achievement despite the fact that the Council eventually fell. He was considered a moderate amongst the Council of Mages, meaning that while other members of the council thought all should undergo the Triallum or die Wendell only thought they shouldn't be killed. Were it not for his expertise on magic many suspect he would not be permitted on the council at all. He is quite frequently at odds with Roth Bosen of Jhelom, who he regards as thoughtless brute, and Sylvani Windrider, of Moonglow, who fought against the Council of Mages as one of Wind's renegade mages. However, he reserves his deepest scorn for Sarah Gideon, of Occlo, who once claimed to have proof that Wendell was the mastermind directing the Heralds in their efforts to spy on the rest of Britannia. That would also make him culpable in the death of her father and countless mages who sought refuge on the mainland to escape the reach of the Council of Mages. Lewis was reluctant to recruit Wendell but his knowledge of nearly every field of magical study made him invaluable. His appointment to the Council of Towns was conditional with the appointment of Sylvani Windrider and he considers it shameful that his appointment was made under those conditions even if he reluctantly accepted. He is also said to keep a wealth of inaccessible magic tomes at his estate in Magincia which house a wealth of knowledge on long forgotten ancient and powerful spells. It is rumored he has been pressing the Council of Towns to once again allow the practice of Necromancy within it cities under the argument that bringing necromancers out of the shadows would ultimately cause less problems for Britannia as some of them would accept position in, and aid, society. His views on the subject are considered wildly unpopular as well as dangerous by the other sitting members. Most of the other members only barely tolerate him, except for Darius Lor, to which he is something akin to a friend.
Telchar Stoneaxe
Age: 198
Race: Dwarf
Position: High Merchant of Minoc
Telchar Stoneaxe was born in Dhorboldor, a Dwarven stronghold in the kingdom of Calorman, but some infighting amongst the dwarves at the time saw his clan relocate to Minoc when he was still relatively young by their standards. His clan, although small, quickly managed to outpace the local smiths in terms of quality of goods. It wasn't long before his clan began to control most of the smithing and mining work done within Minoc but that was not without its benefits. Soon other smiths, both challenged and inspired by the Stoneaxe clan's work began to work harder to surpass them and while they never managed to accomplish the feat today Minoc still produces some of the best workmanship seen in Britannia and many of its best smiths have taken up posts within the royal armory, located in Britain. Telchar rose to his position as high merchant of Minoc after his clan supplied the region, including rival city Vesper, with arms and armor that gave them the edge against a well equipped band of brigands operating in the countryside around dungeon Covetous. Naturally, when Lewis began looking for a new representative from Minoc Telchar's name came right to the top of the list. He believes that Lewis should just be appointed as the new leader of Britannia, makes no secret of his distaste for council politics, remembers, and longs for, the days of the monarchy. He would much rather be doing just about anything else. He maintains stiff relations with Magincia and Moonglow, who he does not trust due to their 'magical deviances'. He is often flustered by Sarah Gideon who delights in teasing him, though the two are on friendly terms. He pays due respect to the other towns with the singular exception of Vesper. He and Darius Lor are frequently at odds over everything from regional taxes to trade disputes but with the road south to Britain in such disarray he is heavily dependent on Vesper to ship Minoc's goods to the other cities. Darius Lor has been charging Minoc increasingly large export fees for use of Vesper's ships and ports and the two are currently entangled in a bitter trade dispute. The Battle Mages recent arrival in Minoc to deal with attacks from a powerful group of renegade mages intent on conquering Minoc does not sit well with Telchar and he has petitioned Wind and the rest of the Council for their immediate removal.
Sylvani Windrider
Age: 98
Race: Elf
Position: Arch Mage of Moonglow
The prodigy of Yew, or so she was once known. She was born to 'mundane' elves in the city of Yew, farmers, and so far as anyone has been able to discern there is no history of magic within her family. She often found herself in trouble with the monks who stand watch over Yew and spent much time facing their stern discipline in her early years, after all, she was a child in a town where nobody understood how a young mage develops, much less the trouble it could cause. At some point, then Abbot Jameson Gelding, reached out to an old comrade of his, a man named Unaxx, with whom he had served with during his days in Britannia's court. Unaxx was an Inquisitor of Kistas, something akin to their clergy, and when he heard of this girl in Yew born to parents who never knew the touch of magic he took it as a 'sign' from the Mistress of Magic herself. Abbot Gelding oversaw Sylvani's release into his care and she was taken to Moonglow where she studied the art of Magic at the Lycaeum. She was schooled there for a number of years until the rise of the Council of Mages. Unaxx believed the Council of Mages was not for the benefit of Britannia, and its draconian methods were an affront to Kistas herself. An affront to Kistas or not, he was right on his first point. One of the first tasks The Hexed ever undertook for The Council of Mages was an attempt at having him silenced. Sylvani and Unaxx escaped to Wind where Unaxx helped organize the mage renegade mages. Sylvani completed her studies as a mage, and assumed a leadership role within the renegade mages. She often corresponded directly with Sarah Gideon's clan, and was the one who alerted Reldar Thobin to the true nature of Sarah's business in Trinsic. After the seven day war she was brought on to the Council of Towns as a counterbalance to Magister Wendell Thorpe and for her role in saving the lives of so many renegade mages. Unaxx still serves as her most trusted advisor but his time is often spent away from Moonglow working in secret on behalf of Sylvani and the other members of the council. Her knowledge of magic is second only to Magister Wendell Thorpe, who despite his relative youth far outpaces anyone Britannia has ever seen. Sylvani once accused Wendell of receiving 'help' from things beyond the Abyss as he has more than once spoken of things he should not have knowledge of, but continued investigations by the Court of Truth have found nothing unwarranted for a man of his station. This has lead to an almost murderous distrust between the two. She maintains a civil relationship with Telchar Stoneaxe of Minoc, though she believes his outright distrust of Magic to be to the determent of Minoc. The rest of the Council largely respects her as any would a mage of her skill with the sole exception of Darius Lor who she believes is a vile and detestable man only afforded his office because of his family's influence. She is considered the leader of the unofficial wing of the council called the Island Triad, made up of Nujel'm, Occlo and Moonglow
Robert Pembridge
Age: 35
Race: Human
Position: Mayor of Nujel'm
Robert Pembridge was born to commoner parents in the city of Vesper during a time of piracy, graft, and crime that predated the first Council of Towns moving in to restore order. His father was a sailor he never knew, nor wanted to know, and his mother was a woman of the 'oldest profession'. He grew up in a life of crime and violence that ultimately resulted in forced conscription in the Britannian Navy in order to avoid prison once the Council moved into Vesper to restore order. Early on in his career Robert took part in a rescue mission to secure the release of the daughter of a prominent merchant from Trinsic named Nicholas Undine. His daughter, Christine, had been kidnapped by pirates that made their home in Buccaneer's Den. When his commanding officer was killed and their ship was beached Robert took command of the sailors. He ordered each man to take only enough food for three days then poisoned the remainder of it. When the pirates took it as their own Robert and his men waited for two day's time in the miserable jungle on that island. Certain they'd fallen sick from their seized cargo Robert launched an attack on the pirates ship under the cover of night. Those that weren't in the throes of a sickness were yet too weak or tired to fight and the sailors easily bested them despite their numbers. When offered a reward for his service he asked for Christine's hand in marriage. Though his unorthodox methods left Britannia wondering if he shouldn't be drummed out of the navy he was eventually commissioned as a privateer with orders to raid ships coming from the Lone Islands and Calorman. Robert did everything short of completely crossing over to outright piracy, even consorting with pirates through a proxy only to show up after both sides had been weakened and take multiple ships. He amassed considerable wealth during that period, and his written charter as a privateer left the Navy unable to do anything to him especially given his marriage to the only daughter of Trinsic's house Undine. When he finally retired from naval life Robert, for unknown reasons, set out to destroy his father in law, take his fortune, and ruin his name. It wasn't long before he succeeded in that too, and became one of the richest men in all of Britannia. He keeps a palatial estate on the island of Nujel'm which is protected by a group of sell swords called the Ironwall mercenaries. Robert allegedly paid so much for their services he all but owns them, and they'll not so much as look at other offerings. Britannia's pirates are terrified of him, and the rest of Britannia isn't rich enough to get by without him. He is said to run an elaborate information network on behalf of the Council, and he often uses it for political gain and favors from the other towns. He maintains friendly relations with Moonglow and Occlo, rounding out the third and final member city of the unofficial wing of the Council known as the 'Island Triad'. He does not get along well with Darius Lor of Vesper, or Wendell Thorpe of Magincia, both of whom detest him for his commoner blood and the latter of the two because he finds himself frequently beaten at games of wit. Though it is unclear to anyone why he is fiercely loyal to Paige Lyons of Skara Brae.
Paige Lyons
Age: 58
Race: Human
Position: Elder of Skara Brae
Paige Lyons is a name that will forever be attached to the legend of Britannia's Rangers. In the days of the monarchy and beyond the Rangers have moved about Britannia at her direction often winning battles before they ever get started. She was born and raised in Skara Brae, and was the youngest woman to date to be conscripted into Ranger service at the age of fourteen. She met, and married, her husband Garrett while serving in their ranks. When she joined the Rangers they were not nearly the effective fighting force they are today, but it was something she quickly changed. She and Garrett founded the Order of the Hunt, to act as Britannia's eyes and ears and the order of the Hearth to see to defense of the kingdom itself alongside Britannia's armies. Paige, and her husband Garett, were in Trinsic when it fell. Garrett did not survive the siege and Paige was found some days later on the roads by troops under Lewis Fairchild's command, half dead. Today Paige is still recuperating from the siege, and acts as an elder for the Council. Often, when their votes end in a tie, she is the deciding vote. Her children, Megan and Leon, serve in the Order of the Hunt and the Order of the Hearth respectively. The order of the Hunt was recently tasked with assisting commander Bosen's military campaign to retake Britannia's network of roads by thinning out local orc populations wherever they're able, mapping enemy fortifications, and harassing bandit enclaves to ensure they don't attempt to make a brazen move upon commander Bosen's supply trains. Leon is often present at Council meetings, and while he is not a member himself, the order of the Hearth often coordinates with local garrisons in defense of their towns. They've even been called on to mediate land disputes, deal with poachers and chase off threats to livestock, such as wolves. They do not often leave mainland Britannia however and it has been suggested that Paige's rangers coordinate with Robert Pembridge's information network operating abroad. Elder Lyons receives near universal respect from the council, as failing to do at least that much publically would equate to political suicide amongst Britannia's nobility which sees her as something of a folk hero.
Reldar Thobin
Age: 52 (deceased)
Race: Human
Position: Late High Paladin of Trinsic
Reldar Thobin was the last sitting Council member from Trinsic before it fell. He was a paladin of Lasko, and Britannia's former Champion of Justice. He rose to prominence within the ranks of Britannia's paladins for countless storied battles against impossible odds where he was said to have been touched by the hand of Lasko himself. In the years leading up to the fall of Trinsic he had been present at many pivotal points in the lives of some of the sitting council members. He lead the paladins that relieved Lewis and Roth during their stand against the Ophidians, slew the agents of the Council of Mages who had come to kill Sarah Gideon, traveled, served, and fought alongside David Alduin, and personally welcomed Robert Pembridge back to Trinsic after he had successfully rescued Christine Undine. He was, technically, a member of the previous Council of Towns, and served alongside Paige Lyons until the council was destroyed during the siege of Trinsic. If Paige Lyon's accounts are to be believed Reldar gave his life in an attempt to allow the other members of the Council to escape and though some believe his efforts were in vain and in that moment even Lasko abandoned him none would dare voice it aloud. To this day the story of how he lived and died is still used as a rallying cry for Britannia's forces and if one needs a model to take after they need look no further than Reldar Thobin. Whoever ends up occupying the seat he once filled in Trinsic will have great expectations placed upon them, like it or not.
Darius Lor
Age: 42
Race: Human
Positon: Lord of Vesper
Darius Lor is a man who would be King, but is seen as wholly unfit for the position. He was born into a noble family that was an offshoot of Britannia's then royal family, except that it is a claim that the council adamantly refuses to acknowledge due to the sudden and unexplained disappearance of his sister, Andrea who the previous council sought to elevate to the position of Queen before it was destroyed. He was classically raised and trained as a 'nobleman' believing the people should be subservient to him by nature of his birth and that it is their duty to work on behalf of the nobility. If Vesper's minor nobility didn't harbor the same beliefs many believes Lewis would not have asked him to join the Council but that failing to do so would have lead to strife and perhaps civil war. He is despised by several members of the council, and those who do not despise him do not like him. He is engaged in a bitter trade dispute with Telchar Stoneaxe of Minoc which is bordering on outright warfare and is the sole supporter on the Council for some of Wendell Thorpe's more 'clandestine' ideas. Vesper's nobility, if not Darius himself, is suspected to be somehow complicit in his sister's disappearance but given that her ideas clashed with nearly all of the nobility and she championed the concept of Noblesse Oblige, it would not be surprising to find that they had her removed from any sphere of influence. Yew's Templars from the court of truth, as well as the Rangers from the Order of the Hearth, have been scouring every nook and cranny of Britannia in search of her but thus far they have turned up nothing. Darius, unsurprisingly, spares the minimal amount of men possible in the search claiming that to do otherwise would expose Vesper to 'intolerable risk'. Robert Pembridge is said to have challenged him to a duel once, which Darius refused, on the grounds that it was unfit for a man of his station to fight a commoner. In the days since Commander Bosen arrived in the mainland and began his campaign to secure it Darius' behavior has become rather worrisome, and as Robert Pembridge has already publically suggested that is because once the Council can spare the resources to investigate Andrea's disappearance properly, they will find him complicit.
David Aldun
Age: 54
Race: Human
Position: Abbot of Yew
David Aldun has served in Britannia's royal court, traveled alongside some of its most storied heroes, counseled the leaders of nations and was hoping to live out a quiet life in Yew. After retiring from Britannia's royal court where he worked as a librarian and keeper of their bestiary he became a monk in Yew. He succeeded then Abbot Bron Granholm when Abbot Granholm, who succeeded Abbot Gelding, was killed during the invasion of Trinsic along with high Templar Cameron Winters. Abbot Aldun is a wise man, beloved by the people of Britannia for his honesty, sense of compassion, and steadfast pursuit of the truth in all things. For the time being he has seen to directing the Templars until a new grandmaster can be chosen from their ranks. As the new Abbot his appointment to the Council of Towns was mandatory, and Lewis Fairchild was more than grateful to accept the wisdom and counsel that Abbot Aldun would come to provide. Though he usually says very little at meetings his scribes often document everything for review and cataloguing as well as to record the very history of Britannia. Every word, every single word, is written down. Behind closed doors some suggest that is the only way to keep the current members of the Council civil such are their stresses but the Abbot believes that once Commander Bosen's campaign succeeds the Council can move to resolving other matters and healing their internal strife. All but Darius Lor and Wendell Thorpe treat him with a sense of reverence. He is surprisingly fond of Robert Pembridge, even though he is a man with such a shady past, but some suggest that is because Robert has lead a life of adventure a younger David Aldun wanted badly to live. Perhaps that is why, above the door to his study in Yew the following inscription can be found: "You lead the life you must lead, or the life you want to lead. You cannot do both, nor succeed at both if you tried."
Notable Britannian events in the Post-British Era
The Rise and Fall of the Council of Mages: – The Council of Mages ruled over Moonglow and Magincia following the disappearance of Lord British. They practiced all manner of magics, even those that are forbidden in Britannia today, the upper echelon of the magister caste treated the lesser mages who only practiced the eight circles with utter disdain. The mainland city of Wind, long affiliated with council, broke ties with them and became a haven for those dubbed renegade mages, anyone that did not wish to join the council. While this concerned the council of towns, with the absence of their monarch, many of them were too busy dealing with their own affairs to halt the rise of the council. The council began to form their own army, by creating the combat schools, and forcibly conscripted those with lesser magical talents into their ranks. Over time this lead to the formation of the combat castes.
The Triallum: - The Triallum, created during the very early days of the council of mages, was a series of tests designed to identify every aspect of a Mage's latent talents. In the upper castes of the council this gave them a hypersensitivity to magic that allowed them to learn new types of magic very quickly. Amongst the combat castes their ability to use magic was permanently altered. While they understood and could wield the eight circles, they were not able to learn or teach magic as it is taught to traditional mages. Some of them were left with crippling side effects from the ritual but not so many that the council ever refined this process. Side effects often manifested when a combat mage attempted to learn magic beyond their caste or teach it to another. The most common side effects of the triallum included crippling pain, nausea, brain fog and headaches. In those who had no latent talent for magic but were forced to undergo the Triallum as part of their conscription even death was not uncommon.
Battle Mages: - Specially trained as guards and frontline soldiers they were also expected to enforce discipline and keep order among the mages. They often trained in using swords or maces, and all of them were expected to learn to wield a mêlée weapon, shield, and spells as well as specialize in the use of heavier armor. To increase survivability many of them also increased their resistance to magic, battle focus, and magery. Their increased focus on learning the basic eight circles gave them a handful of generic summons to aid in combat.
Spell Blades: - Not as talented as their battle mage brethren in frontline combat, or magic, the spell blades were to be used in conjunction with the battle mages as a light brigade that specialized in blitzkriegs. Many of them trained in arts that valued speed over power, such as fencing, and it was not at all uncommon that they’d compliment their skill sets by learning alchemy or poisoning. Some of them were also used as assassins that operated outside the council’s territories.
The Hexed: - These warriors, while similar to a spell blade, were specially trained to hunt down rogue mages who refused to recognize the council’s authority or would not contribute to their long term goals. Apart from Wind, they never operated publicly except inside of Moonglow or Magincia, and there were only a handful of them. They were known only to a very select group of the council to keep their identities secret. The council let their existence be known only to sew fear in anyone that might consider rebellion.
The Heralds: - The Heralds were largely women, and trained in the bardic arts as well as spy craft and the use of magic. They were often employed by the council to coerce the cooperation of merchants, spy on members of the council of towns, and gather information about their activities. Their existence was only discovered after the council fell, it had been kept completely secret during the council’s reign.
The Nujel’m incident: - With the intention of invading Britannia’s mainland through Vesper the council of mages dispatched a group of Spell Blades to kill Nujel’m local leaders. Afterwards, knowing it would take time to gather troops from the member towns, the council would dispatch their troops under the auspices of maintaining order and then would take control take of Nujel’m so they could use it as a staging area and beachhead against any possible counterattack from the north. They were undone by Mayor Robert Pembridge himself, who discovered their plot and used a fire ship to blow up the assassin's off the coast of Nujel'm.
When the council learned of this, to avoid war with the mainland, they disavowed any knowledge of their actions and declared that the spell blades themselves had gone rouge. An order went out for the battle mages to detain the spell blades, and kill them if necessary, even as the council of towns began to dispatch emissaries to investigate what had occurred.
The Battle Mage rebellion: - Recognizing that the council of mages saw them as disposable and it was only a matter of time before they suffered the same fate, portions of the battle mages rebelled and in a matter of days both Moonglow and Magincia erupted into fierce fighting as battle mages and spell blades killed each other in the streets fighting for and against their council masters. Magincia, with its smaller presence, was quickly taken by rebel battle mages and spell blades long sick of the council’s scheming and treachery. They organized and launched an attack on Moonglow to secure the seat of the council’s power, the Lycaeum.
The Seven Day War: - The reinforcements from Magincia helped the rebels in Moonglow overthrow the council’s forces in the city proper but when they launched an assault on the Lycaeum itself they found it had already been pacified. The Lycaeum’s Head Battle Mage, and the Lycaeum’s personal guard had driven out the council’s forces and were harboring moderate and renegade mages who were intent on departing for Wind to avoid the fighting. Bent on blood the majority of the rebels demanded they turn the mages over to them. When renegade mages from Wind arrived to help those trapped in the Lycaeum the rebels mistook them for council reinforcements. Marius’ forces were drawn into the battle at that point and though vastly outnumbered they managed to make a hole through the rebel ranks for the forces from Wind. For two long days they weathered the rebel siege. On the dawning of the third day forces dispatched by the council of towns arrived on the island of Moonglow, having put down the rebels in Magincia, and began a protracted battle with rebel forces who had dug into the city. Despite heavy losses, Moonglow was taken from the rebels, and with forces pressing them from both sides they were eventually crushed. The representatives from the council of towns arrived on the sixth day, and held a session at the Lycaeum. Moonglow and Magincia were folded into the council of towns with a former council moderate, Wendell Thorpe, elected to lead Magincia. Sylvani Windrider, formerly of Moonglow who had become the provisional leader of the renegades in Wind was elected to lead Moonglow. On the seventh day the last of the rebel forces were driven from Moonglow, and the remnants conceded surrender.
The Aftermath: - In the aftermath of the battle very few battle mages and spell blades were left among the living. Many of the survivors cast aside their weapons and returned to their old lives before they were conscripted. The Lycaeum was allowed to continue to operate, and has remained in working order under various leaders. Marius Underwood remained an instructor there for a time before ultimately parting ways with the Lycaeum to return to his life as an adventurer.
The Events in Trinsic
Trinsic is being held by the forces of darkness despite the best efforts of the town’s defenders. Given the size and scope of the problem it will take a large force and not simply a handful of adventurers to retake it. Efforts by Roth Bosen of Jhelom, Paige Lyons of Skara Brae and David Aldun of Yew to rally the other members of the council of towns to retake the city have been continually voted down in favor of securing roads leading away from Trinsic and shoring up other towns.
Current Events:
08/12/2016
Commander Bosen's campaign to restore order to Britannia has begun. A band of adventurers fought alongside his recruits to retake positions along the road to Trinsic and establish a supply line to the men and women who currently contain the demons within its walls.
