The World Powers

The major world locations and the factions that control them.

The Daen Empire
The Daen Empire is comprised of 17 kingdoms all overlooked by the de facto leader, Archduke Julian Alek, the spiritual guide to the empire and the Infant Empress Audrey Elynbrigge Daen. The empire is patently anti-magic, militant when defending its ideals, and is a technologically and culturally advancing society.

Shorguth emissaries (Beastlands) have been executed as soon as they arrive in Bastion Bridge.

Whiteguard
Maleon Blake - Whiteguard commander

Ardesh mage ships have imposed a tariff in the Straights of Shimmer, same as the imperial tax, with a blockade. The Daen's Whiteguard naval fleet are being deployed.

There are rumored to be Ardesh spies in the Daen Empire

Fairfax Morgan - Liaison between Whiteguard and Arcane Affairs. Quick to anger, lovestruck for another worker, desperately wants to climb in rank, grew up pirating, orphaned, fears Ardesh greatly, actually wants peace out of fear, heavy drinker, is being blackmailed for selling secrets.

Whiteguard Class
Skills:

Horsemanship: Cavalry apprentice

Military History apprentice

Operations apprentice

Medium & Heavy Armour Use

Tactics

Weapon Maintenance for all proficiencies known

Land Navigation I

Intimidate I

Heraldry: Military Apprentice

Law: Daen Apprentice

Armour Maintenance: select one

Drill & Ceremony

Military Procedures

Weapon Maintenance: select one

Melee Weapon (med) I

Take It Like a Man I

Literacy

Diplomacy I

Skill cost: 14

Requirements:

Minimum either Strength or Stamina: 12

Minimum all other physical and mental attributes: 8 each

Horsemanship: Basic

At least two different Melee Weapons

Member of Daen Military or Knighted by Daen royalty

Training time: minimum 1 year

Requirements: Recommendation to join

Perks:

+1D8 maximum hit point capacity

Special: Lore: Daen Royal History

Bonus equipment: Whiteguard cloak, armor, weapons, tack and bridle, official seal

Special: if active duty: steady income, hierarchy, access to equipment

+2 Stamina

+6 Reputation

Bonus contact: Sponsor

Bonus status:

Features and bonuses:

Expect courtesy from fellow members of the Whiteguard and fear (or at least unease) from the common folk, but expect to respond accordingly.

Level bonuses:

II. 3 levels of any weapon proficiencies

III. Daen Heart: your commands are heard over the din of battle

IV. +2 to parry and initiative

V. +2 to all attacks

VI. Aura of Command: you are recognizable as a leader among those in doubt

VII. Magehunter: 25% more likely to spot a magic user

VIII. Bladed Honor: 2 attack retests

IX. Fire in the Belly: Passion for battle or the hunt, +2 Personality or Grace

X. Promotion and the ability To Your Banner: Can muster non-whiteguard armies, possibly non-Daen, to your cause

XI. +2 to any two marital proficiencies

XII. Gain up to 5 loyal followers, Daen military or otherwise.

XIII. Dark Warrior: you can simultaneously either fight and command, including on-the-fly tactics

XIV. True Resolve: +3 Strength, +3 Willpower, I.P.B.S. x2

XV. Ancient Path: May dual-class as Martial Artist at 1/2 cost

XVI. +1D12 maximum hit point capacity

XVII. Wizardbane: add one die to all weapon damage to magic users

XVIII. +2 parry and block, +2 dodge

XIX. Statuses: Cherished, Courtly, Tenacious

XX. 4 upgrades to social apprenticeships or proficiencies

XXI. Promotion to either Whiteguard Protector, Whiteguard General, or Whiteguard Enforcer

XXII. Given land a keep, or a ship

XXIII. +3 on all attacks

XXIV. Magebreaker: Can detect magic and magic users by concentrating

XXV. Armies at the Last Battle: Your presence on the battlefield increases the martial skills of those on your side by 4, are less likely to flee, and have an effective +4 bonus to HP capacity

Per additional level: +1 to any one weapon or social skill

Per additional odd-numbered level: +1 maximum hit point

Arcane Affairs
Before entering the Arcane Affairs office, the Imperium, a blood tribute is given, a test to see if there is any magical influence on the person entering.

The Conjurers and Charmers law being voted on, it restricts the use of alchemy, herbalism, and seering commonly used in the smaller communities.

Though it does not often carry standards into battle, Arcane Affairs has its own flag, a brown field with gold waves and a blue-white candle flame in the middle.

Gideon Borne - Arcane Affairs minister

Eustace Kent - Head Arcane Affairs enforcement officer

Lady Maria Fenton - Arcane Affairs consultant

Haile Hill - Arcane Affairs undersecretary

Nigel Hayward - Officer in charge of hunting down magical artifacts. Reserved, fear of undead, easily bored, incorruptible, worries for the Verek's culture, thinks he can run the world better, has dreams that seem to tell the future, an expert swordsman.

Eliah Bishop - Consultant for the Arcane Affairs Operatives, magical crime enforcement. Very competitive, frequents brothels, zealous love for the Daen empire, sexual deviant, quite attractive and suave, desires wealth and is corruptable if he can justify it, watches assassinations for pleasure.

Sutton Blake - Assistant to Haile Hill, brother of Maleon Blake. Diminutive, bitter, lives in family shadow, has a strange illness, stutters, poor speaker, desires to be popular, is trying to open his own opera company, wants to marry and have children, has some inert Manifest ability.

Harris Wright - Arcane Affairs Extrinsics sage, extra-worldly incursions. Crusader, passionate, manic, witty, sharp tongue, is cursed, despises the Ardesh, sees them as animals, has a dark past, is currently planning to kill his wife.

Noah Hall - Ex-military, future overseer of the anti-magic inquisition, propaganda. Dark, morbid, sees everyone as a potential traitor, lust for knowledge and adventure, though tied to desk, desires to humiliate the Verek, needs desperately to be remembered after his passing, is able to detect cursed individuals, makes new friends only to dick them over for fun.

The Daen Council
Minister General of the Council, Denys Selwyn

Main areas of the empire
Bastion Bridge

Capitol City and home of the Archduke and Infant Empress. Bastion Bridge is sophisticated and cosmopolitan. Opera and orchestra ring through the streets at night and parks are filled with costumed aristocrats during the day.

Locations:

Uther Gate

Silver Barrel Inn

Moss Ridge

River community sharing in the rich commerce of Bastion. It is one of the oldest cities in Minera.

Thornmill

Thornmill is an orc city captured by the Whiteguard two centuries ago. It is now a valuable port for trade and naval defense.

Southwick

Southwick was once home to the treacherous Ardesh, now it serves as a port for smugglers. The Whiteguard are few and far between here, as the old rivalries are still fresh in people's minds.

Crucible

This recently ruined town lives at the foot of the most impressive mountains in Minera. Before it was sacked, they people there had a saying: "You know what they say in Crucible..." No one knows what that is and no one outside of Crucible uses the phrase. Before its destruction, the mayor's name was Thiron, Count Luke Hammond had an estate there, and the town was lined with refugee camps from ongoing bandit wars around Fenmoor.

Old Cape Lost

This port town is built on the ruins of some great civilization from eons past. It is cold and desolate in the frozen north and only the most hardy dare make a living here.

Titania

The factory of Titania on the Bulwark Coast has been poisoning the water.

Bavik

The city of Bavik near Ornen Crannog has a burgomaster named Caraig, and a merchant guildmaster named Mahon. Outside if the city is the Temple of Blian Assan, a cult of nightmares and dreams. it is run by a half-elf named Ninefingers.

Daen Lineage:
Infant Empress Audrey Elynbrigge Daen

Archduke Julian Alek

Previous High King, Nichol Selwyn, Nichol the Bleak

Previous emporer: Aroch

Kings/Queens

Agatha Holland

Arthur Alington

Bartholomew Courtenay

Cecily Cassy

Denys Selwyn

Eleanor Whyte

Elizabeth Metcalfe

Ellen Heron

Marquis / Marchioness

Florence Arderne

Loveday Hyde

William Leventhorp

Winnefred Hawtrey

Arnald Thornton

Catherine Dalison

Christopher de Thorp

Emma Newdegate

Gilbert Coffyn

Lord / Lady

Baldwin Chetwode

Christine Martyn

Edward Aylmer

Leonard Mareys

Letitia Barnes

Lettice Sentjohn

Luke Hamond

Maria Fenton

Count / Countess

Baldwin Chetwode

Blanche Fenton

Blanche Glenham

Christine Martyn

Edward Aylmer

Julian Funteyn

Leonard Mareys

Letitia Barnes

Lettice Sentjohn

Luke Hamond

Maria Fenton

Mary Brook

Jakys Morley

John Vawdrey

Julian Funteyn

Katherine Curteys

Lawrence Smyth

Daen Calendar:
The Year 344, Age of Storms, October

The Daen calendar follows a traditional 365 days, 12 months a year. These years fall within certain ages. Every 27 years, different ages are named.

The Age of:

Ascent

Summertide

Father's Ashes

Half-borns

Rivers

Trees and Festivals

Dread Eclipse

Red Skies

Welcome Spirits

Rich Soil

Milk and Gold

Rising Shadow

Storms (Current Age)

Daen Royal Navy
The Bastion Beast, flagship of the eastern navy, pride of the empire. Ships: DNS Malice, Maroth Grul's previous ship, flagship of the western fleet.

Verek
The northmost country of Verek is controlled by a loose confederacy of once-warring clans called the Clanguild. Verek is not as advanced as the Daen Empire, but its strengthening government and resiliant people have made them a powerful rival.

The Clanguilds
The Clanguilds are run by the ex-smuggler Hethos.

Ambassador Volker Eynck is wanted for trial about his use of magic.

Serpentwatch
"We must separate the magic from the flesh." Verek's answer to Arcane Affairs. Instead of hunting magic users, Serpentwatch focuses on rooting out the power itself.

Firstcoin
There is a four hundred year old coin in circulation in Verek that was the first to be minted by the Eight Mountain Merchants. The coin, made of cold and silver circles, is rumored to be magical, having been enchanted years later, and that the bearer will be granted the ear of the people if he needs it.

Ardesh
Ardesh was long ago the most powerful country in Minera, having an excellent understanding and command of magic. They waged a war with the rest of the continent 200 years ago over a few bottles of magic wine, called the Wine War by the Daen, and were beat back onto the relativley small land which would later become the Ardesh Sovereignty. The Daen and Ardesh are currently in the begging stages of another war.

Bellcroft

The sea town of Bellcroft is a fishing town and a gateway to the unexplored wilds of Shimmer, its home island.

Ardesh Ships:

Yoreth - Capable of finding Merdian folds

Morven - A medical ship with a blood generator

Arcem - Library ship that sails with copies of the Ardesh's most precious volumes. Protected by a fleet of warships.

Sleeper Agents
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