[Information] World Info

[Fiyero]

 

Introduction “She’s not going to like this,” said the boy, “She’s the Queen, she doesn’t much like anything,” responded the man. “Still..,” “I know.” the man stated, trying to calm the boy despite his own fright, his hand was beginning to hurt from clenching the note so tightly. The pair continued to make their way quietly through the darkening city. It was a long way from the Station to the Palace and tehy were both a bit out of sorts after what had just happened. Earlier that day at Clarendon Station The two had spent their morning at the Station along with the rest of the loading crew and they’d waited…and waited…and after much checking of pocket-watches and muffled oaths a decision had been made: The train, it seemed, was late. Very late. A fact which came as no surprise to the crew. After all, they said, with all those gears and cogs and whatnot something was bound to go wrong and it was a surprise, really, that it had even made it these past five years without falling apart entirely. An interesting view thought the supervisor, especially considering all those gears and cogs and whatnot were the reason they all got their paychecks. He kept this to himself, however, and settled for giving them all the day off and then went lunch with his apprentice for lack of better plans. Having sandwiches at a terrace café proved to be an altogether pleasant affair and master and apprentice talked idly at length for quite some time until they were interrupted by something off in the distance. “Do you see that, my boy?” asked the supervisor. “Do I see what Mr. Harrington?” the boy said, following the man’s gaze and surveying the hills to the west. It took him a while to spot but he thought he could see it, a small indecipherable shape and a trail of steam on the horizon. “By the gods Amos, do you see that!?” Mr. Harrington asked again with more insistence. He could almost sense it now. The rolling rumbling of the earth as it approached and the slowly building roar as it got closer. The rushing sound of the wind as a hundred tons of metal and steel tore through it at nearly sixty miles per hour. “Mr. Harrington...that’s not, that can’t be the –“ “Train,” finished the supervisor breathlessly, rising out of his seat to get a better look. There was something strange about it, something undeniably wrong. It’s moving fast, he thought, it’s moving far too fast. “Let’s go,” Mr. Harrington said, tossing a generous amount of coin on the table and sharing an anxious glance with the boy. By the time they arrived at the station the train was almost upon them filling the air with a terrible screeching sound and shedding them both in a strange orange glow from the sparks. They were both more than a little relieved that the brakes had been thrown having half-expected to encounter a runaway train given its earlier speed. "I don't think we should be here Mr. Harrington," remarked the boy, backing up a few feet away from the track. The supervisor clicked his tongue. "We'll be fine," he said somewhat uncertainly and indeed taking a few steps back himself. As the train entered the platform man and boy shielded their eyes and ears from steam and spark and the great rending echo created by ungiving steel grating against ungiving steel. "What is the meaning of this Conductor?!" Mr. Harrington shouted over the platform as a hundred tons of metal settled to a stop with a great thunk. If the conductor heard it over the hiss of steam he showed no sign of responding and half a minute passed before Amos decided to approach the train himself. "Conductor?" asked the boy meekly. He was about ten feet away from the locomotive when he saw a dark shape through the steam fall from the cab onto the platform. "Conductor!" he shouted, running to the fallen man, "Mr. Harrington!" The supervisor rushed to the boy's side and examined the man. The vapor cleared to reveal a strikingly thin man whose skin and tattered clothing was caked head to toe in soot and blood. The supervisor cradled the man's head only to find his hair coming out in bloody clumps and all conversational pursuits were met with silence as the man let out a single, shuddering breath and grew still. "There's something...he's got something clutched in his hand sir," Later that day in the Audience Hall at Clarendon Palace "You know you could have started with that," said the Queen sardonically. "Get on with it, what was in the man's hand!" She looked particularly vicious today with her fiery red hair all done up atop her head and her gown a biting green. "Yes, your majesty, so sorry," apologized the supervisor, bowing his head deeply. "Well you see," he hesitated, "I brought it with me, here..." He stepped nervously up to the Queen's dais and handed it to her with a trembling hand. She took it with a tight-lipped nod and the man backed away. The charred piece of paper simply had 'Marker 36' written on it in a shaky hand. "'Marker 36?'" the Queen said furiously, "What the devil does that mean?" "Well you see your Majesty," Mr. Harrington began, "The last time supplies left for the tunnel they had reached Marker 34, so it would follow that Marker 36 is simply, well, the distance they've reached since then." The Queen then explained that she was not an idiot and was asking as to why the dying conductor had chosen those words as his last message to humanity which, it turns out, the supervisor definitely did not know. "Well bollocks," she said in a huff. "Well, send some people up there to figure out what happened. The best engineers and magicians and whatever else, send them to the Gate." "That's the problem your Grace," the man said, "All of our best were already up there working on the tunnel..." "Then send someone else Supervisor Harrington," the Queen said agitatedly, "Just get it done." "Right. Of course your Highness," And with that the man retrieved Amos in the waiting hall and left the Palace in a hurry.

Summary Ten years ago the three nations of the Ledge discovered the Angel Gate, a massive archway in the Aradaan Mountains engraved with runes and maps all related to an ancient city known as Ostengard. Unfortunately, by either nature or magic, the way was impeded by solid rock. Queen Atricia, leading the most technologically advanced nation, set out to find this Ostengard and built the Magnificent Steamrail and ensuing tunnel through the Gate. One month ago the train returned to Clarendon to (ideally) carry supplies back to the tunnel. Surprisingly, however, the train train held no crew, only one conductor whose dying message read only 'Marker 36.' In lieu of sending the best of the best to the tunnel (as they were already sent to the tunnel years ago) Supervisor Harrington has sent out a message to the city requesting individuals willing to undertake the journey. The goal of the game will be for players to venture forth to the Angel Gate and the Steamrail tunnel extending under the mountains to Marker 36. Supervisor Harrington has ordered wanted posters up all over Clarendon requesting the willing to step forward and this is where the game will start, shortly thereafter take the train north to the tunnel. All three nations sent their best scientists, wizards, engineers, everything to the Gate and now everything has grown quiet save for the Conductor's note, your job is to head there and figure out what the hell went down.

The Forgotten Ledge - World Info

Organizations The Queen's Army: The standing army of the Queen's Lands (Whose symbol is a white rose) with the basic footman rank of Knight/Adept/Medic with Rangers/Fighters/Barbarians/Paladins/Bards filling the rank of Knight, Wizards/Sorcerers in the army take the Adept rank, and Clerics are the sole holders of the Medic rank. Druids in the army take on a rank of their choosing provided they have permission from a higher up (which isn't hard to get). Ranks move up from Knight to Captain, General, Noble, and Queen. Anyone can enlist in The Queen's Army as long as they take the required training at White Heart Academy (Which is a three year program). Those not born in the Queen's Lands have to seek a sponsor in Clarendon from a Knight, Captain, General, or Noble. It isn't unheard of for Tribesmen and Elves to bribe for this though some are asked to perform a task of the sponsor's choosing. Keep in mind that while this army exists you will not have seen combat outside of the rare gangfight or duel. The lack of seeing combat means most military folk resort to non-lethal duels or exist in the army only as a 'reserve' and work other civilian jobs to keep themselves occupied. The Elven Guard is a more selective group than the Queen's Army and unless you were born and raised in an Elven city it is unlikely you would be able to join unless you performed some exceptional deed. Like the Queen's Army they're mostly for show guarding cities and watching over official events. They see about as much combat keeping people who live in the forest safe defending against beasts as the Queen's Army would see keeping the peace in a city. Guards are trained from a young age, preferably 10 years old, which is what makes them so selective in accepting people later on, and the process doesn't end til around 20 by which time the average Guard has mastered their chosen field of combat (with ranks similar to the Army - Guard/Adept/Medic). Religion in the tribes consists almost entirely of Erastil for the majority of the population. Due to contact with the South some people have taken to Sarenrae and Iomedae. In the Queen's Lands, as was just mentioned, Sarenrae and Iomedae are the two major schools of religion. The other gods have churches that are few and far between and often times people will form communities based on their god(s) of choice. Worship of Zon'kuthon, Urgathoa, Norgorber, Lamasthu, and Rovagug is seen as unseemly, many wish it to be illegal. People who worship these gods do so mostly in secret and those who do it publicly have no chance of following the normal social and career ladders. The remaining gods are considered acceptable by the population. Nethys is the official deity of the Immaculate Moonlit Sky and is the most popular god in Starview given its population of mages. The Kingdom of Elves worships the trio of Shelyn, Desna, and Gozreh. Nethys has a small base for the arcane in the elven cities and it isn't seen as bad but it definitely isn't the norm. The Immaculate Moonlit Sky and the People Adventurous are exclusive to the Queen's Lands The Immaculate Moonlit Sky is the reigning order of Wizards and Sorcerers with halls in every city, the most popular by far being the Royal Academy in Starview which serves as both a college and a headquarters. Though they are very accepting of all who wish to join their ranks they are not so forgiving for those who decide to leave. As a result, most people who "join [the] Sky [remain] Immaculate for life," as the people say. Upon graduation a license is given which grants Wizards and Sorcerers 'official' status throughout the South which allows them to better pursue civilian or military efforts. Most commoners don't trust arcane magic-users without their license, and unlicensed magic-users are almost always involved in illegal activities. The People Adventurous is an organization of a size on par with the Army and perhaps even larger considering the large number of civilian members. Informally it is known as 'The People's Guild,' and it is a place where people of all types and origins come together to share their knowledge and learn from each other. Most Bards and Druids train here though a number of them go north or to the Elves in seek of a more 'natural' schooling. The few rogues not involved in illegal activity are members of the Guild though the illegals consider them 'fake' rogues and themselves the 'real' rogues.

General Setting The Forgotten Ledge is a peaceful place in terms of the threat posed by monsters and other creatures (which is nil save for the odd ogre or tiger or upset spirit in Nevrasil Forest), one could traverse all of the Queen's Lands without running into anything more dangerous than a squirrel if traveling along the safest roads, and perhaps a bobcat if you went through a dodgy wild area. Also, while the setting is Victorian (for the Queen's Lands, only recently have parts of that culture began seeping into the Elven Kingdom and almost not at all in the Tribes), the frowning upon of gunpowder means weapons and armor and such are still very medieval in nature, knights of the Queen's Army wear plate armor and wield swords and maces and shields and other Pathfinder equipment. All three cultures are fairly open in the sense that you can overcome a bad birth or upbringing by proving yourself (although you would really have to prove yourself to join the Elven Guard), so being born a half-orc in Clydefar you'd still have a probable chance of traveling to Starview and learning the way of the Wizard if you so chose. The majority of civilians in the Tribes and the Elven Kingdom have somewhat of an envy for the more technologically advanced land to the South though they rarely do anything about it, and many civilians in the Queen's Lands feel they've lost touch with nature though few of them do anything about it either other. The wealthy go on expensive expeditions where a guide takes a small group to travel the lands of the Kingdom and the Tribes, undergoing this journey is somewhat of a status symbol for the middle and upper class citizens of the South. Race Relations: The South is by far the most accepting and tolerant of races with Clarendon and Starview being veritable havens for the races and having little to no racism at all. If you grew up in the Queen's Lands, you will have encountered other races. The Elven Kingdom is a bit less open consisting mostly of elves with a smattering of humans, halflings, and half-elves. Half-Orcs are usually treated with much disrespect and never stay for long though a few half-elves have set up shelters for them in Narvanta and Kalenhal as they feel somewhat connected given their half-race status. In general, however, elves are very accepting and tolerant of all races as long as they don't stay. Easy to visit but quite difficult to actually move into the Kingdom. The Tribes is almost entirely half-orcs with a few humans and half-elves in the mix and a number of elves who, finding they rather disliked the way their race treated half-orcs have decided to simply live among them. Magic: Widely accepted and practiced in the South. People are generally more accepting of Wizards than Sorcerers given their generally well-to-do nature, sorcerers are seen as troublemakers though most of them are just as benign as their studious counterparts. the tribes people are a bit wary of it however and would likely shun one of their own were they to become an arcane magic user but they readily accept the divine. Elves are neutral to the idea of magic, they use it themselves but they aren't overly zealous. It is a tool with which to affect the world and unless used to create something beautiful it remains as such to them.

Places The Queen's Lands Clarendon: The Capitol city of the Queen's Lands and the seat of Queen Atricia. It's a big, sprawling city up against the coast at the center of which resides a number of rising terraces with high-end shops and houses a cliff dropping straight down into the ocean a couple hundred feet down. All races can be found here for one reason or another and there are all sorts of jobs available and noble intrigue to be had. Or shady dealings, if that's your thing. Highhaven: A cold city up in the White Range, home to many people from the Tribes of Erastil who felt the need to move south but found Clarendon a bit too modern. Also home to the White Heart Academy where fighters of all types (rangers, fighters, paladins, etc) are schooled and trained whether it be for government or private purposes or just for fun for the particularly eccentric. Warden's Fall: Essentially a smaller and colder version of Clarendon without as much nobility and a bit more dodginess and industry. People of the Army stationed here see the most action of the Southern cities as they try to keep crime rates low. Rogue wizards and Rogues in general are quite a problem running drug rings and black markets. Starview: A beautiful city on a tall hill overlooking the entire peninsula and home to the divine and arcane and elves who tire of the forest and wish for grass-filled valleys and warm ocean. The Royal Academy of the Arcane Arts and Sciences resides here as the collegiate training grounds for all spellcasters and would-be scientists as well as businessmen. The observatory here is quite excellent and astronomers and astrologers alike have a fondness of the city because of it. The Kingdom of Elves Narvanta: The Elven Capitol and seat of King Kedwyn. It sits on the north side of River Stardust opposite Nevrasil Forest and no steel or metal resides here. Elves in general are rather untrusting of technology though they can't deny (though they do try) its impressiveness. A few eccentric humans live here, usually tree-hugging nature lovers and the like. As for Nevrasil Forest, it's a wild place, some people consider it a proving ground and some consider the idea of it as a proving ground as entirely reckless. It's a spooky, supernatural place in some parts but lovely and foresty if you don't go too far in. To the east of all of this lies Cassandra's Reach, an unpassable mountain range of considerable danger and height. A rather formiddable urban tribesman scaled the highest peak once only to find an even higher one miles off. Kalenhal: Was once the ruins of an old port city for some forgotten society. The elves found it a couple hundred years ago overrun with nature and taken to it instantly. Southern expeditioners came here eleven years ago and along with a group of (now considered untrustworthy) elves came to uncover the Angel Gate. The ruins here are an interesting place and some think they might connect to Ostengard though no one has been able to prove this. The Tribes of Erastil Clydefar: People of the Tribes who tire of the nomadic lifestyle but desire to stay in country settle in this northern city up against the Tears of Erastil. It's a cold, harsh city and though there's no school for it it's the most likely place for one to become a Barbarian outside of the Forest. A lot of Half Orcs reside here and, as a house rule, they're an entire race of tribal peoples (think Native Americans with just a drop more technology and a little more green in hue). Still very strong but also a mature and spiritual people. In general, like the elves, Tribes people are far less trusting of technology and the rail than their neighbors to the South. There are four traveling tribes of Erastil: the Light of Erastil, the Strength of Erastil, the Balance of Erastil, and the Way of Erastil. All four have permanent guild-esque buildings in Clydefar but the main tribes are always traveling about the plains nomadically. At 12 years old boys and girls alike are sent to one of the four tribes to be brought up depending on the abilities they've shown in childhood. Most go easily and become a member of a Tribe but some are known to run away to the South or the Kingdom in search of a 'normal' life. The Light consists of the religious and spiritual leaders of the Tribes and is where most of their clerics and paladins are trained (Whose deity is Erastil, as with all of the tribes). The Strength is a tough bunch where warriors are raised. Fighters, Rangers, Barbarians, some Paladins, Bards, and Druids are trained in this tribe and taught to fight. Paladins, Bards, and Druids are known to sometimes travel between tribes given their varied nature with paladins being predominantly Light and Bards and Druids going between Strength and Balance or the Way. The Balance is a tribe dedicated to the nature of the plains and sustaining the nomadic way of life. Druids are sent here and taught to keep everything going that keeps the Tribes alive. Here are the elders that known how the Tribes must move through the plains in order to follow the flow of crops and game. They are not a wasteful people and understand Death perhaps the best of the nations as they see how it affects the world around them. The Way is the most untrusted Tribe for the people are weary of arcane magic. They mostly keep to themselves save for meets and many parents are frightened of revealing that their child must be sent there. They're knowledge of the arcane is great but their numbers are small for most wizards and sorcerers prefer the Royal Academy of the Arcane Arts and Sciences as they feel it makes them 'more official.'

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