World Backstory
The world is fairly small. One continent, and the edges of it aren’t even fully mapped out. While there is text telling of ancient warring civilisations, tombs brimming with magic, and history beyond the wildest imaginings of any bard, the world as you know it is limited, small, and in recovery from what is called the blight. While the history of the blight is not common knowledge, it is well known that it caused the old nations to topple and suffocate in illness and strife. There are still visible effects from it, too.
The northern portion of the continent, for example, is a barren wasteland known as the Malady Plains. While year by year the ground repairs itself (helped by the efforts of some Druids), the boundary has hardly shifted in the past generations. It is a difficult land to live in, with twisted abominations and the more hardy, monstrous types making their home there. Most instead live in the southern parts of the continent.
Bordering the Malady Plains is the Glass Desert, occupied by the Barroset Empire. Their history is to welcome all who enter their walls, and to actively work on dismissing the smog lying over the Malady Plains. It is an incredibly multi-racial place. Many druids find their home in the oasis cities, prosperous from their consistent cultivation.
To the south-east lies muggy, less organised peoples, and the land is called the Warristrong. This land is roughened by mountains and weak forests, making its history full of different houses and armed folk. A collection of Dragonborn made their home in the hollowed out remnants of an ancient mine, Baraz Duban, learning the practices of the peoples who once owned it. Though recently there are rumours of a civil war amount them. The softer races, such as Humans and Halflings, occupy many unaffiliated villages.
West of the Warristrong mountains is a small kingdom. A vast, empty grassland sits, with a gemstone miles across in its centre. It is difficult to tell what colour this gemstone is. Directly above the gemstone is the land of the ancient elves, Brightspool, floating untethered to the ground. When the sun is in the right position, a glowing silver chord is visible snaking from the gem’s middle up to the floating land. It isn’t in the middle of the habitable continent, instead leaning more to the east, but the knowledge of the elves keeps other races from setting up shop near the island. But the emptiness gives rise to communities of outsiders, wanderers, and those unbothered by the floating rock above their heads.
To this island’s south is another nation, which is most likely where the campaign will be based, but who knows at this point. Cold winds and sleet often beat down on them, keeping many indoors. But the Nation Of Icepeak is composed of three great cities: Scourment, Whitecrest, and Tallmelt. Most dare not travel beyond these city’s walls in the winter, instead paying the extraordinary fees to use teleportation cities to other lands. But in the summer the snow melts, allowing those who are brave enough to visit the ancient shore ruins, some of the last signs of a greater nation.
And lastly in the south-west of the continent is the prosperous land of Elderfaust. Known for its great libraries and luxuries, such as wine and games, its borders are strictly guarded. Rumours claim that Elderfaust was the first nation to recover from the blight, and even more state that their people must know the true nature of the blight. But, while sneaking into the borders is easy enough, getting into any walls is borderline impossible.
Guild of Curiosities (name TBD)
The Guild Of Curiosities was founded fifty years prior in the city of Scourment. Founded by a dwarf named Madame Tolgrin, its goal was the preservation, acquisition, and restoration of the past (does PARP sound better?). Many ancient relics have been swiped from the places they once lay, after all. Tombs desecrated. Cults formed. The GoC works to put things back where they once were.
During the winter the GoC branch in Icepeak usually closes down, its members seeking work elsewhere. But it is stepping into spring right now, with the snow melting, and there are many tasks to be done.