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The Nihon Empire
The Grand Duchy of Darkiria
The Reimian Empire (Akkervald and western Brightwin)
Alait
The Enclave
The Free City of Eren
| Following Nihon's secession from the Reimian Empire and Shiratori Kyosuke's ascent as emperor, the country set out on an entirely different course. The new government's reforms aimed to preserve strong local traditions while, at the same time, adopting the level of freedoms that had been established during the final years of the Reimian Empire. In the emperor's view, a high standard of living, broad personal freedom, and the contentment of the citizens with their lives were essential for the country's development and the forging of a stronger, more resilient civilization. In addition, once the situation had stabilized, the government began investing huge sums in education and medicine, encouraging citizens' interest in modern culture and science, while not neglecting the armed forces needed to defend the country and its inhabitants from external foes and the oni that still remained within. The bearing of swords One of the most controversial decisions of the new government was a very aggressive promotion of sword-bearing and training with them — almost every school opened its own dojo, blacksmiths were offered favorable conditions for doing business, and the beauty of the martial arts was glorified in books and drawings, and so on and so forth. According to the emperor, Nihon is a land of warriors, and swords are their soul; every inhabitant of this realm was expected to master this weapon, for he must be able not only to defend himself, his home, and his country, but also to cultivate in himself all the qualities required of a true samurai. Origin Access to Nihonese skills, +2% to base melee damage per point of Agility, +1% to base ranged damage per point of Perception, +(Wisdom) to Will and Endurance checks, +3 to movement speed. Moriya The city of Moriya, which by the year 762 had become the economic center of Nihon within the Reimian Empire, was influenced by the former empire more than anywhere else and, as a consequence, developed along a path somewhat different from the rest of the country. Today Moriya is the hub of domestic and foreign trade, the heart of Nihonese science, the birthplace of numerous inventions, the source of modern fashion, an endless generator of popular-culture items, and much more. Origin Access to Nihonese skills, +1 SP, +1 SK, +1 SA, experience gain rate is twice as high. |
Temple of Yanagi
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| Kisaragi Kisaragi Kanbei founded this company after Nihon's secession from the Reimian Empire and his first return home in several decades. In the past, the Kisaragi family had been one of numerous yakuza clans in the territory of Nihon, but this came to an end after the country's capitulation to Reim. The clan's members unsurprisingly resisted the invaders, but Kanbei saw the enemy's undeniable strength and understood that using brute force or any tricks against him would be pointless. He therefore made a painful decision and disbanded the clan, to spare his charges from Reimian retribution. Many clans, including some members of his own, sooner or later joined the onryo movement, but Kanbei and a few of his closest henchmen departed for Reim in order to understand what it was that made that country so strong. There Kanbei would start a new business and, over many years, study Reimian culture and technology. Upon returning home after the end of the civil war, Kanbei's first order of business was to rally his old subordinates and take the first steps toward founding his company, which specialized in the production of high-tech weaponry. In this way he sought, simultaneously, to restore his family's influence and give the country something that would allow it to stand against external foes in the future. Naturally, this was not easy, and the construction of equipment and the training of specialists alone took more than ten years. By that time Kanbei had grown quite old, and it was obvious that he himself would never live to see the fruits of his labor. So he decided to leave the company to his great-granddaughter Maya, whom he had taught engineering from an early age and then sent to study in Larian. Kinetic weapons Despite her very young age, Kisaragi Maya turned out to be not only an effective company director but a true genius in engineering. Her talented mind gave Nihon many useful discoveries and inventions, but the foremost of them, without a doubt, is kinetic weaponry — a project based on the jarlian firearms and ephemeral weapons, but differing in its principle of operation. In terms of effectiveness, the new type of weapon is on par with ephemeral weaponry, and the low cost of producing ammunition has made it even more attractive to operate. Steel New steel-production technologies developed by the Kisaragi company allowed the Nihon Empire to overtake even the Camellians, which let them improve the quality of their own products and, at the same time, boost exports to other countries. Shipbuilding Modern Nihonese ships differ from Reimian ones — they are, as a rule, sturdier and larger, but considerably slower and less maneuverable. In terms of armament, both are roughly on the same level — ephemeral and kinetic guns are equally devastating to naval machinery. As with kinetic weapons, the chief advantage of these ships over their Reimian counterpart is the relative cheapness of the fuel they use. Origin Access to Nihonese skills; kinetic weapons, the cost of learning the "kinetic weapons" specialization abilities is reduced by 1; +40% to accuracy when using this type of weapon; specialist perk; +15 to Intellect. |
| After the end of the civil war and the empire's splintering, Duke Beryl S. Tessen and his close friend Count Jin Elenheim directed all their strength toward reinforcing the duchy and improving the lives of their subjects — even amid the crisis that had struck, that is, they kept doing exactly what they had been doing before. The situation People in Darkiria do not live in wealth, but competent and benevolent leadership does everything to make their lives easier — short working hours and comfortable conditions of labor. The nobles themselves live side by side with commoners, so class stratification is weakly pronounced. A far greater problem for the inhabitants of Darkiria, both commoners and nobles, is attacks by the undead, demons, and werewolves, but the government, the "Frozen Heart," the rangers, and the wandering swordmasters neutralize this threat to a certain degree. Origins a) Perk "Endurance"; northern equipment. b) +70 HP; c) +25 to Charisma, +25 to Wisdom. |
| The Way of the Sword Darkiria had always been renowned for its swordsmen and its unique school of the art of wielding this weapon, but the recent events in the Reimian Empire forced the swordmasters to reconsider their philosophy and approach their craft differently. Now they wander the former shards of the empire, fight the most dangerous of foes, hone their mastery, and shield the weak from attacks by the strong. Way of life Followers of the "Way of the Sword" give themselves over to their calling with their whole being and devote their entire life to it: only in this way can they become true swordmasters. Any obstacle they meet on their path they regard as yet another opportunity to plumb new depths of mastery. Origin Access to "Way of the Sword" abilities. |
| Frostreim The fortress of Frostreim and all the territories surrounding it long served as the empire's shield against monstrous beasts. In addition, under the leadership of Luciola Reim, one of the daughters of Emperor Olivius Lapis Reim, new weapons were tested here and the empire's elite units were trained. By today, Frostreim's situation has changed, but only slightly. The cult After the climactic battle with her brother Tiarius, Luciola fell into a deep coma and, over time, her body began to be covered with rime, until it was entirely encased in ice, as if to shield the snow queen from any outside influence. All of this was obviously a manifestation of her nature as a bearer of a fragment of fate, but the warriors of Frostreim who followed her took it in a more religious vein and soon began to worship her and follow her ideals (as they understood them). Years later, this cult would come to be known as the "Frozen Heart." Origin Access to the "Frozen Heart" conviction. |
| Rangers The Rangers of the North are an independent organization that took shape shortly after the end of the civil war and the subsequent emergence of Eos. The rangers are engaged in protecting the duchy's inhabitants from attacks and eliminating potential threats. Hierarchy || warden -> senior ranger -> ranger -> junior ranger -> neophyte || Origin Access to ranger abilities. |
| The government of these lands continues to regard its state as the continuation of the Reimian Empire, and its monarch as its rightful ruler and heir. The reigning emperor is Vagael Reim (birth name: Vagael L. Morr; the family name is not recognized outside the country). The emperor is a man of weak character and meager talents, though very arrogant. Apparently, he cares little for the affairs of state, and the only thing he wants is to hold onto the throne for himself and his heirs. His advisors are greedy, power-hungry people, incompetent in their work. As a consequence, all subordinate officials soon came to resemble the same rabble, since honest people are simply swept from these posts by those more cunning, brazen, and unceremonious. The situation in the country Destitution brought on by the fruits of the civil war and the government's incompetence, the absence of justice, epidemics of old and new diseases, attacks by demons, the undead, bandits, and monsters — this is what life looks like in Akkervald and western Brightwin. Internal relations The government, although it has armed forces at its disposal, is under constant pressure from the numerous criminal groups within the country. At first the authorities tried to get rid of them by any means, but in the end they concluded that it would be simpler to come to an arrangement with them. As a result, the imperial council leaves these organizations alone and lets them do whatever they please in the territories allotted to them. Origin +5 SK |
| Orion The name of this influential group comes from the name of the city where its headquarters are located — the city of Orion. What sets them apart from the other bandit gangs of Akkervald and Brightwin is an organization and professional training unusual for bandits. Besides the usual activities of such organizations, Orion also protects the people living in the territories under its control from attacks by monsters and other groups. In exchange, the inhabitants pay them tribute. Naturally, if the members of Orion cannot obtain consent, they take what they are owed by force. Leader The central figure of Orion, its founder and leader, is Cassandra Dochire, whom her numerous followers respectfully address as "General" and "Ma'am," and whom close friends familiarly call "Cassie." In the past, the future head of Orion had to live under very strict conditions for those times. Her father, a baron of Akkervald, demanded unrealistic achievements of her and placed hopes upon her that were impossible to satisfy. When he was not satisfied with her results, the young Reimian woman was subjected to cruel and varied punishments — both physical and psychological. As a result, Cassie always strove to be the best at everything, which in turn developed many talents in her and, during her years at the Imperial Military Academy, allowed her to become one of the empire's most promising students. The civil war, however, became an insurmountable wall for her career. During that conflict she fought on the side of Tiarius Reim and was gravely wounded during the siege of the capital. In the end, this war took from her a future, a despotic family, and one eye, but, together with that, it gave her freedom. Recovering from her wounds, the General began to gather like-minded people around herself — her comrades-in-arms, subordinates, academy friends, local residents. And although she was not known for a pleasant personality, the strength of her character and iron will inspired in those around her respect and the desire to follow her. Initiation process Anyone who wishes to join Orion must swear loyalty to the organization's cause and prove their courage by tasting demon blood. Origin Access to Orion abilities. +1-3 to demon points. |
| Treasure Seekers The Treasure Seekers style themselves as daring adventure-lovers famous for their daring, but in fact they are nothing other than a gang of bandits whose main occupation is looting. Methods The Treasure Seekers are not distinguished by good organization or combat effectiveness, so they prefer to attack defenseless targets or else search through ruins and the sites of great battles. Hideout The number of Treasure Seekers is very large, but most of them are dispersed across the territory of the former empire, and they rarely gather into large groups. It is known that they have their own headquarters, but its location is known only to a few officers. Ringleaders Among the numerous members of this organization there are more than a dozen officers in possession of the gang's secrets, but besides that little is known. According to unverified rumors, the Treasure Seekers have a sponsor — Vanir Hessendark, the leader of a criminal organization with a long history. Origin When searching fallen foes, the character has a chance to find an additional item or money (chance equal to Perception). One additional starting item. |
| Big Fist Big Fist is the name of a tribe of ogres that settled in the east of Brightwin. This cruel and stupid folk was created by the alchemists of Laithia to be used in the civil war against the coalition forces, but troubles that arose prevented them from doing so. The ogres themselves subsequently fled from their creators and settled in neighboring territories. Appearance To a person unfamiliar with these creatures, all ogres look the same, just like monkeys. They differ from one another primarily by the color of their skin — some are green, some brown, some blue, and so on. The height of ogres reaches four meters, and as a consequence they are very strong and hardy, though not very agile. Hierarchy The ogres obey the strongest male of the tribe; whoever is stronger gives the orders (however primitive they may be), and he gets all the females, the best equipment, and the food. Way of life Since the ogres were created as living weapons, they know nothing but war and violence, which makes it practically impossible to come to any arrangement with them. Origin +8 beast points, +2 demon points. Cost of Strength is half as much, the limit is three times higher. -30% to evasion. Intellect cannot exceed 5 points. |
| Soul Snatchers Bandit-mages may seem laughable to some, since the arcane sciences are rarely associated with banditry, but the victims of the Soul Snatchers never found anything to laugh about. These sorcerers practice essential magic, destructive and very dangerous by its very nature. The Soul Snatchers attack villages and lone travelers, taking from their victims everything down to the last thread, and more. Origin Access to Soul Snatcher abilities. |
| Fort Ordegaard For the past two decades, Fort Ordegaard and the surrounding territories of eastern Akkervald have had to serve as the shield of the empire's remains against invasions by hordes of undead, demons, and monsters from the east. The warriors of Ordegaard must stay vigilant constantly, and for all these years a healthy sleep has been unknown to them, for battle awaits them every day. Command The current commander of Ordegaard is Wei Guai Tao, one of Larian Twist's trusted men. At first, the Reimians did not even consider the possibility of appointing this man to the highest post of Ordegaard, for not only was he a foreigner who had nothing tying him here, he was also one of the few who derived true enjoyment from combat, which repelled many of his comrades-in-arms who longed for a swift end to this war. Nevertheless, his great martial mastery and competence in the affairs of war gradually won the respect and trust of many of Ordegaard's soldiers. As a result, when the time came to appoint a new commander, it was he who was chosen. This was also partly due to the fact that Wei Guai Tao always held human lives in high regard, considering them — under these conditions — an irreplaceable resource, which at times led to numerous situations in which the foreigner had to pull soldiers out of mortal danger. Current position The future of Ordegaard, and of Akkervald behind it, looks bleak. The number of the empire's warriors diminishes with every day, while the enemy's strength does not wane. The country's government ignores Ordegaard's pleas to send reinforcements or at least provisions and resources, and the destructive activity of the criminal groups only worsens an already dire situation. If attacks from the east continue at the same intensity, Wei Guai Tao expects that Ordegaard will fall within the next three or four years, and perhaps even sooner if, for any reason, the enemy becomes more numerous than before. Origin +50% to the increase of parameters and characteristics from passive ability bonuses. |
| Event Horizon Event Horizon is a mysterious organization engaged in the search for the secrets of the past, rare technologies, and information of varying significance and importance. Its members draw on the organization's rich arsenal to expand their own capabilities and to prevent important knowledge from falling into the wrong hands, lest what the eastern alchemists' research led to be repeated. Hierarchy At the top of Event Horizon's hierarchy sits the grandmaster, who has access to all of the organization's secrets and wields all possible authority. As a rule, candidates for this post are appointed by the acting grandmaster, which allows the heirs of this title to prepare themselves for such responsibility in advance. After the grandmaster come the ten Keepers — specialists in various fields, responsible for the functioning of the organization. The Keepers sit on Event Horizon's supreme council together with the grandmaster, where they share information, discuss various matters, and arrive at their optimal resolution. The next tier of Event Horizon are the captains of divisions of various directions — research, scientific, combat, and so on. All of them, depending on the type of activity, report to the corresponding Keeper. Agents The search for new information and lost technologies, or their elimination, is carried out by agents — well-trained specialists equipped with a rich store of knowledge and competence in their work. As a rule, they work in pairs, but there are exceptions. Origin +500-5000 XP and one of the following: 1. An enhancer with random augments; 2. A unique compass; 3. Two additional starting items. |
| Revenants The Revenants, also known as the "Children of Chaos," are a movement that arose across the expanses of Alait, afflicted by treacherous intrigue and colossal calamity. The followers of this movement have no center, and each interprets its ideas in their own way. A few things, however, can be stated almost for certain — they recognize no one's authority, live for the present day, and strive to gain power in whatever form it takes, for in their understanding it is the key to true freedom. Revenants are, as a rule, loners and skilled warriors in their chosen mode of combat, but other examples exist: a man known by the moniker "Sovereign" counts himself among this movement and, at that, rules a certain parcel of land in southern Akkervald. There, the people live by laws he has written and serve him. Most Revenants despise the very concept of a state, but in the "Sovereign's" case, his power and his own freedom are rule itself. Origin Unique abilities (the player writes the base concept; the numbers are set by the GM). |
| Order of the Last Emperor The Order of the Last Emperor was founded by the surviving members of the "Imperial Liberation Front" after the overthrow of Tiarius Reim. They do not recognize the current authority of Akkervald and Brightwin, and they view the rulers of all other shards of the empire as traitors. The defeat in the civil war caused many among the losers to lose the meaning of life and to continue their existence for the sake of dead ideals. Leaders The order has no single leader; instead, this function is performed by an assembly of veterans from among those close to the emperor — his advisors and those who worked for him directly. Objectives Terror, sabotage, war. Origin An additional perk; An additional attack; +50% to final Health; +3 to movement speed; +25% to critical damage chance. |
| The Kingdom of Alait had always striven to maintain neutrality and existed in peace and harmony for many centuries, but the collapse of the Reimian Empire did not spare it either. Sabotage attacks by followers of the religious movement "Ikigai," assassinations, hypnosis, destruction, and much else — all of this became the everyday reality for the kingdom's inhabitants. The situation reached its climax when the penultimate of the possible heirs to the Alait throne was eliminated, leaving only Sepia, "by coincidence" one of the followers of "Ikigai." After a sluggish coronation, serious changes will begin in the country, the most important of which will be the appointment of Usami Kyoko to the role of the nation's spiritual mentor. Conversion All young residents of Alait undergo religious instruction in every educational institution, and if among the older generation of elves many opponents of the current regime still remain, all the youth unconditionally follow the ideas of the new faith and the mentor's orders. Those who are caught in heresy, regardless of age, are sent for mandatory "re-education," to make model followers of them. The present situation The production of Alait stones remains only on the black market, sorcerers have been driven out by fear of ruthless assassinations, non-believers have been made to believe, order reigns in the country, and the bulk of the population labors to bring the mentor's ideas to life. Origin Enlightened — access to the features "understanding of the inner," "understanding of the outer," and "understanding of all." |
The Enclave
| The civil war and the subsequent splintering of the Reimian Empire allowed the snakemen to take back their home, once seized from them by Verilian Reim. Many snakemen tried to lead the lands freed from discrimination and foreign rule, but all of them had to yield to the leader of the faction known as "The Enclave." This tyrant, possessing enormous personal strength, an unyielding character, and a fearsome charisma, subdued his fellow tribesmen with an iron hand and set them on a course of destruction. Under the new leader's direction, the snakemen, in addition to restoration work, also engaged in robbery, murder, and violence, but all of it came to an end when their chieftain refused to cooperate with the Larian Republic. This led to war and the subsequent death of the snake chieftain. A new era Together with the old leader, the order he had established also collapsed. The snakemen did not know what to do next — they had no representative of their own, and the Larian bombardments did not cease. Then Python, a wise shaman of the snakemen's sun god, took up the task of uniting the people that had fallen into chaos. He managed to restore some semblance of order in the swamps, and soon set out for negotiations with the attackers. Python understood that the humans were interested only in the resources located on their lands, and he was prepared to provide everything necessary on the most disadvantageous terms for himself — he wanted, at any cost, to end the war that was scorching his home and his people. Negotiations Python and his comrades, with the greatest difficulty, managed to obtain a meeting with Viridian T. Larian — the leader of the Larian Republic. During the negotiations, the shaman explained the situation to the chancellor, apologized for the disrespect shown by his predecessor, and, on his knees, pleaded for a cessation of hostilities. The answer was despair: in the eyes of the young ruler, the snake-man saw nothing but emptiness and a complete absence of any interest in the fate of his people. With a phrase devoid of any emotion, Viridian gave the order to shoot the non-humans with ephemeral weapons. The future The further history of this tribe promises to be grim: if events continue to unfold in this manner, soon no trace of it will remain. Origin +7 beast points; Intellect is twice as expensive; Free "snake-man" specialization and 5 SK toward it. |
| At the height of the Reimian Empire, the province of Eren was a major port city, a center of maritime trade in the south, a gamblers' paradise. And in an even more distant past — a region that belonged to Beliad. Now, after the empire's splintering, Eren has, for the first time, gained independence, but did this make life better for its inhabitants? For some — undoubtedly; for others — not very. Today Eren is richer than ever before, and organized criminal groups are in charge, each claiming one or another part of the city. Autumn Leaves Boss: Vanir Hessendark A Beliadian aristocrat who attained great influence and a huge fortune from the constant armed conflicts that took place, and still take place, on the southern side of the Midland Sea. In those years he traded in weapons, information, and provided the services of mercenary armies and professional killers. In the year 750, Vanir Hessendark will begin to dabble in the slave trade, which will subsequently become the main source of income for the "Autumn Leaves." Over various periods of time, this organization tried to establish itself in the Reimian Empire, but the competent work of the law enforcement did not allow them to do so. After the start of the civil war and the splintering of the empire, everything, of course, became much simpler. Today Vanir's agents operate in every corner of the former empire, and in their methods they shrink from nothing. Savano Clan Boss: Savano Keiji By irony of fate, the leader of this group crossed the path of the boss of the "Autumn Leaves" a very long time ago, and the latter, although a very well-informed man, has still not learned of it to this day. Keiji grew rich when, in the most dastardly way, he disrupted a deal between the Nihonese "onryo" and the "Leaves," after which he set off for Reim, where he opened his own business, which, however, did not last long — civil wars, as it turned out, were not good for business. He then decided to seek a new place for himself, until he finally settled in Eren, where he organized a criminal group, which he founded with the help of his former flunkies from Reim and his co-religionists. Through the efforts of this organization, the followers of Kirishima were able to establish themselves firmly far from their homeland. Sharp Guys Boss: Layd Rihok The eccentric leader of the "Sharp Guys" very often found himself the center of attention of those around him, and wherever he turned up, all kinds of rabble always gathered around him. He himself was accustomed to settling any matter with his fists and feet, but if life taught him anything, it was that, with a bunch of flunkies at hand, one can live more simply and far more merrily. Eren was no exception — here he dragged along the subordinates he had acquired during his wanderings across the southern part of the continent. Over time, the most unhinged residents of Eren joined them, and now there is hardly anything they do not dabble in, in this city. Sword of Justice Boss: Titian Reim The illegitimate son of the notorious emperor and an unfortunate student from the "Idol Academy." Under the present circumstances, his name carried no political weight, but this did not stop the young man from creating and heading his own organization in this city. Unlike his father, Titian pursues very different goals — he tries to restore justice in the world and to eradicate "evil" in all its manifestations. In the case of Eren, this means eliminating the criminal groups and restoring order. He himself does not strive for power, but it is not impossible that his maniacal obsession with justice will bring this city more misfortune than benefit. The "Sword of Justice" operates in the spirit of the Reimian police that existed in the empire during the reign of Sonata Reim, with Titian in the role of chief. Origins Autumn Leaves: 500 Larian rumias at start, quality equipment, and an expensive business suit. Savano Clan: +1 SK, +1 SA, +1 SP, traditional Nihonese clothing. Sharp Guys: +25 to Strength, +25 to Agility, +25 to Perception, stylish and bright clothing. Sword of Justice: +15 to all characteristics, +3 to movement speed, a police uniform. |