Four centuries ago, the nation of Phaer was the most prosperous kingdom on the continent of Agarista. Its borders stretched from the western coast to the edge of the Wilding Woods. It was a nation of traders, sailors and proud horsemen. To their north, separated by an expansive mountain range lay a collection of small kingdoms and cities known as the Gravis Collective. Through a mountain pass and a well-guarded trade road, they began fostering relations with Phair. Gravis traded metals, precious ores and stonework for furs, lumber and textiles. Phaer also extended their trade road to the south, where a nation known as Crydoc lay.
However, their newfound prosperity soon came under attack. Within the Wilding Woods lived a motley collection of barbarians and savages, who constantly assaulted the caravans and traders. They called themselves the Rakavi and were divided into countless constantly feuding tribes. Phaer began cutting down large swaths of trees in order to secure their road and rid their borders of the barbarians. Displeased at the destruction of their ancient home, the tribes fought back.
So began a long, bloody war that lasted over a century. The tribes banded together, for the first time in remembered history and tried their best to slaughter the Phaericians to the last man, woman and child. The Phaericians delved into unseen depths of savagery and began burning the forests, determined to make the tribals fight for every inch of ground.
Some fifty years into the war, the tribals made a pact with the Gravis Collective. In secret, they built a fort upon a mountain overlooking the trade road. It allowed them to assault supply convoys and the Phaerician troops with impunity and as there was only one footpath up to the fort, with steep cliffs and mountain faces on the other sides, it was unassailable. Fortunately for the Phaericians, the fort was not able to to hold many men, or supplies and it was not the tide turner the tribals desperately needed. This fort was called Hekovar, named after an ancient champion and its story would only grow from here.
As the years passed and future generations began to forget the reasons for this war, the violence began to dwindle. It proved costly for the Phaericians and the tribes grew tired of having their youth killed before they could grow into men. The war ended with an unceremonious whimper.
In Hekovar, life was just beginning. Gravish soldiers and mercenaries had begun to form bonds with the tribal folk living within and some had even started their own families. A small settlement began to grow at the base of the mountain, long cleared of trees by the war and it began to thrive.
Today, the fort of Hekovar is the castle protectively watching its people below. The Hekovari kingdom has expanded, reclaiming part of the forests as their ancestral homeland. Hekovar prides itself on its warrior culture. They value strength, honor, independence. Almost all of its kings in ages past have held on to their independence fiercely, some refusing outright to treat with other nations. Their borders are under constant harassment by raiders, barbarians and soldiers of other nations, keeping the Hekovarian military active and strong.
Hekovar trades in iron, copper and silver, mined from the mountain range that forms their northern border. Their farmers grow the usual crops (wheat, maize) and tend sheep and goat.
To the west of Hekovar lies Phaer and to the north, past the mountains, lie the Gravis Collective. Hekovar has an uneasy truce with both nations. The Wilding Woods are to the south, where the large collection of tribes still make their home. Hekovar and the tribes still view themselves as one people, with Hekovar being the strongest, most dominant tribe in the region. Past the Wilding Woods lies Crydoc, which was recently annexed by an empire known only as Trothe.
Hekovari Culture
Hekovar is an insular, somewhat xenophobic society. They are self-sufficient and rarely trade with other kingdoms. The Hekovari and the rest of the Rakavi tribes venerate Kalmar, the God of the Wind, Magha, the Goddess of the Harvest and Grisht, God of the Hunt. They revere the bear and the falcon, but the raven and the wolf are bad omens. The three gods are known as simply as The Way.
All citizens of Hekovar maintain a militant outlook. They are expected to be proficient in at least one weapon and must all bear arms in the defense of the nation. Those who are unable to do so due to physical or mental disability, or a simple lack of talent, serve in other ways. The merchants, farmers and tradesmen are viewed as second-class in a kingdom that prizes martial prowess.
Amongst the Rakavi tribes, Hekovar is viewed as the most dominant. Through binding compacts, the Wilding Woods were divided amongst the remaining tribes, to insure against future wars and to ensure that hunting was good. Although Hekovar is a full-fledged city, with agriculture and industry, they do not view themselves as civilized folk and hold strongly to the old, ancient ways.
All Rakavi youth are expected to go through a rite of passage between the ages of 13 to 18. The exact age varies on the individual and is determined by maturity and readiness. During the coldest month of the year, the youths are sent out into the mountains, to return only if they survive the month. If you can survive the world trying to kill you, then you can survive a mere man trying to do the same.
All Hekovari and tribal characters begin the game with a weapon proficiency of their choice, or a domain feat. Applicable domains are Nature, Freedom, Wilderness, Moon, Strength, Sun and Storm.
Phaerician Culture
Phaer is a country of traders, scholars and adventurers. Most are born with a sense of wanderlust and the need to explore borders beyond the horizon. They are adept diplomats and negotiators and are able to make friends in the most hostile of places. They view themselves as civilized, enlightened people and seek to bring this same enlightenment to the people they meet. While they do not try to impose their culture on other people, they cannot help but share their own.
Phaericians worship a single monolithic god named Jarif. He is a god of progress, ingenuity and craft.
All Phaerician characters begin the game with the Mounted Combat and Jack of All Trades feat.
Applicable Domains for Divine Characters: Luck, Civilization, Creation, Justice and Protection
Trothe
Trothe is an empire which formed on the continent across the ocean. Their presence here is still small, having only conquered and annexed the kingdom of Crydoc. They, however, will not stop there. Their efforts at expanding their borders on Agarista have failed, as the tribals in the Wilding Woods have proven remarkably resistant to bribery and 'progress' and the kingdom of Hekovar is insular and suspicious. Phaer is far too cosmopolitan and savvy to be bought over without a very costly price and the Gravis Collective to distant and too scattered.
Trothe is ruled by an Emperor, who is aided by his Council. The Council consists of the heads of the 7 major noble families, and they run the world within the Halls of Deliberation. The numerous minor families jockey for political power in the Lower Halls, constantly trying to elevate their standing. 4 of these minor families have representatives in Crydoc, while a lone member of the Fourth House acts as governor.
Trothe worships an ideology known as the Quandary, a set of question passed on to them by the dead gods that traverse the cosmos. How It Came To Be, When The End Comes, Where Tomorrow Leads and What Cannot Be Known as the questions which every Trothian is expected to answer.
All Trothian characters begin the game with an implement proficiency of their choice, or the Ritual Caster feat.
Applicable Domains for Divine Characters: Fate, Knowledge, Death, Life, Sun and Skill. Also available are Force, Tyranny and Madness, but these domains are viewed as heretical.
The Gravis Collective
Coming Soon.
Other Lands
To the east of Hekovar, a week's travel past the borders of the kingdom, lies the Broken Lands. Once a part of the continent of Agarista and home to the Rakavi, the Broken Lands were split asunder and cursed. Legend has is that the dwellers of the Broken Lands once worshipped the Corrupt, a twisted mockery of the Way. In a great war between the gods and their enemies, the corrupted were punished, wiped from the face of the world and their lands forever cast out. Within the Broken Lands, the terrain constantly shifts and changes and no life can grow there. It is a silent, desolate place, where madness dwells. A great valley separates the Broken Lands from the rest of Agarista, much to the relief of the superstitious Rakavi.
To the west of Phaer lies the sea and past that lies an archipelago. Home to a people of strange appearance and mannerisms, they have been friends and allies with Phair for several generations. They trade exotic animals and furs, as well as fine crafts with Phaer. They are said to be a welcoming and generous people.