Sneak Peek: Heritage and Upbringing
6 months ago
– Sun, May 12, 2024 at 05:00:56 AM
Hello Outlanders,
I've got another sneak peek for you today! Backers will have access to the current draft version of Chapter 3 and 4 on Tuesday, but let's get a quick look at a few bits dealing with two important choices you make when creating your new character.
A character is how a player engages with a game of
At the Gates. Players create characters to act as avatars within the game world. The player makes decisions for the character and uses them to experience the rich environment available in the game. Characters go on thrilling adventures, engage in political intrigue, spy on enemies, fight monsters, foment uprisings, engage in piracy, and so much more at the hands of the players controlling them.
When you create a character for At the Gates you imbue it with a sense of history, a motivation to act, social dynamics to explore, and the skills and abilities necessary to get on in the world. Who are you? How did your upbringing shape you? How has where you've grown up influenced the person you've become? Who do you want society to see you as? How are you connected to the people around you? These questions are at the core of creating a character for At the Gates.
At the Gates is a game about epic fantasy that comes from humble beginnings. Consider what kind of person you want to portray, and how they’ll react to danger, political intrigue, mystery, magical wonders, and the variety of adventures you might play through in this game. chapter 4 will guide you through creating a character and get you started on your journey.
The first steps in making a character for At the Gates include selecting three Paths.
The first Path you choose is your Heritage. This determines what nation your character comes from — if any — and what kind of advantages that conveys to them. When you pick your Heritage Path, you will choose one of two perks, which represent the kind of focus your character’s family had in that society. This will grant them Attributes and Skills based on the traditional training and education someone from that nation and background is likely to have.
Let's look at our top two vote getters in our poll: The Federation of Eves and Vitrumaria.
Evesian
With salt and wind in your hair, you're happiest on the open seas or at home on one of the islands of the Federation of Eves. A robust maritime culture and sense of community unite your people. You grew up living a life of hard work and playing on and in the tides. The Elders claim magic from the Well of Creation has suffused all your people, but you're not so sure. Your early years were dominated by the oppression of an occupation force. You either grew up during a war to win your nation’s independence or fought in it yourself. You might have been raised in oppressive or hard times, but now you are ready to make your mark on the world and show it what Evesians are made of.
Perk: Magic Touched
Proximity to the Well of Creation has influenced how you see the world. You watch the ebb and flow of the currents pulsing with Gaia’s lifeforce. This insight has also allowed you to understand the people around you better.
Attributes: Mental 2, Physical 1, Social 1
Skills: Esoterica, Leadership, Persuasion, Science
Insight: You have an intrinsic understanding of how people feel. Whether you are experiencing their emotions yourself or seeing the color of their aura, you understand people. This understanding grants you +1 Enhancement that stacks during social interactions in which you’ve spent more than a few moments with a person.
Second Keystone: Magic has taken root in you in a way you're still trying to understand. Where other people have only one Keystone, you can have a second one outside your Profession's offered Pillar.
Perk: Saltborn
Life on an island has centered your culture's dependence on the ocean’s bounty. You grew up on or around ships, and probably learned to sail at a very early age. Every island is different, but you're used to living in a close-knit community where everyone works together to succeed and provide for their families.
Attributes: Mental 1, Physical 1, Social 2
Skills: Athletics, Culture, Larceny, Pilot
Freedom of Navigation: You understand the currents and the position of the stars to navigate without the guidance of tools or a map. You always know which way you are facing and never suffer penalties or Complications to navigate. Gain a +1 Enhancement that stacks to navigate or reorient yourself when using your instincts.
Sea Legs: Your constant time at sea has given you the ability to keep your footing in even the most tumultuous circumstances. Downgrade any Complications from Area effects that would affect your movement by one step. If this would reduce that Complication to 0, the character just ignores it.
Vitrumarian
You grew up in the blazing sun and dry desert sands of Vitrumaria. Your culture prizes self-reliance, which has made you independent and motivated. You’re used to the lavish lifestyle of a wealthy nation juxtaposed against the harsh unforgiving desert environment. You know that community is what keeps people safe, and striking out on your own can lead to disaster if you aren’t properly prepared. This has made you careful, and not a little jaded when it comes to others. It doesn’t help that your beautiful nation is led by a despot and a liar who has dragged your people into a grueling war. Now, you don’t know what to believe as you are inundated daily with lies, but you know that your very way of life is in danger, and it isn’t from those on the outside.
Perk: Sandborn
Outsiders are both an opportunity and a threat to your community. You've learned to present a friendly demeanor when interacting with others to keep collaboration alive, even when you distrust your temporary partners. Life under the desert sun has made you resilient and proficient at surviving when resources are low.
Attributes: Mental 1, Physical 2, Social 1
Skills: Artistry, Larceny, Persuasion, Survival
False Smile: You've learned to say a lot without revealing anything to lull others into a false sense of security. When you make an influence action to lie to someone gain access to the following Trick:
Pry (1 hit): Your lie is so convincing that your target shares a secret they wouldn’t normally share with you.
Durable: The extreme heat of your home has made you more resistant to extreme temperatures. You may ignore the effects of the Extreme Temperature (heat) Area effect if you are prepared, and if this effect is magically created, you downgrade the Complication to Minor.
Perk: Revolutionary
You’ve grown increasingly disenfranchised by your nation’s leadership. Maybe you were radicalized young and have grown up always knowing the government was corrupt, or something recent happened to radicalize you. Now, you hone all your energy into setting wrongs to right.
Attributes: Mental 1, Physical 1, Social 2
Skills: Athletics, Culture, Leadership, Persuasion
Rallying Cry: You’ve learned how to motivate others with just your words. When take influence actions to sway a crowd or persuade people to join your cause, gain +2 Enhancement.
Tough as Nails: You have an exceptional ability to anticipate danger and act swiftly, as well as a knack for evading threats and maneuvering through tricky situations. You gain a +1 Enhancement that stacks to Initiative rolls or Defense actions (chosen when you take this Perk).
Next Step: Select your Upbringing.
Your Upbringing Path describes how your character was trained and educated based on her economic status, her family’s traditional vocation, or even her own special interests. Instead of representing the things she learned based on where she’s from, this represents the major factors in her young life that shaped her knowledge and core skills.
Bootstrapped
Your family always taught you to seek out opportunities and take them where you can. Through cutthroat business, backroom dealing, and not a little luck, they’ve come into wealth. Raised during your family’s rise to power, their vision of the world is instilled upon you. You know how to work the system, manage people, and leverage all your resources to get ahead in the world.
Attributes: Mental 2, Social 2
Skills: Larceny, Leadership, and Persuasion
Leverage: You know how to read people and what to say to put them off guard. When intimidating someone, you can insinuate that you have some information on them that puts them in a compromising position, even if you are lying about the knowledge. Later, when either you or they act on that leverage, gain a +2 Enhancement that stacks to the action.
Resolute: Working in tense social situations has granted you a level of resolve to maintain your composure despite yourself. When people try to persuade you or change your mind about something, gain +1 Enhancement that stacks to your Integrity action.
Legacy
Your family has known wealth for several generations. You grew up with the luxury to pursue your own interests, but you’ve always known that your family expected you to follow in their footsteps. You’ve always worked under the burden of responsibility, and it has taught you both how to effectively get work out of others and shirk your own duties without notice.
Attributes: Mental 1, Physical 1, Social 2
Skills: Culture, Leadership, and Persuasion
Efficient: You know how to get things done with minimal effort. Once per session, you may forgo rolling for an action to immediately succeed on it. If there are any Complications, you must suffer the effects, though you may spend Momentum for Enhancement as per normal to buy them off.
Commanding Presence: You radiate an aura of authority, confidence, and leadership. Your mere presence demands attention and respect from those around you, enabling you to inspire and influence others with ease. When other people act on your orders, they gain a +1 Enhancement to follow through.
We'll learn about all of the Heritage and Upbringing options on Tuesday, along with the important third Path of your Profession! And we'll learn how to assign your dots and finishing designing your characters, and also about new stuff like Advanced Professions!!
So, let's continue to spread the word and invite our friends and friendly gamers to join in on this campaign! We've come a long way so far in this first week, but we still have many weeks ahead -- and much more of the manuscript to share!
Our next update on Tuesday will feature the current drafts of chapters 3 and 4. Backers will have access to the complete manuscript before we reach the end - before any pledges are processed or payments collected. It's about the most risk-free way of learning about the game as exists. So join in if you haven't, and let's see if we can't unlock some more Stretch Goals before we get to the final chapter!
#AtTheGates
Sneak Peek: Mages & Warriors
7 months ago
– Thu, May 09, 2024 at 07:44:49 AM
Hello Outlanders,
Backers have access to the first two chapters from the draft manuscript for At The Gates, and we'll get the next two chapters on Tuesday May 14. But who wants to wait until then to see some of the fun stuff that we'll get to play with?
It' sounds like it's time for a Sneak Peek!
But first! Let's celebrate our first Stretch Goal achievement!
ACHIEVED! - At $32,000 in Funding - AT THE GATES Storyguide Screen - A three-panel Storyguide Reference Screen with charts and information for running a game set in the lands of Everend will be created and offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tiers for +$25.
SNEAK PEEK!
MAGES
In Gaia, the term mage denotes someone who had dedicated their life to the study of magic. While everyone can utilize Gaia’s magic in their everyday lives, mages don’t just use magic, they seek to understand it and the very fabric of existence. A mage is a scholar first and foremost, open to learning everything they can about the world, how it works, magic, the gods, and the nature of all things. In this, they develop a strong affinity for the magic of the world itself, able to wield the elements or take magic apart at its roots.
Abilities
Anyone who takes a special interest in magic and its nature is bound to learn how to not only wield it, but also control it. Mages learn the Art of Control early in their career, which allows them control over magical elements. This art is both physical and mystical in nature, giving the mage the ability to enhance her magic, and the magic of others. The Art of Control is one of focus and determination, allowing the mage to infuse her magic into everything she does.
Mages learn from one of two schools of magic, either to manipulate the world itself and the elements that make it up, or to manipulate magic itself. Those who concentrate on learning about Gaia, Outlands, and the nature of the magical world tend toward the Pillar of Elementalism, learning to create, destroy, and hold both those things in balance. They harness the generating forces of the world and turn them to their own designs. An elemental mage can conjure the elements to perform a variety of tasks from building fortifications from earth, creating a healing spring, or bringing down lightning. They also learn to manipulate time and fate, which holds all things in balance.
Mages who study the fundamental elements of magic itself instead learn the Pillar of Transformation. With it, they can manipulate magic to change the world around them, often affecting immaterial objects and constructs, giving them life, making, and breaking them, and even changing themselves to fit any situation.
Organizations
While mages clearly delineate themselves into two groups, scholarly and wild mages, there are few formal organizations built up around the profession. Mages are too headstrong to listen to anyone other than an archmage tell them what to do, and so they don’t even try.
That said, many mages have strong ties to the community that taught them. Wild mages aren’t all loners who experiment wildly. The most famous group are from Clan Mistwalk in Caparanite, who have a tight-knit community of generational mages. They are secretive of their magical ways, but those who leave their lands are conversant in magic that can only be found in the Outlands. Rumors state that their affinity for shapeshifting comes not from learning about the nature of magic and the natural world, but instead from the Void itself. Of course, there’s no foundation for these rumors that anyone can see.
Mages who study within an academic setting find that their colleagues are lifelong allies. No matter where they came from, or where they move to, those allegiances tend to ignore national borders. When Vitrumaria summoned daemons to attack Invesse, they refused to share their research with outsiders, marking the first time this tradition had ever been broken. Many mages who trained in Vitrumaria feel betrayed by their once friends, and blame President Hollister for the separation.
Mage Role
Primary Role: Damage
Secondary Role: Investigation
Physical Might: low
Magical Might: high
Defensive Ability: low
Healing Ability: low
Mobility: medium
Leadership: low
Intrigue: medium
Investigation: high
Why Play a Mage?
Play a mage if you want to be a scholar who experiments with magic, be a battle mage who wades into a fight wielding the elements, be a crafter who infuses magic to make legendary items, have control over the very elements of the world, be able to make and unmake magic, or just really like being a know-it-all with a great deal of power to back it up.
WARRIORS
No matter where you come from in Everend, you’re expected to learn how to defend yourself against monsters, beasts, and void tainted creatures. Even the highest nobility has some training with a sword. A warrior isn’t just someone who has trained but has mastered the sword and all other weapons. They are in their element when armed, though are equally as skilled when carrying nothing more than the clothes on their back. A warrior isn’t just someone who fights well. They have trained in a variety of brutal attack styles and can easily switch based on the situation. If a warlord is an army’s commander and tactical mind, the warrior is the army’s right arm, as good as a hundred trained soldiers when in the heat of battle.
Abilities
Warriors are weapon masters trained in a variety of fighting styles and martial arts to ensure they can pick up anything and be a deadly force. All warriors use the Art of Might , which teaches them not just how to fight, but to be a whirlwind of damage in combat. They can set their sights on an opponent and goad them into one-on-one combat, then unleash a barrage of attacks that leave them staggered. They train with ranged weapons to maximize their output, allowing them to shoot further and with more deadly accuracy than any normal archer. As they learn deeper parts of the art, they can even summon their weapon to their side through magical attunement.
Warriors don’t just learn to wield a weapon, they learn to become one with their weapon, treating it as an extension of themselves. They specialize in the Pillar of Transformation, which allows them to perfect both themselves and their weapons, or even just create weapons out of nothing but light. Some warriors prefer the Perfection Block as their Keystone, allowing them to keep their weapon in pristine condition regardless of the stresses they put it under. Others choose Metamorphosis to allow them to dominate the battlefield by weakening opponents and changing to meet any situation. Finally, those warriors who focus on Transmogrify do so to let their weapon loose to fight on its own, or make or destroy weapons on a whim.
Community Role
People have two views of warriors depending on where they come from. Either a warrior is a representative of a nation’s military, and they should be feared for what they are capable of. Otherwise, a warrior is a home-grown hero, who protects their friends and family from outside dangers. These are extremely simplistic views of what a warrior is and can be, but it’s the common trope.
When people first meet a warrior, they might be wary of who she works for. Is she a mercenary for hire? Is she a noble’s personal bodyguard? Is she part of the army? If she proves herself useful, those concerns seem to melt away. Most people are happy to have a trained warrior nearby if a problem arises, no matter who they work for. Then again, cut-throats, thieves, or established mercenary groups might see a new warrior as a threat to business and try to run her out of town or kill her if they think she’s overstaying her welcome.
While most people in political positions tend to be warlords or harriers, warriors easily slot into leadership roles through dent of might. In Caparanite, warriors are valued as leaders over all other professions, regardless of how tactically minded or smooth talking someone might be. Warleader Tristan Beard is a warrior of great renown, and he earned his title through combat prowess. Of course, he would be a fool not to listen to a warlord’s council, and is smart enough to keep council with the other clan leaders and pay them mind.
Warrior Role
Primary Role: Damage
Secondary Role: Support
Physical Might: high
Magical Might: low
Defensive Ability: medium
Healing Ability: low
Mobility: medium
Leadership: low
Intrigue: low
Investigation: medium
Why Play a Warrior?
Play a warrior if you want to be an elite fighter, be able to take on multiple opponents at the same time, focus on having a single cool weapon that changes and grows with you, fly into a furious rage of metal and death, be a knight of the realm, or protect those you care about most.
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This is just an excerpt from Chapter 3, which covers the Professions your characters can take in At The Gates. We'll get the whole manuscript for this chapter (along with Chapter 4) on Tuesday.
On Sunday, we'll get another sneak peek looking at Heritage and Upbringing, two other important Paths in building your characters.
Until then, please continue to spread the word to your friends and friendly gamers and let's see if we can't unlock a Stretch Goal or two while we journey across Everend!
At $36,000 in Funding - AT THE GATES Bookmark Set - Need something cool to mark your place? We'll have a set of six At The Gates cardstock bookmarks offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tier for +$15.
#AtTheGates
The Nations of Everend
7 months ago
– Wed, May 08, 2024 at 10:27:57 AM
Hello Outlanders,
Many of you have already gone deep into the draft manuscript that we posted in our first update on Launch Day!
(If you haven't, you should check it out!)
So this may be old information to our Day 1 backers, but for all of the folks following along on the fence or waiting until the stars align to join in... let's learn a bit more about Everend.
Then, when I send out our poll about where your new character is from, you'll have the background needed to play along!
THE NATIONS OF EVEREND
“A people divided, and yet one people. Everend is all of you, and yet it is no one of you.”
Testament of Aaramus
When people resettled the land after the Time Before, they picked locations rich in natural resources and defensible positions. What started as a trickle of repopulation and exploration turned into lines drawn in the sand and warring factions. When the dust settled, seven great nations dominated the continent, which they call Everend.
Everend is a sprawling landmass featuring raging river lands, magically blighted fields, seemingly endless deserts, towering mountains, frigid wastelands, and strange borderlands. The people are as diverse as the landscape, many born from the land and tempered by its wilderness. While the nations in Everend share a history and a continent, their individual people, cultures, approaches to issues, and problems are distinctly unique.
Caparanite is a nation of hardy people who have carved a living out of harsh tundra. Orydonia is conversely a relatively peaceful nation of farmers and crafters who have tamed bountiful lands. The Federation of Eves is a group of island nations who recently won their independence and struggle to find an identity in continental politics. Invesse is an isolated nation that is dealing with its first ever invasion. Selacha is a confederation of rich coastal city-states who have banded together for mutual defense. Talpidium sits in the highest mountain range on Everend and boasts some of the best metalsmiths anywhere. Vitrumaria is a nation of determined people who have learned to tame the desert and now, daemons.
The past year has thrown what was once a relatively peaceful continent into turmoil and strife. The discovery of daemons has impacted every nation, from Caparanite to Eves, and everyone is struggling to come to terms with it. Daemons destroyed an entire mountain in an explosive show of force yet unrivaled in Everend’s history. Since that fateful day, every nation has raced to match the might that Vitrumaria demonstrated with that act. Since then, a terrifying blight has struck at the heart of the continent’s grain belt, creating massive food shortages, and putting a strain on all nations. Refugees flee from war and hunger creating instability in the nations they end up in. Squabbles over resources, land, and borders have escalated into saber rattling between once peaceful nations. These crises have forced nations to look inward at their own troubles, while fearfully glancing at their neighbors expecting them to strike.
For the common people of Everend, the advent of daemon summoning has caused unrest and a disruption to everyday life. Many Orydonian farmers are out of work due to the blight and seeking their fortunes elsewhere. People in warring nations are reminded daily that their normal life is not returning any time soon. Vitrumarian citizens struggled under a tyrannical leader and a group whose outspoken resistance paints a target on everyone’s back. Invesse’s people must choose to flee or fight, both options a dangerous proposition. Caparnite’s warriors see opportunities in these conflicts, but also know that their own fates aren’t so easily won. Something dangerous is encroaching on their northern border, which could mean danger for everyone. Selacha’s people worry about yet another war so soon after they were expelled from Eves. While Eves worries that supporting their allies might turn Vitrumaria’s eyes in their direction. Talpidium’s people fear that their monarch’s refusal to research daemons will lead to their eventual destruction, but at the same time fear that unchecked research could spell their doom.
Behind all that is the excitement of learning about the unknown. More and more people are taking up the mantle of summoner, researcher, and adventurer. Everend holds expanses of unexplored lands, ancient relics buried in long-forgotten ruins, and untamed magic. People who were once content to make their living in a pastoral setting are now looking to these wonders for glory and fortune. Anyone attempting to take advantage of these must contend not only with rival explorers, but the very political powers of Everend who each have their own agendas, needs, and ambitions.
What follows is a high-level overview of the most important concepts and ideals held within a nation and the philosophies and circumstances which drive the people living there. Secret societies, grand conspiracies, local rivalries, quarrelling lovers and more are found within and give a flavor of the sorts of adventures that could take place there and the sorts of characters you are likely to meet. Furthermore, the political context of the nations of Everend is key to the ongoing crises which drive the people living there to action. This provides fertile ground for the creation of stories which will be both fulfilling and exciting to experience and participate in as each character plays their role in the developing lore of each land.
Caparanite
“The way of the shepherd is the way of survival. It is easy to call ‘barbarian’ one who must fight to survive.”
All-Khan Tristan Beard, Leader of the Caparanite Clans at War
Survival against the odds. If a single phrase could sum up a nation, the Caparanite clans would carve these words in stone upon the borders of the barren, frigid wastes they call home for all to see. Caparanite is a complex political animal comprising a vast network of clans and small nations, each with a distinct culture, united by their common goal of mutual survival in their harsh homeland.
The hard lands breed hard people and Caparans are recognized across Everend as some of the finest warriors on the continent. Their militaristic way of life and their harsh, yet straightforward, code of law make them a nation of serious people who are honest, forthright, and blunt in conversation. Their way of life leaves little room for intrigue and backbiting. It is strength and the ability to survive which Caparans respect above all. These diverse people consist of mostly goat- and mole-people, along with a variety of other humans.
Caparanite warriors proudly and openly wear the furs and fetishes taken from defeated enemies and bear weapons as a matter of course wherever they go. As serious as they can be, they also value the sanctity of each moment and often have a devil may care attitude when celebrating or enjoying the company of friends, baying loudly of this or that battle fought many years ago, and proudly showing the scars they gained on that day and the lessons taught by those wounds.
Caparanite also possesses powerful mages from across its vast territory who, unrestricted by a hierarchical structure overseeing the use of magic, have mastered many arts that aid in their quest for survival. Any magical mishaps that have caused disaster there would be largely unnoticed as the uncountable peoples of the far north are often disconnected from their counterparts in the south. If word stops coming from a remote settlement, it’s as likely they died in the cold or to an attack from the savage beasts that roam the Outlands as any magical disaster.
Despite these many advantages, the reality of Caparanite is a people to whom living to see another day is the highest honor and who view ownership as “if you can protect it, you can keep it.” They are highly prized as mercenaries, but also feared as ferocious raiders. Since the major clans united under a single Khan, they are a threat to those neighbors whose fertile lands could secure a living for all the people of the north.
The Federation of Eves
“No price is too high for freedom.”
Representative Elise Finnley
The confederation of islands to the east of Everend, the Federation of Eves, is a young nation of seafarers, fisherfolk, and divers. A long and grueling war with its neighbor, Selacha, hardened this group of islands into a single nation, determined to take its place amongst the great nations of Everend so it can never again be trampled and treated as a prize to be conquered. The Federation has only considered itself a nation for ten years and Everend’s other nations (with the reluctant inclusion of Selacha) have only recognized it for half that time.
Two factors bind the federation together. The first is mutual protection against Selacha. The second is the Well of Creation. It’s the reason the federation was never a united nation before, and why it must be one now. The islanders believe the Well is the source of all magic in Gaia; it’s too powerful and precious for any one nation to control. The small island nations kept one another in check for generations, agreeing that no island should be more powerful than the others and thereby claim more control over the Well. Selacha coveted the Well, and conquered island after island to encroach on it. Only the islands’ decision to unite, becoming the Federation of Eves, stopped Selacha from rolling over them and taking possession of the Well of Creation.
The islands’ people reflect the wondrous variety of fish, sea mammals, and birds that inhabit the archipelago. Bright plumage and sharp beaks are common sights, as are shimmering scales and translucent fins. Shark-featured pirates crew sleek, rapid ships and serpent-folk defend their sandy, stony, or thickly forested homes.
The Federation is still reckoning with what it means to be a single nation: to cooperate, to balance one island’s needs against another, and how to define themselves. Each island has its own values, heroes, and legends and as the war that united them recedes into history, scholars, thinkers, and other ambitious individuals race to determine what, beyond defending the Well of Creation, will keep the new nation together as it enters the next stage of its development.
Invesse
“We are at war, but we are neither cowed nor defeated. If our invaders thought they would have an easy time of it, they severely underestimated the mettle of an Invessan.”
General Bash Bransom III
A peninsula on the southeastern edge of Everend, Invesse is bordered by Vitrumaria to the northwest and Selacha to the north. This swampy, heavily forested nation has densely packed population centers along its coasts separated by nearly impassable jungle land and pockets of Outlands. The eastern city centers have thrived for ages as hubs of sea trade, lumber manufacturing, and fishing, allowing them to grow into sprawling urban environments. While in the western and northern areas of the peninsula, a more rural way of life has prevailed with simple farms and fishing villages. Invesse is home to many bird-, lizard-, and fish-people, though several other peoples have settled there over the years.
Invesse’s northwestern border was protected by a mountain chain that stretched far into Vitrumaria’s south. That is until S’kallah the Dustbringer flattened the mountains and allowed Vitrumarian troops to swarm into the nation. Now they are embroiled in a war with an enemy who has them outclassed and outmanned. Tukila Swansong, Invesse’s leader, has sent a call for aid from Everend’s other nations, but few have responded. Each has enough of its own problems to spare troops or supplies to aid the fight. Swansong believes a simpler truth lies beneath the other nations’ inaction: No one wants to be the next target.
Invessans aren’t totally outmatched, though. Vitrumarian forces have only pierced the northern and western parts of the peninsula, incapable of making their way deeper due to their lack of knowledge of the Outlands and jungle terrain. Invesse’s forces harry the invaders, deflecting attacks to lead Vitrumarians deep into the jungle or into Outlands they aren’t prepared for. They have locked up Vitrumaria into a long and costly war, and for Invessans, the stakes are their homes and way of life. They aren’t backing down, even if they don’t have help. Swansong knows the first gate was found in Invesse, and has no compunction of using it to build up her own daemon army if that’s what it takes.
Orydonia
“From within and without our society, our land is under constant assault. We must defend it, but also remain true to the values that make it such a prize.”
Luisa Drosser, President of Orydonia
The beating heart of the continent of Everend, Orydonia was once a picturesque, idyllic expanse of rolling hills and fertile plains. At least, until a magical blight destroyed much of the viable farmland overnight. Since then, Orydonia has been thrown into disarray and the balance of power on Everend is upended. The abundance of food and water had previously elevated Orydonia to primacy among the nations of Everend. Its people enjoyed a state of satisfaction not found elsewhere which allowed them to develop both culturally and politically beyond their neighbors. Orydonia’s democratic socialist nation had systems to manage food, housing, and resources to ensure that nobody was left wanting. Now, that same system is stuck in deliberation as they fight over how to respond to the unthinkable, as people go hungry and many lose their livelihoods, their homes, and in many cases their lives.
Orydonia is a cosmopolitan place, seeing people from across Everend settling in its lush lands. In the deep country, fox- and rabbit-people speak in broad local dialects and nod sagely at talk of the passing seasons. In the cities, keen eyed bird-people wear elaborate togas complete with finely crafted brooches and tiaras, their plumage dyed in colorful hues to attract attention. People of all stripes hawk their wares on city streets, and debate philosophy in tea houses across the nation.
Under this veneer of calm lies a nation facing several crises without a good path forward. As Caparanite seeks to overtake what little fertile land remains untouched by the Blight, refugees spill into the border from Invesse, and their own populace sits near total economic collapse, internal politics grow heated on how to deal with these issues. Orydonia is a nation on the brink. A stricken power, clinging to its ideals of democracy and equity for all, while being torn apart by forces that it struggles to contain.
Selacha
“History? All history is good for is proving nothing lasts forever.”
Regna Eliza Romanelo
The nation of Selacha occupies the eastern coast of Everend. It’s composed of nine separate, self-governing city states, united by trade deals and political marriages.
The Nine CrownsSelenese is Selacha’s capital, where the Council Regnant meets to discuss matters of government that affect all the city states. Selenese, Valenta, Trieve are known as the Three Great Crowns. They’re the largest, the most powerful, and the loudest voices in the government-of-governments, the Council Regnant. They also bore most of the cost of the recent war with the Federation of Eves, so are the most financially precarious. Below them are four other cities — Solente, Aseda, Vielle, and Callandia — which make up most of the country. The other cities are outsiders: Palancia, always poor in relation to the others, and Agathine, which has fallen so deeply into debt it’s now owned by the banking house of Olentrave.
Selacha runs on luxury, and it always has. Whole communities of divers retrieve beautiful pearls from the bottom of the ocean; dyers process rich, lustrous tints from shells, crustaceans, and ocean flora; and pirates capture and commandeer the cargos of merchant ships up and down the coast.
This league of quarrelsome city states is in a precarious position. Some might say their best days are behind them — but only in private, because patriotism and a breed of stubborn optimism is the current trend in public discourse. Selacha’s still recovering from a grueling and expensive war with the Federation of Eves. Not only was the war costly, losing their former protectorate cut off many revenue streams, like the rightly prized purple dye produced on one of the Evesian islands.
They’re close to bankrupt with little sign of recovery, and Caparanite looms on their northern border, threatening to take the most valuable asset Selacha has left: the city of Palancia’s aaramite mine. It’s a testing time for Selacha, and rather than cooperating, each of the cities is turning inwards, looking out for its own interests at the expense of the nation.
Talpidium
“Our people strive to look beyond, and sometimes they miss what is right in front of them.”
Lyca Sapphire, Queen of Talpidium
Talpidium is a nation built in stone, and as unchangeable as its foundation. Ranging all through the Dawn Palisade and ending at the Barrier Sea to the west, Talpidium’s borders are tight and defensible. This has left the nation largely unassailable through the multiple wars that have plagued the continent since the Reconstruction.
This mountainous region is home to miners and delvers, comprised largely of mole- and crystalline-people and others suited to the subterranean dwellings. Along the coast, brave explorers with weather beaten scale and fin make a living hauling fish and hunting fabled sea creatures.
Talpidium has long been an isolationist nation, making trade deals with neighbors only for hard-to-find foodstuffs or aaramite. Anything else they make for themselves or do without. Situated in a hard-to-reach place has made the nation complacent of its place in Everend, which has made dealing with new threats a difficult transition.
War between Vitrumaria and Invesse might not normally even spark interest in the broadsheets, but the devastating daemon attack that leveled a mountain has given the whole nation pause. If Vitrumaria sets its sights on Talpidium next, no amount of natural border can stop them. The Monarchy has taken a traditional approach to this threat, hiring Caparan mercenaries to defend the southern border, and increasing funding for weapons research.
Many in the nation believe Talpidium should look to securing their own daemons if they want to have a chance against their aggressive southern neighbor, but Queen Lyca refuses, considering the magic far too chaotic and dangerous to play with. She has put forward a prohibition against daemon summoning, considering their chaotic magic too dangerous to play with.
Vitrumaria
“Everyone wants power, but only those who can take it and hold it are fit to keep it. If someone takes your power from you, you weren’t mean to have it in the first place.”
Harold Hollister, Vitrumarian President
Located on the southwestern side of Everend, Virtumaria is dominated by a vast desert on the leeward side of the mountains separating it from Invesse. Despite Vitrumaria touching the Barrier Sea, the nation’s biggest cities are found deep in the desert mining the aaramite found there. People live in elaborate cities built from the magical material placed precariously on the shifting sands.
The nation is currently controlled by a tyrant who has designs on empire building, President Harold Hollister. For generations, lizard-, bird-, stone-, and bat-people have enjoyed prosperity under Vitrumarian democracy. Fueled by a culture that glorifies self-reliance and determination, these people aren’t taking their oppression laying down, even if that means partnering with what would be otherwise their strongest enemies.
After discovering daemons in Invesse’s Outlands, President Hollister used the entities to invade the nation in hopes of recruiting more creatures to his side. The war is not proceeding as planned, taking far too long to quell the peninsula. Expert strategists have assured the president that Vitrumaria would win eventually, the cost in troops, resources, and the devastation daemons bring to the land aren’t worth it. Hollister has no plans to stop his invasion though and has locked up or killed anyone suggesting otherwise.
Public sentiment is dictated by propaganda, which declares the war a roaring success. Unfortunately, despite carefully placed broadsheets and public displays of victory, a resistance movement has arisen by the name of the Anti-Hollister League. This former activist group has turned into a militia bent on disrupting Vitrumarian war efforts, smuggle refugees out of the nation, and find allies among the other nations. While information leaving Vitrumaria is highly contained, the AHL hopes that if others learn of public discontent, they will be more willing to assist in overthrowing the government. Additionally, a third party in the form of the Aaramite Court, wealthy oligarchs who own the aaramite mines, works at the upper levels to temper Hollister’s advances. While they don’t support the populist Anti-Hollister League, they do sometimes support their actions to weaken their shared enemy.
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This is just the most general overview of the nations of Everend. In the draft manuscript, which backers have access to, you'll be able to dig deep into each nation and learn about the history and cultures. More importantly, you'll see the Story Seeds that are included throughout the manuscript. This is one of my favorite bits in the text - the ideas and adventures suggested really get the imagination going! I love it!
So let's keep on exploring Everend and please invite your friends and friendly gamers to join in!
#AtTheGates
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ACHIEVED! - At $36,000 in Funding - AT THE GATES Bookmark Set - Need something cool to mark your place? We'll have a set of six At The Gates cardstock bookmarks offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tier for +$15.
