Printed Fragged Seas Book, Spare Time Points & Final Game Journal
almost 7 years ago – Sun, Jul 02, 2017 at 12:54:37 AM

G’day. We’re now just about to enter our final 48 hour rush, and in anticipation of the $65k Stretch Goal being broken (to print Fragged Seas) I’ve added a new pledge level for people to get all 3 Printed Sourcebooks (Pirate Captain 'All 3 Books'), and I’ve revealed our next two stretch goals (one final art upgrade and a one final content upgrade).

 Spare Time Points

STPs play a larger role in all 3 sourcebooks, and especially in Kingdom and Seas.

• All items require a Spare Time Roll to acquire, unless looted/found.
• Study Spare Time Rolls are far more common, as all types of characters can make use of them to gain access to slightly more powerful/defining Traits, Modifications and/or Weapons.
• Resources are ONLY gained (in FK and FS) by selling Trade Goods.
• GMs are encouraged to give out Trade Goods, items and Renown/Influence as rewards.
• This will create a clearer link between loot and rewards (Trade Goods) and Resources.
• Loot plays a larger role in FK and FS.
• There are no Trade Goods in FA, and PCs automatically gain Resources as they Level up.
• Crafting Spare Time Rolls will be made by most PCs in FK. This will require PCs to gather particular Trade Goods (eg: Nephilim bone, magical Arcanium, Wyldwood, etc…) and then make a Spare Time Roll with the appropriate Skill.
• PCs gain 2 Spare Time Points per session in FA (to account for the increased number of required Healing Rolls) and PCs may gain additional ‘Plunder’ Spare Time Rolls in FS if they win a difficult fight.

Final Game Journal, #5

The PCs had just fended off the raiders that had been attacking their woodsmen and hunters from the east, but as they had taken a beating they were a little unsure what to do. A few PCs headed back to their town to prepare more defences for the oncoming army while two stealthy PCs decide to scout out the enemy force (the PCs were also fearing another force from the South).

The PCs who went back to the town armed more Peasants (making a Marshal Levies Spare Time Roll) and used of their Potion Trade Boxes to make a large alchemical fire trap.

Meanwhile the 2 scouting PCs decided to scout the northern edge of the army and by pure chance they happen to spot an odd cloud of dust to the north east. Leaving the army they rode out to investigate. As they got closer they discovered that it was a large group of armoured knights and mounted men-at-arms (all riding large bear like creatures). This must be a force from Port Carthage! (They had sent a letter off to them a week ago, warning them of the growing Nephilim clone army).

They approached the force and were greeted by a rather dismissive Tolatl Lord (who looked ridiculous in full plate armour that was so heavy he could barely move) who dismissively instructed them to give a report of the their towns assets to his scribe, he appeared to not even care about the details of the oncoming army… something was not right here. Mingling with the men-at-arms the PCs made a few friends and discovered that the Lord intended to let the army overrun the town before he would instruct his forces to come in to mop up and claim the town as his own!

Back at the town the PCs gathered all of the townspeople into their hastily made Palisade and readied themselves for the oncoming army. The Nephilim attacked at night, rushing the bulk of their forces straight towards the front gate, with a small contingent crossing the river to eat/destroy the farms.

The PCs allowed the bulk of the enemy force to cross their alchemical trap as they waited for the enemy’s elite troops. They loosed their flaming arrows to set the trap alight, killing a handful of elite troops just as the massive force struck their main gate. Against all odds they managed to hold the front gate, giving them just enough flexibility to also send out a small force to save the farmlands, but unfortunately the force that was sent to take the farms was forced back, but not before killing a sizable chunk of the enemy force.

Meanwhile the force of armoured bear knights and men-at-arms took up a position on a northern hill to overlook the battle. While the Lord from Port Carthage had no intentions to save the town, the PCs were able to befriend a few men-at-arms and an honourable knight. Using the excuse that they should try to save the farmlands the friendly knight was able to convince his Lord to allow the PCs and a few men-at-arms to ride down. One of the PCs (Eshet) rode down with the mounted force while the other PC stayed behind to keep an eye on the Lord.

The mounted force was a welcome relief to the PCs in the town as it helped them to route the northern force of Nephilim and then charge the rear of the force that was attacking the front gate.

But while the bulk of the fighting was focused around the front gate a small force of Nephilim and the enemy Druids where able to move into the town. The Nephilim were attempting to secure the town well (which was dry, and led to an underground dungeon), but the PCs had placed a large stone over it.

The PCs started to hear wild cries from within the dungeon, a force of elite Nephilim had gotten in by some other means. But due to the stone, they were closed in, and being killed by some unknown monster.

The PCs finished off the remaining forces within their town and were greeted by a sizable force of armoured knights riding down from the hill to ‘save them’. Yay, the town was saved!

After the battle the PCs entered into strained negations with the Tolatl Lord as he wanted their town to become a vassal of Port Carthages. The PCs were not fond of this idea, requesting that they be given some time to repair their town and talk things over with the town’s elders. The Lord agreed to this and left behind the Knight who had befriended the PCs as an ambassador.

Thus ends the first act of my regular Friday night game. The PCs did a great job at securing their town and the surrounding area. But there are still many unresolved plot lines.

• If they don’t become a Vassal of Port Carthage how will they secure the independence of their town without a residing Nobel? Currently they look like they’re going to set themselves as a religious city dedicated to the Eternal Priesthood.
• How did the Nephilim get into the dungeon under their town, but more importantly… what killed them?
• Why is the half blood warlord Nephilim from the north referring to himself as the King of Catla? And what plans does he have for the PCs area?

2 Stretch Goals broken! 2 new FK Races, 2 new FA Natures and fancy FK dice!
almost 7 years ago – Fri, Jun 30, 2017 at 12:38:59 AM

Wow, what an epic couple of days, we are now over $62k and are well on our way to have Fragged Seas printed!!! This is an amazing feat! For this update we’re going to take a brief look at the two Stretch Goals we have just broken.

2 New Fragged Kingdom Races

There will now be two additional playable races added to Fragged Kingdom, the Twi (known as the Twi-Far in Fragged Empire) and the Half Bloods (a character who has parents of two different races).

 Twi

Residing amongst the Twiweald forest and Starlight Lake to the southeast of Stronghold the mysterious Twi have always kept to themselves, and have been considered by most to be a Ta’Di myth. All mature Twi have a bonded spirit living within them, this spirit protects, guides and cares for its host.

• You require GM Approval to play a Twi.
• Spirit-Blast: A single Resource cost 1 or 2 Weapon (or any cost if you’re an NPC) gains the Energy, Natural and Slow Keywords, and has 0 Weight.
• +1 Body and Head Armour vs Energy.
• -2 max Strength.
• Any Weapon with the Energy Keyword that causes you Endurance Damage gains Splash +1.

Half Bloods

Fragged Empire has never officially answered the question, ‘can the races biological mix?’ This question is now answered. All of FK playable races, except for the Tolatl, can mix. These children gain some of the gifts from both parents (and access to unique Traits), but unless they are part Nephilim, they are unable to breed. This is due to the Archons wanting to maintain strict control over the genetics of their creations. Non-Nephilim Half Bloods are widely accepted in Stronghold society though they rarely hold roles within high society due to their inability to create a family legacy.

Sorry, there is no art for the Half Bloods yet. I hope to have a nice group image showing several types of Half Blood.

• Gain a Language or Knowledge.
• You may not breed (unless you’re part Nephilim).
• Gain 2 of the following:
• Kaltoran: Reduce all of your Limited Vision and Low Light Cover penalties by 1 Step.
• Legion: +2 Endurance, +2 Defence vs Tackle.
• Remnant: +1 Attribute Point.
• Twi: +1 Body and Head Armour vs Energy.
• Nephilim: +2 End Dmg (all Weapons). -6 max Renown, -1 Coercion.

2 New Fragged Aeternum Natures

Right at the very start of this Kickstarter campaign I asked our backers to help me develop new FA Natures, and after much discussion I wish to reveal the two ideas that I thought were most fitting (both thematically and rules wise). Many of the other ideas that I received have also helped me to create additional Traits (especially in the non-human/monster-like department).

Ravenous

• +1 Resolve and Nature.
• Once per session when you deal Attribute Damage to an appropriate (ie: one that can provide you with your desired food) Skilled or Immense NPC you may Heal 3 points of Attribute Damage to yourself. If your target is Grabbed you also gain a Free Recovery and +1 Momentum point.
• Madness +1.
• You crave a specific type of food.

Apex Predator

I’m yet to settle on the exact rules for this Nature. It will most likely be geared towards taking out large boss-like characters, but be weak towards small minions like characters (as you consider killing them beneath you).

Fragged Kingdom Dice

Congratulations to everyone who has been commenting on the KS Comment page, you have just helped to unlock the FK dice!

Magic Systems
almost 7 years ago – Wed, Jun 28, 2017 at 06:34:49 PM

Wow, we have gained a lot of new backers over the last 24 hours :D And we are getting VERY close to breaking our $55k Stretch Goal (more Fragged Seas art!!!).

3 New Magic Systems

Magic (and I use this word loosely… maybe a better phrase would be ‘Fantastical Powers’) works differently in each of these new setting, here is a quick summary with some examples.

Kingdom: There are 5 forms of magic in Fragged Kingdom, all derived from my Sci-Fi, Fragged Empire setting. From the perspective of the people in this world these are all magic, but if a player or GM has read my Empire books they will have a deeper understanding of the truth behind some of them.

• Alchemists: These are the primary wizards of the setting. They throw potions and deal with divine (aka: ancient) technology. The truth is that their alchemical potions are filled with advanced technology, primarily harvested from the dead god of magic ‘Pol’, woes body lies under Stronghold. These potions may in truth be filled with nanites, cryo-gel, rocket fuel, etc...
  
• Druids: Work in a similar way to Alchemists, but they are using ancient (Nephilim) Bio-Tech to grow plants and modify the environment. Druidic magic is seen as the 'dark' magic of the setting. The primary source of their power comes from a substance known as Wylding, a thick goo-like substance that can be harvest from dead Nephilim monsters. All Wylding comes from the destructive god of nature ‘neph’.
• Enchanters: Are able to alter time and people’s minds. In truth these are psionics who have had nanites in their brains. They are feared and miss-trusted in this setting (burn the witch!!!).
• Shamans: Summon flaming energy spirits (Faren), and they are closely connected to a religion called the Ta'Di that worships their ancestors. Kaltorans are the most common practitioners of this faith as their genetic memories give them a strong connection to their ancestors.
• All-Power: Linked a monotheistic faith that believes in a god called the All-Being (Fragged Empire never fully explains who this entity is, but does suggest some possibilities). All-Power magic heals, protects and amplifies the body (so you can have cleric or monk styled characters using it). This faith is at odds with all other faiths, for a variety of reasons (monotheistic, and the Archdruid practiced a form of it).

Aeternum: ALL PCs in Fragged Aeternum can cast spells (though some a lot better than others), and they may be applied to a wide range of situations (reliable combat spells, like fireballs and teleporting. But also anything a PC can think of, the GM just sets the required skill roll and lets the player know if any components are required).

Magic in Aeternum boils down to two may forms:

• Weaving results in spectacular, and often destructive, effects which change the very laws of nature. Hurling fire, turning invisible, and cloaking oneself in a magical shield are all examples of this obvious variety of spellcasting. This form of magic terrifies and awes the people of Aeternum. It is fast, loud, and dangerous.
• Ritual magic is perceived by many to be the most contemptible and insidious form of magic. Through ancient rites and rituals, mages have exerted their power over reality in the most subtle and widespread way. Witches have used rituals to control the minds of influential citizens and bring ruin to entire Districts. Hexes and curses have spread sickness and ruined what little food is available on more than one occasion. Often rituals will be blamed for even naturally occurring dilemmas. It is not uncommon in times of extreme scarcity for the people of a District to turn on one another with claims of witchcraft and subsequent executions.

Magical power in Aeternum always comes from outside a character, here are the 3 primary sources of Magic.

• Celestials: The angelic being of Aeternum may help you if you ask, but their help will be completely on their terms and not dictate by the PC. Their power is rarely given, but when it is it is always effective.
• Fiends: Are nearly always willing to answer a humans request for power, but they are not to be trusted as they will always seek to use you to further their own goals.
• The City: A mage may draw upon the city of Aeternum itself. There are very few restraints placed on such magic users, but their power is the most difficult to harness and requires more effort and skill than other forms of magic. A miscast spell will often have disastrous and unforeseen consequences, as taking personal control of reality is no small task.

Seas: All magic in Fragged Seas comes from the dark eldritch gods, known as the Esoterica, and it is ALWAYS destructive and dangerous.

• In a world dominated by wooden ships with cloth sails, fire mages are particularly feared.
• PCs have access to lots of summoning (undead, seas monsters), direct attack spells (fireballs, curses, etc...), and curses.
• When a mage casts a spell in combat the GM places areas of dangerous terrain around them (ie: If a fire mage casts a Fireball spell, spot fires will spring up around them). This is designed to highlight the destructive nature of magic, and to add more interest to combat as the terrain changes as more magic is used.
• Mages are encouraged to use other weapons and not just spells. They shouldn't think of themselves as a fantasy styled wizards, but as voodoo witch-doctors, storm priests, etc...

Game Journal #4 and Religion
almost 7 years ago – Wed, Jun 28, 2017 at 06:34:20 PM

Hi all, it’s great to see us making good progress towards that next stretch goal (new FK races and FA Natures!!!). I just got off the phone to one of my character artists and he will be drawing up some images for us this week.

For this update I will give you a quick update on my regular Friday night game of Fragged Kingdom and we will take a closer look at the various religious beliefs in our 3 new settings.

Game Journal #4

My players had one primary goal for this game session, prepare for the oncoming Nephilim barbarian army. Initially they worked on their town’s defences by building a palisade (8 Lumber and 2 Spare Time Rolls to gain +2 Defence Mass Combat Dice) and by arming and training the Peasants (2 Levy Spare Time Rolls to gain 6 Unskilled and 3 Ranged Mass Combat Dice).

While preparing these basic defences they heard reports from the town’s woodsmen and hunters that raiders were attacking them from the east. Leaving the peasants to finish building the defences, the party travelled east to confront these raiders.

After a few days they caught up to the raiders and laid a trap for them. Several characters (Eshet, Itai and Liz) took up positions behind rocks as the tough Cyrus made lots of noise with a crazy story about him being ‘lost’ and wanting to ‘trade’. The raiders didn’t fall for Cyrus’ story, but they did fail to spot the ambushing PCs.

Just before the inevitable fight started Liz spotted an out-of-place, but familiar looking Nephilim with curved horns hanging back towards the rear of the group. This Nephilim was dressed in civilised armour (unlike the wild looking raiders) and was obviously a member of the Warlords army that had massacred her and Mythras people.

Despite their initial advantage the fight against the raiders proved difficult as several PCs, and especially Liz, focused on the horned Nephilim, which led to two Nephlim raiders with knives cutting her up. Eventually Itai, who was also wounded at this point, and Cyrus fell back to save Liz and form a defensive position.

Under a barrage of focused fire the horned Nephilim threw Eschet off her mount and attempted to escape on it, but with two good shots to the head the horned Nephilim was killed before he could make his escape.

Taking advantage of the PCs wounded state and feeling a little nervous due to the death of their companions, the three remaining raiders fled up the mountain.

The PCs had fought off the raiders, but Liz’s revenge had come at a great cost. Only time will tell if the death of the horned Nephilim was worth the 3 Raiders escaping and Liz’s grave wounds.

Religion within our 3 new Settings

Religious tension plays a prominent role within the Fragged Kingdom setting as the dominant faith, the Eternal Priesthood, finds itself at odds with itself and the fast growing alternative All-Being and Ta’Di religions. FK has 3 major religious groups, the Eternal Priesthood (has a very Graeco-Roman pantheon feel), the All-Being (monotheistic, Judeo-Christian feel) and the Ta’Di (tribal paganism feel). There are also the Druids who have a mixture of factions that are tied to one or more of the 3 mains faiths.

While spiritualty is common in Fragged Aeternum (as Celestials, Fiends and Human souls are all visible and active) the books does not go into great detail on the countless faiths of the endless city. The few faiths that are talked about in the book are intended to serve as inspiration for GMs and PCs to write up their own additions to the unending world.

You should see the previous KS Update for a detailed look at the darks gods of Fragged Seas. Apart from the Esoterica cultists and tribal shamans there is one major religion in Fragged Seas: the worship of Saint Kestrelt.

Fragged Kingdom

Eternal Priesthood

The Eternal Priesthood worships the Gods of Eternity. There are many lesser gods who are attributed with minor miracles and small wonders, but only the major gods have their own Sagas. These gods are said to live in the Sands of Eternity - the rings of dust that orbit the world of Akharon. That dust is the remains of the creator, the god Mon, who perished in his creation of the world. The Sands of Eternity are under constant threat from the god Neph, which is why some prayers go unanswered and why the gods don’t take a more direct hand in the lives of Akharonians.

• Mon: The Creator, the God of Life and Death. Mon sacrificed himself to bring life to the universe, and in doing so created the Gods of Eternity, the world of Akharon. Priests do not pray to Mon, as he has gone to the world beyond, but his name is still spoken with reverence.
• Neph: The maimed Goddess of Nature, Power and Calamity, fights against the other gods to return Akharon to its natural state. Neph can be seen as a small glowing green light floating high in the sky around the world (which is in truth a Nephilim Spacecraft), intermittently poisoning the earth and unleashing her horrifying spawn to fight against all forms of civilisation.
• Akh: The King and Father of the People, the God of the Sky, Protection and the Home. His yellow light shines bright (the yellow sun) from his throne in the sky above Akharon, and provides warmth and light to the people. One of the youngest gods, and twin to Ath, Akh rebelled against Neph to create the Tolatl in his own likeness. The people pray to him most, for he is considered the most reliable of the gods.
• Ath: The Queen and Mother of the People, Goddess of War, Wisdom and Loyalty. She is the red sun that shares the sky with her twin brother, Akh. As the creator of the Legion she is looked to when progression and adaptability are needed.
• Pol: The dead God of Alchemical Magic, Metal, Knowledge and the Guardian of Civilisation. He was killed by his sister, Neph, while protecting the people of Akharon. His metal body fell to the earth and, in the crash, created Pol’s Rest. His great body now resides under Stronghold and his fluorescent blood forms the foundation of Alchemical magic. No one prays to Pol, but he is greatly revered by all who acknowledge his great sacrifice.
• Corp: The silver Goddess of Commerce, Peace, Water and the Arts. Her throne is that of silver (the moon), most clearly seen at night to guide the world as Akh and Ath sleep. At different times of the month, Corp shines in different shapes, which the priests use to judge coming prosperity and austerity.
• Nix: The trickster Goddess of Enchantment, Mischief and Time. Nix resides far from the other gods, as she enjoys watching the gods more than she enjoys their company. Her twinkling purple form passes through the sky only once in a while but, when it does, shamans detect a high level of activity within the spirits that dwell on Akharon and enchanters feel their powers grow.
• Dray: The ceaseless God of Industry, Hard Work and Passion. Smitten with an undying love for Nix, Dray can be seen in the night sky as a distant blue light forever pursuing, but never catching, his love. Dray, Corp and Pol were incredibly active across the world in the short time before Mon’s death - evidenced by the sheer number of ancient metal ruins noted by the Symbol of Dray carved upon them. None felt the pain of Pol’s death more deeply than Dray, and those who worship him share his special hatred of Neph and her destructive ways.
• The Lesser & Unknown Gods: There are many more gods that have yet to be named and many more that are hinted at in the Sagas. These gods have no stories told about them, but that doesn’t mean there are no stories to be told. As more information is recovered from the ruins of what once was, it is possible the existence of more gods will be revealed.

The Church of the All-Being

While the Gods of Eternity are primarily focused on physical objects, possessions, and religious events, the church of the All-Being is primarily focused around morality and the state of a person’s heart.

Followers of the All-Being, most commonly led by Remnant monks, do not recognize the Gods of Eternity as gods, but rather as myths, or powerful beings at best; shadowy reflections of the one true god. According to their Sacred Text, an ancient book that teaches about the All-Being, there is only one god: the All-Being, benevolent creator and master of all.

• All-Being powers revolve around wisdom, protection and physical health. They never directly harm.
• There is a subgroup that is known as the ‘Druids of Neph’, they are a splinter sect of the Church of the All-Being, founded by the terrible Archdruid. They believe in a lot of the same precepts as the Church of the All-Being - even their own version of the Sacred Text written by the Archdruid - but they believe that the All-Being and Neph are one in the same. They worship her and pray to Neph, that she might gift them with power to enact her will to return the world to its proper primal state.

Ta’Di

Ta’Di doesn’t worship physical gods in the same sense that the other religions do, but some spirits are seen as greater than others, with many followers of Ta’Di focusing worship on the Great Spirits of Eternity: those spirits often mislabeled by outsiders as gods. Ta’Di is a practice more than a dogma; a series of ultimate truths and techniques for experiencing them personally. Those who practice Ta’Di seek to contact spirits and ancestors for a deeper understanding of reality and to seek purpose, advice, and power to aid in their daily lives.

• Ta’Di shamans can summon spirits (Faren) and ask them for assistance and guidance.
• These spirits take on the form of burning animals.

Fragged Seas

The Kestrelt Empire safeguards a diverse people centred around a massive government that combines centuries of expansionist growth, tradition and religious worship of the distant Old Gods. This paradox lies at the heart of the Kestrelt Empire: how do you worship a god that you can never know? Instead, their belief is channelled through Saint Kestrelt, the empire’s founder. She is the link between the people and the Old Gods. By using her as a conduit, they believe their prayers will reach the Old Gods, and that Saint Kestrelt will channel their power back to the people.

The worship of Saint Kestrelt and her connection to the silent Old Gods is central to the identity of the empire, and every public ceremony begins with a prayer to her. Priests read holy texts to their congregations, mothers light candles at shrines for their children who go off to war, and soldiers often keep a simple statue of her inside their ammo kits to bless their shots. A firm sense of divine direction has led the Kestrelt Empire to many great acts, both good and evil, all in Saint Kestrelt’s name.

The priests of the Kestrelt Empire can perform great feats: miracles said to be granted by Saint Kestrelt herself. These miracles are a form of Esoterica magic. Many priests know this, but clothe their magics in religious dogma and theatrics to solidify the beliefs of the people. When the Esoterica were released from their prisons, the priests noticed their magical powers amplified beyond belief. What were once tricks were now feats of amazing power. Fearing what would happen if the truth were to be revealed, the priests never speak of this connection, but rumours have already begun to spread, leading many to question the very nature of the empire, and their allegiance to the religion that has indoctrinated them since birth.

Fragged Aeternum

If any one aspect most influences the flow of life and history in Aeternum, it is the soul. When an individual dies their soul will visibly rise from their body. These souls are ghostly reflections of a person’s former appearance, after a moment the soul will then slowly rise into the sky or be pulled violently beneath the ground. This posthumous movement of souls presents multiple dilemmas for humanity.

First, the existence of a soul is a troubling notion which carries implications of an existence separate from the physical life people know. The nature of souls in Aeternum, primarily their gravitation in one of two directions, raises the probability of an afterlife existence. Knowledge of a preferable afterlife brings about debate on how one should live in order to reach it. Without a clearly set path, it is a debate that will never be solved. Centuries of trial and error have provided no roadmap to an ascended soul, and the people of Aeternum have tired of trying.

Religious organisations have risen to great prominence throughout Aeternum by offering a method through which a soul can ascend. Great and prosperous churches gather power and influence in exchange for their offer of a roadmap to ascension. Many of these organisations live by creeds of benevolence and altruism, but that is not always the case.

Many religions preach the destruction of those who threaten the souls of humanity. Doom prophets and witch hunters stalk the streets of Aeternum seeking their salvation through the demise of others. In many Districts where particularly aggressive religions hold sway, it is not uncommon for neighbours to accuse one another of unforgivable sins only to take their neighbours land or possessions.

Here are some example of 3 religious groups within Aeternum:

• The Eternal Scale: The Eternal Scale seeks to balance the weight of the soul. Their philosophy remains rooted in both the material and spiritual, seeking to enrich life and cultivate ascended souls. Adherents to the Eternal Scale follow a very strict tier system in which any member can rise to prominence within the church. This alone has made the Eternal Scale incredibly popular with the common and poor man alike.
• Wet Nurse Saviours: The Wet Nurse Saviours are a religious group who base their entire belief system on the lack of weight to infant souls. While they see themselves as kind angels of deliverance, their grim practices have shocked the residents of Aeternum. Seeing the descent of so many souls, the Wet Nurses seek to spare children from the horrible end that statistically awaits them. Moving quietly through the night, the Wet Nurses abduct children and sacrifice them in order to ensure their soul does not descend. Through ritual sacrifice, the Wet Nurse Saviours believe they are capable of borrowing the neutral state of the infants soul and avoid the descent of their own.
• The Host of Purity: While it has neither the political power of the Eternal Scale or the vast following of other larger faiths, the members of the Host of Purity possess zeal unmatched in the other major religions. The Host seeks to root out any element capable of corrupting mankind’s souls and cleanse it. Members of the Host of Purity terrify members of other religions due to their extremely liberal definition of evil.

Our Final Week, and a closer look at Nations
almost 7 years ago – Wed, Jun 28, 2017 at 06:33:52 PM

The final week of our Kickstarter campaign has now begun and we are off to a great start with $2k being added to the campaign just yesterday :D only $1k more and we have broken our next Stretch Goal and then we get to make a big push to print Fragged Seas!!!

For this update I want to give you all a quick look at the different Nations and Nation-like groups within our 3 Sourcebooks.

Fragged Seas

There are 6 major people groups within Fragged Seas.

• Free People: The Free People are the descendants of a hundred different cultures, all intermingled together in the melting pot that is the Faerie Sea. Many of these cultures were destroyed during the expansion of the Kestrelt Empire and have been forgotten, their names just a line in Kestrelt’s war records. For them, the Faerie Sea offered a chance to make a new home, far from the warring empires and governmental oppressions. Some travelled to the sea as political refugees, others as criminals, some as explorers and others because they had nowhere else to go. The Faerie Sea offered protection to these people, the unwanted ones, the outcasts of the world.
• Most PCs will be Free People, and the Free people primarily reside in the Free Islands.
• Kestrelt Empire: The Kestrelt Empire safeguards a diverse people centred around a massive government that combines centuries of expansionist growth, tradition and religious worship of the distant Old Gods.
• The Kestrelt Empire is the largest nation, and once ruled most of the known world. They are big on laws, religious adherence and are locked into an un-ending war with the Tyvorosi.
• The Kestrelts are also responsible for the rising of the dark gods.
• Tyvorosi Trade Guild: The Tyvorosi were the newest power in Toil, before the Rise of the Esoterica. Once, they were a collection of wealthy trading posts which became several unique principalities. Those principalities, realizing they’d be stronger together in the face of Kestrelt aggression, merged to form the Tyvorosi Trade Guild. While the Tyvorosi had little land, and only a small standing army, they had enough coin to buy what they needed to bring the fight back to the Kestrelts.
• The Tyvorosi are big on money, and family. They have slaves and they also like to hire mercenaries (either Free people or the Ralkara) to fight their battles. They were once a part of the Kestrelt Empire, but now they are at war with them (a war known as the Tribute War).
• Ralkara: The vast frozen wilderness far beyond the farthest reaches of the Brigand and Arcane seas is called home by the ferocious Ralkara battle-queens and their warriors clans. The exploits and prowess of these great Ralkara warriors is the stuff of legends; hearthside tales whispered in Kestrelt strongholds and loudly proclaimed in Tyvorosi trade halls. Before launching the Tribute War, the Tyvorosi Trade Guild paid large sums to many of the queens to ensure their aid on the campaigns against Kestrelt’s southern reaches.
• The Ralkara are barbarian like, commonly fight for Tyvorosi and they like to hunt and kill Esoterica spawned monsters.
• Sharjh: The ancient rulers of Sharjh were the Storm Maliks (Sultan) and Malikah (Sultana), promoted from the ranks of mythical Wind-Warlocks who could speak to the sky and know its heart, coaxing great tempests from the air at will. Despite the adamant claims of the Sharjh, there is little to no evidence to support the idea that the ancient Wind-Warlocks ever had any real power. The modern Warlock from around the time of the Rise were little more than a charlatans; performing feats of misdirection and sleight of hand to play on superstitious beliefs of the uneducated. The Sultans hated these deceivers and banished them to the southern outskirts of their land. Those charlatans who had been practicing magic only in theory and schadenfreude, suddenly found themselves in control of a great power. They became true Wind-Warlocks, possibly for the first time. The surviving Sharjh exalted these Wind-Warlocks, as the dream of a magical Sharjh kingdom might become a reality. But the Wind-Warlocks were untrained in true magic, no matter what they believed they were unable to control their vast powers.
• The Sharjh serve the role of ‘mystical outsiders’ within this setting. They’re obsessed with the Esoterica, as some want to destroy them, while others want to serve them.
• Natives: The Hakamarundi. The Po’hala’nok. The tribes of Sawtooth Island and the Gong-Zu of the far eastern islands. These are but a handful of the hundreds of native cultures that make up the Faerie Sea, many of whom can trace their lineage back beyond the Fall and possibly back to the Old Gods themselves. These cultures that have lived amongst these islands for countless years now must coexist alongside the strange outsiders who plague their lands.

Fragged Aeternum

Aeternum’s countless Districts are divided by great walls. Each District is entirely autonomous and functions at the will of its rulers and residents. Many Districts are overseen by local watches and councils of elected officials. Others have had control seized by families or individuals with vast amounts of resources, turning these Districts into feudal societies. This has created a huge variation in local cultures from District to District. It is not uncommon for groups living within a few hundreds of meters from each other to know almost nothing about the ways of their neighbours.

The featured District in the Fragged Aeternum book is known as Stringham, with some information given about its neighbour Morholm and no information given about Algerburgh or Kenwick (as I want GMs and PCs to feel free to make these Districts into what they want).

Strigham is overseen by a council of seven members selected from the most influential religious and political leaders in the District. The seven meet monthly to discuss important changes to be made in the District, but each is responsible for a specific facet of government. Changes in the council have often caused shifts in laws, making the rules one must abide by within the District a nebulous and confusing concept.

Enforcing the will of the Seven is a small group of individuals known as “Shadows”. Shadows work as secret police, gathering information discreetly in order to protect Strigham and its interests. They are a grim group selected primarily from orphans with no ties to complicate their duties. No one in Strigham is beyond the reach of the Shadow. Militia leaders, affluent merchants, pious theologians, Tethered, and even one member of the Seven have quietly disappeared while under the secret organisations scrutiny.

Fragged Kingdom

While there are many factions, especially religious ones, within Fragged Kingdom, due to the druidic war there are only 2 prominent civilised groups.

• Stronghold & the people of Pols Rest: Final bastion of the King’s Alliance, the great continent spaning nation that the druids destroyed. Stronghold is made up of people from all of the races, but was once primarily ruled by the Tolatl.
• This is where most PCs will come from.
• Southern Legion Barbarian Tribes: Former allies of the Archdruid, many believe they only survived the wrath of the druids due to the Archdruid dying before his great army (which came from the north) could destroy them. They are not a single tribe, but many differing tribes, each with their own traditions.
• Some of these Tribes are now allied to Stronghold, most prominently those who call Siegetown (staging ground for those Legion who once laid siege to Stronghold).
• Almost nothing is known about the Tribes who call God’s Fang their home.