EDIT: I'm adding our Setting Conceits here.  This is a bottom-line, TL;DR version of the bulkier history below it.

Setting Conceits

The game takes place on the Continent, which is divided between three nations - the Northern Realm, the Free East, and the Borinian Mandrarchy.

The Continent is war-torn, diverse, and ancient.  Villages and towns exist between the vast battlefields of the previous age before the Unification.  The communities there are close-knit, pastoral, and friendly.  All around them are the scars and evidence of the Wars.  They fear its return.

The nation capitals are centers of industry, faith, and power.  They are vibrant, transactional, and steeped in political machinations. The factions here see the decay of their influence. They act to extend it.

The Continent holds the ruins of an older civilization in the form of dungeons, temples, and other remote unexplored places. The details of this civilization are sparse and mysterious, but are they often thought of as prophets, seers, and the originators of raw magic.

The Continent is a fantastic world in transition. The people of the nations may use swords, shields, armor, and magic, but are also witness to the magi-technological innovations of firearms, steam engines, and electricity.  The proliferation of the new technology is both coveted and feared.

The Continent is full of monsters in the wilds and drawn to sources of magic, but those monsters are never people.  People may contest, thwart, fight, or try to kill the characters, but their violence is always motivated.

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Below is supplemental world information that might be useful context for character creation and the current world state.  It is by no means required reading. If it becomes important during play, it will be highlighted as such in the narrative.

The Northern Realm
Rodanthe, The Pearl City, Seat of the King
Ruler: King Norvin Rimer
Sigil: A white tower on a blue field.
Deities: Being a port, many sacrifices go to Fyndggyr and Zephyr, the Goddesses of Sea and Wind.  However, all sacrifices are tolerated and protected, though there is still a stigma to worshipers of Borin due to the association of Borin with the recent Thousand Wars.
Brief History: Before the Unification, Rodanthe was just another small town along with many others that governed itself and kept to itself.  These insular towns dotted the land from the shores of the Middle Sea to the heart of the Golden Plains.  All mostly self-sufficient and fiercely independent, these town rarely interacted beyond the occasional trade or marriage exchange.  However, these towns started to fall quickly when the Templar of Borin, having organized in the South under fiery Mandrarchic zeal, stormed northward for the Firebrand's glory.  Norvin Rimer, native of Rodanthe, realized the only way to beat the trained Templar army was to join together.  Some didn't listen, but after a huge swath of towns were destroyed, they fell into ranks under Rimer.  Thus began a grueling two decade campaign, eventually called the Thousand Wars, for the war was found in what seemed like a thousand small cities, hills, forts, canyons, and keeps. 

The war was won when Rimer's forces drove the Templar to Thermindal and laid siege, during which the ruling Flame Father Mandrarch Kossil of Borin's Eye passed away and was succeeded by Mandrarch Veiavux.  Mandrarch Veiavux decried Kossil as mad, having strayed from Borin's teachings, and offered a surrender to Rimer in order to stop the bloodshed.  Rimer agreed, the Vermilion Concorde was drawn, and the war was over. 

After twenty years of command during the war, Rimer named himself king and Rodanthe his capital. During his rule, he has established Rodanthe as a booming port and done well to establish holds along the coast, the Golden Plains, and into the Reach near the East.

However, there are still tensions within the Realm; though the Vermilion Concorde establishes restraints on the Mandrarch military and demands war reparations and fealty to Rodanthe, the Concorde applies only to the main cities of Redgate and Thermindal, not Borin's Eye, which is viewed as the Mandrarchy's capital and center of rule and faith.  The Concorde also does not limit the worship of Borin in any hold in the Realm, which many people see as a slap in the face for the hardship suffered due to the zealots of Borin.

Cape Candlepoint, Spearpoint, Vaelana
Acting as a three point defense, the fort at Cape Candlepoint in the west and Spearpoint Military Academy in the east defend Rodanthe from any sea-borne offense.  Whereas Candlepoint is acts mainly as a lighthouse and rescue station, it also has several ships at its disposal for military exercises.  Due to their proximity to the Pale Woods, soldiers at Candlepoint are trained to be effective on both land and water.

Outside of the Academy, Spearpoint focuses on ships.  Spearpoint has perhaps the largest navy in the Northern Realm, and its students are trained to be in the water and ready for battle at a moments notice.  The acadmey itself is placed on a high rocky cliff with a wide cave underneath, in which the navy is stored and constructed.  Well known shipwrights flock to Spearpoint to spend their days building, and the military is happy to take in the best of them.

Vaelana is a large island at the crest of Rimer's Calm, but it is neither a fort nor a hold of Rodanthe.  After Rimer named himself king, four representatives of the island came forth without being hailed and swore fealty to Rimer. Having never seen a collection of folk as them, Rimer asked the four of them their home.  They told of a land untouched by the Thousand Wars, of simple lives and community.  The stories touched Rimer, who thought of Rodanthe before the Wars, and promised that as long as fealty to his rule remained, he would leave Vaelana untouched and to its devices.  In light of that promise, there is no royal presence on the island beyond a yearly emissary visit to ensure that all is well.  In return, Vaelana promises its ships in defense of Rodanthe, and has also opened up profitable trades with the city and the kin of the Middle Sea.

Captain's Creek
Located at the mouth of the Red Gold River as it empties into Rimer's Calm, the town of Captain's Creek is a bustling trade port.  Nearly of it's buildings are built on creaky stilts, to combat the storm surges and river floods that frequent the area during certain times of year.  Captain's Creek has no hold of it's own; it instead is a ward of Harvest Crossing, who sends some of its guard to oversee the settlement.  However, Captain's Creek isn't known for being particularly safe--rumors abound of pirates and thieves having a hold on the town in some capacity.  Captain's Creek is also famed for it's yearly combat tournament.  Staged on a rough square of weathered stone surrounded by water, the Captain's Tourney draws warriors from all across the Northern Realm to showcase their mettle.

The Pale Wood
This region in the northwest is the largest contiguous forest of the Northern Realm.  A temperate forest of evergreen conifers, much of the land there is sparsely populated and widely remote.  Rumor suggests that some bandits hold out in the area, and others have heard that a branch of beastkin have taken up in residence near the coast. The Three Sisters, a collection of Handin Clerics, are said to make their home in the wood as well. The Pale Wood is also the location the recently discovered ruin Nō-leï, one of the most complete one ever found.  For most, however, the Pale Wood is known as a place of ghosts, for it is said that a silent monster stalks particular areas, and that those that venture there either disappear or return mad with terror.

The Golden Plains
The heartlands of the Northern Realm, the Golden Plains are home to the majority of towns and farms that support the holds under Rodanthe rule.  Though previously settled by hundreds of small towns, most are now in ruins after the finish of the Thousand Wars.  There are also a few ruins in the Plains, though these are only the singular standing stone, or a small branch of a circled archway.

Wesslin
Ruler: Sir Jon Darris, Ward of the Golden Plains and Vassal to the King.
Sigil: A green hound on a yellow field.
Brief History: As a easy waypoint between Rodanthe and Thermindal, Wesslin serves as a vital trade point not only for far-reaching caravans but also for the smaller farms distributed in the surrounding countryside.  Wesslin rests on two dome-like bluffs lined with fortifications, in which the residential houses and the keep are encased.  It has many popular taverns, courtyards, and inns due to its prevalence as a traveler's stop, either on their way south to Thermindal or east to Harvest Ferry.  Since Crowsend started construction of their Rail-Line, Sir Darris has been continuously petitioning for a station to be built in Wesslin, to no avail.

Harvest Ferry
Ruler: Lady Lydia Stonecraft, Ward of the Red Gold River and Vassal to the King.
Sigil: A gray wheel on a red and yellow checkered field.
Brief History: Harvest Ferry served as a vital position during the Thousand Wars, as it was a key juncture by which Rimer could hold the Red Gold River and use it against the Mandrarch armies.  Though it served as a garrison then, Harvest Ferry has since turned into a profitable river port and trade city, ferrying goods from Redgate to Rodanthe and also ferrying people across the Red Gold.  Harvest Ferry also has the region's largest temple to Sol, where the Cleric Vaninnsa Redbrook has set up her ministry. It's stop on the Crowsend Rail-Line has only increased the towns profitability and population in the past few years.

The Reach
To the east of the Golden Plains is an area of rolling hills that turn to murky swamps on the northern coast and rocky heaths to the east and south.  As one travels further east, the defining feature of the landscape becomes the Bleaknest, the highest peak of the mountain, the splitting point of the Twin River waterfalls, and seat of Crowsend, the Bastion of the Free East.

Fullunore
Ruler: Sir Zell Melfisse, Ward of the Eastern Hills and Vassal to the King.
Sigil: Two purple crossed picks on a dark blue field.
Brief History: Starting as a simple mining town, Fullunore developed into a fortified hold as a defensive measure against any potential threat from Crowsend.  The mining business has become very profitable, however, as an untapped diamond mine was found beneath the hills.  Fullunore is particularly rich because of its diamonds, but is also well known for it's vast Undercity: a gigantic cave turned into civilized homes carved from the walls and roads and bridges from the floor.  Rumors abound that Vis, the singular cleric of Nol, resides somewhere in the Undercity, but there's never been any proof. In recent history, House Melfisse had taken hold of the city from the previous governer from House Alton.  Since then, the city has been distinctly more favorable to Crowsend than to Rodanthe, to the point of agreeing to the Rail-Line without seeking approval from King Rimer beforehand.

Deygradera
Located just off the coast northwest of Crowsend rests a vast island of towering jagged rock with a slight skirt of sand about it's coast.  This is Deygradera, the home island of many beastkin people.  The island itself is shaped into several rough arches by the current of the ocean, making for caves and tunnels that pass below the bulk of the island itself.  The kin make their homes in these under caves, carving rooms and space into the walls.  In the center of the island is carved a vast forum, from which the people govern themselves.  Perhaps the oldest place in the Northern Realm, some people whisper that Deygradera is older even than Crowsend.

Deepwatch
Ruler: Sir Ilnix Gardover, Ward of the Southern Deep and Vassal to the King
Sigil: Two red clasped arms over a black field.
Deities: Because of it's diverse population, Deepwatch has a healthy respect for most deities.  However, sometimes people get suspicious of those who sacrifice to Nol, who they see as having a part in the Dead Wake during the Thousand Wars.
Brief History: During the Thousand Wars, Deepwatch was just a small fishing hamlet hugging the coast between the great Stone Bay to the north and Redgate to the west.  It exploded into a hotbed of battle, one that many historians suggest may be one of the most vital and yet unheralded of the Wars. 

A detachment of Rimer's men had broken from the main army and headed towards Stone Bay as a means to complete the pincer maneuver being performed to cut off Redgate's supply lines.  As the detachment marched towards the fishing village, they were ambushed by a battalion of Mandrarch troops.  The ambushed rushed them into the fishing village, where the Mandrarch force surrounded them and pushed the offensive.  With the southern sea at their backs and no course of retreat, the detachment held their ground and threw back the Mandrarch soldiers twice.  The village itself was falling to pieces, splinters and rags in muddy ground.  The detachment heard the third offense coming and braced.  As they did, movement was spotted at their rear, from the waters.  At first it was thought that the Mandrarch forces had somehow flanked them, but they soon found it to be swarming legions of corpses, pulling from the waters and shambling ashore with malice in their glowing unnatural eyes.  At first there was panic, and many of the detachment was slain in the attempt to escape.  An insightful command by the detachment's leading swept his forces aside, and the unknowing Mandrarch soldiers plowed into the dead.  Before long, the detachment had formed up enough to join the Mandrarch forces in their fight, and together the armies pushed the legions back to the waters.  At the end of several long days, the living were victorious.
Those armies had a greater respect for each other, and felt that they could no longer come to blows.  They instead kept watch on that shore, with the intent to deflect any further incursions from beings beyond the grave.  The armies spent the remainder of the Wars there, and at their conclusion, they constructed a hold to protect the coast and continue their vigil.

Shadespire
Off the coast of Deepwatch, Shadespire is the name given to a dark island shrouded in mystery and fear.  Many call it cursed and unnatural, that unearthly howls can be heard from it at night.  Others have seen a eerie greenish glow about the peak of the highest mountain.  Brave fishermen report only stinking flesh and dead fish in the waters around the place.  And though no one knows for sure, those who were there blame the Dead Wake on the island itself. 

The Painted Crags
Located in the south and the hub of Mandrarchian life and culture, the Painted Crags are a range of southern mountains that act as a barrier between the Northern Realm and the Forbidden Lands.  The mountains are so named for their appearance, which is a rust red sandstone that descends into a rosy or white limestone/marble mix.  Because of their proximity and prevalence, almost all Mandrarch structures are made of marble.

Redgate
Ruler: Mandrarch Veiavux, by way of Regent Ninavek.
Sigil: A black gate over Borin's red eye on an orange field.
Deities: Nearly all worship Borin, as expected.  Others of the Divine Family are also sacrificed to, such as Borin's brother Handin, but most sacrifices are more polite than worshipful.
Brief History: Redgate was the first city established by the Mandrarchy in the Northern Realm. It's name comes from a dominating feature in the city, the large portal carved of blood-red marble, that holds the first stones of the Ancient's Causeway that leads to the Red Keep and the Forbidden Lands. 

Since its founding, Redgate has been a hub for production and commerce in Mandrarch lands, due to its connection to the Red Gold River.  With land not as fertile as those in the Golden Plains, Mandrarch food production is based around herding rather than farming.  Redgate has many pastures for its herds, and boosts what farming it does with the manure the herding produces. 

During the Thousand Wars, Redgate served as a supply base and defensive threat in the south. It's flanking position made attacking Thermindal and Borin's Eye difficult. However, Rimer countered this tactic by systematically cutting supply lines to Redgate, forcing them to rely on herd reserves, which ran dry in a few months with lack of supplies to feed the herds and also the armies.  Redgate withdrew behind its walls, and stayed there defending against a small siege as the majority of Rimer's forces moved on Thermindal.

Some time after the conclusion of the Thousand Wars, Redgate was the site of a horrible magical explosion that destroyed several buildings and left a tremendous number of casualties.  Though initial blame was thrown at Northern Realm instigators, investigations seem to point to a potential team of individuals that used the attack as cover to slip through Redgate to infiltrate into the Forbidden Lands to the southwest.

Thermindal, the Guardian City
Ruler: Mandrarch Veiavux, by way of Regent Wereo.
Sigil: A black helm over Borin's red eye on an orange field.
Deities: Almost exclusively Borin.
Brief History: Thermindal, defending the holy island of Borin's Eye, acts as the mouthpiece of the Mandrarch government.  Decrees from Mandrarch Veiavux go to Thermindal first, and it is from there that practices are put into place, laws are set, and word spreads. 
Straddling the land between the Painted Crags and the Pale Woods, Thermindal is partially constructed of white marble and stern lumber.  Wooden buildings are relatively new--Mandrach Veiavux commanded the construction of wooden houses and businesses among the marble ones, as a way of symbolizing the harmonious Accord of the Mandrarchy with Rodanthe.  It is hard to ignore, however, that wooden buildings are much less well kept, are often housing for the poor, and hold failing businesses.
Part city and part fortress, Thermindal is an active training ground for what is left of the Mandrarch military.  If Mandrach soldiers show enough promise, they are accepted into training on Borin's Eye where they become Paladins.  Those with other talents are trained as Inquisitors, but that training happens in Thermindal.  During the Thousand Wars, Thermindal was the site of Rimer's great siege, and where the war ended when the Vermilion Concorde was signed. Since then, it has done it's part to try and mend relations with the rest of the Northern Realm, but many feel it not even half-hearted and still hold a great distrust of the Guardian City and its ilk.

Borin's Eye, the Holy City of Fire
Ruler: Mandrarch Veiavux
Sigil: A bright red star on Borin's red eye on a field of orange.
Deities: Exclusively Borin.
Brief History: Founded when Lord Baanin received a vision of a glorious city of fire dedicated to the Flame Father, Borin's Eye is a sovereign island dominated by the city that bears its namesake. It serves as the seat of Mandrarchy, ruled by the living Lord, advised by eight Elders. 

The current Mandrarch Veiavux came to power after his predecessor Mandrarch Kossil died, and with his new seat brokered the end of the Thousand Wars.  Because the Mandrarchy is a theocracy, Veiavux is both the king and the head of the church of Borin's Eye. He leads holy ceremonies in the city, performs all rites of this title, and resides in the Blessed Torch, the tallest spire on the island constructed of the palest marble touched with the fieriest sandstone.
Aside from Mandrarch Veiavux and his Elders, Borin's Eye is populated with only the most loyal and wizened of <andrarch lineages. The entire island is protected by legions of Paladins, an army unconstrained by the Vermilion Concorde, all of who obey without question and would willingly die for Borin's glory.

The Free East
Just past the Reach, past the stony hills and swamps is the Free East, a land untamed by Rodanthe's rule and untouched by the destruction of the Thousand Wars.  The territory is delineated by the plateaus of Bleaknest and Crowsend, a mysterious city that swears fealty to no king or church.  Beyond Crowsend are the Highlands, which word tells is untouched wilderness, teeming with barbarians, strange creatures, and untold treasures.

Crowsend, Bastion of the Free East
Ruler: The Grand Council, headed by Grand Councilor Hammerhaft.  The Council has ruled since Crowsend was founded, though none alive remember when that was.
Sigil: A black crow over two blue lines on a stone gray field.
Deities: None. Crowsend has no temples and incurs a fine on any who visibly sacrifice to any deity in public.
Brief History: Not much is known of Crowsend other than myth and rumor.  The city is notoriously gruff, and won't allow visitors of little consequence or spending power anywhere past Water Town, the damp slummy docks at the bottom of the twin waterfalls on which the remainder of Crowsend rests. 

Wealthy merchants or diplomatic emissaries, however, are allowed into the water locks, which ferry travelers from Water Town to Crowsend proper.  There are even tales of well known builders and inventors receiving an invitation to Crowsend, with promises of wealth and prestige. Some turn down the call, but those who answer are rarely heard from again.
Those rumors that do escape tell of a city of incredible wonder, with items and materials beyond imagining.  There are also stories of the Crows, the city guard of Crowsend, and their strange weapons of metal rods, black dust, and conjured flame.  
Knowledge of Crowsend was known before the Unification, though little was thought of it.  During the Thousand Wars, many an emissary was sent to Crowsend from both Rimer and the Thenian armies.  No answer was ever given.  When Rimer named himself king, it's rumored that he sent another emissary to Crowsend to demand fealty, only to be rebuffed by denial of entry and complete silence afterwards. 

However, after the end of the war, Crowsend merchants have made trips to many holds in the Northern Realm.  The law states that trade with any nation outside of the Realm requires a tariff.  Those who have enforced it have never seen a Crowsend merchant again much to their detriment, as goods from Crowsend are fabled to be twice the quality and thrice as rare as anything in the Realm.  The wonders of Crowsend have only increased in exposure since the construction of the Rail-Line, a vein which brings fine goods and produces to any town long it's route.  It's making many a merchant and noble rich, and becoming an increasing worry to the advisors of the King who see it as providing leverage for those nobles to break away from the Realm.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:21, Wed 20 Sept 2023.