FEF2 World Fluff

WHO ARE PLAYERS?

For the starter part, mercenaries only. More or less bonded group that travels together for some time already or at least knows each other for a while.
Later, as plot progresses, nation-affiliated soldiers, deserters, random citizens and even minor nobles* can join too.
No direct relations to FEF cast (both PC's and NPC's) are allowed.

*You better talk with me first about that one.

NATIONS AND PLACES:

Troian Empire:

This huge militaristic country was founded shortly after the Magic Wars, on the foundations of older kingdom, by Troy Lionheart. The popular lord quickly grasped the cataclysm-torn world in his grip, ruling with just and iron fist, quickly making peace with those who supported him, and even faster subjugating those who stood in his way. Now, two hundred years from that time, the Troyan Dynasty have changed - their fist is still made of iron, but is no longer just, the royal family lost to the corrupted ways of debauchery, cruelty and greed.
The current Emperor is Yurgen, known by his official title as Troy VII, and during his ten year rule he already shown to be quite possibly the worst Emperor so far in terms of personality and leadership.

Duchy of Masalla:

Masalla, elder sister of Empress Helra, got this land for herself after she promised to leave the throne for Helra. Duchy of Masalla is renowned for expensive trading goods, like furs, jewels and perfumes, as well as for elite archer and cavalry units.
It is currently ruled by young and slightly effeminate Duke Sepin, son of Masalla and cousin of the current emperor, Troy VII.

Duchy of Mireos:

One of the oldest non-Imperial lands, Duchy of Mireos has turbulent past, where it tangled with criminals, pirates, unsanctioned mages and all kind of shady folk. It was also one of the largest Duchies of the Troian Empire until the time when Count Riemond rebelled against his brother, Count Michalis, and split the Duchy in half.
It is currently ruled by elderly Sigismund, known for his out-spoken and liberal views on politics.

Duchy of Kretos:

'Armory of Troian Empire' is the other name for this Duchy. It has the most productive mines and armories in known world, and the shipbuilders of Kretos V are supplying all lands with merchant vessels and warships. Unfortunately, Kretos is also known as land of poverty and slavery - to survive, parents often sell their children to the mines and shipyards and even the aristocratic manors to perform various kinds of tasks, the less spoken of them, the better. Well-known proverb goes 'It's better to be a homeless beggar in city of Troi than live in Kretos'.
It is currently ruled by Kretos V, who will soon be celebrating his eightieth birthday. Because he already out-lived his two sons, his eldest grandson, Yonn, is destined to be next Duke Kretos.

County of Garaz:

This County was created from the subjugated lands of Baron Akaris and Count Gesselring less than fifty years ago. Garaz County is unremarkable, large land, albeit a rich one thanks to the overland and sea routes to the most of surrounding countries, and is developing quickly thanks to the efforts of business-minded Garaz the Younger and his three sons.

County of Riemond:

Almost forty years ago, Count Riemond of Mirr, younger brother of Duke (then Count) Michalis rebelled against him and grabbed the northern half of Mirr County for himself. Duke Michalis couldn't stage an offensive by himself, and before he could send a plea for help to Troian Empire, Count Riemond renewed his pledge of loyalty to Empress Helra, sending an enormous tribute along with it. This pleased the Empress and she allowed Riemond to continue his rule.
Today it is ruled by Neuthart, son of Riemond, and is known for trying to reconcile the two lands.

Syra:

When the city of Lires rebelled against Emperor Troy VI, the Pegasus General, Lady Syra, was sent with her army to subjugate the city and slaughter most of the population as the example for the rest. Kind-hearted as she was, Lady Syra instead sent most of the population to other cities under the guise of 'prisoners' and 'slaves', whilst they were merely relocated and were still free people. Emperor Troy VI found this kind of action 'amusing' and 'banished' Lady Syra to the Lires City, further bestowing her with title of 'Baroness'. The thankful citizens renamed the city to 'Syra', and the surrounding land became Barony of Syra.
Today, granddaughter of Syra, Lady Elimena, is ruling over Syra, and during her rule, she turned it into growing land of fertile meadows and the main Pegasus stables for the Troian Empire and it's affiliates.

Free Port Setine:

During early rule of Empress Herla, Setine was founded as a prison town for dissidents, thieves and opponents of the Emperor. Slowly, along with criminals and their guards, lots of other people (guards' families, shopkeepers, woodsmen, explorers) began immigrating to Setine as well. Whilst it still boasts a large prison and have an Administrator appointed by Emperor himself, Port Setine is, ironically, the most peaceful and Empire-free place in the known world. The criminals who leave the Setine's prison often settle down in the Port or become mercenaries, whose skills are well known as far as in the Imperial city of Plumma.

The Magic Wasteland:

Once known as fertile land, now it is swamp-filled, god-forsaken place. Giant spiders and monsters dating back to the Magic Wars still roam this land, often being a nuisance to the border guards in Garaz Duchy and Troian Empire. Most of the ground is sterile because of magical waste, drinking water there is often a certain death, and poisonous mists rise from the swamps and pollute neighbouring lands.

RELIGIONS:

The only Empire-sanctioned religion is the 'Temple of the Dragon', an ancient cult which survived only because of pledging loyalty to the Troian Empire. The organization is often used as a puppet by the Emperor to supply his armies with clerics, monks and other magic users.
There are various sects and cults, often dark in nature - the further west from the Empire you go, the larger chances you find a member of such cult. The sentence of being such 'heretic' is death by burning on a stake.

HODGE-PODGE CHRONOLODGE:

Junean Antiquity:

Much of the knowledge about this period was either lost during Magic Wars or is kept hidden in the royal archives. It is known that there were three different kingdoms and at least two smaller states. Curiously, one of the three kingdoms had it's borders within the land currently occupied by Troian Empire.
It is also known that magic of all kinds was flourishing; Anima magic wasn't regulated and Dark magic was legal. It seems that increased interest in Dragonstones started only a decade or two before the start of the catastrophic Magic Wars.

The Dark Age (before Troian Empire), also know as Magic Wars' Era:

110 years before Troian Era: Beginning of the Magic Wars. Rare, magical gemstones from ancient times were found to infuse the user with incredible powers, allowing them to even change the shape of the land. Greed for power quickly plunged the known countries into massive war, which left the world changed; entire regions were flooded by tsunamis, mountains were leveled, new islands pulled from the depths of the seas, cities destroyed by fires and earthquakes - it is estimated that in the late years of the Wars, there were no more than a million of people left on the continent.
Magic Wars lasted for over one hundred and ten years before the surviving mages formed a peace treaty, trying to subjugate the common people as their slaves, which backfired into numerous rebellions across the lands. Troy Lionheart have personally slain the last remaining 'Dragon Mage', Eusechius of Dia - this happened one year before Troy's unification movement.

Troian Era:

0, or Year of Hope (YH): Troy Lionheart, a young knight, amasses an army in the city of Dia and vows to unite the world under his banner.
1-11: Troy Lionheart conquers cities and lands embroiled in poverty and in-fighting, quickly expanding his rule. Few days after conquest of the city of Mer (today Mirr), he proclaims himself the Emperor.
11-30: Massive eradication of monsters and magically transformed people begins under leadership of Troy Lionheart. Thanks to this twenty years' crusade, monsters are rarely found in inhabited regions nowadays.
10: First humans settle on southern island that appeared during Magic Wars; in less than 20 years, several thriving cities appear on it (later they are united into Duchy of Sud).
16: The literary work 'The Dangers of Free Magic' of Priestess Lachesis becomes the foundation for a ban on freely-taught magic. Within thirty years, most of public magic schools are closed, and the priviledge of using magic is left for the nobility and priests.
26: Emperor Troy Lionheart turns part of the Empire into the Duchy of Mireos, giving it to his second eldest son, Mireos. In next few years, he further divides the Empire into Duchies for the remaining eleven of his children, except his heir, Leon.
38: Emperor Troy Lionheart dies of old age. Beginning of the Succession Wars.
38-43: Succession Wars: Eight of Troy Lionheart's children die as others subjugate and divide their lands.
42: Massacre of Pluma; Baroness Pluma is killed, along with most of the city's population. After Succession Wars, Pluma Barony is dissolved and absorbed by Empire.
43: After subjugating his remaining siblings - Prince Mireos, Prince Sud and Princess Valkira - and forcing them to swear loyalty, the Crown Prince Leon crowns himself as Troy II, starting a tradition of the Emperors renaming themselves after the late founder of the dynasty.
50: Rebellion of Sud the Younger: Disasterous rebellion that leaves most of the southern island ravaged by war. Duchy of Kretos is founded on the ruins of Duchy Sud.
58-65: The Seven Years of Fire: Abnormally high temperatures noted across the world; spontaneous forest and crop fires plague the known lands, especially in the southern regions.
66: Crown Prince Archibald becomes Troy III.
68: The Great Flood: After an earthquake and enormous tidal waves occuring, most of the land in the north is submerged, separating County of Mireos from rest of the Empire. The only piece of land that wasn't submerged is called today as 'The Dead Island', the name came from the fact that the ground is too salty to provide life.
71: Troy III proclaims that the lands in the south, between Gesselring County and Troian Empire are forever unfit for settlement. First use of the name 'The Magic Wasteland' in written documents.
80-100: "Temple of the Dragon" slowly becomes dominant religion of the Troian Empire, and by the end of the year 100, it officially becomes the only cult in the Empire, and it's headquarters are in Dia, the City of Scholars.
84: "One Day Revolt" in the County of Stava. Count Stavos II dies from the blade of his own aide; the County is dissolved by Troy III and absorbed into the Troian Empire.
104: Troy III dies after falling from a horse; his ten years old son, Crown Prince Alexander, becomes Troy IV.
110-113: Rebellion of Duke Eren; his army of mages and paladins conquer lands from Eren to Stavenvalt. After the Second Siege of Stavenvalt, army of Troy IV slowly pushed the rebels back to Eren, where they are defeated. Duke Eren is beheaded by the Emperor Troy IV himself; the Duchy is dissolved and absorbed by the Empire. County of Mireos is now the only land where direct descendants of Troy Lionheart are rulers.
113-164: "Fifty Years' Peace"; five decades of moderate peace and prosperity in the Empire and it's affiliated lands. Sciences and culture flourish; people entertain themselves in theatres and operas, and scholars build prototype steam engines and other mechanical marvels. Unfortunately, later during that time, Troy V becomes an example of debauchery and greed, and was known to possess at least forty six concubines at the peak of his harem's size. His traits of greed for power, women and wealth were ingrained into future Emperors, who became less concerned about the Empire and more about themselves.
116-120: 'The Crimson Affairs of Twelve Siblings', a romanticized epic about Succession Wars, is written by historian Duriss Jorinn. The epic, numbering one thousand five hundred fifty one pages, and with a cast of over three hundred different, detailed characters, ranging from simple officers and adventurers to the children of Troy Lionheart themselves, quickly becomes the the bestselling book amongst the populace, and is still read by many even today.
141: This year's Imperial Census puts the population of Troian Empire and it's affiliaties at 2 millions, first time since the end of Magic Wars. Later that year, Troy IV dies of old age and Crown Prince Gustav becomes Troy V.
159: Troy V dies from exhaustion and cardiac arrest during one of his week-long feasts in his harem. His son, Eric, takes the throne (becoming Troy VI) and in his first edict he immediatelly bans possession of harems by aristocrats.
164: City of Lires rebels against young Emperor Troy VI. The brutal subjugation is avoided thanks to the efforts of Pegasus General, Lain Syra; City of Lires and surrounding lands become her domain known as 'Barony of Syra'.
166-168: The Crimson Plague; terrible plague spreads in the known lands, its sympthoms being high fever, voice-garbling dry cough and vivid hallucinations. The heaviest casualties are in the lands between cities of Syra and Dia (up to thirty thousand dead), whilst Duchy of Kretos records less than 250 dead from this plague.
~170: Around this year, the last historical documents from the Age Before Wars are seen in public. It is assumed that some records of the ancient times are still kept in private libraries or Imperial archives in the city of Troi.
172-174: Baron Reinhard Arikas and Count Wulf Gesselring incite a revolt in their lands, trying to topple Emperor Troy VI. His general, Garaz, defeats the rebels and executes their leaders after the three-day siege of Gemera. Emperor Troy VI forms a County out of the subjugated lands and gives it to General Garaz, proclaiming him a Count.
179: Troy VI dies without a son and without a will, leaving the problem of succession to his two daughters. Meek and shy Masalla agrees to pass the throne to the younger but more ambitious Helra. Helra proclaims herself as Empress.
179-187: Reforms of Empress Helra; Empress Helra standarizes the measurement system, enforces united currency in every known land and lifts the ban on magic teaching for the military, allowing first squads and batallions of mages since Magic Wars to form under one person's rule.
185-186: Count Garaz and Duke Kretos V have few arguments over sea trade and piracy, and the two rulers slowly turn hostile to each other, to the point of a war; Garaz's army lands on Kretos and conquers some of the eastern coast, until intervention of Empress Helra. The war ends, albeit Garaz retains the conquered lands, much to Kretos V's chagrin.
190: Setine Prison Settlement founded in Vinland; in next three decades, it becomes Free Port Setine.
191-193: The Purge of Blue: Empress Helra decides to get rid of corrupt and abusive nobles and officials from all ranks and classes within the mainland Empire; up to 12 thousand people fall victim to this purge, many of which are executed or forced to commit suicide, mostly for corruption and/or treason of some kind - the 'lucky' few are exiled to Setine Prison.
190-200: Poverty and cruelty towards commoners becomes everyday occurence in the Kretos Duchy.
192: Count Riemond, younger brother of Duke Michalis, rebels and splits Mireos Duchy. Thanks to large contributions sent to Empress Helra, he remains in the power of the conquered land.
203-208: Numerous assasination attempts against Empress Helra;
206-208: Yellow Glove Rebellion; a group of particularily orthodox monks of the Dragon Cult seize control of Dia Castle and surrounding lands, demanding that control of the Empire be turned to the 'Voice of the Dragon', Archbishop Magallis. Supported by local populace, the Yellow Glove Army, named after characteristic golden-thread gloves their wore, was quite successful at repelling the Imperial army before Empress Helra began to threaten and execute the supporting citizenry. City of Dia fell after a week-long siege, and every Yellow Glove member was executed, putting the rebellion to its end.
~210: Rumors emerge that Duke Kretos V is dabbling in the long forbidden art of dark magic and necromancy to keep himself alive.
212: Empress Helra dies; her only son, Yurgen, takes the crown and becomes Troy VII. He quickly proves to be cruel, greedy and selfish ruler, the worst since Troy V.
216: The Birthday Massacre: Emperor Troy VII, on his twentieth birthday, orders a unit of drunken soldiers to shoot from crossbows at the crowd of peasants that gathered in the courtyard of the Troy Castle to celebrate; more than four hundred die during the shooting and at least another one hundred during the stampede that occured when the panicked crowd began to escape the castle. Emperor Troy VII was reportedly enjoying the 'performance' of his subjects.
217: Royal Concubine Elizabeth gives birth to Crown Prince Ephraim. Few weeks later, the Prince drowns in a bath tub; foul play suspected and several maids are executed, but the perpetrator(s) of this crime weren't found.
220-222: Autonomy movements grow strong in Duchy of Mireos, and rumors say that even the high levels of aristocracy support breaking away from the Empire. Several small peasant uprisings start and are brutally queled during those two years in the mainland Empire.
222: TODAY