Grognardfinder Pitch (To be edited)

"When a man takes one step toward God, God takes more steps toward that man  than there are sands in the worlds of time."
	-The Work of the Chariot

In the very foundations of the MMCMLXXXVth reincarnation of the Earth, the  land was a malformed hell. The ground dominated by black crags and the  skies dyed a permanent blood red. Earth was where mighty demons by the name  of Vazul called home, matched only by the hungriest and eldest of Dragons.  This all changed however, when the Vazul caused their own downfall and  extinction through centuries of brutality and short-sightedness. In a  last-ditch effort, the last 8 remaining Vazul came into contact with a  dying cosmic entity known as The Lord In The Sun. The 8 Vazul, known as the  Mashiachs of Dark Flame in later scriptures, allowed themselves to be  absorbed into the vast consciousness of the Lord In The Sun. As one, they  seeked to rectify the mistakes of their fallen brethren, and slowly  re-birthed new life onto Earth's barren surface. Once the seeds of these new  enlightened beings were planted, The Lord In The Sun ceased to be a  sentinent being, and now remains an omnipresent, invisible, and incorporeal  object without judgement orbiting the Earth, granting magic to it's people  and giving power to Earth's new gods.
....or that's how the scriptures go, at least.

Earth is split into 8 continents:
Taleros- The main continent of this campaign, and most likely where you'll  be spending all of your time. Taleros is a large and varied land, and is  just as developed by civilization as it is run over by uncharted wilderness  and mythical ruins of the old world. Tales of heroic warriors, fair  maidens, and epic quests make up the backbone of Taleros' former glory.  Sadly nowadays, such legends have remained just that, and Taleros' most  powerful empires spend all of their efforts battling to the bitter end with  one another, be it through violence or political corruption. This leaves  little for Taleros' lower classes, much less any hopes for large-scale  expansion.

Marigo- A nation broken off from a Taleros colony, Marigo is a nationed  governed by a pact known as the Square Rule, which gives every man and  woman freedom to cast a voice. Priding itself heavily on the personal  freedom of it's people, the citizens and it's rulers are heavily  opinionated, leading to a history of Civil and international Warfare and a  hefty crime rate alongside innovations in multiple areas. Despite being a  relatively young country, it's become an ever-expanding economic stronghold  with reigns in just about every country's international trade. Marigo isn't  very well regarded by the populace outside of it however, due to a history  of aggressive militarism and arrogant ignorance among both it's people and  government, believing them to be the successors of the very Vazul that  doomed the old Earth. Although it is idealized amongst the lower class due  to it's vast economic opportunities.

Ammon- A still-broken land of shattered mountains and ashen battlefields,  beneath a sky of eternal darkness. Resting to the deep south of Earth,  Ammon nonetheless still retains a solid population. As of late, a gigantic  dungeon has arisen in Ammon's center, bringing forth swarms of invading  demons, whom the denizens of Ammon are currently at war with. Due to  constantly battling the environment, the citizens and empires of Ammon are  incredibly cooperative with each other, so long as they share the common  demonic enemy.

Lahdarl- An entirely frozen-over land populated by the hardiest of  individuals alongside it's nations. It's a land on the verge of tearing  itself apart, politics-wise, due to many complications in the past.

Hartfall- The outside name given to a land known by many different names  amongst it's many different species. Hartfall is a land covered in grassy  plains and forests, and is almost entirely populated by Fey, Gnomes, and  some very odd wildlife. Proper civilization outside of these creatures is  all but unheard of, though some secretive colonies of Elvent travelers  have been rumored.

Ellia- A small yet diverse land peppered with all sorts of terrains, Ellia  is odd in that it's populated almost entirely by witch-like females (and  some very effemminate men). To make matters worse, said females are all  defined by monsterous features, and are rumored to primarily feed on male  [REDACTED]. So much as identifying with these creatures, known as Elliacs  to most outsiders, is considered total heresy amongst most nations and  churches, and is punishable by death. A large air of paranoia lies amongst  the people, especially in Taleros, where they're the most reviled. The  settlements in Taleros believe Elliac invaders to be all around, just  waiting to strike and kidnap men for their nefarious purposes. It's not  entirely uncommon that innocent women are tried wrongly for Elliac behavior  during times of hardship.

Shuzoku- An ancient land with a long history, Shuzoku nowadays consists of  a collection of warring states ruled over by mighty emperors, alongside  many whimsical monsters and deities. Shuzoku is largely closed and isolated  to the outside world,and withholds a strong code of honor amongst it's  people. Of note is the Warlord known as Raikage Yasonori, viewed as a  violent and evil dictator within his homeland. Among others and most of the  few outsiders with any knowledge of Shuzoku however, Raikage is seen more  as a hero, due to his goals of unifying Shuzoku and opening it up to the  public.

Hazad- Sandy plains and smoldering heat is what many think of when they  hear the name of the eldest continent of Earth. Even with it's many  civilizations and traveling nomads, Hazad is still very much uncharted, and  a constant source of ruins and objects that give a peek into ancient Vazul  life.


Taleros is split into 5 nations: North Taleros, Greyshire, Casvanja,  Linyork, and Hulgaris.

Some places of note in North Taleros:

Parles- A small town on the upper edge of North Taleros, it's largely tied  into the far grander Ferdinand Kingdom of which it rests a good few miles  to the west of. You of course have been tasked to protect this town at all  costs by Eriel, as it's been considered an easy target by Thulsa's bandits,  and the Ferdinand Kingdom has been far too occupied with Warfare to care  about it.

Ferdinand Kingdom- A large city containing the stronghold of the proud  Ferdinand empire. They appear to be involved largely in international  affairs.

The Forest of Thorn- A large prominent forest to the west of Parles. It's  said within it contains a long-lost Vazul ruin, though this is only a  rumor.

Flewich- a village of about 500, it's built around the statue of the famed  Elven Warrior Deliax. It is governed by a council of wealthy landowners,  led by a male human named Wyny. Flewich is the home of a legendary hero, a  wizard named Franciz.

Sal Kingdom- A city containing the great Sal empire, ruled over by the  noble Sal family.

Clebluff- A city close to the west of the Sal Kingdom. The city is built  around a great market square. It is governed by a court of aristocrats.  Clebluff is renowned for its magnificent gardens.

Sebury: This once-prosperous village is defended by a wooden palisade and  ditch. It was governed by an independent leadership. Sebury was attacked by  monsters recently, and many buildings are empty or in ruins. Rumors about  of a few stragglers laying about.

Red Hell: A deserted wasteland to the far, far west of North Taleros. In a  stark contrast to the rest of Taleros, Red Hell consists mostly of wasted  deserts and jungles, hosting a variety of uncivilized barbaric tribes along  with mighty beasts.

Nadine's Garden: An expansive Garden near Jeneviere's shrine, it was home  to a sizable colony in the past, but now it seems to be abandoned. Very  little is known about it nowadays, and rumors abound about the creatures  that lie within. It's named in the memory of the Serpent Mistress Nadine.

Jeneviere's Shrine: An old shrine built by, and eventually named in the  memory of the ruler and missionary Lady Jeneviere. Set in the middle of the  boundary between North Taleros and Greyshire, the Shrine is considered a  safe haven for many travelers and trainers. It's managed by the semi-famous  Flower Maiden, Evengel Starchfeld, and her numerous Paladins.

Find out the rest on your journey. Just don't die trying.



THE PLOT-

"Honor? Faith? Humility? I care not. Whatever is in that land is of no good will, I'll tell you that. They never so much as cared either. I would ask of your help, but it's far to late for you. A new generation must regroup one last time, and most of all, keep whatever is in that village from harm. Upon the solstice in the Year of Time, in the Plains of Blessing, the Guardians shall triumph.
-Eriel"

Such was left behind near the final message left to you by your guardian before their sudden disappearance, along with a map to Parles in North Taleros. Your guardian, be it your elder, teacher, or close moral compass trained you for a good portion of your life in your craft. As of late though, they've been speaking of foreboding words, signifying the "end" of something. Then one week prior to your current location, they disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a morbid note telling you to go to Parles and meet with Eriel at all costs.
As of late, North Taleros has been noted for increasing rates of banditry along with a few other odd occurrences. What could possibly lie in Taleros' strange lands to warrant such a happening? Whatever your reasons, you set out to find the meaning behind all this.

Before you start your journey on Taleros' grounds, keep in mind these notes-
-You will come up with your guardian and everything she/he stood for. They're mostly background elements with not much impact on the story, but should still reflect your character in some way.
-Magic, while certainly not unheard of, is fairly uncommon in Taleros. While you can probably get away with using it in public among small villages or rest stops, in cities such as Ferdinand Kingdom and Clebuff, you will at best raise suspicion and at worst be tried as an Elliac. This of course does not apply to Divine magic amongst Clerics and Paladins.
-This will probably be a relatively long campaign, meaning you'll be sticking with your character for a while. This means, and I mean it, make SURE you'll be comfortable playing as it a bit further down the line.
-You may feel free to come up with a backup. More important than that though, just don't die in the first place.