The Holy Sovereignty
Progress is seen as the highest goal of the Church of Man. Without progress humanity would fall back to its dark days and progress is needed to enlighten humanity. The church came into power during one of those darkest days, when Saint Roland heard the calling of Auriel and slew the Witch Queen Zhevenna. This was the first strike which helped humanity regain its freedom. Ever since that day, the church has grown and prospered, guiding humanity to a new great world. The church is all that stands between humanity and its doom at the hands of evil forces. The great foundries of the Cathedral of Saint Roland light up the sky of the holy city of Icarius day and night, producing new weapons and armor for the crusaders of the church. These are needed to aid the church in its ongoing struggle against Morva, the last of the witches. Xerves, her realm in Arnesia is besieged by the strongest and the most faithful who have colonized the lands surrounding it. This struggle has lasted for centuries and although most of the descendants of the paladins still dream of a return home, some of them have accepted that they cannot leave these prosperous lands and its mysterious ruins to those who are not as enlightened as those who believe in Mankind. To break the impasse that has come into existence, pope Xavius I was granted the rights to some of Cyren’s lands, resulting in the Holy Sovereignty. The people of these lands are mostly believers that have emigrated here from other countries. Everyone is welcome, as long as they believe in the church. Independent from the different nations, the church is doing its best for all of mankind, but still some forces are trying to work against it. Pope Xavius II is fighting an ongoing battle against the corruption that has taken over the church. Recently, many cardinals and bishops have been excommunicated because they tried to use their holy station to advance their own careers, although evil tongues claim that the pope is only trying to remove his opponents on false pretenses. The pope is young and ambitious, granting stations of power to cardinals that favor him. Some claim that the pope has a lover and a son, but this is of course heresy. Despite these rumors, the pope is popular among the inhabitants of the sovereignty, due to his plans to expand the Sovereignty, claiming that the lands originally granted by Cyren are mostly vast desert and useless savanna. This attitude is agitating Cyren, which has withdrawn troops from its northern border and from Vincenze, to reposition them on its southern border.
Advantages: Choose from: Blessed or Very Blessed [10 or 20], Clerical Investment [5], High Pain Threshold [10], Higher Purpose(Serve the Faith) [5], Indomitable [15], Luck or Extraordinary Luck [15 or 30], Patron(The Church of Man) [Varies], +1 Power Investiture [10 points/level up to level 3], Rapid Healing [5], Religious Rank +1 [5/level], Serendipity [15/level], Single-Minded [5], True Faith [15], Unfazeable [15], Voice [10]
Disadvantages: Choose from: Bully [-10*], Callous [-5], Charitable [-15*], Chummy [-5], Code of Honor (Chivalry, Gentleman’s, or Soldier’s) [-5 or -10], Disciplines of Faith (Monasticism or Asceticism) [-10 or -15], Guilt Complex [-5], Impulsiveness [-10], Honesty [-10*], Intolerance (Heretics) [-5], Pyromania [-5*], Secret(Heretic, Traitor or War Criminal,) [-10 to -30], Selfless [-5], Sense of Duty (Holy Sovereignty of or the Church of Man) [-10], Social Stigma(Criminal Record or minority group) [-5 to -10], True Faith [15], Vow(Chastity or Suffer No Heretic To Live) [-5 to -15]
Skills: Choose from: Exorcism (H) Will-1 [2]; Interrogation (A) IQ [2] ; Meditation (H) Will-1 [2] ; Propaganda (A) IQ [2] ; Theology (H) IQ-1 [2];
The Free Principalities
Betrayal is what kept the Witch Queens in power. The vile di Zacchi family supported them, acting as their generals and administrators. The di Zacchi styled themselves as noble princes, loyal to the Queens. When the Witch Queens were defeated, the di Zacchi claimed that they had no choice. Because the family still had powerful allies, they were banished to the Skulle Isles together with any other loyalists. These misty islands have become a wretched hive of scum and villainy, led by the descendants of the di Zacchi who now call themselves the Free Princes. They hire themselves out as mercenaries and privateers to the highest bidder, hoping to buy back their lost power, but infighting and lack of discipline prevent them from posing a serious threat to the main land. The inhabitants of the Principalities are less noble than their lords, descending from slaves and criminals, nonetheless they are loyal, as long as the pay is good. The free-folk value their freedom and only understand brute strength. Most of them still believe in the Old Faith or in the Cult of Blood. Missionaries of the Church of Man are seen as meddlesome and usually don’t last too long in the Principalities. The Principalities have only a handful of cities, mostly located around Port Regal, the seat of power of Prince Caspius de Zacchi. Despite all their claims of independence, all other Princes obey Caspius and his legendary Scarlet Sails, who controls them through a mixture of politics, extortion and military might. Some say that Caspius is still in league with the Witch Queens, like some of the more evil Free-Folk. The only Prince to disobey Caspius is Prince Oberath, the warden of the Dread Bastion. The Bastion is a prison compound where Oberath holds the most dangerous of criminals, which he keeps on the authority of the Dianan nations, but he is a rare example of a trustworthy prince. The pirates of the Free Principalities have become threats to all the sea-faring nations of Diana. The most dangerous of princes possess letters of marque, while the more lowly among them resort to piracy.
Advantages: Choose from: Charisma [5], Blessed [10], Daredevil [15], Fit [5], High Pain Threshold [10], Indomitable [15], Patron(Free Prince) [Varies], Perfect Balance [15], Rapier Wit [5], Reputation(Feared) [Varies], Single-Minded [5], Unfazeable [15]
Disadvantages: Choose from: Berserk [-10*], Bully [-10*], Callous [-5], Chummy [-5], Code of Honor (Mercenary’s, Pirate’s or Soldier’s) [-5 or -10], Compulsive Carousing [-5*], Cowardice [-10*], Disturbing Voice [-10], Impulsiveness [-10], Intolerance (Landlubbers) [-5], Lecherousness [-15*], Lifebane [-10], Megalomania [-10], One-eye [-5], Paranoia [-10*], Reputation(Treacherous) [Varies], Sadism[-15*], Secret(Works for another Prince or Traitor) [-10 to -30], Selfish [-5*], Sense of Duty (Free Principalities) [-10], Social Stigma(Minority group) [-5], Trickster [-15*]
Skills: Choose from: Carousing (E) HT+1 (2); Fishing (E) Per+1 [2]; Gambling (A) IQ [2]; Garrote (E) DX+1 [2]; Knife (E) DX+1 [2]; Navigation(Sea) (A) IQ [2]; Saber (A) DX [2]; Streetwise (A) IQ [2]; Seamanship (E) DX+1; Shiphandling (H) IQ-1 [2] or Survival (A) Per [2];
The Republic of Strom
Strom originally belonged to the Kordovan Empire, but split off under the influence of the Magocracy. The powerful magic of these wise men combined with the mountains of the Allesas kept the republic safe from Kordovan influences, which has grudgingly accepted the country’s independence. The Magocracy was based around cadet branches of all three great families, ruling together as a council. They controlled the magic within the country with an iron fist, cruelly hunting down any magical commoners. This divide between magicians and commoners led to small rebellions, but the vast castles and prosperous mining activities for power stones kept the mages in charge. However, famine and the rise of the great heroine Jael Stormdragon finally gave enough impulse to the rebellion thirty years ago. They overthrew the Magocracy overnight but did not manage to secure the Spira, the capital. Now the country Is divided between the old supporters of the Magocracy and the rebels, both sides not willing to surrender to the other. Worse, magic is running rampant, large parts of the country have become a magical wasteland. Other countries have tried to intervene, Cyren through political means and Vincenze by annexing part of the old republic, but both attempts have failed. The sides still refuse to talk and Vincenze was forced to return the lands it had taken. Unsure on which side to support, the governments of the surrounding countries try to play both sides. This just seems to lengthen the fighting and while the fighting of the bloody magical civil war was originally confined to the middle of the country, they are now spreading out towards its borders like wildfire.
Advantages: Choose from: Combat Reflexes [15], Hard To Kill [2/level], Hard to Subdue [2/level], Magery 0 or 1 [5 to 15], Magic Resistance [2/level] or Unfazeable [15]
Disadvantages: Choose from: Bad Temper [-10], Bloodlust [-10*], Callous [-5], Code of Honor(Mercenary’s or Soldier), Flashbacks(Mild) [-5], Intolerance(Magical humans, non-magical humans, rebels or magocracy) [-5], Magic-susceptibility [-3/level], Post-Combat Shakes [-5], Secret(Magic-user or Rebel) [-10], Social Stigma(Criminal or minority group) [-5] or Wounded [-5]
Skills: Choose from: Leadership (A) IQ [2]; Occultism (A) IQ [2]; Tactics (H) IQ-1 [2] or Thaumatology (VH) IQ-2 [2];
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