General And Societal Lore
It has been 300 years since the Great Sundering when all of Elanthia was fractured and plunged into disrepair by the ruling factions. Tenuous alliances have arisen between powerful adversaries: the Arcanum (founded by the Ilvari and Humans), and the Gearsmiths (led by the Qwi and Burian).
New races, and some that seem not so new, assert their influences upon the delicate framework of Elanthia's recovery. So tenuous is the healing process that a single act of treachery could undo everything and destroy the world forever.
The world of Elanthia is made up of three primary factions that are struggling for control of the world.
The Kinnaes, The Arcanum, and The Gearsmiths
Each Faction is fighting for control of a number of elements in Elanthia
Guilds - The more guilds aligned with a faction, the greater it's power.
Faction Resources - Special resources in the game are valuable to factions. The more they have, the better.
Cities, Villages, and Towns - Factions may gain control of many of the world's community areas. Granting citizens of those towns great benefits for belonging to the appropriate faction.
Outlying Territories - The outlying territories of Elanthia are chaotic wastelands. The factions fight for control of these . more land is more power.
Control of the Triumvirate.
The Kinnaes
Those people of the world who believe that Elanthia's salvation will come through the promotion and health of nature and the world itself.
The Arcanum
Elanthians who believe the world can only be healed through the use of Arcane magic.
The Gearsmiths
A group which believes that Gear (a pseudo-scientific magic) is the only way that Elanthia will be set to rights.
The Triumvirate
The Triumvirate is the organization that oversees the three factions. At any time one of the factions will control the Triumvirate, and thus, will control the world. Benefits to all faction members result.
The Executioners
The effects of the Sundering on the world of Elanthia have done more than reshape the landscape and the use of magic. Societies have also adjusted to the new world, in reaction to the physical (and metaphysical) changes that have seized the various sentient races.
So, too, have the Humans of Quillmore gradually acclimated to their new existence. The Curse of Breaking that afflicts all Humans claims lives across the age spectrum daily, rotting the ties that bind the Human soul from its body, and leaving behind a shambling horror that kills indiscriminately. Every family knows a loss. Every quarter of Quillmore knows a tragedy.
The first social change that overtook Quillmore in the years after the Sundering saw the rise of an order of warriors explicitly instructed to identify a Human on the verge of Breaking and to dispatch them quickly, painlessly and professionally. An undesirable task, to be sure, and one that did not fall to the highborn or even the lowborn, but rather the children of none. With more than a few orphans left over from the war and the bloody scramble that followed, the resourceful Human leaders offered these kinless Humans gainful employment as the most undesired of Elanthia's servants. Thus the Executioners were born.
Quillmore Executioners are always Humans. Non-Humans are not accepted into their ranks; indeed, the only way to become such an undesirable is to be abandoned on the doorstep of their foreboding headquarters outside Castle Quill. The role of Executioner is not one that encourages family ties, and Executioners are raised with the belief that their family begins and ends with their fellow wielders of the Axe of Mercy, and no others. Children born of a female Executioner are either adopted out or become Executioners themselves, though usually they are raised in another part of Quillfain to dissuade the parents from becoming attached to the child, and vice versa.
Part Warrior, part Cleric, an Executioner acts in both capacities in his or her task. The Axe of Mercy that severs the head from the body is blessed and prayed over, as is the subject of the Executioner's grim attention. In the case of a Human who has advanced to the Broken state, the Executioner's job goes from ceremonial to survival. Broken infestations - rare, but not unheard of in the remote hinterland where some Humans have put down steadings - are often handled by the Executioners. They ride in, save the day, and leave amidst a rain of ashes. The survivors, if any, praise them on one hand, and spit upon their departing trail, pleading to the powers that be that they not see an Executioner again soon.
Though the Crematorium of Quillmore is the terminus of all who meet their fate at the hands of the Executioners in the city, the Executioners themselves do not linger there long. Their grim chore ends where the fires begin.
The internal politics of the Executioners rarely leak out to the public. Past the apprentice and journeyman status of an Executioner in training, there are several tiers within their order, with roughly half being called to the errant life of a traveling Executioner, and the rest remaining occupied with Quillmore itself and the operations of the order. The Executioner-Seneschal (currently held by Adalis tir Quillmore) operates the Quillmore headquarters of the order, and assigns tasks to the order's members. The High Executioner (currently held by Fevral tir Quillmore) is a position elected within the order, and serves as counsel to the Lord of Quillmore.
The Clockwork Dragons
In the 75th year after the Sundering, the House of Quill became guardian to an order of knights known as the Clockwork Dragons. This elite force was assembled under the auspices of the Triumvirate in an attempt to bridge the prevailing hostilities between Gear and Magic. Let's face it - there was still a lot of blame-laying going on.
United with House Quill's centuries-old Arcanum force, the Clockwork Dragons were seen as a peacekeeping entity that could bridle any tensions in the increasingly important Quillmore territory.
Now, if it sounds like the Triumvirate used the Clockwork Dragons to keep an eye on Quillmore, it wouldn't be too far from the truth. Though a spirit of cooperation truly existed in that time, political uncertainty was rampant. As Quillmore's star rose above the shattered land, there grew a need for checks and balances to insure the Arcanum did not gain the upper hand. The Clockwork Dragons were, in that regard, the eyes and ears of the Triumvirate.
Over time, however, Quillmore's influences etched themselves upon the order. In the present era, the Clockwork Dragons are closely aligned with the House of Quill, as much Lord Regas IV's eyes and ears as any other's. While the Triumvirate still dictates the recruitment of its members, the House of Quill actually provides them with headquarters, provisions and purpose. The Clockwork Dragons are an honorable contingent, but they're not about to bite the hand that feeds them. Rumors abound that this elite corps may in fact be spies on Lord Regas' behalf, but so far, no proof has been brought forward.
Ironically, the order operates under a mantilla of political prattle, with the Arcanum vexed over Gear's involvement and Gear feeling hamstrung by Magic's interests. Still, the Clockwork Dragons do their best to allay partisan fears and do exactly as chartered - keep the peace in Quillmore.
They do this with impeccable verve.
Clockwork Dragons are the most notorious of the orders of Quillmore, a small brotherhood of elite soldiers for whom no task is too onerous. They will ferret out the Lightless and petty thieves alike with the same, consummate fervor. They believe that the quickest route to justice runs the length of a sword, and they have the best artifices of Arcanum, Magic and Gear at their disposal. Many of Quillmore's greatest heroes have come from their ranks. Quillfain children want to grow up to be one of them.
For all their dubious distinctions, one thing is certain; the Clockwork Dragons are a billboard for interdisciplinary cooperation. With all the bickering cast aside, they have proven that Gear and Magic truly can work together as long as both sides are willing to do so. Even the Arcanum grudgingly acknowledges that the order is a role model for society at large.
As part of their commitment to both the Triumvirate and the order, the sons of the House of Quill are called to serve as Clockwork Dragons for a minimum of four years.
White Lotus Society
In much the same way that they formed the Clockwork Dragons, the Triumvirate orchestrated an exchange of resources between the Kinnaes and the Arcanum to benefit Quillmore in the wake of the Sundering. The product of their effort is the White Lotus Society, which today serves as nurturers within the ever-growing population of the Lowlands area.
Tracing their heritage back nearly three centuries, the society is mostly reliant on the Kinnaes' remarkable talents in the fields of nature and healing. They are a group almost wholly made of women; in the early years, when the Triumvirate called upon the Kinnaes for assistance, the first respondents were the widows and daughters from Oakhome. Having lost their husbands and lovers during the escalated Jaknol assaults on their home, they were filled with a renewed sense of purpose and boldly traveled to Quillmore to offer aid. Their sense of servitude has played a key role in bringing these once-hostile foes to a greater understanding of their inter-dependence in the turbulent, changing world they share.
In keeping with the female tradition of the order, the White Lotus Society enjoys the patronage of the First Lady of House Quill. Whether by financial aid or by service, each Lady is expected to donate generously to their noble cause. At this time, and until such time as Lord Regas IV takes a wife, the patron of the society is the First Lady of House Trugar.
Primarily an organization of healers, the White Lotus Society tends to the citizens of Quillmore in whatever manner best suits the situation.
The Kinnaes, gifted practitioners of natural healing, rely on the environment to provide preventative and restorative pharmacon. In the course of their work, they have amassed a trove of medical information that has proven invaluable to the society at large, such as the incubation time for certain diseases, or the proper poultices for a variety of skin disorders.
The Arcanum, with their unyielding knowledge of applied magic, fashion warding amulets and prosthetic devices, or perform surgical procedures. Arcanum members of the White Lotus Society pride themselves as much on their vast library of anatomical reference books as they do on their ability to tell a love potion from a death tonic.
Though the White Lotus Society is predominantly benevolent, it is an order that also ventures into hostile territory when the need arises. As such, its members are also versed in combat, and it's not unusual to see the occasional rogue or bard among their ranks. They will often escort Clockwork Dragons on reconnaissance missions, or rally to war zones to care for the wounded. In situations like these, quickness and stealth are their allies - they have some of the fastest mounts in Quillmore, and apply their collective expertise to the breeding of magnificent horses.
One thing that stands out among the society's contributions is their ongoing research into what makes Humans become Broken. They have yet to find the cause - and therefore, the cure - but in their effort to save citizens from this most opprobrious affliction, they have devised countless methods for dealing with lesser contagions. Thanks to their efforts, there hasn't been a single pandemic for nearly one hundred years.
The White Lotus Society has adopted robes of white, silver, and blue, with a white lotus affixed to the left sleeve. They do not pledge themselves to any particular god or goddess, but given their affinity for healing, are generally considered servants of Temsyne.
The Wanderers of Elanthia
Wanderlust is a concept few Elanthians today succumb to. With much of the land lost to overgrowth and menacing forces, it is a rare person indeed who chooses a life of wandering, much less raises a family in this environment.
The Wanderers of Elanthia are organized, well armed and resourceful. Because magical transportation is fickle at best, traders are in high demand, both at sea and over land. Most Wanderers have amassed a bizarre collection of goods and tricks to keep themselves alive in unusual circumstances, and their cargo safe. The arrival of a caravan - and the subsequent establishment of the distinctive tents that the Wanderers have adopted over the years - is cause for great cheer in any established city, town or village.
Most Wanderers are not directly employed by - or even affiliated with - the Triumvirate or any of the other major factions, instead taking on jobs as it suits them. Indeed, Wanderers are more likely to be aligned with the House of Rogues, a shady organization with a vested interest in the knowledge and oddities gleaned by the itinerant folk. Regardless, the Triumvirate recognizes the vital need for commerce, and offers protection to the Wanderers whether or not they bow to the banner of the Three.
In addition to tradesmen, many Wanderer caravans contain at least one or two members who double as acrobats, jugglers, fools or wizards who specialize in fanciful illusions. Troupes specializing exclusively in entertainment are unusual, but not unheard of, and quite popular in the hinterlands, where a good show is always welcome by guardsmen and weary farmers.
Elanthian Vessels
Magical transportation, while popular in Elanthia, is not the only way to get around the Known World. Quite often, teleportation is simply too unreliable, too dangerous and (most importantly) too expensive to transport large amounts of goods and livestock. This is where the ships of Elanthia come in.
Humans have been sailing since the invention of lumber, twine and glue, and the standard timber and sail vessels were born from their early innovations. Elanthia's tall ships still reflect Human design and superstition, and are often carved with images of the dragon-god Urwir for good luck.
Even to this day, certain family lines among the Old Blood live out their lives on the open water; these folk consider their ships to be their "homeland" and only step onto land to do trade, take on travelers, or restock supplies. There is even an all-Human splinter group of the Soul Singers - called the Wave Prophets - who believe in a second Sundering that will someday come and cover the remaining landmasses of Elanthia in water.
The more improbable ironclad ships are Gearsmith inventions, developed primarily by the Stoneborn post-Sundering. Before that time, the Stoneborn were so insular they rarely went near anything wetter than a damp cave. Though built from soldered steel and powered with Gearsmith widgetry, Stoneborn ships float very well. A few even safely submerge for limited periods of time, and some can come out of the water completely to travel short distances on sandy beaches. It should be noted that this area of research is of great interest to a certain sector of Qwi Gearsmiths who are fascinated by the notion of deep sea vessels, perhaps due to romanticized tales of pirates, monkeys and booty (but mostly the monkeys).
All ironside ships are wise to include at least two Gearsmith engineers on their manifest, as the delicate machinery and highly tuned widgetry, while well shielded from the weird disruptions of Elanthia, can sometimes go a little haywire under the right circumstances. In this respect, the regular wooden ships are slightly superior, as they rely on wind and oar for their conveyance.
Both types of ships and their crews are employed by the Triumvirate to patrol the Verta Sea. Magical instability has limited the power and accuracy of magical scrying, and Gearsmith devices also have a tendency to malfunction on the waves due to salt corrosion and off-kilter magnetic forces. It is therefore necessary and desirable to supervise the small islands and coves dotted around the Sea to ensure that no Ukar or any of the other members of Elanthia's rogues gallery have taken up residence. Triumvirate recruits are regularly sent to these locations to flush out enemies of the state and deal with magical aberrations.
