Sundering

The fall of the Rhodesian Empire brought about a great civil war that left horrible scars upon the Old World.

This generations-old war is only recently ended, and the reminders of that fruitless conflict are all around us. Lands wracked by destruction, seas tainted, people displaced. The cost is immeasurable, but would-be heirs to Rhodesia still squabble over what remains, even seeking to despoil the New World to further their ambitions.

*Quest prompt: Something of value was lost in a great battle near the end of the war. The trail was cold for many years but an unexpected source has tipped you off to a new clue to its location. Why is this important enough to you that you'd swear an iron vow to find it? Who is opposing your efforts?

Relics

The mighty Rhodesian empire reigned over the isles for over a millennia before falling into ruin and strife a few centuries ago. Much was lost in the chaos of this collapse and the terrible war that followed.

Ancient Rhodesians unlocked secrets now once again beyond our understanding. The ruins marking their legacy are places of unnatural construction, confounding mechanisms, and cryptic relics. Curiously, there are rumors of these ruins even being found in the recently discovered New World, offering more questions than answers. Some islanders revere these ancients. Others seek to understand them. A few have more selfish motives—pillaging the sites for treasure and artifacts. But some secrets are best left buried. Many ruins are cursed, scarred by the rot-plague, corrupted by time, or haunted by malignant evil.

Quest prompt: You overhear a drunken sailor speaking of a newly rediscovered ruin hidden deep in perilous jungles. His expedition went in to explore but he was the only one to come out. What strange phenomena did he witness? What convinces you that you must either protect the ruin from explorers or brave it yourself?

Modern Era

It is an age of sail.

Sailing ships navigate the farthest reaches and weather the fiercest storms. Their cannons unleash devastating barrages against rivals or raiders, and their crews wield muskets and blades to defend their decks. Some commanders plot a course through hazardous waters with chart and sextant, while others rely on a deeper understanding of sea and sky. But above all else, we trust in the loyalty of our shipmates and the strength of our vows.

Quest Prompt: "She's beautiful" you think to yourself as you see the ship in port for the first time. Suddenly you understand why you were hired to secure it. Who hired you for this job? Why do they want this ship in particular? Who are you stealing from and why would no one else take the job? What misfortune ensured you did?

Iron Vows

Some see iron vows as a vestige of a more superstitious age, but the tradition persists.

Our forebears bound their promises to the strength and permanence of iron. Today, self-avowed Ironsworn respect this tradition by affirming their resolve with a time-honored phrase: “By iron, I vow.” Even those who forgo an iron totem say the words to lend solemnity to a promise, setting themselves on an honorbound course—wherever it may lead.

Quest prompt: The dying figure presses a bloodied iron totem into your hands and pleads with you to fulfill their final task. What quest have they failed? Who or what killed them? What relationship do you have that you feel obliged to carry on in their stead?

Navigation

We rely on the ancient traditions and knowledge of House Duran to navigate these perilous seas.

The Wave-Born of House Duran have an uncanny sense of wind and tide, and bear the history of their travels as beautiful and intricate tattoos—etched in phosphorescent ink. Some of the places and passages pioneered by the Wave-Born are now common knowledge, inscribed in charts and traveled widely. Others are coveted secrets, or lost to time and strife. The skills of the Wave-Born make them highly valued as ship navigators, and some seek to exploit them to their own ends.

Naturally, House Duran maintains its own interest in controlling the Wave-Born. They train and supply them to interested bidders, of which there are many. However, rumors persist that some Wave-Born have grown disillusioned with this oversight and have begun to strike out on their own regardless of the retribution from their House.

Quest prompt: Black clouds creep over the horizon, heralds of a vicious storm to come. You don't fear the storm as much as you do the aftermath of needing to find a port to repair the inevitable damage it'll do when you're so far off the edge of the map. Why are you so far afield? Who offers you unexpected aid and what vow do you swear to them in exchange for their help?

Empires

Imperial forces vie for dominion over Patrocia in both the New World and the Old World.

In the Old World empires war against each other for control of the Lost Capital of Rhodesia, seeking to cement their legitimacy. After a intense all out war lasting centuries, the conflict has stalled and only the occasional skirmish is had. That said, these giants are still actively encouraged to fight by their theocratic allies, who promise legitimacy and glory as the true successor of Rhodesia should they prevail.

In the New World the Vitan Federation are the first and potentially last gasp of a democratic governance in Patrocia. Formed from the first Old World settlements in the New World, they stand in rebellion against the Old World powers. This has naturally made them a geopolitical pariah, but has endeared them to rebels, pirates, smugglers, and certain indigenous cultures of the New World. The Old World empires plot their downfall, and while an invasion has not appeared Old World ships still harass the Rebel Coast.

The setback from the loss of their oldest and most well-developed colonies has not stopped imperial colonization and exploitation efforts from spreading like a creeping tide that threatens to engulf the the New World. From their newly settled lands to the west, Colonial governors oversee ever-expanding settlements, while powerful trade companies control key trade routes and resources that bring supplies that fuel the colonial machine. Imperial agents conduct missions of subterfuge and assassination against both enemies and allies who might impede them. Since treaties between the Old World powers are forged and broken on a whim, skirmishes between them remain commonplace and mariners can never be certain of what flag will fly over a port from one day to the next.

Quest prompt: The letter finds its way to you, inside is a message with orders you already know you'll refuse to follow. What duty are you abandoning? What vow have you already sworn that convinces you to do so? What retribution will you now have to endure?

Quest Prompt: Your opponent in a private duel falls to the ground, sword clattering from their hand. From their position on the ground, they concede their defeat. As soon as the words of surrender are uttered, an unseen assassin strikes them from a high vantage point and cuts their life short before fleeing, yelling about a murder. Your life changes in an instant. Who was your opponent and were they your friend or your foe? What were the stakes of the duel? Who do you suspect framed you for their murder and why?

The Great Houses

Once noble households of the old empire, these proto-nations without borders have outlived their original intended purposes in service to the old Rhodesian Empire. They now operate similarly to international guilds, each leveraging over a thousand years of expertise in their craft to secure their fortunes and ensure the prosperity of their own.

As legitimate remnants of the old empire that remain active today, the Great Houses are no stranger to political schemes and leverage their reputation and prestige to their advantage in dealings with the Old World powers and each other. Many hopeful fortune seekers still flock to the banners of the Great Houses, but only the best succeed in joining one of them.

Due to their decentralized nature, most of the Great Houses maintain enclaves in major settlements that can range from just an envoy and a handful of retainers to a full blown embassy and a functional business in one.

Quest prompt: One of the great houses has decided you're worthy of their attention. Which house is it? What did you do to impress them?Why do you want to join up with them so badly? What great trial have you sworn a vow to complete in order to secure your membership?

Piracy

Pirates are fiercely independent, but bound by a shared code.

A pirate crew is a power unto itself, a diverse band of fugitives, outcasts, and rebels who serve under a ship’s charter and have a say in the operation of the vessel. Pirates do not attack indiscriminately, and give quarter to those who ask for it. They are nevertheless vilified as barbarous murderers by trade guilds, imperial governors, and other powers in the isles. In some ways, this reputation serves them; fear is more powerful than the mightiest cannons or the sharpest swords.

Quest prompt: Your captain drops his spyglass with a look of terror in his eyes. You can already tell that he intends to surrender to the pirates before they're upon you. You quickly formulate a plan to either defeat the pirates or earn a place amongst them. Which renown pirate is gaining on you? How will you turn this situation to your advantage? What vow will you have to swear as part of your plan to survive?

Religion

The war between Old World powers has ended, but the Sacred War rages on.

In the Old World the New Velucan Faith and the Lorresian Faith are locked in existential conflict, both direct and indirect. Originally the schism in the Old Velucan faith was caused by a disagreement over the role of magic and mages in the world, but a few centuries of independence have given dogmatic leaders time to find even more that's wrong with their religious rivals. Both religions have established theocratic nation-states that believers may join, where Lorresians can burn their mages at the stake in purifying flame and Velucans can force their mages into a cloistered life in service of Veluca. Their influence is strong, and they often spur conflict between the old world powers who align with them and those who don't.

In the New World and on the seas, Nautalism is a growing religion. This loosely organized belief system emphasizes the balance with nature and appeasing the Primal Spirits, and embracing mages as conduits to better understanding them. It's under threat by missionaries from the old world who seek to stamp it out as heretical.

For many, faith in gods offers meaning and fulfillment. For others however, belief is a cudgel used by tyrannical leaders to divide or control us. For this reason, some people and cultures disavow religion to follow a different path.

Quest prompt: You were an unremarkable member of the public. You adhered to the decrees of your betters and were enjoying a quiet life when disaster struck. Your life was forever altered as you discovered you had magical potential in a very public manner. What was the nature of the disaster? How did your magic manifest? Who now hunts you as a result?

Magic

It is the dark age of magic. Once only uncommon, magic has become rare and mysterious. Mages even more so.

Patrocia is a place of the known and the inexplicable, the mundane and the magical. In ages past mage colleges investigated magical phenomena and the nature of bending reality, before the fall of Rhodesia led to their (sometimes violent) dissolution. The nature of magic today is poorly documented or understood, most of that knowledge was lost after House Kirsten fell from grace. Velucans will credit as miracles from their god, Lorresians will say it is a corruption and an affront to Lorres. Regardless, what is known is that people with magical aptitude are very rare, some people go their whole lives without encountering even an untrained mage, trained mages are even more scarce.

Most mages don't even know they're mages until a moment of great stress or danger allows them to tap their innate talent but even then further untrained magic is hard, dangerous even. Free mages often spend their days hidden in study, or hunting down scraps of lore looted from long since burned mages colleges. Unfortunately staying a free mage is the tricky part: following that moment of stressful self-discovery, Old World mages are in danger of being hunted by zealots or manipulated by powerful people in exchange for protection from the mage hunters.

With the New World it can be different, some New World cultures will accept or even respect mages; but admittedly in others, they are still feared or outcast. A wise mage will hide their power until they discover which is which.

You have been in hiding for many years now, painstakingly learning magecraft from your mentor in seclusion. One day however, your master fails to return from an outing for supplies. It's been a long time since you left this place, but you resolve to venture out and find your teacher. Who is your mentor? How did you meet? What threat to you both is only revealed after their disappearance?

Beasts

Beasts lurk in watery depths and within the reaches of remote islands.

All manner of creatures dwell in Patrocia—including rare and incredible beasts of legend. Among them are colossal great whales and elder rays, larger than our greatest ship, and blade-winged sea dragons. Some foolish souls hunt these creatures for riches or sport. Others revere and protect them. A few are beast-bonded, forming an enduring friendship with their beast-kin.

Quest prompt: The wreckage of an old ship is perched upon the rocks, impaled. Its cracked and splintered masts show signs of a fierce battle. Around it, the wreckage of a dozen other ships can be found. What legendary beast did this? Why do you vow to find it and how do you plan to bring an end to its attacks?

Horrors

The veil between life and death is not as well defined as you might believe.

The Old World is still scarred by the Rot Plague, a malady that very slowly kills the bearer but continues to animate the body and instills it with violent urges. How it spreads is poorly understood, leading many to entirely forsake or raze places where it appears. A Rot Plague outbreak is credited with the fall of Rhodesia, and the old capital of that venerable fallen empire is uninhabitable to this day as a result.

Even without the Rot Plague to fear, terrible things lurk in the darkest reaches of the Patrocia. Ghost ships and Bone Raiders stalk the seas, undead guardians protect ancient tombs, and drowned sailors emerge from the depths in search of absolution or vengeance. Some may scoff at these tales, but we know the truth—death waits for us all, but is not always an end.

Quest Prompt: The bleached ivory vessel in your spyglass confirms your fears: It's a bone raider ship. You know that raiders are rumored to be both cannibalistic and maybe even have necromancers for captains. Still, this isn't just any bone raider clan, it's been following you for weeks, appearing whenever you're on the edge of charted seas. What sets this group apart? Why do they specifically stalk your ship? What shared history connects you and their captain?