Some history to re-wet the appetite

This was sent before the last campaign. Coming up I’ll share the week-by-week from 5 years ago but this will reacquaint you with the world as it was a generation ago.

Not required reading but there if you want it.

TLDR: You’ll be fine.

Today in Muershaden

Lokistan and Sandrypha are demanding the Handaris Council aids them. For years bands of raiders from the Savage Lands have been breaching The Gate (the chasm that connects the Savage Land with Kraymorden, the east part of Muershaden), pillaging farmland and taking those that worked them. They’ve come in waves, Orcs, Ogres and Goblins, attacking and retreating, attacking some more. This has been going on for years, but of late the waves have increased.
Known more for their farming and feeding Muershaden, the right side of the Chasm asked for the military aid of the Andrac Empire, to forge into the gate and set up the needed barriers.

Naturally the Andracs told them to go defend themselves, as they’ve had to do for centuries against the north and the Whisper (the turbulent ocean to the west).

The Kraymordens did such, putting together both stealth and force of their best. They took to the Gate, forging into the Black Rock Mountains where they met footholds of both Orc and Giant in an attempt to thwart future attacks, but the losses were great and it was said they made it less than a day’s distance of the six-day march up the Gate.

They retreated and instead set up bands of their Crimson Guards to patrol, as the land is too widespread to build a wall, but they’re asking for assistance from the rest of Muershaden to defend it. They want to build a wall, but in the past walls are bypassed and attacks then come from unwatched places along the Black Mountains.

Tanseria flat refused to help, claiming they’ve had to negotiate with those accessing their lands through the and they’ll not wage a war through the Black Mountains. And then Estrawlia openly accused Tanseria of playing a part in encouraging the raids.

The representatives from Tanseria took great Umbridge at the accusations and Queen Basheira called her people home from the House of Thorns.

The ruling cities of Muershaden suggested sending diplomats to the front lines of the Gate and report back, but Lokistan rejected that, saying diplomats would never get close enough to the front lines to gain an objective opinion. So the Lokistan Project was presented and agreed to. The cities would send representatives and stout members of their communities and they would in groups forge into the foothills of the Black Mountains, and report back of how treacherous and disruptive to trade this threat has grown to. These volunteer representatives would be given a stipend by the Handaris Council as agreed to by the Hall of Thorns. They will be mixed up and sent on.

The call was posted in each city and volunteers presented themselves. If they were of talent and could survive in a hostile attack, they could become part of the Lokistan Project.
And because the Doogin is kind and not going to make you listen to a long drawn out dialogue inside the Handaris Council, sitting atop the Carousel in the new Hall of Thorns, he gives you this.

Your character may come from anywhere. Looking at the map of Muershade it is broken down by two sides of the chasm (in case you don’t remember). Look again at the post below: The World of Muershaden and place your character as you wish.

While cities have their alignments and religions, those are general, not a rule. Either way, your character could answer this posting for money or a sense of adventure. Maybe they feel they can just offer support to those looking to wield swords against the savages. Or maybe they knew someone who was killed or taken by the beasts.

This campaign may be a bit simpler in its approach, no artifacts or time travel to sever the branches of destruction, no doors and Dretch Mogs. Nope, this may be just a good old fashion stand on the wall and beatdown the Orcs and Goblins as they run through for the next 720 weeks. Or maybe not.

Either way, the working title of the campaign is The Savage Lands.