The fallen city of light

Entering the room, it is filled with the most palpable sense of sadness you have ever encountered.  The room itself is desolate except for two things. First, a lone humanoid skeleton, clearly the last line of defence against the enemy, lies shattered on the floor, a small piece of parchment clasped in its hands.  And second, a once bright gem imprisoned in a dark miasma, floating high up in the ceiling.  The room here is split in half by the most oppressive dark curtain you have ever beheld.

...

First, there were no hero’s to champion our cause, we could not take the fight to his areas of crucial weaknesses. You left, you left not two years to the day before he arrived.

Second, even if we did have such heroes they would have no weapons that could slay a god. We would need to find weapons that can slay a god and typically, that requires artefact level magics.

Third, the nations were all divided. The sultancy and tris had spent their strength in war with each other, the beastmen were engulfed in civil strife, the skylings had just tried to ignore it and the pirates had fled cowardly. There were none to stand with us, and after he’d destroyed us, he destroyed them all as well, just out of spite it would seem. It was horrible…
...

Child, I am but a shadow of my soul, the last remaining memory that has clung to this tortured realm to give you this message! But I cannot last here… there is only one way to save me. Go back in time, make sure this never happened. Allow me to slip back into the time stream. Make me what I should be, by your success! That is all you can do to help me!

With that, the skeleton releases its grip on the parchment, and dark tendrils of evil reach out and draw the spirit shrieking away into the benighted realm.

Alternate reality and the near future

You had barely left the time chamber, when you are greeting by a mysterious gold and white floating light, which turns out to be a very confusing fairy of some sorts. She greets you all affectionately as though you were all best friends and she’s really impressed with something you just did – refusing to explain it because she cannot understand that you don’t already know, and seems to think your confusion is just part of an old joke on your part, again.


However, gladly and gratefully, she gives you a small silk bag containing six power stones. Your own are missing and appear now to be in the bag she holds - It is fortunate that the one creature entering your time with all six stones appears to have done so with the sole purpose of giving them to you.

With an affectionate hug and little explanation, she disappears gratefully into wherever she just came from, presumably, never to be seen again.

...

The future bears the unhealing scars of a plane wide apocalypse of unmeasurable proportions.  Nothing lives here now, not even in the soil, and every city is broken and destroyed.  Even the sun pillar, once a mountain, is broken to the ground.  The only inhabitants are the undead, mostly ghosts and a few skeletons, but even the ghosts are mere shades of their souls, splintered remains of their former existence.  They cannot abide the light of the lantern, and are broken apart by any attempt to turn them.  They crowd around you in the endless twilight, always on the edges of your consciousness, gazing at you piteously to end a miserable existence they no longer understand, brought on by a death they no longer remember.

Nothing, however, could prepare you for the devastation that surrounds what was once Lauresia. Her great wall is brought low, her children scattered around the ground. The trees are broken and burnt, and offer no protection any more.


But as you enter, an unexpected sight reaches your eyes. There is a light, an impossibly small beacon of hope, and it seems to be calling out to you from the top of the heavily damaged tower of white.

I have found you...

They are coming, from all directions… there will be no escape…


Suddenly, there is a loud crack. It sounds like a mighty stone splitting but it echoes in your soul like time itself was being rent asunder. You have never heard a sound like it before…

Suddenly there is a presence. A profoundly evil presence. A profoundly familiar presence. The area falls eerily silent, and the creatures stop as if confused…

A soft voice speaks, but not to your ears, and in that moment, there is pain. Pain like you have only known once before. The pain of a mortal brought into the presence of its immortal enemy.

“So, Exiles, you are here.” It states in quite, simple, and wholly evil voice.

Suddenly there is an explosion of fire that incinerates the creatures and leaves the edges of your clothes smouldering.

He is approaching…

A ribbon of red light twists in the air, and begins to uncurl as a portal is forged between two dimensions. People scream, and there is pandemonium in the area. Slowly, two massive clawed hands part the red ribbon and begin to tare a hole in space, a bloated creature of diabolical evil begins to emerge.

“I have found you!” The Enemy speaks, as his truly horrid umberhulk emerges into your world.

“Finally I have found you...”

Handout - The Mighty Empire of the Tris

Overview

The Mighty Empire of the Tris is at the height of its power. Ruled by the magnificent Archmage known as the Prime, supported with his council of Archmagi, and protected by legions of mythical beasts and manufactured automatons, no nation in the sphere may trade without the permission of this mighty Empire. Magic as common as butter knives, but until you can cast level 3 spells, you’re not considered a wizard at all. However, power is leading to arrogance, corruption and decadence - the Tris claimed to have slain or driven off all their gods, and blood sports are common among them. Wizards are treated in great honour, but few deserve it, and the rest of the citizens are not much better than serfs. Charisma based casters are hunted to death, wisdom based casters are tolerated but receive little public support.

Government

Prime is a level 30 archmage, and has held the position for a record almost 20 years.

The Emperor is always the most powerful mage aspiring to that position. Conflicts can simmer in their midst for years, until a new mage feels ready to make the challenge (about every 5 to seven years). This is settled by magical combat between the two alone, and is usually fatal. It can, however, be ended by the unconditional surrender of one of the mages (who stands to loose everything they own but life itself). It is rare, but not impossible, that a particularly powerful and charismatic mage can continue as Emperor till their deaths by natural causes. The Emperors power over his people is absolute. Theoretically, the emperor could order every citizen to burn their house to the ground and relocate to the elemental plane of fire. In practice this would probably involve a massive revolution and repeated assassination attempts, as well as numerous challenges to the emperors power – often at inconvenient times.

Actual day to day rulership in the empire is by the senate, which is full of aristocrats with smatterings of wizard levels. This is fortunate, since the archmagi are rarely concerned with the lives of their citizens, and the skill required for managing the vast empire and all its interests, as well as a diverse citizenry, not to mention the capricions of the archmagi, takes formidably skill. The chair of the senate is elected by the senate for 3 year terms. The senate at all times answers to and enacts the will of the Emperor (if they are unfortunate enough to have one who is interested in making edicts that will affect the citizens.) Having the full resources of the most powerful empire in the Sphere is a good way to get things done – such as gathering rare spell components or casting epic level spells. Senate officials are nominated by their lords and lieges – citizens have no voting rights.

Underneath the senate the system is stalwartly feudal. The people are ruled by lesser kings and queens, princes and princesses, or the landed knights, generically referred to as the Lord or Lady, who own and protect a portion of land and all those who live on it. Visitors enter, and receive treatment, at the local Lords whim. However, these local Lords and Ladies answer to successively higher kings and queens until the Emperor himself, who owns all the land, all its people, and theoretically, makes all the rules as well.

The Emperor does not tax the people directly; he taxes the provinces and realms, who tax their kings, who tax their Lords and Ladies, who tax the people. While citizens can own their own property, they cannot own land (only the emperor, technically, can). Citizens can usually buy their freedom from one Lord and purchase a new bond with a different Lord. It’s unfair, but at least they are not quite slaves. Most citizens earn enough to live and to prosper (the senate tries to make sure of that), and pay the around 10% tax the local Liege levies. Each successive level of management levies around 10% on the lords and ladies in their realm. The Emperor’s income is huge.

Sadly, while the empire is at its peek, it has risen so on the backs of exploitation – primarily the Beastmen who they claim to have saved from death many years ago. Beastmen and other servants can be traded like any other property, and children of slaves are treated as property of their masters. On the topic of decadence, the Tris also enjoy blood sports in their areas where people are punished with death, often on frivolous charges, for the entertainment of others. Clerical calls for a higher moral stance go as yet unheeded.

Needless to say, mages hold a special position in this culture as holders of a special and unique power. There are three kinds of mages.

1/ Those caster level 4 or below are granted no special treatment – just about everyone knows at least one prestidigitation or orison (schooling is compulsory till age 10).

2/ Those above level 4 usually serve as landed mages (or ‘house mages’) and answer exclusively to their liege (who is usually also a mage). They are also known as ‘marked mages’ according to the mark of the house they serve. Occasionally power battles for precedence among marked mages occur similar to battles for the empire.

3/ The final kind of mage is the unmarked mage who answers to no-one but the emperor (or a higher mage if he can kick their butt). Most bear their own mark, and are legally allowed to travel where they will (unless a more powerful mage says they cannot) and to gather even legions of followers (till someone strong enough says ‘enough’!). They usually do so until they can establish their own land and kingdom. In rare cases, this is actually a well planned event with a family sponsoring a chosen member as its mage (schooling is expensive) until they can settle a new area. Even the kings are expected to give honour to the unmarked (unless their house mages are more powerful, in which case they can run you off their land.) For example, unmarked magi can usually expect a day or two’s decent accommodation (for themselves, their companions are usually given bare minimum accommodation) from just about any Lord or Lady in the Empire in return for favours if need be.

Adventuring parties are expected to be led by their mage, and the companions are either mercenaries or property.

Geography

Lush, verdant, rolling hills almost everywhere. Magically altered to be so everywhere else.

Military

Mostly slaves – beastmen, automatons, summoned creatures. The living souls of the Tris are the last line of defence, and their wizards expected to flee to seek revenge if a people are bested.

Daily life

There is one law – never meddle in the affairs of wizards. People fear wizards, never look them in the eyes without permission, and are expected to answer any question a wizard puts to them. The only one legally and morally expected to punish a wayward and wanton wizard is another wizard, who may take the other wizards tower and lands for themselves. The citizens expect this, and somewhere in the empire, see it happen every day, roll their eyes, and get back to work knowing there is now a new wizard in charge who, hopefully, will ignore them just as long as they pay their taxes, just like the old wizard.

The serfs work extremely hard, while the nobility have an abundance of time on their hands. Most nobles need to know a little magic, as all their leaders are wizards and an unmarked mage can legally challenge a housed mage for his property and kingdom.

Religion

Long ago, the Tris claim to have slain, driven off or simply bored their gods from existence (depending on who you ask). While there are a scattering of the more traditional faiths, no one religion is a particularly influential driving force in society. The prevailing consensus among the masses is that divine and arcane magic are both, well, magic – and magic is something the mages (that run the place) can manage well enough. Gods are just powerful individuals much like mortals or stories to frighten children. Publicly, the Mighty Empire of the Tris is a very secular society, and the vast majority of those that are devoutly religious are rarely terribly public about it. The few that are are usually ignored, sometimes branded insane and occasionally even persecuted to death. The basic feeling of the Tris is that they know enough about magic and the Universe not to really need the Gods. They are more of an interest than passion, but this does not go for everyone.

Crime and punishment

For the Tris, might makes right. If you are upset with someone, they are in the wrong. You go to battle, and the winner is right. There is a law, buried deep down there somewhere, but it is generally felt that it can be twisted to mean anything so only the strong eventually survive. Upsetting the wrong person usually means getting thrown into the gladiatorial pits. For all their arcane powers, the Tris lack creativity when it comes to solving problems.

For lesser crimes, pain is the price. Particularly way ward individuals are scarred all over due to their many ‘lessons’. Occasionally property may be seized, or children sold into slavery.

With a Godless culture, Tris actually permit any behaviour as long as it’s ‘not hurting anybody’, including substance abuse, infidelity, and taring down old growth forests for profit.

Cultural oddities

* Schooling is compulsory for all children from 6 till they turn 11. During this time they are expected to learn to read and write, and to learn at least one 0 level spell from the wizard spell list which they can cast once per day. Most individuals pass this schooling. Prestidigitation is the most common choice. Due to this training, it is said a watched pot swiftly boils among the Tris! (Children start a lot of fires at around about this age as well.)

* the Tris hate any other caster that does not use intelligence as their prime attribute, especially sorcerers. They are legally shot on sight. Bards are barely tolerated as long as they stick to pretty lights and healing spells.

The watcher in Blue

Lukat – deep in meditation, receives the following vision;




The Sapphire lady was deep in prayer, but could not shake the tremor of fear, fear and annoyance at her daughter and her friends. The high council had been in an uproar all morning. Few things in the city were going well nowadays, but then she’d received the urgent missive from her daughter that morning – they were being chased by the heir apparent of the most powerful empire in the plane, and both were heading this way. It might have been a more subdued reaction at the council, as she had carefully planned, with a silent strengthening of defences and moving of the populace. But no sooner does the council session begin than the head of the rogues guild runs in broadcasting their imminent danger. Such a foolish daughter to have given the news to such an indiscrete source! Before another word is spoken, it is apparent that the news is spreading like wildfire though the streets. Naturally, the citizens panic and it was many hours before calm was restored once more.

The sapphire lady tried to put the annoyance and anxiety out of her soul. What a busy morning! A near riot, quelled only just in time! But it is a calm only made possible by the acquisition of a new, and within the hour fully charged, Orizon crystal. Once the sky shield was activated the citizens began to feel safe again. At least the adventurers did not fail them in this way.

But it was too late to warn the trading parties outside the wall - they would have to fair the best they could. It was the most hurtful blow – only just now had resources and food begun to flow into the city once more. They could not afford to loose this opportunity or order might break down completely.

The Sapphire lady called to her the guards and messengers. There would be much to prepare. Lukat and the others were head off to some unknown location, and they would need all the supplies they could carry – apparently they were leaving their boat, the Lightening here. But she still could not hide her anxiety. With all their combined wisdom, the high council of the wise had decided that this place – this world – was the safest from their Enemy. If the children had plans to plane shift into another dimension … they had not been warned properly of the dangers of that. He had eyes to see between the worlds… if they weren’t careful… they could loose more than everything.

It made her wonder what had happened to have caused such a political disaster with this Prince? Was it the wanton fetishes of the Halfling thief, so much like his predecessor the Shadowmaster? No, the stars told another story, and she had been given eyes to read them a long time ago. There was more to this... a terrifying figure, with a crown of flame…

Perhaps it was the child concealed at the shrine of time? No, surely it was not. They were an interesting lot of monks, the Sapphire lady mused. It had been herself, the Sapphire Lady chuckled, that had warned the monks of the Princes approach. He had some means of concealing his ships, and it was more than luck that had lead her look at just the most fortuitous moment, and saved the young ones lives.

She was always watching, the Sapphire lady confessed in a self congratulatory manner. Watching as the young ones reclaimed the fallen paladins lost blade. Watching as they wasted precious hours on guild maze, as if they could not tell the lustful pirate lord would never keep her promise! Watching as they rested at the time shrine for over two weeks, completely unaware of the approach of the Prince.

Her child did not know, and perhaps never would. But she herself was always watching. They would never know just how much she had gone through to save them, to protect them all from the very life they were now disastrously bringing upon themselves…

Visions were a great way to learn, but sometimes, when all you can do is watch while loved ones stumble heedlessly again and again into ever increasing danger … it is a terrible burden, even just to watch...

Story - Frangipania

The following story is narrated to you by Brinthesere – the purple amethyst that is actually responsible for making the Greased Lightening airbourne. She apparently has quite the flair for a narrative, and further investigation will reveal this story of a conversation that took place just before the next combat to be essentially accurate. Brinthesere has imbedded herself into the heart of the main sail, becoming one with the living tree that is the ship upon which you sail.





The twinkling stars stretched out forever against the inky blackness. The Greased lightening, a ship of living wood powered by sentient stone, rocked gently in the mysterious and invisible Everbreeze of the plane in which you now live. All around the ship, soldiers and sailors stare out in quiet reverence at the strange sight, quieted also by the incipient pursuit of an enraged cleric driven mad for his desire for pre-emptive revenge.

Gaston and Shahonrazae whisper quietly at the foredeck, as they often do, unveiling their lives to each other from the different worlds they come from. Jerry practices her swordplay alone on the aft deck, for none will challenge her and her frostblade any more. Lukat is again below decks, meditating or practicing her sorcery. She is becoming quite accomplished now. Oma might be conferring with his students, or the Lightening, but most often transforms into a great Kestrel to scout out the winds before the living ship that protects them all. Methos is not to be found, imprisoning himself in the cabins below while he strives continuously to unlock the secrets of time and magic.

Amid the silence, a small girl approaches a dark drow woman, toying idly with the tip of her oft poisoned blade.

“Excuse me.” The child suddenly asks.

The Ebon lady looks down at her in surprise.

“You, child. What do you want.” The dark woman says impatiently.

“I did not see you.” The child replies.

For a moment the Drow assassin looks like she might turn away. This is just a little child, and a trifling trouble at that. Whatever thoughts the drow was entertaining seem little served in discussion with this child right now, and she looks as though she wished the younger one would turn away.

“Whatever.” The drow replies, and returns to her staring out into the darkness.

But the child, undaunted, sits up beside her on the rails. For a long time, silence is the only companion between them.

“Is it like this were you are from?” The child finally asks. “I have always liked the stars.”

The drow rolls her eyes. Perhaps a few words of conversation will placate this annoying and persistent child.

“No. Not at all.”

“What was it like?” The child asks.

“It’s… too difficult to describe.” The drown replies.

“But the sky was grey. Wasn’t it?” The child says.

The drow looks down at her in disbelief. “And who told you that?” she demands.

But the child continues to look out, taking her time in answering.

“I saw it. When I will be there. The others, they showed me where you were. But it doesn’t happen yet, I don’t think. This was in the future.”

The drow looks at her sideways. “You make no sense.” She accused.

“I know.” The child sadly sighed. “I am not from here. I come from a time where it’s all now. You can’t imagine… this… this land is strange. Things all happen in a line. But they’re not, and I see them all now. I can look into what was and will be. But not always, because it’s changing. That’s what’s so hard about it. Where I am from, it’s all now. Just one place: Now.” She sighed. “It made much more sense.”

“So where are you from?” the drow asked.

“I don’t really remember much else. But I’m there still. Oma. He will see. Lukat too, I think. Methos maybe not. There’s another two too. But I can’t tell you about them because it messes the nows’ up. I’ve learnt that. I cannot tell too much. It makes a mess of all the nows. There is only one was, and only one now, but many to be’s. Do you understand?”

The drow was silent in replying.

After a moment, the child Frangipania, coveted of the pirates, continues “Coming here was hard at first. It took a long time to put everything into words that come out one at a time.”

Still the Ebon lady was silent. Was she too busy to be bothered by this child? Or too wise to ignore the idle prattle of such an arcane curiosity. The child did have skills that were quite… useful… or at the very least… profitable.

“No.” The child replied as if answering a question. “I have no memory of where I am from. I was taken to the orphanage when I was a girl.”

“What do you mean?” The ebon lady wondered, “Is that were you came from?”

The child looked at her quietly. “Oh. Did I answer the question before you asked it again? Yes. I do that sometimes. It’s the hardest part. Like waiting till tomorrow, but sometimes that’s very scary. At least I can always keep myself safe. Almost always.”

The drow and the child stared out at the stars.

“You make no sense.” The drow stated as if she would leave.

“I think they’ll be here soon.” The child then replied. “Meas does not stand up any more. And the main sail will burn. But we’ll chase them away. I think it will be the little boat this time.”

“What are you talking about!?” The drow stated as though loosing her temper. The child watches her with wide eyes fear, and stutters her reply as though lost in a world she cannot explain to a woman who cannot understand.

“I didn’t see you.” She said nervously. “You’re not in the now. Not this now. Not any nows. I don’t understand who you are or why you’re here. But you are here. I can touch you. What are you?” The child asks.

The drow smiles knowingly, and hides her thoughts. “You have no need to fear me, child.” She replies.

The child stared at her in silence, lost in the memories of a myriad of futures.

“Who.” The drow finally asks. “Who is coming in the little boat to burn the mail sail?”

The child looked up into the sky, and sighed.

“I can’t tell you.”

“But you did tell me.” The Ebon lady replied.

Frangipania just sighs.

“When I tell them, everything changes, and I don’t know which now is real anymore.”

“Perhaps it is better that you told me. Perhaps I’m here to change the ‘now’ that you don’t like? When I see the small ship, I will protect the mail sail first. And Meas, I will send below.

“That’s not how it works, “ the child protested.

“Do you see all things how they will be?” The drow asked.

“No.” the child replied. “Only what they were before they become. Oh, I know that doesn’t make any sense! You people are so strange!” she cries.

But the drow pated her comfortingly on the head.

“I know what it’s like to have secrets you cannot tell, not because you can’t, but because if you did, nobody would understand…”

“I thought so.” Frangipania smiled.

But then the smile faded. “But why is your skin so grey?” Frangipania asks the Ebon lady.

Ebon does not smile, and perhaps before she can stop the unconscious thought her hand is upon her dagger in an instant, her eyes wild in anger and fear. But before she can react, before the assassin can put into any action whatever mysterious thought lead her to reach for her weapon, Frangipania looks skyward and gasps.

“The small one.” She stated.

The Ebon lady looked up, there, emerging from the stars and cloaked by the darkness, is another flying vessel half the size of the Lightening. Upon its main deck, a huge cannon rests, arcane fire gathering in its maw.

“Incomming!” Shouted the Ebon lady. The lookout, so used to sailing on oceans, or too sleepy to be wise, did not see the enemy approaching.

There is panic on deck, and the child slips away from the Drow before she can gather her wits. In the ensuing panic, Ebon spots a lone character walking across the main deck, looking about for an enemy he has not yet seen.

Looking about, standing in a direct line between the mainsail, and the cannon.

“Meas!” Ebon screamed in desperation. “Get down! Look out!”

He paused then. He looked where she was pointing. He was only a druid, and had no idea of how to deal with danger, how to jump when he was told. He had to see the danger for himself.

Had he not paused to see what she was pointing at he might have even walked out of harms way, or at least turned it into a glancing blow.

The first blast from the fire cannon was its most deadly. It seared the mainsail of the Lightening with a terrible pain too exquisite to define, but she had no voice to scream with. She had never felt such pain before. In a moment of weakness, she almost wished for death rather than violence, and would have entirely surrendered if they had required it.

The battle went as follows;

Player handout : Pirates of the Eversea

Overview

The Eversea is a vast expanse of open space, littered with literally hundreds of thousands of little islands of earth floating effortlessly in the darkness. Most are sunless rocks about the size of a house, but occasionally one is large or magical enough to sponsor its own light. There is no need for air, it seems to be everywhere, and gravity almost always points down towards Profundum. Almost. Far too often strangers and enemies are made to walk the plank and find themselves eventually falling sideways in invisible currents of gravity and air to land in foreboding, and forbidden places.

The largest of the floating islands are the five continents, and the largest of those is claimed by the Sultancy. Legend tells that a thousand years ago every single island was visited and claimed by the ancient Tris, but no-one has heard of what happened to them in all that time.

To be fair, not all natives of the Eversea are pirates, and there is next to no sea in the Eversea.

Government

A pirate captain is the law on their own boat and makes all rules, fair and fowl, according to whim and circumstance. Often each pirate vessel will swears fealty to a pirate lord, who usually holds an island or two as a base of power, and can command other captains on their own vessel (as long as they have more soldiers and a bigger boat to back it up with). Only occasionally does a pirate gain enough land and ships to be called a great pirate lord, and only while they are alive - their holding tends to be divided up among heirs who must earn dominance on their own. There are seven great pirate lords at this time, of all kinds of races and genders. This changes every few years, as even immortal pirate lords (such as undead) are eventually brought down by the constant competition among them.

Once every hundred generations or so a particularly powerful pirate lord holds such influence over all the other pirate lords though cunning and persuasion as to be effectively an emperor. Twice in their history the pirate armada has taken sail to the terror of all. Usually, though, there is no strict alliance between factions and the largest unit of government is the boat they are sailing on. There is no honour among thieves.

Cressellia however, the largest city, is a neutral meeting ground for the pirates, and no one pirate lord risks claiming it as their own.



Char Blackthroat – Human. Rogue (polite, cunning, evil) gluttony

Lady Gwendelain – elven arcane trickster (beautiful fem fatales) envy

Hok – orc raider (wanton destroyer) greed

Barrum Stealhammer – dwarven rogue (tyrant) sloth

Sly – Halfling assassin (pragmatic) lust

Ming Wun Fu – githzeri monk (very evil.) wrath

Man Luck – gnome bard (comic relief, but wise, lucky, and kinda helpful. Generally treated as ‘harmless’ by other pirate lords who grudgingly appreciate his cunning and levelling influence.) pride

Geography

Pirates are actually very few in number, but several small towns of scum and villainy do exist. They live scattered on the (hundred) thousand floating islands of the Eversea. Some are no more that a building or two, hoping to go unnoticed and hidden far from trade routs.



Points of interest:

Scholars generally agree that the thousands islands of the Eversea were once a single world, blown apart by some enormous force and swept into this tiny pocket plane. While history records the Eversea was like this prior to the Tris, most blame the Tris anyway.

The whole area, for convenience, is divided into the great outer circle, and the much much smaller inner circle where the vast majority of the population live. The outer circle is essentially blank, except for some points of legend such hidden thrones of the Gods. The outer circle objects follow very erratic orbits, some none at all.

The thousand islands (actually hundreds of thousands, with countless millions of tiny rocks, chunks of dirt, and specks of dust) of the inner circle slowly rotate around the maelstrom, shepherded by the five great continents in a counter clockwise direction.

The maelstrom is an enormous storm of Everwinds at the base of the Eversea, spinning upwards. Some say to ride the maelstrom is to escape the pocket plane forever, if the trip doesn’t kill you.

The outer circle from above;





And from the side;



+ve and –ve planes lie on the north and south sides of the great circle respectively. Celestium (heaven) and Profundum (hell) are at the top and bottom, with a great ring of Aboretum (neutal) right in the middle. Needless to say, most of the space is considered profoundly empty. It is an eight year journey in the fastest skyships ever imagined to cross the Eversea, most ships aren’t 1/100th as fast.

The outer circle can be extremely difficult to navigate, using only the tiny specks of light from the inner circle the only obvious features. Special compasses for detecting Celestium, Arboretum, Profundum, the energy planes and Malestrom also exist, but are excruciatingly rare.





Top down map of the inner circle, including five governing continents, is displayed below;



Water is rare, except for the magically sustained ocean ring (not fit for drinking), and the beautiful by dangerous water continent Oceania where the abolyths currently hold rule. Getting a drink can be extremely dangerous, most mariners never return, and water is at times at a great expense. The demons of Accursed love fire, Iceland undead life on a land made of metal, and the Beastmen enjoy a forested land filled with dinosaurs.

Three month journey from side to side.

Military

Again, almost everyone, but a unified force is highly unlikely.

Daily life

With no strict time determined by sunlight, pirates live life to the schedule set by their captain and look out warily all the time. Families tend to live on the islands in towns or settle on the continents if they can break away from the tyranny of their pirate overlords. There is honest work on the islands, or dishonest work on the Everbreeze as the pirates take to plunder and searching for lost treasures (usually of the Tris) among the islands. They usually avoid the well organised and powerful Sultancy, and the other well defended governing continents.

Pirates believe themselves to be, mostly, descendants from ancient pirates who fled to the realm to escape persecution millennia ago, and then forgot how to get back. Some of them trace their bloodlines back to the Tris, but they are very very rare. Just as rare are adventurous and foolhardy souls who have left one of the governing continents to attempt a life out on the Everbreeze.

Religion

While not typically religious, deities of thieving or chance are common. A few honest but of necessity poor shrines do exist to benevolent deities in the hope of redeeming the people.

Crime and punishment

Whatever the person in charge decides is a crime, basically. It’s chaotic neutral at best.

Cultural oddities

• Pirates are very interested in gold, and can be persuaded quite easily by its lure.

• Pirates are also swayed by good speeches, expert dancing, and other charismatic performances.

• Above all, the pirates value skill – running on rope, balancing, tumbling, juggling etc, and are very impressed by feats of dexterity.

• Most of them are in debt to someone for something.

• Most pirates aren’t savage, allowing those plundered to live. Savage pirates are usually hunted down by alliances of other pirates, ironically.

• Also ironically, pirates value keeping ones word. Sadly, they don’t think anyone can actually keep up that high ideal and lie and betray each other quite often.