Gothic Horror Adventure! The World
The setting for this World of Fog campaign is a place in many ways similar to Europe in the 1700s and 1800s. A few great Empires like the Holy Roman Empire and Frankia stand astride a continent filled with hundreds of squabbling free cities and principalities. There are the first stirrings of nationalist fervour, but nothing has come out of it yet.
The Campaign will start in the Holy Roman Empire, in the Kingdom of Valahia.
Islands in the Fog
The Fogs are not restricted to the edge of the world, though it is here you find the Deep Fogs. No, there are many Fog banks or Dells as they are often called. Some are rather small, only covering a single marsh, or a valley, or the site of some lost city. Others are large, spreading across an ocean, or blocking off mountain chains. The result is that civilized areas exist as islands among the Fogs.
There are paths or even trade routes linking these islands, but most of them are quite perilous. It is far from uncommon for the fogs to shift or drift a little, or for trade routes to cut through areas of light fog. This exposes the merchants to the corrupting influences of the Fogs. People living near such routes grow familiar with the sight of derelict ships drifting upon the sea, or wild eyed stragglers from a merchant's caravan. Yet the profit from such trade is often so great that hardy souls go ahead with it anyway.
Here are a few quick notes on the most famous of these islands, aside from Europe where the campaign is situated.
Hind
Far away Hind is a land of mystery and ten thousand gods, but also a land of spice, strange artefacts, and beautiful textiles. As the Fogs recede there is growing knowledge of the land of Hind, and growing knowledge of their mystical accomplishments. Books and teachers from Hind are very much in vogue with the intelligencia, as well as the upper classes. Though many respectable scholars do serious work on Hind, for most people it remains the land of a Thousand and One Nights where anything can happen.
In short it is mythical India.
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire is a vast multi-ethnic empire, struggling to balance centralizing reforms with the demands for liberalization and continued local government. Among artists and liberal politicians there is a sense that the modern age is passing the Empire by. On the other hand the great cities of the Empire remain centres of fashion, of finance, and of invention, as all kinds of marvellous devices are created for the amusement of the nobles.
Government of the Holy Roman Empire
Kaiser Johan-August II
The elderly Johan-August always wanted to be a reformer, a great liberal Emperor. Yet he himself is often his own greatest enemy, for he is remarkably impatient with people who use their freedoms in ways he does not approve of. In his old age he has slowly become more conservative, but also more determined to carry through centralizing reforms.
Though he is not the absolute ruler of the Empire he is still the most powerful man in it. No law can be passed without the Emperor's signature. He maintains all foreign policy, declares wars and agrees to peace settlements at his leisure. His person is sacrosanct and his cabinet takes all responsibility for his actions. Most importantly the Emperors pleasure is the difference between social exaltation and utter ruin.
The Cabinet
This is the body of ministers that actually handle most of the top level governing of the Empire. For the most part it is ruin by a collection of minor nobles promoted by the Emperor who wants to make certain that his cabinet is loyal to him alone. The main exception is the Chancellor who is also the titular Duke of Stanislau, and rumoured to be the Emperor's bastard son.
The Secret Chancellery
The feared Secret Police of the Empire! Though in fact it tends to limit itself to snooping on the mail and telegraph system, and infiltrating various radical student movements. Very little is known about them, which is probably how they like it. There is however a large number of lurid novels written about agents of the Secret Chancellery, some lauding them as wholesome heroes, others with a rather unhealthy focus on femme fatales and dungeons.
The Senate
Each constituent state in the Empire is entitled to send a representative to the Senate, chosen in whatever way that state deems most appropriate. Only the Senate can pass Empire wide taxes or laws, regulate the internal borders of the Empire, or select a new Emperor. This of course means that the Senate can effectively veto any major war-efforts on the Emperor's part simply by refusing to raise the necessary taxes.
The Privilegia
This is a set of laws and regulations that effectively guarantee the internal autonomy of each state in the Empire. Over the last few decades it has been weakened, but never abolished. Each state still jealously guards its interests, even at the expense of the Empire as a whole.
Kingdom of Valahia
This is where the campaign begins. Valahia is blessed with fertile soil, making it a major breadbasket for the Empire. The eastern parts of Valahia are flat and rather featureless, but towards the west the landscape grows more rugged. The western border is the Karavange mountains and to the east the Axsainian sea. Turning south you come to lands still bound by the receding Fog.
Valahia is vaguely eastern European, with powerful nobles and backwards peasants. It is still plagued by spots where the Fogs lingered on, meaning that odd creatures and strange events are far from unheard of. In short you can think of mythical Transylvania or Poland, with a bit of Barovia (from Ravenloft) mixed in. Despite that the larger cities are quite modern, but once you leave them it's like entering another century.
Government of Valahia
King Karl
King Karl is a constitutional monarch who still retains full executive powers, though any act he passes must be counter-signed by a minister who then becomes responsible for it. In addition to this he remains the fount of honour, the sole source of titles and knightly orders in Valahia. Unlike the Emperor King Karl is a genuine liberal who has accomplished much, including the full emancipation of the serfs some thirty years ago. He is also a nationalist, seeking to gather all Valahians under one banner in order to protect their language and culture.
Cabinet
As in the Empire this is the body of ministers that actually handle most of the top level governing of the Kingdom. Unlike the Empire it consists mostly of career politicians from the ruling political party. Although the King is free to select anyone he pleases to form a new Cabinet, Parliament is also free to demand a new Cabinet by passing a vote of no confidence.
Parliament
Valahia has a bicameral parliament divided into a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. As in most bicameral parliaments the Senate is responsible for reviewing laws that are initiated and passed by the Chamber of Deputies. Parliament in union is the only body which can pass laws or taxes. The King may at any time dissolve the Parliament and announce new elections, but in reality only uses this power if asked to do so by his Cabinet or Parliament.
Suffrage
In theory every adult male who holds property is entitled to vote. However voters are divided into three main electoral groups depending on their income and property. This means that the votes of the very rich count for far more than the votes of the average working man, while at the same time disenfranchising most landless labourers.
Politics
Political Parties
The Conservative Party
The party of the land owners and the middle classes, they are religious, loyal to the Emperor, and not prone to rocking the boat. The Conservatives try to promote agriculture, light industry, and traditional crafts. In terms of society they are deeply traditional, seeking to keep things just the way they are.
Currently the governing party.
The Liberal Party
The party of the burghers and academia, they want to push Valahia into the modern age. Economically they try to promote a modernised banking system and land reform. In addition they are in favour of universal suffrage, universal education, women's rights, Jewish rights, and a host of other issues. They are also a nationalist party who seek to unite all Valahians in the Kingdom of Valahia.
King Karl is known to be sympathetic to their cause, but is unwilling to ask a minority party to form a government.
Political Issues
Although there are quite a few political issues between the Conservatives and the Liberals, there are a handful that are more contentious than most.
Land Reform
The Liberals want to change the constitution so as to break up the great estates and distribute the land among the peasants. They also want to create a Land Bank that will offer affordable loans to the peasants to help them develop their lands. The latter is to prevent a repeat of the previous disastrous land reform, which resulted in most of the land reverting to the nobles within a few decades.
The Conservatives are utterly against this. They argue that the peasants would only split up their farms among their all too many sons, thereby destroying any economies of scale. The fact that the nobles bought most of the land back after the last land reform is held up as evidence that further reforms will accomplish nothing but bothering the landowners.
The issue is however growing increasingly volatile; friendships and families have fallen apart as a result of arguing about land reform.
Nationalism
The Liberals argue that all Valahians should be united under one flag, to protect Valahian people against oppression and to promote Valahian language and culture. The majority of the Liberal Party wants to work within the framework of the Empire to accomplish this. A radical minority however would like to see the Empire shattered, so that all people can have their own country.
The Conservative party does not disagree in principle, but points out that the best way to achieve this is surely to gain the Emperor's favour. Besides that, it is perhaps best to talk about a cultural union, rather than encourage wild talk of political unification, talk that can only upset the Emperor.
These differences are perhaps best seen when you consider the role of the military. The Liberals want a conscription based military both to guarantee independence, but also to unofficially apply pressure on the Empire. The Conservatives want a smaller, professionalised military with which they can quickly repel Fog creatures and raiders. The hope is that the Emperor will want to strengthen this bulwark and reward them by providing them with the Transkaravangian territories.
Education
Education between the ages of 7 and 11 is free and mandatory. Secondary and higher education is also free, using a German style Gymnasium system. However entrance into the Gymnasia is dependent on a written recommendation from a teacher, and there are various incidental costs though the education itself is free. The result is that most peasants have at most four years of education. During the first four years in Gymnasium all students receive the same education, after this they are separated into technical schools and literary schools. All students learn French and German, while those who go on to literary school also learn Greek and Latin.
Military
Officially the Valahian military is only concerned with protecting the land from the Fogs and from raiders beyond the fog. Unofficially it is also a guarantor of Valahian independence, as well as a tool of social control.
Royal Valahian Army
The current Royal Valahian Army consists mostly of poorly trained conscripts, but with a small cadre of full time professionals. Their main armament is the [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steyr-Mannlicher_M1895 Steyr-Mannlicher rifle], but they have recently acquired a series of modern quick-loading cannon. In order to defend against possible foreign incursions defensive lines have been thrown up to the south, reinforced with a modern railway system. Another set of defensive lines have been established to protect Weissburg from attack, these defences are some of the finest in the Empire even though it's centuries since the Fogs have been seen near Weissburg.
The Royal Valahian Navy is divided into two sections: The brown and the blue water sections. The brown water section is mostly a riverine force, with several river monitors for use in the interior, but it is also capable of skimming the coast. The blue water section is a proper, though small navy stationed at Tomis on the Axsainian sea. It is an elite formation backed by a very small group of naval infantry, mostly used for defeating Fog creatures and raiders, but also for recovering and clearing out derelict ships.
Valahian Economy
Valahias economy is utterly dominated by the agricultural sector which employs 76% of the working population. Despite that overpopulation means that there's a huge labour surplus, which fails to find any outlet in the countryside or in the cities. Efforts to create domestic industry have enjoyed mixed success, creating factories like iron foundries, distilleries, flour mills, sugar refineries, sawmills, paper mills, chemical works, glass works, soap and candle works. However all machine tools, weapons, textiles, and manufactured goods in general are imported from abroad.
The Valahian banking sector is woefully underdeveloped, partly because of the unrelenting hostility of the leaseholders. As it is the peasants are often compelled to take up high interest loans from leaseholders, forcing them into debt servitude. However the sheer backwards nature of Valahia is also a great contributing cause, only in the cities is the economy diversified enough to even need a proper banking system.
Valahian Transportation
For the most part Valahia is very backwards. This is reflected in their transport infrastructure. Though recent outside investment has begun to improve the situation, much of the country is still practically medieval.
Waterways
Most transport in Valahia is done on the Istros River or one of its many subsidiaries. Though many barges are still pulled by oxen or teams of barge haulers, the new age has reached Valahia too, and most barges are now motorized. The Istros is without a doubt one of the largest traffic arteries in the Empire and sitting by its shores you can see barges and even ships from every part of the Empire.
Railways
Railways are quite rare in Valahia, but recently the receding Fogs have made outsiders from the more developed parts of the Empire more willing to invest. As a result a railway has been built along the shores of the Istros, linking Weissburg and Tomis to the railway network of the rest of the Empire. As part of this development another railway track has been laid towards the south, enabling rapid transfer of troops in case something comes out of the Fogs.
Roads
There are roads in Valahia, but outside of the cities they are invariably dirt roads. After the autumn rains it can be quite hard to see the difference between a road and the field it's next to. The road network is atrocious to the point where the only way to move large amounts of cargo is by railway or by water.
Valahian Culture
To understand the question of Valahian culture you must first understand the difference between Valahian culture and culture in Valahia. The first is the actual, legitimate native culture of Valahia as mostly found in the countryside these days. The second is the culture of the middle and upper classes, mostly copied from Österland and Francia.
Valahian Culture
Native Valahian clothing is often depicted as bright and colourful with lovely embroideries and silver jewellery. Such costumes do indeed exist, but they are almost exclusively reserved for great feast days. Likewise the tall, conical fur hats do indeed exist, but are worn mostly by rich merchants, village elders, and priests. The average Valahian woman does indeed have colourful clothing for everyday use, but it is of a simple cut and using fairly cheap materials. The men prefer more dour colours for their day to day clothes, and usually wear heavy felt hats.
Much of Valahian culture resolves around music and storytelling. Often the two are combined by the ever popular balladeers. A Valahian balladeer does on the spot improvisations on well known themes and old stories. The results can be quite fascinating the first time you hear it, but if you are familiar with the genre it might soon seem stale. Beyond that peasant entertainment consists heavily of dancing, singing and drinking. Small joys that are accessible even to the poor.
Centuries of living close to the Fogs has left the native Valahians intensely superstitious. Though they are Christian and put great stock in crucifixes, bibles, and clerical blessings, they also sacrifice to various local spirits. The exact details of local superstitions vary enormously, but so far all efforts to wean them off their beliefs have failed. This could partly be because many of these superstitions are very useful survival techniques for dealing with Fog Creatures.
Culture in Valahia
The educated urban classes often express a great love and affection for native Valahian culture, provided of course that it is presented in the proper setting: a group of peasant musicians playing in the streets of Weissburg; a balladeer performing in the opera; or some priest publishing the various stories and superstitions that he has gathered during his travels in the countryside. These things are often called the "living heritage of our nation" and even draw outside attention for their simple purity. Of course only a hick would practise native Valahian culture outside of these settings. And though the imaginary peasant is praised for his wonderful qualities, the actual peasant is seen as a potentially violent and rather backwards type.
Ordinarily culture in Valahia is either imported or copied from Österland or Francia. That is to say the aristocracy and the rich burghers import it, while everyone else copies them with varying degrees of success.
With the railway it is now possible for Valahians to be fully up to date with Francian and Österlandish fashions and entertainment. The upper classes read Francian novels and listen to Österlandish opera. They dress in fashions imported from either of these countries, though usually made by local tailors. Some of them even speak in French or German at home, though this is growing rarer with the strengthening of national sentiments. It is in fact nearly impossible to tell a Valahian gentleman from an Österlandish gentleman, unless the former puts on a colourful native costume.
The attempts to copy this varies from the credible, merely being a month or a year behind the latest fashions. To the ridiculous: peppering your speech with French or German words or sayings; wearing out of fashion clothing; and overall showing that you lack both the budget and the taste to be cultured. Not that this ever stopped anyone.
Valahian Cities
Contrary to popular belief Valahia does have modern cities. Indeed Valahian cities are often quite innovative when it comes to public transportation, sewerage, or electric lighting. Partly this is because the flight to the cities is a relatively recent event, with most people remaining entirely rural. Despite that most Valahian cities would be considered towns elsewhere in the empire. Outside of one or two carefully maintained prestige districts Valahian cities often retain a very rural character. The growth of the cities leaves many farms partly or wholly inside city grounds, while marketday often has the streets crowded with flocks of cattle or sheep.
Weissburg
The largest city in Valahia and often considered the only proper city in Valahia. Weissburg has a developed system of gas-mains and electric light, as well as horse-drawn trams that are slowly being converted to electrical power. A major sewerage and drainage system protect the city from the frequent regional floods. Weissburg has grown enormously during the last few decades, but as opposed to the helter-skelter growth of many other Valahian cities Weissburg has consistently enforced planning regulations. The result is a beautiful city with wide streets and many neo-classical and neo-baroque buildings, often called the Lutetia of the east.
As the centre of intellectual, academic, and social life in Valahia both the intelligencia and the aristocracy flock to Weissburg. During the winter, when all the nobles leave their estates, the city is a flurry of elaborate masquerades, balls, and other social occasions. It is one of the few places in Valahia where you can find an almost Bohemian atmosphere, if that's what you're looking for.
Tomis
Tomis is actually the fifth largest city in Valahia, but its influence well exceeds its size. It is not only a major harbour at the mouth of the Istros, but the entrepôt for all goods crossing the Axsainian Sea. It is also the only place where derelict ships may be processed for sale. These two factors make for a population who are intimately familiar with the bizarre and the horrifying. Due to the surrounding fortifications the city has a cramped, claustrophobic feel to it. No one is allowed to settle outside the walls of the city, few would be foolish enough to try.
Tomis is a frequent destination for jaded adventurers and purveyors of the bizarre. Many occultists and Fog researchers spend several years there, going through the junk shops looking for items taken from derelict ships. Rumours abound of Secret Chancellery spies and dark Fog cults, so visitors beware.