Peel Fantasy II

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

This is months away at best. HG will have to finish first. Don't make characters yet.

Premise

A party of likely lads and lasses adventure in a vast world. You're probably not going to save or destroy it, but maybe you can make a difference, and some money along the way.

World

The Shards

The Shard Archipelago, or the Shards, is/are an island chain more than a thousand miles in extent stretching from the southwest corner of the vast Mainland to the northern tip of inhospitable Nirna, which stretches away into the frozen South. This position enables it to govern the trade passing between the West, North and South, from which the Archipelago has richly benefited.

The Shard Empire

Legend has it that once the archipelago was a united island, the abode of gods, and this was the source of its name and the legitimacy of the Shard Emperors who claimed descent from those gods. The Emperors brought about a flowering of art and science that lasted many centuries. However a century ago the disastrous misrule of Emperor Sartoro IX and the Three Invasions dealt a mortal blow to the Storm-Eye Throne. Perhaps the divine blood had grown too thin, but the feats of leadership that forged and maintained the Empire in the past were nowhere to be seen. The treasury emptied, kingdoms broke away, and knowledge was lost. Now the armies of Queen, once General, Hartini have entered the Imperial Palace and butchered the last Emperor in his chambers. But nobody thinks any of the new petty warlords and kingdoms can pretend to the title of the Empire, even the pretenders themselves. The Empire is gone, and it is a bad time to be one of those dependent on it - but a good time to be dependent on quick wits and a sharp sword.

Emphetesembra

Upstart desert state to the West, forged from corsairs and nomads by a mysterious magus who crossed the Plateau of Colossi, no longer able to be suppressed by the Imperial Navy or the now-imprisoned Drinker of Sand.

Nirna

Brr!