Beyond the Barriers
Rolf looked over the field and was dismayed to see shapes moving in the distance. The appearance of the shapes was alarming not only in their number, but in the fact that no shapes could be in the field. Everyone knew that the edge of the field marked the invisible barrier through which nothing could pass. And yet here there were not just shapes, but an army of shapes. In the distance, he could barely make them out, but they were humanoid in shape. Grotesquely so, but humanoid. Large green-skinned brutes mixed with smaller imps that could only be children. Were these demons? He distinctly remembered stories of green skinned brutes, orcs they were called, but there were no such creatures in these parts. And there hadn’t been for over a thousand years. Not since the great King of the Realm had scoured this area and made it safe for mankind to flourish. No, there were orc enclaves in other parts of the realm, but not here. And if they couldn’t be orcs, then they must be demons.
High Court of the Elves, 11-447, Year of the Stars
“Your majesty, our mages report that the matrix of the realms has been broken. The Court of the Fourth Realm has fallen and the Fourth Orb turned to destroy the matrix. Many walls between realms have dropped across all of Entarra. We’re still investigating which walls have fallen, but we have heard reports of border crossings. A small village in the south part of the kingdom of man was massacred a few days ago by a goblinoid horde. We intercepted the few survivors on the edge of our lands as they fled destruction. Our warriors provided assistance and rebuffed the horde. The humans were provided with some provisions and escorted off our lands near the city of Shivat. I fear we have not seen the last of this horde.” The Senior Executive of the High Court paused in his report, waiting for the High King to respond.
“I am deeply wounded by the loss of our cousins in the Fourth Realm. The first order of business is to re-secure the Fourth Orb and stop the destruction of the matrix. Have our mages review the reports from the Fourth Realm to determine the nature of our enemy and draw up battle plans to return to aid any of our cousins that may yet hold. The last reports I saw failed to paint an enemy that was capable of such an act. We will retake the Realm and the Orb. The second order of business is to secure those walls that have fallen. Identify the fallen walls and plot them on the Great Map. As we have interlopers from the Seventh Realm in our midst, clearly that wall has fallen. Send an emissary to the Man-King, what was his name again? Mandracor?” The High King paused to search his memory.
The Senior Executive answered. “Silonius, your Majesty. Mandracor died in 328, Year of the Dragon, eaten by his pet drake. Silonius is his fifth lineage decendent.”
“Ah yes,” the king responded. “I don’t believe he has called upon us yet. They have such short lives. It’s so easy to miss them. Anyway, send an emissary to this king and inform him of the threat. He can deal with the orcs while we deal with the real threat. And see if they have any wizards worth a damn that we can use. I seem to remember them outlawing magic awhile back, or some such nonsense.”
2009 Karstein-Year
“To all ye who read this missive, King Silonius, Lord of Man, having defeated the Horde of the Orc King in glorious combat, now claims the lands to the southwest as forfeit. These lands are now part and parcel of the Realm of Man. The Law of Clearing shall hold to any who can stake claim in the new lands. Upon sufficient claim and proof of clearance, aid and title will pass to the claimant. Parcels of knighthood shall not be less than 5 miles square, and shall be claimed upon presentation of map and placement of a keep sufficient to hold the claimed location. Areas of strategic importance shall be identified and will be subject to special rulings of the Land Reclamation Committee. Permits of Early Stake may be filed with the committee. Mapping, proof of clearance, and placement of the first stone of the keep must be completed within one year of permit or the claim will revert to open status.”
The adventure begins in the Realm of Man (First Realm by Elven name), under the rule of King Silonius. In ancient times, the forces of good and evil clashed in wars with powerful magics, devastating the world of Entarra. Powerful wizards used a group of orbs to divide the world up into different smaller realms. In the First Realm, mankind has flourished, and holds a sprawling empire. Pockets of goblinoids exist within the realm, but they are few and far between. Monsters hide in the deep forests and underdark of the caves, but they are rarer still. A great forest within the First Realm is ruled by the Elves and is off-limits to man. There is no overt war or conflict, but tension is a constant. Trade occurs between the elves and men, but free elves in the world of men are few. And humans in the forest of the elves are almost unheard of. Magic has not been overtly outlawed, but its practice is discouraged. The common folk view magic with an air of suspicion, and will respond poorly to its use. Nonetheless, wielders of magic are still respected and generally given wide berth. At least until they’re reported to the local constabulary as villains… In place of magic, some amount of technology has developed. Guns and cannons are in their early stages of development. Dwarves, holed up in their mountain kingdoms, hold virtual monopoly on the engineering needed in the development of these firearms. A vigorous trade exists between the kingdoms of the dwarves and the Realm of Man. Dwarves, while not common within the Realm, are well respected and easily recognized. Elves, haughty and arrogant by nature, are not well liked within the realm. But they are well respected. The few elves that travel the lands are generally emissaries of the King. Smaller forests within the First Realm hold smaller kingdoms of elves, ruled over by lesser kings, but all pay fealty to the High Court.
Due to your own personal motivations, you have elected to depart the relative comfort of your homes and make way to the southwest of the kingdom. Rumors of treasure, danger, and adventure float about the kingdom following the defeat of the orcish horde.
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