A Witch's Tale
A Witch's Tale
My sisters tell me of the days of the Witch Queens, when none would dare raise a hand against a coven priestess; they say our magic was great then, great and terrible, in the days when magic flowed freely through the land, as freely as the gypsies roam today. Over the campfire they whisper of the virile huntsmen clad in wolf-skins and stag masks, of the last druid and the weihon who helped stop the Witch Queens, and the price of victory. They tell me of the day when the dragons entered their eternal sleep, when the angels returned to the heavens, and the faeries retreated to their hidden realms, the day the Veil fell. They have much to tell me, the youngest one, the “yearling.”
These Middle Kingdoms were born in the cradle of the gods, a beautiful and fecund land, but also one wracked by war. Not just men, but women too, clad in chainmail and adorned with fierce tattoos – they fought for power and glory, but most of all for survival and independence in the face of an unstoppable empire. A century ago the last remnants of the Aquiline Empire were overthrown, but the land was forever changed. Haunted battlegrounds, elven ghettos, and betrayed trusts whisper of the conflict which turned brother against brother, bringing the Middle Kingdoms to its knees before liberating it from the imperial yoke. All this was prophesied by the Witch Queens, this and more.
Today, the Middle Kingdoms are fractured and violent. Even I, not yet of marrying age, travel with a dagger at my side. Yet a dagger is of little solace when ruthless mercenaries wander the countryside raiding villages for supplies, young recruits, and worse; when warlords set fire to entire fields to deny their enemies an advantage, fields on which many lives depend; when fearsome monsters lurk at the forest’s edge, stealing children and ravaging towns. I hear stories of the witch-finders of Suleistarn who abduct youth with the gift for magic, of swindling gypsies who will leave you penniless and dump you along the roadside, of the leucrotta which lures hunters into the woods to eat them alive.
I cannot help but believe the stories are true, for everywhere we travel I see the same fear in the peoples’ eyes. When they realize how far we have journeyed they are amazed, and ask us questions that make the mind reel, such misconceptions that would leave you stunned! Yet it is forgivable; trade rarely extends further than a few days ride due to the dangers of travel, the lack of sturdy guides, and the insular tendencies of the people. Fear of the empire’s soldiers has been replaced with fear of one another.
Not all is so frightening though – there are many who have helped us along the way, both kindly clerics and families remembering the Old Ones, even a retired mercenary who defended us from a wyvern. At wayside shrines I have seen statues of saints and heroes adorned in flowers and prayer braids, sometimes a gift of food or a cloak left for other travelers. When I was lost in the woods, a faerie deer led me back to my sisters and gave me her queen’s blessing. These were my best memories of the Middle Kingdoms, those things that I will hold on to forever. I realize now how precious our travels are, for they show us what is worth protecting and understanding, what we would give our lives for.
I will leave you with the same advice my sisters left me.
Welcome to the Witching Grounds, yearling. Death is now the least of your concerns.
Core Assumptions
Whether called Ythra, the Witching Grounds, or the Known World, the lands comprising the Middle Kingdoms are governed by certain rules – knowing these will increase an adventurer’s chance of survival.
1. The World is Dangerous
The Middle Kingdoms exist in a constant state of warfare and intrigue. Travel is treacherous, with packs of mercenaries raiding towns en route to the battlefield, bandits taking hostages for ransom, and monsters lurking in the shadows. Adventurers returning from their exploits may find the route home complicated with the outbreak of a border war between feuding kings, or find that the well they intended to fill their waterskins at has been poisoned by fanatics seeking to convert the nearby village.
2. History Casts a Long Shadow
The Middle Kingdoms’ people trace their lineage back to founding ancestors, and they are confident in knowing their sweat builds upon the foundation laid out in days of yore. Exquisite oral histories and painstakingly crafted tomes have captured much of the world’s history, though it is splintered among clans, tombs, and royal libraries. New kingdoms grow on the shoulders of the past, using ancient roadways and outposts of the fallen empire. However, the legacy of witch persecution, racial prejudice, feudal warfare, and wicked magic also cast a long shadow on the Middle Kingdoms.
3. Humans are Dominant
Humans vastly outnumber other races. It is a sad fact that the race wars of the Dark Ages decimated the elf and dwarf populations, who live in the shadow of often oppressive human rule; the cities’ ghettos are overwhelmingly filled with elves, dwarves, and other meta-humans. Another sorrowful legacy of human rule was the persecution of witches, who even today practice magic covertly. However, humankind mastered agriculture, architecture, medicine, music, religious philosophy, scholarship, trade – the list goes on – and this has been a boon to all races. Humans are both a blessing and a curse.
4. Monsters are Rare and Terrifying
Many adversaries PCs will face are human, ranging from scheming marcher lords to sinister cabalists. When monsters are encountered, they are strongly tied to myth and often have unique qualities and weaknesses. Powerful monsters are often resistant to common weapons, requiring special materials, oils, or conditions to face on equal footing. Monsters are quite cunning, and the intelligent ones are charismatic, attracting cults and even city-states to do their bidding.
5. Adventurers are Mistrusted
Jackal sons of wolves. Thugs of ill omen. Ale-thieves. These are but a few of the friendly epithets used for adventurers. Common folk view adventurers, with their fearsome powers and tendency to attract trouble, as little better than principled bandits or courteous mercenaries. Most innkeepers accommodate adventurers with a morbid sense of duty, hoping that at the very least the adventurers gets themselves killed before bringing woe upon the innkeeper’s family. It is a sign of the times that few believe a hero or heroine when they see one.
6. Magic is Mysterious
Magic is the embodiment of change. While it follows certain principles, it is inherently ever-changing and evolving, and so it is both more flexible and less predictable than in core D&D. Only the terrible Archmages claim to fathom the mysteries of the arcane – which they seek to bend to their will. Most common folk fear what they cannot understand, and so it is with the arcane. While magic is not rare, it is often difficult to acquire or trade magic items, these being tightly controlled by the Archmages.
7. Faith is Manifest
Though removed from the affairs of humankind, few doubt the existence of the gods. A devout believer can invoke the succor of the Celestials or Old Ones with supplications, even if they are not a cleric, in minor ways according to the deity invoked. Thus it is commonplace to see warriors calling upon Asil the Sun King to watch over them in battle, or for star crossed lovers to make offerings to the Moon Queen to be reunited. While these effects are always subtle, history bears testament to the fact that those of strong faith are more apt to succeed over those whose faith is lacking.
8. Science is Emergent
While the waterworks, articulated plate, and strong steel of the empire advanced technology to that of the high Middle Ages, it was only the beginning. Magnetic compasses, sophisticated alchemy, and complex telescopes are changing the way society operates and creating tension with the religious heterodoxy. At this time it is more of a proto-science, fused with many philosophical, even mystical, doctrines, and studied only by an elite few.
9. Spirits are Beyond the Veil
When the Mythic Age ended, the Veil fell, a mysterious magical barrier preventing spirits like angels, devils, demons, faeries, and ghosts from manifesting in the Middle Kingdoms. While there are several exceptions and ways to pierce the Veil, common folk take it for granted that, while spirits do exist, they live only in the Otherworld. The Veil is not perfect, however, and there exist ways canny spirits and mortals can reach across to the other Shadowfell, Feywild, and beyond.
10. The Gods are Fractured
There are two pantheons observed in the Known World. The Celestine pantheon dwells in the Astral, embodying high concepts, ethics, and philosophies in the stars above; they are distant, perfected, and difficult for mortals to comprehend. The pantheon worshipped by the Cult of Ythra dwells in the Known World, embodying specific places and cultures; these Old Ones are ancient nature spirits, dangerous but approachable, driven by motives not foreign to humankind. After a terrible battle, the Celestials banished the Old Ones – the Middle Kingdoms would become their prison. These two pantheons are in a constant struggle over the hearts and minds of the Middle Kingdoms’ people.
