EXALTED
Age of Sorrows
Age of Sorrows
World of Exalted
Exalted is a mythic fantasy setting that mixes various pre-Abrahamic themes and Eastern mysticism. The God's are personable with distinct personalities. Technologically, the world is a broad mix of bronze age larger than life figures with spiritual reverence, all the way to medieval smithing. From political dramas and complex interactions akin to Romance of the Three Kingdoms to the grit wanderlust of Westerns (minus the guns). As a result, the RP is character based amid the backdrop of the Great Houses own political schemes to seize the Imperial Throne and rule the greatest Empire in the world.
Creation & Titanomachy
In the beginning, there was only the chaos of the Wyld. Until the Primordials, world-shaping titans, came into being. The firstborn of the cosmos and its chaotic energies. Massive incomprehensible beings of what later scholars could guess to be the equivalent of millions of souls. Beings so massive and incomprehensible that it would seem as if every organ and part of them bore its own personality, intellect, and soul that formed a larger consciousness. You had, Malfeas, King of the Primordials; Cecelyne, the Endless Desert; Cytherea, Mother of Creation; The Dragon's Shadow (In Age of Sorrows as the Ebon Dragon, Lord of Treachery); He-Who-Bleeds-The-Unknown-Word and later known as Elloge the Lord of Speech; The Lidless Eye (later known as Sachaverell, He Who Sees The Shape and Things to Come); Hegra, The Typhoon of Nightmares; Isodoros, the Black Goat whose Tusks twist the Sky; Kimbery, the Ocean that marched against the Flame; Metagaos, the Unwilted Petals of the Thousand Toothed Blossom; Oramus, The Dragon Outside the World; She Who Lives in Her Name; Szoreny, The Silver Forest; Gaia, The World; and, Autochthon, the Builder and Artificer. Each of these Primordials hosting their own complete sub-types capable of manifesting semi-independently and working autonomously, sometimes even against each other.
An imperceptible time later the Primordials, believing themselves destined to create and populate the Cosmos further fashioned a world held up by five elemental poles that bound reality together: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Wood. The Primordials then went about creating the Gods and all the creatures in it. Ordering the Gods to watch over and govern Creation. The number of Gods being vast in number. From massively powerful Gods such as the Unconquered Sun and Luna to Gods of streams and forests to currency and minerals. However, the Primordials were complacent in their dominion, preferring to stay in Yu-Shan, also known as the Heavenly City. A realm that perfectly follows the contours of the Blessed Isle on Creation except as one giant beautiful city. Finding it more to their liking so sit and play the Game of Divinity. Unaware and uncaring in their actions and their decisions in regard to the sentient races on Creation. But the gods didn’t like being the Primordials’ slaves, so they rebelled. Knowing they couldn’t defeat their master's alone, they allied with their least powerful creations: humans. Their reasoning was that the Primordials wouldn’t expect it, and that humans also really wanted them gone. Who, after all, would want to live as a mortal human in a world that exists at the whim of capricious titans?
There was however, one major flaw in the God's plans: they could not harm the titans and humanity itself had no real power to do so either. So, gods invested their power in the mortal humans, creating the first Exalted. The Unconquered Sun, the King of Heaven and leader of gods, created Solar Exalted. Luna, the shape-shifting witch-goddess of the moon, created Lunar Exalted. The Five Maidens of Destiny (Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars), caretakers of fate, created the Sidereal Exalted. The Primordial Gaia, seduced by Luna to join the rebellion, had her children, the five Elemental Dragons, imbue their power into bloodlines of mortal heroes, creating the Terrestrial Exalted, or Dragon-Blooded.
Together, the united Exalted Host brought low the titans and wrested Creation from their grasp. Some of them died, while others were made to kneel. The Exalted had them swear oaths of surrender and locked them away in the body of their king, Malfeas, outside Creation, in what would become hell.
Unfortunately, killing a Primordial isn’t the end of it. Those of them who died were too massive in scope and nature to really die. Their passing broke the cycle of reincarnation, creating the Underworld, Creation’s dark mirror. They now forever exist there, mad with pain and longing for oblivion. With their dying breaths, they condemned their killers, inflicting the Great Curse.
The First Age of the World
Stretching from the Primordial War that saw the slaying and imprisonment of the Primordials along with the ascension of the Gods into the thrones of Yu-Shan up till the Great Contagion and the End of the Solar Deliberative. It was a time of endless wonders as the Solar Exalted, put in charge of the world as Demigods and Generals beyond measure ruled all of Creation in the name of the Gods. It was at this time the Shogunate stretched across the Realm as a united empire of all Mankind and countless Supernatural creatures. Overseen by the Solar Deliberative and guided by the Sidereals overseeing the Loom of Fate. It was an age of incalculable progress leading to the rapid expansion of beautiful cities, longevity increasing exponentially, and the mastery of the very elements. Academic and Scientific progress exploded across Creation as technology and magic blended together to form constructs, weather controlling machines, geomantic defense systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced airships.
But it couldn’t last despite the millennia of prosperity and progress. The excesses of power and the Great Curse gnawed on the minds of the Solar heroes and rulers, driving them to madness and cruelty. So much so that the Unconquered Sun turned his face from the world in disgust. The Great God's turned their back on Creation.
Eventually, the Sidereals made two prophecies to see what to do about it. The Prophecy of Gold stated that it’s possible to turn the Solars from their destructive path…but there’s no guarantee it would succeed. The Prophecy of Bronze stated that if the Solars are cast down, the world will be diminished but survive. Those Sidereals who preferred grim certainty over uncertain hope conspired with the Dragon-Blooded to overthrow the Solars, which began in a single massacre people would later call the Usurpation. Most Solars died, as did many of their Lunar consorts and stewards. The Dragon-Blooded remained as the rulers of the world, with Sidereals retreating into Heaven. Only returning to Creation when the threads of fate require a certain pull or twist.
Thus ended the Fist Age of humanity. The new rulers of the world created a civilization of the Shogunate, where many noble houses fought for power. But it wouldn’t last, as the Great Contagion, a plague deadly like no other, decimated Creation. In its wake came an invasion of monsters from beyond the world. The Raksha, the Fair Folk, creatures of the Wyld who view the existence of the static logic of Creation as an afront to the natural order of the Universe. Creation seemed to stand on the brink, until a Shogunate officer found and activated the Realm Defense Grid, a geomantic super-weapon that remained from the First Age locked within what would become the Imperial Manse in the Imperial City.
The weapon decimated the invading Fair Folk, and its new wielder called herself the Scarlet Empress, the world’s new overlord. She bent the remnants of the Shogunate to her will and created the Scarlet Empire. She deliberately orchestrated it to be entirely dependent on her and her alone, creating Great Houses from her own children. And then, after several centuries of rule, she too disappeared. No one knows how, why or where, but her empire is crumbling in her absence. The Sun has chosen to turn his face back towards Creation and the Solars are returning. The Age of Sorrows is reaching its tipping point, that will lift it up again or plunge it into the abyss.
The Second Age, The Age of Sorrows
The Second Age starts in Realm Year 1 with the coronation of the Scarlet Empress and the foundation of The Realm. Claiming the entirety of Creation (effectively the Old Shogunate) under its purview. Yet, with the damage wrought in the aftermath of the ending of the First Age it could only establish effective control over the Blessed Isle and much of the neighboring coastal regions. Even with the passage of centuries it only has managed to secure several tributary states and mainland territories. While all around various new kingdoms arose from the ashes. The Second Age, however, is an era that pales in comparison to the First Age in terms of technology and wonder. While the ruins of the First Age dot the landscape many of the ancient machinery, spells, and artifacts of that era were destroyed or damaged beyond the ability of the current civilizations to fix. Yet, civilization carried on for the next 763 years when the Scarlet Empress disappeared. Throwing the greatest empire in Creation into turmoil and upsetting the balance of power the world over.
You are Exalted; A Prince or Princess of the Earth
Exalted are Humans that at some point in their lives gain an Exaltation, Second Breath, A Third Soul. A tiny shard of a God's essence binding to your Upper and Lower Soul (Yin and Yang so to speak. Upper soul is all higher levels of consciousness while the lower is your natural instincts and primal nature) and giving you supernatural power. Your power taking in the form of supernatural abilities that can be expressed in a variety of ways. You, the player, will have the option of being a Terrestrial Exalted, The Dragon-Blooded, Princes of the Earth! Whose power stems from the Five Elemental Dragons and passed down from generation to generation. As such political marriages can be beneficial in the long run-in securing alliances for those players who wish to partake in the ever evolving political and statecraft angles of play.
The Terrestrial Exalted and The Realm
The Dragon-Blooded or also known as the Princes of the Earth. They are the most numerous, if weakest in individual raw power (though that's always relative), of the Exalted. They are also the only Exalted that can pass on their Exaltation via bloodline. Even so much as two powerful Terrestrials conceiving a child that would be stronger than their parents individually. As such political marriages and selective eugenics are relatively tolerated in Imperial society. However, all children of known Dragon-Blooded are treated as they are exalted until they hit puberty (when their Exaltation typically manifests) and they either do so or are treated as second class, failures, outcasts, or patricians depending on which House you are referring too.
The Dragon-Blooded's powers are based off the elements with each Terrestrial specializing in one but able to learn smaller amounts of other forms. Allowing truly interesting elemental combinations that provide immense tactical flexibility. Additionally, their powers are channeled and focused through their own martial arts that is passed down throughout the Houses. As such while the other Exalted may have more raw power they are often bested by sheer combat skill from the Dragon-Blooded.
The Dragonblooded are naturally long lived even unaided by powerful sorcery. Most Dragonblooded should they not die of violence will expect to live well over 300 years and remain hearty and strong with much slowed aging. Indeed, some have naturally lived into their 4th century and only appeared silvan haired with some aging of their visage but otherwise still strong. The oldest have managed, through no small aid of magic, to surpass 500 years of age such as the Scarlet Empress whom despite being over eight hundred years old appeared always in the prime of life.
Dragonblooded women are notoriously fecund and vitality strong in pregnancy. Indeed some martial women from the more militant Houses have even gone to war pregnant, in no small part to the enhanced strength, speed, and years if not decades of training they received. Much social pressure is placed on females to conceive and have numerous children as to greatly enhance possibility of exaltations and number of Dragonblooded a house possess. It is not uncommon for a Dragonblooded woman to deliver a child every 10 years well into their second or even third century and thus produce large families. Though, it is equally not uncommon to have a large number of children in a shorter span before pursuing other pursuits.
Naturally such a social imperative creates cultural norms and thus polygamy and polyandry are deemed acceptable for Dragonblooded to pursue. With many of suitable station having normal human concubines or second and third wives. Especially in households were unions are politically arranged rather than of love. It is not uncommon for spouses to have their own lovers separate from their spouses.
On Magic, Essence, and Motes
Essence is the pool of mana you can use to cast charms, spells, and wield your elemental powers. It is drawn from the energies of your Exaltation, that mystical third part of your soul added by a God. Charms are passive abilities that you can innately use and cost the least amount of Essence to use compared to spells or advanced elemental abilities. While, Spells are ones you verbally or physically cast (using glyphs, scrolls, and drawn diagrams), which always have a danger of backfiring or being turned back on you by opponent magic users. Your Elemental powers are the most scalable with the lowest costing little to no Essence while the higher tiers naturally take more. Essence it typically used in actions mechanically termed as Motes. Your character is capped by how many Motes can be cast per day and thus preventing magic users from just spamming constantly. So high end magic users will have more room to make mistakes but still must think tactically in the usage of their essence. Using up all their essence yields exhaustion as your character physically and mentally since you are in effect overstressing your very soul. Charms will fail, Spells will do nothing or backfire, and your Elemental powers will progressively diminish to a shadow of their former selves. To remedy this one must relax, sleep, or engage in non-essence using activities for a minimum of 24 Hour ICs. At which point your essence will be fully recharged. But not before 24 hours since your last cast and you've had down time.
Charms
Innate manifestations such as defensive wards, soothing an NPC, conversing with animals, or used in some way or another to enhance your character's passive actions. Measured from Essence 1 to 9 and dictates how much Essence they use per day. So if you cast a defensive Ward that will last for a few days and costs 7 essence to successfully block the attacks you expect then you'll automatically be down 7 essence per diem. Charms may also be stacked and used in conjunction with any other form of magic. Allowing a quite impressive display of combinations and allow homebrewing of magical abilities. Failed charm casting does not take up a mote but still uses essence.
Spells
Spells are the opposite in charms in that you must verbally, draw diagrams, or use symbols to cast. Being active in their effects such as controlling an animal actively, shapeshifting, using spells that are outside of your normal repertoire (say your focus is Water but you're using a Fire spell from a scroll) that you cannot elementally cast innately. Spells use more amounts of Essence with the minimum being 5 and scaling up to 100 points of Essence. Each attempt at casting a spell (even if it fails) still takes up one mote and essence.
Elemental Casting
Your primary and secondary foci. The innate powers of the Dragon-Blooded via the Five Elemental Dragons. The Elemental magic is broken down into tiers. Tier 1-3 are free of mote usage at adept level and above, but still use essence, and use one essence per cast/action and cost five if you chain them into a more complex move (such as punches and spin kicking in one post). Tier 1 is for example propelling yourself faster in water by several kilometers per hour, using air pressure to boost yourself up several more feet in a high jump, launching a small fire ball, or raising a small earth wall to shield your body for example. Tier 2 is basically enhanced versions of tier 1 by a factor of four. Water may propel themselves through and on top of water to an appreciable speed capable of catching most maritime craft, air may levitate and glide extended distances with nothing to aid them, fire may manipulate small too medium flames already present in their environment (candle flame to braziers), and earth propelling stones as weapons. Tier 3 takes things a step further whereby Water may for example breathe for short periods of time (hour or so) under the waves, launch water as a weapon; Air may funnel gusts of wind up to knock down opponents and fly short distances (>100 miles); fire can generate palm sized flames via hands and feet (usually via punching and kicking); while earth may tunnel underground for short periods of time rapidly. Tier 4 costs 10 essence points, 20 if chained, and one mote (no mote if Expert), water may be frozen and used as ice weapons/projectiles, Air may fly hundreds of miles in a day, Fire may manifest it freely and use streams of fire, and Earth can wield flurries of stone and earth freely in offensive and defensive use. Tier 5 costs twenty-five essence to cast and costs three motes (one mote if Master and free chaining) and enhances upon tier 4. Generating truly deadly and effective chain/combo usage by Masters of a particular element. Tier 6 is unable to be used unless a Master and costs two motes unless a Grandmaster (at which point it is free of motes) with each cast costing 50 essence for a master with free chaining. Tier 6 yields truly awe inspiring displays of elemental mastery, whether that is summoning a tidal wave, spawning a thunderstorm several miles across with hurricane winds, generating lightning and hellfire, or summoning an elemental spirit. Tier 7 is reserved for Grandmasters and the true pinnacles of Elemental mastery. Walls of water, fire, earth, and wielding destructing lightning storms. Tier 7 costs 25 essence and 1 mote to cast unless chained in which case it is three motes and 75 essence.
But what about Wood? Wood uses the same Tier, essence, and mote scales to the letter. But specializes in Life, Death, and the Senses. Wood focus may commune with spirits and ghosts on lower tiers. Heal grievous wounds in Tiers 3-5 and animate artificial constructs made out of organic/earthly materials (Golems or even Necromancy should you walk a darker path). Higher 6 and 7 tiers may see prolonged life, supernaturally quick senses, and the ability to return plants and animals to life (but not sentients). As such many Immaculate Monks tending to the poor, sickly, and downtrodden walk the path of the Wood focus. While many darker sorcerers use it in their infernal Necromancy to raise zombies, ghouls, and heinous spirits from the Underworld.
The Realm
The Realm, informally known as the Scarlet Empire, is the largest and most powerful nation in all of Creation. Stretching across the entirety of the Blessed Isle and possessing numerous tributary states, colonies, and annexed mainland provinces. It is a realm ruled and dominated by the Terrestrial Exalted, the Princes of the Earth, and organized in a feudal manner with a strict social hierarchy. The Scarlet Empress sitting at the top, who deliberately designed the Imperial Government to not be able to function without her, followed by the Terrestrials, Patricians, and Commoners. The Terrestrial Exalted who at least number 10,000 strong in the Realm alone (though it is actually much higher) are organized into the Scarlet Dynasty (broken up into 11 Great Houses that all vie for power) and Outcasts (those born not of a known blood line but often adopted for political reasons and known as Lost Eggs). The Terrestrials are in many ways an over caste that has rights beyond that of the wealthy Patricians. Terrestrials hold many of the most powerful positions in government and have extra-judicial social privileges. The honor heavy society of the Realm has seen quite a few instances of Patricians, even, being summarily executed by a Terrestrial for some act deemed dishonorable. Beneath these classes are Slaves with the practice being fully legal and widespread throughout the Imperial territories and in most nations beyond.
Then there is the Immaculate Philosophy which preaches a reincarnate belief system that places the Dragon-Blooded at the top of the social order. Organized and legitimized as a state religion and Government organ in the form of the Immaculate Order. Whose monks travel across the Realm and its empire abroad. The Immaculate Philosophy is loosely based off of tenets of Taoism and a sprinkling of traditional Eastern Mysticism. Preaching such things as balance in life and work, communal oriented culture and not reaching beyond your station, and to respect the spirits and memories of ancestors. The Immaculate Order also has a militant branch known as Immaculate Monks who are all Dragonblooded of an especially religious inclination that vow to hunt down the Anathema (Solars, Lunars, Sidereals, and other Exalted) wherever found.
The Realm thematically is a mesh of Rome, Sengoku Japan, China, and Persia. The provinces are known as Satrapies, the Imperial Military fields Legions and Auxiliary troops, the garb is reminiscent of Imperial China and Sengoku Japan mixed with European steelsmithing skill. As a result the aesthetics of soldiers resembles that of Samurai, Han China, and Rome depending on where you are. The Imperial City itself is an eclectic mixture of Han Chinese, Sengoku Japan, Roman, and Persian architectural designs all blended together. Alongside more fantastical buildings made out of supernatural glass and other materials. It is also the largest city in the world with over three million inhabitants as of 763 RY and boasting the largest gathering of wealth since the First Age. It is also home to the large Imperial Manse which was the residence of the Scarlet Empress before her disappearance. For she was only allowed to enter it and from there she could control the magical defenses of the realm located therein.
The Blessed Isle
The Heart of the Empire and greatest island in the world. A veritable continent unto itself. Spanning 2000 by 3000 miles the Blessed Isle is home to the core Imperial population of five hundred million. From the Imperial City which possesses three million people within its boundaries, several million if counting the immediate vicinity, too far off cities on the other side of the Isle. Major cities on the Blessed Isle easily reach well over one-hundred thousand denizens but it is still, despite the population, a mix of urban and agricultural development and untamed wilderness. Vast forests, plains, hills, and mountain ranges dot the Isle. From the Tarpan Desert to the Storm Coast.
The Island is a mix of direct Imperial Government ran prefectures and the vast feudal holdings of the mighty Great House daimyos. To the checkerboard patchwork of minor House holdings and the estates of those Patricians wealthy enough to afford their own properties. The center of the Isle is the home of the Imperial Mountain, one of the most Holy Sites on the isle, and is so tall that different elevations bear their own unique biomes.
The Economy of the Realm
The Realm uses a number of currencies such as Jade, Imperial Scrip, Gold, and Silver. The most valuable is Jade due to its innate magical properties and is technically forbidden for peasants to possess. Note, they may use and have Jade, just that it is technically the property of the Dragon-Blooded and thus not uncommon for their feudal masters to 're-possess' the Jade held by the peasantry.
Jade Currency
A jade talent is a thin slab of jade weighing 68 pounds. Jade Talent is roughly scored to form eight rectangular bricks, with the Imperial Treasury’s seal lightly scored on each of the resulting panel facets. The minting date and identifying number are also carved into one or each side of the slab. Some Talents, particularly illegal ones, are unmarked as while the penalty of owning unmarked Jade is confiscation and a hefty fine, the penalty for forging the Treasury’s marks is death.
By its weight a Jade Talent is worth 12 Bars or 1,536 Obols, but on paper it is worth 8 Bars or 1,024 Obols as a third of its weight is "lost" into Jade powder. The resultant powder is used to craft Jade-steel arms and armour. Physical Talents do not tend to circulate due to difficulty in transportation and enormous value. They either sit in a vault and are traded on paper, are used for building manses, or cut into smaller denominations.
Jade Bar is a brick-shaped block of Jade with the seal of the Imperial Treasury lightly scored on each face, and is further scored to represent eight smaller strips of slabs of Mina. It is labelled with a carving date and a serial number to discourage fraud. It weighs about eight and a half pounds, and is worth about eight and a half Minae depending on exact weight. On paper it is worth exactly eight Minae. Like the Talent, it is rarely used as physical currency.
Mina weighs slightly more than a pound and is a slab of Jade about three inches wide, six inches long, and a quarter-inch thick. It is scored in half-squares, and each half is further scored into eight closely spaced circles, into a total of 16 circles. On the other side of the circles are scored the seals of the Imperial Treasury.
Obol always weighs an ounce, and is used as a balance weighs by herb-merchants and drug dealers to demonstrate accurate measurements. The coin is about an inch in diameter, and about 3/8th of an inch in thickness. One side is graven with the seal of the Imperial Treasury, while the other bears an image used during the time of the carving.
Bit is an illegal modification of the Obol, created by cutting it into four pieces. While it is illegal, the law is not enforced due to its usefulness. Peasants, believing in Jade having innate magical properties, often drill a hole in a Bit and carve symbols on them and wear the result as a charm. Surprisingly they represent roughly 40% of the physically active Jade coinage in the Realm.
Imperial Scrip
The Realm issues paper currency based each year upon Treasury acquisitions of jade. This 'scrip' is printed on special paper using ancient artifact-presses, which give it durability and unique features, thwarting both mortal forgers and those of greater capability. Imperial scrip consists of two denominations: the Koku and the Yen.
The koku is a rectangle of special 'scrip paper', with a woven image depicting cranes in flight and a watermark depicting the Imperial Manse. On one side can be seen an image of eagles nesting on the Imperial Mountain, and on the reverse the words 'In the Scarlet Empress' Name, One Eighth of an Obol of Jade'. The ink used is green and black.
The Yen comes in a similar form, with a woven inlay depicting guardian lions. On one side can be seen an image of the Imperial City skyline, and on the reverse the words 'In the Scarlet Empress' Name, One Sixty-Fourth of an Obol of Jade'. The ink used is green and black. A single day's pay for a peasant laborer conducting unskilled menial work is approximately one Yen.
Gold & Silver
Gold and Silver are however the global currencies of trade and just as common in the Realm as outside of it. Due to the complexities of using Jade and Scrip many transactions are instead conducted or accounted for in Gold or Silver. Also the fact that Scrip can inflate and deflate depending on the state of the Imperial Treasury or social order. But Gold and Silver are valuable regardless. Gold is often used as the currencies of the tributaries and foreign states but also minted by the Great Houses with their own heraldry. As the Imperial Mint does not hold monopoly on Gold and Silver. Imperial Gold Coins are larger circular coins equaling four silver coins. Silver, often minted by The Guild which is the largest global commercial entity and even has its own currency in the form of the Silver Dinar, is valued with 1 silver often being enough to purchase a meal or night stay at an inn.
Lesser Currencies
Bronze, Copper, Cowrie shells, are all in use around the world but are of much lesser value that can fluctuate widely from place to place
The Present
The Realm is fracturing after the vanishing of the Scarlet Empress. Tepet Fokuf, is a weak spined bureaucrat and more or less turning into a rubber stamp for the Great Houses and their machinations. Geographically more and more Imperial Prefectures (Imperial Government run satrapies) have come partly or totally under the control of the Houses (both Great and Minor) while the tributary states, protectorates, and colonies on the mainland show increasing independence or forming breakaway states. Many only nominally accepting Imperial rule and paying their taxes only when an Imperial Fleet or Legion rolls through. Meanwhile, across the Inland Sea, the City-State of Lookshy, having remained independent from the Scarlet Empire since the fall of the Old Shogunate, and the chief polity belonging to the Confederation of Rivers gains in power. Possessing the second the greatest number of Dragon-Blooded, at least 3,000; and possessing a wealth of First Age technology. The Confederation comprising the major cities of Lookshy, Nexus, Sijian, and Great Forks along with many other smaller polities controls the Yanaze River (the major East-West flowing river) and its many tributaries. The Imperial Navy increasingly unable to keep the parity of power needed to keep the river trade routes open to distant Vaneha and Rathess.
Too the South the Tributary Kingdoms of An Teng and the Southern Coast from Kirighast to Paragon show signs of independence or autonomy. Even going so far as to withhold taxes destined for the Imperial City. While to the far North the cities of Whitehall, Pneuma, Fortitude, and the territory of Meno are hard pressed to hold the barbarians and northern tribes at bay.
The Realm approaches a time that scholars only whisper: A Civil War within the Realm.
