Borderlands 3 - Background Info

[Stik]

The campaign begins in the disputed area between the province of Ahlissa, in the southern part of the Aerdian Empire. and the Iron League States.


The Aerdian Empire
The Great Kingdom is the center of the Aerdian Empire. The Empire once stretched far beyond its current borders, encompassing the lands of the Bone March to the north and the Vast Swamp to the south, and extending to the borders of the County of Ulek in the west. The Empire has declined steadily over the years due to poor government, outside pressures, and stagnation (think Rome circa A.D. 300).

The Empire is presently involved in a civil war. The South Province seceded from the Empire nearly a century ago, forming the Iron League states, and the Empire has been trying to regain control ever since. Most of the combat has been taking place in the Province of Ahlissa.

Due to the current state of martial law, travel in the Empire has been severely restricted, and Writs of Travel are required for large or heavily-armed parties.

Races:
Demi-humans are uncommon in the Empire, but not unknown. Elves are more common than Dwarves, especially in rural areas. Halflings are rare and Gnomes are rarer still. A typical human in a small town will see and possibly even meet and interact with several Elves and see a Dwarf or two in an average year, but might go their entire life without ever meeting a Halfling or Gnome.

Elves
Elves are taller than humans and lightly built, and are rarely seen doing any physical labor, tending to have more “white collar” jobs. As a group, they tend to remain aloof from human society, although they are friendly enough individually and often live in mixed neighborhoods among humans.

Dwarves
Dwarven society is entirely gender equal (in fact, there are no gender specific pronouns in the dwarven language). Dwarven females are bearded and tend to dress in the same rough work clothes as the males, making it difficult for non-dwarves to tell the difference.
In human cities and towns, Dwarves tend to congregate in their own neighborhoods. Most city dwarves have adapted to life outside the mountains, and it has even become somewhat acceptable for a dwarf to be “openly female,” although this is looked at with disdain by traditionalists. This has led to increased discord between modern dwarves and the dwarven sect known as the drudak'ak. The drudak'ak are a sect of ultra-conservative dwarves who typically refuse to come out above ground at all and, if they must do so, will wear black full body armor and pointed helms with smoked glass visors to protect themselves from the sun. These dwarves speak only dwarven so as to avoid having to speak to humans.

Halflings
Halflings rarely visit the cities and are mostly content to remain on their farms, leading a pastoral lifestyle. Halflings in the cities are typically merchants and craftsmen.

Half Elves
Although few in number, half-elves seem more common than they actually are because a disproportionate number of them become adventurers or lead very public lives. Some believe this to be a result of half-elves being unable to fit into traditional elven or human societies, while others believe that half-elves are just naturally outgoing.

Uruks
Uruks, large brawny creatures which resemble a cross between a human and an orc, are starting to show up more and more often in the empire. The Legions are known to employ them, sometimes in large numbers as shock troops. Outside the Legions, uruks usually seek "legitimate" employment as mercenaries. They are universally distrusted and unwelcome pretty much everywhere.

Religion:
The Imperial Pantheon has over a hundred deities, with a god associated with every aspect of life. Priests generally choose one major god to serve, and can also hear prayers for other, minor gods with similar spheres of influence. (A cleric if Cerus, god of crops and grain, might also represent the god of brewing and the god of herding, etc.).

The gods of the demi-human races are tolerated by the imperial church, but do not have temples in the human cities, except for small hidden shrines.

The present Emperor is a powerful priest who recently converted to the foreign war-god Hextor, installing Hextor as the war-god of the imperial pantheon. The traditional imperial war-god, Marus, has been deposed, His temple has been torn down and His priesthood slaughtered or driven underground.

Magic:
Due to its disruptive nature, magic is not popular with the government, but it is still tolerated in the Empire. (The government knows that it would be pointless to try to control forces which bend the very laws of nature). Many rural communities have a local witch or low-level hedge-wizard living nearby, but otherwise for the most part commoners view magic and magic-users with distrust and suspicion.
In urban areas, it is a slightly different story; the Mageguild maintains chapterhouses in most major cities, and mages are viewed with a certain amount of respect and deference. Still, most “decent” people wonder why the government allows the chapterhouses to exist and speculate about what horrible things go on inside.


Powerful magic items are rare and valuable. Minor magic items are uncommon, but are occasionally encountered.


Law and Order:
Martial law is in force across the entire empire. What this means in practice is that law and order are subject to the will of the local imperial garrison commander, when there is one. In the absence of a local garrison, a local lord is generally in charge of keeping order and collecting taxes.
In the provinces imperial troops are generally given free rein and in some places the local garrison is little more than a mob of thugs.


Military Technology:
The Empire of Aerdy, in its prime, had the most technologically advanced military of any nation on the continent. Staunch advocates of the theory “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” the imperial military has not kept up with advances in weapons and armor which have been made elsewhere. This reliance on old ways has put the imperial military at a disadvantage man-for-man, but the discipline of the legions has kept them competitive on the battlefield..

Imperial troops generally fight in close order, using short swords, short spears and large shields, and wear mail or a combination of mail and small amounts of plate.

Infantry is the main force on the battlefield. Cavalry is rarely used, and heavy cavalry is not used at all. Archers and crossbowmen are also used occasionally, but rarely to much effect.

The Imperial army excels at siege-craft, owing to the discipline of the troops and the ingenuity of their combat engineers.

In game terms, this means that certain armor and weapons are not readily available in the game. The following weapons are typically unavailable within the Empire, although given the current state of affairs, some of these will be available to the PCs:
Arquebus
Lance
Heavy horse lance
Light horse lance
Jousting lance
Medium horse lance
Polearms:
Bardiche
Bec de corbin
Bill-guisarme
Fauchard
Fauchard-fork
Glaive
Glaive-guisarme
Guisarme
Guisarme-voulge
Hook fauchard
Lucern hammer
Partisan
Ranseur
Spetum
Voulge
Swords:
Bastard sword
Two-hand. sword


The following weapons are permitted:
Battle Axe
Blowgun*
Bow
Composite long bow*
Composite short bow*
Long bow*
Short bow
Club
Crossbow
Heavy crossbow
Light crossbow
Dagger or dirk
Dart
Footman's flail
Footman's mace
Footman's pick
Hand or throwing axe
Harpoon
Horseman's flail*
Horseman's mace
Horseman's pick*
Javelin
Knife
Mancatcher
Morning star
Polearm
Awl pike
Halberd
Military fork
Quarterstaff
Scourge
Sickle
Sling
Spear
Staff sling
Sword
Bastard sword*
Broad sword
Khopesh
Long sword*
Scimitar
Short sword
Trident
Warhammer
Whip
*These weapons are rare, typically only available in borderland areas or in major cities, or to non-human or foreign-born PCs.

The following armor types are not available:

Scale mail
Bronze plate mail
Plate mail
Field plate armor
Full plate armor

The most common armor issued to legionaires is lorica segmentata. It consists of metal bands covering the torso and shouders, with a studded leather skirt, and possibly vambraces and greaves (forearm and shin armor).
Lorica segmentata is AC5, weighs 30 lbs, and costs 75gp.
Lorica segmentata



Guilds:
There are three noteworthy guilds in the Empire: The Mageguild, the Mercenaries Guild, and the Thieves’ Guild.

The origin of the Mageguild is unclear. Some believe it was founded by an early emperor during a more enlightened time, when men were encouraged to study the forces of creation. Others believe it was founded to protect mages from the empire. Regardless of its origin, the Mageguild is a powerful organization which nominally serves the Crown while maintaining a measure of autonomy. Mages can obtain all varieties of assistance by belonging to the MageGuild, although they are also called upon from time to time to perform services for the Guild in return. The MageGuild is generally free from taxation although they do render service to the Crown.

The Mercenaries Guild is mostly a regulatory board and employment agency, which ensures that mercenary fighters fulfill their contracts and remain loyal to their employers. The Guild is tolerated by the empire because it serves a useful purpose: managing and controlling dangerous men who might otherwise run wild.

The Thieves’ Guild was created a two centuries ago by forward-thinking emperor Imna III. The emperor realized it was impossible to completely to stamp out crime, despite the very expensive efforts of the police. Rather than continuing what he believed to be a losing battle the emperor came up with a plan. He tasked his secret police with identifying the most powerful resourceful and successful thieves in the city and sat them down for a meeting. His offer was simple: the imperial police would be disbanded, provided that crime was kept to an acceptable and agreed-upon level. The Thieves Guild, a recognized and publicly visible organization, was formed. In the event that crime got out of hand, the full resources of the empire would be brought to bear on the Guild and its leaders. The Thieves Guild now ensures that freelance thieves are discouraged – terminally.

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The War
The Empire once ruled vast areas of the Flaeness, from the Lortmil Mountains in the west clear to the Solnor Ocean and from the Vast Swamp in the south to the Griff to the Rakers in the north every city and town was either ruled by the Ruby Throne or paid it tribute. But over the centuries, the people of the outlying provinces were seduced by foreigners and rose in rebellion against the empire. Beset on all sides, the empire was gradually forced to give up ground and withdraw to a more defensible position.
Eighty-five years ago, the South Province rebelled, supported by foreign nations providing men and materiel. The empire was quick to respond, and the Province of Ahlissa became a battleground. The war continues to this day. The valiant men of the legions strive against the rebels of the South Province and although they have been unable to restore imperial rule to the area they have stopped the rebels from advancing further north.
The province of Ahlissa has been a battleground for years, as a triumvirate of imperial generals attempts to put down rebellion and hold the province against foreign incursions and mutinous legions sympathetic to the southern cause.

Hungry for victory, Emperor Ivid has recently made a bold move. Marus, the imperial war god, was too weak to bring the south to heel, so the emperor abandoned the impotent god and replaced him in the imperial pantheon with a new war god. Hextor has been installed as the new imperial god of war, and his priests have been tasked with bringing victory in the south. Imperial troops, supported by the priests of the Slaughterer, besieged and destroyed Marus' temple and slaughtered his priests. Those who escaped the battle have become fugitives, to be hunted down and slain.

Drawing strength from their new war god, the empire has begun a buildup of men and materiel and is preparing for a major campaign to retake the Iron League states.

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Imperial Culture
Government
The Aerdi Empire is nominally a republic, with a senate making laws and a council of nine powerful nobles, one from each of the nine leading families in the empire, making joint decisions and advising the Emperor. The council can overturn decisions made by the emperor or even depose him. In practice, however, the emperor keeps the council under his thumb through a complex network of alliances and the application of subtle threats, and through such subtle means as seeing to it that at least three of the seats remain empty at any given time, making such an overthrow impossible.

Only citizens may own land, vote, or seek political office. Becoming a citizen requires service to the empire, typically in the legions.

Slavery
Slavery is an accepted part of imperial culture. Slaves being a valuable commodity, they are generally well-treated, but not always. Most slaves are children of slaves going back several generations, oftentimes owned by the same family, although care is taken to ensure that inbreeding is avoided. People buried in debt sometimes sell themselves into slavery to settle their debts. Convicted criminals and captured soldiers are another source of slave stock, although these tend to go to the arena.

Entertainment
Arena games are popular. These include horse racing, chariot racing and contact sports. In addition, gladiatorial events are a popular pastime.
Although not officially sanctioned, underground pit fighting also occurs.
Talented musicians, artists, poets and storytellers are respected and granted patronage by noble families.

Alcohol is popular and commonplace. In some places, despite the imperial aqueduct system, drinking water is of questionable quality. Beer and wine are often consumed instead, or added to water to reduce impurities.

Drug use, although technically illegal, is widespread. A wide variety of drugs are available on the black market, including krrf (a black powder which is smoked or inhaled and produces euphoria and boundless energy) to kleetle (which resembles cannabis). A new drug, called blood for its scent and dark red color, has recently appeared. Blood users become disconnected with reality and frequent use leads to death from apathy.

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The Multiverse

The world as we know it is made up of a large number of different planes of existence. Some are distinct and separate, while others occupy the same space. The planes constantly move against one another and otherwise interact. This interaction generates energy much in the same way that an axle moving in its bearings generates heat. Magic is the act of directing this energy into spells and other effects. Magic potential usually distributes itself uniformly across the Prime Material Plane, but in some locations magical energy has been known to collect, creating surges with unpredictable effects. Locations where very powerful spells have been cast in the past, or large numbers of spells, are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon.

The Planes

Inner Planes

Prime Material Plane: This is the only plane that normal human beings can perceive, and therefore is considered to be the center of the cosmos. Learned men postulate that there may be in infinite number of Prime Material Planes.

Astral Plane: The space in between the planes. It is mostly empty space and often serves the role of a "transport plane" through which planar travelers move from one plane to another. Gravity and time perform differently within the Astral Plane.

Ethereal Plane: This plane is coexistent with the Material Plane and looks like a misty version of it, with gray and nebulous landscapes.

Positive Energy Plane: The wellspring of life. It is one of the two energy planes. This place is a source of creation, heat and life force.

Negative Energy Plane: The source of entropy. It is one of the two energy planes. This place is a vacuum of destruction, cold and entropic force.

Elemental Plane of Air: The endless sky. It is one of the four elemental planes. An air-dominant place, this plane consists of endless airy space without floor or ceiling. Here the gravity is subjective, which means that creatures can "fly" by choosing the direction in which they "fall".

Elemental Plane of Water: The bottomless ocean. It is one of the four elemental planes. A water-dominant place, this plane consists in an ocean with no bottom or surface. As in its air-dominant neighbor, this plane has subjective gravity where creatures choose the direction they want to "sink". Movement here is made through swimming. It's a relatively hospitable plane despite the fact that air-breathing beings might find it difficult to deal with.

Elemental Plane of Earth: The solid world. It is one of the four elemental planes. An earth-dominant place, this plane consists in an entire universe made of solid rock and soft earth, with a multitude of caverns, grottos and ore veins making its way through it. It's not a hostile place, but can be disturbing because of its claustrophobic nature. The large amount of mass of this solid place makes it a heavy-gravity plane.

Elemental Plane of Fire: The torch of the universe. It is one of the four elemental planes. A fire-dominant place, this plane is an astonishing vista of fire, lava and pyroclastic gases.


Outer Planes
More to follow...

[Stik]

Mercenaries Guild
Over a century ago, the Guild of Mercenaries, or Mercs Guild, was founded as a clearinghouse and employment agency for dangerous men. Anyone whose loyalty is for hire can apply to become a member, regardless of their origin, social status, or skill set.

The guild has several functions.
It offers a pool of manpower for those in need of warriors.
It connects unattached warriors with employers.
It enforces a rigid set of rules to ensure that people purchasing mercenaries get what they pay for: loyalty and service in exchange for coin.
It mediates disputes between warriors and employers.

The guild maintains hostels in every city in the empire, in large towns, and even in some small towns and villages in areas where mercs are in high demand. At any guild hostel, a member in good standing can count on three days of hospitality (meals and lodging) at no charge. If no postings are currently available, this hospitality may be extended until a posting becomes available in or near the town in question, provided the member takes that posting. Lodgings and food are spartan but adequate - typically a barracks or small cell with a cot, a warm fire, and a hot bowl of soup or stew.

Most guild hostels are situated in close proximity to a tavern of some sort, which by default turns into a merc bar. Such bars are a good place for mercenary types to interact and to obtain the types of refreshments and entertainment they typically favor.

Guild rules forbid members from fighting in the hostel building and grounds under penalty of expulsion. By tradition this restriction extends to the merc bar as well, although bare-knuckle fighting is typically allowed.

The mercenary lifestyle tends to attract people who can not function in regular society, former soldiers who are uncomfortable returning to civilian life, people running from something, and people looking for adventure. The guild will accept most any applicant, on the assumption that if the applicant is unsuitable, the problem will solve itself, one way or another, in a short time.

The guild maintains careful records of postings and member’s activities, and members are required to carry documents recording their standing, which are presented when checking in at the hostel.

One aspect unique to the guild is the practice of assigning a “War Name” to every member. These names can reflect a play on the member’s real name, the member’s physical appearance, or an incident in the member’s past or present. War names can change over time as a warrior gains status or notoriety. The basic rule is that the warrior’s peers assign him a name when he joins a unit ( and if he complains about it overmuch, they assign him a worse one). Once he has earned their respect, he will usually receive a more “heroic” one. War names are usually short - two syllables, or occasionally three.

War names serve two purposes - first, they encourage comraderie among warriors, as each warrior becomes identified by the name given him by his peers, he becomes one of them; second, the names make it easy to distinguish between men and catch their attention quickly in a combat situation (there my be three men named 'Cassius' in a unit, but there will only be one 'Sparky,' one 'Slick,' and one 'Two-Shoes').

[Stik]

Recommended reading:

On Thud and Blunder, by Poul Anderson

[Stik]

The Viatori
The viatori are a race of nomads whose caravans can be found traveling throughout the civilized world. They roam from town to town, apparently at random, selling exotic merchandise and providing specialized services and entertainment.

It is unknown where the viatori originated. Their appearance does not conform to that of any of the typical races of the Flaeness, and their language is unrelated to any other Flaeness language, living or dead, although many words from various languages have been incorporated into it. The name viatori is actually an Aerdian word; they viatori call themselves simply "the folk," or "the family."

A viatori caravan typically consists of anywhere from three to twenty round-roofed wooden wagons, called vardos, plus a small herd of livestock and a number of outriders. For the most part every person in a particular caravan is related to every other, either by blood or marriage.

The reputation of the viatori varies from location to location, depending on the attitude of the locals and the behavior of the last viatori caravan that stopped into town. In some towns they are considered freeloaders and little better than thieves, really, while in others they are respected for their wisdom and talents.

The dual nature of the viatori can be be seen readily in their relations with outsiders. Viatori are known for being completely honest with one another. But when speaking with outsiders, their behavior changes. In matters that the viatori consider serious or important, they will be completely honest regardless of the possible consequences. In less serious matters, a viatori may be honest, or they may choose to tell outrageous, blatant, and completely obvious lies, without making any effort to conceal the fact that they are lying, simply for the fun of doing so.

This practice makes relations with outsiders somewhat difficult at times. To help ease relations, every tribe has one or more lharkas (a word which can be translated as "diplomat" or "liar" depending on your opinion of the viatori) whose job it is to speak with outsiders on behalf of the tribe.

The viatori worship no gods. They do not deny that gods exist, they just refuse to have anything to do with them at all, and mind their own business in the hope that the gods will do the same. Their attitude toward the gods can be summed up in their word for priest, bawg-nodoyadat, which means "god-botherer."

Without gods to support and protect them, the viatori have to rely on themselves. They are herbalists and physicians of incredible skill, and also have a wide repertoire of magic spells unique to their race. And although they are not an overly violent people by nature, it is true that no wrong done to a viatori ever goes unpunished, and they have raised revenge to a fine art. Someone who cheats a viatori can expect to be relieved a portion of their property of equal or greater value. Someone who injures a viatori can look forward to an even more severe injury in their near future. Someone who kills a viatori can look forward to spending the rest of their much-abbreviated life looking over their shoulder.