Borderlands 3 - Background Info
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:38 am
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.
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.