The Setting: A Broken Empire

Four hundred years ago, the Mapheri Dynasty unified much of the great continent of Ardell. Backed by the Council of Magi and a professional army, the Empire ruled fairly but without compromise. A hundred cultures and pantheons flourished; a hundred more were lost or broken.

The last Emperor died ten years ago during a peasant uprising in Pakellan, the central capital of the Mapheri Empire. The Emperor's heirs and advisors were killed and scattered. The Empire collapsed.

Some regions remain lawless. Independent nations, forgotten or oppressed, have risen to become strong. Former provinces of the Empire have become kingdoms unto themselves. Shifting alliances and long-suppressed tensions make even the most stable regions of Ardell hazardous for travelers. But there are opportunities here, for those with the ambition to create something new.

Elven enclaves. Dwarven strongholds. Vampire lairs. Gryphon eyries. These communities, and many others, must stand alone or find dubious allies. Some will rise, some will fail. Perhaps your kingdom will be the one to restore the glory of the Empire, or eclipse it.