From the book "Founding of Pendor"
Description of the Factions in Pendor:
The North – Ravenstern and the Mystmountain Barbarians:
To the North, the Kingdom of Ravenstern sits on the southern slopes of the impassible
Cloudmist Mountains. They are a hearty, proud peoples having adapted to the harsh
Northern climate. The ruler of Ravenstern is King Gregory IV, the great grandson of King
Gregory I, who led the final charge that drove the shaman of the northern barbarians back
into their homes in the Cloudmist Mountains. Every since that battle, Ravenstern has
been tested by constant raids and sorties from these bloodthirsty clansmen. The Lords of
Ravenstern are fearsome warriors, yet they are quite proud and very individualistic.
There is a strong underlying culture of competition among these peoples that makes them
outstanding individual warriors, though in groups they tend to be undisciplined. The
Knights of the Order of the Dragon, the cream of the Ravenstern nobility, are to be
feared in combat. Like most of the other Knighthood Orders in the realm, these Knights
do not swear allegiance to any noble, but rather travel with the Lords of the realm when
it suits them.
The West – The Fierdsvain and the raiders of Vanskerry:
Along the coast to the West is Fierdsvain, where some of the Jarls of Vanskerry have
intermingled and intermarried with the old Kingdom to form a unique warrior culture.
Most of the former mercenary Jarls of Vanskerry who went to war on behalf of the Emperor
of the Baccus Empire had difficulty in returning to the cold barren shores of the North.
When the emissaries from the coastal lords of Pendor arrived, many jumped at the chance
to establish themselves in better climates. However, there were many in Vanskerry who
looked upon these mercenary Jarls as turncoats to the code of the North and have sworn to
make it a point to plunder the lands held by these traitors. Regardless, infused with
new blood, strong warriors and an appetite for both battle and trade, the Fierdsvain have
flourished and have become as powerful as Sarleon itself.
The ashes of Pendor – The Kingdom of Sarleon.
The Kingdom of Sarleon dominates the center of the game map. The current King, Ulric of
Sarleon, is the descendent of King Alfred I, former Duke Alfred of Sarleon. Once King
Alfred established the Kingdom of Sarleon, most of the Knighthood orders charged with
defending Pendor were outlawed. . The most famous of the outlawed orders was the Order
of the Griffon: the guardians of the royal line of Pendor. Today only one order, the
Order of the Lion still exists in Sarleon. This noble order backed Alfred’s claim to
rule. The Order of the Lion since that time has had a murky past, and for a score of
years they also were outlawed. Today they have been vindicated and are now in the good
graces of King Ulric of Sarleon and are the guardians of the realm.
The Southern Steppes – The D’Shar Nomads.
The South, along the Shavanir Desert is the Principality of D’shar made of dozens of
separate individual tribes. At the height of the founding of the Kingdom of Pendor
several tribes supported the peace and prosperity that the Kings of Pendor offered them
for a treaty of peace. The peace turned into an alliance and these tribes began trading
with the Northern Kingdoms. The makeshift tents and stalls that they set up in the
plains of D’Shar over several generations became small-fortified towns and villages. No
longer were they nomadic, but settled down, built homes and planted crops. Their
prosperity quickly propelled these tribes into prominence in the D’Shar plains. Yet,
those tribes who were staunchly tied to the old ways, remain nomadic and have rejected
the “city dwellers” completely. Recently they have reverted to raiding the many caravans
coming into and out of these towns. This has caused a great deal of tension between the
cities and the tribal nomads closer to the great desert.
The Southeast – The Empire and the Snake Cult.
The remnants in and on Pendor of the Great Baccus Empire are now called just “The
Empire”. However, some portion of the old Baccus Republic (Pre-Empire by several hundred
years) must have had profound influence on General Oasar, as he decreed that a democratic
council of Lords selects each new “Overlord” when either the existing ruler dies or
reaches the age of sixty. The strong military of the Empire could have long ago swept
Northwards into the Pendor heartland and conquered the interior towns, but for the ties
that the Empire has from their homeland across the Southern Sea, which have plagued them
to no end. The Serpent Cult has been a constant threat, both politically and empirically
to the Empire as they almost successfully corrupted the Empire ruling class from within.
It did not help that the many civilians and nobles were until recently openly in support
of the path of the Serpent. All this has changed. The current Emperor, Marius I, has
been successful in banning the Priests and temples from the cities of the Empire. This
diplomatic feat has resulted in more of an all out war between the priesthood and the
Empire and battles in and around Empire towns and castles are common. The Serpent
worshipers in Pendor have gone underground, and receive help from across the Southern Sea
where the heart of the Serpent resides. Marius I, has deftly turned the tables on the
priesthood and has shown to the peoples of the Empire the depths of their unholy
depravity. Escaping the death kiss of a Priestess of the Serpent is strong motivation
for the average citizen to help their emperor in this task.
East – the Jatu tribesmen.
Along the Eastern plains of Pendor are the steppes of the Jatu. The original Jatu lived
across the Southern Sea in a land of vast plains. They were a fiercely independent
nomadic people, well versed with bow and spear. The Jatu are skillful horsemen and boys
at an early age learn how to fight from horseback. After years of conflict, the Baccus
Empire brokered an agreement with the leaders the Jatu that in exchange for peace. The
Jatu would provide mercenaries to the Empire to conquer other lands. When General Oasar
invaded Pendor, his main compliment of cavalry was the Jatu Horse Lords. When word came
that the Great Baccus Empire was in tatters and that the Emperor was dead, the War
leaders of the Jatu had no way to return to their homeland. Instead, they left the
service of Oasar, raided dozens of villages for women folk, and traveled northwards to
establish a new homeland for their peoples. A closed society that refuses trade and
diplomatic overtures, these warriors will attack anyone in their domain.
Everywhere – at-large – those with weapons and the will to use them.
Once the Empire’s armies began to stand down and call Southern Pendor their own, the more
unsavory elements, to which the old Baccus Empire was famous for, began to emerge. The
Red Brotherhood is a confederation of secret societies that crossed borders all across
Pendor. They are bandits, thieves, slavers, and they deal in unsavory plans and sell
whatever they can get their hands on. You will find them at times, helpful, and at
times, they will be glad to relieve you of your possessions and perhaps your life. Town
Militia and various lords try to wipe them out when found, but rooting them out of the
various cities is like trying to kill rat infestation with a stick. You never seem to
get them all. Note that the various gangs of Red Brotherhood operate independently of
one another.
While there are many hazards in Pendor to be wary of, perhaps one of the most dangerous
are the various Renegade Knights who wander the countryside. These knights are of
various origins, some are from outlawed knighthood orders, others are twisted by the wild
magic of the items which they carry, and some are just bent on the destruction of any who
cross their path. One thing if for certain, they are deadly.
There are many religions and faiths in the lands of Pendor. Most of them are benevolent,
and maintain a doctrine that is the bridge between life and death with a code of conduct
that paves the way for a pleasant hereafter. A few of the non-benevolent religions are
bent upon destruction and hatred. These followers are termed heretics by the other
faiths, and are looked upon as something to be stamped out. Heretics often are believers
in human sacrifice, and other dark rituals and are unsavory at best. At worse, they
bring the stuff from your worst nightmares to life.
In your travels you will find adventurer companies. These groups of adventurers are from
varied backgrounds and have many different goals. Some are on missions for various
lords, some are bounty hunters, and still others are explorers of the ancient cities
destroyed long ago. If they happen to take an interest in you, be prepared for anything
as it is these self styled heroes that turn up in the most improbable places, with the
most unreal equipment and do the impossible.
To the far East, the Noldor.
The last known remaining trace of the elder races are the Noldor. The war of the Titans
was horrific, and the once graceful cities of these folks have long since been destroyed.
Only this one place, hidden from outsiders, remains of their civilization. The Noldor
were once wondrous workers of magic, but one of the results of the great conflict was
that they were no longer able to invoke the cantrips and spells that were so central to
their lifes. Still, some of their lesser enchantments are still working as evidenced by
their almost supernatural abilities on the battlefield. None who cross the paths of
the Noldor near their home, come away unscathed.
---Writer's Note----
Not written by me. Shameless plagiarism
. Link to the original text in the first line.
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