Codex Thalassana

[wanderingmagus]

The great Kingdom of Leonard the Wise had long stood on the shores of the Seepay River, south of the ancient ruins of Kaegil on the shores of the Sea. It was a shining shield against the goblins of the South and the ravagers from the East, filled with gallant knights clad with the colors of the Crown.
To the northwest lay the City of Wonders, where the wise wizards of the High Council kept the knowledge of the Ancient Days, before the Plague. They had magnificent powers mysterious and arcane, but they were generous with their knowledge, and had gifted our King with many magical suits of armor, the like of which could not be rivalled by any blacksmith. Upon these suits were laid spells of power and strength, allowing those who wore them to lift heavy stones as if they were empty boxes, or carry many men upon their backs like children.
With this gift of magic armor, Leonard the Wise and his noble knights were able to drive back the goblins in the Great War, and kingdoms from all the lands of the West lent their aid, from the wild-men of the Deserts to the stout herders of the plains with their wild stallions and long rope-weapons.
In the years that followed, the Kingdom had a period of peace and prosperity. Now, the High Council asks us to go forth into the wilds of the southwest in search of a mysterious mineral of the ancient world, which glowed without fire and could curse men who looked upon it with boils and sickness, yet held unimaginable power if harnessed by the wisdom of the Ancients. The wizards assure us that our armor is enchanted to prevent the curse from falling upon us, but warn that things may have changed in the past few thousand years...

[wanderingmagus]

The Wild-Men
The wild-men are a strange and isolated group of humans who dwelt in the Deserts before the Plague. They claim to be older than even the Ancients, but whether this is true or not none can say. Their ways can seem savage to outsiders, but every action they take has a meaning, and if one gains their trust they prove to be lifelong allies. Their medicine-men are healers of the highest caliper, and their warriors are as skilled in combat as they are in song and tale. They can make fire spring from wood with sticks, and they are prone to paint both body and face with colors; they seem to prefer leather to other forms of clothing, though they are clever and quick at learning when the need arises. Their hunting and fighting techniques are done mostly on horseback, and they are well-known for having a close connection with their steeds, which suffer neither bit nor saddle, but only bear you or not upon their bare backs whither they please. They are excellent trackers and hunters as well, and can hear a footstep from miles away by putting their ears to a stone.

The Herders
The Herders are a band of strong and independent warriors dating from before the Plague who trace their lineage to the Ancients. Like the wild-men, they are skilled with horses and the ways of the wild creatures, though they are unique in their dress and their weapons. Many prefer using weapons made of knotted rope, which in skilled hands can strike like a snake and coil about a target, immobilizing beast and goblin alike. Their villages are defended by wooden walls covered in iron, often set high on a hill and bristling with arrows. Despite their herding lifestyle, many of them are also farmers and craftsmen.