Photos!

The last Sunday of the 'Spring' term saw the usual array of missions. As the Troglodyte army descended upon the forces of Amon Tor, the adventurers moved against the Kharn to take control of the army for themselves. Meanwhile, others set out to destroy Amon Tor's new war machines, rescue some resistance spies holed up in the path of enemy forces, assassinate the Amonian general, and mop up the rest of the besiegers as their leaderless army fell apart. 

All in a days work for the adventurers of the Golden Grain!

Here are some photos of all the excitement, adventure, and deeply erratic weather!

The Story So Far...

Chapter 1: Signs and Solutions

A routine patrol of Fort Petronia's defenses found one of the adventurers dead in a ditch. Search parties revealed more bodies, dead but walking. Hasty investigations led to an unavoidable conclusion; the Adventurers of the Golden Grain had fallen to the Abyss. Petronia had lost its finest protection against the rot in the world.

A state of emergency was declared. A call went out for new recruits to take the adventurers' place.

Heroes from across Kairos rallied to the city's aid. They rose to the challenge of replacing their fallen predecessors, protecting Petronia from the Abyss as the lengthening shadows closed in around it. The fate of the old adventurers was soon revealed, the secret golden city in which they met their fate exposed to the world. The state of peace built over the past decade was upheld as the new adventurers came to the aid of neighboring laisaur and troglodyte alike. This diplomacy gave swift rewards, for at the darkest hour of the winter, allies from across Nova Thule came to save Fort Petronia from the demons of the void.

Chapter 2: Tour of Duty

As the start of spring saw the grain sown, the adventurers planned how to take best advantage of this season of respite. They set off to the south, to aid the people of Arvum in founding a new Colony. The people of Arvum, descendants of Thulian colonists themselves, held little faith in these uninvited imperialists; but the adventurers eventually won their favor by lifting the curse that had for so long dogged their land.

With the colony established, the adventurers turned their eyes still further south. Beyond the mountains, at the heart of the continent, lies the Axial Frontier; a wall of ice patrolled by hostile reptiles. The Narga had brought much death to the troglodytes of the highlands, and the adventurers sought to protect the hill-folk in the most final way possible, by wiping the frost-laisaur from the face of Kairos. 

To this end they conspired with the leader of a growing Ogre war-band. Thorgrahl Khan was gathering all the troglodytes he could find to wage war on the southern Narga. He and the adventurers found themselves with common purpose, and marched across the Great Savannah to swell their ranks. They headed towards the Pillar of Infinity, an ancient tower containing the souls of generations of troglodyte dead. The armies of Amon Tor laid siege to the Pillar, so the ever increasing army marched hard across the plains, to save their kin before they fell.

As the army approached the Pillar, the alliance between the Kharn and the adventurers broke down. Opinions and personalities clashed, with the eventual outcome of the adventurers killing the Kharn and taking control of the army for themselves. They marched upon the Pillar, sent the forces of Amon Tor fleeing back to their empire, and liberated the Pillar of Infinity.

Now, after basking in the adulation of those they had rescued, the adventurers are heading home...

And everyone Else...

We finish this series of posts exploring the setting by taking a brief glance at some of the more peripheral powers of Kairos.

Luxantium

Known as the Jewel of the World, Luxantium was a nation of splendor and riches. Numerous city states thrived amid a beautiful, brooding landscape. Rolling lowlands were covered in tangled forests, and though the dangers of the Abyss were ever-present, they were held in place by heroic units of men-at-arms that allowed the people to prosper from this fertile countryside.

This flat and gentle terrain proved to be Luxantium's downfall. A vast, burning wave swept in from the sea, and there was nothing to break the tsunami as it raged across the empire. Now Luxantium exists only in the nostalgic memories of those fortunate enough to escape the cataclysm.

The Gedrosi Territories 

The highlands to the west of Luxantium escaped the disaster. As the hills rise into mountains, life becomes ever more harsh. Serfs scratch a living from barren soil, while the aristocracy of the land steal the fruits of their labour.

Anyone with the power and ambition to do so can claim noble birth. This self-proclaimed elite vie against each other for dominance, but few can compare to the Gedrosi family themselves. The Gedrosi have held control for centuries, inspiring fear in peasants and nobles alike, and crushing all who oppose them.

Amon Tor 

As Magna Thule has spread its influence across the sea, it has come into conflict with various other peoples. More than any other, the empire of Amon Tor stands directly opposed to Thulian life. While the faith of Acacius teaches that the land may be tamed, Amon Tor preaches that to tame the land is to leave it desolate and dead. It is said that Amon Tor worships the Abyss in the form of the Snake-God Voras, the Divine Wyrm that lurks within Kairos itself. 

The Abyss!

We would be remiss not to mention the Abyss.

Some say humans named the world Kairos after an ancient god of perfection. Perhaps this was a cruel joke, or perhaps that god cursed the planet for attempting to steal its glory; either way, the world has fallen far from the ideal.

Humanity hides in its cities as demons batter against the doors. Mud-folk offer sacrifice to the shadows in the hope that they will be spared. Reptiles breed at a tremendous rate, hoping that some will survive long enough to spawn a new generation. Only through such means can life hope to escape the rot in the world. The rot that pulls the dead from their graves to devour the living. The rot that sees mud and rock take the mocking forms of humanity. The rot that lets plants drag down their prey with ravenous thorns. The rot of the Abyss of the Void.

The Reptilianoids!

Predators stalking through uncut fields. Squamous traders of exotic jewels. The lure of lost and ruined ziggurats. The exotic appeal of unknown gods. 

The Narga bask in the forgotten places, shunned by a world that now favours mammals. 

 

Reptilian hunters float serenely on the swamps of Ketlaco, pitied by those in the tree-houses above who despair at their less sophisticated cousins. The Rexes of the Savannah and the eastern fire-lands send envoys to humans and mud-folk alike, attempting to bring peace to their time. In the mountains feathered terror-birds run rapid raids, while the glaciers beyond are patrolled by descendants of a far older hatching. Warriors slink through the waters of the Ayotol Archipelago, fearful of the drums that begin the Troll's march to war. 

The Narga are as varied in shape as they are in culture. There are some that could almost pass as human, were it not for their scales and claws. Others look more like wild beasts, sporting frills and spines and bony hides. It is said that some are bred solely for war; rumours abound of hulking monstrosities that can barely speak, yet may level buildings without breaking their stride.

The Mud-Folk!

Looming shadows in painted caves. Effigies of wood and wicker. Wild dances to demon gods. Cannibal feasts of family flesh.

These are the ways of the Mud-Folk; beasts of tangled fur and inhuman shape.

Across the Savannah of Nova Thule, migrating Sasquatch live alongside the smilodons and triceratops herds. Shamans gather in ancient burial grounds to harvest the souls of the dead. The songs of Scraelings ring through the hills, and squalid Olids wrap themselves in filth to escape the wrath of the world. On the Striol Sea, Dragon-ships prowl through unnatural mists, carrying Troll war-bands to raids and riches. Mountain Ogres perform savage rites, wearing the hides of wild beasts to steal their strength and speed.

Humans call these varied cultures troglodytes. Crafts-folk shape metals and jewels into delicate works rivaling those of any human artisans. Druids hold ancient learnings in cyclopean, drystone temples. They venerate their ancestors with cannibalistic rites, and worship gods of darkness and shadow.  They slink through the wilderness by offering bloody tribute to its demons, and embody everything that people fear about the untouched places of the world.

Magna Thule!

Age of Iron gives you a basic introduction to the game, but to find out more you'll need to take a look at our culture briefs. First of these is The Land Of The Free, guide to the humble heroes of Magna Thule.

There was a time when humanity cowered in fear before the abyss. They locked themselves into their cities and prayed that the demons would not find a way to rise within. They grew weak with fear and desperation, and their weakness bred bitter malice in their hearts.

Then the Swineherd Acacius came to the city of Calidon. He gathered those few who still had strength of spirit, and with these adventurers he waged war against the darkness. He cleansed the land of the abyss, and scattered his sanctifying grain where the demons fell. The grain grew, purging the blight in the soil, and Acacius fed the people with both food and hope. They rose up against the tyrants that had for so long exploited their fear, and followed Acacius into a new age of hope and enlightenment.

Now Calidon stands at the heart of the proud nation of Magna Thule, welcoming  all who would seek freedom and independence. Those adventurers that stood by the Swineherd have long since joined him in the heavens, taking their place as saints beside their King and God. Yet demons still crawl through the wild places in the world, and there is always a need for fresh adventurers to stand against the night.