The Mythic Age Overview
A world in decay
The world is in decay. All the oracles have seen it, all the prophecies foretold it, the Time of Heroes is done. The Lycians killed their gods twenty-five years ago. From that act the decay was inevitable. Travel is no longer safe between towns. Monsters roam the countryside, opposed only by foolhardy adventurers with nothing left to lose. Each nation has become a shadow of its former self. The godless Lycians cast order aside to rule by chaos. Their neighbor the plodding Apolitain League continues to deliberate, refusing to take a stand. The tyrannical Sarmanians continue their conquest. Their borders widening day by day to appease their wicked goddess, Ereshkigal who rules from the sky citadel Ganzir. Decadent Immaurkim houses have grown fat and opulent, choosing to maintain their market advantages through violence and skullduggery rather than self-improvement. Obedient Na-Keb continues to labor under the ever-changing direction of distant gods, dithering hither and yon, rotting on the vine.
A world in flux
The world is in the grips of unprecedented change. All the oracles have seen it, all the prophecies have foretold it, the Time of Heroes is done. The Lycians freed themselves twenty-five years ago, and the old world is no more. Brave people of all stripes Take Up Arms to defend hearth and home. Some from the monsters that plague the wilderness, others from the corruption and excess of past ages. The Lycians pioneer a new form of society, where no one is greater than another. Their neighbors in the Apolitain League try to incorporate this new way of being into their divinely ordained government. Navigating the narrow band between chaos and conformity. New great houses in Maurkim are taking the role of being ambassadors to the world, bringing Immaurkim goods and culture far and wide. The citizens of Na-Keb approach the completion of their millennium project, promising freedom from the whims of the great river, resulting and stability and prosperity for all.
A world you make
Welcome to The Mythic Age, a hex based E10 campaign set in a world reminiscent of our own ancient Mediterranean. As a hex based adventure you will make your own story. The world is alive, with people, places, secrets, treasure, and conflicts to discover everywhere. The world exists without you, but your actions will forever change it. The lands close to cities are safe, from monster attacks at least. But the further you travel from civilization, the danger grows, however so do the rewards. The monsters that roam the land can be hunted by those brave enough to do so, and the weapons crafted from these hunts will be unmatched in the land. As an Epic 10 campaign, leveling stops at 10. However, you will still gain experience and progress, gaining stat boosts and feats as you progress, allowing you to push beyond the limits and become a hero of myth.
The world exists without you, but your actions will forever change it
The world of the mythic age largely consists of the five great nations surrounding The Sea.
- The Apolitain League
- Lycia
- Na-Keb
- Maurkim
- Sarmania.
These are the prime movers and shakers in the region.
While most of the population is human, the Khenra, a race of Jackal headed humanoids can be found all over. Originating from Sarmania and Na-Keb, these people are primarily scholars and sages, employed in business or state for their wealth of knowledge.
In addition to these nations, there are the Free Minotaur Captains who sail the seas. Those who prefer order and law tend to find work as merchants, or naval captains. Those who prefer chaos tend to be pirates or mercenaries.
From the north the animist Wood Elves of the various tribes make a living among the citizens of the nations as guides, trappers or herbalists. The frontier settlements of Lycia and the Apolitain League find such knowledge invaluable.
From the east come the Ardhadeva, wispy humanoid creatures whose grace and long life spans set them apart. While they claim to be descended from the gods, none in the nations know of these gods. They are seen as oddities by many, and the Ardhadeva rarely act to dispel this notion.
The Five Nations
The Apolitain League tries to represent moderation in all things. A collection of city- states founded by the major gods of the pantheon, the League operates as a representative democracy. The Judicial branch are the major gods themselves, with chosen champions acting as the executive branch. The legislative branch is made up of a mixture of minor local deities and elected representatives. To the Apolitains this is the perfect balance of all methods of rule.
The League conflicts with its neighbors. To the north, the border between the League and Lycia is ever shifting as each try to take a bit more land for themselves. This is further exacerbated by the prevalence of monsters in this region, making travel of all types risky. The league has additionally angered Maurkim. With the Apolitain league and several minotaur captains entering an agreement, the league has begun to gain ground as an international merchant. The established Maurkim houses dislike this new competition, and it’s becoming clear that the Maurkim tenant of fair competition only applies to fellow countrymen.
Lycia is a nation rebuilding its identity. From its former life as the Pontinate Empire, it has become a pure democracy. This abrupt shift shook the region to the core as it came about through the most final act, deicide. Lycia is the woman who started it all, and now “leads” the nation as the first citizen, though in all matters everything is decided by a pure democratic method. Deicidehas shaken the leaders and gods of the other four nations to the core. For some it brings up uncomfortable questions: if the gods can be killed by mortals, are they truly gods? For others it is an unspeakable sin. But for most life continues.
The Lycian’s major conflict is with Sarmania who is attempting to annex several ancient Lycian colonies on the northern shore. In an overwhelming 846 – 154 vote, the People’s council of Lycia voted to move to a state of Total War. And since that day thirteen years ago, the war has not stopped. They are also engaged in active subterfuge in the Apolitain league, attempting to fund various groups who are pushing the Apolitains in a more purely democratic direction.
Maurkim is a vast trade empire which teeters between oligarchy an anarchy. Closer to the godless Lycians than they would like to admit Maurkim is a nation built on trust, trade, and competition. It is a common expression among the nations to say “I trust you as the Immuarkim do” which is known to be the deepest bond two people can have. Unlike most of the other nations (Except perhaps the Apolitain league) their relationship with the gods is closer to peers than subordinates. With these tenants of trust and experimentation the Maurkim have established an international trading empire the other nations can scarcely compete with. However, at home this freedom has led to a quiet consolidation of power, as the great houses expand their influence through mergers and acquisitions, as well as back room deals.
The Maurkim have grown irritated with the Apolitain League as they appear to be explicitly endorsing the piracy of their new Minotaur allies. For some, the lack of any action against Tyntara the Destroyer, the most vicious of the Minotaur pirates, is tantamount to declaring her an ally, and many wish to see Maurkim blockade the League. To the east the Maurkim chafe under what they see as excessive bureaucracy. Not only is trade difficult in Na-Keb with endless and ever changing rules, but the control over trade through Na-Keb has kept nearly half of Sarmania hidden from Maurkim merchants. Several in Maurkim are beginning to think that Na-Keb is intentionally targeting Maurkim and has more sinister motives than mere red tape.
Na-Keb is a vast and ancient civilization who believe they truly follow the divine order. The top human ruler is the Pharaoh, chosen by a council of gods and given their divine direction. From this all order flows and the many layers of priests, bureaucrats, sages, scholars, generals, artisans, and laborers do their part to make Na-Keb a great nation. As the Pharaoh grows old, the gods inform the Pharaoh who the successor will be, and an adoption is performed. In this way Na-Keb boasts a hereditary monarchy of over 1000 years. However, the gods are distant, most citizens only see them once a year during the festival of the great river. All other times the Pharaoh’s word is law. And the Gods seem fickle. Great projects are started and labored on for years only for them to be abandoned mid stride.
To their east, Na-Keb is harboring a true hatred of the Sarmanians, with Min gone, dominion over the desert is slipping and Na-Keb can feel the borders shrinking. To their west the Maurkim seem dangerously close to the anarchy and sedition of the Lycians. Their constant questioning of the gods and their orders has made many of the elite in Na-Keb worry if such talk could disrupt their perfect society. Necessary actions must be taken to halt this dangerous dissidence.
Sarmania is a true dictatorship, with Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, ruling the nation with near absolute power. From her fortress, the sky citadel Ganzir, she builds an army and empire to bring the whole region to heel. And while there are those who say “Erishkigal may be a tyrannical goddess of the underworld hellbent on making this world her dominion, but she keeps the grain stores full” Not all is as stable as it would appear. Rebellion is common in the empire, as any satrap – a region ruled by a god, a general and a mayor – is prone to defect if the three begin to believe they ought to be in charge.
Sarmania is currently at war with Lycia, attempting to take the northern colonies from Lycia and officially joining them with Sarmania. To the south they are engaged in a cold war of sorts with Na-Keb. 7 years after the Lycians committed deicide, the Sarmanians proved they too had this capability. In a desperate act, the Sarmanaians killed the god Min, deploying the full capabilities of Ganzir in battle. With that the war ended, but Na-Keb never forgot the crime, and tensions at the borders have never ceased even as Na-Keb continues to lose land to the Sarmanians.