In the last decade, the Five Forests have grown closer together - in spite of logging which has risen to an all-new high with the import of ultra-sharp blackglass axe-heads from across the Tower Sea.

The Godwoods have become liminal places of awe such as they have not been for generations; many have reported the Gods walking the Kingdoms in mortal guise.

The Dragon (coiled asleep under the Island of Mawr) and the Serpent (cold snake coiled under the sea in all directions) and their erstwhile cousin, the Mistlord, have waged heady battles with one another - culminating in the sinking of the shared island capitol of the seafaring kingdom of Ternyn and the magical kingdom of Cahál.

The easy barbarity of the Kingdoms, and the genteel barbarity of the High Kingdom (Foraise “fur-EE-shuh”) have escalated, and in the wind is a fear that the High Kingdom will once again declare its primacy over all the kingdoms, using some new-found sorcery and the weakness of the northern Kingdoms after the destruction of their capitol island two years past.

The southern Kingdom of Tuhál has noticed migrations of the Vulfen in the southern plains of the lost kingdom of Alae. The secretive cat-people, the P’ntri, are making themselves seen at the edges of the Teinwood - the rightful demesne of the Tuhál.

Strangers come from beyond the Endless Sea not to harry or rob, but only to disappear into Mawr, their races and appearances strange enough that they should be a stir among all the peoples of the 5 Kingdoms… and yet…

The aging Wolf (the king of Tuhál) has called his fortresses to prepare for war, to gather goods not just for the coming winter, but to withstand times of trouble - at home and abroad.

To that end, a quiet group of Lords (Brenin) have assembled a small company - each chosen by a different one of the great hosues - no one of note, no one of nobility, but arwr (“AR-ur”), heroes of good heart and noble intent, backed by the blessing of the blood of the great lineages. This company heads even now for Dun Dwyn set between the great rivers on the eastern border of Tuhál. Originally a part of the ancient fallen kingdom of Alae, Dun Dwyn is said to be the seat of ancient protective magics that could be raised to defend or empower Tuhál - or perhaps even something that could be marshalled against the High Kingdom in need in the great Mwrost lake.

The old Wolf (and the great Houses of Tuhál) wants to secure the commitment of House Balwen (the historical stewards of Dun Dwyn), and understand the measure of its strength there between the Great River (Afon Mwr) and the Uncertain Flood (Afon Nám). The trouble is the Kingdom classifies the Gift and generally the use of magic as a crime. Their Questioners and Magebreakers are masters of destroying magic, controlling magic and turning it to their purposes. Perhaps the King is afraid to anger the gods by sending one of his Breakers to hold power over a holy river. Perhaps one of the company is quietly a practitioner of the dark blade (the most common tool of a Magebreaker)…

You are one of this company.

Why were you elected? What did you do to deserve this posting? Whose interests do you represent, and what is your own interest beyond doing a task for the High Houses and the old Wolf. The attention of Wolves is not always a blessing…

What manner of hero are you? Wise? Strong? Mysterious? Long-Laboring?

What is your special capacity? Are you Blessed by the Dragon? Cursed by the Serpent? Favored of the Mistlord? Lost among the Builder Structures? Get of the Gods?

Although the Kingdom of Tuhál is clearly the master of these interactions, the High Kingdom (Foraise) and the others have interest here, and Tuhál would allow its brother kingdom Cahál to take part…

What delicious politics and secrets await you?

Background Reading

• The World (Arcodd)
• The Island (Mawr)
• The Peoples of Mawr
• The Paths of Magic
• The Gods
• The Nightwings (Moons)

Create Yourself

What is your character’s lot in life? What is their station?

There is some magic in them - maybe they have The Talent, maybe they have found a relic of the ancient days of the Five Kings, maybe they are a Speaker of the Gods (a Siar “shar”), or blessed by one of the powers of the world like the Dragon or the Mistlord or the dark Serpent?

What is their occupation - what do they do?

Are they close with their clan, their family? Do they have dependents? How does that figure into their motivation for their life?

Get medieval!

Four Big Things (Four Pillars)

You need 4 big concepts to define your character.

Three of them are Logos - the parts of your life that define you. Maybe you are a Great Father, a Smith, Heavy-Handed.

One of them is Mythos - the part of your life that is filled by the Mystery. The part that pulls you out of the rest of your life, the part that lends color to your dreams and fire to your heart. Perhaps you have a mystic tool handed down in your family that has woken for you for the first time in generations. Maybe you have the Talent, secretly tutored in the schools of Cahál in the Path of Flesh so that you can change your shape and heal yourself. Maybe one of the wild Gods of the old Kings has chosen you, maybe one of the new Sky Gods has given you their favor.

Little Things

Think about some of the characteristics of your Four Big Things (your character’s Four Pillars).

Maybe as part of being a Great Father, your character is: fun-loving, kind, protective Maybe as part of being a Smith, you carry a heavy hammer, know the ways of bronze, and are toughened to fire.

System

If you’re a system person, we are using the City of Mist base rules (with some things from the recently-released Legend in the Mist supplement).