Bersinia/Rulebook

Introduction

Beyond the great white caps of the Black Sea, far from the wine and palm fronds of the rich lands of the distant South, lies the continent of Bersinia. Discovered little over a century and a half ago by Imperial fishermen and first mapped by Captain Harad on his doomed series of expeditions, Bersinia boasts many times the Empire's already vast territory. However, it is frigid and hostile to civilization, whose few outposts have incited little enthusiasm in the hearts of would-be immigrants to the present day. For whatever reason, though, you have come to live in this land, and this information may help you survive it.

World

The known world is best divided into North and South, New and Old. The lands of the Old World are prosperous and boast a great diversity of cultures. However, the peoples of the South have little influence on the continent of Bersinia, the New World—only the Orthodox Empire exerts much of a presence there.

Bersinia itself is divided into two continents: Ferial in the West and Arathas in the East, along with many islands and subcontinents. It is habitable in the south, and virtually uninhabitable in the far north.

Factions and peoples

The Empire

The Empire is the closest polity geographically to Bersinia and maintains its few civilized settlements. It is a large, nominally theocratic state whose primary incomes are from the taxation of fishing and agriculture. Theoretically, it is the Empire's expansive priesthood which holds political power, vested as they are with the duty of appointing each Emperor, and indeed they exert significant influence. However, in practice, the line of succession is familial. The other significant power in the Empire is its Navy, which protects (and enforces law) on the Empire's many fishers and defends its settlements. Colonial Settlements There are four major colonial settlements in Bersinia. Tara Tara is a port city on the strategically useful location of the Arath Pass. It is the most heavily fortified settlement on the continent due to high levels of encroachment by local monsters.

Varingrad

Varingrad is located at the base of the Icereach Mountains. It was originally founded as a scouting outpost for militia and rangers, but in fact most if its activity now comes from fur trade.

Port Arot

Port Arot is the closest city to the South and an early landing spot for explorers. In present day, it hosts a blossoming fishing and shipbuilding industry.

Farview

Farview is a ranging and trading settlement at the entrance to Green Bay. Fur traders use the bay as a means of commerce with the native populace and rangers use it as a strategic outpost, thanks to its status as the furthest proper city north.

Kiervoth

Kiervoth is an abandoned settlement on the subcontinent of Meriath. Although Meriath is warmer, and in that sense more hospitable, than the rest of the continent, it boasts an extremely aggresive native population.

Blackwatch

Blackwatch is the name of a settlement, and the island on which it is built, in the far north of the continent. Most find life there unpalatable, but it is nonetheless the home of the Blackwatch Paladins.

Wildlings

Wildlings are the original human inhabitants of Bersinia. They mostly live in their own relatively small wilderness settlements and nomadic groups. Their relationship with the Continentals is mostly positive as they have built an economic relationship based on the fur and exploration trade, but some groups have developed hostility towards settlers for one reason or another.

Orcs

The Orcs are a warlike people living mostly in the lands beyond the Icereach Mountains. Occasionally, they venture south to raid the settlements of wildlings or Continentals. They are true natives of Bersinia, and possess a relatively high level of technology and adaptation to the cold.

Languages

• Common: Common is spoken by citizens of the Empire, even in their settlements here in the North.
• Wildling: Wildling is the language most commonly spoken by the Wildling tribes of the North. It is similar enough to Common to mostly sound the same, but different enough that speakers of the two languages are unable to communicate.
• Orcish
• Draconic: Draconic is the language spoken by dragons and their kin. It is not a particularly beautiful language, as it makes frequent use of hisses and guttural, throaty sounds.

Magic of the land

Bersinia is unlike the South. It posesses its own magic, which continually twists its inhabitants into new forms and actively resists invaders. Continentals and wildlings keep this magic out of their settlements with walls and rituals, but it poses a real threat to those who leave the safety of their homes.

House rules

• Critical Successes and Failures: Crit successes and fails apply to all d20

rolls and I am at liberty to do whatever I want with them.

• Feats: We are using the Feats variant rule and you are welcome to use the alternate human stat block that includes a feat.
• Skills with different abilities: Normally proficiency in a skill applies only to ability checks with its associated stat. However, under this variant rule you can mix and match as makes sense.
• Simultaneous turns: Enough said.