Ages of Trothguard
Trothguard is a realm of many peoples, though its history is predominantly human-centric. Species from across the planes exist in various pockets of the continent, some more numerous than others, though far and away the largest demographic is human.
There are four widely recognized “ages” to the lands of Trothguard, prior to the Current Age:
The Forgotten Age: A largely forgotten time of lost civilizations from many thousands of years ago. Rarely, unique relics or ruins of this age can be found, and they generally lead to more questions than answers.
The Age of Myth: Some myths from before the founding of the Empire exist, tales of heroes turned gods, ancient and terrible foes, and shattered earth comprise most of these. [There is a credible myth to suggest that there had once been a landmass below Doth Domar in this age, but it was destroyed in a fight against some horrible being(s)]
The Age of Kings: Before the Empire, there were many kings and queens ruling little chunks of the continent. Many ruins exist from this time, and adventurers can often find coins and other treasures created in this age.
The Age of the Empire: out of the dust of the Age of Kings rose the First Emperor and from him rose the Empire. For thousands of years Emperors and Empresses ruled over Trothguard.
Within the Age of the Empire, there is an overlapping Age of Magic. A golden age of magic on this continent. The historical dates given this age are often debated, as scholars often argue that the magic of the Age of Myth was stronger than even the Age of Kings, which was still stronger than the Age of Magic/Age of the Empire. Proponents of the current structure will often point out that while there was undoubtedly stronger magic in prior ages, there was little refinement until the Age of the Empire. Schools of magic thought too dangerous to use in prior ages were refined and perfected in this Age [Blood magic, Chaos magic, Summoning and binding magics, Time magic, etc.]
And finally, we come to the Current Age, which officially began after the Peace Accords 117 years ago. (308 years since the Last Fall of the Empire). For most common folk, the recognized year is 425 LF, and it is currently (at start of campaign) the first official day of Fall, the 23rd of Harvestwane.
Which leads to the naming of the months, and the corresponding month we use!
Months
Frostfall (January) - A bitter, cold month when winter's grip is strongest.
Thawbloom (February) - As temperatures begin to rise, the first signs of spring appear.
Greenshade (March) - Nature awakens, and forests burst into vibrant greenery.
Stormreach (April) - A tempestuous month marked by thunderstorms and rain.
Firesurge (May) - The heat of summer intensifies, and wildfires are common.
Suncrest (June) - The longest day of the year, a time for revelry and festivals.
Emberfall (July) - The hottest month when flames and fire magic are most potent.
Aurorasky (August) - The month of celestial events, with meteor showers and shooting stars.
Harvestwane (September) - The time of bountiful harvests and feasting.
Mistshroud (October) - As mists and fog roll in, the veil between worlds is thin.
Ironchill (November) - The first frost of winter settles in, and iron weapons are forged.
Starbirth (December) - A month of magic and wonder, when stars shine brightest.
Adventurers and Mercenaries
The life of an adventurer or mercenary in Trothguard is not always easy. Clawing its way out of the shadow of the Empire was a messy process, and many places that had once seen regular traffic were suddenly without protection. Wars broke out, lands were lost to the wild creatures again, and chaos ruled. Out of that mess, kings and queens emerged and after long years of consolidation, some measure of state-sponsored ‘safety’ once again was extended across the width and breadth of Trothguard.
There are, however, still wild spaces and terrifying creatures that make groups of adventurers and mercenaries indispensable. They are, more often than not, the true peacekeepers and protectors of the vast majority of the continent.
Adventurers are often unpaid (as far as the Kingdom is concerned), earning exclusively from recovered treasure and whatever coins and items offered by the individuals or community hiring them.
Mercenaries on the other hand are kept in retainer by the kingdom(s) they work out of via various contracts made with the Crown. Often the payment ranges from 25% to 50% of the total pay for the company, with the other 50-75% of earnings coming from the communities, merchant caravans, and individuals they protect and service, combined with any loot or treasure they recover.
In both cases, for Adventurers and Mercenaries alike, the social currency that they stake their reputation on is Writs of Service - which are essentially receipts stating that they’d been contracted for something and had in fact delivered on that contract. If a troop of adventurers was hired to deal with a pack of frenzied gnolls, they’d be given payment and some form of written acknowledgement of the deed being done once they had shown proof that they’d handled the threat. These can come in many forms, but most commonly they are thin strips of vellum, stamped by an official of the community or a middle-class/wealthy individual.
As is often the case, not all people who contract a group of adventurers are well-off enough to provide their own unique Writ of Service, which is where an Adventurers’ Guild becomes extremely important. An Adventurer’s Guild or Guild Representative is responsible for providing something of a ‘blank writ’ that covers a specific area. (Usually a boundary around the nearest notable town or city). These Blanks are then able to be marked by anyone and unlike Individual or Community Writs of Service, they are not unique, and act as a running tally. This makes verification of the services rendered important as there’s technically nothing stopping a less-than-trustworthy adventurer from “padding their stats” and adding marks for services that didn’t exist.
Most often, if a village or commoner that didn’t have their own Writs hires a party, they will make an effort to report to a Guild Hall in person or via letter or will wait for a visiting Representative and report at that point. Guilds pay a stipend pack to the individual or community that provides verification reports and will actively pay more attention to areas of higher danger, thus making those nearby communities safer as a larger pool of adventurers (and/or mercenaries) are sent to the area.
There is a lot of overlap between the Mercenary’s Guild and the Adventurer’s Guild, and they often work in concert moving contracts back and forth between them, based on the content of the request. Some jobs are better suited for Mercenary Guilds, while others are better suited to Adventurers… but either way, if a contract needs to be completed quickly the contract will always fall to whomever can complete it first.
Mechanically, Writs of Service work as Party / Character XP. In-world, these are the social currencies that will see you and your group considered when looking to join mercenary companies, work on behalf of a region/barony/kingdom, or contract with various guilds.
Join the Worldbuilding Community!