Dismas Remade

Ancient Dismas. The City that Eats Itself. A blistering canker on the arse of the Easterly Sea. A corrupt miser gnawing at its own bones. Its streets run black with filth. A wretched beggar on every corner.

Now riven by war. Two factions divide Dismas. The city north of the River Hy has been taken by the Commonwealth Army in a fiery siege. Only the south districts remain loyal to the Three Kings. An uneasy truce abides, about which spies, profiteers and mercenaries swarm like flies.

As if life in Dismas wasn't wretched enough, the recent dawning of the lambent Balestar in the firmament over the city presaged a night of catastrophe. It still lingers and many consider it a sign of the immanent apocalypse.

Our players are refugees from the criminal underworld of Kastenburg, creatures drawn from the destitution of that city. Mercenaries turned spies, they now consort with agents of the The Flock.

Lia

The shadow-witch Lia is an ex-Kastenburg assassin. Short and slight, she dresses in layers of baggy clothing that hide her missing left hand, and a threadbare hood that hides her delicate and youthful face. Her eyes are dark and shadowed, and her nose is ever-so-slightly crooked.

Red

An orphan from the slums of Kastenburg, this hulking ruffian has pale skin, shoulder-length dark-red hair, and the stocky frame of a farmhand. Dour, glum and not a little bit suspicious, Red makes a loyal friend once her trust can be earned.

When conflict cannot rear its ugly head, it lurks in shadows. The truce between the Three Kings and New Commonwealth wavers, but is held in place by the various conspiracies working against each other. For now, none has triumphed and peace abides, but for how long?

The Flock

The Flock is a ring of Commonwealth spies operating out of South Dismas. Led by the mercurial figure known only as The Sparrow, they work to counter the machinations of the Privy Council.

The Mandatory Forces

The army of conscripts known as the Mandatory Forces (or "mandatories") draws soldiers from those lands still under the sway of the Three Kings. Many are, in fact, loyalist refugees from the Commoner Revolution. Morale is low for these grey-liveried grunts and one wonders how long they can hold together before they desert en masse.

The Privy Council

The Privy Council is the power behind the Three Kings. Led by the notorious Lord Roche, this influential body consists of the minor nobles, generals and bureaucrats who keep the old monarchies running, before anyone realises they're losing the war.

The Thieves' Council

The Thieves' Council is a name you only hear in whispers, if at all. This secretive alliance presents a unified organisation for all thieves, blackguards, scoundrels and rogues in Dismas. Most believe it's just a legend, but the word on the street is that it is very much alive. If the Council were real, it would surely be a tenuous alliance at best, easily broken.

The Witchfinders

While the Witchfinders nominally punish heresy, under the Bishop's command they have broadened the definition of the blasphemous and become the de facto secret police of the Privy Council (while it's otherwise occupied). These sinister fanatics are recognisable by their wide brimmed hats and humourless demeanours. Contempt for the Witchfinders is the one thing that might unite all the other factions.

The Gods, Old and New

The Land is dominated by the worship of the New Gods: The Mother and The Father, the ancestral parents of humanity. Shrines to The Mother dot the city, and the Holy Temple of the Father rules in all but name under the leadership of the Mad Bishop of Dismas.

Beyond Dismas The Old Ways still linger, despite the best efforts of the Witchfinders. Folk still curse the name of The Bastard, the illegitimate son of the Father. And if the gods are absent, what of Hell?

Beyond Dismas

Few folk travel far, and little is known of the kingdoms and lands far from Dismas. Here are some notes about what might be found or what rumours our characters might hear:

The New Commonwealth

The New Commonwealth. Little is known of what has transpired north of Dismas since the Commoner Revolution unseated the nobles of Dorshire. The fledgling Commonwealth has erased ancient borders, and reconfigured (even built) entire towns and cities. So quickly, the region is nearly unrecognisable.

T'Ill North

Far north lies a wild land filled with cold climes, and hard men and women. Here, warring clans constantly fight over the claim to be King O'The North and have little time to build towns or sow fields. When it isn't being razed, the town of Norton stands against the chaos as the singular bastion of order.

The Grey Woald

What lies beyond the vast woods of the Grey Woald? To some, it is a meaningless question. The woods are so vast, it is easier to ask: What does not? Everything. Nothing.

Southron Kingdoms

Sunnier climes lie south, but the city casts a long shadow. The kingdoms and towns here are effectively vassals to Dismas. Such places as Kastenburg, Faro or the Duchy of Castantis are held hostage to Dismas' insatiable hunger for food, workers and opium.

And East

What lies beyond the cobalt waters of the Easterly Sea? Countless uncharted lands: the golden nation of Jinibia, the forlorn isles known only as The Catcalls and the icy wastes of the Shining Lands, are to name but a few.