North Revealed Experience: Foundlings on the Water

Steel Realms

CHRONICLE > The North Revealed is a Living World campaign set in The Northern Hearthlands of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms. The Heartland Spark has re-shaped the realm and new opportunity beckons the brave and bold to the north. Brought together by circumstance, bound by camaraderie, finding fortune in the conflict of the northlands…

North Revealed: Foundlings on the Water – A Shared Experience of the ORIGINAL campaign characters of the North revealed campaign. STATUS: INCOMPLETE.

‘The Foundlings’ refers to the original PCs brought out of the Dunstrand Rising campaign setting into the north setting of the new campaign by the PC Asil.

A Floating Home for Foundlings

The boat became the home of the foundlings. The crew from Tarmysia, and several of the foundlings all shared some culture, making it easy. Asil became a merchant captain. The foundlings all grew up on the boat, learning the craft of a sailor. Equipment was gathered, and sometimes a home on the land was had for breaks, but always the massive expanse of Lake Caolite provided merchant shipping and an income. Asil eventually began to relax.

The crew and foundlings became fixtures in many ports. Supplying the military stores for the Red March to North Gate garrison to to defend the north against the Lich Lords became a point of pride. They had several regular ports that he was registered in and took jobs in, as well as a few that were homes to the institutions he had paid to educate and train them.

Strangely, the goddess of the sea had taken a prominent place among the foundlings – not surprising as she was also venerated culturally by the Tarmysian crew and culture as much as by their enemy – the hated Gwinnish. All of the crew, including the foundlings, learned to curse the name of Gwinn. Perhaps because some calamity had befallen the goddess and her chosen people were partially cut off from her, and the tone of her reputed anger was softened amongst the crew.

Word came of Gwinn’s eventual defeat in Tarmysia, and though Asil offered to return the crew there, they had all done well and voluntarily stayed with him. Many of them had family in ports around the lake and only half were of the original that sailed from Dunstrand. They had sailed for 12+ years on the lake, even going to Ruary up and down the eastern Beyne River some times. The boat’s bound greater elemental kept it in much better working order, leaving more money for the crew and loyalty to Asil.

Foundlings Provided For

As each grew older, Asil used the fortune he brought with him and his share of all the money he earned for years in order to provide training for the foundlings. Some formal education, vacations and sabbaticals, journeys and studies, martial training, a wizard’s school, druid’s teachings, clergy training. Tradecraft for a few to help keep the ship well maintained. The foundlings were always brought in pairs on any mission with the crew or Asil – to learn haggling, social interaction, languages, and the ways of the world.

The foundlings all came of age in an environment that was decently provided for. They had each other and always had a father figure in Asil. He went with each of them to meet those that would be mentoring them. Always his conversation had a deep impression on those who the foundlings sought out for training. Asil and the crew rarely talked much about where they came from, although a few times it seemed obvious there were grand adventures to be told. Word would come in from far away of events in Dunstrand, and the crew and Asil would nod and pound the tables at meal time.

The foundlings have a unique bond with the same shared memories, feelings, & sensations imprinted on all of them. A slightly elevated consciousness to each other as a result.