Outpost:Setting

Ur-Gense: A Quick History

Ur-Gense was founded a few centuries ago when a principality broke apart when its ruler died without an heir. Those nobles who lived near the Empire were brought into it, and many commoners were killed or accepted by nomadic tribes. The remaining polity fortified a small town. Over time, it became a prosperous but small independent city-state along the Saffron Course, the winding trade routes that go through the wilds to connect the Distant Kings with the Empire.

The last few generations, however, have not been kind to Ur-Gense. The Distant Kings have apparently fallen into a dark age of civil war and unrest. Additionally, the amount of violence involving the nomads, both against each other and against the city and the caravans, increased. Together, these events marked the decline of Ur-Gense, and it slowly became more poor, corrupt, and dangerous.

Several years ago, Prince Fali the Mentor essentially sold the city to the Empire after he almost bankrupted himself building the Welcoming University of the Gentians. While it is too early to tell what the consequences of this will be, it is certainly a dramatic move full of benefits and hindrances.

The Zilayan Empire

The Zilayan Empire stretches across the western coast of the world. Many different peoples have been brought into the Empire; some have been assimilated, others accepted as they are, and others concquered totally. People who make many generalizations about the Empire have probably travelled very little.

The Empire is currently experiencing a period of economic and political expansion. The current Emperor, Emperor Sorelwy VII, fully supports this policy direction. He does not hesitate, however, to use the military to support economic policies when necessary. Opinions vary about whether the Empire would be better off not expanding, or relying on pure military conquest.

The Nomads

Once, in a time long ago that may never have existed, the Zilayan citizenry was solely human, and the wastes and wilds beyond it were soley Orc. As time went on, things became more blended. Many Orcs came to the Empire (willingly and otherwise) as it increased in size and power. Though the common image is one of the Orc mercenary, one can find Orcs in many walks of life. Likewise, some humans were taken (willingly and otherwise) into the wilds by the Orcs. Additionally, some cultures that the Empire displaced took up the nomadic life as well, becoming entirely new human tribes. As the population of nomads increased, so did the amount of warfare they participated in. Today, the nomads are an incredibly diverse group. Some tribes have begun to make treaties with the Empire, while others have begun to prepare for war.

The Distant Kings

Far from the Zilayan Empire lie other empires and kingdoms, collectively called the Distant Kings. Few in the Empire have an accurate understanding of who they are, beyond the fact that exotic materials and spices come from the, via the caravans. The most prized spice by the imperial court, saffron, has become the namesake for the trade routes through the wilds.