Southland: The Hegemony

THE SOUTHLAND

A Fantasy Core Setting

© Jerry Harris 2014

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Index.)

Southland Index

The Hegemony

While the Hegemony and the Commonwealth are officially at peace, it is a much more complex relationship.  The sides fought a major war with one another 20 years ago.  The war coalesced several, previously unfriendly nations into the Commonwealth after the invasion.  While the Prophecy Empire was never directly attacked, the disintegration of their invasion force and sudden death of much of their leadership, broke the empire back up into the unallied, minor clan holdings from which it sprang.  Only recently, have they formed something close to a national government, the Hegemony.    

Being neighbors, though mostly geographically separated by inhospitable terrain, the nations are continuing trade partners.  Frictions are usually, and correctly, attributed to the Hegemony’s very weak central government and the rebellious actions of individual clan states.  While there is some low-level conflict over the “Dark Continent” colony, the possible riches in the Southland have rekindled some serious animosity. 

Hegemony business concerns and efforts at exporting workers and mercenaries have mostly been blocked by the colonial government, naturally suspicious of the Commonwealth’s old enemy.  Besides, they’ve already established a relationship with the much friendlier Oriental Empire.  Individual clan states have taken to sponsoring pirates and in-land adventurers to raid in and around the colony in a more aggressive action.  (This effort has actually gotten away from them at sea and ended up helping to create the Crossbones pirate nation.) 

There is always a persistent fear that events on the home continent may ignite open warfare in the Southland, and vice versa.  At any given moment, the hot-blooded clans of the Hegemony might unite again, given the excuse.  The nations of the Commonwealth haven’t forgotten being invaded and many of them still want payback for it.  That trigger could happen because of events in the far away Southland.  

The Kalbarri Portal

Seven Sisters Myth: The last remaining Sisters found a Wizard with a magic gate.  He warned them that he could not control their destination in times such as these.  The Sisters were desperate.  He took the treasures that they had accumulated (gold, diamonds, and Philosopher’s Stone) and gave them transit through the gate.  One at a time, they disappeared through it, but all of them went to different, far off places.  The Sisters were finally safe, but they weren’t together anymore.   

The Kalbarri Portal may actually pre-date the Wizard-King’s empire.  It may be another source for their immense arcane knowledge, as it can connect with the other-worldly/other dimensional/other periods of time.  Of course, one has to be high-master of magic to command the object to function correctly.  More likely, a lesser wizard might activate the Portal, but the destination will be completely unknown.  It can, and will, activate by itself or by the command of a user on the other side.  Anything can come out of the Portal under those circumstances.

The Portal is known in the Commonwealth colony of Perth, but they do not have the resources to fully examine it.  Though it radiates strong magic, colonial authorities elsewhere have had little interest in it.  The sparseness of the land and the presence of two dangerous insect colonies (Giant Ants at the Pinnacles and Giant Locust swarms near the Portal) have dampened any exploratory enthusiasm.   

Hegemony raiders, however, use this area as a gathering point, being an easy-to-spot landmark.  Having experience with locusts and giant ants in their homeland, they’re actually able to use them as a screen for their activities.  They also revere the object, but given the Hegemony’s traditional aversion to magic, they do not have sufficient skills to activate it, except by accident. 

While devout fanatics, the raiders are masters of hit-and-run tactics on caravans and small settlements and forts.  They take whatever treasure they can carry and captured supplies, destroying anything they can’t take with them. 

Hegemony Raiders

+1 Str, +1 Con, +2 Dex, +2 Wis

HD 2 (d8), Hp 9, AC 14 (Leather)

Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2

Melee: 2 attacks/rd Scimitar +3/+2 to hit 1d8+1

Ranged: 2 attacks/rd Short Bow +4/+3 to hit 1d6

Charge: Spear +3 to hit 1d8+1, max dam + Stun, breaks spear

Mounted Archery Skill

Hegemony Raider Captain

+2 Str, +1 Con, +2 Dex, +3 Wis

HD 5 (d8), Hp 25, AC 14 (Leather)

Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4

Melee: 2 attacks/rd Scimitar +7/+4 to hit 1d8+2

Ranged: 2 attacks/rd Short Bow +7/+4 to hit 1d6

Charge: Spear +7 to hit 1d8+2, max dam + Stun, breaks spear

Mounted Archery Skill

Camel

HD 3+6, Hp 19, AC 13 (Natural)

Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +1

Melee: Bite +0 to hit 1d4+2 (Camels don’t bite when carrying a rider, only when being handled by someone they don’t know)

Camels are known for their ability to travel long distances without food or water.

Carrying Capacity: A light load for a camel is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301–600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601–900 pounds. A camel can drag 4,500 pounds.

Horses have proven to be impractical in western Southland for extended field operations.  The Commonwealth has used oxen as the primary beasts of burden and relied on well-known watering holes and outposts.  The Hegemony raiders have brought in camels for their operations, which allows them a wide range of deployment without the need for constant resupply.