Setting:Hail and Kill

Hail and Kill: the album cover

Metalrealm: Hail and Kill was a setting based on metal music, made up by /tg/ in the October of 2011. The setting is more fantasy and has less obvious references than the Heavy mythril setting. The aim is to make a heavily metal inspired fantasy setting, with locations based on lyrics. Factions based on the many genres and sub-genres of metal, such as Thrash and Power metal. It uses the GURPS ruleset.

It is also the hardest, most metal contribution /tg/ has ever made to the world of RPGs. In this world, tribes of corpse-painted Blackened fight against the blonde warriors of Tyrnoth, the Steel Kingdom; waste druids smoke the stickiest dope in the desert; and the hoary undead wait in frozen torture for their release, listening for the growl of death to signal their icy freedom. Meanwhile, the gods above watch, wondering what the future of this world holds for them...

The Birth of Metal

In the beginning, there was the void. It was cold, dark, and quiet. All was still. All was silent.

Then, with a roar of eldritch fire and squealing noise, the old gods of Metal rode into the scene, riding thundering void-dragons and wielding the instruments of creation. They saw the darkness, and all of the gods said, "THIS SHALL NOT DO."

So, bearing their mighty instruments up, they struck the the first and most primitive tone, the tritone and conjured from its terrible and penetrating veracity the cold firmament the very first elements of the new world - fire, wind, blood, war, rock, and metal. From the tritone the mighty drums of the north god, they who dwell beneath and bless the smith with their heavenly beats created from nothing something. They played a rythym so dark and deep, yet so shining and bold, that the nothingness itself recoiled in shock, and vibrated into being a world of potential, for the first time there was not just nothingness, there was the potential for something.

As the universe vibrated, the west gods ,learned and educated by the tritone, concieved of the heavenly chords. They created stringed instruments and mead. They gifted mead to the north gods in thanks and using the potential created by the north gods, strummed into creation the first world and the winds. The east gods, as cool and distant as the north but different, sought to aid their brothers and started the chant. As they sang their voices multitude, some sonarous , some brutual , some shrieking, from their voice came blood and covered the world strife and waters. At last they awoke the last gods, the southern gods. From the south came the most terrible of gods, the last to awake, and most vengeful. The Southgods, wrought the substance the other gods had made and brought forth metal, pure and unadultered. From there they created terrible instruments of war, the thudding of boots and the rending of flesh. AS the lands, air and water was created so it was covered in metal,fire and war. The southern gods ascended to fight the righterous lords of rock and metal, perfering the perfect silence, the ash of fire and the reflection of metal to song the others created. In battle , the gods sweated and bleed, and the south gods turned that fire, water, land and blood into the first men, to serve and protect them.

And so the first men slew many gods, for they knew no better and the gods wept at their loss, except for one. A trickster, a dissonent harmony a syncopated beat. He went to man and behold them and he was afraid, for they were terrible to behold, covered in blood and wearing metal, caring for nothing. From the first man, the trickster learned and varied the pattern, creating the first women. The first men enthralled, sought to rape and kill the women, but the women being smarter and more terrible then the men, seperated them, enslaved them. Thus the gods were saved alhtought many had died. THe southern gods, most terrible of fire and metal fled the world althought some lingered, some still slept under the earth, waiting to be dug up, disturbed.

The trickster was first held as a hero until the true terror began. unbenost to the gods, when the first men and the first women came together, slavery slowly became alliance and children were created, from the first men came all the races of man. All the gods were much affraid and sought to withhold against them and soon the terrible second war began. More gods fell until man had wrestled the secrets of metal song, craft and mead from the gods, thus sated they made an uneasy peace with the old gods those that were left. Thus was the world created, a world of men, fire, blood, and song, - a world of metal. Men prospered and multiplied, some worshiping the gods, some ignoring them but never fearing them. Women also multiplied, joined with man, althought some traces of the first women remain, wild and untamed who seek only to kill mankind. The gods thus contented, continue to watch the world, for the return of the gods of the south, of fire and metal. Althought the gods continue their games with themselves and man, they know the final age of man is yet to come, an age of fire, metal and death.

And thus the world was formed...

Timeline

• 1 Anno Metallum: The Empire is formed. Territories include all mainland, but the Helgrad Highlands. Anno Metallum calender standardized throughout Ferrumgard.
• 317 AM: Expansion campaign sees the island nations either as tributary states or under direct rule by the Empire. Lasting trade outposts finally established in the Highlands. Golden Age of the Empire.
• 550 AM: Helgrad outposts sacked, tributary island states break away. Empire in decline.
• 600 AM: A noble house hires a powerful bard to play a song to cast a curse on the ruling family. Each member of the extended royal family dies of various causes and circumstances. Emperor disappears, and is considered dead. Every other house declares themselves rightful heirs to the throne. War of the Carrion Princes begins.
• 664 AM: Armies of all houses clash in the central provinces at the Battles of Crystal Mountain and Midhaven. Bards weave songs too potent, emboldening spells throwing soldiers into frantic bloodlust, damaging spells scouring the land to infertility. By the end of the month, all sides are devastated and the Wastelands are created from the wild magics released in the battle.
• 667 AM: The Imperial Capital is destroyed in a massive burst of magic. All inhabitants die, and many noble families are exterminated in one fell swoop. The long and bloody Age of Turmoil begins, as raiders sack whole cities, and the accumulated knowledge of the Empire is lost. Even the Imperial Capital's location is forgotten, as though it was seared from memory.
• 733 AM: The Kingdom of Tyrm, the strongest of the city-states, claims the status of Imperial Capital.
• 982 AM: The noble houses of Ferrumgard call a truce, too weakened to carry their wars beyond skirmishes. The independent kingdoms begin to rebuild after over 200 years of bloodshed.
• 1020 AM: Gospel of the White God spreads to Ferrumgard. Most of the kingdoms establish theocratic regimes. Golden Age of the White God begins.
• 1123 AM: The people of the North rebel against their king, led by Sortem the Black (the title given to him in reference to his opposition to the White God). The North falls to civil war.
• 1125 AM: Sortem's forces route the last of the loyalist forces and the Northern king is beheaded. Sortem becomes the first Black Emperor. The kingdoms of Ferrumgard, fearing similar uprisings, secularize to prevent the same fate. Bards, as well as the Old Gods, experience a renaissance.
• 1200 Anno Metallum: Current year of Hail & Kill.

The Land of Ferrumgard

The Land of Ferrumgard is the main primary contient of play. It has a plethora of cultures and myths. The main race and possibly only sentient race capable of civilization on the continent is Man; man is spread out into a vast number of factions, cultures, and religions. From the northern Blackened, to the Sages of the Gael forest. The psycho riding marauders of the wastelands to the honorable echo of an Empire that is Tyrnoth.

Tyrnoth

An idyllic kingdom located on the western side of the mainland. It is the last remnant of a once great Empire long forgotten. Where other lands have fallen to barbarism and decentralized to city-states, Tyrnoth remains a bastion of civilization united under its king. The peasantry of Tyrnoth typically venerate the Old Gods as tradition, while the nobles of the higher courts follow the faith of the White God. Its capital is Tyrn, one of the great cities of the Empire. Tyrnoth has a distaste for the Blackened, they see them as lowly simplistic tribesmen with no culture.

The North

To the frostbitten forests and mountains of the North lies the realm of the Blackened. Descendants of a clan-based warrior culture, the Blackened have returned to these tribal roots after centuries of monarchistic rule during the Golden Age of the White God. Here, warriors don black and white corpsepaint as they storm, screeching into battle! The religions of the Blackened vary from clan to clan. Some stay true to the Old Gods or Nature Spirits of the Wilds around them. Other clans turned to the Raven Prince during the great rebellion against the followers of the White God. The de facto capital of the North is considered to be the Black City, the only urban settlement of the region. It is lorded over by the Black Emperor.

The Forest of Gael and Drone Bog

Partially within the domain of Tyrnoth is the Forest of Gael. In the northern region of the forest, settlers dwell in houses built into the trunks of giant trees. Sometimes, they live secluded as hermits, but often they make entire villages that seem to blend into the forest itself. The citizens of Gael are typically friendly and hospitable, eager to entertain travelers with drink and song. To the south of the forest, the terrain becomes darker, rich with mushrooms and rare herbs and fungi. This area borders the swamp of Drone Bog. It is in both locations where hermit Sages squat in the overgrown and half-sunken remains of watchtowers from the lost Empire. Through mind-altering herbs, fungi and spells, these Sages hope to reach enlightenment.

The Wastelands

To the east of the grassy plains, hills and forests of Tyrnoth lies the dreaded Wastelands. The terrain is covered, flat and bleak, with hard, infertile dirt, sand, and rock. Villages often wall themselves off to defend themselves from bands of raiders that roam the Wastelands on motorcycle, horseback and larger vehicles. Tension is high and duels are common, be it by sword, spell, or song. Travel is difficult, for the ever-present dangers of raider and beast. The gristled citizens of the wasteland tend to follow the White God, if any at all, or less commonly, the Old Gods. The de facto capital of the Wastelands is Midhaven, an urban trade city. Don't go out here on foot, you won't make it long on foot.

Crystal Mountain

In the rocky, sandblasted region of the Wastelands lies the ominous Crystal Mountain. This gigantic, copper-colored landmark is the home of the Cult of Kainus, a blood cult of the Raven Prince. Their massive temple is built right into the mountainside, where the cultists hang their kidnapped victims, living or dead, from meat hooks to be sacrificed in blood ritual to summon demons and spread curses upon their enemies. The cultists typically wear black robes with pointed, featureless hoods, devoid of even eye holes. The military arm of the cult wear grimy black armor with their trademark hoods.

Sunset City

Nestled on an island to the south is Sunset City. A rich port city, Sunset is a hub for exotic cultures from far off lands. The people wear extravagant clothes and wild hair. Being an elective monarchy, Sunset City's hedonistic noble houses constantly scheme and plot against one another to influence lesser houses on the island into voting for their patriarch to take the throne, come the elections every 5 years. The people of Sunset City (and Greater Sunset Island) typically don't follow any religion, instead turning their attention to themselves.

Helgrad Highlands

The eastern side of the Ferrumgard mainland is known as the Helgrad Highlands. A host of monsters and demons are the indigenous to Helgrad, making it a land where only the strong survive. Thus, the humans of Helgrad are renowned as some of the mightiest in all of Ferrumgard! The barbarians of Helgrad do battle against the various beasts around them by day, feast and make love by night. It is not uncommon for Helgradians to venture beyond their homelands for even greater challenges, often serving as mercenaries or turning to piracy or marauding the wastelands. In Helgrad, only the Old Gods are venerated, as they have been for thousands of years.

Religions of Ferrumgard

While many Gods may or may not exist, there sure are a numerous amount of followers for all of them. Myths and legends are in huge amounts here, some paint the Raven God as a lowly Prince, not worthy of title. A trickster who seeks the destruction of the world, a herald of apocalypse. While others view him as a God of free will, and others a utter arch-enemy of the White God. Some say the there is only one true god and he his the White God, and the Raven Prince is a rebelling creation. Some say that neither the White God or the Raven God are Gods, and in fact the Old Ones are the only Gods. The Raven Prince is merely a demon from somewhere far beyond. The truth your wondering is, we don't even know. You'll have to decide for yourself what is the truth out of all these myths, both in-character and out-of-character. The actions of Gods, what we actually do know they do, will have to factor of what you believe and what you don't believe. Don't even get me started on what god may or may no t have given man Song. That shit is just crazily blurred lines of myth and legend.

The Old Gods

Fabled to be those who bestowed the gift of Song upon man, veneration to the Old Gods has been the traditional religion of Ferrumgard for millennia. The gods themselves are too numerous to count and go by many names, each having domain over multiple aspects of life and the elements. Although they do not have as many followers as the ages before the coming of the White God, the Old Gods grant might to those who would stay true to their heritage. The Old Gods, while they value strength and cunning, have little time for 'civilized' people. They are quarrelsome, and often battle one another.

The Nature Spirits

Thought to be as old as the Old Gods themselves, if not older, the Nature Spirits are the shepherds of the sprites. Spirits are paid tribute to on a local basis, each general area having its own collection of spirits to venerate, often alongside the Old Gods. The sprites watch over the Nature Spirits' domains, often protecting those who live there and defending it against those who would cause it harm. Sprites often take the form of translucent, ghostly animals native to the environment they watch over, often being able to shapeshift into different forms. On occasion, this includes human.

Generally the spirits are manifestations of the natural world, but some adventurers claim to have seen disturbing, alien or insane spirits that don't seem to represent anything of this world. These spirits, claim the Sages, are the relics of the distant past, or are the only traces of the races that predate humanity.

The White God

About a millennium ago, strangers from a far-off land made landfall on the shores of Ferrumgard. With them, they brought the gospel of the White God. This God commands its followers to abide by specific rules, which differ from sect to sect. The Ferrumgardic kings of old saw this as a means of controlling their subjects and converted, forcing all beneath them to do the same. And so Ferrumgard saw centuries of oppressive theocracy. That is, until the people of the North rebelled and began a revival of the Old Gods at the price of the lives of their converted king and those who continued to turn their back on the Old Gods. This began the collapse of the White God's rule and most of the land secularized as a result. In most places (excluding the North), the White God is still tolerated, but not as widely venerated.

The Raven Prince

The Raven Prince is the archenemy of the White God. He is the herald of demons and darkness. He also promises great power to those who would venerate him. The fall of the White God's rule saw a surge of people turning to his opposing counterpart to further their rebellion against the theocracy. His followers are most common in the Wastelands and among many clans of the North. While some view him as a rebel, choosing to lead him and his followers on their own path, others view him a messenger of doom, and bringer of Armageddon.

Classes

• Barbarian
• Bard
• Disciple
• Iron Fist
• Marksman
• Outlaw
• Painkiller
• Sage
• Sorcerer
• Warrior