Forget everything you know about the AD&D campaign worlds.  The history application here is WRONG.  Rely on it and it can get you dead very fast.  Elves are evil.  There was a civil war eons ago and anything decent in them died or was driven into exile.  What's left is an evil race who's capacity for malevolence is without equal.  Long lived, farsighted, far planning, they play for the big picture, and they always play to win.  Graceful, skilled in combat arcane and martial and senses beyond what mortal men are gifted with, they are the greatest threat to man's survival.  The existence of Dark Iron were the dwarves downfall.  While capable of crafting impressive weapons, prolonged exposure twists and warps the mind and body.  Stocky and sturdy from laboring to dig the twisted wealth they seek to craft fel weapons they are crazed Ashen skin foes of humanity.  The Blackbloods, called so for the hue of their blood, have banned together under a loose alliance and proper in the absence of significant natural enemies.  Orc, Goblins, Gnolls, Orges, if it's nasty and ugly they're probably part of the alliance.

Halflings and Gnomes have never come to these lands, men alone stand as the organized race that stands to resist the chaotic evil that threatens to envelope the world.  In the face of total annihilation, the races of men have set aside their difference to deal with the greater concern of survival.  The One King sits on the throne.  The guiding hope.  Centuries of ceaseles skirmishes and battle have nearly exhausted man's ability to resist.  It is just a matter of time, before the rising tide winks out this last light of hope.

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The game at this time is focused on the Grey Misty Valley area.

It is a border holding that sits on the Northern Border nestled in the Blade Peak mountains.  The valley has known centuries of peace and prosperity... until recently.  Relentless pressure, and aggressive advancement have bought the One King's enemies to the Valley.

From the Bad Lands to the west, the Black Blood have advanced.  Campaigning and sacking numerous holdings to claim as their own.

From the Sylvan Forest to the east the Elves have plotted and planned and with ruthless guile have infiltrated the woods to call their own.

The Dwarves have appeared in the Mountains to the north by meanings hidden and unknown.

While the dwarves seem content to pass their time working the mines for the mountain's wealth, the BlackBloods and Elves are not content to wait.  The Elves have started moving into the Shadow Vale foiling any attempts to slow them.  The Black Bloods have sent raiding parties into the foot hills, forming the Iron Claw Alliance.

Fort McAlistar is forced to fight a defensive campaign or risk a knife in the back from the enemy they ignore.  In the valley, the forces that seek to master the world engage each other.  Survival becomes a daily life and death for humans through out the Valley.



Everyone hates the humans, because were pretty much all that's left that's lawful and decent (comparative to other races).  While there is a healthy share of profiteers, mercenaries, and so forth that will take advantage of the situation, just about anyone with a brain, realizes that they wont stop till were annihilated.  That's good for getting the neutrals and the less extreme evils and chaotics in line behind the goal of survival.

The various nations have formed up a council of war under the 'One King'.  I dont reinvent wheels and i like to use the familiar where possible to give players an easier time of understanding my campaign world so... You live in Euro, the hub of the greatest concentration of power for the races of man.  The germanic tribes to the East live by the dwarves and deal with them in general, and as such thier language has bits of dwarf in it, making it a dialect.  The humans across the Western sea have it the hardest, they live in the shadow of the elves, and their asian dialect has picked up a healthy bit of elvish in it.  Between Euro and Asia, are chains of island, where the island powers of France have evolved into a formidable naval power.  Not much moves in the water without their say so.  Even after centuries of war, they're still to be feared in the water.  Far to the South of Euro past leagues of wild untouched land and difficult travel, accessible by sea is the Pirates Cove Booty bay.  A collection of races that oddly manage to live together since they share a common outlook of chaos on the world.  Chaotic Blackbloods rule the cove, though they make welcome any race that shares their blood thirsty chaotic view of the world.  It's maybe... the only place humans can stand beside their enemies and not be gutted dead, if they have the right temperament.  Booty Bay serves a vital role as neutral ground, where the various races can gather for violent negotiations and gunship diplomacy to try and get things done in a, relatively, bloodless manner.

The various human nations maintain their sovereign identity and most of them are rules by a feudal monarchy of some sort.  The exceptions being the wild humans of the west which are more nomadic/tribal.  At best human relations with all the races are 'hostile' when they worsen it degenerates to outright war.  Interaction between the nonhuman races is limited and cooperation is light.  Trust and cooperation is thankfully not their strong suit.  They do seem to hold to a general truce, till the pesky humans can be crushed once and for all, and then, they'll likely turn on each other like a pack of wild dogs.  The down side to waiting for that day is, that it requires you all to be dead.

Gods in this world are a little more 'metro'.  They have 'aspects' and there are various ways of interpreting them.  They all have male aspects and female ones, Good slants, and Evil ones.  As a result everyone worships everyone to some degree.  Some just more than others.  Luna is recognized as the founder and patron goddess of Humans, but she's also given a lot of credit for the various aspects of of nature, which draws a modest following from the other races, granted... very modest.  Interaction among the various followings tends to another matter.  Nyx and Pyro while both chaotic go about it differently.  Why Pyro is more destuctive and direct, Nyx is more enthropic and insideous.  Sol and Creed take a hard line of law and order to balance their chaotic influence.  The rest of the divinities try and maintain a status quo, as they go about their personal interest.  Local worshippers might find this divinity or that more endearing, and demonize others they dont like, but the truth is most of them try to maintain a status quo.

Okay not so short, but your question was not so simple to answer, anything else?

Accomplishments and set backs were made in the Misty Valley during the first year of the campaign.

The Iron Hills, were liberated by the North Shire Militia, with the help of the Nomadic German Barbarians that were sent by the One King to reinforce the Valley's efforts to resist the vast array of enemies gathered against them.

Westspear, a tower on the western fringe of the vally between the Misty Valley and the Misty Vale was restored by natives of the Valley.  This fort is meant to serve as a forward logistical base for efforts to reclaim the Misty Vale, as well as the first steps to ousting the Black Bloods from Valley.

Governor Arcwright's daughter, Adhafera, is engaged, and marries Cameron Edenburgh, the third son of the Duke of the Northern March.  He is made the Baron of the Misty Valley, and Adhafera, is granted the title of Baroness, and will rule beside him in the Vally.

Unfortunately Cameron is killed during the trip back to the Misty Valley, leaving Adhafera a widow.  It is discovered later on that Adhafera, is with child from the consummation of their honeymoon.  Adhafera names her son Cameron after his late father.  After a brief interview (interrogation) by the High Inquisition, Adhafera is cleared of Cameron's death, and is made the Baroness of the Misty Valley.  Young Cameron is acknowledge as the legitimate son of Cameron Edenburgh and herself.

New contact is made by the local Sidhe in the Valley when it is discovered that a war was being waged between them, and this sworn enemies, the pygmy Goblins.  During this time, a Sidhe noble of note, is saved, and the first tentative steps towards befriending the wee folk is made.

During the summer of this year, the archives in Northwind come across vague references to a 'portal' that exist in the Blade Barrier peaks.  Deep in the mountains, and in the holdings of the dwarves.  A grand expedition is gathered, with representatives of all the faiths present, to sally forth the first holy expedition into the Ringhold.  Casualties easily reach 80%~90%.  A handful of survivors return, with powerful magical items, two of which are the Keystones.  Creed's Nemesis and Triton's Artic barb are recovered during the expedition.  The expedition, dispite the gruesome casualty count, is labeled a success and a follow up expedition effort it quickly planned.

Northwind has fallen over night.  The mighty capitol has fallen victem to plague ships that have infected most of the inhabitants of Northwind turning them into mindless undead.  The loss is staggering and war refugees quickly depart the capitol for surrounding holdings as the Northwind militia tries to regroup

The human population in the Misty Valley double.  The military presence easily triples.  Skilled crafts men and notables have settled in the valley.  Shortages become a problem as food and housing quickly come at a premium.  The  Duke of the Northern Marsh, and his two surviving sons are reported killed in Northwind.  Adhafera's son, Cameron is acknowledged as the future Duke of the Northern Marsh.

The Baroness, makes an effort to settle a new a holding to the East.  Echo point is found, and during the first Hallow's Eve there, Adhafera encounters the Grey Lady.  The spectral remains of Misty Grey who informs Adhafera that evil plans are afoot by the elves who need to be dealt with.

Tabitha Blackthorne, earlier in the year blessed by Gaea during the Spring Festival, with 'fertility' has been abducted by the Elves.  The elves have turned Tabitha's blessing into a curse as she is turned into a Brood Mother for the elves.  Over the span of months, she gives birth to dozens, if not hundred of demi-elves.  At the Baroness' request, Trapper John dispatches his best hunters to extract Tabitha from her hellish existance.  Tabitha begins her long road to recover from her months of imprisonment.  Some Demi-Elves who were crucial to Tabitha's recovery, are made welcome in North Shire.

The second Holy expedition in to the Ringhold ends badly.  No keystones were recovered, and one of the candidates are abducted.  Shadow Fang, Nyx's keystone, falls into the hands of the elves.  What this means is anyone's guess, though the general assumption is that it bodes ill for humanity.  Evidently the Elves are collecting Keystones themselves, and are in possession of Windsheer and Shadow Fang now.

Efforts against the Black Bloods have gone well.  The Black Blood presence has been reduced to raiding in the Valley, and efforts to retake the Misty Vale are under way.

All efforts to retake North Wind have ended in disaster.  Footholds are established at great expense to retake the gatehouse and parts of the harbor, but the greater part of the once proud capitol remains in the hands of the Lich Prince.

Coordinated efforts from HUNTER and PRINCESS, have met with  modest success in the Valley and by the end of the year, some measure of normacy is established as the economy starts to stabilize.