Fantasy Steel and Bullets | Lore Page

[ADarkAndStormyNight]

WESTERN COLUMBIA



The year is 1908 in the land of Columbia. Columbia is notably divided into two sections- east and west, with a firm divide falling along a long mountain range. The two were one united country, but as time grew, eastern Columbia grew larger and became more lustful for power. As it's grasp grew larger, those in the west began to grow frustrated. From 1892 to 1900, the two halves were engaged in a bitter war for independence. In 1900, fearing further unrest in the east, due to the heavy financial burden of war, Columbia granted the rebels independence, claiming the land west of the mountain range as free land.

And so, those dissatisfied with Eastern Columbia made the dangerous trek west, where they believed they could be free. No official government ruled over the west, and thus, a good deal of criminals migrated over as well. The closest thing to government became small settlements of migrants, and local governments controlled by who owned and could defend the most land.

And thus, bounty hunters were born. In the past 8 years, they've become a symbol of hope for many- but a hated icon for more. Eastern Columbia Rangers, who often try and claim land back and destabilize the west, have fought to criminalize them- a bounty hunter in Eastern land is a dead man walking. Therefore, it's much safer for Riders to travel in wagon parties.

 

[ADarkAndStormyNight]

Riders

The universal sign of a rider is a skull, with a gun embedded in it. Quite fitting, indeed. They make their money hunting the heads and turning in a variety of criminals for wealthy landowners, troubled businesses, and smaller governments. They go wherever the coin is.

Rider's need to be careful who they reveal their identity to- despite how normalized it's become in recent years, many still despise the Riders. Being one can get you, at best, thrown out of reputable businesses and larger farms. At worst, you could end up hanging in some lonesome gallow, your limp body hanging in a forest of quiet trees. It's for this reason Riders have invented their own underground culture- underground Rider bars, for instance, are dismal places, but safe. These bars can be one of the safest places to pick up new bounties, but unfortunately the bounties are never too big. Most of hunting is knowing the right people- working for someone wealthy and connected enough can get your name passed around the business table.

Of course, some Riders are better than others. There are some who became hunters because they wanted to see peace in the New Land... and some who really enjoy the money. The occasional Rider is a blood thirsty bastard who only looks to kill anything that moves. That's who you really need to look out for.

Not every member of a wagon party is a bounty hunter though- often, Rider parties require mapmakers (most of the West is unmapped), medics, engineers, and sometimes even normal commoners that can talk Riders into a camp or settlement that might be otherwise opposed to dealing with them. They may not be hunters, and therefore have a little more plausible deniability, but Rangers will look to hunt them down anyways- so best be careful.

 

[ADarkAndStormyNight]

A Basic Write-Up on the Magic System



There are five main types of magic- one for each main element (water, earth, fire, air), and healing magic. Healing magic is the easiest- usually a combination of medical knowledge and practice, most healers come from a Western nomadic tribe known as the Ranar. They've passed down significant knowledge of medicine in this region for decades, and therefore tend to be the best sources of knowledge on something of this sort. As well funded medical facilities in the West are rare, a healer is incredibly important for survival.

Elemental magic is trickier- and requires additional tools. The first are rare gems- these being fire gems, water gems, earth gems, and air gems. These gems are incredibly expensive and rare, which makes a magic user significantly hard to come by- the are the exception, not the rule. Beyond that, these gems only reutilize what's around the user- for instance, a water magician can wield from moisture in air, but this is much harder to do in dryer deserts. A fire magician can use dust in the air as fuel for their fire, and therefore are less effective in damp climates. So on, and so forth.