Setting information

The campaign is set in the world of 13th Age. This also means that its Icons exist and are active.

More specifically, the characters are all in the city-state of Lamora, at the edge of the Dragon Empire. Lamora is a large settlement, even a metropole. Its main lifeblood are trade and commerce. As such, there are many influences from outside of the city. If something exists in the world, you can probably find it in Lamora.

The city consists of multiple islands — think of Venice. There’s a large gap between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots. The upper class, almost all nobles, live in enormous towers place on the summits of the various hills. The towers are made of Elderglass, a very strong material, apparently capable of supporting weights far beyond those of normal bricks. Nobody knows where it comes from, or how it is made. Nobody knows who built these towers, or when.

The City Council governs the city. The old nobility’s power herein is dwindling, their positions and influence taken over by merchants, traders and bankers, the “nouveau riche”. “Old nobility” versus “nouveau riche” is only one of the divisions between the many factions in Lamora’s politics. The interplay between them is vicious and ruthless, with entire wars fought between them, both discreetly and overtly.

Those of lesser means live in delapidated, sprawling neighbourhoods at the foot of the hills and their towers, next to the canals and the countless bridges and pathways. The districts are crowded, its buildings piled on top of each other. The City Watch rarely visits these areas, and certainly not after nightfall. These wards are ruled by gangs, criminals and the Thieves’ Guild.

Between the massively wealthy and the destitute are the “normal” people: the craftsmen, artisans, the smaller merchants and the tradesmen. If you work hard and are lucky, maybe you can take a small step upwards on the Lamoran social ladder, improve your station. Are you not favoured by any Icon? Do you have some unforeseen setbacks, are you not paying enough attention for just a moment? Before you know it you’ll find yourself several rungs down.

The many different races have the tendency to live and work together. Therefore you’ll often find an area of a district mostly populated with Elves, or a street with only Dwarves and Gnomes.

Your character is an adventurer. Some of you’ve known each other for a long time, others got acquainted only recently. We’ll use the first session to figure out the relationships.

This is a city-based campaign and as such it’s discouraged to create a ranger or somesuch.