Necessary Background

Here is the common background info for making your characters. This is intentionally left with sparse details for a few reasons:


 * I'm intentionally keeping the worldbuilding a bit lighter, so that there's less for the players to remember
 * You can paint your own character's background in here wherever you want
 * This isn't where the actual story takes place!



Geography
The island of Fyn has always been well-protected by its own geography. The only land route onto the island is a trio of grand bridges on the northwest corner, and the sea is rough and treacherous for all but the most talented sailors.

The mountains of western Fyn are mined for iron, nickel, and various gemstones. The pine forests in the southern reaches provide lumber for the entire population. Most of the farmland is along the central riverways, where the grasslands sweep gradually into the eastern sea.

Local History
The island has never been successfully invaded, and its history of commerce has led to a diverse population of many races. For these reasons, most of the conflict and history of Fyn has concerned its internal politics.

Historically, Fyn was divided into forty-nine independent baronies. They had their own laws, allegiances, and standing armies. They spent much of the last 200 years bickering and resenting each other, alternating between prosperous peace and conflicts of petty grievance. The baronies were dotted with the guildhalls of various tradesmen and merchants, which was often the only connection the diverse regions had to each other.

In time, the leaders of these guilds proposed a formal union of the various states. Not only did a political union lead to more peace (and therefore more wealth to go around), but the island's natural resources and various hubs of trade would eventually attract an invader who could overcome the defence of the geography and border-states. Of the forty-nine states on the island, thirty-six immediately supported the unification and thirteen refused to join. This dissent would not stand; no union would work unless the entire island supported it.

The Majority States waged a short and shocking war against the Thirteen Dissidents. The spirit of independence and self-reliance could not stand up to the overwhelming numbers who supported a political union. In less than a year, the Thirteen Dissidents were forced into a surrender and signed the articles of union. To this day, many of the citizens of those thirteen baronies resent their forced participation in the new island-nation, and the people of the Majority States are irate over having to fight for such an obvious improvement in the well-being of all people.

A new nation was founded upon the island: the Commonwealth of States. Each of the forty-nine baronies were re-established as cantons of the Commonwealth, which elect a minister to a central governing body. Some autonomy is retained by each canton, but there is some oversight from the central government as well. Everybody is equally unhappy about this, which is approximately fair.

Commonwealth Law
Civil Law governs the Commonwealth as a whole. Obvious criminal activity, such as murder and larceny, is prohibited at this high level. Violations of these Civil Laws are generally punished by imprisonment, death, or other severe reprimand.

Each canton has its its own set of local laws which regulate taxes, commerce, and so on. Because these vary across the Commonwealth, a traveler must be aware of the potential for unknowingly transgressing upon local law and custom. Violations of these Canton Laws is generally punished by fine or public censure.

There exists an extra class of offense: Crimes Against the Commons. The standard for these crimes is "thoughts, words, and actions that tend to harm the foundational cohesion of the Commonwealth" and include the following offenses:


 * Sedition: acting or inciting others to act in rebellion against the authority of the Commonwealth
 * Piracy: harming, or using in an unauthorized manner, the economic wellbeing of the Commonwealth
 * Aberration: those who are physically or mentally malformed, and are unable to benefit the mutual good of the Commonwealth
 * Deviancy: desires and actions which harm the social or moral norms of decency within the Commonwealth
 * Dereliction: failure to uphold the honor or lawful order of the Commonwealth's military commission

These are crimes against society as a whole, and are treated as somewhat more severe. Just about any crime could be severe enough to qualify as a Crime Against the Commons; if you rob enough banks, a court might find you guilty of Aberration for your apparent inability to conceive of the consequences of your action. Violating these laws is serious enough to warrant its own punishment: banishment to the Downside.