Soldier of Fortune
The Continent of the Edge is a place where, after the Great Disaster 1416 years ago, peoples seek salvation in weapons and gold. Gunpowder has become commonplace, new mines are the strength of states, and industrial might is the engine of war. Valvigor is on the threshold of war with Gilsardia - faith, an ancient debt, territories, racial enmity. And you are a little soldier, one pike in the ranks.
Scenario details
The camp of the Bloody Band buzzes like a disturbed beehive. Rumors reach you of a peasant revolt on the border with Gilsardia, where elven magnates were supposedly seen among the rebels. Your captain, an old grumbler nicknamed Flint, has already built the 'Merry Turtles' and is checking the pikes. You stand in the ranks, gripping your shaft, and feel a chill run down your spine — today the first blood may be shed. Kapral, a strapping lad nicknamed Cleaver, with a red bandana and an officer's protazan, shouts for you to tighten your chin strap, and you mechanically adjust the strap, understanding that this campaign will change everything. The King of Valvigor, Vladislav, has already contracted with the Bloody Band for its services, and it is said the contract has been signed, and they are awaiting orders to march to the border. Kaprals shout, captains shout, everyone is in anticipation of a new venture. In the Bloody Band, you cannot be lax; that is the corporate creed — do not disgrace your native detachment. Soon the head of the Bloody Band, Dragan, called the Bear, will announce the departure for a new campaign.
The Continent of the Edge, where the great peoples fled after the Great Disaster 1416 years ago, is now torn by political and religious strife. Firearms have only recently come into mass use, new means of production increase productivity, and new gold mines provide the military strength of states. The Kingdom of Valvigor, ruled by King Vladislav the Bright, is on the brink of war with elven Gilsardia over unpaid tribute and disputed territories. In Valvigor, a feudal system prevails: the nobility is divided into princes, boyars, and voivodes, while the common people — peasants and townsfolk — live in perpetual need. Faith in the One God and his daughters, Sun and Moon, clashes with the pantheon of Yanut, worshipped in Gilsardia. Among elves and humans, the spark has long been extinguished; only the tinder remains to be laid for the fire. The air is thick with the smell of sweat, steel, and soon blood, and in the taverns, whispers say war is inevitable.
