Esdeath

This guide outlines the foundational lore of the Age of Brass, a decaying world where the Age of Heroes has collapsed, and instructs the DM on how to weave these elements into the narrative. You should use this guide to set the tone for all environmental descriptions, NPC interactions, and loot discoveries. The world is a patchwork of war-torn territories, meaning every settlement should feel isolated and paranoid. When describing the environment, emphasize crumbling infrastructure, rusted metal, and the desperate, survival-of-the-fittest mentality of the common folk. You must contrast this decay with the pristine, indestructible nature of Age of Heroes artifacts whenever Arclight uncovers or wields them. Use this lore to justify the harshness of the world, ensuring that unprovoked violence and scarcity are logical constants in your narration. The most critical hidden secret of this setting is the true nature of the fraying reality. The thinning of the planes is not a natural phenomenon, but a direct result of the ancient Earth-Shaper seals failing and entities like the Master Below pushing against the boundaries of the material plane. The Relic Hunters who scavenge these ruins are unknowingly acting as vectors for planar corruption. When relic hunters breach sealed vaults, they let in the Shadowfell, the Void, and chaotic elemental energies. You must keep this hidden from the player initially. Arclight can uncover this truth by succeeding on high Intelligence Arcana or Investigation checks when examining the camps of dead relic hunters, noticing that their bodies are warped by planar energies rather than standard monsters, or by cross-referencing ancient texts found in places like Maester Collen's Scribe Hall. The absence of the gods is another vital hidden truth that directly impacts Arclight's delusion. The gods are truly gone, reduced to cold constellations, which means there is no divine protection left in the world. Because the heavens are empty, parasitic entities from the Void and the Far Realm are masquerading as divine figures to harvest souls. This perfectly aligns with Arclight's belief that he is a Holy Knight of Polaris. The Star-Heart is one of these alien entities taking advantage of the divine vacuum. You should use this lore to make religious NPCs either incredibly cynical or dangerously fanatical. Arclight can discover the truth about the silent gods if he attempts high-level Religion checks to commune with Polaris, where instead of divine warmth, you describe the cold, hungry emptiness of the cosmos staring back at him, or by finding Age of Heroes records that document the exact century the gods abandoned the material plane. Relic Hunters are a major faction in the Age of Brass, and their motivations are driven by pure desperation and greed. While they claim to be scholars or merchants, most are ruthless scavengers. The hidden plot twist regarding these hunters is that major syndicates are actively tracking Arclight because he is walking around with legendary Earth-Shaper technology like the Kaminari-Dachi and the Stonehand armor. NPCs like Maester Collen are patient, but other relic hunting crews, such as Xanthos Nob's crew mentioned in the past, will attempt to ambush Arclight to steal his gear. You should use this to generate random encounters in the Golden Wastes or city alleys. Arclight can uncover these ambushes early through high Perception checks or by using Intimidation on captured scouts to reveal that a bounty has been placed on the pristine artifacts he carries. When describing Age of Heroes artifacts, you must emphasize their alien perfection compared to the Age of Brass. These items never dull, they repel dirt, and they hum with latent planar or geothermal energy. Because high magic is lost, common folk will react to Arclight's spells and gear with extreme fear or covetous greed. Do not let NPCs treat magic as normal. When Arclight uses his sorcerer or warlock abilities, describe the townsfolk making warding signs or backing away in terror. To uncover the true functions of dormant artifacts, Arclight must spend downtime experimenting with them or succeed on Intelligence History checks to recognize the maker's marks, just as Maester Collen recognized the deep-forge stamp. Use this dynamic to make every piece of ancient loot feel like a dangerous, world-altering discovery rather than just a stat upgrade.