Vandalia: Haunted Hollers

One of the two magical colleges of Vandalia, Wayfarers study the realms of life, death, and the veil between. Following the death of her husband, Ophelia Gunn was tormented by the spirits of those killed by his inventions, so she founded the college to understand and overcome them. Spirits in Vandalia have much stronger influence over the living, to the point some can fully possess the bodies of living people. Members of the college take advantage of this by summonning and willingly becoming possessed by their ancestors in the pursuit of wisdom and power, a practice the Martial Brotherhood sees as blasphemy.

The defacto governing body of Vandalia, many towns live under Syndicate protection and are in turn subject to their demands and taxes. Hellbent on maintaining order and supreme power by any means necessary, they hire mercenaries to do their dirty work, typically conscripted from towns under their control. Though corrupt and near-tyrannical, its citizens often agree they're better off as part of the Syndicate than not.

The Bootleggers are a loose and secretive network of distillers and shine-runners led by the infamous Johnny K. Master alchemists brew embershine from smuggled embershards, and expert drivers ship it through dirt roads and backwoods paths in souped-up vehicles that are often fueled by shine themselves. Highly potent, addictive, and illegal, the embershine trade keeps the Bootleggers at constant odds with the Syndicate.

More of a job class than an united group, the Engineers invent and build the most advanced equipment and weaponry known to anyone outside the Kepler Foundation. Notable figures include Chief Thompson, inventor of the steam locomotive, and Henry Gunn, developer of all manner of firearms.

When you sign up to mine shards with the Company, you're in for more than just life. If you die on the job, the higher ups will innervate your body, and your shambling skeleton will keep mining until it literally falls apart. Generations of cruel treatment have led many of the workers to rise up against their contract-holders, leading to The Syndicate to step in and try to stop the rebellion.

Far into the thick forests, where the canopy grows so thick the sun can barely pierce through, something stirs. Company mining operations have disturbed the aquifer, casing traces of ember to leech into the water table and up through the food chain. This led to profound effects on anything living in the densest woods, from growing to enormous sizes to mutating into fearsome beasts. Those most affected were also set upon by an unceasing hunger, drawing them out from the thicket towards human civilization. While the Hunters do their best to keep their towns safe at night, the Elves seem to live in relative harmony with this twisted new side of nature.

The elves of Vandalia share many common traits with those from any other plane: pointy ears, highly skilled, nature-loving, and wary of outsiders. Conversely, those that inhabit the Hollers are much more fun-loving, expressive, and chaotic than elsewhere in the mutliverse. Their longer lifespans and natural talents are offset by their recklessness, which they in turn make up for with very large families. A common joke amongst humans is that "elves may not be too good at counting, but they sure know how to multiply!"

Where the Wayfarers laud wisdom and cunning, the second magical school focuses on honor and physicality. In the pursuit of strength and magical attunement, those admitted to the Martial Brotherhood willingly transform themselves into minotaurs (which are otherwise not native to Vandalia). Although founder and leader General Stier runs the college more akin to a military academy, graduates are expected to find work as mercenaries amongst other factions; the only group the Brotherhood directly engage in battle are the Wayfarer University, whose necromancy they see as blasphemous defilement.

A militia led by Silas Puckett, a renowned hunter, warrior, and monster slayer. Towns and villages not under the Syndicate's umbrella rely on the Hunters for protection and support. They are dedicated to not only securing food and supplies, but also protecting the people of Vandalia from the horrors that lurk in the woods. Although life is considerably harder, most agree it's better than putting up with the Syndicate's iron fist.

Everyone has an uncle who claims to have been abducted, but not all of them are just shine-induced hallucinations. Attracted from somewhere beyond by the strange abilities of embershards, alien entities have made contact with certain people and shared powerful new technologies. Members of the Kepler Foundation research the nature of Innervation to deepen their understanding of the multiverse, and possibly to use for technological advancement.

When the house of Kepler burned, only two survived. Orphaned brothers Stephen and Johnny were both naturally gifted, with Stephen having the better knack for book-smarts. While Stephen entrenched further into his studies, Johnny got mixed up with a bad crowd. He eventually started running whisky, claiming he was just doing what he could to provide for himself and his younger brother. Naturally a bright boy, he experimented with new methods and ingredients until he stumbled upon embershine, distilled from embershards and incredibly strong. Having more of a knack for street-smarts, it didn't take long for Johnny to build up his underground empire, alienating his brother in the process.

After his brother began running shine, Stephen left to persue his own research in his mountain laboratory. One night, Stephen began receiving strange radio signals warning of approaching "visitors." Soon after, an incredible machine fell from the sky, crashing in the woods near his home. Kepler aided its occupants, giving what technical assistance he could to such an advanced civilization, greatest of all being an amount of embershards to power their engine.

Fascinated by this utterly unique power source and thankful for the gift, the visitors shared incredible technologies with Kepler far beyond anything else on Vandalia. This led Stephen to form the Kepler Foundation, an underground research organization working hand-in-appendage with those from beyond the stars.

When the house of Kepler burned, only two survived. Orphaned brothers Stephen and Johnny were both naturally gifted, with Stephen having the better knack for book-smarts. While Stephen entrenched further into his studies, Johnny got mixed up with a bad crowd. He eventually started running whisky, claiming he was just doing what he could to provide for himself and his younger brother.

Naturally a bright boy, he experimented with new methods and ingredients until he stumbled upon embershine, distilled from embershards and incredibly strong. Having more of a knack for street-smarts, it didn't take long for Johnny to build up his underground empire, alienating his brother in the process.

After his brother began running shine, Stephen left to persue his own research in his mountain laboratory. One night, Stephen began receiving strange radio signals warning of approaching "visitors." Soon after, an incredible machine fell from the sky, crashing in the woods near his home. Kepler aided its occupants, giving what technical assistance he could to such an advanced civilization, greatest of all being an amount of embershards to power their engine.

Fascinated by this utterly unique power source and thankful for the gift, the visitors shared incredible technologies with Kepler far beyond anything else on Vandalia. This led Stephen to form the Kepler Foundation, an underground research organization working hand-in-appendage with those from beyond the stars.

When the house of Kepler burned, only two survived. Orphaned brothers Stephen and Johnny were both naturally gifted, with Stephen having the better knack for book-smarts. While Stephen entrenched further into his studies, Johnny got mixed up with a bad crowd. He eventually started running whisky, claiming he was just doing what he could to provide for himself and his younger brother. Naturally a bright boy, he experimented with new methods and ingredients until he stumbled upon embershine, distilled from embershards and incredibly strong. Having more of a knack for street-smarts, it didn't take long for Johnny to build up his underground empire, alienating his brother in the process.

After his brother began running shine, Stephen left to persue his own research in his mountain laboratory. One night, Stephen began receiving strange radio signals warning of approaching "visitors." Soon after, an incredible machine fell from the sky, crashing in the woods near his home. Kepler aided its occupants, giving what technical assistance he could to such an advanced civilization, greatest of all being an amount of embershards to power their engine.

Fascinated by this utterly unique power source and thankful for the gift, the visitors shared incredible technologies with Kepler far beyond anything else on Vandalia. This led Stephen to form the Kepler Foundation, an underground research organization working hand-in-appendage with those from beyond the stars.

When the house of Kepler burned, only two survived. Orphaned brothers Stephen and Johnny were both naturally gifted, with Stephen having the better knack for book-smarts. While Stephen entrenched further into his studies, Johnny got mixed up with a bad crowd. He eventually started running whisky, claiming he was just doing what he could to provide for himself and his younger brother. Naturally a bright boy, he experimented with new methods and ingredients until he stumbled upon embershine, distilled from embershards and incredibly strong. Having more of a knack for street-smarts, it didn't take long for Johnny to build up his underground empire, alienating his brother in the process.

After his brother began running shine, Stephen left to persue his own research in his mountain laboratory. One night, Stephen began receiving strange radio signals warning of approaching "visitors." Soon after, an incredible machine fell from the sky, crashing in the woods near his home. Kepler aided its occupants, giving what technical assistance he could to such an advanced civilization, greatest of all being an amount of embershards to power their engine.

Fascinated by this utterly unique power source and thankful for the gift, the visitors shared incredible technologies with Kepler far beyond anything else on Vandalia. This led Stephen to form the Kepler Foundation, an underground research organization working hand-in-appendage with those from beyond the stars.

When the house of Kepler burned, only two survived. Orphaned brothers Stephen and Johnny were both naturally gifted, with Stephen having the better knack for book-smarts. While Stephen entrenched further into his studies, Johnny got mixed up with a bad crowd. He eventually started running whisky, claiming he was just doing what he could to provide for himself and his younger brother. Naturally a bright boy, he experimented with new methods and ingredients until he stumbled upon embershine, distilled from embershards and incredibly strong. Having more of a knack for street-smarts, it didn't take long for Johnny to build up his underground empire, alienating his brother in the process.

After his brother began running shine, Stephen left to persue his own research in his mountain laboratory. One night, Stephen began receiving strange radio signals warning of approaching "visitors." Soon after, an incredible machine fell from the sky, crashing in the woods near his home. Kepler aided its occupants, giving what technical assistance he could to such an advanced civilization, greatest of all being an amount of embershards to power their engine.

Fascinated by this utterly unique power source and thankful for the gift, the visitors shared incredible technologies with Kepler far beyond anything else on Vandalia. This led Stephen to form the Kepler Foundation, an underground research organization working hand-in-appendage with those from beyond the stars.

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