Scales of Ash and Tide

The Arbour Coastline teeters on the edge of chaos, its fragile peace strained by the fading embers of the "Golden Split" treaty between Markia and Lavonia, now unraveling after the 2476 TA assassination of Markia’s royal family and the 2481 TA failed attempt on Lavonia’s queen. Border skirmishes flare along their shared frontier, trade routes have become battlegrounds, and the Red Banded Talons prey on wealthy caravans, exploiting the discord. The Church of Unconquered Sol, through its Templars of the Radiant Dawn, calls for unity against this growing turmoil, but distrust deafens the kingdoms, leaving the coast vulnerable as merchants suffer under tariffs and blockades.   To the north, The Burnt Peaks rise as a blackened threat, their ash-streaked slopes hiding a resurgent hobgoblin force that has united under a jagged white trident banner, their movements no longer the chaotic raids of old but a coordinated march from ruin to ruin. Dunbrook, the joint military outpost meant to guard against these incursions, stands eerily silent, its Lavonian and Markian garrison strained by internal strife, raising questions of corruption or negligence. Scouts report the hobgoblins targeting merfolk ruins—long-sealed remnants of an extinct shapeshifting race—seeking ancient artifacts or weapons, their methodical search hinting at a power that could overwhelm the valleys if unleashed.   You, a band of adventurers drawn by gold, glory, or duty, step into this brewing storm. Whether you’re a Lavonian soldier defending your homeland, a Markian sellsword fleeing turmoil, a Church acolyte wary of chaos, or a local from Hazelwood fearing for your kin, your path leads to the Arbour Coast’s valleys. The hobgoblins’ trident banner signals a united front, and whispers of merfolk magic fuel your quest to uncover their purpose before it’s too late. Will you outpace rival parties, thwart the goblinoid threat, and unravel who—or what—drives this resurgence, or will the Peaks’ tempest shatter the coast’s fragile balance?