Five hundred years ago a great cataclysm shook the world. The greatest heroes and villains of the time and their amassed armies fought over an artifact of great power. What happened next is unknown, but the resulting devastation reduced the world’s largest island to what is now known as the Crescent Isle, along with destroying the most powerful beings to ever light in one place.

The world groaned in pain, storms raging across all lands as the currents in the sky as well as the seas changed course to fill the void left in the Southern Ocean. Worse yet, the currents of the planes no longer flowed. Clerics found their calls unheeded as the gods could no longer communicate with their followers. As if the peoples’ miseries were not enough a great plague began to sweep the land. Wails rent the air and people cursed their fate as they watched loved ones die, wondering if they would be next.

In their anger, many looked to assign blame. The priests could no longer invoke their blessings to aid the people, but wizards were still able to perform their arts. The human nations and many other races damned magical practitioners. Wasn’t it the quest for a magical artifact that consumed the best and brightest? Who was to say the plague didn’t spring from a magical font as well? Suspicion quickly turned to rage and bowing to the will of their people most nations banned the practice of magic. Never numerous before the cataclysm, the practitioners of magic were soon hunted to the brink of extinction. Unbeknownst to the common man, the severing of the planes had already weakened the efficacy of magic.

Time passed and on the lands where the Duchy of Wexton would one day be founded an alliance of Dwarves, Elves and Halflings battled a militaristic Hobgoblin kingdom intent on expanding. The second Hobgoblin war saw the dwindling elves retreat from the coalition, creating a breach between Dwarves and Elves which has yet to heal.

To the east, the island nation of Prydane had begun to flourish once more. As their fleet began to cover the oceans, Neuland was discovered. The current inhabitants would have argued that the land was hardly new, but that hardly mattered to the Prydanese. With human exuberance an influx of adventurers, opportunists and risk takers soon landed. Fortunately they encountered the friendly countenance of Halflings first and soon the Duchy of Wexton was founded. Seeing an opportunity to gain a powerful ally, the Halflings welcomed these new explorers. To this day it is common to find a village of the small folks next to a town of the larger folks.

Having recovered the Hobgoblins decided once more to expand their realm, but this time they encountered the proud Prydanese. Allied with the Dwarves and Halflings, their ships bringing over fresh troops and equipment, the humans stymied the Hobgoblin advance. Both sides seeing no benefit to continuing the stalemate signed a treaty which has lasted, though some would argue the line of forts on both sides of the border have aided the peace.

Sixty-eight years ago one band of adventures found a ritual that allowed them to pierce the veil separating the planes. As the voices of the gods were faintly heard once more, the populous re-evaluated their stand on users of magic. For indeed, one of the fearless band who returned clerical healing to the land was a wizard. The king of Prydane decreed that the spell ban was at an end and the wizard who helped reconnect the gods with their priests became the first court wizard in over three centuries. Though a measure of distrust still exits, those with magical inclination are no longer openly hunted.

More recently, the barbarian tribes of the wilderness west of the duchy were repelled, but more importantly is the growing hostility between humans and elves. The Prydanese navy requires a constant influx of lumber and the ancient forests where the elves dwell offer an abundant supply of timber.

This is the land the adventurers find themselves. Whether born in the duchy, newly arrived from Prydane, a barbarian from the wilds or one of the numerous humanoids which live in or near the duchy you can expect to find something to thrill you. Currently an intrepid band of adventurers have begun to explore the Vale of Thunder in the northern reaches of the duchy. This valley has small settlements of varied populations, each trying to thrive on the frontier. The hardy band exploring this land have already helped an indentured servant escape from her overbearing lord and has learned that the Kobold tribe which had previously maintained good relations with their human neighbors had been threatened to create mischief, but for what nefarious purposes has yet to be determined.