Avalon is a relatively small Realm with limited magical development but considerable technological prowess. The Realm itself consists of sixteen long, winding valleys through a massive mountain range, bounded on all sides by incredibly treacherous peaks and ridges.
Avalon was a small nation-city founded in the year 52 of the Age of Iron, although it had been a series of mining communities for nearly a century before that, in the Loren Mountains (which were renamed the Avalon Range when it was formally incorporated as a nation-city).
Although small, it was rich in metals and its people had an extensive warrior tradition, so its place in the world was well established. Over the next century and a half, Avalon slowly built up its population, gradually enveloping additional valleys and mining communities surrounding it, and lengthening and reinforcing the Iron Dragon (a massive web of rails and steam locomotives). Trade with the outside world was limited, but very profitable.
In the last days of 192 of the Age of Iron, Avalon suffered from massive earthquakes in the middle of the night. The earth shook with tremendous power in the middle of the night, and mountains in the distance belched fire or fell apart. The Iron Dragon shook and ripped asunder as the land buckled beneath it, and many died. When the quakes stopped by the next morning, Avalon had been cut off even more thoroughly from the rest of the world. The mountains edging the region had thrust upwards even higher from the earth, and turned into nearly insurmountable passes.
Avalon was now a Realm.
It took two years before Avalon could get a band of adventuresome souls up and over the border to er-establish contact with the outer world, only to find that the world itself was no longer their own. That was a harsh year, and when the few survivors of the explorers managed to crawl back with the tales of horror from the other Realm on the other side, the Magnate declared a state of war readiness.
The expected assault did not come, however. The warrior insects on the other side of the mountains great difficulty with the mountains, and Avalon was surrounded on the other side by ocean.
So Avalon prepared for a war that did not come. And then, as they waited, something approaching peace approached, although it was difficult. The people fought amongst themselves, even as the Magnate seized more power and became an autocrat in all but name. Taxes were increased to back-breaking levels, and many feats of engineering were performed (although the price in happiness and lives was arguably not worth it). The Iron Dragon spread its web across the landscape, allowing the Magnate's soldiers to be anywhere he needed them.
It did not help that God had seemingly abandoned them, as well.
Over the next century, Avalon rapidly went downhill until the people rose up against the Magnate (who was still surprisingly young looking, even then). That civil war was easily the bloodiest in their history, and nearly crushed the life from the Land. But the people were victorious, and research into the outer world began.
Avalon is still not a pleasant place to be, fifty years after the civil war, but it is considerably better than many Realms. Its people are fierce and strong-willed, and have largely resisted the pull of evil. The best indication of the nature of Avalon's people, however, is the Magnate; a lady of great stature, with proud bearing and a strong military background, she was the general who broke the former Magnate's stranglehold on the Land. She was unanimously elected to the position for her leadership skills, and has been bringing respect to the Magnate's position for the last fifty years, wiping the stain left by its previous honorary.
In the past few years, the Magnate has begun working on a variety of projects to help prepare her people for the outside world. It is said that she intends to establish trade ties with the insects, and possibly start a trade route over the ocean. And perhaps, someday, the glory of Avalon will be recaptured.
Avalon trades in "black silver", tiny coins of pure silver with a relief of a dragon stamped onto the back and the year and name of the town where it was made stamped onto the front. The coins have a light patina of cracks and a touch of tarnish. Although people sometimes trade directly in precious metals, gems, or barter, black silver is the only official coin of the realm.
PRICES:
Loaf of bread .............. 1 coin
Cheese wheel ............... 2 coins
Glass of wine .............. 4 coins
Mug of beer ................ 1 coin
Full meal (no drink) ....... 5 coins
Room at a hostel ........... 25 coins
- includes a modest dinner and large breakfast
Sleeping space at a farm ... 3-5 coins
TYPICAL PAY SCALES:
Iron Dragon guard duty ..... 20-30 coins per day
Skilled surgeon ............ 15-20 coins per patient, per day
The modern period is called the Iron Age (year 353), and is measured from the year that the Iron Dragon network first began construction. The people of Avalon are justifiably proud of their engineering prowess. Although they are not typically great inventors, they are quite exceptional at maximizing the technologies they have already developed.
Avalon's people have harnessed steam power, and have massive coal deposits throughout their mountain ranges for fuel. With steam, they have constructed the Iron Dragon (the main user of coal) and have had some limited success with steam-powered iron ore crushers. However, many of the less obvious applications for steam (industrialization, in particular) have not yet developed.
The Iron Dragon actually consists of two parts: the railways and the engine.
The railways are larger than those of Earth, as they are built to withstand a much heavier load. Typically, there are two tracks (in opposite directions) following the line of each valley in Avalon, with a web of crisscrossing tracks at every population center where the engines change loads, dodge each other, or rest. There are also usually two lines (in opposite directions) punching through the mountains between valleys. These sometimes literally go through the mountains, but usually wind their way around and between them.
The engines are massive, baroque bullets of iron, usually with a dragons head decorating the front. A typical engine is approximately 15 feet tall, 25 feet long and 10 feet wide, and weighs 200 tons. With ten 30-ton cars, it can reach speeds of up to 60 mph (unhindered by cars, it can reach speeds of around 90 mph). A full load of coal weighs around 30 tons and will power the engine (with load!) for about 8 hours.
PRICES:
Iron Dragon ................ 550,000 coins
Steel cars ................. 100,000 coins
Laying tracks .............. 100,000 coins per daun
- a daun is 1,000 soldier's paces, or 2/3rds of a mile
Coal ....................... 1,200 coins for a full load
- good for about 800 daun with cars
Travel tickets ............. 10 coins per daun
Avalon has not yet developed gunpowder, but has advanced considerably in archery. Avalon bows use a series of pulleys to maximize power for pulling strength, and are usually made of a spring metal alloy of exceptional strength. Avalon arrows are typically light steel, with penetrating and broad heads. The archers of this Realm are justifiably feared.
PRICES:
Lightbow ................... 800 coins
Greatbow ................... 1,600 to 3,000 coins
Heavy body armor is generally considered obsolete by most - a bow that can punch through the armor typically costs less than the armor! Heavy armor has become more a collector's hobby than anything else. However, with sufficient funds and a willingness to lose some mobility, very expensive armors can be had which are "proof" against the bow. And light armors have never quite lost their appeal for the common soldier, who must have protection against melee weapons as well.
Avalon metal armor is alloyed for low density and a high strength to weight ratio, allowing a fair thickness of metal to be put between oneself and one's opponent. It is correspondingly expensive, however, and generally restricted to the collectors mentioned earlier.
Each armor material below provides a description and a set of statistics and rules in the offset text below the description. The statistics are Mass and Cost. Below that line are any special notes or rules regarding the armor.
The Mass number is multiplied by square feet (sf) and AV to determine final weight of the armor in pounds. That is, the final weight equals "(mass) x (sf) x (AV)". The Cost number is multiplied by the final weight.
The base surface area of an average person is 30 sf. A large person might be 45 sf, and a very small person as little as 20 sf. The body has roughly the following breakdown of surface area:
Head/Neck (9%)
Torso (35%)
Left Arm (10%)
Right Arm (10%)
Left Leg (18%)
Right Leg (18%)
If only part of an area is covered, assign it a rough fraction of coverage (such as "1/3 of her legs").
Halve costs for armor that is "purely" functional, with no aesthetic considerations or stylizations. Triple costs for ornamental armor.
Alloys don't come out perfectly every time, and it costs more to smelt the elements apart than to simply sell the lower-quality metal at a lower price. The result is armor that looks right to any but an expert eye, but that is not quite as protective for its weight.
MASS: 0.25 lbs (typically 60 lbs for AV 8 full coverage plate and helm)
COST: 40 coins per pound
This is the material preferred by most collectors. Although it is not "proof" against a bow, it protects well against virtually anything else. Most plate armor of this nature is also ornate.
MASS: 0.2 lbs (typically 60 lbs for AV 10 full coverage plate and helm)
COST: 100 coins per pound
Although the alloy is the same, a great deal more care goes into the construction of "proof" plate. The plates are curved slightly and ribbed for strength, and each plate is individually heat-tempered and tested before going into the final product. Many sets of "proof" plate represent the culmination of 2-3 years of work, and are as often as not works of art on their own.
MASS: 0.15 lbs (typically 63 lbs for AV 14 full coverage plate and helm)
COST: 250 coins per pound (can not be bought as "purely functional")