Roleplaying
I would be flattered if anyone wanted to use this setting for roleplaying purposes when I am not the GM and I will try to create material enabling this for other GMs, but at the moment I'm assuming you are reading this because you are going to play with me as GM in this setting or just curious as to how roleplaying happens.
If you accidentally slipped in here, check out what roleplaying actually is first.
The World
The playable world of Hökaland is in a relatively small area called Midrealm, where a large portion of the inhabitants live. It's best suited because it's the most densely populated and has a lively political and intrical life with a lot of armed conflict, much of which is meddled by someone in Capitoleum, the gigantic trading city. This does not mean that characters need to originate from the middle realm, but adventuring will take place here.
On the map, the realms are as follows:
- Green = Northrealm
- Turquise = Elven lands
- Blue = Midrealm
- Orange = Southrealm
Each realm contains a large number of kingdoms, each lead by a particular noble house, wich in turn is supported by an even larger number of small noble houses. The present time is the year of the Lord Rahn 1677 and it is a time where there are no large empires, but a lot of small conflicts and interdependencies. Many different factors has led to this situation and a number of interests like it this way, but it is not a stable political situation.
One of the main reasons is the vast riches of Capitoleum, which is lead by five of the most powerful houses (kingdoms), and while these houses and every one else vyes for power over Capitoleum, it stretches efforts to gain power elsewhere. At the same time, it's in no other house's interest for another house to grow a lot stronger, especially the five controlling capitoleum, so large scale conquest is beaten down hard with mutual effort and in-strife is encouraged.
These realms employ a form of bastard feudalism, which the Register keeps track of. One of the notable differences between European mideaval times and the Catholic Church's similar position to the Register is that commoners can create peerage for themselves and become nobles through their own actions (usually through war and it has happened many times, very few can do it in reality).
Characters
The game is pretty open as to what character you would like to play, but just like in the real world, choices comw qith consequences. Playing a half-orc may be fun in combat, but every other aspect of play will be very hard.