Black Powder Revolutionaries

~From the collections, journals and observations of Maleficius~

"It ain’t fair, saying that guns require no discipline. There’s more to it than load, point and shoot. For instance, you have to know who to point it at in the first place. That ain’t always so easy as it sounds."

~Fickett Townley, Freelancer Sergeant, 425 Tz

The great equalizers. That is the historical role desired by the Black Powder Rebels, who originally formed a multiracial coalition with the laudable goal of empowering oppressed kingdoms to throw off the heavy yoke of the Guild. Their steam power and guns are certainly worthy rivals to Guild-dominated technomagery. And, for better or worse, the stalemate that stagnated the Land for so many decades is now broken. Yet whether they will ultimately be cast as heroes or villains remains to be seen.

The years of war and chaos that followed that first gunshot do not exactly tip the scales in their favor.

Versatility and flexibility are the two cornerstones that support the foundation of the Black Powder Rebels. Although the multirace alliance may have begun as a political necessity, to better develop the rebels’ secret weapons of steam power and guns and give them a much-needed infusion of manpower, this coalition also boasts a variety of abilities and philosophies of battle that allow the rebels to withstand any of the three major magic-using factions. Their tactical importance has been recognized by many warlords, making rebel warriors a much-valued part of their warhosts.

The genie has been released from the bottle. There will be no forcing it back now.

~Maleficius

Leader: Unknown 
After centuries of persecution by a domineering magocracy, the Revolutionaries have found a way to even the score. With the new republics of Khamsin and the Northlands having carved out their own territories from the Atlantean Empire, now the real fight begins to maintain their hard-won freedom and to put an end to the tyranny of the Empire once and for all.

Fifteen years ago, in 419 Tz, it took only one bullet and an eagle-eyed Revolutionary named Snow to begin a new era in the history of the Land. The assassination of the Atlantis Guild’s leading wizard, Prophet-Magus Karrudan, signaled the rise of a new power in the Land. While frequent, bloody battles between the Guild and the free folk of Khamsin have marked the courage and determination of an entire generation of warriors, the first signs are showing that the fight led by Blackwyn, Sarah Ythlim and other BPRev warlords may well be having a permenant and undeniable effect on the struggling Empire.

Just recently, with Khamsin having survived destruction at the hands of the combined Atlantean and High Elven armies, and the Northlands secured under the auspice of Warlord Blackwyn’s well-trained Northlander armies, a new era begins for the fighters of the Revolution. With the Council of Merchants solidly in control of Khamsin, and the five-hundred mile front connecting the BPRev territories of Khamsin, the Grange Valley, the Northlands and the Amazon homeland of Nepharus Mons, for the first time the Revolutionaries have a solid base to work from in their war against the other factions - but are going to have to fight like the devil to keep it.

While the tactics of this new Revolution remains largely the same - utilizing small, mobile, well-equipped forces to win battles against heavily armed forces - the sudden surge of the Dark Crusade to the east and the bizarre arrangement between the free-willed Galeshi and Kzar Nabar has many Revolutionaries worried about the battles to come. Only time will tell if this opening mark of freedom will stand, or fall once again to the tyranny of Atlantis or one of the larger factions. 

Subfaction: The Bloody Thorns

Leader: Black Thorn 

Handpicked by the Black Thorn, these loyal warriors fight for the Revolution in ways that few Khamsin citizens would approve of. Through bribery, intimidation, spying, and even assassination, the members of the Bloody Thorns ensure that the Revolution isn’t undermined by unconventional attacks by outside forces. Made up of experts from all walks of Rebel life, the Black Thorn’s warriors were originally organized to ensure Venthian agents didn’t find ingenious ways of fracturing the newly reshaped Revolution just as it was getting its first real head of steam – and have since taken it upon themselves to do what needs to be done for the good of Khamsin no matter what the cost. The Bloody Thorns aren’t afraid to shoot someone in the back to get the job done, fight with every dirty trick in the book in order to gain victory, and then boast about it loudly at the local tavern over a mug of ale or three. Generally thought of as little better than mercenaries or rogues by many of the common folk of Khamsin, the Bloody Thorns know that the secret war they fight is crucial to the survival of the Revolution, and will do nearly anything to ensure that freedom never fails.

Subfaction: Northlanders

Leader: Blackwyn

Originally organized by the Warlord Blackwyn, the Northlander armies are totally devoted to the valorous cause of freedom. Made of up volunteers – never mercenaries – Blackwyn’s soldiers are fighting for not just their own homelands, but to allow their neighbors to have lives free from Atlantean influence. The Northlander armies continue to spread south and east, instigating and aiding the citizens of client-states long dominated by the Empire to rise up against their masters and to claim freedom over their own lives and destinies.

Subfaction: Forgemasters

Leader: Kenaz Stoneheart

As more dwarves lose their immunity to the effects of magical energies, some are concerned that they may have lost their only edge over their enemies. Others have taken it as a guide to explore the possibilities of magic--and in weakness to it. Kenaz Stoneheart has gathered the most talented of those among the Black Powder Revolutionaries who have embraced the ways of magic and taken them to a secret location where he works to shape the magic of the Revolution into as powerful a weapon as gunpowder--and perhaps even merge the two.

Background

Racial Composition	Primarily humans and dwarves
Origin of Faction	Erupted into being in 419 Tz
Age of Faction	15 years
Geographic Control	Khamsin, Northlander, Amazon territories
Religion	A variety of gods and totem deities
Magical Affinity	Steam and black powder technology
Political Loyalty	Freedom and wise governance

Official Position

Atlantean Empire	Tear the Empire down, and rip out the festering corruption at its mage-born heart
Draconum	They're pretty good to have in a fight, provided they're on your side
Elemental Freeholds	Tree-huggers who will never understand that the end always justifies the means
Elven Lords	Blue blooded Elven knights that want bloody revenge against the traitorous Atlanteans
Heroes	Brave warriors and wizards who bravely confront the unknown
Mage Spawn	Wild beasts that are best left in the wilderness where they belong
Necropolis Sect	Elves and humans who will do anything to gain a few hundred more years of life
Orc Khans	A Tribal people who take whatever they want from anyone not strong enough to stop them
Shyft	Tricky, manipulative lizard folk who try to get their way at everyone else's expense
Solonavi	Their offers are tempting, but what is the true cost for dealing with these beings?