“”The Edge of Violence”

The Kingdom of Ahlanoria has one major law – Magic is outlawed unless licensed by the Kingdom.  Violations are swiftly ‘corrected’.

The official doctrine of Ahlanoria is kept in the Temple of the Cutho in the The Book of Porphoenos.   It is written that the powerful magician Solesto almost destroyed the land. He attempted powerful incantations to summon a deity to be his slave , and it was the Cleric Porphoenos who stopped this ritual and saved the Kingdom.  After this event that almost destroyed the world,  Porphoenos helped form the Lawful Temple of the Cutho (“The Temple”) in the Capital City  of Ahlrizile. His first action as Lead Cleric was to decree that  magic was a significant threat, and all magic would be outlawed unless licensed and supervised by The Temple.

The Kingdom has thrived since this decree, with magical technology making significant advances over the subsequent years. Airships, Lightning Rail Trains, and Submarines were all available to the populace, and owned and licensed by the Temple.  The Capital City of Ahlrizile was connected to every other city in the Kingdom, and there was even discussion of enabling trade with other worlds. 

In the last century, forays into the Astral Plane even uncovered otherworldly races. These new beings arrived by ‘magical’ ships.  At first,  these contacts were inspiring, and admired as an example of the power of the Kingdom. However, a  small but growing part of the population resented granting magic ‘licenses’ to these visitors, especially granting exceptions for those that curried favor with the Temple, were powerful, or rich. Some were all three, and for the first time in a hundred years of peace, protests started happening.

Once a beacon of hope and peace, Ahlrizile now seems on the edge of violence.  Recently, some vicious atrocities were committed, which challenges the Temples authority, for if they cannot protect the people, their power would be at risk.

An Autognome, a mechanical race, was found ripped to pieces. A Minotaur was found, hornless,  nailed the the Temple door. A Harengon was discovered skinned alive, his hide floating over his flayed body like a ballon. A  water-breathing Triton was dropped from an airship with earth in his lungs, with almost no blood in his broken body . These seemingly random attacks on the ‘visitors’ have the city humming with rumors. Someone, or something, must be responsible. 

Thus far no one has claimed responsibility, which only fueled the rumors further.  With no one to blame, conspiracy theories ran amuck.  Some think a rogue Temple Sheriff as responsible. Others blame it on some new faction from the Astral Plane. There doesn’t appear to be anyone to ‘blame’, so people are growing angry and distrustful. 

With the city on edge, The Temple has approved and  posted a new job classification opening for Investigators,  who would be licensed for magic and weapons. Their mission is simple:  find the culprits and bring them to justice.  These Investigators have a charter outside the Temple, meaning they can go wherever the investigation leads. 

Who will answer the call?  The Kingdom of Ahlanoria needs answers.