Dawn

Film: Elizabeth, the Golden Age

“Great deeds are eternal.”

This is the land of heroes.

Here, great deeds are celebrated, and your reputation is more valuable than gold. The urgings of lovers, politicians and priestly troubadours drive young knights to greater and greater excesses in the pursuit of recognition - a golden age of nobility, passion and heroism; yet beneath the surface there are darker truths. Trackless wildernesses filled with unknown threats mirror the darkness in the human soul.

Enemies deride the nation for its stifling and outmoded system of image over reality, where might makes right and the needs of ordinary people are subsumed by an external sense of morality. And yet, they have forgotten the truth at its core:

Great men and women may be forgotten. Great deeds are eternal.

Few lands espouse the heroic ideal in quite the same way the Dawnish do. When people think of the Dawn they imagine her favoured sons and daughters, the nobility arrayed in armour, weapons drawn, eagerly seeking battle. Before them stand the troubadours, singing or reciting the epic lays of past heroes. And behind them, the war wizards, giving their strength to the battle.

Knights-errant travel the land, seeking an opportunity to prove themselves and achieve glory. Their nobility give battle in the tourney to judge who is fit to rule. The people turn their eyes on the enemies of the Empire, seeking victory and renown.

Her proud boasts are not hollow. Alone amongst the nations of the Empire, the Dawn has never given up land to the barbarians. But the aspiration to achieve great things is not just found on the battlefield. Every Dawnish feels that same urge, this is a nation that eats and drinks glory.

Five things about Dawn

• A great life leaves a legend. The only thing that remains when you depart this life is the memory of how you lived it. Death is nothing compared to great deeds.
• Nobility is an achievement not a birthright. Nobility is vaunted in Dawn, but it is a nobility of spirit they admire, not a title that you inherit.
• Glorious in victory, proud in defeat. The Dawnish relish a challenge. Those more skilled present an opportunity for glory by defeating them, those less skilled offer you an opportunity to demonstrate your prowess.
• Courtship, romance and tragedy. The rules of the heart are complex in Dawn; sometimes love is the greatest challenge.
• You cannot armour the soul. The Dawnish do not hide the great passions of the soul; they wear their hearts on their sleeve.

What the Dawnish are not

• Chivalrous towards women. Dawnish nobility are intensely competitive, they don't open doors for anybody, male or female.
• Delicate. The epitome of Dawnish female nobility is independent minded, politically and physically powerful. She might be an armoured knight, she might be the head of a household or a powerful Enchanter. The only fainting she'll do is before she runs you through with her sword.
• Gung-ho idiots. While they may lack the apparent uniformity of more formally organised military nations such as Highguard, or the grim and pragmatic efficiency of the Marcher armies, the Knights of Dawn remain amongst the most fearsome and courageous soldiers of the Empire. They are well aware that military discipline is key to their success on the battlefield.

The Nation

Core Brief

• The People
• Culture and Customs
• Look and Feel

Further Reading

• History
• Leadership
• Military Concerns
• Economic Interests
• Religious Beliefs
• Magical Traditions
• Hearth Magic
• Lineage and Species Attitudes
• Territories
• Children
• Music
• Costumes

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