<span style="font-style: italic">Welcome, Adventurers, to the world. You come from many walks of life, many professions, many races, many places, many means. However, there must be one thing that you have in common. A singular quality that will serve to bring you all together. Is it the desire to do good? The lust for gold or power? Or is it simply the desire to do something more than the average individual? The inability to sit still and live an "ordinary" life. The drive to strike out into the world and do something more.<br/><br/>Whatever it is, keep it alive. It will see you through hard times, bring you experiences that many others might never know, and more than likely it will reward you with great wealth (of both experience and riches).<br/><br/>Through some series of events or another, you have been brought either into or close to the City of Bayton, a colony on the continent Edhen, founded by settlers from the Kingdom of Tirasea.<br/><br/>There are a few things to note about Bayton. First, it is one of Tirasea's youngest cities, only 300 years old. It lies on the southernmost point of the continent known as Edhen, mostly occupying a rocky peninsula and some of the surrounding grassland.<br/><br/>There are about 4000 citizens of Bayton, only a few of which are pilgrims of the initial settlement. These individuals hold the highest authority on the governing council, known commonly as the Primates of Bayton. They take their orders from one of the leaders of Tirasea, based in the Kingdom's capital city - Kinbilgund.<br/><br/>Most citizens work as laborers, farmers, and fishermen, although there are a number of professionals that may be found throughout the city. Unfortunately, magic is not something that is easily affordable (due mostly to costly components that are difficult to come by in the city), although several casters attempt to make a profit on some of their wares, most of them being sold as trinkets or charms to the noble class.<br/><br/>One of Bayton's main issues is the strained relationship between the local council and the nearby natives. The jungle elves, specifically, have issued a warning to the residents of Bayton. If anyone attempts to encroach on the jungle, they will be dealt with. Harshly.<br/><br/>Other races, on the other hand, are a bit more willing to work with the Bayton council, given sufficient incentive. Native to the Copper Hills to the Northwest, several tribes of gnolls have often offered various goods taken from hunting excursions in exchange for goods and services they have need of. There have been several incidents of half-orcs joining the city as hunters or guards.<br/><br/>What settlements have been established outside of Bayton proper are kept track of with meticulous records, their locations marked on maps and recorded in numerous ledgers. This often proves useful, as there are numerous risks involved in settling the wild lands of Edhen, and settlements do not always survive their first few years.<br/><br/>And so, this new world is yours, in a sense. Yours to explore, observe, perhaps even tame or claim. There are many dangers, and many rewards.<br/><br/>What have you been up to?</span>