Shadows linger over the nation of Amn, or so they say. This is a nation of quiet dealings, transactions made in the presence of opulence of the grandest scale , made specifically to distract the mind and eye from the dark realities of the land. In Amn, the coin is matched only by the promise of discreet favors and ever deepening circles of political maneuvering.
A land long since cultivated and mastered, forced to conform to the will of it’s masters, Amn is verdant and rich farmland, lush with prosperity and industrious growth. It’s people seem happy and content at first glance. But, as with so many things in Amn, what something appears to is often the very opposite of what it actually is.
In Amn, humanity is not simply the dominant race. It is, as some would have you believe, the only race. To see an elf or dwarf in this land is to see a creature viewed with disinterest, discomfort and occasionally outright hostility. Racism runs deep, as does distrust of anything not easily defined in the mundane functionality of everyday life. Arcane magic is treated with overt and open distrust that can easily turn into vigelante violence at the wrong phrase or action.
Law rules Amn with heavy influence, yet by contrast, so much law allows for a vast and extensive underworld that controls as many aspects of Amnian life as the authority of the great Council of Six. The presence of the Shadow Theives, renowned as the greatest thieves guild in Faerun, contests and coexists at the same time with the ruling council and it’s merchant prince backers. Behind or perhaps beside these two great powers, the Cowled Wizards quiet watch the land and monitor all magic (and some say so much more).
A land long known for its unchanging consistency and almost absurd contradictions, at long last chang seems to be coming, and coming in a devastating storm of war and chaos. To the south and the east, a massive army of dwarfing proportions rolls out of the wild foothills, devastating everything in its path and crippling Amn’s economy and people. Mercenaries are called to bolster Amn’s hard pressed armies and the crisp blue skies are now black with the fatigue and thunder of war.
To the west, a second threat looms. A vast fleet of pirates have blacked the great port of Murann and even now contest with the Amnian fleet for supremacy of the waves. Athkatla’s vital ports remain free, for now.. But things seem dire indeed. Pressed on two fronts, the council is scrambling for time, reaching deeply into their endless coffers to find some means to reclaim their land.
Opportunity now waits for the hardy people willing to risk danger in search of great esteem or profit. Amn would reward well those who aided it’s reclamation of itself. At the same time, for those seeking nothing more than personal gains… The law and strength of Amn is weakened considerably. A clever soul might find himself in a position of great power if he parlayed his position correctly.
One thing is certain, the coming months and years will prove pivotal. Either Amn will survive and be a pillar of humanities achievement and greed once more, or a new empire will form, a dark army certain to eventually turn it’s attentions and power on the neighboring lands.
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