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So, some of the players in my Giantslayer game aren't setting nerds like me, so they wanted some context for the area they were going to be starting in. As such, I present to you the post I made on Facebook.
Totally Accurate History and Background for Belkzen and Trunau
There are many places on Golarion where it would suck to live. Unlike most places, which started out fairly okay and then had horrible s@#& happen that made them suck, Belkzen has the distinction of being pretty g%*%&&n s*%+ty before stuff happened to make it worse.
Belkzen is bordered by Varisia (Land of adventure and gypsies) and the Mindspan Mountain Range on the left and Lastwall (Land of Keeping Liches Locked Up) and Ustalav (Transylvania as depicted by Hollywood but also somehow worse) on the right. To the north are the Realm of the Mammoth Lords (As in, riders of mammoths, not just super fat people) and the Worldwound (Demon Yo!). To the south is Nirmathras (Land of I Forget, so no fancy title for you).
Belkzen was “founded” by an Orc, also names Belkzen, who united his people against the Dwarves and managed to take over one of their giant fortresses. The Orcs then went about breaking into tribes and killing each other with much gusto. Their passion for murdering each other was outshone only by their passion for mating with each other and their passion for killing (and sometimes mating with) other races, mostly humans. Due to these finely honed murder skills, the Orcs of Belkzen have been used by outside forces as a powerful army with which to conquor and murder many people. Most famously, the Horde was roused to battle by the Blue Dragon Kazavon, who was so deadly his bones can kill you, and by Tar-Baphon, also known as the Whispering Tyrant, a lich who was strong enough to look at Aroden, God of Humanity, and think “Yeah, I could take him in a fight.” It was the battles against Tar-Baphon that ended up founding the nation of Lastwall, where the Lich is currently sealed away.
The Orcs have, on occasion, made major pushes to expand their borders, mostly southward as it is the easiest direction to push. Lastwall has attempted, and often failed, to stop this expansion. The most recent major push occurred 200 years ago, where much of southern Lastwall was overrun. Many of the farmers and villagers fled, but not all of them. This brings us to the town of Trunau, where you start your adventure.
When everyone else decided to run, the people of Trunau said “F!&% that noise, bring it you green skinned bastards!” The town has remained standing to this day, weathering many an orc raid. The people of Trunau are close knit and always ready to spring into action to defend their town. Children are taught to fight as soon as they can and not adult goes about unarmed. Every citizen, once they come of age, is given a dagger called a Hope Knife, which they must be ready to use on themselves or their loved ones should they ever be taken alive by orcs.
As fate would have it, your adventure beings on the day of one such coming of age ceremony for the daughter of the Leader of Trunau, Chief Defender Halgra of the Blackened Blades. Her daughter, Ruby, will be presented with her Hope Knife in a ceremony and will then take part in numerous festive games to celebrate her transition into adulthood.
Trunau is located in the southern part of Belkzen, close to the borders of Lastwall and Nirmathras, with which they do a good amount of trade. If you have any questions about fitting your back story into the area or just have some additional questions, let me know.
Got to give credit for packing a LOT into a short introduction . . . .