Dustrider History
Important Events:
The Withering (0 BTF): The arid wasteland advances into what was once lush and fertile ground in the southern regions of North America. Much of the southwestern coast sinks into the sea. The most crops are ground to dust by blistering winds and acidic tornados. Erstwhile, groups of survivors try to eke out survival in these Dustlands.
The Rebuilding (12 BTF): Small towns and villages grow beside what rivers and bodies of water remained. Some survivors never stop moving, similar to the Vundarkin of Mid-Atla. The northern Dustlands are the domain of the “Mirage Tribes” (aka Miraji), a nomadic people skilled in magics and lores. To the east, the winds are quelled by the Brackenmarsh - a poisonous swampscape fed by rivers and deltas and harboring a resilient people.
The Raising of Harborage (23 BTF): Once beset by ravenous undead and eldritch horrors, the Brackenmarsh becomes the domain of Harborage. This city-state’s Diabolists harness powerful spirits and erect wards potent enough to stop Eldritch intrusion. It is believed that Sammael Lacroix and his coven were integral in suborning the Brackenmarsh’s evil into submission.
The Oasis in the Dust (27 BTF): The city-state of Oasis is founded, wrought by Dustlander innovation and unity. It is one of only a dozen towns in the region but it is the biggest and most technologically advanced. It uses steam, steel, and spellcraft to withstand brutal weather, empower their agricultural sector, and pacify the local parafauna.
The Warning (39 BTF): Miraji send messengers to warn the Dustlanders of a growing threat from the south. Though reluctant at first, the people of Oasis believe their quiet neighbors and make preparations for a battle, calling upon their trading partners in Harborage for assistance. Scouts are sent south to ascertain the threat.
Xhibal the Lightless (42 BTF) Greatly diminished and burdened with horror, the scouts return mere months before doom follows in their wake. The first known Harbinger, Xhibal the Lightless, and his monstrous creations have churned the settlements of the south into blood and ashes. He soon turns his attention to the Dustlands and Oasis.
The Fool’s War (46 BTF): The Miraji, Dustlanders, and Harborfolk war against the Harbinger in vain. Even when they are able to surmount Xhibal’s incredible sorcery, the Harbinger reincarnates within a few months. Ultimately, the Oasis is sacked and the Mirage tribes are driven north. Led by Wyatt Locke, surviving Dustlanders and some Miraji, begin their Ride East as the Dustriders. They make their way to their allies in Harborage. For a time, it seems that the Lightless does not follow - some believe that he went north instead.
The Corpse Priest (62 BTF): While keeping an eye for Xhibal’s western approach, Harborage is attacked from the east by an army of howling dead. At their head is a titanic, monstrous entity that Lacroix’s coven called the Corpse Priest. The city-state’s wards are dispelled by this new Harbinger’s sorcery. As Harborage falls, its defenders sacrifice themselves to give everyone else time to retreat. Wyatt Locke leads Dustriders’ flight north, taking the willing and able with them.
Along the Swell (71 BTF): The Dustriders trudge north beside the Mississippi Swell. On rare occasions, they encounter a survivor settlement. Regardless of whether they are helped or not, the Dustriders warn them of the encroaching doom. They never stay longer than a year but those who are willing to make the trek are allowed to join them. Seers among their people believe that salvation awaits across the Mississippi Swell, but the crossings have fallen into ruin.
The Hiveling Threat (80 BTF): Their slow and steady journey brings them to the midwestern Hiveling mounds. The insectoids are immediately hostile against the Dustriders, raiding their caravan train for captives. The Dustriders reclaim their people with grit, bullet, and spell. Weakened by their recent war with the nearby Grailguard, the Hivelings are easily scattered and their mounds are razed when the Dusters’ caravan train trundles past.
The Doom behind the Dustriders (84 BTF): The Dustrider Militia makes contact with the Grailguard and they cross the Mississippi Swell using the Dragonspan Bridge. They warn the Grailguard of what is to come. The next few years are spent by the Grailguard in preparing their defenses, evacuating personnel, and attempting to gain allies from the other settlements in the Midwest and Mid-Atla. Impressed with the Grailguard, some Dustriders stay to help with their war. The rest continue their Ride East.
The Siege of Grailhome (88 BTF): It is not one Harbinger that attacks the Grailguard but four of these entities. After dozens of brutal battles, the Harbinger Host lays siege to Grailhome. Not long afterward, the fortress’ defenses are unraveled and it is sacked. The region is corrupted with Eldritch energies and turned into a Shroudland.
The War over Embers (90 BTF): The desperate battles of the Grailguard and the Dustriders have given the Free Tribes time and impetus not only to unite but also to join forces with the Illustrados and the Templars. The war stretches across the western portion of Mid-Atla, even reaching the shore at some points. The Harbingers are defeated at the Battle of the Broken Bell in the Libertina ruins.
The Armistice and the Current Era (99 BTF): The Dustriders make homes in Mid-Atla, founding the town of New Oasis and assisting in the protection of several others. They join the Free Tribes to keep watch for any other Harbingers. A third of the Dustriders go back west in an attempt to find any survivors of the Harbingers’ tyranny -- they have yet to report back.
Important People and Groups
Dustlanders: A dozen survivor settlements stretched across the arid southern portion of North America (aka the Dustlands). They have some shared culture and trade but were largely independent from each other until Oasis became a city-state. They grew in population and progress in technology until Oasis was razed by Xhibal the Lightless.
Dustrider Militia: A massive group of refugees fleeing the Harbingers’ wrath and their ruined settlements to the southwest. They encountered the Grailguard and the rest of Mid-Atla via the former’s Dragonspan bridge.
The Free Tribes: A group of communities and tribes based in and around the Mid-Atlantic (aka Mid-Atla) area, but also within the New England, Tidewater, and Midwest regions.
Grailgard Wardens: Soldiers, scholars, and smiths dedicated to protecting humanity and its knowledges. Styling themselves as the honorbound warriors of the ancient eras, they battle monstrosity and raider without doubt or fear.
The Harbingers/Harbinger Hosts: Four sorcerous entities of incredible power and the monstrous armies that followed them. They came from the west and savaged their way to Mid-Atla until they were stopped by the combined efforts of the Free Tribes, the Illustrados, and the Temple. Among their ranks is Xhibal the Lightless and the Corpse Priest.
Harborfolk: People from the city-state of Harborage within the Brackenmarsh. They joined the Dustriders when their city-state fell to the Harbingers. Their Psions, Seraphs, and Risen have storied traditions in Diablerie.
The Illustrados Union: An Caribbean-based Archfaction known for their technological wonders, their mercantile bent, and their naval prowess.
Janelle “Deadlock” Locke-Jackson: Grandaughter of Wyatt Locke and current leader of the Hammerlock Company. She is the most well known and feared of the Tombstone Council.
Miragefolk/Miraji: A group of different nomadic tribes that dwelt in the northern portion of the Dustlands. Little is known of them, they are steeped in ancient lores and ancient magics. They allowed themselves to be called Miragefolk/Miraji, although in truth, they were a loose confederation of different cultures. It is unsure if those that stayed in the Dustlands survived the Harbingers. Confusingly, the Sunset Mirage Company calls themselves Miragefolk because of their Miraji influences.
Sammael Lacroix: One of the famous Diabolists of Harborage. It is believed that the Corpse Priest was an entity his coven defeated long ago to bring peace to Brackenmarsh. There is a rumor that his ensorcelled corpse was seen as the Corpse Priest’s lieutenant during the Ember War.
The Temple of the Shattered Mother (aka Templars): An northern Archfaction based on their faith to the God-Empress and dedicated to the destruction of wickedness and eldritch evil.
Wyatt Locke: A Vaquero Captain turned Dustrider leader, Wyatt led his people out of Oasis and ensured their escape from Harborage. He was an Oasis man through and through - it broke his heart to leave his home but he loved his people more than his city.