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The Returners

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We do not fight to reclaim the past. The past is lost, irrecoverable, in shadow. Our struggle is to raise the banner of hope, even if just by an inch, so that better men may prevail one day, and revisit justice upon the shoulders of the realm.
—Prince Exton Estrise

The Returners are the last hope of Arcadia’s fractured rebellion, a collection of freedom fighters united under a singular purpose: to overthrow the Emperor of Arcadia and restore justice to a world in ruin. Their origins trace back to Prince Exton Estrise, the Emperor's firstborn son, who turned against his father after witnessing the horrors of his reign. Exton’s defiance gave birth to the "Prince Regent," a secret resistance movement that once commanded widespread support across the provinces.

The Fall, however, dealt a crippling blow to the rebellion. As the Great Crystal shattered and Muraius fell from the skies, the Prince Regent’s forces were decimated in the chaos that followed. Many were killed or captured during the Long Night, a period of brutal purges orchestrated by the Emperor’s Inquisitors. Despite the odds, a small core of loyalists survived, retreating to the desolate Northern Wastes to regroup. These remnants adopted the name “Returners,” symbolizing their hope for the resurgence of freedom and the return of balance to Midworld.

Fell Rock, their secret fortress carved from the bones of a Colossus, has become a beacon for dissidents and outcasts who seek to resist the Empire’s tyranny. From this stronghold, the Returners maintain an intricate network of spies, smugglers, and informants across Arcadia. Their operations are fraught with peril, as the Emperor’s forces relentlessly hunt them, branding them as heretics and traitors.

The Returners hope that the Queen Who Lives has survived the Fall reignites their cause. They believe her destiny to restore the High People and their influence over the world aligns with their struggle against the Emperor. Yet the movement remains fragile, riven by internal tensions between pragmatists who favor guerrilla warfare and idealists who dream of rekindling the old alliances.

Adventure Hook

The challenge the Returners can present to your players is one of leadership: having lost the man who led them for nearly a generation, the Returners suffer from low morale and need heroes to bring them together. You may task the party when they discover Fell Rock with this charge, and explore themes of hope and defiance in the face of overwhelming power.

The party intercepts an Imperial courier carrying a coded missive about a Returner informant embedded within the Emperor’s court. The party must extract the informant before their identity is exposed, navigating the intrigue of Arcadian nobility.

What secrets might the informant possess that could tip the scales in the rebellion’s favor?
How can the party gain access to the heavily guarded court without exposing themselves?
What moral choices arise if the informant’s loyalties prove more complex than anticipated?

Tags: Regimes

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The Returners

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