All That is Known of the Present (Slightly Abridged)

Mikeno'Sedhr, known in the common tongue as Truce, is an island city-state preeminent in the world, a giant mixer for not only the races which walk the earth, but also the gods whom they worship. It is governed by two councils, representing the split between those of the Ten Thousand who followed Vadeh and those who chose Flandir: the Noon and Midnight Councils.

The Noon Council is composed of the followers of Vadeh. These followers span many different races and nations, but are predominately elves (the Sistri), humans, catfolk (the Mur), illumians, and halflings. The Midnight Council, on the other hand, counts many sea elves (the Mistri), dwarves, half orcs (the Flunir), and gnomes amongst its members, and follows the ways of Flandir. The councils each hold sway for half of the day, with the Noon Council ruling from sunrise to sunset and the Midnight council ruling the dark hours.

In the event of a dispute between the councils, the Year-King is the arbiter and tie-breaker. He or she is not a member of either council but, rather, is selected through a yearly contest overseen by them. A grand tournament is held, with the mightiest warriors from around the world competing against one another until one rises to the top. The Year-King is then ritually maimed, having the Achilles tendon of one foot cut, and faces the aspirant warrior in the Grove of Seasons on the evening of the summer solstice. Whomever emerges in the morning is declared the new Year-King. Traditionally this results in the Year-King from the previous year being slain, but the current Year-King is an exception to this rule.

Mirosh, son of the current Great Elder of the Mur, Draizen, has lived through seven visits to the Grove of Seasons, each time somehow besting his challengers. He is the most powerful Year-King in memory, maintaining a sizable personal army called the Mirosh'ar, all of whom are also catfolk. He has absorbed many duties once the charge of the Noon and Midnight councils, overseeing trade and the bureaucracies necessary to keep it flowing.

The only faction to present any serious contest to Mirosh's rise to preeminence are a group of rebels known as the Duar. Their ranks are composed of many Mistri, but Flunir and even some Mur have swelled their numbers in recent years. Notably, they are led by Mirosh's brother, Dervaish. The origins of the conflict between the brothers are unclear, although rumors swirl in the streets.

Rivaling the Year-King in several ways is the Order of Namers. Founded five-hundred years ago, the Namers are a group dedicated to the discovery of the true names of everything in the Autrech. They believe that by discovering the names actually given by the Ten Thousand to the objects and people of the world that they can determine the future, and sway the present. Their ultimate aims are not clear to outsiders, however, and they have kept them well-secreted for as long as they have existed. What is known by all is that a Namer, suitable equipped with the true name of something, can exercise almost absolute power over it. For this reason many in the city keep their given name secret and assume an alias, although it is not known whether the practice of this superstition truly deters a Namer from learning one's true name. The Namers are primarily composed of Sistri.

Geographically the city sits at the hub of the trade routes of the known world, sitting amidst the Flunir kingdom of Grethmar, the catfolks' arid land of Mur, the dwarven reaches of Throndir, and humanity's federated city states of Margot. The routes nearest Truce would hardly be navigable were it not for the skill and experience of the Mistri natives of the region, whose pilots make transit through the rough water of the Elvina possible. The various kingdoms of the Autrech all heavily depend on the ability to sell and buy goods in Truce, and this, perhaps more than anything, keeps the city safe from incursion.

The gods of Mikeno'Sedhr are too numerous to count, or, in the words of the great philosopher Mirrandr there is, “a god on every street's corner, hawking his wares.” However, there are some gods known to all:

• Vawdir, said to be Vadeh's close kin among the Ten Thousand, is worshiped mainly by the Sistri as a god of light and healing.
• Mykel, worshiped predominantly by humans as a god of bounty and goodness.
• Kythros, worshiped by many races as a god of war and dominance.
• Beeshoon, worshiped by the Flunir as a god of shadows and protection.
• Northmorn, god of the dwarves, dark places, and ways out.
• Recitir, god of the Mistri, worshiped for his watch over travel.
• Eindon, worshiped by halflings and other thieves as a protector and savior.

There is definitely cross-over amongst races and religions, and the worship of most gods may be freely entered into by an aspiring member, regardless of his or her race. But religious practice is not very constrained, so that a worshiper of one god may call upon another god for a boon. In fact, most in the city are not tightly-aligned to a particular god, calling upon different gods for their strengths as the need arises. Most do maintain a patron god, however, upon whom they can fall back.

Recent years have seen the rise of the worshipers of Beeshoon, often depicted as a large jade spider, and their Jade Cult. Most Cult members do not openly identify themselves as such, preferring anonymity. Their philosophy can best be described as nihilism, since they believe that Flandir will ultimately free himself from the Prison of Thought created by Vadeh and destroy the Autrech. Although this is common knowledge, their long-term ambitions are closely-held.

It is the year 20517 as reckoned since the founding of Truce.