The sun has set upon the Aetolian Empire.
Through conquest, the Aetolian Empire of Mankind has spread across the world of Aranea like a firestorm. In its wake, a great civilization has grown - undeniably paramount in culture and technological prowess. Its stone towers twist high into the sky, and a capricious hubris haunts those who lead the seemingly nation. Those that stand against them huddle at the edges of the empire's periphery, and are barely able to withstand the crushing might of the legions. It is a time of war, and glory, for the mighty realm of Aetolia.
But inside its boarders, the Aetolian Empire is slowly dying. The cancer of hubris and the wanton disregard and disrespect for the powers of magic have allowed terrible and ancient evils to trickle into the world. Infernal cults within Aetolia's noble optimates are becoming far more common, each seeking even more power to sate their growing addiction. Their idle luxury and wealth stand in direct contrast to their colonial subjects. The conquered lands, and their people, have become mistreated subjects to Aetolia's citizenry. Those colones who serve the empire without the rights of citizenship see themselves little more than slaves, and the empire's legions find it more and more difficult to both enforce the boarders of their land and maintain those they've conquered. As wild beasts, barbarian warlords, and other devious and dangerous entities maraud the many unguarded towns outside the empire's core, the calls against the state's tyrannical oppression find a greater audience.
Aetolia finds itself threatened from within and without. Its foundations decay and crumble, and a future of civil war and chaos burns on the horizon.
Where will you stand when the darkness falls?
Aranea is a 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting, focusing primarily on thematic elements of dark fantasy. Players personify 4th edition's darker "points of light" style, and seek to carve out a place for themselves amidst the dynamic drama and peril of this land. Aranea distinguishes itself with a very tangible, real geo-political and social structure, which allows greater suspension of disbelief and realism. While magic and high fantasy are still primary tenets of its design, Aranea's social dynamic is governed much by the same principles in real life. Nations war for the same reasons they do in the real world, and terrible but prevalent issues such as ethnic cleansing, racism, genocide, and ethics allow for a D&D game that not only feels real, but allows its players to investigate a vast and real social commentary on the very same world they live in.
