Welcome to Burning Ethrea
Burning Ethrea is a Burning Wheel roleplaying campaign set in the post-apocalyptic land of Ethrea. When depravity and sin had corrupted men in the highly civilized world of Ethrea, the watchful Angels that rule over Mount Celestia came together in a great council and decided that the world had to be purified by the wrathful flames of heaven. Thus they called for the Grand Judgement which meant, effectively the destruction of Ethrea and the extinguishing of most of its inhabitants. Natural disasters devastated entire landscape, deadly plagues killed millions of men and women in the flourishing cities and finally, the Angels descended to Ethrea themselves to face the Devils from the Sulphurous Pits of Hell who had initially caused the corruption of the mortals. Together with the hosts of worshippers that had survived until that final battle, the cosmic factions engaged in a short and unbelievably violent war by the end of which only a few mortals were left on the face of Ethrea. Civilization had been wiped away. Knowledge had been destroyed. Sin had been burned by the purifying flames of heaven.
Had it?
Now, almost fifty years after these events that are summarized as the Grand Judgement or the Cataclysm, Ethrea is still a torn world. Natural disasters and weird magical phenomena are only some of the perils the lands have to offer. Magic has been unleashed on the world with the coming of Angels and Devils and his changed the face of Ethrea forever. Animals have been turned into voracious monsters and finally the surviving mortals have learned how to use the magical energies for their own ends - not without instruction from Angels or Devils that both try to establish their sway on the world so that this time, the fate of Ethrea shall go in according to their own nature.
Men live in primitive tribes that roam the wide uncharted lands and hide in the ruins of once great cities that are overgrown with vegetation and only offer hints of the splendid achievements of civilization that have been burned by heavenly flames or torn into pieces by the claws of the wretched Devils. While the mortals try to establish themselves in a world that looks nothing like before the Grand Judgement, both cosmic factions have begun to work their way into the young societies: Angelic evangelists and Diabolical cultist both try to pull mortals to their side and so far, none of the two groups has managed to prevail.
Mortals are actually quite suspicious of the otherworldy forces as it has not yet been forgotten that it was them who has been responsible for the destruction of entire kingdoms and the death of millions of seemingly innocent people. So while some have chosen to obey the Angelic laws and others have embraced the promises whispered by cunning Devils, still others don't want the outside forces to tamper with their lives.
The Campaign
The campaign is played in two tabletop groups and a Skype 1on1. The groups are the following:
The Burning Ethrea Blog
For more information about the ongoing campaign and a log of events at the gaming table, please visit the Burning Ethrea Blog
