The Mind of a Tyrant
Perhaps the saddest story of Brandobia’s history is the tale of Pel Brolenon. When Brandobia splintered, open-minded humans and their halfling, elvish and half-elvish companions fled to the lush valley of the Eldrose Forest and formed a communistic utopia. After about a decade, a scouting party unwittingly broke a magical seal on an ancient temple hidden deep in the woodlands. Velmn, the Overlord, the evil god of slavery and oppression was released and he quickly subjugated the peaceful Brolenese.
Today, Pel Brolenon is a theocracy which controls one of the most active and thriving slave markets in all of Tellene. Sturdy natural borders and a ruthless government keep this small nation intact and thriving.
The population is composed of more slaves than free folk, and the slavers of Pel Brolenon make good coin trading their living cargo up and down the Brandobian coast, through the Svimohzian Strait, and east to the lands of Kalamar and the Young Kingdoms. While she exports slaves by the shipload, Pel Brolenon receives its slaves primarily not from its own populace but from the victims of raiding and pirating by her slavers. Their reach is surprisingly long for such a small nation, and under the watchful gaze of the Overlord people of all nations and race can be found toiling away into nothing.
This is the fate that is promised you. You are a slave, chained to a Prel Brolenon slave sloop traveling back west through one of the Svimohzian Straits. Your captor is a dwarven slaver by the name of Bertek - an ugly, dark haired lump of mass that acts only to bark out orders to his crewman. You know of him only because the guards that bring you food and water once a day enjoy describing him in great exaggerated detail while complaining that he works them almost as hard as slaves.
There are many ways one can become a slave. Some are prisoners of war, sold to slavers to help fund the war effort. Some are individuals with crippling debts who sell themselves seeking at least a chance for their children or spouse to live well. Some are even criminals sold or traded to free up prisons or as a valid form of punishment. Not all slaves are treated horribly - some serve as merely indentured servants, being paid fair wages with free lodging and care.
If only you were so lucky. When you are bought by a Pel Brolenon you are a slave till death; a hard life of toil and suffering awaits you. The only hope you have is a small sliver - perhaps a Svimohzian privateer will find the vessel and free you and all the other slaves. But that is only a small hope, your fate is not looking good.
Will you lay down before the lash or fight back with what meager strength you can muster?
