Dear Frontier traveller,
Depending on where you find yourself in this fair country, you’ll hear talk of the gods from the megapolis of Crest City, all the way down to the swamps of Deepstead Province.
You’ll hear drunken fools muttering to Hob for good luck in card games in saloons. And in the morning, when those same fools have lost their coin, you might see them wander off into the forest to hunt for game and pray to Hob again that their arrows find their prey.
On dusty trails, you’ll meet country healers carrying the word of the god of medicine, Tulapian with them. Meanwhile, a world away in The Medico College of Crest City, he’ll be worshipped as a god that only the wealthy can afford.
And you’ll meet those who don’t pray at all. Men and women who believe in the power of people, who’ll spin you yarns of the folk heroes and gods that built their reputations by wit and will alone.
Here are some of those folk heroes.
The Coyote Kid
A legend of Robuck Province, The Coyote Kid was one of the most brazen outlaws in the history of The Frontier. He and his band of misfits robbed up and down the land, pulling off several major train heists and bank robberies.
The name of the Coyote Kid was lost to legend, but as the story goes he was in his early twenties and there are a few theories about how he got his title. One theory was from the constantly hungry look in his eyes and the gaunt appearance of his face. Other theories is that he could talk to coyotes or he wore a coat made of coyote skin.
The end of his story is always the same. In-fighting in the gang led to paranoia and betrayal and the Kid was hanged in front of a packed crowd in Crest City. But not before he gave a final middle finger to his captors by saying he’d never die old.
Evera Vanderburg
A folk hero for the agency of women, Evera Vanderburg challenged perceptions wherever she went. Coming from a poor family, nobody ever expected her to make anything of herself, least of all her parents.
Yet her bright mind won her a scholarship to The Medico College, where Vanderburg furthered her education and learned different schools of thought. But there were flaws that she found and it led her to constantly question the meaning of things. Her philosophy became known as Dubism, which involved withholding judgement.
Vanderburg questioned the polices of The Medico College. She questioned why men had more access to education that women. She questioned the limited political roles of her gender. Eventually, she was accused of being a witch by multiple parties and she was burned to death by a mob.
But even today, her philosophy is still practiced and taken up by women and men who refuse to see only one angle to the world.
Ironheart Hicks
The Order of Questers has many legendary figures among them and a name that echoes through the ages is John ‘Ironheart’ Hicks. He lived during the Cultiva Era. This was a time when the frontiersmen were settling the land and monsters ran rampant.
The Questers were formed to fight back and exterminate the creatures of the dark and Hicks was one of the earliest members of the order. Hicks favoured the use of iron weapons in his hunts and destroyed several monster species in his time.
Even his brothers recognised Hicks for his dedication and resolve. He was elected the First High Quester and set down the laws that have governed the Questers to this day.
Kalliah Winters
Historically, bounty hunting has always been a lucrative trade and attracted unusual people. Kalliah Winters could be considered the unusual type.
Born into a privileged southern family from Deepstead Province, Winters had her whole life planned out for her - marriage and children within the network of exchange between old money families that had kept commerce flowing from North to South for centuries.
Winters chose to chase after outlaws and criminals instead and make a name for herself across Deepstead, Eyra and Karstium Provinces. She was known for charming her quarry and catching them in the most vulnerable positions.
Another part of her legend is that she was in several whirlwind romances with outlaws and lawmen. Whether these relationships were true or hearsay, Kalliah Winters would remain a whirlwind unto herself.
Jowan The Shark
Merais Province has its fair share of daring smugglers, pirates and criminals and a colourful character that comes up a lot is Jowan The Shark. A smuggler and fence for the outlaw underworld, The Shark got his name for the tattoo he’d show to introduce himself in person.
In some versions of his story, he’s presented as an altruistic businessman providing hard-to-get goods to poorer communities. In other versions, he’s a ruthless bastard who took a bite out of any profit he could find.
What all stories are consistent on is that he was never caught or imprisoned. His shark tattoo was the only thing that could identify him and he went to supposedly extreme lengths to cover it up at times.