Arginet

Breaking Worlds takes place in the island nation of Arginet. It is an ancient feudal kingdom, once peaceful, but now troubled by rising social conflict and threatened by the terrible cataclysm of the Breaking.

The Crown of Arginet has passed from one monarch to another in an unbroken line for the past thousand years, all the way back to the founder of the nation, King Estienne. In principle they hold absolute authority; in practice, they remain in the capital city of Kellewick and their rule is enacted by a hierarchy of noble houses. The nobility, fractious and competitive though they are, hold a great deal of power from their allegiance to the Crown, from their voices in court, and from their exclusive right to hold land in the royal name.

The common people are far from powerless, however. Wealthy merchants and artisans wield substantial clout and may even dominate the local nobles, while the new-found importance of the nation's armies has decisively changed the balance of Arginese politics. And all the while a highly motivated, popular, and sometimes violent reformist movement seeks to overthrow the whole system from below.

Five things about Arginet

• A proud and insular kingdom. Arginet and its noble rulers have long been aloof from concerns of the wider world.
• Steeped in history. The nation has prospered for more than a millennium since its legendary founding.
• Favoured by the spirit world. Fay and bound spirits are common, and the ancestors have long guided its people.
• Threatened by a mysterious cataclysm. The rifts opened by the Breaking portend chaos for the nation.
• The future hangs in the balance. Arginet must adapt in the face of the Breaking, and even the smallest change could be enough to shape its destiny.