The short version
- The creatures of Shanoke were once free. They were the only magic the world had.
- To end a hundred years of war, a guild of cardmakers sealed every creature into a card.
- Now every dispute in the land is settled with a card battle. Anyone who battles is called a Sovereign.
Before the cards
For a hundred years the kingdoms of Shanoke fought over everything. They didn't fight with spells. People in Shanoke have no magic. They fought with creatures: dragons from the mountains, beasts from the open fields, spirits from the mist. Whoever had the strongest creatures won, and the land paid for it.
The Cardwrights' Guild
A group of cardmakers called the Cardwrights' Guild found a way to press a living creature into a card. They offered the kings a deal. Hand over the creatures, and the wars end. The kings said yes. Within a generation, every creature in Shanoke was sealed in ink and paper.
Small creatures fit in one card. The biggest had to be split across several. That's why monsters can fuse. The pieces are trying to come back together.
The Guild says the creatures agreed to all this. They call that promise the Pact. Most people believe it. Not everyone does.
The Accord
To keep the peace, the kings signed a treaty called the Accord. It says every dispute is settled with cards. Land, debts, crimes, even a crown. Two people battle, and the winner's word is law. Refuse a challenge and you lose.
People who battle are called Sovereigns. In Shanoke, the real power sits in your deck.
Your first deck
By law, everyone gets a deck by their 13th birthday. Most families pass one down. Families who can't spare cards get a Charter deck from the Guild instead. Charter decks are the weakest in the land, and everyone can tell.
The Eclipse and the Sovereign Cup
Once a year the sun goes dark at midday. During the Eclipse the bindings weaken, and some creatures break out of their cards. They roam the roads as wilds until a Sovereign beats them and binds them again.
The Guild turns the Eclipse into a festival. The main event is the Sovereign Cup, the biggest tournament in Shanoke. The winner is crowned High Sovereign.
The Unbound
Some people think the creatures should be free. They call themselves the Unbound. Some believe the creatures suffer inside the cards. Others just want to watch the Guild fall. Their hunters work the roads and challenge travelers, and they get bolder every year.
Words from the story
- Sovereign
- Anyone who battles with cards.
- The Cardwrights' Guild
- The cardmakers who sealed the creatures into cards. They still make every card.
- The Pact
- The Guild's story that the creatures agreed to be bound.
- The Accord
- The peace treaty. Every dispute is settled with a battle.
- Charter deck
- The starter deck the Guild gives kids whose families can't spare cards.
- The Eclipse
- One day a year when the bindings weaken and creatures break loose.
- Wilds
- Creatures that broke free during the Eclipse.
- Sovereign Cup
- The tournament held every Eclipse. The winner is the High Sovereign.
- The Unbound
- People who want every creature set free.