So what is the game about?

Birthright: Ruins of Empire is a hybrid PBEM game where players submit orders roughly weekly and command a kingdom in the former Empire of Anuire on the continent Cerillia. Players take the role of Regents who chart the course of their own lands and seek to become Emperor. Or not.

What is a Regent?

Regents are technically the regents of the legacy of the ancient gods.

In the ancient past the ancient tribal human gods when to war against the primeval god of Darkness and Evil:

• Anduiras - The Golden Lion of the Sky
• Basaia - The Eagle who carries the Sun
• Brenna - Black Cat who crosses Fields
• Masela - Silver Dolphin who crosses the Oceans
• Reynir - Grey Wolf of the Woods
• Vorynn - The Owl who carries the Moon
• Azrai - The serpent in the Shadows.

The ancient human tribes and their allies, the Dwarves and Halflings, fought against, Azrai - Serpent in the shadows, with his armies of Firblog; Goblins; Elves; Demons; The Vos (the far eastern humans) and Undead. In the battle the Human Gods saw there was no way to defeat Azrai except to shatter him. To do so would separate the world into two, the realm of Shadow (The Shadowfens and Feywilds) and the material plane.

In the battle the gods fell one by one, and where they fell their blood spilled. New Gods, the modern gods, were born of mortals closest to where they fell.

Those who received less of the gods energy remained mortal, but passed their divinity down their line These are the regents, akin to the Gods them.

As for the battle. In the final moments the Elves changed sides. Their chaotic nature overwhelming them and in that moment they were stripped of their fey powers and trapped forever in the material plane. The Halflings vanished, the Dwarves elemental nature was trapped on the material plane, the Masela were annihilated, the Firblog were hideously mutated.

The final act was that of Haelyn, now God of Light, inheritor of Anduiras shattering the mountain on which the battle was fought. This broke the forces of Azari, and Azari was himself shattered, as opposed to killed. However, his blood did stain the battlefield.

Those of the Bloodlines who fought at Desimeer wielded power beyond that of mortals, but in modern days, whilst impressive, are not those of the gods. They are kings, Wizards, heroes and monsters.

Recent history

20 years ago the Gorgon, a mighty Awnshegh (corrupt and powerful Regent) swept across the lands of Anuire, harvesting the new bloodlines and adding their power to his. Kingdoms fell and the lands of Anuire fell silent. From the ashes have arisen new fledgling kingdoms. And whilst the Gorgon and other Awnsheghlien turn their attention elsewhere, the Anuirians will rise again to take their place as children of Anfuiras.

Currency of the Regents

In the game there are limited number of resources that a character needs to pay attention to.

Gold Crowns - Material wealth used to raise banners, build bridges, establish holdings

Power - Magical energy derived from places of wilderness

Ore - A temporary resource that allows the building of certain things

Wood - A temporary resource that allows the building fo certain things

Baggage - A campaign resource for feeding troops

Regency - A quasi-supernatural ability for regents to get things done. Generated by the size of the kingdom and holdings it can be exchanged at various rates into any one of the other resources.

Regency is both magic and temporal. Sometimes it is a collection of favours, whilst other times it is almost an inherent luck.

Regency can also be used to sway battles and sieges.