Prologue
It was the 127th year of the Age of Steam & Mana when the Proclamation was made. The Heralds of Ink, Voices of the Goddess of Games and Stories, arrived in each nation’s capital to make said Proclamation.
With that Proclamation, the Great Rail Rally was established. It decreed that each year, after the height of Summer, and just before Autumn began painting the world in warm hues and grey-cotton stormclouds, one team from each nation, consisting of their finest engineer, their fastest runner, two of their strongest guards, and their most capable driver, would, if willing, compete against the other nations in a contest of wit, driving prowess, and endurance. Their travels would cover the whole of Aurania, from the shimmering, magical coasts of Celestria, to the deep canyons and industrial zones of the Feldspar Commonwealth, all the way to the ancient forests and highlands of the Portland Western Republic. The teams would race across the realm, gathering their respective flags from each capital, before one final dash to the place from which they started, a stadium that was built to contain the excitement and chaos that such a game produced.
The winners would receive fame and fortune, blessings from the Goddess, and would be written into the Tales of Aurania, Her book of myths and legends.
And so it began.