Lore of Arvendon: The Continent of Sanctuary
The World of Arvendon
Arvendon is a world of magic, gods and witches. Celestials and Deamons fight for control over mortal souls while civilizations rise and fall, struggling to keep their heads afloat as the ocean of time erodes them away.
There are two major continents that comprise nearly ninety percent of the worlds landmass. Incanterra, currently ruled by the Empire of Illumination in the west, and Sanctuary, occupied by the Union of Mortals in the east.
Most Free people live in Sanctury, within the protective borders of the Union, which covers the entire southern half of the continent. A massive mountain range known as the Radiant Peaks separates the northern section of Sanctuary from the south and signifies the end of the Union’s control. Past these mountains is a magical wasteland of ever changing terrain known as the Crescent Wildlands.
The Crescent Wildlands
In addition to the Radiant Peaks, the Wildlands are seperated by the Great Divide, a massive canyon that runs from the east coast all the way through the Noxwood, on the west coast. There is only one safe way over the chasm, located at its thinnest point near the Almian city of Dunmer. At a place known as the Tharrasian Span is a giant drawbridge, built in ancient times before the city was even established. The great bridge utilizes magical contraptions to lift and lower into the ever-changing landscape of the Crescent Wildlands. People used to be able to sail around the mountains to reach the Crescent, but as of the last decade the unnatural storms from the wildlands have intensified around the capes, with some lasting for years at a time.
The Crescent represents a vast amount of untapped, untamed wilderness and natural resources. While the terrain is strange and unpredictable, the potential riches are vast. Unexplored ancient ruins, abandoned mines, rare magical beasts and so much more. Just the territory alone represents more landmass than any current nation in Sanctuary. As such many attempts have been made to colonize or harvest the Wildlands, to no avail. The dangerous and unpredictable nature of the land itself has prevented most attempts from any success, and the Union’s involvement in the war against the Empire stopped any progress short until recently.
This is now a time of peace, and the twin monarchs of the Dyadra Kingdom have created an open commission to all that wish to try and earn their fortunes. As long as Union Rule is obeyed any and all people are allowed to try their hand at exploring and settling the land. All resources, magical items, and discoveries will go to those that found and harvested them, all land will remain with those that can retain them, and heavy tax exemptions are given for the first year of settlement.
The declaration has caused a rush of a magnitude unseen before in Sanctuary, as gifted adventurers, speculative prospectors, and anyone with more hopeful optimism than common sense have flocked to the one permanant settlement currently established in the Wildlands, Solo ‘Quelas. Originally a stone tower home to a powerful witch named Maven, she has graciously extended an open welcome to those wishing to explore the wildlands. Her specially crafted curses keep the area around her home safe and unmutable from the magic of the crescent. She has two simple rules, in her space there will be no violence of any kind and no theiving, anyone that does will be immediatly ejected from the protections of the tower.
The Empire of Illumination
Claiming the entire western continent of Incanterra as their domain is the Empire of Illumination. Aggressively atheistic, the Empire follows the doctrine taught by the Luminous Emperor to an almost cultish degree. The Emperor believes that the gods do exist, but should not. He believes they are an affront to the natural order of the world and that mortals would be unhindered from their limitations if all the gods could no longer meddle in their affairs. After the Emperor somehow did what was thought impossible and killed a demigod by making Irdon mortal and striking him down, he earned himself the moniker “God Killer”.
The Emperor does not believe all mortals are created equal. The doctrine of the Empire is that some people are just born naturally more talented then the majority of the unskilled rabble, and that the duty of the untalented is to help maximize the potential of the truly gifted.
The Empire is extremely aggressive in its expansion and intends to force it’s beliefs on to the rest of the world. Through the power of the Emperor and his armies they’ve dominated all of Incanterra and have their sights set on Sanctuary. They nearly succeeded in conquering the entire known world during the Great Invasion, but were slowly pushed off of Sanctuary with the formation of the Union of Mortals and the Council of Celestials. That war took years, though it’s been a long time since the Empire has made another attempt to cross the great ocean.
The Union of Mortals
There are four major factions that collectively make up the Union of Mortals. Each has it's own history, traditions, and laws, but all have a say in the formation of policy for the Union and share a common currency. The human and elf joint nation of Dyadra originally formed the Union to combat the Empire of Illumination during the Great Invasion. As the charter members they host the gatherings of the Union in their capital of Coria. They are joined in the Union by the dwarven kingdom of Alm, the Free People's Republic of Deliverance, and the Collective Tribes of Noxwood.
The Dyadra Kingdom
The Dyadra are located in the southwest side of sanctuary and are the largest faction in terms of both population and territory. Their lands stretch from the the Shining Coast in the south to the Noxwood in the north, extending to the Crag Desert in the northeast and stopping at the border of the Dark Woods. More than a quarter of Sanctuary falls under Dyadra Control.
Comprised of nearly even amounts of humans, elves and half elves, the Dyadra are wholesome and inclusive people. They are experiencing a golden age since the Union repelled the Great Invasion and have grown accustomed to the tranquility of peace. They spend their time concerned with the mundane minutia of day to day life and much effort has been put into public works of art and education as of late. Nearly every school of Magic has a college within Dyadra, with the Cumulus Academy being an especially prestigious collection of Divination Masters. Divination plays a large role in Dyadra Society and was the first magic taught to mortals according to them.
The Kingdom has been ruled by twin monarchs ever since man and elf joined forces to combat the Empire. The current rulers are Zylred and Iarven. They are known to be very charitable and more lenient than their neighbors, though strict when it comes to dealing with any remnants of the Empire's slavery and cruelty.
Only one deity is recognized in the Kingdom and that is the Council of Celestials. Formed by Zerus the All Father and the gods of light when the human demi-god Irdon was slain by the Luminos Emperor during the Great Invasion. The Council is the collected power and consciousness of nearly every god of light, united to aid and protect the people of Sanctuary.
The People’s Republic
The Free People’s Republic is located in the southeast lowlands of Sanctuary. The territory is known as Deliverance and is separated from the other nations by the Drought Top Sierra to the north, the Crimson Spikes to the west and the Dark Woods in the northwest. Entirely marshland, the major settlements are coastal, with smaller villages dotting the swampy interior or placed along the many rivers.
The last Territory to repel the Empire of Illumination from their lands, the native inhabitants are now nothing but a distant memory, having perished from years of Imperial occupation. The people of the Republic are comprised of emancipated slaves that successfully rebelled with the aid of the Union and expelled their oppressors.
The youngest nation in Sanctuary and perhaps the most fiercely patriotic, the Republic has the widest variety of races and beings that compose its population. United in their hatred of the Empire and love of personal freedom they place equal emphasis on individuality and community, believing that everyone should contribute to the greater good in the way in which they are uniquely capable. They detest slavers and dislike the rigid social systems of other societies. Their officials are elected, with state wide elections held every few years.
The Republic produces an inordinate amount of mercenaries and adventurers for it’s population, it is their largest major export. Most are sponsored members of the Blue Ribbon Army, the loose collection of like minded warriors and guerrillas that protect the nation. The leadership of the Army will connect individuals with work in exchange for a small percentage of their income, the only requirements is that you be a citizen of the republic and wear a bright blue piece of cloth somewhere on your person to signify your membership. This is a deliberate call back to the revolution where slaves would tie pieces of colored cloth to their arms to signify their participation in the revolts.
The Kingdom of Alm
Located under the Radiant Peaks and the Draught Top Sierra, the Kingdom of Alm is a subterranean civilization of dwarves and gnomes. Rigid and traditional to the extreme, Alm society is mired in the past. Very little has changed since the formation of the state, which can be accredited to the fact that they utilize divine abilities and necromancy to both communicate with and reanimate their dead ancestors. In fact the Kingdom is ruled by a congress of kings of the past, with the current living king having less control over policy than his reanimated forefathers.
Rich with minerals and precious gems, the majority of Alm’s wealth goes towards the worship and reanimation of the dead. Ornate suits of armor and extravagant death masks are crafted for the wealthy dead, for use in their second life. Few of the lower castes can afford such extravagance, though many strive to one day earn enough favor to be able to raise themselves and their kin into the elite ranks of the undead upper class.
The methods and rituals utilized to create the honored undead are a closely guarded secret of the kingdoms clergy, though the lack of tombs or graveyards for the lowest class of criminals provides some clues as to how they achieve these great feats of necromancy.
Unsurprisingly Almians worship Nel, the Goddess of Death, and have a different outlook on death and re-life than any other society on Sanctuary. Their views on the value of life, their high quality weapons and highly defensible home under the mountains has prevented any foreign power from threatening the halls of the Alm for centuries. They were the last to join in the fight during the Great Invasion, something for which they still receive criticism for into the current day. Nothing happens quickly in Alm, however, and you would be hard pressed to find another people more resistant to change.
Tribes of The Noxwood
The Great Noxwood encompasses a large portion of western Sanctuary. It sets the borders of both the Dyadra Kingdom and the Radiant Peaks and continues into the Crescent Wildlands at it’s northern edge. The loose collection of Satyr tribes and warchiefs that comprise it’s denizens have joined the Union of Mortals tentatively.
Tribal and isolationist, the Satyrs and other species that call the Noxwood their home do not often venture into the larger outside world, prefering to avoid contact where possible. Considered primitive or savage by most outsiders, the tribes spend a great deal of their time squabbling and fighting amongst themselves over feuds and resources. Personal strength and skill are highly regarded in the forest, and most clan Chieftains are the strongest and most cunning members of their tribe.
Perhaps due to it’s proximity to the Wildlands, the Noxwood has an unusual effect on the birthrates of those that live inside it. Nearly all children sired in the wood are born female, very few males exist and those that are are usually physically frail, though often gifted with strange and unique magical powers. The minotaurs and harpies of the Noxwood are affected similarly, and they believe it to be because Isias, the Mother of Beasts herself, lives in the forest. Fortunately a full grown satyr woman is no slouch when it comes to physical strength, and is able to lift an axe nearly the size of an adolescent dwarf. They are renown for their oversized weapons and feats of strength throughout Sanctuary.
To enter the Noxwood without a guide is to invite disaster. The forest is the deepest, darkest, and most dangerous in all of Sanctuary and there are many places within that no Mortal has ever laid eyes on. It is home to many a magical beast and often veteran hunters will enter looking for a wyvern or griffon to harvest magical reagents from.
