Lore24 - Military March

 Yikes! I know February is a short month but it whisked by as an elven arrow...

Last month, I only wrote 7 Lore24-posts and we're already a week into March. I will try to step up the pace but as I'm currently in a transition regarding my working life and with family demands, I'm not sure If I can deliver as many posts as in January. Still, the February record should be easy to beat. So there you go.

January's theme was "Genesis", February's was "Factions". The theme for March will be "Military". As the world of the Sovereignty is meant as a backdrop to tabletop rpg's, small fiction and tabletop wargaming, military matters are essential.

So this month, I will explore the various martial traditions of the Sovereignty, its peoples and its armed forces. Expect articles on units like the kataphracts of Aurora and the Sovereign Legions, but also the ancient elvish art of the bladedance or the blood rites of the Borgondian barbarians. I'm still in doubt wether I will provide army lists or number of forces, I don't know if I'm ready to delve into that level of detail. So stay tuned and find out!

Guild of Shadows - Lore24

 

With the right amount of gold, anything can be bought - even death. The Guild of Shadows specializes in the commodity of murder, providing assassination services to the wealthy and powerful. Patrons of the Guild have been rumored to include ecclesiarchs, nobles, even a few past Sovereigns... The Guild itself maintains a strict policy of silence on the matter and its members only act in disguise. No one knows the true appearance of a Shadow Assassin, so anyone could be a Guildmember...

The Guild of Shadows is frequently rumored to be a part of or in league with the Hidden Empire. That reputation does not preclude kings and princes from hiring Guild services to further their own agendas of wealth and power. When the job is done, the hired assassin palms the gold and slinks back into the shadows. The true motives of the Guild remain, like their epithet, shadowy...

The Emerald Academy - Lore24

 

A generation ago, an enigmatic ship hailing from beyond the Lost Lands sailed into port in Aurora. Next to exotic herbs, tea, rice and jade, the ship bore five bald mystics wielding a powerful and new "magic of the mind". In search of other men, women and children born with "the Talent", these mystics bought a large house in the capital and established a school. Here, Talented individuals are given shelter, food and training. Once the Talent has mastered the gift, she or he is sent out into the Sovereignty to search for other Talented folk. 

The school is known as the Emerald Academy, and is widely suspected to be a front for eastern interests. The five original founders are still suspected to be active in the Academy, and a few dozen Talents recruited from all over the Sovereignty have been recruited in the past two decades. The Academy remains adamant that its mission is "to educate" and efforts to learn more about it have thus far met with failure. Whether independent, a front for the oriental warlords, or even a cell of the Hidden Empire, the true motives of the Emerald Academy remain mysterious.

The Hidden Empire - Lore24

 

Throughout the Sovereignty, it is whispered that hidden puppeteers pull at the strings of nobles, ecclesiarchs, merchants and sages. This secret cabal is rumored to be many things: powerful conspiracy, mystical convent, assassin guild, illuminati. But fact is it remains thus: a rumor. No credible proof of the existence of this Hidden Empire has been conclusively put forward. Yet its purported activities ripple across the Sovereignty: an abducted Lotharingian prince, a dagger in the back of a Navaronean priest, an Auroran sage disavowing earlier writings - all mysterious happenings attributed to the Hidden Empire.

The most extensive research on the subject has been conducted by the late Blue Wizard of Antissa, himself subject of a mysterious disappearance. According to his journals handed down to his apprentice Jadziah Valerian, the cabal alluded to as "the Hidden Empire" has acces to mystical powers unknown to even the wisest of priests, most knowledgeable of mages. They use these powers of the mind to influence key positions in the hierarchy of the Sovereignty and the Church, conduct kidnappings and cover up assassinations. All to further a mysterious agenda of supremacy. Clues point to a mysterious leader known only as "the Grandmaster" and various independent cells operating throughout the Sovereignty and the mystical Orient across the Wild Sea, beyond the Lost Lands.

Any attempts to probe further of gather more information have thus far met with failure. The people of the Sovereignty meanwhile remain in blissful ignorance - feigned or real. 

Ecclesiarchs, Patriarchs and Clerics - Servants of the Ecclesiastic Church - Lore24

The Church and the Sovereignty are tightly intertwined, in such a manner as that Church officials sometimes hold more power than kings and princes. Here then, are a few of the most prominent ecclesiarchs of the Sovereignty.

High Ecclesiarch Epiphanus

Επίφανυς 

A wise, intellectual and stern man, Epiphanus serves as the foremost advisor to the Golden Throne on matters of the faith and spirit. His position is uncontested and his influence on Rauxes is great - though Rauxana holds a measure of distance as a matter of principle. 

Epiphanus is a champion of law and order and an advocate of human expansion and the founding of new forts. He has no patience for mages - which he terms "conjurers" and "magicians" - and sees the Darkening caused by arcane magic as the manifestation of the Mother of Monsters, to be purged with fire and brimstone.

Lord Inquisitor Brogir

Βρογήρ 

Epiphanus' right-hand man and leader of the Inquisition, Lord Brogir commands a force of dozens of fanatics. Roaming the Hartlands and the subject kingdoms of the Sovereignty on foot, the Inquisitors root out dark sorcery, beastmen and suspect demihumans. Lord Brogir enjoys unequalled authority and large measures of freedom within the laws of the Sovereignty. By edict of the Golden Throne, he answers to Epiphanus and Epiphanus alone.

Brogir is relentless, fanatical, extremely devout and views the world in shades of black and white, right or wrong. 

Jozan

Ζωζαν 

At the other end of the scale from Brogir, stands Jozan. Holding no official position within the Church, yet of influence all the same, Jozan roams the Sovereignty fighting monsters, aiding the innocent and providing succor and healing where he can. He operates mostly alone, but sometimes hires retainers or mercenaries to travel to and from dangerous reaches. 

Jozan's teachings revolve around the lightbringing aspects of Phaeton, as opposite to the lawgiving aspects, and involve mercy, aid, forgiveness and grace. He is welcomed warmly in dozens of villages and fortresses throughout the Sovereignty.

Ecclesiarch Elektra

Ελεκτρα 

The high priestess of the Kingdom of Navarone, Elektra is a strong proponent of justice, progress and education. She frequently clashes with Epiphanus in the Conclave of Aurora, which has further distanced her views from the draconian-adjacent philosophy of the High Ecclesiarch. 

As such, Elektra has in recent months urged the king of Navarone to chart his own course for the kingdom, ignoring the edicts and taxes of the Golden Throne. Elektra can thus be seen as the heart of the insurrection that is now brewing in Navarone.

The Ecclesiastic Church of Phaeton

 

While all temporal and spiritual power in the Sovereignty ultimately flows from the Golden Throne and the Sovereign seated upon it, matters of faith are further disposed of by the most influential hierarchy in the land: the Ecclesiastic Church of Phaeton. Based on the interpretations of Phaeton's Will by the first Sovereign, Claudus, and all subsequent Sovereigns, the Ecclesiastic Church provides spiritual nourishment to the masses.

The Church is formally united but in practice consists of a byzantine collection of dioceses, ecclesiarchic principalities and episcopal sees. Its corridors of powers takes a lifetime to explore and another lifetime to master, allowing only the supremely talented in either faith, intrigue or both to rise to positions of influence with the Golden Throne.

Central tenets of the Church inlude the significance of Light, the pursuit of status, obedience to superiors, modesty, courtesy and courage. The worshipers are frequently asked to donate and tithe large sums in order to praise Phaeton and His glory, allowing the Church to build grandiose basilica's with golden domes reminiscent of His sun. The Church teaches that the destiny of humankind is to civilize the world of Aedes. Taming the wilderness and the expansion of kingdoms and principalities are accordingly both material and spiritual impulsed for Sovereign subjects.

In the millennium since the founding of the Sovereignty, Ecclesiastic ritual and dogma has penetrated all aspects of life in Sovereign society and a concept such as "atheism" is virtually unknown.

Sovereigns, Family and Friends - Occupants of the Golden Throne - Lore 24

 As mentioned in the previous post, the Golden Throne stands at the center of political, military and religious legitimacy in the Sovereignty. Its occupant is referred to as the Sovereign of Aurora and Phaeton's steward in the lands of humankind, and all kings, princes, ecclesiarchs and feudal landholders pay at least lip service to it. The current occupant is Sovereign Rauxes, and this post will describe him and his closest associates.

Ραύξης 

His Celestial Majesty, King of Kings, High Ecclesiarch of the Ecclesiarchical Church of Phaeton, Anaxander, Protector of Humankind, Sovereign of Aurora, Rauxes I of the House of Rauxes

Emerging out of the bloody dynastic crisis of the last two decades as the sole remaining claimant to the Golden Throne, Rauxes has established himself as a ruthless, dedicated, ambitious and highly capable statesman. His military genius and his capacity to build alliances have brought him to the Golden Throne, while his guile and unceasing work ethic have kept him there. He has brought new luster to the court of Aurora as tribute from subject realms has increased, squashed rebellions himself or through his closest general Marsala (see below), and sponsored expeditions to the lands of the Orient to increase trade. If he has a shortcoming, it is sure to be his arrogance. But thusfar, all challengers to Rauxes' might have fallen before his imperious gaze or his golden glaive.

Ναρα 

Nara, Sovereign-Consort

While Rauxes and his confidant Marsala form the muscle of the Sovereign family, Nara is the charm and the heart. She and Rauxes are in a marriage arranged by the Sovereign-mother Rauxana (see below), and have been together for more than twenty years. 

While the Sovereign and his consort appear to be in a functioning marriage, there is one problem for the court: Nara has yet to produce an heir to the Golden Throne and she is approaching the age where childbearing might be no longer an option.

Ραυξάνα 

Rauxana, Sovereign-Mother

If Rauxes and Marsala are the muscle of the Sovereign family, Nara is the heart, then the matron of the family, Rauxana, is surely the mastermind. At the court of Aurora, she is widely considered to be the one responsible for the planning and scheming that brought Rauxes to the Golden Throne. An unrivaled plotter, with a talent for intrigue, Rauxana is seemingly aware of all happenings in Aurora. 

But Rauxes is aware of her reputation, and is increasingly jealous of her, for like all sons he seeks to step out of the shadow of his parents. Question remains if Rauxana would tolerate such a move.

Μαρσάλα 

Marsala, Magister-General of the Legions of Aurora

If it weren't for loyal, devout, capable, creative Marsala, the Hartlands would still be mired in bloody internecine war. Marsala is Rauxes' confidant, bulldog, executioner and general. As Magister-General of the legions his authority in military matters can only be countermanded by the Sovereign himself.

This loyalty is also Marsala's weakness, as his dedication to Rauxes is unwavering. Marsala is incapable of seeing the flaws of the Sovereign or any of the Sovereign family, and that is a flaw that can be turned against him.

Lore24 - Heading into Faction February - the Golden Throne

 I'm hopelessly behind on Lore24-entries. While starting off strong in January, home stuff and work stuff intervened and slowed down my posting. So this week, expect a few larger articles to appear on this blog to make up for that loss.

Looking back on the entries for January, all these posts are kind of "foundational", laying the groundwork for the worldbuilding to come. I have been calling it "Genesis January". Entries on the various cultures and peoples of Aedes (the name of the world), some historical background on the origin of the Sovereignty (the name of the federation/empire of humankind dominating the campaign area), and a smattering of religious lore. As this project continues, eventually I will compile the entries in a sort of encyclopedia or index page. 

If last month was "Genesis January", this month will be "Faction February", with details on the various groups, organizations and blocks vying for power and influence both in plain view of and behind the Golden Throne, as well as the people that comprise them.

So as we head into Faction February, let's start off with that centuries-old institution itself:

The Golden Throne

When humankind fled the Fallen Lands, their former Paradise, in the Exodus, the central gathering point for their people was the colony of Aurora. Rising from the eastern shores of mostly untamed land, this city was already a refuge for adventurers, explorers, hustlers and outcasts. Now, the best and the brightest, the heroes of humankind, led their followers here, guided by the Word of Phaeton.

The wisest and most influential of these was Claudus, a devout ecclesiarch of Phaeton and a self-proclaimed visionary. He and his followers claimed a complex of villas on a high hill overlooking the eastern bay and set about restructuring it as a fortified palace. In these dark times following the Exodus, humans from all across Aedes looked for sanctuary, which they found in and around Claudus' palace.

It was there that Phaeton himself appeared to Claudus and his nine most faithful fellow ecclesiarchs. The golden angel radiated law and order, proclaiming that "From this day, to the Last Day, a King of Kings shall rule over these lands." The golden one vanished, and in the place where a moment ago He spoke from, a golden throne now stood. That moment, a millennium ago, marks the start of the Sovereign Calendar.

It is Ecclesiarchic Doctrine that the one seated on the Golden Throne is the direct representative of Phaeton to humankind, His archpriest and His regent. Claudus was the first such Sovereign, and his nine faithful went on to found the first new kingdoms of humankind, each paying respect and homage to the Golden Throne.

Ever since, with the rise and fall of kingdoms, ecclesiarchic principalities, duchies and independent realms, the Golden Throne has stood at the center of an ever-expanding and increasingly complex web of dependencies, fealty, loyalty and might. It is the literal seat of power, granting legitimacy to not only the Sovereign of Aurora but all kings across the Sovereignty. It is the apex of the feudal pyramid, the source of law and the seat of the King of Kings.

In addition to this, the throne itself is believed to be a powerful artifact, imbued with the power of Phaeton Himself. Though none can agree on what kind of spells are woven into it, it is a fact that when seated on the Golden Throne, the Sovereign of Aurora is wreathed in a celestial aura unparallelled elsewhere.

As such, the Golden Throne is a highy coveted prize, the greatest in the land. Kings, High Ecclesiarchs, warlords and wizards have vied for the right to sit upon it. The Sovereignty has had its fair share of insurrections, palace revolutions and court intrigues. The latest resulted in the overthrow of a dynasty, placing Sovereign Rauxes, King of Kings, on the Golden Throne and at the center of Sovereign politics.

Great Beasts of Aedes - Lore24

 

In the Wildlands beyond the Echors, the barbarians of Borgondia claim, their great bestial ancestors roam. According to Borgondian myths, their ancestors were born of great spirits in the bodies of animals. These spirits, again, according to the barbarian myths, are the very masters of the natural world, giving shape and substance to the environment. And, if corrupted by Darkening, spreading that corruption.

In the Ecclesiarchic tradition, the Great Beasts are demonic spirits, to be banished or extinguished. But similar to dragons, these Great Beasts appear in unspoiled or ancient natural habitats. They seem to embody natural qualities, natural energies, forces of life. 

In barbarian traditions, these are the Anima by which they live their lives. In Phaetonic tradition, they are monsters that have to be driven out or killed.

Magic made manifest: Dragons - Lore24

When the arcane force of life pools in unscathed and ancient primal lands, the magical force takes on physical form and is incarnated as a dragon. They are formed as small wyrmlings, but soon grow in size, physical strength and magical power. A dragon never stops accumulating magical essence and the most ancient archdragons are masters of both their physical form and the weaving of arcane spells.

According to Ecclesiarchic doctrine, dragons are the most vile spawn of the Mother of Monsters and must be hunted down, as they form great threats to civilization and humankind. True enough, when a dragon nests, its very presence warps the environment, changing it to suit their nature and fraying the threads of reality. A dragon with affinity for fire might cause the surroundings of its lair to develop into a volcanic wasteland, whilst a green dragon emanates energy that causes trees and plants to grow and become poisonous to humans, dwarves and elves.

Fortunately, the lands of the Sovereignty have been dragon-free since the Exodus. Occasionally a small wyrmling or youngling is discovered, recently spawned by nature. But such threats are almost always immediately eliminated.

Fully grown or larger dragons are still present on Aedes, but all of them are far from Aurora, across the Echor Mountains in the Wildlands or beyond. No living human today has ever seen a dragon. Pray to Phaeton that this remains so.

Green stuff: Goblins of Aedes - Lore24

 According to sages the word "goblin" stems from "gob-ling", a creature made from gob. True enough, goblin infestations usually involve large green pools of slime, from which these nasty and skitterish deviants are spawned. 

The slime is speculated to be the very protean arcane reagent from which life itself is born, liquid essence of the Mother of Monsters. In concentrated form, it is highly volatile and magical, leading many human warlords and mad wizards to hunt down sources of goblin infestation, to harvest their spawning slime. The slime is a key component in the weaponized wildfire, employed by the navy of Aurora. 

When left unattended, the slime spawns goblins according to the conditions. A small pool in cool environs, such as a dank cave, can spawn a few (1-4) goblins over the course of a week. Larger pools, in warmer climes, can spawn a dozen or more (3-18) goblins per day.

Goblins populations and their birthing pools are thickest beneath the Echor Mountains, in the former dwarven vaults, but recently have proliferated across the kingdoms of the Sovereignty. In the last ten years, almost all settlements in the Sovereignty have come across goblin slime pools and the cruel small creatures are becoming a pest.

The Parliament of Spiders - Lore24

 

Deep within the ancient forests of Aedes, beyond the borders of gnome mushroom settlements, conclaves of sentient spiders hold sway. Within their dark and webbed confines, these spiders devour gnomes taken captive by their silken strands, and weave their conquests of the woods.

Sages have long sought to understand the motives of these "Parliaments of Spiders", as they are called, yet none have returned alive. Reports of spiders the size of bulls have been increasingly heard, some are even claimed to speak in the Common tongue of the Sovereignty. But more often, the communicate in their own language of clicks, clacks and ruffles. 

Of particular concern is their preference for gnomes. Of late, the threat of spiders around gnome hamlets has been increasing, leading fearful gnomes to call for outside help.

Gnomes, the smallfolk - Lore24

 

The deep eldritch glades of Aedes are not only home to reclusive elves or fey creatures, they are also home to the gnome folk. Small humanoids, three apples high and clad in pointy hats, the gnomes of the forests are claimed by dwarves to be offshoots of their people. No one knows the true origin of gnomes, only that they are intimitaly tied to nature and magic and consider spiderkind their mortal enemies.

Gnomes live in secluded hamlets, in houses constructed from giant mushrooms. They are generally peaceful and defend their settlements by misdirection, illusion magic and alliances with animals of the forest.

Relations with gnome hamlets are uncommon, the gnomes mostly keep to themselves. But that may be changing now that the population of spiders, monsters and orcs in the forests of Aedes is increasing.

Inspiration: the gnomes of Aedes are my stand-ins for halflings. I am a great fan of Tolkien but I can't find a niche for hobbits in my world. And I am always drawn to two childhood influences: Wipneus and Pim, the two little gnomes (kabouters) pictured above, and David the Gnome, an animated series. Plus: who doesn't like pointy hats?

Daylit Stone: the Trolls of Aedes - Lore24

 

After the Maker created the giants - dwarven legend goes on - and cast them out from the halls that would become Isergard, he forged the trolls. Shapes of hewn stone, more smooth and cunning than the giants that came before, smaller and more sophisticated, the Maker brought to life. And in the great halls beneath the Echor Mountains, halls that once bore the bodies of giants and titans, the trolls prospered. They built holdings, explored the tunnels below and the Darkholds beneath. For a time, the trolls were the guardians that stood between the monsters borne of darkness, and the light above. 

But as all things end, so did the short and sweet time of the trolls. Infighting and depravity, and darker impulses overcame them and soon the Maker abandoned his creations, casting them to the surface and beginning work on the dwarves. 

In the current age of humanity, with Phaeton's sunlight guiding the growth of the Sovereignty, the trolls have become a dwindling threat. When trollkind ventured forth from their subterranean halls and into the sunlight above, their inborne flaw became apparant. Not suited to the daylit radiance, they returned to stone as long as the sun shone. Only at dusk would petrified trolls return to life. With the rise of the Sovereignty, humans that encountered large statues during the day would smash these to pieces, preventing hungry and savage trolls to prey on their villages at night. 

Giants in the Earth - Lore24

 

Dwarven myths tell of the forging of their people, as the last and most perfect creations of their deity, the Maker. The first creatures made by the maker were the Titans, prototypes of raw elemental matter, creatures of rock, fire and ice. The second generation were the giants: gargantuan beings hewed out of the very rock of the Echor Mountains, set loose to tame the wilderness. According to the myth, the Maker was not pleased by his creations, his quest for perfection eventually resulting in the birth of dwarvenkind.

Yet the giants remain in the world of Aedes, and have diverged from their roots at the hands of the mythical Maker. They are a bridge between raw elements and static function, each kindred fulfilling a special role in the grand scheme which they inherited from their Maker. They are most numerous in the ranges of the Echors, still, yet scattered groups also have ranged far westward, or even invaded the Borgondian Marklands. 

A special kind of emnity persists between giantkin, dwarves and gnomes. The source of this emnity is unknown yet dwarven priests claim that giants are jealous of the Maker's love for dwarvenkind. No one is known to have heard the giantkin side of the argument.

The Scourge: Of Orcs - Lore24

 Disclaimer: Irredeemable Orcs Ahead. Yes, I'm a subscriber to the theory of orcs as an irredeemable, twisted form of life. I know Warcraft-orcs are a thing and that klingons in Star Trek are much more interesting characters if their heart is in conflict with itself. But the tone of the Sovereignty is classic high fantasy with clear distinctions between good, order versus chaos and evil. Classic High Fantasy needs an antagonistic "monster culture" and in this as all cases, I follow the Great Professor Tolkien.

Orc legends are mutable and wild tellings, as wild as the orcs themselves. According to their own myths, they are either the people chosen by their wild gods to purge the world of "soft" elements, a folk cursed for its sins against forgotten deities, or humanoids uplifted by the Avatar Gruumsh to war against his eternal enemies, the elves.

Whatever the case, orc tribes are masses of unruly and debauched warriors. Cruel and capricious, they understand only the language of violence, inflicting suffering on their offspring and all who come under their gaze. And only violence can keep them in check. As such, tyrants and darkened wizards often employ orcs as thugs or bodyguards.

Orcs were always relatively scarce in the lands of the Sovereignty, while teeming masses of them roamed the far western lands, beyond even the Wildlands of the barbarians. But according to the tribes of Borgondia, a generation ago their numbers in the west soared, and the barbarian forefathers were driven from their ancestral lands. As the human tribesmen travelled east and entered the Sovereignty traversing the Echor Mountains, their orc pursuers followed them.

A few esoteric mages claim that the fates of the orcs, the Borgondian barbarians and the elves are intertwined in a dark and sadistic way. But none so far have forwarded any proof of that claim.

Forged in Fire: the Dwarves of Aedes - Lore24

 When humans and elves first explored the lands that would become the Sovereignty, they found the hills and mountains were already claimed. With their genesis deep beneath the Echor Mountains, the folk known as dwarves had built great monuments to their skills under, in and on mountainslopes. To feed their people living under the mountains, holdings were established in hill and dale. When the settlers from the eastern lands first met the dwarves, the latter were masters of a cultured civilization, worshiping a single deity of flame and iron only known as "The Maker".

No sage knows who struck the first blow, but blood was spilled between elf and dwarf, laying the foundations for generations of fued and vendetta. It was this fued that was the first check on the advance of dwarf culture on Aedes. The elves waged war with blade and bow but, as masters of magic in those distant days, also weaved great spells to bring ruin to their fated enemies.

Plucking on the strands of fate, the elves ended the advanced skills of the dwarves and what once was a complex society rapidly devolved into savagery and tribalism. Once united under a High King, the dwarven clans of Isergard and other mountain holds now waged war on each other as well as the elves, penning grudges in blood and dealing death with fire and mithril.

This was the state in the Echors for long centuries before and after the Exodus. The absence of dwarven power allowed humanity to found the Sovereignty in lands that were once under dominance of Isergard. In the past century, the situation for dwarvenkind has worsened further, with monsters and darker things crawling up from the depths below the Echors.

Out of the Darkholds, goblins, trolls and fouler spawn of darkness emerged, laying waste to the deeper levels of the dwarven clanholds. The ancient capital and genesis of dwarvenkind, the vaults of Isergard, were completely overrun.

Now, there are three main sorts of dwarves dwelling in the lands of the Sovereignty:

Dwarves of the Holds
A few remaining mountain vaults still function according to ancient tradition, with a central Forge, warded over by a Royal Warden. These isolated and in all honesty declining societies dedicate themselves to maintaining the ways of old and rarely make contact with outside folk. As such, locations are not readily known and the finding of an ancient mountain vault is an occurence met with distrust by dwarves and excitement by exploring Sovereign humans.

Dwarves of the Boroughs
In the heaths and dales of Burgundy, the surface settlements of old whereby the dwarves of the Echors gained sustenance still remain. In these hills, dwindling dwarven communities live and trade and give birth and grow old. From time to time, a dwarf cuts the close-knit ties of his or her village and travels the breadth of Aedes, but mostly these folk keep to themselves.

Dwarves in Exile
These are wandereres, vagabonds, criminals, outcasts and adventurers. In the regimented life of a dwarf, those who seek excitement and fluidity outside their community are looked down upon, and dwarves who commit a grievous crime are punished with a fate worse than death: exile. These exiled dwarves end up in all manner of predicaments: fighting monsters across the Echors, in service to Sovereign nobles as mercenaries, or prying ancient ruins in search of treasure.

Of Elves, Avatars and the Celestial Sea, part 2 - Lore24

 

Human wizards and sages suspect a more intimate connection between the Elves, their ancestors the Eldar, their Avatar godlings and the stars of the Celestial Sea above. In modern mystical thought, the Celestial Sea is termed "the Astral Plane", and is theorized to be the metaphysical gathering place of all mortal thoughts and wants. Abstract concepts and concrete desires are given essence on the Astral Plane. Essences which are in the minds of a multitude of humans, elves and dwarves are stronger. In turn, these strong essences may give power in the material world of Aedes.

Continuing this line of thought, the Avatars that reside in the Astral Plane may be sentient pools of these essences, confluences of desires and thoughts so strong, that they have become self aware. The power of an Avatar is thus directly tied to belief and their power in the world. It is this fact, that explains the creation of clerics by the Avatars. 

When the inhabitants of the Sovereignty look up at the stars, they see the lights which, according to Church doctrine, are guiding lights of Phaeton. Only a handful of the wise are aware of the true nature of the Celestial Sea, and the power with which it contains chaos, monsters and the ancient evil that is the Mother of Monsters.

Of Elves, Avatars and the Celestial Sea, part 1 - Lore24

Author's note: Due to navigating the difficulties of parenting life, I couldn't post yesterday for the Lore24 challenge. So to compensate, today I will post two entries, both pertaining to the Elves of Aedes and their spiritual life. Let's go!

Children of the Stars
The ancestors of the Elves were the Eldar, "Children of the Stars" in their ancient tongue. According to Elven myths and legends, the Eldar came to Aedes when the world was yet a formless mass shrouded in darkness. From beyond the stars, the Eldar brought light in the darkness, trying to live amid the chaos. In order to shape the world around them, the Eldar called on their ancient gods, called Avatars. From the same space the Eldar hailed from, beyond the stars, these Avatars came to Aedes, adopting names such as Corellon, Sehanine and Melora. But also more sinister beings with names like Gruumsh, Lolth and Asmodeus. Together, the Avatars shaped the Celestial Sea, the starry expanse that surrounds the world, starting time and giving shape and purpose to Aedes. In the new starlit lands under heaven, the children of the Eldar, the Elves, were able to build their empire.

The Lands Under Heaven
The empire of the Elves spanned the known world. In their swanships, the Elves brought light, culture and knowledge of magic to all corners of Aedes. According to their own legends, the Elves even taught bands of primitive human hunter-gatherers these principles, uplifting seven human tribes to kingdoms in their ancient lands. For a while, all was well. Then came the return of Chaos, followed by the Exodus.

After the Exodus
The Lands Under Heaven were forever changed, the old imperial core was devastated, unfit for elf or human to live. The surviving elves were either refugees from the parts now called "Lost Lands", or were colonists living in the western lands already. In the modern age of the Sovereignty, sages categorize these various group of elves:

Light Elves
Living on the island of Lendor, the Light Elves are the descendants of the refugees from their ancient empire. They most closely follow the ancient traditions of their kind, the way of the Avatars and their mystical tradition. They see themselves as champions of law, vanquishers of chaos and monsters. Their swanships are rarely sighted and no human that has sailed to Lendor has ever returned.

Silvanor Elves
The forest of Silvanor, on the western edge of the Borgondian Marklands, bordering the Echor Mountains, is an ancient elven colony in these western lands. Although hailing from the same root as the Light Elves and Wild Elves (see below), the Silvanori already diverged from the traditions set down by the Eldar, even before the Exodus. The Silvanor Elves are more practical, more combative even, than their Lendor counterparts. They have the same aptitude for arcane magic, yet are trained in the arts of sword and bow as well. They are ruled by a king and hold great distrust for the dwarves of the Echors.

Wild Elves
Enclaves of elves living in deep forests throughout the Sovereignty, these Wild Elves have lost all connection to their kin in Silvanor or on Lendor. They have evolved a more primal spiritual tradition, focusing on the beasts of the forests and disconnecting from the arcane traditions of the other elvenfolk. They are more wild and warlike than the other elves, attacking human "invaders" in their forests even unprovoked.

Dark Elves
These elves have turned their backs on the ancient Eldar entirely, forsaking Avatar and mysticism and embracing chaos and corruption. Their magic is focussed on the Darkening and its effects, and they consort with monsters and demons. Their society is debauched and baseless, and is either hidden in the underground Darkholds, or in faraway exotic locations.

Humanity: the Children of Phaeton - Lore24

 

The origin of humanity is shrouded in the mists of time. Wizardly lore tells of a time when primitive human hunter-gatherer bands were lifted up and civilized by the Eldar of old, learning language, culture and even magic from their mystical mentors. These bands were diverse in appearance, with wildly varying skintones, hair colors  and facial characteristics. It is said that small quirks such as the size of the eyes or slant of the ears were determined by what tribe one was born into - hard to imagine in the modern time melting pot that is the Sovereignty.

The Ecclesiastical Codex tellst of the Seven Sons of Phaeton, perfect male humans fathered by the Bringer of Light to tame the wilds and bring culture to Aedes. Each of Phaeton's Sons would go on to found a tribe in eastern lands of Paradise. 

Adunas was fair of hair, with stark blue eyes and white complexion. He is the archfather of the Adunai Tribe.

Bard with the red hair, archfather of the Bardings whose white skin and grey, green and blue eyes was said to blend with the northern reaches of the eastern lands.

Harad was black of hair and black of skin, with dark eyes. He is the archfather of the Haradi Tribe.

Khand had olive skin and green eyes, with aquiline features and curly dark hair. He is the archfather of the Khandi.

Lossoth, archfather of the Lossothi, was of pale yellow complexion with dark hair and dark slanted eyes. 

Rhun had brown skin and dark hair, with shifting eyecolor. He is the archfather of the Rhunai.

Woses, archfather of the Woses, had white skin but black hair and black eyes. 

According to the Codex, every tribe had its own realm in Paradise, led by prophets inspired by Phaeton. During and after the Exodus, the tribes mingled, intermarried, made alliances and the distinct lineages of humanity found a common future in the Sovereignty.