FACTIONS AND SOCIETIES
THE ARCANA PANSOPHICAL
All Tal'Dorei's greatest mages fought at the Battle of the Umbra Hills. They saw the incursion of demons and devils firsthand, and were rightly terrified that the spawn of the Betrayer Gods could ever return to the world. It was clear that the Divergence did not wholly prevent supernatural evil from infringing upon the world, and the mages of Exandria must prevent future "surprises" of this nature. The mistakes of the Age of Arcanum must never be repeated. Considering this, Yurek Windkeeper, high enchanter of Syngorn and a well-respected arcanist, reached out to the realm's most t rusted and capable mages, and together they formed a private society called the Arcana Pansophical.
THE ASHARI
While the boundaries between the planes are generally strong, there are some places across Exandria where the veil is thin and occasionally sundered entirely. There are places in the world where the elemental planes bleed into the Material Plane, scarring the land with their primordial power and threatening all surrounding life. During one Celestial Solstice, elemental rifts of untold proportions burst open across Exandria. The tide of elementals was eventually stemmed, but the world was gripped by fear - what would happen at the next solstice? In the wake of the planar disturbance, a society of druidic masters called the Ashari made a covenant to divide and form four separate tribes to seal and watch over the sources of these unleashed energies. The Pyrah Ashari left for Issylra, and the Vesrah Ashari relocated to an island cluster in the Ozmit Sea. The Terrah and Zephrah Ashari remained within Tal'Dorei near their respective elemental rifts. A dozen generations later, the Ashari still hold watch over these tumultous locations.
THE CERBERUS ASSEMBLY
The Cerberus Assembly was established nearly three hundred years ago, when strife and competition between warring mage lords threatened to unravel the social order of the Dwendalian Empire. The house leaders of this conflict nearly destroyed one another in what was called the Eve of Crimson Midnight, an arcane battle within the capital of Rexxentrum that leveled two wards of the city, killing hundreds of civilians. At the peak of the violence, a parlay was called, and the mage lords decided to put aside their differences and avoid mutually assured destruction, instead joining as a unified conclave. When brought before the king for judgment of their crimes, they offered an accord to instead officially instate the conclave and submit entirely to the king's rule. Taking the name the Cerberus Assembly, the mages took the empire to new heights of power and expansion. In the centuries since, they have subtly ingrained themselves within most facets of the empire's government, becoming a force of political and military power that many say could rival the king himself. This reality is not lost on the royal council. There are eight ruling positions within the assembly, and the families of each member are appointed as lesser members without responsibility, called annexes.
THE CLARET ORDERS
Centuries ago, the high cleric of the Julous Dominion made secret pacts with a devil of the Nine Hells, hoping to gain enough power to repel the aggressive Dwendalian Empire. However, he failed to read the fine print of the devilish contract - he succeeded in his mission, but his people paid a terrible cost. The empire was indeed repelled, but it was because the lands of the Marrow Valley were brimming with devils and undead. In this brief era of terror, a humble priest of the Raven Queen named Trence Orman prayed for a way to protect his flock, his people, and the lands they called home. The Matron of Ravens blessed him with the ancient secrets of bloodmagic. Trence trained his most trusted friends in the techniques of hemocraft, and they sacrificed a portion of their humanity in exchange for the power to defend the dominion. This marked the origin of the Claret Orders. Using forbidden skills, they managed to seal away the source of this dark deal, free the high cleric from his torturous form, and clear the countryside of the evil that pervaded it. Unfortunately, before the Claret Orders could be celebrated as saviors, the armies of the empire swept into the freshly purged Marrow Valley and crushed the Julous Dominion. The newly installed Dwendalian lords blamed the Claret Orders for inviting fiends into the valley and they were no longer welcomed in their own homeland. Trence and his followers went into hiding, but they never stopped protecting their lands from the shadows. The orders have now spread to the outskirts of Western Wynandir and beyond.
THE CLOVIS CONCORD
Nearly four hundred years ago, an alliance of the Ki'Nau islanders and foreign Marquesian traders founded a new nation on the tropical Menagerie Coast. The Clovis Concord is a democratic nation that enforces law and order, and regulates commerce along the length of the coast. The nation is composed of eight independent city-states, each ruled by its own marquis, which operate as one union under the banner of the Clovis Concord. This arrangement ensures uniform laws, regulation of trade, and mutual protection between the city-states. These eight cities are Port Damali, Port Zoon, Gwardan, Tussoa, Othe, Feolinn, Nicodranas, and Brokenbank. Open shipping lanes and inviting tropical scenery have made the domain of the Clovis Concord a cultural melting pot and a popular place to live or visit.
Internally, each marquis of the Clovis Concord keeps a tight grip on the shipping and trade that comes through their cities, overseeing all guilds that organize imports and exports and managing a handful of guildmasters that form the backbone of local commerce. When a marquis dies or is impeached by the other members of the concord, the remaining members choose a successor. While the cities do work together for the good of the concord, they are also each in silent competition with each other, flaunting their affluence and clientelse at every opportunity. In recent times, the Myriad is suspected to have subtly infiltrated the Clovis Concord, often with the unwitting aid of greedy local politicians.
THE COUNCIL OF TAL'DOREI
When the new reign of Tal'Dorei was established roughly three centuries ago, Zan Tal'Dorei did not wish to be given unchecked or uncounseled rule over the realm. Though she was crowned by a small council, she expanded its ranks by selecting her trusted allies and even dissenting voices to form an assembly of scholars, generals, and philosophers to govern at her side. This Council of Tal'Dorei worked at their Sovereign's side to rebuild the realm following the end of Drassig's line, and were instrumental in the recovery and subsequent prosperity of Tal'Dorei. Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei II publically ended the monarchy and passed power over to the council, formally divesting his line of power. He would later be slain by the green dragon Raishan. The remaining Council members would later reform the realm as a republic under the same name.
THE DIARCHY OF UTHODURN
When the elven city of Molaesmyr unearthed a terrible curse that ruined the Savalirwood, many survivors fled to the north. Though many perished in the harsh elements, the elven refugees finally located the iron doors of the subterranean stronghold and requested asylum. It was with only mild hesitation that the dwarves accepted their desperate guests, taking them into the warm halls of their city and giving them a place to stay. Many years later, people realized that the situation was permanent. Social tensions rose as cultural differences and forced proximity placed the denizens of Uthodurn into rising discomfort. This growing divide worried Judessa Fruunast, the queen of the dwarves of Uthodorn. She met with the throneless elven king, Imathan Talviel, and unexpectedly offered to instate a diarchy within the city. The process of restructuring the stubborn societies of this new Uthodurn forged a long partnership and deep friendship between the two leaders until Queen Judessa's death in 794 PD. Even after her daughter, Simone Fruunast, took up the mantle, the dual society flourishes and the Dual Monarchs seek to build a better future together.
THE DWENDALIAN EMPIRE
The Dwendalian Empire has reigned over Western Wynandir for over twelve generations. Imperial rule is maintained through its powerful military, its policy of religious restriction, and the support of the secretive Cerberus Assembly. King Bertrand Dwendal rewards loyalty and swiftly punishes insolence and failure. His family has developed a totalitarian rule that reaps heavy taxes and looms over society with a military presence that only grows stronger with proximity to the capital city of Rexxentrum. Dwendalian society has a rigid caste system, in which denizens of the arcane are considered elite members of society. Many Dwendalian ladies and lords come from a sorcerous bloodline or studied the arcane arts within the walls of the Soltryce Academy. Those who especially excel can come to hold power as a member of the Cerberus Assembly, a council of extremely powerful mages that works directly with King Dwendal and his councilors to develop and enforce laws throughout Western Wynandir. However, there is distrust between them, since neither the King nor the Assembly trusts each other.
Most cities and townships throughout the empire are ruled by a local government under the leadership of a starosta, usually a native baron appointed by the Crown and the Cerberus Assembly. Reporting directly to the king's council, the starosta is given absolute control over local government, appointing and maintaining responsibility for the heads of the city guard (watchmaster), the regional military (warmaster), local commerce (coinmaster), infrastructure (pithmaster), religious practices (idolmaster), and the courts of law (lawmaster). Twice a year, tithe collectors visit each imperial city to inspect households for records and proof of income, collecting a percentage of their earnings in coin as determined by the tithe collector.
Soon after the Dwendalian bloodline came into power, there was a short-lived rebellion helmed by religious civilians. The ruling class has regarded religion with suspicion ever since, believing that faith inspires the unworthy to rise above their station and spark fruitless rebellion. Instead of abolishing religious practice, the empire regulates it. All temples are owned and run by the government, and must be dedicated to deities approved by the Crown. Keeping private shrines or worshiping outside official temples is punishable by fines or imprisonment. The only deities that are approved are Erathis the Law Bearer, Bahamut the Platinum Dragon, Moradin the All-Hammer, Pelor the Dawn Father, Ioun the Knowing Mentor, and the Raven Queen, Matron of Death.
THE GOLDEN GRIN
When the lands of Tal'Dorei were ruled by the tyrant Drassig, a hidden society of muses, storytellers, bards, and folk heroes assembled to oppose their despotic king. The Golden Grin has endured since those dark years, and it has secretly guided the just, inspired the common folk, and planted the seeds of discontent and rebellion amid tyranny ever since. Each member, known as a grinner, pledges to uphold the ideal that every individual has the power to change the world. They seek out places where hope is faint and the soul grows dim without inspiration, lifting the spirits of the downtrodden and heartening those who feel forgotten.
THE KRYN DYNASTY
The Kryn Dynasty rules the northern wastes of Xhorhas, and has only revealed itself to the wider world within the past century. Centered around - and under - the ruins of Ghor Dranas in Eastern Wynandir, the dynasty governs many townships and small villages where the Kryn have helped establish a modicum of civilized living among the nomadic wastefolk. They believe that beings not yet beyond redemption can be turned to the light of the Luxon, and often struggle with the unruly denizens of the wastes, hoping to gain converts to their cause and faith. Dark elves are the most populous race within the Kryn Dynasty. They claimed the dread citadel of Ghor Dranas as their own, as well as the massive network of underground caverns that make up the Underdark of Wildemount. The Kryn drow who emerged from the shadowed depths now endure periods of sunlight as part of their worship, though their cities are shaded by umbral magic during daylight hours.
Artifacts left behind by the Luxon that holds its essence are known as Luxon beacons and are coveted by the Kryn Dynasty as central to their civilization. If a proven soul is ritualistically bound to a Luxon beacon, they can enter a process called the consecution: when a mortal bound to the Luxon dies within a hundred miles of a beacon, it ensnares their soul from its intended afterlife and prepares it to be reborn in a new child within that same vicinity. When that child then matures into adolescence, they begin to recall subtle knowledge from their past life's experiences - a process called anamnesis. The people of the dynasty stand under the first Umavi, known as Bright Queen Leylas Kryn. Beneath the first Umavi, there are twelve noble Dens that mark families of souls who have lived together through generations: Dens Kryn, Mirimm, Thelyss, Hythenos, Icozrin, Biylan, Tasithar, Duendalos, Daev'yana, Omrifar, Beltune, and Zolaed. When someone is believed to be experiencing anamnesis, they submit to a deep meditation with a guide trained in the ways of consecution. This process helps restore memories of the past life, which then mingle with current memories. The awakened soul is then reunited with their Den. The older the soul, the more prestige it holds in the dynasty. The Kryn Dynasty has uncovered four beacons and is certain that more remain to be discovered. It is believed that once all the beacons are brought together, the Luxon will be summoned from their slumber to ask their children the great question and impart the truth. It is said that at this time, the Luxon will take those who entered the consecution and abandon this lesser world to start a new world elsewhere.
THE LIBRARY OF THE COBALT SOUL
Under the enlightening scriptures of Ioun, the Knowing Mentor, teachers, priests, and monks who have been drawn to the calling of truth and knowledge spend their lives training with the Library of the Cobalt Soul. Rather than a single physical building, the Library is a collective term for the universal knowledge and philosophies upheld by those who follow Ioun's teachings. They are guided by a central belief that true strength is found in understanding the world around you. The Cobalt Soul is based in Rexxentrum but operates throughout the empire and across the whole of Exandria. Temples to Ioun under the management of the Cobalt Soul act as massive libraries called archives, usually located in larger cities and cultural centers. Archivists act as administrators at each Archive, delineating tasks, overseeing the training of new members, and even negotiating for or purchasing artifacts and records. The monks are the enlightened knowledge-seekers of the order. They research places where ancient knowledge could be hidden and lead large-scale expeditions to these places. Expositors are the covert agents of the Cobalt Soul. These enlightened infiltrators extract information that others would keep secret and use their newfound knowledge to better the world. At the top of each Archive is a High Curator, who dictates the Archive's goals to subordinates and uses this power to assign marks to expositors, outline allies and enemies to their archivists, and approve the expeditions proposed by the monks.
THE MYRIAD
The continent's largest criminal organization took shape about eighty years ago, when a shipping company in the Dwendalian city of Yrrosa turned to smuggling contraband to make ends meet. This tight-knit group of clever smugglers soon began to bargain with their competitors, employing blackmail and offering membership to their organization as an alternative to elimination. The syndicate grew with alarming speed, infiltrating the criminal underbelly of every major city in Western Wynandir. Masquerading as purveyors of antiquities and foreign textiles, the Myriad focuses on providing their clients with exotic goods, such as illicit substances and magical beasts, or supplying hired muscle to intimidate their clients' rivals. The worst of the Myriad even deal in human merchandise. The Myriad now operates across the continent as a loose network of gang bosses who run their own local sects without direct oversight from the mysterious heads of the syndicate. Each satellite group is expected to regularly deliver information and a cut of their profits to the leadership. Those who fail to pay up receive quiet threats of enslavement or assassination - and the Myriad always makes good on its threats. Members of the Myriad are sworn to keep their syndicate secret by pretending that their chapter is still just another local gang. This makes it so that officers of the law often fail to recognize Myriad activity until it's too late. However, the empire discovered and raided the central Myriad stronghold in Yrrosa fifteen years ago, forcing the surviving leadership to scatter across the continent. Shifting tactics, they have now begun seeding major factions with double agents, who turn the most foolish or corrupt of their colleagues into the Myriad's unwitting pawns.
THE REMNANTS
In a time long past, a powerful archmage known as Vecna, the Whispered One, attempted to ascend to godhood by conducting the Ritual of Seeding from high atop the citadel of Thar Ampala in the realm of Shadow. He surrounding himself with a cult of fanatical mages and empowered murderers to protect him during his ritual of apotheosis. Yet the cult was shattered, and Vecna defeated, at the hands of Yos Varda and the Army of the Just. Defeated, ruined, and Vecna destroyed, the cult seemingly vanished from the world. But even in apparent death, Vecna left instructions with his most devoted, allowing for the possibility of his defeat - and the promise of rebirth. The remains of the cult dubbed themselves the Remnants and began laying the groundwork for the Whispered One's eventual return. Many years later, they seized a number of ziggurats and corrupted them as part of a ritual to return Vecna to a physical form. Many of their higher-ranking members remove their left eye (and some their left hand) as a symbol of devotion to Vecna. Under the leadership of Delilah Briarwood, the cult was able to resurrect Vecna only for him to be sealed away beyond the Divine Gate by the heroes known as Vox Machina. The Remnants were scattered in the world again, and still to this day seek new ways to restore their god to his promised position of absolute dominance over creation.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:33, Wed 24 Feb 2021.
