More game-focused introduction:

This is an exploration game!

Now first things first, the 'I have no idea where to look for this /concept/ of a Faint Star' will not be a thing, haha.  The very first step will be basically an introduction, which will inform you of the (presently four) locations you have to go to.

Now, from /that/ point, however, figuring out how to get to the locations and then figuring out what you need to do there is the focus of the game!  Sometimes the location will be in an inhospitable locale, sometimes it will be in a very hospitable local but with locals - who might be friendly or unfriendly!  But each of the four will focus on being unusual, and very dissimilar from each other.  Aiming for the majestic, the wondrous, the new!

This is a wide-eyed Grande Adventure with an extra E, after all!

Long range teleportation and planar travel is fine, but isn't intended to be able to immediately bypass the 'how do we get to this location' bits.  But I am quite cool with magic and some creativity helping solve your problems!

Thematically, Manden is a bit like Mali during the reign of Mansa Musa.  Everyone needs their formal mask for when you are meeting important people, and you can have one you wear or carry otherwise.  The color purple is prominent, and it's kind of weird that it's so uncommon in the locations you're going to.  You are, compared to the places you are going to, extremely wealthy - the gold, salt, and textiles of Manden mean you are absolutely the best trading partners that can be met.  Manden poetry is legendary, and singer-poets known as Griots are very popular - as historians, storytellers, praise singers, or just musicians (or more likely a combination of these things!).  You can bring with you writing, clothing, and food from your homeland - likely Rice-and-meat - and presumably everyone has a Mancala board (A variation known as Wari is the most popular!).

Or in short, you are from a Grande nation, you have its full support, and you are more than well equipped enough to handle this trek.

Classswise, Manden is known for its psionics, but you can be basically whatever class although I'm racist against Tome of Battle and Path of War for really no reason.  Classes are pathfinder-based, thus if you're playing a 3.5 class let me know and I'll help beef it up a little for you (you'll be running into a Spirit Shaman pretty quickly!)

The major races in Manden are, alphabetically, Dromite, Duergar, Dwarf, Elan, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Halfling, Half-Orc, Human, Noral, and Xeph.  The two half-races are more common than seeing elves or orcs around, and Humans aren't a majority.  Goblins do exist in the nation, but are extremely uncommon.

I'll have a (text) map of the immediate area around Manden, but in short!  The orcs were pushed out over the mountains and are now rarely a problem, there are small kingdoms and tribes all over the place that are slowly losing their culture borders to Manden, then to the south there's [the Haunted Lands] that are unsolveable and nobody goes into.  Besides that little nudge of location, Manden extends to the ocean to the west and south, and is amidst a golden age.

Of course, you're walking away from most of that, but it should govern your backstory and will come up at least a bit!