Warmonger's Westrule Enchiridion

Calendar and Time

The recording of strict time schedules can often add deeply to the sensation of immersion and depth of a D&D campaign. Understanding how long the characters spend in the Drow stronghold or adventuring in the depths of the jungle can have serious implications, especially if there are NPCs awating the return of the heroes. Additionally, understanding the timescale and calendar of the world allows us as DM's to place our characters within important seasons and holidays, increasing verisimilitude.

An online version of this calendar can be viewed here.

The calendar of Westrule was devised by the many wizards who have been in power for recent history, and as such is driven by their close study of the stars, lunar orbits, and need for organization. The year is divided into 365 days, grouped into 6-day weeks over the course of 8 months. Each month is equally comprised of 45 days, and each of the four seasons is marked by 1 day independent of any month, with one extra day dedicated to the closing of the year.

The days of the week are Solden, Orden, Mo'alden, Forden, Keyden, Luanden.

Month	Name	Holidays
	Spring Equinox: Dewfall	Wild's Grandeur
1	Callard	Day of Challenging (22nd)
2	Cistriss	Harvest's Rise (3rd) Merryfrond's Day (37th)
	Summer Solstice: Sunpeak	Zenith
3	Faldur	Yearslight (10th) Deep Solace (32nd)
4	Fendin	Artisan's Faire (1st) Reincarnation's Feast (20th)
	Autumn Equinox: Treeflame	The Burning Festival
5	Holdes	Harvest Close (24th)
6	Herthen	Night of Ascension (1st) Civilization's Dawn (7th)
	Winter Solstice: Frostfill	Nightsverge
7	Gandur	Embertide (11th)
8	Grace	Renewal Festival (1st) Elvendawn (40th)
	Year's End: Annul's Close	Annul's Close

Seasons

Each of the four seasons begins the month before that season's solstice or equinox, with the climate during those seasons roughly matching that of our world.

Spring begins on the first of Grace and represents the final chapter of the year. The Archeart, patron of springtime, is venerated in this season, with his holy day of Elvendawn on the 40th of Grace celebrating the emergence of Elves into the world. The Wildmother is also appreciated in this season, with the spring equinox being dedicated to her holy day of Wild's Grandeur.

Summer begins in Cistriss, and is greatly appreciated in Westrule as the coming of warmth. Summer brings worshipers of the Dawnfather to his praise as the bringer of warmth, with his day of Yearslight used to give thanks for the fortunes of the year.

The Artisan's Faire on the first of Fendin beckons the beginning of Autumn, and is a day for trade among many merchants and farmers. Artisan's Faire is often used as a day for traders to give the best deals on their wares. The Burning Festival marks the peak of Autumn, and is considered by some to be an auspicious day for the Changebringer, used to cast off old habits and enemies.

Night of Ascension on the first of Herthen indicates the start of winter. It is dedicated to feasting privately with friends and family while honoring those who have died. Sacrifices are left for the feared, but respected, Matron of Ravens, in the hope that this frigid winter will not be their last.

Holidays

Few holidays exist that are observed regardless of culture or homeland. Those that do are largely based around the universal constants of food and the seasons.

The Renewal Festival on the first of Grace is celebrated in many cultures by spreading flowers or flower pedals on doorsteps, walkways, and streets and tying strips of colorful linens on buildings and trees to recognize the start of Spring.
Zenith begins at dawn on Sunpeak, and is a celebration of the peak of summer. Zenith is observed with games, fireworks, and cheap drinks.
Artisan's Faire is a day for trade among many merchants and farmers. Artisan's Faire is often used as a day for traders to give the best deals on their wares.
The Burning Festival is the peak of Autumn and the end of the harvest. It is celebrated with bonfires, magical displays, and other colorful feats to represent the shifting of seasons that accompanies the color of the trees.
Nightsverge is Winter's longest night, and is celebrated loudly as a symbol of defiance to the harshest time of the year. Songs are sung, gifts are given, and streets are littered with games.
Annul's Close is known to be a day of great celebration for all, with the end of the year signaling the coming of the new.

Moons

Ephemir, the prime material plane, has two moons of equal size which rotate above the surface of the world constantly. Pili, which shines with a bright blue light and changes stage at a slower rate, completing a full revolution twice every month. Pili is believed to be representative of the Moonweaver, with the brightness of her light tied to her strength.

The opposing moon, Kwal, is thought to be a vestige of the Chained Oblivion, whose darkness is more frightening than its light. Nights with no moonlight (called Lunar Dusk) are seen as foreboding, while nights with two full moons (known as a Lunar Peak) are seen as auspicious. Every ninth year, a Lunar Peak coincides with Annul's Close and resets the 9-year lunar cycle, known as the Celestial Terminus. This day is an extremely auspicious one, and is considered to be a holy day for the Moonweaver.

Stars

When mortals look up at the night sky, they can see distant, multicolored dots that represent doorways to other planes. Gazing into the darkness of space offers one a glimpse of the Astral Plane, the dots in the sky showing the locations of color pools leading to an outer plane and the eternal silvery dots of the material plane.. At any point of the year four different colors of outer planes may be seen in the sky, with the different portals decided by those plane's rotation around the material. The visible planes are always across from one another, forming a perpendicular chart on the planar axis and following clockwise around the circle. Though this movement is due to the multi-dimensional nature of the planes' movements, it is most often represented by the Great wheel cosmology.

Daily Life in Westrule

Technology

As of the Last Dwarven Alliance, Elemental technologies have become a staple of military life within the Cavellian Empire. Legions of Peace Wardens wielding Thunder Cannons are key to Imperial military conquest.

In general, all items listed as "Renaissance Item" in the Firearms section of the DMG can be found in the world, powered by elemental thunder rather than black powder. However, such weapons are quite rare outside of the front lines. Because of a treaty agreement with the Empire, only contracted Dwarvish smiths are permitted to sell thunderarms, and only to the army's growing stockpile of weaponry. There is, however, presently no legal restriction on owning thunderarms, permitted they were not obtained illegally. Soldiers, dwarves, and officials might carry cannons of their own.

If a player wishes to wield thunderarms, consider allowing them to use the Thundersmith Inventor specialization, or allow them to gain proficiency through a feat or other method. Non-military personel with a cannon likely developed and built it themselves. However, Dwarven smiths guard their crafting secrets fiercely, as they not only make them a great deal of money but also protect them somewhat from harsh and prejudiced laws. Learning their secrets is not an easy task.

Communication and Transportation

Communication across vast distances poses a problem for the Empire, whose territory spans across seas and over mountains. With a large population and soldiers across the water, the crown needed a way to connect their territories. Mages at the Taran Institute of Wizardry researched many arcane subjects to attempt to solve this issue, and eventually found their luck in the darkest of places.

Through difficult arcane spells and rituals, a doorway could be made that connects the material plane to one of its reflections: the Feywild, the Shadowfell, and the Ethereal Plane. The reflective planes have terrain that matches to the material plane, with each location on a plane corresponding to a location on the others.

Imperial mages, in their experimentation, discovered that distance in the Shadowfell is greatly compressed, allowing individuals to travel across land ten times faster than they otherwise could. Too risky for large groups or for most transportation, individuals or small parties are contracted to carry mail and packages between locations as they can carry a great deal at once.

Shadowfell transport is only possible between predetermined locations where permanent rifts have been made. Powerful lords often use their arcane power to open these portals in settlements under their jurisdiction in an attempt to foster trade and generate tax revenue. Many merchants choose to move their wares through these dark highways, keeping along the lit paths.

Because of the inherent risk in transportation through the Shadowfell, the wealthiest of nobility and corporate representatives prefer to travel by airship, a much slower but significantly more comfortable and secure transport. Military forces often travel by airship to avoid unnecessary conflict on the ground or sea.

Commerce

The militaristic Empire holds great sway over the commerce in its territory, and war incurs many expenses. Trade restrictions and taxes within the Cavellian Empire are high, especially for Dwarven businesses that aren't producing war machines or weaponry. Merchants from the Myciena Coalition, by comparison, appreciate unhindered travel throughout the various provinces of the nation, and Coalition dues are left to the Sovereigns to collect as they see fit.

Within the Empire, the far-sighted Iron Bank works to promote the general free trade of commerce while simultaneously placing a stake in as many baskets as possible, so to speak. Their influence over the

PART I

Story of Westrule

Our world can be understood as a forum for action, or as a place of things. We mortals are the result of action from the Gods, who waded through the Astral Sea to gaze upon our empty plane of rock and fire and divined meaning from it. Our lives take shape in this place of things we call the Material Plane. Recognizing and accepting both as important parts of our experience will give us glimpses into the true nature of reality.

-High Keeper Scalecoat, Vessel of the Third Eye

History of the World

The many ages of the world have brought about prosperity, calamity, civilization, destruction, and everything in between. The adventures and threats players face are brought about as a rseult of ancient threats that either persist to this day or have long since been forgotten. This section explores the origins of the world, the people, and the gods of Westrule and the plane of Ephemir.

Myth, or Real?

For better or worse, the civilizations today are not what they once were. Long past are the days of immensely powerful archmages shifting the lands or enormous eldritch beasts shattering mountains. Knowledge has been lost, and the sages of this day seek to repair the damage done to mortal progress. Understanding the origins of the planes is a vital part of this reconstruction, and the archivists of the Order Argovian have worked tirelessly to understand our world's cosmology. The best kept records of before the Age of Confusion are found in the hands of non-mortals, like the dragons that survived the Dissension and the descendants of ancient Giants.

The most commonly accepted creation myth is known as The Prominence, and is gathered from the texts of the recently recovered Codex Terragnosis.

The Age of Giants and Dragons

Before the onset of gods and mortals, the world was a simpler place. Unpredictable and powerful forces known as Primordials formed the structure of the Primordial Plane, creatures of matter and chaos that simply were. The Primordials were not sullied by thoughts of what should be or questions of action, but were merely occupied with the prospect of being.

Unknown masses of time passed in this state. From beyond the planes wandering through the cosmos came the gods, weak and immature in their infancy. They encountered the Primordial Plane and perceived what it could be, and felt that a world could be the foundation for their own growth and maturation. The gods organized the planes, separating the constituent primordials of the elements and time that they might intersect to form the Elemental and Material planes.

To the gods, the greatest measure of art and progression is the manipulation of spirit, the fundamental force of action in the multiverse. Spiritual energy connects the mind and body of a creature to form their soul. And, like the mind and body, the soul can be grown, practiced, and sharpened, better able to organize the world as the gods do. Spiritual devotion to a cause strengthens that cause in a measurable fashion, and the gods above all others have the will and desire to perform this spiritual art of Order and Life.

Annum the All-Father created the first giants, strong enough to survive the still-chaotic Elemental Planes and made in the image of the gods. The Giants strode across the world and dominated it, harnessing the elements and primal creatures to their liking. The great strength of their spirit made Annum king among the gods, with his most devout elevated to Divine Children. Giants are born with an innate understanding of their place in the hierarchies of the world, knowing who is above and below them at all times. The Divine Children sat at the top of that hierarchy, ruling the giant empire that spanned the material plane from their home Osteria in the Elemental Chaos.

Having little interest in the affairs of the giants, Ioun brought the Gemstone Dragons forth from the crystal caverns far beneath the land, giving them minds that could manipulate the energy of the planes. Preferring to remain detached from the world, the Gemstone Dragons sought knowledge above all else. Their devotion to this ideal gave power to the goddess, who nurtured them in their seclusion.

Unlike her kin, Tiamat had no desire to bring masterful creations into the world. Her wish was to make creatures that would dominate the lands with complete loyalty to her. From the elemental essence of the world she formed the Chromatic dragons, beings with a will to dominate and collect power of their own and an instilled attachment to their mother. They began their guise subtly, trading and collecting gold from their giant cousins as their greed grew to match their slowly maturing bodies, and all the time praising their mother for the gift of their superiority.

By the time the Chromatic Dragons had grown enough to threaten the kingdom of Osteria, their worship had twisted their mother into a monstrous visage of her children, and their greed amplified her worst qualities. They began to ravage the giants, destroying and pillaging their cities, claiming and hording all their possessions. The All-Father furiously disavowed his children for their weakness as his eldest sons were destroyed, Osteria falling to the might of the dragons. Until they could reclaim their homeland, he swore, they would never be ready to stand at the summit of all, and he relinquished his throne on Mount Celestia, fading from his former glory as the head of the lesser gods.

But not all the gods could not stand to see the eldest children so cruelly destroyed. When the gemstone dragons retreated from the conflict Bahamut gave form to the youngest dragons, made memtallic and pure to combat the Scaled Tyrant, and changed his form willingly to earn their reverence. Their battles desecrated the dragons and giants alike, whose numbers still have yet to recover. In the end, Bahamut with the help of the gods locked Tiamat away in the Abyss, but their children remain locked in deadly feud with the giants and with one another to this day.

The Age of Mortals

With a world rocked by conflict, many of the gods decided that it was time for their own creations to rise into being. To continue, however, they agreed that their spawn should not be so comparable to their own power, should not have such capacity for destruction that they threaten the safety of all the realms. Their children, they decided, must be mortal, able to wither and die, that their power would never grow out of hand. The gods took spiritual matter and fashioned it through a more delicate artistry; physical bodies, small and frail. To protect their first mortal children, the gods placed them in reflections of the material plane.

The hands of the Archheart twisted the branches of the Feywild to create the Elves, a people whose grace fit the unruly land. Much like the dragons of the former age, Elves grew slowly and steadily, their societies shaped by their long lives. The fey god taught the Elves personally from within the ever-growing plane, impressing upon them the values of changeability and grace that today characterize the Elven societies.

Far beneath the earth in the caverns and caves of the Underdark, the Dwarves were carved out of rock. Though more short-lived than the Elves of the Feywild, the Dwarves expanded faster, tunneling through the land and building as they went. As grounded in law as they are in rock to maintain their societies, the Dwarves became a strong source of dedication to the gods. Over time, the dwarves continued their excavation through the Underdark to the surface world, and chose to remain in the rock of the world.

Many other gods quickly sought to create their own mortal beings, some desiring the power of worship and some to see the joy of their work take form. Most mortal races were born in this time, creatures guided by their creators. Ironically, it was the god of Death who breathed life into the first Men, a race whose lives would burn short but bright with the flame of ambition. Human influence expanded fast, with generations passing in mere decades to the centuries of Dwarves or millenia of an Elf.

Time of Learning

In the material plane, many more creations were soon birthed from the gods, peoples and races abounding across the world. Being more careful this time, the Gods allowed them to exist without much intervention, but watching closely for any hint of their past mistakes, restricting their knowledge and use of magic altogether.

However, not all the peoples of the world were created painstakingly and without aid using spiritual matter. Many races were created subsequently by alternative means; Awakening beasts, altering existing species, or twisting the children of other gods to suit ones wishes. The world was populated with creatures abounding in opportunity but lacking experience and insight to take advantage of the lands around them.

A time of blindness for mortal creatures, life each day was a struggle, with the mundane mortal races struggling to find footing in a world infested with monsters. Feeling sorrow, the veil was lifted from man to allow them to interact with the world properly, and they began to study it, learning of its composition.

Time of the Elements

For their diligent studies of the world, the Mortal races discovered the source of the first magics: The Primordials, which the Gods had separated into the Elemental planes, made up the material of the world. Through understanding, it was found this could be molded by practice. Nations arose among the Elemental planes, and mortal races became altered by magic that suffused them.

Dynastic powers rose up who saw these elemental magics as a form of salvation. Great feats were made possible, displays of power so great the first races of the world saw it as divine. Their fixation and worship strengthened the primordial forces in their elemental states, which rose up and pushed against their constraints. The elemental planes began to encroach upon the material, desiring to form it into chaos as it was in the time before the gods.

Time of Worship

The Gods, fearing another war, agreed among each other to end the conflict before it grew. At long last they introduced themselves personally to their offspring, appearing to their favored peoples and holding the devastation at bay. Many gods who had not previously sired offspring of their own descended to aid their kin in the defense of their people, forming allies and divine marriages to stave off the calamity. These new gods took on domains and aspects that reflected the people they served on the material plane.

A grateful people began adoring their saviors, and the strengthened Gods were able to push back against the tides of chaos as the primordials lost their new power and were subdued. Deities who formerly had no peoples became adopted abroad, integrating into existing cultures and becoming a part of the pantheon. Though the powers of the elements were not forbidden or lost, an understanding was fostered such that mortal races could see the higher power of the gods and worship them.

At long last, the gods received the worship they had waited for. Though individually weak, mortal races were so plentiful that their devotion granted the gods more power than had ever experienced before. Gods began to organize their followers and grant authority to them such that the more devout learned of the second magic, Divine magic, as they acted through the will and power of their Deity, as well as their own devotion to them. A few bloodlines were even blessed that this would be passed to their descendants, creating bloodlines and saints that would extend for generations.

Time of the Magic of Man

The strengthened elemental planes had shown the power that could be gained from mortal fealty. Creatures of influence across the planes began to seek after that strength, hoping to find their own footing in the material world. They would bind themselves to mortal creatures, creating pacts to attract more followers and attention. Unable to mimic the blessings of the gods, who solely held the ability to gift Divine magic, these beings offered instead precious magical secrets, methods by which they could directly manipulate the Weave: Arcane magic.

However, these teachers of esoteric knowledge had little respect for the order of the gods, and did not contain what they gave. Their practices spread like wildfire throughout the lands, though a select few were able to harness this power to incredible effect. Considered radicals and blasphemers, these first Warlocks and Wizards began their own societies, to the enmity of the gods.

The gods of Westrule had little desire to destroy even these dissenting children. They had grown strong and proud of their offspring, marveling as a parent does at their accomplishments. Some gods felt sorrow or rage to see them reject their parentage, while others empowered them to seek their own destinies. Whatever the case, the newly independent societies of mages were able to attract many followers.

Although a single arcane practicer could learn relatively in their life, generations of man teaching their descendants compounded knowledge. Thousands of years of arcane development gave incredible power to archmages, who constructed floating cities and used magic to extend their lives. Even with their capabilities, however, they did not have the protection offered by the gods to their chosen peoples. Any threats to order had to be dealt with personally, and the most vile monsters of the planes knew it well.

Time of Ascension

The first mortal ascension arose out of necessity. A plague of demonic undead swept lands unprotected by the gods, and the growing independent societies were ripe for destruction. An enraged queen sought to correct the injustice, seeing how her people were allowed to be sacrificed by undead monsters by a god of Death who would not enforce their law. She enacted the rites, rising and destroying the deity who had so carelessly abandoned her people.

Though decisively ending the undead threat, she had unknowingly thrown the world into chaos. The gods scrambled at this revelation, desperate to know of the threat it posed them. Nations began arcane arms races to be the first to develop their own rites to avow their leaders. Faithful people questioned all they knew, wondering of the true greatest power in the multiverse.

Anarchy broke into war as the armies of the gods marched on battlefields across the planes, determined to end the threat as more and more mortals ascended into godhood unbidden, some even challenging existing gods rights to their domains. The chaos became so great that the greater deity of law demanded immediate cessation of conflict between the pantheons and warned the mayhem would empower Limbo.

The Dissension

Even the new gods agreed that to leave the power of ascension in mortal hands would be an catastrophic mistake. The divide amongst the gods was one of territory, as the ancient pantheon would not permit challengers to compete for their peoples. Implementing a peaceful coexistence, they decided, would not be worth the effort it would take to maintain. Conflict and war would be inevitable, and chaos could again encroach and threaten reality.

As a solution, it was proposed that the land of the material plane be divided between the two pantheons. The land was split, literally, into two parts, comprising the new territories, and separated far from one another. The gods were bound to their people that their power could never directly affect lands outside their purview. To maintain such segregation, a great chasm was ripped between the domains. Separated by the World Seam, what was once one great land was split into two separate continents, the power of the gods that enforced that separation being woven into the very fabric of their peoples.

Age of Confusion

The problem of ascension still loomed over the world, threatening constantly that the next mortal to rise would be the harbinger of destruction. Desiring to preserve their children, the combined pantheons used their power to erase everything recorded on the material plane. Books, memories, runes, anything that could be used to maintain a history or teaching of what had transpired and, more importantly, how it had been done. Even magical transcriptions were rendered blank canvases, testaments to the danger of an age past. For the mortals of the material plane and its reflections the world was cast into confusion.

Able to remember and thus able to guide, the most devout followers of the gods led the reconstruction of Westrule. The pantheon, fearing the reemergence of the powers of Ascension, sought to prevent the problem of arcane magic from growing out of control as it did during the Age of Ascension. The practice of Wizardry was forever shattered by the Dissension, shards scattered across the planes as only a handful of wizards were able to avoid the calamity. Spellbooks and scrolls destroyed, the gods worked to suppress any widespread resurgence of such practices.

The Age of Confusion is the modern age of Ephemir, and the current day is 5,982 PD (Post-Dissension), though the exact year the split occurred is unknown in Westrule.

Pantheon of Westrule

Cosmology of the Planes

Dazzlingly kaleidoscopic, many a young mind has peered into the night sky and seen questions scribed in the stars. A barrier of mystery that thousands of years of curiosity have barely begun to scratch, modern sages persistently work to explore and understand the many planes of existence and their own place in the vast and complex Ephemirian cosmology. The most revolutionary of this knowledge has come from the giants, dragons, and extraplanar beings which predate the Dissention. Not all this knowledge is known or even guaranteed to be accurate.

The Prime Tesseract

When one refers to “the World”, they are likely not referring to every place connected to their own for on Ephemir it is possible to journey physically to any one of the Inner Planes or their echoes as easily as one might travel to another country. Although one may be able to sail into the Plane of Water or fly to the Plane of Air from the edges of our Material Plane, to do so implies a shift to a planar space “perpendicular” to our own on a cosmological scale. Some scholars refer to this as Ether movement, as it is thought to move through the Ethereal Plane.

When a person visits the far reaches of their world, they will find that to go further will not have them dropping off the edge of the map or continuing on a spherical path. Instead, stepping further north, south, east, or west will take them to one of the elemental planes. Stepping over the "edge" that separates the two worlds can be quite obvious, as when the towering wall of stone appears on the Plane of Earth, or more subtle, as when a ship sails through mists to an expanse of ocean seemingly like any other.

Whatever the case, the passing from one plane to another is almost always perceptible by travelers, regularly manifesting as a warped view like looking through shaped glass and a pull of gravity that impossibly matches this altered landscape. The space where an elemental plane meets the material is marked by terrain that matches the transition; for example, a great waterfall spraying into mist at the edge of the Plane of Air, volcanic soil and rock at the Cinder Wastes, roiling waves or glassy seawater at the Plane of Water, or peaks of increasing height approaching the Plane of Earth. Where an elemental plane meets Elemental Chaos at the fringes of its domain, raw material being is found in constant turmoil, the dominant elemental force being the closest plane.

Fiber, Thread, & Fabric

Among the Air genasi of Aaqa, the Material Plane is thought of as a vast cloth, woven tightly with elemental threads. To them, it is the role of the gods to spin the fibers of Elemental Chaos into the threads of the Elemental planes which form the material world as we know it.

Prime Echoes

The echoic planes of the Feywild and Shadowfell are another matter of complexity, acting as conceptual imprints of the Material Plane rather than neighboring locations. Crossings between echoic planes can occur in places where the environment most matches the echo, either of shadow or fey. The depths of the Underdark consistently intersect with the Shadowfell, blurring the lines between the two. Passing to an echo is more subtle than other forms of planar travel, usually indicated by a feeling of dread or wonder.

Shadow and Fey crossings can be found across the Prime Tesseract, whether in the City of Brass on the Plane of Fire or the tundra of the Frostfell. This is thought to be a result of their composition; rather than providing elemental substance, the Echoes give the world the essential ingredients of Life and Death, instilling all things with a natural spiritual flow.

Planes of the Prime Tesseract
Material Plane (Ephemir)
Shadowfell
Feywild
Ethereal Plane
Plane of Air
Plane of Earth
Plane of Fire
Plane of Water
Elemental Chaos

PART II

Factions & Societies

Mortals cannot possibly understand the scale of this world. The Elves come close, but even they crumble to dust with time. It fascinates me to see the tenacity of a people who know their entire life's work, no matter how grand it seems, will one day be forgotten.

-Cassien, Fallen Solar

"An Immortal's Aging Words"

Cavellian Empire

The youngest of all the nations of Westrule, the Cavellian empire came into being during Last Dwarven Alliance, when the Rundale Republic was reformed and their congress dissolved. The nation was rebuilt, turning scores of agricultural land into imperial territory, and tens of thousands of republic soldiers were outfitted as Peace Wardens to keep the dominated dwarven territories in line.

Lasting conflict on Thorntusk Isle and tensions with the Myciena Coalition has allowed the Empire to maintain a crushing military might, slowly encroaching on Northern lands and Coalition territory. Magical talent within the Empire is highly sought after by military headhunters. Those among the commonfolk with an aptitude for Arcane studies (Sorcerers, Eldritch Knights, Warlocks) are conscripted into service, apprenticing under senior military staff. If they perform well, they are immediately offered advanced rank, placing them as specialized State Adepts within the ranks of the Peace Wardens.

At the close of the War of the Last Dwarven Alliance, a rebellious group of religious zealots within the Peace Wardens attempted a coup, seizing the palace and nearly eliminating the Emperor. When the uprising was dealt with, centers of faith throughout the land were snuffed out by military forces returning from war. This event, known as the Apostate Purge, saw the rise of the Creed of Kysar within Imperial boundaries. Although private worship of the more peaceful gods is largely ignored, any and all public worship outside the Creed of Kysar is met with swift retribution. Members of more militant and traditionally mighty faiths are hunted by Creed Knights as they seek to prevent uprising among the people.

While some of these Creed Knights (usually Paladins or Warlocks) operate within the ranks of the Peace Wardens, most remain within the clergy of the Creed, acting as the Empire's inter-regional enforcers. Creed Knights also serve as inquisitors directly under the command of the Creed (and, thereby, the Emperor), and are dispatched to serve nobles in the case of political disputes. Because they are considered agents of the divine, the Knights are above the jurisdiction of the nobility, but must still answer to the Emperor.

The current noble houses rose to power during the war, when mages found their place commanding scores of troops and using their arcane gifts to dominate battlefields, eventually carving a path through the Bellow Peaks straight to the city of Blackhamer. When the war was finished, the same mages were rewarded, their families becoming the noble houses of the New Era. To this day, the original noble houses still hold great sway over the internal affairs of the empire. These six Lords form the Emperor's Cabinet and act as his foreign representatives while also maintaining their lands.

Noble heirs are appointed through the Scepter's Trial, whereby prospective heirs may duel one another to settle disputes over inheritance. When named Lord or Lady, nobles inherit control provincial areas and appoint Provosts to lead towns and cities in their stead. The Provost appoints his own district masters, with some larger cities having multiple masters per sector. The district masters control a settlement's city guard (watchmaster), local commerce (coinmaster), infrastructure (pithmaster), religious practices (idolmaster) and the courts of law (lawmaster). Each year in the month of Grace, tax collectors visit each city to inspect records and determine the appropriate amount of tax due.

Goals

With the fastest growing population among the nations of Westrule, the Cavellian Empire keeps a lookout for opportunities to expand their territory and bring glory to the Emperor's name.

Relationships

Cavellian diplomacy involves reminding its neighbors of Imperial might, whether by great military parades or through conquering lands. Presently, the Peace Warden force is occupied with maintaining position in the Throntusk Jungles, but rising trade tensions with the Myciena coalition has justified a buildup of troops on the borderlands.

The Gamalheimer Dynasties respect the might of the Empire. Despite a back-and-forth dispute over territory that occasionally erupts into skirmishes, steady trade lines with the Dynasties are guarded diplomatically. Precious arcane resources obtained from Gamal beasts and mines form the backbone of the Peace Warden's forces.

Within their own borders, much of the Cavellian citizenry is intensely patriotic. Those old enough to remember the time of the Rundale Republic recall a period of squabbling political figures arguing over petty conflicts and refusing to solve basic needs within their territories, from large-scale magical plagues and storms to goblinoid raids. Many individuals within the empire are in a state of disagreement over the

policies and actions of their government, but the capitol-born citizenry maintain that safety from foreign powers and arcane disasters has been unprecedented since the reformation of the bureaucracy.

Still, the intensely authoritarian and supremacist ideals of the Empire have led many to ruin. Dwarven territories in the Bellow Peaks are ruled by fear, and their annexed populaces have fought back. Halfling communities in the Harthhills have been used as the lifeblood of the army, feeding tens of thousands of Peace Wardens at the expense of Halfling culture. Anti-imperial sentiment broods heavy in these areas, where the rebellious Anvils hold much sway.

Rising tensions with the Myciena Coalition in recent months have put troops on the borderlands as a threatening force. Lord Saxton, newly appointed Warden of the South and diplomat to the Coalition, has begun a campaign of propaganda to turn public focus towards to the lack of Mycienian involvement in the Thorntusk conflict. Publications paint the Coalition as hoarders, holding back vital resources like adamantine and Argovian knowledge from the advancement of the war effort that they say protects all.

The Creed of Kysar presently holds intense sway in the political climate of the Empire. At the end of the Last Dwarven Alliance, the Creed became the official religion within Imperial borders as members of other faiths were hunted as dissidents and rivals. Presently, the Creed holds executive power over the nobility, resolving inter-house disputes and rivalries. Noble houses, including the Emperor, receive their power by Creed mandate, and this has driven uneasiness between the nobility and agents of the faith. While the Emperor is the face of the Creed, he keeps a close watch on their activity as he seeks to maintain his position.

Figures of Interest

Powerful individuals run the scope of events within Imperial boundaries, and noble houses execute the will of the Emperor as it is deemed fit. Lords and nobility of the Empire are powerful individuals in their own right, holding arcane power, military prowess, or some other means of keeping their position.

Emperor Ajustus Cavell

Named Emperor at the fall of the Rundale Republic, Emperor Cavell has kept his position through his strong support of military might, holding the support of his nobility and thereby steadfastly ensuring his iron grip on the territories of the Empire. As a former general in the Last War, Ajustus has seen firsthand the damage that powers outside his control can deal, and has sought in his reign to snuff out insurgency and unpredictable variables to keep his country safe.

Lord Mytus Saxton

The newest among the noble houses and coming from a position within the Peace Wardens, Lord Saxton came to power but a few months ago following the deaths of the Bedegar family at the hand of the White Tusk orc clan. Since then, he has overturned much of the peaceful diplomatic policies of his predecessor as Warden to the South, calling out the Myciena Coalition for their neutrality in the Thorntusk conflict.

Lord Thelon Daston

As Lord General of the Peace Wardens, Daston commands the forces that keep the hordes of Thorntusk Isle at bay. A deeply patriotic man, Daston ambitiously desires to spread Imperial territory to the far corners of the land. However, resistance on the jungle island has proven to be perhaps more than the reward, and Daston has set his eyes on the ever-neutral lands of the Myciena Coalition.

Lord Remon Morelli

Lord Morelli is the youngest of the noble houses, having gained power when his father died 3 years ago. However, he has decided to maintain the status quo as Lord Protectorate of the Subjects, continuing his father's legacy of firm grip over the Dwarven territories. Eager to prove himself to the crown and the creed, Remon has implemented even stricter policies and taxes, increasing rebellion within his lands.

Lady Meria Hasting

The Warden to the North is a woman of great martial strength, and considers herself both protector and provider to the Empire as diplomat to the Gamalheimer. Maintaining a small navy and several strongholds along the Tarqalian coast, Lord Hasting prefers to speak loudly while carrying a big stick.

Lord Aymer Walden

More reserved than other noblemen, Aymer Walden is the only nobleman without magical or martial power of his own. Having inherited his position only recently, Lord Walden considers growth of personal combat prowess to be beneath him-. Instead, he prefers to use his network of constituents to prevent threats before their conception as Warden of the Interior.

Lady Harmonia Casting

The acclaimed "Lady of the Faith" is the noble representative of the Creed of Kaisar in the Emperor's Cabinet, and is known best by her devotion first and ambition second. Her first and foremost desire is to bring the Creed across all the land.

Peoples of the Land

The Cavellian Empire is the most populous kingdom in Westrule, growing in size each day as new citizens are born. While the kingdom was founded by humans, it has grown to accommodate many peoples in its borders, whether conquered or peacefully assimilated.

Dominant: Humans

The lands of the Empire belong to the race of Men, whose booming population has allowed them to build up this civilization in a matter of centuries. Those bornamong wealthy families are likely to be Astute humans, while the populace is comprised of Vigorous humans. Find them here.

Minorities: Dwarves & Halflings

The dwarves are serving penance for the war that shook the land, building firearms to serve the nation that once felt their power. Dwarves can expect to be met with distrust from nationalistic citizens who see them as inciters of rebellion. Most dwarves who hail from the Empire live in the Bellow Peaks, and are typically mountain dwarves.

Uncommon in the bustling metropolises, halflings aren't taken seriously by authorities. The Peace Wardens rely on agricultural goods produced by halflings in the Harthhills (at rock bottom rates due to regulation), leaving many communities far below their possible affluence.

Enclaves: Gnomes & Goliaths

Gnommish communities are small, but are found with the small folk of the Harthhills in communities where they can best fit in. Some exist within the Bellow Peaks, folding in with the local population. The disputed Harkenleaf shelters Tinkletodd, a Gnommish borough.

Few goliaths remained in the Empire when the Alliance crumbled, with most leaving to the Gamalheimer Dynasties to avoid retribution. Those that remained formed their own small communities within the Bellow Peaks, some joining with rebel causes.

Groups: Elves & Tabaxi

The Elves were somewhat predictive of the coming cataclysmic war. Those to the interior borders of the conflict chose to retreat into the underdark, their numbers being too thin to be caught in a war they had no stake in. Today, only a few stragglers were left behind, the few who decided to remain on the surface world.

The equally small number of Tabaxi within the land stick to groups resembling families, though most are diluted with members of other races.

Symbol of the Order

The Order Argovian

What is now a continent-spanning organization began its roots, naturally, in religion. Originally founded by an order or devout known as the Argo il Neled, or Journey of the Third Eye (roughly translated), disciples of the Knowing Mistriss established a temple to their goddess. A temple grew into a library, which expanded into an organization dedicated to the gathering and sharing of knowledge. While still officially an organization dedicated to Ioun, the Knowing Mistriss, those who seek truth and share it openly are considered to be her pupils, whether they revere her or not. Today, the devout followers of Ioun are but a small part of the institute, joined by scholars, monks, and psions dedicated to the principles of the Order.

Once a solitary house of enlightenment based in the Ridic Vale, the Order has installed smaller Repositories across the Coalition, with the largest being situated in cities and cultural hearths. Where Repositories cannot be built Outposts are established in which a Keeper of the Eye and their apprentice (called a Seeker) collect artifacts and conduct research in the field. A few secretive Outposts exist within the Cavellian Empire, where Imperial dogma is hostile to outsiders, as well as some more open Outposts on distant continents, laying the groundwork for future generations.

While members can come from any walk of life, the Order actively searches for those that have a natural aptitude for Psionic arts, a rare talent considered to be a blessing from Ioun. The mind of a Psion is uniquely able to manipulate the Weave, planar energies, and individual minds. One with psionic talent holds the title 'Vessel of the Eye' and must serve as Seeker under another Vessel.

The majority of the Order, however, is made up of scribes and acolytes called Stewards of the Eye, who conduct the everyday affairs of the Repositories. Stewards are those in the order who do not possess psionic talent. Most are ordinary people who have worked tirelessly to be a part of the esteemed Order, but some practice minor arcane magic, martial mastery, or monastic traditions as part of their guardianship, and some are members of faiths dedicated to the ideals that Ioun teaches, even if they do not worship her.

Any Steward or Vessel may rise through the ranks, beginning their journey as a Seeker of the Eye and learning from an assigned Keeper. Seekers must work through five trials as part of their training, known as Steps of the Journey, to become a Keeper. Each trial is different for each Seeker, decided by a High Keeper and meant to push the limits of experience for that seeker.

Masters of the Order and experts in their fields, a Keeper is one who has proven their dedication to the ideals of Ioun and are considered ready to teach others. A master Steward may be a foremost authority of their study or practice, while a Vessel who has undergone the the Journey may have no rival in their Psionic field. A particularly distinguished Keeper may oversee an Outpost or Repository as a High Keeper.

In the past few centuries, Argovian Monks have been adopted into the organizational structure of the Myciena Coalition, using their psionic talent and knowledge to investigate rumors and settle disputes that threaten the safety of the realm. Occasionally, the vast historical expertise of these archivists is called upon to act as aides to diplomats or as legislative consultants.

Involvement with the Coalition has given the Order Argovian vast resources it couldn't have otherwise. However, it has also tied them down. Due to their standing as Coalition representatives and peacekeepers, Argovian influence is extremely limited beyond the kingdom's borders. Expeditions and missions not within the Coalition require a lengthy approval process, which has led to a great deal of controversy within the Order when lives have been at stake.

Goals

The Order Argovian was founded upon the ideals of Ioun, the Knowing Mistress. Truth, her followers believe, will bring the world into an era of peace. Knowledge gathered and shared freely cannot be taken advantage of. The Monastery and its smaller Repositories gather knowledge wherever they can find it, seeking historical understanding as well as the more obscure secrets of arcane or divine texts.

Where knowledge is too dangerous to be shared, the Monasteries seek to protect, rather than hoard, what secrets they can. The High Keepers of the Repositories are sentinels to watch over ancient and dangerous books, prophecies, and secrets that could spell doom in the wrong hands, but are never permitted to use them. The hidden archives within the Monastery are said to be as undetectable as the vaults of the Iron Bank are impenetrable.

Since their incorporation into the Coalition, the tenants of the Order have been molded over time, reflecting their roles as part of a republic state. To the Argovians, each person has a valuable perspective of the universe, and each perspective contains a part of the truth, and must be protected. In this way, the Order has taught the protection of others as part of their doctrine.

Relationships

In return for their service as arbitrators and consultants, the Monastery receives funding from the Coalition for their various Repositories and Outposts, an arrangement which has allowed the Order to grow strong in recent centuries. Their influence over governing structures has given them connections to important figures and put them in reach of knowledge they could not otherwise obtain. Today, each province of the Coalition has repositories scattered within it, and the archives of the Monastery are the largest in Westrule.

As a part of the Coalition, however, the Order is bound tightly to its structure. If the Monastery or its ancillary Repositories seek to act outside their province or beyond Coalition borders, a provincial sovereign must approve the request. A request may take weeks or months to be approved, and many a problem has grown bigger as the Argovians failed to act. Some within the Order are bitter of this management, and would like to return to the time when the institute was a smaller, independent system.

Outside of the Coalition, a small number of Outposts exist which seek to acquire knowledge that cannot be found elsewhere. Some of these are established with the permission of local rulers, but most operate unofficially, with Keepers acting only as searchers of knowledge and not as agents of Myciena. Nations tend to be wary of foreign agents infiltrating their structure, and as such keep a close eye on Keepers and Seekers within their borders.

Imperial nobility are strongly against the ideals of the Monastery, who prefer to put powerful knowledge in the hands of those who would best wield it rather than keep it locked away. In addition, the free sharing of knowledge the Order promotes directly opposes propaganda promoted by the Empire. To this end, Cavellian agents have sought to infiltrate the Monastery to replace established lore with more Empire-friendly histories, and a silent conflict of incursion and prevention has been waged between the organizations.

Figures of Interest

The affairs of the Monastery are run by individuals at each Repository and Outpost known as High Keepers. These High Keepers form the Council Argovian, or the Council of Journeymen. Some powerful figures influence the Order that are not a part of the Council.

High Keeper Scalecoat

Male Topaz Gemstone Dragonborn

A powerful Vessel of the Eye, High Keeper Scalecoat runs the affairs of the central Argovian Monastery in the Ridic Vale. He heads the Council Argovian, and is even an official consultant for the Sovereign Circle of the Coalition. Scalecoat has become increasingly involved in Coalition affairs over the years, and has always supported further involvement with Myciena. Being very busy with his many duties, Scalecoat sometimes has to choose between his role as a diplomat and his role as a Keeper.

Jeomen, the One who Sees

Male Young Ruby Dragon

Found as a wyrmling at the start of the Order, Jeomen has been raised up by the many acolytes of the Mpnastery over the eras. Though Jeomen is, as a dragon, not dedicated to Ioun, his psionic power and ancient knowledge have been integral to the development of the archives.

Jeomen is primarily concerned with the governance of truth within the Monastery. His psionic influence extends throughout the archive and keeps the building under a Zone of Truth spell (Save DC 18).

Keeper Getha, Vessel of Empathy

Female High Elf

One of the most frequently visited Keepers by outsiders, Getha's capabilities as a telepath make her extremely useful to those seeking to remember lost knowledge, peacefully interrogate prisoners, or simply use her wisdom to act as a mediator for internal affairs.

Keeper Ogden, Steward of Faith

Male Human

Anyone who want to know anything about the gods or religious orders inevitably meets Ogden at one point or another. Though he is extremely aged, the Steward of Faith gains a youthful excitement when others interested in his paths enter the monastery. Ogden centers his own faith in his dedication to Ioun

Keeper Alkenous, Vessel of Cosmos

Duna Ozean

Myciena Coalition

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