The world of Ayron by Jaques Smit
Current date: 735 A.R.M.
Introduction
The continent is varied in its biomes. It is the original home of the elves and the dwarves in the world of Ayron. It has a rich and long history that precedes humans by hundreds of thousands of years. Humans have measured time since the Rise of Murapii, the dominant human empire in Apour, so we will use their measure to keep time. The races of Azrea are highly segregated, and most humans don't believe in non-human races at all. They see them as nothing more than stories.
Nations of Azrea
East Rendin
Capital: East Haven
Government: Bureaucratic Monarchy
Ruler: King Ferdinand du la Rent
National Religion: Cult of the Weave
Primary Exports: Wheat, Beer, Lumber, Diamonds and permits to trade with the Technomancers Guild and Artisans of the Elves
They believe in local industry and strong trade relations with foreign nations. They have grown wealthy off selling foodstuffs to the West Rendin. Their culture is obsessed with class and status. The amount of art you have often denotes your wealth. Artists flock here to gain a wealthy patron, but most don't find one.
West Rendin
Capital: West Haven
https://inkarnate.com/m/mRNL20--west-haven-city/
Government: Bureaucratic Monarchy
Ruler: Queen Armandine du la Rent
National Religion: Cult of the Weave
Primary Exports: Iron, pottery, fish, lumber, facilitating pilgrimages to the holy mountain, and rare stones bought from the Dwarves
They are an expressive nation that wears their emotions on their sleeves. The culture is highly metropolitan due to its location and valuable trade ports. Many traders stop off in West Rendinian ports on the way to more significant areas.
Sawra
Capital: Anthir
https://inkarnate.com/m/gmgy67--the-free-duchy-of-anthir/
Government: Consortium of city-states; some are monarchies; others have merchant princes.
Ruler: Each city has their own rules. In Anthir, Duke Roar Fordesson
National Religion: Cult of the Weave
Primary Exports: Wool, herbs and spices, pelts, fish and whale blubber
Korland heavily influences Sawra, and their city-states follow the same general structure of unified defence. Anthir is the lead city, and their Duke owns some other towns. Their culture is highly stoic. They do not put much stock into art or beautification outside religious practice.
Itavia
Capital: Iskani
Government: Maritime traders Republic
Ruler: Great Council of Twelve
National Religion: Cult of the Weave
Primary Exports: Marble, Wine, Foodstuffs, trading mire, spices and silk from the west and the East, salt, gems, goods, silver and gold
They are a mercantile nation that facilitates trade between the great empires of the east and west on the Apour Continent. They were once part of the Murapii Empire a long time ago. Their culture is expressive and romantic. They strive for riches and romance.
Korland
Capital: Thash
Government: Merchant Princes of Maritime Traders
Ruler: The Purple Council
National Religion: Cult of the Weave
Primary Exports: Purple dye, silk, spices, trade goods, knowledge, ale, fruits and nuts, rare goods, rare metals and rare stones
A trade empire. They have a monopoly on the dye trade and, most of all, purple dye. Purple silk is one of the most valuable trade goods in the known world and a way that most royal families or wealthy merchants show their wealth. Korland's culture is communal, and they value family above all. To be admitted into a Korlander's family is to have a safe place for life. They are fierce in their defence of all in their family. As a whole, the nation considers itself a big family.
Luukes
Capital: Quintricalum
Government: Technocracy
Ruler: Professor Tolkan Roctil
National Religion: Cult of the Weave - Mag
Primary Exports: Rare mechanical goods, silver, platinum, gold, magical items, spells
A nation of small folk run by the most competent provable person. Leaders change every five years to the person proven to be the most capable and learned in the land. Most of the upper class of society is Gnomish, and most of the working class is Halfling. Culture is pretty advanced and one of the only mixed-race nations, with many foreign races like Elves, Orcs, Goblins, Dwarves, Dragonborn and Tieflings and more living in their cities. Their culture values intellect above all.
Murapii
Capital: Mura
Government: Empire
Ruler: Emperor Ignatius Lionus Arugula Pirani
National Religion: Cult of the Sarghos: The Divine
Primary Exports: Slaves, salt, gems, trade goods, silver, gold, iron, linen, mercenaries
The dominant Empire on the Apour Continent and once most Azrea was also part of the empire. Still, Murapii withdrew to more defensible borders when hostility with Kurahn on its eastern border came to a head. The Murian language is generally spoken all over the Azrean continent. Culture is highly bureaucratic and litigious. People are fiercely religious and patriotic.
Quan
Capital: Isinbal
Government: Feudal monarchy
Ruler: Queen Xanrdi Salla
National Religion: Cult of the Weave
Primary Exports: Wheat, Olive Oil, enslaved people, Stone, Lumber, Copper, Mercenaries
They are ruled with an iron fist. The nation is heavily militaristic and constantly at war with its neighbours. They are tasked with defending The Isle and will cease all hostilities with others and turn their attention to a threat. The culture of Quan is vicious and brutal, and only the strong win respect. Despite their duty to the isle, many in the nation despise
Rovskia
Capital: Rovska
Government: Kahnate
Ruler: Petrov Zhalandi Alkova Kahn
National Religion: Cult of the Sarghos
Primary Exports: Horses, tapestries, fur clothing, enslaved people, pottery
Clansmen on horseback raiding and pillaging rival states. They established cities and food production settlements by the Korland Sea but maintained a massive mobile cavalry that moved like locusts over the lands to the south. Heavily honour-based culture, a person who loses their honour commits ritual suicide.
Stillendam
Capital: Etmenja
Government: Democratic Monarchy
Ruler: King Ellamji Reethnia and Prime Minister Cilcye Faelynn
National Religion: Cult of the Weave
Primary Exports: Steeled Lumber (wood as strong as steel), magic items, rare goods, pelts, cured meat
An ancient and established Elven kingdom. A King and a Prime Minister are elected once in a hundred years. Both must agree for a law change to occur. Few humans ever enter Stillendam, as it is nearly impenetrable. The forest kills intruders, and th,e great lake and the river surrounding it are colossal water weird. While elves can be found outside of Stillendam, most in Azrea originate from here.
Northern Towers
Capital: The Tower
Government: Constitutional Hereditary Monarchy
Ruler: King Ducan Anvilhart
National Religion: Cult of the Weave - Jor
Primary Exports: all metals, all gems, all types of stone, special crafting gear, mechanical goods, rare tools
Dwarven mines stretch deep into the Northern Towers. The dwarves are a close-minded, stubborn lot that doesn't like outsiders; they were once allied with Rendin but have long since abandoned that notion. The dwarves are run by a consortium of clans and a council of leaders from each clan. A council leader is elected every five years, and the council advises the King.
Religion - The cult of the weave
What people believe
In the beginning, Cos awoke to a barren land with jutting mountains and wild storms. She saw no life. From the weave of magic, she gave life to her four daughters. Mag, to care for the weave and maintain balance in all things. Jor to shape the land and bring life in abundance. Aeg to master the unpredictability of the world, foremost of which was the great oceans. Finally, Lot would serve the cycle of life and death, winter and summer. The five great beings set to work, refining the continent, shaping the land, growing the forest and calming the seas. They gave life to the world’s races and set the guardian titans to work in constructing civilizations. Soon the land and sea were teeming with diversity. The dark realm broke into our reality and destroyed the titans in a great cataclysm. Chaos overcame the world until Mag sealed the rift to the dark realm. Life continued, but the gods withdrew to the light realm from this world. They continue to maintain the order of life and death. They raise the worthy to glory while in prison, the unworthy in ice.
The actual mythos of Cos
Cos manifested as a chaotic force between dark and light, creating light and then consuming it. The magical powers she generated tore the weave, making Hazmothane her dark son. She tasked Hazmothane to populate the continent around them with life. Then she could devour their souls when destroying them. Hazmothane created Kazamung, creator of life and Belmung, the taker of life. Kazamung could not create life quickly enough for Belmung’s rate of destruction, so Hazmothane created Mag, Jor, Aeg and Lot to shape the world faster.
The sisters did not like the cycle of creation and destruction. They wanted to have time for something beautiful to grow. They spoke to their brothers, and only Belmung, tired of aeons of destruction, would listen. Mag and Belmung worked together to seal the darkness in Cos away to the Dark realm, allowing her light to exist alone. She sided with the sisters, angering Hazmothane and Kazamung. The ensuing war caught Belmung and Kazamung in an eternal cycle of self-destruction, while Mag sealed Kazamung in the Dark realm along with the dark nature of Cos.
Notable Organizations
Black Wolves
Violent criminal guild historically based out of Anthir but stretched far and wide. They have a history of consorting with the Order of Humanity and being critical players in plots to overthrow governments all over the continent. They have a long-standing rivalry with the Magpies, a much more egalitarian organisation. The Black Wolves and Magpies have been at war since 582 A.R.M.
Current Leader - Ulfhild, the Bloody Queen of Anthir
Magpies
Originating from West Haven, they are a thieves guild that has been around since 500 ARM. They have a strict code under which all their members operate, and their core moral is that their function is to redistribute wealth more fairly back to the poor. The code strives to minimise human costs in the process. Due to the almost popularity of the code, the guild has expanded quickly, and nearly every city in Azrea and some in Apour contain members who bear the Dagger and the Bird tattoo on their left shoulder.
Current Magnani Pie - Hershall Potts of West Haven
Knights of Alba
A strictly hierarchical organisation who are pledged to hunting and killing evil in all its forms. They were founded in 550 A.R.M. in the face of what is known as the time of Horror when the Jorman Planes were laid to waste by an undead plague. They are primarily stationed in Lonstad in East Rendin, set to keep the Dead Land from rising again, but they can be found wherever there is known evil. Paladins, clerics, fighters, rangers and more join their ranks for various reasons.
Current Grand Marshal - Karla Elizabeth Williams of Lonstad
The cult of Sarghus
The cult of Sarghus in Murapii is the dominant religion of Eastern Apour. The Head of Sarghus declared that Sarghus was the one true god and that all the other gods in the world were Shadow creatures in disguise. In 550 A.R.M., the religious conflict came to a head and escalated into a total civil war. The emperor who survived believed in Sarghus as one true god; he created the Feet of Sarghus and funded them to convert the world and drive out all Shadow from it. The Feet infiltrated most of the known world, pushing their agenda by feeding and clothing the poor if they converted. They find ways to make their plan beyond simply helping the weak by looking at the weaknesses of the local situation and exploiting them. They have been known to sell protection and ensure those who don’t convert fall on hard times.
Current Head of Sarghus - Maximus Alexander Augustus III of Mura
Magic
Overview of Magical Organizations
Any with magical abilities on the continent must either join a Cult of the Weave temple, go to the Magic University of Lorilla to support the Knights of Alba, or go to the Isle to hone their skills in preparation to defend the world. Magical talent is scarce; therefore, there are only a few hundred mages worldwide. Less than fifty are of considerable power, five of which are in the Holy City of Kindra serving as High Priests. One runs the Magic University of Lorilla, Three the Isle, and the rest are distributed between the other races, with the Elves of Stillendam and the Gnomes of Luukes having a disproportionately high number.
The Isle
A politically neutral mageocracy run by Vernum Salja, who is self-elected and ratified by the nations of Azrea as tasked with defending the continent. The isle was established after the end of the Age of Horror in 582 A.R.M.
Vernum Salja - The most powerful wizard in Azrea. He was born in 530 A.R.M. in Lorilla, where he went to University as a Wizard. He and Amythine unwittingly played a significant part in spreading the Order of Humanity's dark curse across the Jorman Planes, which finally led to the Age of Horror. During the war, Vernum made up for his early blunder by breaking down the Order’s plan to weaken Rendin's ability to defend against the incursion. When the war was over, Vernum swore to protect the world against future incidents and started the Isle as a neutral haven for mages, from where he could guard the continent. Vernum’s magic has given him an impossibly long life.
University of Lorilla
A long-standing university of magic which is now an arm of the Knights of Alba. Their proximity to Lonstad allows them to support the defence against the Dead Land actively. They are not as prestigious as the Isle and have an intense rivalry, feeling that they should be the bastion of security in Azrea. However, they have to relent that being in East Rendin would have meant that no other government would consent to it. Quan and Itavia were uncomfortable with the University being in East Rendin.
Eckardt Altman is the current dean of the university and a powerful wizard. He is also a high-ranking member of the Knights of Alba.
The Holy City of Kindra
https://inkarnate.com/m/w9gWv7--the-holy-city-of-kindra/
The Holy City, built on the Holy Mountain, is neutral despite being in West Rendin. They have laws under the High Priests from the Cult of the Weave. The mountain is connected directly to the realm of light, making it a powerful conduit for communing with the goddesses. It has been settled and used for religious practices by the Elves since 200,000 A.R.M. In 420 B.R.M., the Elves were pushed out of the area by the rise of the Troll Kingdom, headed by King Zholani.
In 375 A.R.M., the human King Louis du la Rent drove Zholani out of the lands and settled it. The Elves refused to live among the humans but converted them to the Cult of the Weave and helped them rebuild the City under the agreement that Elves had access to the mountain when they wished. This happens frequently, but some of the high priests are Elves.
High Priests
Cos - High Priestess Ovia Laquismja - Elven
Jor - High Priest Unhir Yetmin - Dwarven
Aeg - High Priest Roland Thornfall - Human
Lot - High Priestess Ishyelle Hethnolas - Elven
Mag - High Priestess Evinja Sylver - Elven
Merchants Confederation of Korland Traders
The MCFT is a merchant's guild that owns the exclusive rights to purple dye. They are rich and powerful and run almost every market on the continent. They used their wealth to impact laws to favour them, and they were mainly in control of Korland's merchant empire.
The Order of Humanity
A doomsday cult (Although, from their perspective, they are heroically striving to save the world) who work behind the scenes to take complete control over the continent. They are followers of Cos' firstborn son, the master of the Darkveil (Shadow dimension) Hazmothane. The most powerful among them conduct blood sacrifices to trade their souls for a form of Vampirism. Once done, they are immortal, and their bodies must be destroyed for them to die. Even a single living cell will regenerate. They do not suffer any light sensitivity, and they sustain the souls of their victims, which they consume through their blood. They can ingest parts of a soul and do not have to kill their victims. They aim to bring order to the world by overrunning it with their undead servants, ultimately ending all hunger, crime and disorder.
Wulfher clan
Guardians of the Darkveil and keepers of the Wolfsherz. Since before civilisation, when the du la Rents and their followers had not even been born to colonise Azrea and beasts with murderous intent ruled the forests now known as the Kings end, the Shutzfort helped the Darkveil in check. The Wulfher clan storytellers speak of a tear in the veil, deep in the forest, through which the forest's monsters are mutated, strengthened and encouraged. Many centuries ago, a small band of elite Wulfher heroes ventured into the woods to close the tear. When they returned, they bore the Wolfsherz and had been beruehrt. On the full moon, they would transform to become vicious, unstoppable beasts, driven to the wilderness to hunt. Over time they learned to manage their condition and even learned how to control it. Some of their children became beruehrt, mostly male children, and only occasionally would a female child be beruehrt. The beruehrt seemed immortal and could only be killed by beheading with an extraordinarily sharp and incredibly sharp blade wielded with unreasonable power. When the Rendinian Kings conquered the region, Shutzfort could not be taken. After a century of conflict, King Louis du la Rent negotiated a treaty that would allow Shutzfort to join the kingdom, gaining the support of the government and access to the trade of the realm while maintaining their independent laws, exemption from taxes and enduring ownership of the land along the Darkveil. The fort was renamed Kings Fort, and the clan agreed to protect the northern border while maintaining a permanent contingent of a single beruehrt warrior in service to the kingdom as a soldier.
Chieftain Williric Kaiser is the leader of the Kings Fort
Technomancers Guild
An organisation of engineers dedicated to the advancement and refinement of technology. They are highly protective of their ways, and no human has ever been taught the craft. Only Dwarves and Gnomes are permitted membership, and the things they make are costly and highly prized.
The Night Hunt
An Elven order dedicated to keeping balance in the world. They cull anything that threatens to shift the world into imbalance. The order has played significant roles in keeping the Wild North in check, but they have also run into conflict with the growing human populations of the South.
The Hospitallers of the Black Rose
A knightly order based out of Itavia that fights against the Feet of Sarghus while also helping the sick and the dying. They protect the innocent that cannot protect themselves and follow the Cult of the Weave under goddess Lot.
Cleansing Eye
Based out of Quan, they are anti-magic fanatics who hunt down and kill magic users who are not priests or priestesses of the goddesses. They believe that only magic granted by the goddesses is pure and destroy any who use it otherwise. They have an intense rivalry with The Isle. They are essentially the reason that magic is not very common in Azrea.
Magic
Where is the Weave of magic?
The Weave controls all magic in Ayron. In the continent of Azrea, the Weave belongs to the cult of the Weave. They are also known as the daughters of Cos or the five goddesses. At the centre of the arcane web sits Mag. The spider goddess who maintains the Weave. The Arcane Web touches both the light and the dark realm simultaneously while physically existing in a dimension between them. These realms run parallel to the world wherein humans live. In Azrea, the dark realm is warded off from the others by Mag, and it holds the dark side of Cos and her dark son Hazmothane. It would be possible for these deities to find another way into the physical realm by travelling to other parts of the world and across domains. Still, the dark realm contains many heavily territorial beings of equal power who do not take well to the presence of others. The daughters of Cos have made a deal with a potent deity in the dark realm on the Apour continent. This deity contains these threats from their end in exchange for souls.
What is the Arcane Web?
Geography
The arcane web is an ecosystem that revolves around the flow of magic. Webbing spans all directions, and magical energy runs along with these cords. At the centre of the network in Azrea, which stretches throughout the solar system, sits Mag. She is a glorious white light of energy in a translucent spider body. The webbing carries neutral magic that has not been imbued with any specific function, effectively lines of raw power. Mag and other creatures spin these webs, regenerating and adding to the network. In the Weave, this magical power is at its strongest. Once a piece of webbing is brought into another realm, it begins to lose its power. Unless tethered to the Weave, it is tough to tether magic. Only the most skilled craftsman who knows magic well can create artefacts that hold their magic this way. Lesser works tend to lose energy quickly, and few spells can survive disconnected from the Weave for more than a day. Most lose power in a matter of minutes. The webbing is highly malleable, especially in the hands of a skilled master.
Biology
There is an extensive ecosystem that lives on the Weave centred around magic. Enigmites and other insectoid creatures eat magic, which weave-spiders eat, and other similar critters adapted to feeding on the magic eaters. The weave-spiders descend from Mag, and they have evolved over many generations. Their webbing adds to the Weave, and carries magical power in them, however for that power to last and amplify, it must be connected to the Weave itself. The insectoids that feed on the magic can choke the flow of power, and so the predators are essential to keep their numbers under control. Eating the insectoids intern, gives the predators the energy they need to combine light from the light realm and dark from the dark realm, to create webs that contain magical energy. The cycle both creates and burns magical energy perpetually.
How do magic-users tap into the Weave?
Natural
The Weave is inherently unconstrained by type. It can be imbued with life essence to give it additional properties. Some creatures can use their life force to infuse it, like elementals, spirits, deities, and others must use the essence of others, see the divine and arcane sections. Webbing must be extracted out of the Weave or obtained from a live weave spider or a similar source. There are different ways to access the Weave. The most common way is to use your life energy to connect to the Weave, thereby creating a rift. However, this drains your life energy away. The longer the person keeps the rift engaged, the more life energy is sapped away. A magic-user that extends this breach beyond their limits will die. Rest, meditation, and relaxation can recover lost life energy. However, it takes time, depending on how much gets sapped. It can potentially take as long as months to recover fully. There is a rare stone called orrellium, which can hold a spell indefinitely, with the power to release as needed. Few humans are aware of its existence, and its nature is a closely guarded secret of the dwarves. All magic is limited because it must be of or connected to the Weave. Levitating something at a distance that you cannot see is impossible without previously having placed a web there, imbued it, joined it to yourself in some way and then later calling on that connection. To cast a spell, one must physically send the imbued web from where you are to where you want the spell to take effect. The cycle of draining your life force and refilling does not accelerate your death. Some magic users have used healing to extend their lives beyond their expected time.
Divine
A divine magic-user uses the essence of their deity, channelled through their holy symbol or another device, to imbue the webbing with energy. The nature of that deity determines the limitations of the magic. While the followers of two different gods can do much of the same magic through other means, some aspects of what they do would be restricted as the essence does not allow the caster to go there. Healing is common among most divine or natural magic users. However, the Goddesses deal in souls as their primary currency, and they guard it closely. Resurrection is not possible in Azrea. If someone were to be able to do it, they would be committing a grievous offence to the ruling Deities of the region, and it would most definitely bring down their wrath.
Arcane
Arcane casters can use the essences of elementals or other magical creatures to imbue the cords for specific functions. An arcane caster would have a pouch of different materials for infusing. Each combination of elements would create a different effect. Since this approach of combinations can be pretty volatile, many who discover it on their own do not survive it for long. At magic schools like Lorilla or the Isle, teach users the correct quantities to use and the appropriate safety measures to execute any spell.
Brief History
B.R.M. - Before the Rise of Murapii
A.R.M. - After the Rise of Murapii
250,000 B.R.M. Estimated date of the last formation of Azrea
225,000 B.R.M Estimated date when the City of the Titans is destroyed
200,000 B.R.M. Elves establish first shines on Kindra's Holy Mountain
150,000 B.R.M. Dwarves and Gnomes split, and Gnomes choose to live above ground
100,000 B.R.M. The first Humans settle in Itavia
60,000 B.R.M., Humans settle around the Waterheart
50,000 B.R.M. Wartide of Orcs, Goblins, Ogres, Trolls and Giants destroys most Elven and Dwarven strongholds outside the Northern Towers and Stillendam
10,000 B.R.M. The dragons leave the continent. Only a few remain.
5,000 B.R.M. Alkake, a powerful Elven sorcerer, tears a hole in the Darkveil in the Darkveil Forest. Nightmares ravage the world.
1,000 B.R.M., the Wulfher clan send an elite force to close the tear; they are blessed by Jor and become Beruehrt. They succeed and stand watch over the still thin breach.
420 B.R.M. Moving away from the Wulfher clan, King Zholani of the Troll Kingdom spreads east. He pushes the Elves out of Kindra.
150 A.R.M. Quan is established as a nation
250 A.R.M. Rendin is established as a nation and spreads west and east.
300 A.R.M. Korland declared its city-states a nation.
375 A.R.M. Human King Louis du la Rent drives Zholani back to the Darkveil
400 A.R.M. The humans convert to the Cult of the Weave from the Cult of Sarghus, and Kindra is rebuilt
435 A.R.M. The University of Lorilla is Built
550 A.R.M. The Age of Horror starts with the Undead rising in the East.
582 A.R.M. The Age of Horror ends, and the Isle is established
620 A.R.M. Itavia and Korland start a 100-year war over the trade route between Murapii in the east and the Orient in the west
730 A.R.M. Rendin is torn into three by civil war over the succession of the crown
735 A.R.M. Caoimhín du la Rent discovers the lost city of the titans
