Lore
Factions & Orders
The organisations shaping the world of Caldria — from ancient temples to hidden conspiracies. Membership has its privileges. And its dangers.
The Kingdom of Caldria
MonarchyA prosperous coastal kingdom on the Azure Sea, Caldria has enjoyed decades of peace and stable governance under the rule of King Aldric Varn. Known for its trade, its open ports, and a monarch genuinely beloved by his people, Caldria is considered one of the most civilised and well-governed kingdoms in the known world. The Festival of Lights in Lumendal draws visitors from across the region every year — a symbol of everything the kingdom represents.
Capital
ValcrestKnown For
Thessalar
TenseBeyond the Ashengrave lies Thessalar, Caldria's eastern neighbor and longtime trading partner. What little most Caldrians know of Thessalar comes from its merchants and the occasional diplomat — the kingdom keeps its own counsel and has done so for generations.
Thessalar's ships are a common sight in Lumendal's harbor, carrying fine textiles, scholarly works, and quality metalwork in exchange for Caldrian timber and grain. Their merchants are known to be fair if hard negotiators — you'll never be cheated by a Thessalarian, but you won't get a bargain either.
The Border Wars ended thirty years ago and formal peace held since — though the Ashengrave remains between the kingdoms as a reminder of what that conflict cost. Trade normalised but cultural exchange remained limited; the crossing is dangerous and neither kingdom encouraged casual travel between them.
"Fair traders. Strange people. Keep to themselves."
— Common Caldrian sentiment
Capital
ThessenKnown For
Temple of the Seven Stars
ActiveThe primary faith of Caldria. The Seven Stars represent seven virtues: Courage, Compassion, Justice, Humility, Faith, Temperance, and Wisdom. More cultural than dogmatic for most Caldrians — the Temple is as much a community as a religious institution. Brother Aldous runs the Lumendal chapter.
Members Known to Party
Khazmar
NeutralDeep in the northern mountains, Khazmar is the greatest dwarven stronghold in the known world. Its miners dig deeper than any human dare, and its smiths produce steel that outlasts dynasties. Khazmar has traded with Caldria for generations — their metalwork and gemstones flow south in exchange for agricultural goods and timber the mountains cannot provide.
Dwarven merchants are a familiar sight in Caldrian cities, recognized by their sturdy builds, elaborate beards, and no-nonsense approach to commerce. The dwarves of Khazmar are famously long-memoried — they hold grudges across generations with the same care they hold gold, but they honor debts just as faithfully. Cross one and you've crossed their family for a century. Help one and the same applies.
Their monastery city of Silverpeak sits high in the mountain passes — a place of unexpected peace and scholarship amid the stone and snow, welcoming to travelers of all kinds.
"Dwarves. Solid as the mountains they live in. Buy their steel if you can afford it."
Capital
The Deep HallsKnown For
Thornwood
NeutralThe southern forests are so dense and old that even experienced cartographers disagree on what lies within. Thornwood is less a kingdom and more a pact — between its people and the trees, between the druids who govern and the deep places that don't appear on any map. Thornwood has no king, no capital, no standing army in any traditional sense. It is governed by a council of druidic circles whose names and locations shift like the forest itself.
Caldrian merchants who venture south for timber and rare herbs find the people of Thornwood welcoming enough but clearly uninterested in the politics of kingdoms. They trade what the forest offers freely and ask only that outsiders respect the old ways while passing through.
The farming village of Thornhaven sits at the forest's northern edge — the most accessible settlement and the face Thornwood shows to the outside world. Generous, hardworking people who seem almost supernaturally content with simple life.
"Go south for timber and come back with more questions than answers. Strange folk. Peaceful though."
Capital
No formal capital — governed by druidic circlesKnown For
The Singing Isles
FriendlyA scattered archipelago of coral and salt in the Azure Sea, where the wind carries music from the reefs and the tides are said to answer questions the land cannot. The Singing Isles breed sailors, diviners, and dreamers in equal measure. Each island governs itself through a local council, with a loose confederation binding them together for matters of trade and defense.
Their ships are among the finest on the Azure Sea — lighter and faster than Caldrian vessels, built for the island winds rather than ocean storms. Islanders who leave their home carry something unmistakable — a quality of attention, of listening, as if they are always hearing something others cannot. Their divination traditions are old and respected even by those who dismiss such things.
The islands follow their own gods and their religious practices are bound up with the sea, the wind, and the stars. They are warm and welcoming to visitors but fiercely protective of their home and their people.
"Best sailors on the Azure Sea. Something a little otherworldly about them. Not in a bad way."
Capital
No single capital — governed by island councilsKnown For
Members Known to Party
Sundral
DistantWhere the eastern lands give way to endless dunes, Sundral rises from the heat. Most Caldrians know Sundral only through its goods — spices that appear in Lumendal's markets carried by Thessalar ships, exotic textiles in colors that seem impossible, medicines and poisons that work in ways Caldrian healers cannot fully explain.
Sundral traders rarely come as far west as Caldria directly. Their caravans move through Thessalar and their ships hug the southern coast of the Azure Sea. What little is known suggests a proud and ancient culture built around hidden oases and cities that have weathered the rise and fall of kingdoms. They are said to be exceptional negotiators — patient in a way that unsettles those used to faster dealings.
Their relationship with Thessalar is closer than with Caldria, which has led some to wonder if Sundral spies travel under merchant guises. Most consider this paranoia. Most.
"Never met a Sundral trader directly. Their goods show up eventually though. Expensive. Worth it."
Capital
Unknown to most CaldriansKnown For
Other factions and organisations will be revealed as the campaign unfolds.