The Elven Realms

Elves are believed to have arrived from a different world to aid the dragons against the Elemental
Lords during the First War. After the war, they settled the world and sang songs to praise the Old
Gods and their servants. The elves left their cradle and traveled far and wide, but their attention
was always focused on the sky, on the sun and the moon, and the stars. They believed that these
celestial bodies could foretell the futures of their race.
When they met the first humans, they decided to teach the other race magic in the halls of
Ohnashkin-Aphul. During this time, the Matron of House Envaris saw a sign that a great tragedy
was to happen by the hand of a human mage. Because of this, most elven settlements raised a
protective barrier around their borders, avoiding the cataclysm. As the danger faded, the elves
found towering crystalline structures pointing towards the sky where once human mage towns
had been. These Christallan columns are considered dangerous to this day by elvenkind.
As humanity developed, they waged more and more wars against each other. During one of these
wars, the wise man of Orc’Undush, under the influence of the Father of Demons, offered the
lives of the residents of the city in exchange for victory. This grave pact turned everyone within
the wall into orcs, malformed creatures possessed demons of bloodlust. The elves immediately
took up arms against the demonic hordes. It took multiple tries to finally push back the forces of
evil. During the last war, a group of elven fighters, called the Seven Spears of Elonathar, cut the
Father of Demons into seven pieces. These unholy relics were later sealed inside tombs guarded
by generations of elves.
The trials of the Demon Wars were unbearable for elvenkind. The majority of their population
split into three: the High Elves of the Old Ways, the Wood Elves of Old Forests, and the Dark
Elves of the Dark Towers. Despite this, they kept some common traditions. The most obvious is
the use of masks when traveling outside elven territories. This custom was formed during the first
contact with humans. High elves prefer porcelain, wood elves wood, and dark elves iron for their
masks. Another pillar of elven culture is the Eleven’ar’Sang, Elfsong, or Elven High Magic. It is
their innate form of the arcane. Practitioners go through a demanding journey of study, and can
create spells that can last millenia or affect continents.
The high elven life is centered around foreseeing the future. Every form of divination imaginable
is practiced by their members, and they take prophecies very seriously.
Wood elves live to protect the natural word. After their voluntary exile to the Old Forests, they
made an alliance with the Forest Gods and the fey. They can be very protective of their
homelands, sometimes even sending raiding parties to human settlements who do not respect
their borders.
Dark elven society is centered around the hunting and elimination of demons. Because of this,
their society is very militaristic. It is said that only one third of dark elven children make it into
adulthood, and those who do only live their life to eliminate demonkind.
An average elf can live up to 500 years and they reach maturity around the age of 30. Also, there
is a ritual that can turn an elf immortal. Those who survive this process are called Eladrin, or
Elf-Saints.
 Sylav’an-El, the Blackwood
Sylav’an Enyien leads the elves of Blackwood under the patronage of the Prince
of Shadows. It is said that within the Blackwood there is an eternal night and
those who bring fire to this realm die the most gruesome death.

Galangil-El, the Ironwood

Galangil A’hanak, Lord of Antlers, is a fierce warrior, and father of the demigod
Iffan, the Green. On occasion, the Ironwood elves lend their services to human
lords as mercenaries.

Leve’lar-El, the Honeywood

Leve’lar Derakon, the Mad Wanderer, roams the Honeywood all day long. His
vassals beg him day and night to return to his court, but their lord seems to be
more interested in tending to the many beehives of the forest.

Alanth’a’Nalar, the Dark Tower

Ishk’alanth Lo’athiel, Mother of Spiders, rules the Dark Tower with an iron fist.
Her people fear her more than any demon. In the Arena of Webs, many young
dark elf can prove themselves to gain the attention of their Lady.

Edreth’a’Nalar, the Tower of Midday

Teledreth Enelven, unlike her kin, prefers blades over prophecies. She called for
a meeting with all of the great elven Houses to elect a new Elf-King. Elves of the
Tower of Midday are optimistic about the future of elfkind and make excellent
wine.

Adol’a’Nalar, the Tower of Twilight

House Adol’an is in service of the human kingdom of Merevis. The previous
lord, Ananden, fell in battle against Queen Astoria of Merevis. The new leader of
the House is Edanor Half-elven.

Envar’a’Nalar, the Tower of Midnight

The city of the fallen House of Envaris is barren. After the Demon Wars,
Matron Eleunel was put on trial and was sentenced to prison. As a form of
protest, the rest of the House left the city and started to live among humans.

The Dwarven Bastions

The proud race of dwarves come from the time of the First War, when the dragons fought the
Elemental Lords. The Elemental Lords created dwarvenkind, along with the giants, to fight the
smaller allies of the winged beasts. However, the dwarves rebelled against their tyrannic lords,
forged chains that bound them to their elemental prisons. Since then, the dwarves have lived a

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busy life, digging deeper and deeper under the surface, forging weapons and armour, and raising
cyclopean forts on the surface.
Their first city, Kaer Bhal’engar, was built on an entrance to the elemental prisons, but long ago,
after a horrendous earthquake, the city was buried. As dwarves were running for their lives, they
somehow forgot the location of their cradle. Later on, some began rumoring that the loss of the
first city was caused by the goblins, who weakened the pillars that held the ceiling above the city
high.
The dwarves, observed by human eyes, seem to be a workaholic race. Indeed, a dwarf ’s life is
centered around doing, around action, yet they relish in leisurely activities from time to time. One
of their greatest festivals is Diamond Week. During this celebration, most dwarves gather with
their families and feast for a whole week. Going back to their work morale, some dwarves can
catch ‘mine fever’, which is more like a state of mind. They focus so much on the work in front
of them that they forget about time and space. It is a common saying among them that the
Deepmines would not have been created if some dwarves had not been working feverishly on it.
None of the dwarven forts have a formal military. The comparatively small peacekeeping force is
there to catch criminals and close the gates when a kaer is threatened. On the rare occasion when
somebody spots a small group of dwarves armed to the teeth is when a hunting party is on a
mission to eliminate some rumored giant or dragon problem. Dragons are rarely a threat, and the
last true giant sighting was nearly a thousand years ago, these dwarves usually are out to thin the
numbers of trolls, ettins, and similar monsters.
An average dwarf can live up to 250 years, and they reach maturity around the age of 20.
(Rumours among humankind says that even dwarven women are capable of growing thick beards,
thus making it impossible to distinguish between dwarf men and women. This - however - is not
true.)

Kaer Galaig
The great halls of Kaer Galaig were carved by the masons of clan Darkmine. The king, Odeg, is
said to be the oldest dwarf that ever was. His two sons, Owar and Dealogh, run the daily tasks of
the kaer. Some of the human fortresses were built under the supervision of Darkmine dwarves;
these keeps are said to be indestructible.

Kaer Dormunt
The blacksmiths of clan Wolfbreaker are the best among dwarvenkind. These days, King Ahnval
spends most of his time in his own forge, working diligently on a giant golem. While the king
works, Queen Durghala keeps an eye on the fort. The Thanes and the officers of the guard ride
on huge direwolves, hunting unruly kobolds in their freetime.

Kaer Kjil-dir
The Shieldbearer clan lives behind the gate of Kaer Kjil-dir. Their leader, King Dunwar, is a
young, bright lord, gifted with a tongue for diplomacy and trade. The Shieldbearers would be
considered to be the friendliest of dwarves if not the most reserved. The dwarves of this clan
rarely travel far, but their hospitality is immeasurable.

Kaer Tak-syn

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Clan Stoneheart rules Kaer Tak-syn. The fort closed its gates 50 years ago, and no messenger
could reach them through the underways, either.

Bur-En-khar
Formally, no clan rules the surface kingdom of Bur-En-khar. It was created to keep the giants of
the neighbouring region of Ymwyr in check, but since the giants vanished, less and less dwarf
lives here. Those who remain make their living by herding goats and tilling the fields.

The Human Kingdoms

The humans of Envar originally consisted of many tribes. Over time, the tribes worshipping the
Crimson Lord, the Old God of blood and life, began ruling over the others. During this time, the
elves made contact with them and founded the academy of Ohnashkin-Aphul, the Hall of
Mirrors. A cataclysmic event destroyed most of the larger human settlements, birthing fear
towards magic inside the heart of mankind. The people of the West were not as cautious with
magic and summoned the very first demons to the world.
Not long after the Demon Wars had ended, refugees from the Islands of Ei arrived at the
Eastern shores of Envar. They settled down and started conquering the neighbouring human
lands and formed the Eidalian Empire. During the Age of the Empire, blood magic was deemed
a crime against divinity. The Empire lasted almost a thousand years, and as it crumbled, new
kingdoms began to flower.
During the last years of the Empire, the War of the Seven Wizards enveloped humanity. It
reached lands beyond the borders of the Empire and devastated every country it reached. After
the dust had settled, the forces of the Archwizard Khanok hid in the shadows of the world,
tormenting the people of the new age.

Alberind
Alberind is the southernmost kingdom of the region. Many mages live here, as the
laws considering their order are the most lenient here. Even their king, Eodar the
Broken, dabbles in the ways of magic. The largest city of this kingdom is Khavitsh.
Here, the Arcane Academy provides tuition to people who seek to master the arcane. Hope’s
Stone has the largest population of Eian people within all the human kingdoms.

Khorland
Khorland is a human country in Eastern Envar. Its last king, Edoran, died during
the Kingsmeet in Eidolon, beginning the Lamented Days. His newborn son, Orlan,
was crowned by the Council of Three, stabilising the situation within the kingdom.
The people of the kingdom have good connections with the Northern Kingdoms; however,
dragonriders from the Dragon Islands recently have been leading multiple raids into the
kingdom.

Merevis
The Kingdom of Merevis was originally ruled by Paladin Merevis Blackblade, one
of the captains of the last emperor. He carved out a piece of land as his own from

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South of the Blackwood. The people living here are hardy and practical. Currently the ruler of
Merevis is Queen Astoria. She inherited the throne after she defeated her younger brother in a
duel. After the Kingsmeet in the old capital, Eidolon, the Queen went on a quest to gain control
over the Black Legion, a sword that is believed to be the Eleventh Black Star of the Void. With
this weapon in her possession, Astoria began conquering the neighbours of Merevis, even gaining
rule over the city of Adol’a’Nalar. For three years, she led no war against foreign lands. Her
neighbours suspect an attack from her in the near future.

The Freeholds
An alliance of city states, duchies, and exarchies, the Freeholds lay between Merevis and
Khorland, between the rivers Edanus and Omer. Its richest member is the city of Freeport by the
Calam Sea. With its diverse culture and bustling trade, Freeport offers many opportunities to
adventurous souls. The lands of the old center of the Empire, Edidolon, would be considered
part of the Freeholds. The Crumbling Capital was deserted after the events of the Lamented
Days. Many consider entering its walls suicide, as the Thirteenth Black Star of the Void still
lingers above the ruins of the city.

Ymwyr
Once the last kingdom of giantkind in Envar, Ymwyr today is populated by humans. The
kingdom is circled by the Wall of Emyron, a wall tall as mountains. Not much is known about its
government and customs, as travel to this country is quite difficult. It is rumored that giant
animals still live here to this day.

Neighbouring Realms
The Dragon Islands
Found along the North-Eastern coast of Envar, the Dragon Islands are home to the
dragonriders, a nation of humans who once began raising dragons in captivity. Their lesser
dragons lack the mental fortitude of their true draconic cousins and behave more like beasts.
Recently, the dragonriders began raiding the shores of Envar, seeking adventure and fortune.

The Northern Kingdoms

The People of the North were once part of the Eidalian Empire but their culture was vastly
different from their fellow Southern men. The land is harsh but the people are harsher. Many
men and women train to become members of a raiding party that are heading to the Land of Ice
and Death. A smaller dwarven fort is nestled between the human kingdoms, and it is said that
half-dwarves are quite common within the ringing halls of Kaer Ragvir.

The Beastlands
An uncharted continent to the South-East of Envar, many expeditions were headed here in order
to find a way around the Eternal Storm. However, explorers of this continent could only find
thick and humid forest, hiding indescribable beasts of horror after their two month long voyage.

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The Barrowmarsh
On the Western border of Merevis lays the Barrowmarsh, a piece of land that was once a lush,
green breadbasket of the Empire. During the War of the Seven Wizards, this region became many
times a battlefield for the forces of necromancers and alchemists. Nowadays, not many people
dare to cross the hills of the Barrowmarsh. At its edge, nestles the town of Mor, home to the lich
Nimnor.

Mount Caladria
At the other side of the Calam Sea, Mount Caladria reaches towards the sky. Its people were
blessed by a god and since then, the people are born with falcon wings. The journey to the top of
the mountain is challenging, but the hospitality of the Caladrians makes up for the aches of the
road.

The Deepmines
The Deepmines lay below the surface of the earth. It is said that the dwarves created it in its
entirety; however, dwarvenfolk know that some of its chambers were created by something else.
The Deepmines is also the homeland of the kobolds. The deep kobolds, unlike their brethren on
the surface, do not like light. Any traveler that manages to bring a torch to any of the kobold
warrens usually dies a gruesome death.