recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Helvellyn

**Helvellyn**, the Rogue and Warlock of the Raven Queen, was born Marco Ravensglass.

He grew up in Icehaven- Brother to Tuomas (older) and Annette (younger); son of **Tarja** and **Jukka** of the "Dragon and the Deep" tavern near the docks. It had an incredibly cold climate. As a young man he would help out in the docks with what ever tasks the adults would give him. One winter he slipped and fell in to the ice cold sea. He almost didn't survive the resulting hypothermia. From that day on he decided he didn't want anything to do with the place and was eager to find somewhere more inviting to live.

Older now, **Marco** bade farewell to his parents. After being gifted a shard of obsidian for good luck (to remind him of his roots and family name), he left home. He made his way to Rexxentrum, using his natural charm to blag his way through life. He adopted the name **Helvellyn**, not because he disliked Marco but more to be different from the natives of the city.

Helvellyn lead a secretive life in **Rexxentrum**, moving through different circles, finding new employers and earning favours here and there, before being asked by an employer of his to go to Palebank Village and report back on a sickness that was spreading.

On his first solo mission in the field, **Helvellyn** found himself in the cold north wishing he'd never been dragged out of the water all those years ago. When he finally reached **Palebank VIllage**, he joined up with other members of an investigative party that sought to solve a mystery, and thus Umbra Venatores was born.
Sovereign Eklius Mistweaver

**Eklius Mistweaver** is the Sovereign leader of Easthaven, an overpopulated frozen city in the north east of the mainland. Many are beginning to call for a reform of the governing practices of the city, as it finds itself beset with many people seeking refuge, dying of starvation, disease or freezing to death.

The situation has been escalating for the last few decades, however, pleas by the people to **Sovereign Eklius Mistweaver** appear to be falling on deaf ears. The Star Elf claims that more must by done by other cities to welcome new people from the wilds, before Easthaven closes its doors and lets people freeze out in the cold.

The **Mistweave**r family has held the highest noble ranking for around five decades, from which the Sovereign title springs, allowing the head of the highest noble family to lead the people of the city to prosperity.
Silver Song

***Lael'thala[Elvish]*** Also known as **Silver Song** or **Silversong**, is an ancient Elven city on the northen coast of the mainland. It was once a harbour used by the Elves to sail to their frozen havens in the northern seas, long before the Severance brought dangerous monsters to the waters around the mainland, cutting off this ancient tradition. Generally, the Elves of Vari long to be reunited with their ancestral resting place, so that they can become part of something they call Ael'thala, or The Rime Song.

Known for the healing properties of the **Silver Song River**, the **City of Silver Song** is the main source of healing and restorative potions and balms in Vari. Often snow-covered, the Tundra around Silver Song is cold and harsh to those unprepared for the bite of frost, but its warm hilltop springs and geysers bring warmth to the otherwise freezing climate, for those that know where to find them.

* Population: 200,000
* Imports: Monster Parts, Herbs, Timber, Ale, Furs, Pottery, Glass, Weapons, Armour
* Exports: Healing Potions, Meat, Hide, Stone, Perma-ice.
* Ruler: Lady Vi'rael Lael'thala
* Judicial: Silver Court
* Religion: The Rime Song & She Who Breathes Life
* Landmarks: The Silver Song River, The Temple of Waters, The Consortium Conclave, The Hoarfrost Hall, Hilltop Springs
* Census: *Elves 28%, Canis 12%, Gnome 10%, Tauren 10%, Rilae 9%, Human 5%, Dragonborn 3%, Leonin 3%, Halfling 3%, Zahn-Tahet, 1% Tiefling 1% | Various Species: 15%*
Strahd von Zarovich

Count **Strahd von Zarovich** is a vampire and the dark lord of the valley of Barovia, one of the Domains of Dread located in a remote corner of the Shadowfell.

> "I am the Ancient, I am the Land. My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past. I am not dead. Nor am I alive. I am undead, forever."
>
>

> — *Tome of Strahd*
>
>

## History

In his youth, **Strahd** was a prince and a conqueror. After settling down in the recently conquered valley of Barovia, beginning to feel the weight of middle age, sometime before Strahd forged a pact with the an entity he referred to as "Death" or the "Dark Powers." In order to win over the love of his life.. The pact involved the murder of his brother Sergei von Zarovich so that Strahd was free to persue Tatyana, Sergei's wife, with whom he had fallen madly in love. The pact sealed, Strahd chased Tatyana through his gardens in an effort to force her to love him, eventually driving her to fling herself off a cliff to avoid him and causing her death. The entire valley was swept into the Shadowfell and turned into a prison from which he could never escape.

**Strahd** has since been trapped for sevenal centuries, unable to stop persuing Tatyana, the love of his life, who is reincarnated every so often, as part of the deal made with the Dark Powers, Strahd was not allowed to die, rising as a vampire after being shot by the castle's guards. Tatyana's soul became trapped in the newly formed Domain of Dread of Barovia, doomed to repeatedly reincarnate as part of the Dark Powers' punishment against Strahd.

Strahd has taken to tormenting the denizens of Barovia, and any adventurers that he is able to lure into his horror filled domain.

## Umbra Venatores

In **836 PD** by Exandrian reckoning, **Strahd** confronted his latest playthings, an adventuring party known as Umbra Venatores.

> "You here because I willed it. You are alive because I allow it, and you will die because I demand it. I am the Ancient, I am the land, I am count Strahd von Zarovich, and this is my domain."— *Strahd*.
>
>

**Strahd** has since had several encounters with Umbra Venatores, forcing them to attend a dinner, manipulating the party disguised as Vasili, amongst many other things. However, the game changed for Strahd when he felt what he believed was the party finally freeing Tatyana from the domain of dread, after reuniting her with Sergei, or at least given her a moments reprieve from Strahd's endless pursuing of her. In either case, her absence caused great pain to Strahd.

Angry and filled with rage, Strahd was able to kill two of **Umbra Venatores** in response. However, since their demise, they have both risen again and continue to conspire against Strahd, who may for the first time in a very long time, have been shaken by a group of adventurers.

### Present

Having regained his cool, **Strahd** has since returned to Castle Ravenloft in order plot against Umbra Venatores in a much more effective manner. Leaving assailing the party to the likes of his **three brides**, and his latest weapon, The First Strigoi, Raul.
Mightiest Mortal Woman

**Iana**, also known as **The Light in the Dark**, **The Goddess of Purity**, **The Warrior Queen** and **The Mightiest Mortal Woman**. She is the goddess of **Redemption**, **Combat**, **Radiance**, **Strength**, **Purity**, **Light**, **War**, **The Sun**, **Healing**, and **Temperance**.

   Although **Iana** shares influence over certain domains with other gods, she is neither jealous nor territorial. She could expand her influence by taking a more interventionist role in mortal affairs, thereby accumulating more followers, but she remains somewhat aloof from the world. Iana is also willing to forgive and redeem the transgressions of her followers.

Iana is a deity with spheres of influence that overlap some of those of more influential deities. Her belief that the corrupt can be redeemed led to a betrayal by the Lord of the Nine that left most of her following decimated after The Severance.

She was a true hero in her community, healing the sick with her magic and devoting her life to protecting the innocent and infirm. She often hunted and fought great monsters that threatened the innocents of Vari.

**Iana**, whose heart was always truly pure, met with The Venerable Gladiator while she was still a mortal. A warrior of considerable strength in her own right, she impressed the gladiator with her display of might in their gruelling battle. Although she matched him in strength, she could not match his endurance and tired before he, leaving herself exposed to attacks. In her defeat, she accepted the gladiators hand as proposed to marry her.

In order to be with **Iana**, when faced with a choice between her and returning to his home on mount celestia, the Gladiator offered to surrender his godhood eternally and remain in the mortal realm with her. His father, **The Arbiter**, moved by his son's devotion to this pure-souled mortal, instead elevated them both to godhood and they lived on eternally together in the pantheon. Iana is considered the Warrior Queen, sharing domains with other gods such as The Marked Warrior and The Venerable Gladiator.

Many Paladins and Clerics take up her light, many of her prophets claim that one of her champions will drive back the void and heal Vari from the wounds it has caused.

**Suggested Class:** Cleric, Fighter, Paladin
The Laughing Wasteland

This barren rocky expanse known as the **The Laughing Wasteland**, south of Emberwind and east of Courtwald, is home to a considerably large amount of dangerous monsters, including Dragons and Purpleworms. The place is known for its horrendous winds that screech across the rock and sands, often sounding like a terrifying laughter howling throughout the wastes.

The wasteland was once a lush open plain, and was the site of a beautiful elven city known as **Aerilaya**. During The Severance, a terrible event forced these elves to abandon their city and head underground, becoming the near blind Echo Elves many centuries later. They recall this today as: 'a laughing and screaming energy that tore at our very souls.'

The Mater Abor is a lone, giant tree that grows in the midst **The Laughing Wasteland**. It is four to five hundred feet tall, about 30 feet in diameter and the lowest branches are approximately three hundred feet from the ground, with a lush, leafed canopy defying the desolate bleak environment surrounding it. It is surrounded by verdant grass about ten to fifteen feet from it, which grows out a hundred feet or so during the night and then retracts during the day. This place cases many druids to pilgrimage into dangerous expanse and many perish on their journey through the Laughing Wastelands, though once it is reached, the howling screams and laughter of the wind cannot be heard from the shadow of the mother tree. The Verdant Sphere one day hope to create a settlement in the ruins of **Aerilaya**, so that they might settle close to and protect the mother tree.
Rogue Mages

A **Rogue Mage** was once defined as an arcanist that was not acting in the' best interest of the community and using their magic for selfish gains or to the detriment of others'. That is still the official definition, however, in the present day the term simply refers to any arcanist that has not been taught, licensed, documented, monitored and approved by The Consortium**.** This faction have the authority to hunt, capture and even kill Rogue Mages and through their political influence they have gradually changed the publics perception of what a 'Rogue Mage' is.

Most individuals that can cast spells were born Arcane Touched, individuals with a natural affinity for weaving spells. The Consortium take many arcane touched children at birth, but some manage to escape their clutches. It is unclear how these individuals manage to slip through their grasp. These individuals are now regarded as **Rogue mages**, as well as any that break the law and attempt to avoid The Consortium's regulations.

Today, many Rogue Mages find homes with The Felstriders, though some have joined other factions and have somehow managed to avoid being captured.
The Forge of Creation

A legendary deified relic of great significance to the Creationforged. According to every Creationforged that has awoken upon the world of Vari, **The Forge of Creation** was used by a species they call The Creators to fabricate their entire sentient race, before they were placed in stasis and tasked to awaken at a later time. Some speculate they were awoken early by The Severance, while others believe they were always intended to awaken at that time.

Whatever the truth is about their mysterious beginnings, **The Forge of Creation** is at the centre of every Creationforged theory surrounding their origins.
🧙‍♂️ He Who Weaves Incarnum

**He Who Weaves Incarnum**, Also known as **The Weaver**, **The Great Mage,** **The Father of All Magic**, **The First Magister**, **The Almighty Arcanist**, is the god of magic and The Weave. The Weaver can shape change at will and mortals who see him report he changes constantly. Others described him appearing in a form resembling a multi-coloured will-o'-wisp. He can grant other creatures spell knowledge by touching them. He controls and provides the Weave, allowing (relatively) safe access to the power of raw magic (Incarnum) to mortal spellcasters and magical craftsmen. He has also banned mortals from the use of Divine Magic.

He is the deity most associated with casting arcane spells and as such many arcane casters worship him revere him. The Consortium in particular follow his teachings closely. He makes his home in Dochas the first plane of Celestia.

**Incarnum** is the form of raw magic, originating as a radiant glow from the stars of Dochas the first plane of Celestia, that bathes the world of Vari. It appears as a misty and radiant blue or silver energy. It is the basic essence of magic and from it The Weave is woven. All kinds of energy and all kinds of matter everywhere in Vari—every stone, river, creature, and the very air—are suffused or infused with incarnum and its potential energy. It is a form of energy that permeates all levels of the world. The Elves of Vari can see the weave, as they are born with a natural and special bond to it, this grants them enhancements to their perceptions, such as darkvision.

**Suggested Class:** Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Butterfly

Butterfly is a female Silky Terrier who lives with Bay and Sorrel.

## Looks

Butterfly is tiny with a tan head and ears with a reddish muzzle. She has very pale hair-like fur on her head. Her body is gray and almost covers her paws. She has dark brown eyes.

## Appearances

### Chapter 19

Butterfly approaches Oliver, Dusk, and Talon.

### Chapter 20

Butterfly is mentioned by Sorrel to be getting some plants to help with Astra's pain.
Material Plane

The **Material Plane**, or sometimes **Prime Material Plane**, is the plane of existence in which the world of Vari exists.

In some places, the barriers between the Material Plane and other planes become thin or are simply punched through. Some portals are stable for long periods: there are settlements around long-lasting connections with the Elemental Planes, and known portals to the Feywild, for example. The barriers regularly become thinner during the annual solstices: Winter and Summer Solstice for example. The barriers become especially thin under a celestial solstice, or other events such as The Rime Song.

Once opened, rifts can be widened or they can be sealed. Long-term doorways can be established between planes and realms, starting with anchor glyphs and building a permanent enchantment around them, similar to building a permanent teleportation circle.
Star of Incandescence

**The Star of Incandescence** is an ancient and allegedly incredibly powerful relic is said to have been created either during or before The Forgotten Age, from the tears of Aurelia, The Changebringer.

Legend says that **Aurelia** was among the deities who fought against Mephistopheles, the **Lord of the Nine** before the forgotten age. Many mortals died during the war in which the devilish entity corrupted her dragon clutches, creating the first chromatic dragons and first mockingly assumed his *Nine Headed Dragon* visage. She defeated him by tricking his armies (including these new dragons) and his own heads, into attacking one another. Despite being a dragon, it is said that she significantly wounded him using a sword forged by The Arbiter. It is thought by some of her followers that a mortal champion may have ridden her into battle and wielded the sword on her behalf. **Aurelia** angrily attacked him with her own draconic fury for harming and corrupting her children, biting further at his already open wound, before burning him with her radiant dragon fire and banishing him deep into the nine hells.

Following this, **The Changebringer** shed a single tear for the sacrifices her devoted followers had made in the war. From that tear was born a crystal, the **Star of Incandescence**, which is said to have been preserved for millennia. Today it is held in Summerwilde, within the **Sphere of Absolution**, a half buried spherical golden temple at the centre of the city. It is guarded by The Aurelian Absolution, a fanatic guild of the Changebringer's followers that are devoted to the protection of the **Star of Incandescence** at all costs. While they are not aggressive and do not seek out conflict, this guild are known to be incredibly territorial, preventing anyone from accessing the temple but the most devout of her followers, and using severe physical and magical force to repel intruders if required.

The power of the star is not public knowledge. The Consortium have sent several envoys to request permission to study this artefact but have been denied every time, sometimes, the envoys have faced verbal and physical assaults as the Absolution grow very passionate and aggressive toward people approaching the Sphere of Absolution.
Hill

Hill is a non-binary bloodhound and a member of the Forests Below. They temporarily guards a strange blue gem.

## Looks

Hill is brown with darker ears and a near-black patch stretching from the top of their stomach to the tip of their tail. They have golden eyes.

## Appearances

### Chapter 14

Hill appears to keep the blue gem away from Flail and Javelin. Hill answers almost all of their questions with an attempt to lure them to the Forests Below, only to fail. When the two Fierce-Dogs escape with the gem, Hill watches them go, staying eerily still.
Feywild

## The Feywild

The **Feywild**, also known as the, **Fey Realm** or **Plane of Faerie**, is one of the Planes of Existence. It overlaps the Material Plane. So much so that some consider it an "echo" of the Prime Material Plane, suffused with potent magic and unrestrained emotion. It is the place from which fey originated, and from where the first elves were conceived by Vari.

### Description

The **Feywild** is a place of unrestrained and awe-inspiring natural beauty. The plane is always bathed in twilight of the setting (or perhaps rising) sun, with lanterns and fireflies providing additional, haunting lights. Visitors to the plane found that all sensations, both sensory and emotional, are heightened. Smells are stronger, colours are more vivid, and sounds are clearer, but at the same time shadows are darker and impulses are harder to control. Strong emotions even alter the landscape of the **Feywild** itself, wilting flowers trail the despondent or furious and carefree animals travel alongside chipper and cheerful individuals.

As an "echo" of the Prime Material plane, its geography is similar although not entirely identical to that of Vari, but the natural landscape is markedly more dramatic and beautiful in the **Feywild**, with mountains standing straighter and sharper, rivers flowing clearer and faster, flowers bloom brighter and more fragrantly, and weather manifesting in supernatural ways.

### Inhabitants

The inhabitants of the Feywild vary in temperament from kind to malicious, but almost all had a mischievous side to them and few stop to consider the needs or worries of visitors to their home. While many of those living in Faerie are untamed, large numbers also congregate according to race or by political allegiance. Just as the geography is reminiscent of Vari's, some of its inhabitants exist as fey "echoes" of Prime creatures.

All manner of fey species were found within the Feywild. Fey eladrin are the beings that had the closest thing to a civilization in the Feywild. They are the descendants of the elves that never left the Feywild, and over the millennia had become suffused with the plane's primal magic.

### Crossing

There are various points of crossing to the Feywild in Vari, most of which are hidden and closely guarded by The Verdant Sphere.

### Myth and Legend

The tales of the Leonin Prideland share similar attributes to a place the Rabbitfolk describe as The Lushland. An endless expanse of savannah, grasslands, ever green fields and forests. It is entirely possible that both of these places are actually part of the **Feywild**.
Umbra Venatores

*The* *Shadow Hunters*, or **Umbra Venatores**, originally comprised of Caiman, Helvellyn, Ku-Sith, Vekrin, **Kalor** and **Merrowyn**. They met in the snow covered Palebank Village, at the northern end of Wildemount. Each having different reasons for being there, primarily charged with investigating a mysterious sickness that had caused a dwarf to slowly freeze to death. It soon emerged that a contagion known as Frigid Woe was on the loose, and this ragtag group of investigators were on the case. Harbek, a friend of Kalor's, joined up with the party as he was hunting for a Vampire in the area. Thanks to Vekrin's mistake, much of the party became infected with the disease. Their mission to cure the innocent villagers of Palebank, and themselves, ultimately lead them to Eiselcross where they found a ruined chunk of the city of Aeor known as **Salsvault**, from which the Frigid Woe, and thankfully its cure, was created. After completing this quest, the party followed the trail of Harbek's vampire, ultimately ending up in Barovia, where they content with Strahd von Zarovich in order to escape his dread realm.

### Members

* Caiman, The Ravenous Ravenite
* Harbek Grunderthew
* Helvellyn Ravensglass
* Ku-Sith Penumbra
* Vekrin

### Honorary Members

* Naamah
* Raul Casse
* Brachen Silvervein
* Shaun Gilmore

### Former Members

* **Kalor**
* **Merrowyn**
Half-Elf

**Half-elves** are humanoids born through the union of an elf and another humanoid. In history this is mostly attributed to humans, however this practice is much rarer in the present day. Whether a half-elf is raised by their human parent or their elven parent, they often feel isolated and alone. Because they take around thirty years to reach adulthood, they mature in comparison to elves and slower compared to humans, making them feel like an outsider in either case. The pairing of elves and other races do exist, most commonly dwarves, some of these half-elf species are now considered their own species entirely, such as Dwelves.

Half-elves stand roughly around 5 feet and ​5 inches​ to ​6 feet and ​2 inches, making them only slightly shorter overall than humans, and weighing in at 130​ to ​190 pounds, making them heavier than elves but still considerably lighter than humans. Like humans, half-elves have a wide variety of complexions, some of which are inherited from the elven half of their heritage, such as a tendency for metallic-hued skin and inhuman hair colours. For example, half-moon elves typically exhibited a pale, bluish tint around the ears and chin, while half-sun elves had a colour more reminiscent of bronze, with hair of gold. Male half-elves are capable of growing facial hair, unlike elves, and often did so to distinguish themselves, in part, from their elven parents.

A *true* **Half-elf,** that is, offspring of a human and an elf, is considerably rarer than that of the half dwarf half elf pairing.

Types of Half-elf

* **True Half-elf**
* Half-orc
* Dwelf
* Drow-tahet
* Taurling
The Thing That Should Not Be

**The Thing That Should Not Be**, also known as **The** **Eldest**, **The Great Submerged One, Xakklateus** and **The Terror of the Depths** is depicted as an Kraken-like Aboleth of massive size, incalculable age and inconceivable malignancy.

Its priests claim that it lurks within the sunken city of the city of **Bucoliphus,** a city long lost to the oceans, where **Aboleth** kind now congregate in the deepest parts of the world. **The Thing That Should Not Be** is the largest, most powerful and oldest aboleth in the city and its psychic potency is believed by its priests to be the only being that stands between the Void and the complete annihilation of Vari. It is thought to be sleeping and during its sleep it communes with its followers, while using its psychic power to shut down void rifts throughout the oceans. Despie this, many void rifts remain. Beneath the oceans a constant war is waged against the void known as **The War of the Depths**, for which **Xakklateus** is said to be responsible.

There is no origin story to **The Eldest**, as many believe it is simply far older than many of the gods of the pantheon or at least older than the mortal races. Its worshippers speak in hushed whispers of a grand plan to appease and awaken The Thing That Should Not Be.
Courtwald

**Courtwald** is a massive city, even today it has large expanses of land where buildings are yet to be erected. Due to the amount of excessive space within the city, it has become a favourite for Tauren. Courtwald was once a great port city that connected The Mainland to the various other continents across Vari. Now known for little more than its fishing, the harbour in this distant city is a fraction of what the pre-severance legends speak of. It's ancient structures, however, stand firm today, particularly a style of masonry building characterized by cavernous spaces with the expanse of walls broken up by overlaid tracery. The city is known for large towers, castle like buildings and spires, with tall stone walls throughout the city Gargoyles and large looming ancient statues are a common sight too.

A single ancient stone road runs between **Courtwald** and Emberwind, known as The Creator's path, along which various archaeological sites have been uncovered beneath the sand and rock, most of which have contained varying numbers of Creationforged in stasis. Because of this, Courtwald has become a renowned home for Creationforged.

Archaeologists are attracted to Courtwald also, in particular the two rival factions The Consortium and The Tomb Keepers spend a lot of their focus in this region, as they race into the deserts to find new discoveries. It is thought that Nefekare's Tomb may lay somewhere beneath the deserts here, though the Tomb Keepers guard this secret and would happily take it with them to the grave.

The deserts south of Courtwald are populated with giant beasts, which many seek to hunt. The Sanguine Syndicate consider the deserts around Courtwald to be prime hunting ground, however, they know too well the dangerous that lurk in the sands.

* Population: 450,000
* Imports: Fruit, Grain, Food, Livestock, Ore, Metals Timber, Cloth, Ale, Wine, Perma-Ice
* Exports: Coffee, Tea, Relics, Precious Metals, Fish, Stone, Glass, Salt, Chocolate, Spices, Herbs
* Ruler: The Summer Court
* Judicial System: The Summer Court
* Religion: The Spoken Word, The Turbulent Tempest, The Arbiter
* Taverns and inns: The Dusty Cobweb, The Empty Satchel, The Giant Phoenix, The Flagon of Creation, The Box and a Half, Saint Jimmy's.
* Landmarks: The Obsidian Market, The Sphere of Absolution, The Cathedral of the Tempest, The Great Pyramid of the Arbiter,

* Census: *Tauren* *16% Creationforged 13% Dwarf 10%, Leonin, 10% Centaur 10%, Zahn-Tahet, 9%, Human 8% Canis 6%, Dragonborn 6%, Goliath 4%, Rilae 4%, Elves 2% Gnomes 2% | Various Other Species: 10%*
Class

## Class Choice:

Although any species can take up any Class, there are often more common combinations found within Vari. Each of the following pages may help you elaborate on your character's backstory, to explain how they became the class you have chosen.

* Artificer
* Barbarian
* Bard
* Blood Hunter
* Cleric
* Druid
* Fighter
* Monk
* Paladin
* Ranger
* Rogue
* Sorcerer
* Warlock
* Wizard

(All official D&D Classes are allowed. As well as Critical Role's Blood Hunter Class, the Fighter Archetype Gunslinger and all archetypes from the Taldorei Reborn guide are allowed)
Oranos

Oranos was once the god of the skies and soulmate of Vari, but was slain by his own son. His death caused the creation of Giants, Elementals and Fiends.

He Who Spawned the Furies envied the power of his father, **Oranos**, the ruler of the skies an thought by some to be the ruler of the multiverse itself, although worshippers of They Who Know would say otherwise. **Chronos** learned a terrible secret about his father, that caused him to kill him, though to this day nobody knows what that secret was. **Oranos** is thought to have died at the hands of **Chronos**, after being castrated by his own son's Sickle. This act caused Oranos's genitals to spill blood upon the world, creating the first world's Giants, Elementals and Fiends - collectively referred to as the the **Avenging Furies**. In his last act, Oranos imbued them all with his anger and wrath, these evil entities once rampaged across Vari causing her great harm. As **Oranos** died, **Vari** absorbed all of his pain and thus his tears, now able to create life without him, though it pains her to do so. She was able to create life bound to her good nature, thus along came what are thought to be the first Humans, Elves or Dwarves.

Little else is known of Oranos, except that it is claimed he harboured a terrible secret, one so bad that it caused his son to kill him.
Creationforged

The **Creationforged** are a mysterious race that awoke from stasis during The Severance, though very little is known about their Creators. The Creationforged are sentient constructs and have free will, which earned them the same rights as other citizens in each of their homelands. Some awoke in underground stasis sites with some of their kin, others awoke alone, and some are yet to awaken.

*"Built by The Creators, searching for purpose."*

   Creationforged can have unique personality traits though, being constructs, they are restricted in some ways. They experience anger, pain, fear and hatred much like other humanoids, hiding an array of emotions behind their metallic face. Their faces were not designed to display facial expressions and so it can seem like they are distant to the conversation. Despite their lack of physical facial expressions they're not completely without them as their eyes tend to brighten when experiencing strong or specific emotions.

Some Creationforged are incredibly naive and lack introspection; however, many others are the opposite and question their existence, wonder if they have souls and ask what becomes of them in the after life. Many long for an understanding of their Creators, who were they and why did they create them?

Creationforged often have little life experience as they spent most of their time assigned to one specific duty upon their awakening. Mostly, to guard the place that they were in stasis. If there is one interest most Creationforged share it is the love of working and many create endless lists of goals and chores. They take pride in their work and work incredibly hard which makes them dislike idleness and failure.

There is one thing that all Creationforged are certain of, the race of Creators made them using something known as the Forge of Creation. Some believe that forge is still out there waiting to be found. A single ancient stone road runs between Courtwald and Emberwind, known as The Creator's path, along which various archaeological sites have been uncovered beneath the sand and rock, most of which have contained varying numbers of **Creationforged** in stasis. Because of this, Courtwald has become a renowned home for ****Creationforged****

The Creationforged are made of stone, metal and wood fibres. The core of a Creationforged is a skeletal frame made of metal and stone with wood fibres acting as a muscular system. Covering the Creationforged is an outer shell of metal and stone plates. An internal network of tubes run through their body, these tubes are filled with an alchemical blood-like fluid that is designed to lubricate and nourish their systems. Allegedly, the Creationforged's face loosely resembles their creators, they have a toothless jaw, heavy brow line and are lacking noses and hair. Due to their constructed nature, many less common types of Creationforged appear have been built in addition to the standard style, with different limb sets and physical frames.
Baimon

The Eternal Fire, Baimon, was once the ruler of Mount Verol and all that lie in its shadow, including the city of Emberwind, named for his mate Emberscythe that resided on another continent.

Baimon was not a particularly vindictive Red Dragon, though he ensured he was paid his demanded tithe by the citizens of the city and the lands surrounding it, he was content to sleep upon his hoard of gold for decades at a time. His physical presence alone was enough to ensure that the people paid what he was due, which included large swathes of gold coins, and maidens of royal blood for him to consume. If he grew hungry, Baimon was offered piles of meat and carcasses, as fine as the land could provide, if this did not satisfy him he would consume citizens until he no longer desired to eat.

In 504AS, Champions of Emberwind rose up against Baimon, who had grown careless in his rule. He was slain atop Mount Verol and his head was mounted atop the Obsidian Tower.

Word of his demise reached Emberscythe, his mate, who began to plot her revenge, culminating in The Siege of Emberwind two centuries later.
The Arbiter

**The Arbiter,** also known as **Thadrin the Judge**, **The Houndmaster**, **The Deliverer**, **The All-Hammer**, **The Master of the Forge**, and **The Lord of all Gods** is the god of judgment.

**The Arbiter** and his angels are tasked with judging the souls of those that die, making the decision to where their souls will spend eternity, and judging the deeds and actions of other deities. This is done in the Halls of Judgement. Through weighing the evil deeds done by an individual against the good that mortal souls have done in this world, the Arbiter makes the ultimate decision, swiftly, with no room for reconsideration. His domains are **Afterlife, Death, Honour, Judgment, Necromancy, Souls and Undeath.**

   Although as a deity he transcends species, He is often portrayed as a titan sized Dwarf in many pieces of art, literature and other depictions of his appearance. Most statues of the arbiter have him appearing as a very stoic Dwarven male, with his three headed hound **Cerberus** by his side. He is considered to be the father of the forge and all of smithing. He is the patron of many dwarves and smiths because of this.

The Halls of Judgement are guarded by **Cerberus**, the monstrous watchdog of the afterlife. He seeks to devour anyone who tries to escape judgement or escape the afterlife after being judged. the lord of the underworld. He refuses entrance to the halls, or the afterlife itself, to all mortals.

The Arbiter despises undead and those that seek to avoid his judgement, his champions would seek to send those that have avoided his grasp to him as soon as possible. The Arbiter is a powerful warrior among the gods, and is thought to have killed the Demon Prince of Undeath **Orcus,** using his mighty axe and his unstoppable warhammer. Many of his followers wield both axes and hammers in honour of this tale.

Due to his unending duty and unwavering ethics, the Arbiter is considered the chief deity among the pantheon.

The Arbiter values honour above all else, a fact that most Orcs and The Iron Herd truly understand, many of the Arbiters followers believe that if they live an honourable life, the Arbiter will see their soul is granted reprieve in the afterlife, granting many a place in the **Beastlands** to hunt eternally.

**Suggested Class:** Artificer, Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger.
Blood Mollification

Blood Mollification was the process of curing disease and ailments in Dragonspire, through blood transfusion and blood-letting. Blood transfusion is generally the process of receiving blood or blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Bloodletting (or blood-letting) is the withdrawal of blood from a patient to cure or prevent illness and disease. This was a magical and scientific method that received incredible praise for its seemingly limitless healing power.

The Medicus Church was the fountainhead of blood healing. The church controlled all knowledge on **Blood Mollification** and all varieties of blood. To the church, **Blood Mollification** was, of course, the pursuit of communion. The Sanguine Syndicate wanted to understand this ancient, secret knowledge, but The Medicus Church refused access to their secrets.

The **Blood Mollification** was performed by The Medicus Church and the Blood Mages and Clerics that belonged to it. Dragonspire's Blood Mollification was said to have the ability to cure all diseases, and thus it attracted all kind of sickly travellers who seek the miraculous blood. Unfortunately this to lead to its downfall. When the Blood Plague spread across the Mainland, most of the afflicted left their homes to travel to the tenth city for the cure. Due to the sheer concentration of sick and dying infected denizens within **Dragonspire**, the plague became entirely unmanageable within the city. It became clear, all be it far too late, that the sick and dying were turning into **monsters**.

Eventually, in 592AS, The Medicus Church made the decision to close the gates of **Dragonspire**, to prevent the monsters of the plague from escaping into Vari, and to prevent further spread of the terrible plague. Those that were left within the city were therefore damned. The gates of **Dragonspire** have remained closed until this day. Where the secrets of Blood Mollification presumably lie waiting to be plundered, amongst anything else left lurking amongst the Tenth City from that dark time in Vari's history.

The Sanguine Syndicate seek this knowledge, but most know better than to attempt to plunder a three century old quarantine zone. However in recent times, The Fates have been indicating to many different seers across Vari, that a champion of the Sanguine Syndicate will some day return from the tenth city with the knowledge of **Blood Mollification**. This prospect has both excited and scared people in equal measure.
The Fantastic Five

**The Fantastic Five** are a novice adventuring group currently based in the city of Emberwind.

It's members comprise of:

* Agatha Stoneoak
* Hive Windmane
* Relic
* Viktor Stoneoak
* Os'zih, Third Son

So far their accomplishments are listed as follows:

* The party have discovered and cleansed a nest they believe belonged to the Gray Pestilience. After killing the nest's queen, they believe they have resolved this issue.
* They have begun to investigate the death of two high ranking faction members.
* They uncovered a conspiracy relating to the human supremist group known as The Ascendancy.
* The party found themselves entangled with The Ascendancy's opposition, The Covert Truth, a group of secretive humans that try to undermine the ascendancy.
* They have found a Void rift, in an underground bunker out in the plains near Emberwind.
Frigid Woe

Frigid woe is a special disease developed by Aeor's mages that cannot be cured by conventional treatment or magic. The only way a creature infected with the disease can be cured is by finding and drinking the manufactured antidote, a milky liquid stored in gold vials found in Eiselcross's ruins. This disease was created to slow down the forces of the gods and get around the healing power of their clerics and angels.

The disease is transmitted by breathing in blue spores that Aeor's mages created long ago. When a creature comes into contact with these spores, it must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or become infected with frigid woe. It takes **1d4** days for the symptoms to manifest in an infected creature. These symptoms include fatigue, chills, and visible blue veins that appear on the creature's body. The infected creature's speed is reduced by 5 feet as long as it remains infected. Every 10 days after symptoms appear, an infected creature must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, or its speed is reduced by another 5 feet. If a creature's speed is reduced to 0 as a result of this disease, the creature dies and its body turns into a statue made of ice.

A creature can drink the antidote as an action, ending all symptoms and effects of the disease instantly.

**VIALS OF FRIGID WOE**

As an action, a creature can throw a vial of frigid woe up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact and releasing its contents as a cloud of spores. Each creature within 5 feet of the vial when it shatters must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract frigid woe.

If a character has contracted frigid woe, track the number of days that have passed so you can inform the player when their character’s symptoms appear and when they need to make Constitution saving throws.
Timeline

## Timeline

* ????? - The Forgotten Age
* 544PS - The Founding of The Verdant Sphere
* 000 - - - The Severance
* 003AS - The Severance Subsides
* 006AS - The First Sighting of Void Entities
* 012AS - The Void Driven Back
* 045AS - Mater Arbor was first recognised
* 221AS - The Sighting of Azoss, The Void Lord
* 280AS - The Signing of the Faction's Accord
* 421AS - The Founding of Brielle
* 427AS - The First Rabbitfolk Sighting
* 504AS - The Death of Baimon, The Eternal Flame
* 588AS - The Blood Plague is identified.
* 592AS - The Fall of The Tenth City
* 594AS - The Blood Plague Outbreak ends.
* 666AS - Mazrek's Bloodbath
* 711AS - The Siege of Emberwind
* 800AS - The Resplendency
* 912AS - Present Day
Canadaur

Possibly originally of the Feywild, These insightful Moose-headed creatures once sailed to the mainland from the frozen lands of the north. The **Canadaur** are well known for their strength, endurance, understanding and politeness. They prefer the colder climates of the northern mainland and are more often found in Silver Song, Brielle and Easthaven for that reason.

They may look potentially intimidating with their size and wide horns, but they are often the gentlest of folk. Their home culture is one of understanding and helpfulness as they believe the greatest strength one has isn't the strength of arms, but the strength of numbers. It also helps them compensate for any weaknesses they may have. A Canadaur is unlikely to ever leave an apology unsaid. Some **Canadaur**, however, do not subscribe to this way of living and use their strength much like other races, to overwhelm their foes, preferring violence to reason, proving that when required the Canadaur can be a deadly foe.

They are humanoid creatures with generally tall frames, large hooves, and covered in a layer of brown fur with a pronounced moose-like snout and wide antlers. Due to their antlers their necks are extremely strong. It also makes them clumsy and prone to getting stuck in doorways. **Canadaur** sometimes have thicker more human-like hair on top, but many are "bald" with only their base fur covering their heads. **Canadaur** are between 6 and 7 feet tall and weigh between 220 and 320 pounds. Their size is Medium. They have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.

**Canadaur** have an innate sense for perceiving magic and magical creatures, such as fey and celestials.

For the sake of game statistics an Canadaur would use the Goliath race with the following changes; the appearance, height, weight and lifespan of a Canadaur is changed as per the description above. Also, replace the **Stones Endurance** and the **Natural Athlete** features with the following:

**Canadaur Senses**

You can cast **detect magic** and **detect evil and good** with this trait, using Wisdom as your spellcasting ability for them. Once you cast either spell, you can’t cast it again with this trait until you finish a short or long rest.

**Patient Understanding**

You have proficiency in the **insight** skill.
Naxus

**The Naxus Empire** was the home of the Zahn-tahet until the Void defeated them and forced them to skitter to the surface. Parts of it, once an Underdark network that stretched nearly half the breadth of Vari, can still be found beneath The Mainland, though much of what has been explored is in ruin.

Though they long for vengeance upon the Void and wish to reclaim their subterranean kingdom, the dangers of the Underdark are far too prevalent. Excursions to find the secrets of **Naxus** rarely return.

Though its location is lost to time, somewhere within the vast network of Zahn-tahet tunnels deep within the Underdark, is the former capital city **Tahet**. It said to hold treasures beyond the wildest dreams of surface dwelling folk. There are some that believe that dark magic within Tahet is what caused The Severance, though this is often disregarded as xenophobic slander toward the spider-folk.
Chapter 4

Astra explains the strange dog she saw to Thistle, who tells everyone to tell him if they see it again. After he leaves, Dusk, and Talon decide to go into the forest to find the pack the dog belongs to. They walk around a bit, finding a stream with mushrooms. Dusk notices some Ghost Trees and gets uneasy of the place, but Talon runs ahead, thinking she found something. They walk until Talon stops and says they're lost.

## Characters

### Major

* Astra
* Dusk
* Talon