The Fourfold Accord

Four nations, four seals, the end held at bay

The War of Sundering Flame was a continent-spanning conflict sparked by the catastrophic partial awakening of Ifrexus, the Primordial of Flame, due to an attempt by early magi to harvest divine essence from beneath Solance’s volcanic core. The resulting disaster sundered the southern provinces of Caelvaris and ignited elemental upheaval across Velastra—sandstorms raged unnaturally in Vhar-Khazel, arcane forests burned for decades in Sylvaraeth, and glacial tides cracked in Nyssavren.

Each nation blamed the others, and centuries of mistrust culminated in war.

The conflict ended when a secret council of scholars, religious leaders, and powerful Espers from each realm performed a continent-wide binding ritual, reinforced by Relics of Authority, to reseal the Primordials. The effort came at enormous cost—but the seals held.

To prevent future calamity, the surviving leaders signed the Fourfold Accord, formalizing magical, military, and spiritual responsibilities for maintaining the balance.

Core Articles

1. The Balance of Seals Each capital city sits atop the slumbering form of a Primordial. Each nation is charged with safeguarding its respective Seal Vault—a complex fusion of ritual, relic, and geography.
2. The Custodianship of Relics No relic tied to a Primordial may be removed from its territory without unanimous approval from the Fourfold Council. Violations are considered acts of war.
3. The Convergence Clause Should seismic, arcane, or divine omens point to awakening, all four nations must convene a Convergence Summit within 33 days. Refusal to attend forfeits claim to the Accord's protections.
4. Mutual Sovereignty No nation may interfere militarily in another’s seal without provocation and Council approval. Magical interference is considered an act of Primordial provocation.

Roles and Responsibilities

Caelvaris – The Defender of the Accord

• Primordial: Ifrexus, Flame
• Duty: Protect the Ember Crown and serve as first responder to any emerging threats or omens related to awakening.
• Authority: Hosts the Flame-Sanctum Tribunal, an annual summit of wardens and vigilants.
• Special Right: May summon the Accord’s martial clause in times of suspected seal breach.

Vhar-Khazel – The Keeper of Innovation

• Primordial: Zepharos, Storm
• Duty: Maintain containment technology, magitek wards, and stormforged obelisks channeling Primordial energy safely.
• Authority: Controls the distribution of magitek harmonizers and airship ether-core calibrations across Velastra.
• Special Right: May issue emergency patents to override relic misuse in other nations.

Sylvaraeth – The Warden of Memory

• Primordial: Ouraleth, Life
• Duty: Preserve the ancient texts, spiritbound memories, and nature-wards integral to the seal.
• Authority: Oversees historical archives on the Primordials and sacred rights of passage into the Worldtree.
• Special Right: May challenge any Concord vote by invoking the Rite of Living Memory—a binding trial of truth.

Nyssavren – The Steward of Equilibrium

• Primordial: Selnara, Ice
• Duty: Monitor arcane flux and inter-nation crystal flow. Balances magical distribution and crystal refinement.
• Authority: Holds veto power over crystal-based relic trade; tracks all legal relic registries.
• Special Right: May call for Convergence Summits if flux thresholds are breached.

Timeline of Key Events Related to the Accord

312–346 AR War of Sundering Flame devastates Velastra; multiple failed attempts to contain Ifrexus.

346 AR The Binding Ritual succeeds, resealing all four Primordials. Many original ritualists perish.

347 AR The Fourfold Accord is signed in Thalor'Nai, Sylvaraeth, under the Worldtree’s canopy.

394 AR First Convergence Summit convened to investigate the resurfacing of lost relics.

511 AR A failed coup in Vhar-Khazel tries to seize stormfurnace technology. Accord sanctions magitek controls.

671 AR Sylvaraeth invokes the Rite of Living Memory to block a Caelvari relic expedition into Oural’s Reach.

793 AR Tensions over crystal smuggling spark a border conflict—Ashveil Incident nearly breaks the Accord.

812–814 AR The Emberfall Rebellion threatens the Caelvari seal. Accord forces nearly intervene. Dareth is lost, then presumed dead.

818 AR (Present) The Ember Crown is stolen, and strange tremors return to Solance. No Convergence Summit is called—Caelvaris insists it remains an internal affair.

The Fourfold Accord

Ratified in the 347th Year of the Age of Radiance

By the will of the Four Nations, bound in flame, wind, root, and frost, let this be the pact that endures when memory fails. We, stewards of Velastra, declare this Accord everlasting in word and ward.

PREAMBLE

Let it be known: in the shadow of the Sundering Flame, where ash veiled the sun and the roar of Primordials tore open the sky, there came a reckoning. Not by sword, nor spell, nor sovereign alone was ruin averted—but by sacrifice, wisdom, and unity.

Thus, the nations of Caelvaris, Vhar-Khazel, Sylvaraeth, and Nyssavren, each seated upon the slumbering form of a Primordial, do hereby bind themselves to this Fourfold Accord, lest the seals falter and Velastra fall anew.

ARTICLE I — On the Custody of Seals

Each nation shall serve as Warden of the Primordial sealed beneath their capital. They shall:

Maintain, repair, and safeguard the Seal Vault by all means within mortal and magical capacity.

Recognize that to disturb another’s seal without cause or consensus is to violate the Accord.

ARTICLE II — On the Relics of Authority

Let none lay unauthorized claim to relics born of Primordial essence.

Relics of power must remain within their nation of origin unless consent is granted by all Four.

Unauthorized relic movement is a breach of divine equilibrium, punishable by Accord reprisal.

ARTICLE III — On the Convergence of Wards

When the signs of awakening stir—be they omens, tremors, flux, or prophecy—all nations must convene within thirty-three days at a neutral summit known as the Convergence.

Refusal to attend forfeits that nation’s protection under this Accord.

The location of the Convergence rotates by decade; this current cycle rests in Sylvaraeth.

ARTICLE IV — On the Balance of Sovereignty

Though nations stand apart in governance, they are as one in wardship.

No force may cross borders to act upon another nation’s seal without express Accord approval.

Trade, knowledge, and magical constructs bound to seal maintenance shall be honored without tariff or obstruction.

THE FOUR CUSTODIANS & THEIR DUTIES

Caelvaris — Defender of the Accord Charged with vigilance and first response. Guardian of the Ember Crown. Host of the Flame-Sanctum Tribunal. May summon martial support in times of breach.

Vhar-Khazel — Keeper of Innovation Master of magitek, storm harmonics, and relic containment. Maintains the etheric infrastructure that empowers the seals. Holds emergency authority over containment technology.

Sylvaraeth — Warden of Memory Preserver of living lore, spiritual rites, and soulbound prophecy. May invoke the Rite of Living Memory to delay or challenge judgments of the Four.

Nyssavren — Steward of Equilibrium Watcher of magical flux and custodian of crystal distribution. Holds power to veto relic export and initiate Convergence if thresholds are breached.

“Let flame rest in slumber, storm drift in silence, root curl in peace, and frost lay still. Should even one falter, all shall fall. This is our burden. This is our vow.”

Sealed by the Hands of the First Custodians:

— Highwarden Caelen Thorne, Flame of Caelvaris — Architect Arvus Vhail, Stormwright of Vhar-Khazel — Archdruid Thyrella Ven, Grove-Soul of Sylvaraeth — Cryomancer-General Sareth Naevyr, Mirror of Nyssavren