Caelvaris

A proud and war-scarred kingdom ruled by a divine monarchy clinging to tradition, where loyalty to the crown is sacred and truth is often sacrificed for the illusion of unity.

Kingdom of Flame and Glory (West)

Primordial: Ifrexus, The Cinder-Tyrant – An ancient, godlike being whose breath once turned empires to ash. Bound beneath Caelvaris by the Ember Crown, his slumber radiates searing energy that fuels both divine relics and deadly prophecy. He is not merely fire, but willful destruction, a force of cleansing fury that seeks rebirth through annihilation.
Capital: Solance – A majestic city of sunlit stone and bronze towers, built atop volcanic foundations. The Ember Crown resides in the Hall of the Flameheart, deep beneath the palace, where geothermal vents power the city’s ancient forges.
Culture: Proud, militaristic, and steeped in ritual. Caelvarans believe themselves chosen by the gods, and their monarchy is considered divinely sanctioned. Artisans, smiths, and warriors thrive here, their forges powered by relic-fire.
Current Struggles: Civil unrest, scorching heat waves, and increasing Vulkari attacks. Faith in the monarchy is eroding.
Strengths: Advanced martial tradition, abundant mineral and volcanic resources, masterwork weapons and armor.
Exports: Weaponry, enchanted steel, trained mercenary companies ("the Flamebound"), volcanic forgemagic components.
Imports: Skyborne magitek (from Vhar-Khazel), Arcanite crystals (from Nyssavren), rare herbs and silks (from Sylvaraeth).

Key Diplomatic Role: Defender of the The Fourfold Accord; keeps a standing peacekeeping legion stationed in all other capitals as part of the Treaty Watch.

Cities

Emberrest – A fortified cliffside city near the border, known for its towering pyres and wall-temples.
Vaelgard – A solemn, ceremonial city home to the Flamekeeper Monastery and The Ember Vigil’s southern chapter.
Tindrel's Hollow – A soot-stained mining town that uncovers emberglass veins used to power relics.
Ashveil Crossing – A market city that serves as a trade nexus with Vhar-Khazel and Nyssavren, full of old shrines and newer tech.
Haldrith Spire – A ruined watch-fort converted into a research outpost by rogue Vigil scholars.

Organizations

The Ember Vigil
The Church of Flame

Timeline: 50-Year Historical Overview (764–814 AR)

Dates are in AR (Age of Radiance), the common calendar used throughout Velastra.

764 AR – The Quiet Reign Ends

Death of King Vaeric Vaelwyn, grandfather of Prince Dareth.
Queen Seryna abdicates soon after, citing failing health.
A period of tenuous regency begins under high noble supervision, stoking factional disputes and court unrest.

767 AR – The Great Ashwind Treaty

Caelvaris and Vhar-Khazel sign a landmark trade accord following tensions over magitek expansion.
Establishes the Ashveil Conclave as a neutral border council to monitor shared innovation and crystal use.

770 AR – Founding of The Ember Vigil

In response to increasing instability with relic misuse and rising ashstorm anomalies near Solance, Queen Seryna authorizes the creation of The Ember Vigil.
The order is tasked with safeguarding relics tied to the divine seal of Ifrexus, including the the Ember Crown.

772 AR – The Year of Veinsplit Quakes

A wave of minor seismic events cracks several fissures through Caelvaris' eastern plains, including beneath Vaelgard.
Believed to be dormant volcanic shifts; several Ember Vigil relic-wards are reinforced.

775 AR – The Night of Sundered Chains

A massive slave revolt erupts in the mining town of Tindrel’s Hollow, led by former prisoners of war from Nyssavren.
The rebellion is crushed, but rumors circulate of Primordial whispers in the caverns beneath the mines.

790 AR – Coronation of King Thalor and Queen Aelira Vaelwyn

After years of court tension, Thalor Vaelwyn, son of King Vaeric, ascends the throne with his beloved consort Aelira.
Their joint coronation marks a hopeful era for Caelvaris, uniting conservative spiritualists and progressive magitek factions.

794-796 AR – Border War with Vhar-Khazel

Skirmishes erupt after a rogue Caelvari baron violates the Ashwind Treaty by seizing a magitek shipment at Ashveil Crossing.
The border war culminates in the Battle of Shalehaze, where King Thalor leads an elite retinue aboard the Eidral Cross, a command airship equipped with a prototype shield-generating relic engine, against Vhar-Khazi forces.
King Thalor sacrifices himself by engaging a malfunctioning stormfurnace with the Eidral Cross, saving both armies from an elemental maelstrom, but he and the airship are engulfed in the resulting explosion.
King Thalor's heroic sacrifice ends the war and remains a symbol of peace between the nations.
Prince Dareth is too young to ascend. Queen Aelira assumes sole rule.

796–801 AR – The Silent Flame Years

Caelvaris experiences a time of strained peace. Queen Aelira centralizes power, consolidates the Vigil, and begins cutting off independent relic research.
Chancellor Yven Marrick rises in influence, steering policy toward magitek militarization.

807 AR – The Mourning Pyre

A sacred relic, the Mirror of Ashlight, cracks during a public festival in Vaelgard, causing panic.
Seen as an omen of a broken divine covenant. The Ember Vigil sequesters the artifact. Cult activity increases.

812–814 AR – The Emberfall Rebellion

Lord Verathen, a noble corrupted by the hidden Cinderborn cult, incites rebellion along the Caelvaris-Vhar-Khazel border.
The rebellion rapidly spreads, threatening the stability of Solance itself.
Prince Dareth, now a decorated commander, is presumed dead after being captured during a battle near Velkareth Hold.

814 AR – Cataclysm at Velkareth Hold

A failed ritual involving Primordial fragments causes a volcanic eruption, leveling Verathen’s fortress.
The war ends, but the Ember Vigil suspects the seal of Ifrexus has been weakened.
The region is now scarred and uninhabitable. Queen Aelira bans all passage into Velkareth's ruins.

815–819 AR – Present Day

Caelvaris maintains a facade of stability, but relic thefts, rogue flame cultists, and strange omens stir.
The Ember Crown is stolen under mysterious circumstances.
Whispers of Prince Dareth’s return send tremors through court and cloister alike.

Non-Player Characters

Royal Court of Caelvaris

A fractured institution once united under divine authority, now beset by infighting, fear, and desperation.

Queen Aelira Vaelwyn – The Steel Swan

Title: Sovereign Queen of Caelvaris
Background: Widow of the late King Thalor, who fell in the border war with Vhar-Khazel. Aelira has ruled alone for twenty years, her every move weighed against the memory of her fallen son, Prince Dareth.
Personality: Regal, calculating, and deeply repressed. She presents cold diplomacy and stoic poise, but privately, her grief runs ocean-deep.

Chancellor Yven Marrick – The Whisper Behind the Throne

Title: Lord Chancellor of Caelvaris
Background: An experienced courtier and master manipulator, Yven has served three generations of monarchs. He views the divine monarchy as archaic and believes the future lies in magitek supremacy.
Personality: Smooth, cultured, always smiling. His flattery conceals a steel trap mind and a ruthless utilitarian streak.

Ser Kallin Dros – The Flamehound

Title: High Commander of the Royal Guard
Background: A legendary soldier who trained and fought beside Dareth. Loyal to Aelira, but tormented by the contradictions in the official story of Dareth’s fall.
Personality: Gruff, honorable, and deeply introspective. His battlefield instincts clash with the paranoia of the court.