Princess Vivienne Aldarus

- Position: Reigning Monarch - Age: 46 - Description: Towering and stern, with a mane of peppered hair and a beard to match. Steel-gray eyes scrutinize all. - Personality: Calculating and authoritative, a true tactician at heart. Has a soft side, well-hidden beneath kingly duties.

- Position: Royal Consort - Age: 42 - Description: Graceful, with honey-golden locks and a warm smile. Pale blue eyes reflect a serenity belying her shrewd mind. - Personality: Kindly and diplomatic, Liora wields soft power artfully. She sees much, says little, and influences much behind the scenes.

An era where magic pulsed through the very roots and veins of the land. Sorcerers commanded the elements, wise women whispered to the spirits of the forests, and all manner of mystical creatures roamed both plain and shadow. Kingdoms and empires rose to greatness on the crux of magical prowess, conjurers and enchantresses were as common as blacksmiths and bakers, and miracles were but a spell away.

Capital City: Marinport The Maritime Republic of Valedor - Set against Aldaria to the northwest, where the Seraphine River meets the grand Sapphire Sea, lies the Republic of Valedor, a prominent maritime power. The people of Valedor are a vibrant tapestry of seafaring merchants, savvy traders, and shrewd negotiators. With populous harbor cities and a flag boasting a mighty kraken, Valedor's naval prowess ensures its dominance in sea trade and exploration. Crafty in diplomacy, Valedorese leaders prioritize wealth and discovery over territorial conquests. The governing body is a council of esteemed admirals and wealthy shipowners known as the "Sails of the Senate." Skilled artisans, Valedorese craftspeople produce unrivaled navigational instruments, glassware, and elaborate textiles sought after by the nobilities of adjoining kingdoms.

Capital City: Cragcrown. The Highland Realm of Thornia - To the east of Aldaria lies Thornia, a fortified domain nestled within the inhospitable reaches of the Thornwall Mountains. Its inhabitants, the Thornians, are a hearty and resilient folk, as steadfast and uncompromising as the craggy peaks they call home. Thornia's towering stone fortresses and secluded monasteries are steeped in traditions of honor and combat mastery. Ruled by a warrior-king whose bloodline is said to be as old as the mountains themselves, Thornians place a hearty emphasis on martial prowess, with their standing army known as the "Pike of the Peaks" being one of the most formidable infantry forces in the region. Despite their warlike reputation, they also harbor scholars obsessed with unraveling the echoes of the arcane that seem to seep from their mountain stronghold's depths.

Grand Admiral Ilara Seastoke - Title: Head of The Sails of the Senate Harbourmaster Tycho Marin - Title: Vice Admiral of Trade Shipwright Maestra Elys Ondine - Title: Master of Fleets Merchant Prince Vigo Harrow - Title: Treasurer of the Waves - Age: 60 Distilled leadership: Grand Admiral Seastoke is accorded the highest level of respect and authority, acting as the unquestioned leader during times of crisis. Decisions affecting Valedor's course are often reached by a consensus of the Sails of the Senate though, reflective of their roots as a gathering of equal partners bonded by the wealth of the sea.

- Title: Head of The Sails of the Senate - Age: 54 - Description: A salt-sprayed veteran of Valedorian waters, Ilara boasts sun-leathered skin and piercing cerulean eyes. - Personality: Ambitious and savvy. Her command is as absolute at sea as it is in Senate debate chambers.

- Title: Vice Admiral of Trade - Age: 47 - Description: Refined, with meticulous clothing to match his neatly trimmed beard. Dark green eyes carry centuries of navigation wisdom. - Personality: Shrewd and calculating, his trade strategies are instrumental in maintaining Valedor's maritime monopoly.

- Title: Master of Fleets - Age: 51 - Description: With her storm-gray hair typically tied back, she bears the look of hands-on genius, eyes always sparkling with new blueprints. - Personality: Ingenious and reserved, Elys is the inventive spirit behind Valedor's unmatched armada.

- Title: Treasurer of the Waves - Age: 60 - Description: Portly and adorned in opulent fabrics despite his merchant roots; his balding head shines like his wealth. - Personality: Charismatic and elaborate, often engaging in exuberant displays of affluence that camouflage his keen intellect for numbers.

Thornia is ruled by a theocratic monarchy where the notion of divine favor tightly grips the crown; the monarch not only reigns supreme over his subjects but is also seen as the chosen of their war gods. High King Artorius Thrane - Title: Ascendant Warlord of Thornia High Marshal Gavrin Redhand - Title: Right hand of the King Oracle Sereia Uthorn - Title: Divine Seeress Princess Igraine Thrane - Title: Heir Presumptive Crafted lineage: Though the king's dominance is near-absolute, he is counseled by his aged Oracle, who speaks for the gods, backing each rulership with divine endorsement. Succession traditionally trails through bloodline, parsed by combat prowess and leader's acumen, bearing witness to their war gods' influence when the mantle is passed. Princess Igraine trains in disciplines of combat and strategy from the age she could hold a sword—a long-standing tradition—preparing her role in the continuum of rulers whose legends are as relentless and untamable as the Thornians themselves.

- Title: Ascendant Warlord of Thornia - Age: 48 - Description: Bodily built like the mountains he governs, Artorius has a commanding presence accentuated by his long black hair and piercing gray eyes. - Personality: Honorable and steadfast, he is unrelenting in his beliefs—and an indomitable force in battle as in statecraft.

- Position: Heir Apparent - Age: 23 - Description: A dashing mirror of youth to his father, with an unruly hair's curl and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. - Personality: Charming and gregarious, a public favorite. His easygoing nature hides a sense of duty and burgeoning strategic intellect.

- Title: Right hand of the King - Age: 43 - Description: Bearing scars as trophies, Gavrin is an embodiment of brute strength; his imposing stature is complemented by a fiery red beard. - Personality: Loyal and battle-hardened, sworn to serve his king and protect the Highlands with unwavering devotion.

- Title: Divine Seeress - Age: ?? (Ageless in appearance) - Description: An ethereal old crone, appearing much younger, with cascading silver-white hair, and profound mossy green eyes. - Personality: Mystical and cryptic, her prophecies are revered as blessings by the high king, though they often contain riddles left unexamined.

- Title: Heir Presumptive - Age: 26 - Description: Statuesque and possessing her father's raven locks, her countenance is authoritative yet carries an inherent nobility. - Personality: Strategic and unyielding, she shows a balance of military genius and royal composure in her training to succeed her father's crown.

The Kingdoms of Aldaria, Valedor, and Thornia found common ground in the overwhelming need for regulating the remnants and the practice of magic. The following are significant treaties and laws mutually agreed upon to enforce a stringent containment of all things magical. - Systematically banned cultivation, usage, or dissemination of arcane practices - Items found to hold magical properties must be reported to a kingdom's designated Authority of Censorship, after which they are to be cataloged and secured within the Purged Vaults - Tasked to investigate and quash magical activity, "Inquisition" agents bear extrajudicial powers to detain, interrogate, and neutralize perceived threats of a magical nature - Assures the extradition of individuals found to be practicing or disseminating magic across the kingdoms' boundaries - Refrain from exploiting the anomalies - Rigorous inspection of ships and cargoes for enchanted items or spell reagents to curtail smuggling of such items

Serving as the iron fist of the Tri-Kingdom's concerted efforts to suppress and control magic, employs a cadre of agents trained to operate within a clandestine veil. Their ranks, in order: 1. Inquisitor General 2. Senior Inquisitor 3. Field Inquisitor 4. Seeker 5. Interrogator 6. Purgeguard 7. Scribe Functions and Capabilities: - Monitoring and Surveillance - Enforcement and Apprehension - Investigation and Research - Diplomacy and Liaison - Purge Operations - Trial and Sentencing Presence: - Capital and Major Cities - Borders and Checkpoints - Rural Areas Membership within 'The Inquisition' is often a life-long commitment; an engagement marked by sacrifices and carried out with an unwavering conviction. It's a path chosen by some for the promise of order, by others for the power over life and death—but all Inquisitors march under the unforgiving banner of anti-magic supremacy, waging a silent war against the arcane that refuses to fade into oblivion.

The head of 'The Inquisition,' a figure often laden with political clout and hardened conviction. They handle oversight, strategy, and high-level decision-making. More a figurehead than field agent, generally only one per kingdom.

Veteran agents with decades of experience in sniffing out magic. They are responsible for coordination of larger operations, intelligence analysis, and policy enforcement. They typically report directly to Inquisitor Generals.

These are the main operatives, actively engaged in the pursuit and capture of magic users. Trained in both combat and detection arts, they carry authority to carry out immediate judgments on minor infractions.

Specialized agents with a knack for finding those who weave the fabric of magic. Armed with an array of counter-magic equipment and keen investigative skills, they pursue latent energies and potential practitioners.

Tasked with extracting information from suspects once in custody, using both psychological and magically enhanced methods. They are proficient in discerning truth from lies and breaking a mage's will to conceal the truth.

- Position: Junior Princess - Age: 18 - Description: Copper ringlets and expressive green eyes, the spitting image of their mother's radiance. - Personality: Spirited and rebellious, a firecracker questioning every norm. Warmth and stubborn independence mark her every move.

Administrative officers who maintain records of magical incidents, artifacts, and known practitioners. Knowledge is power, and Scribes ensure 'The Inquisition's' databases are comprehensive and up-to-date.

These are elite soldiers specially trained to handle and contain enchanted artifacts. Bearing tools and equipment for neutralizing mana-infused items, they guard the Purged Vaults and secure any items 'The Inquisition' retrieves.

Maester Alistair Wynford - - Age: 57 - Appearance: Lean and tall, with the sharp eyes of an owl and hair like moonlit silver. Always clad in unassuming scholars' robes. - Personality: A sage with an aura of serene calm and calculated patience. Fond of riddles, his words carry depths and layers beyond their surface meaning. Vivienne's mentor is a scholar of esoteric history, serving as a trusted advisor within Aldaria's court and a reputed professor at the kingdom's seat of learning, The Grand Library of Edengate. However, Maester Alistair is also a guardian of the secret lore, a member of a hidden sect known as "The Order of the Veiled Star." Alistair recognized Vivienne's potential. Taking her under his wing for reasons of his own, Alistair teaches her the fundamentals of magic through allegories and cryptic lessons, disguised as philosophical debates or lectures on ancient civilization. The veil of scholar and student ensures their interactions go unquestioned by the prying eyes of court life.

The heart of Aldaria and bastion of the ruling family. A marvel of ancient architecture fused with methodical expansion, its silhouette dominates the horizon—stone spires and grand edifices eloquently garbed in the persistence of tradition against encroaching modernity. Central to Edengate the Aldarus Keep, armored in ivied opulence, housing the royal court and its political dance. Gracing its vicinity are the primly tended Royal Gardens, a public spectacle of colorful botanical indulgence, under the watchful eyes of marble statues of monarchs who have led the path of Aldaria. The Gilded District bustles with artisans and merchants, goldsmiths and dreamers, selling their wares amid marketplaces. Each street oozes charm and chicanery in equal parts; cobblestone avenues that tell a thousand stories with each worn stone. Beyond well-guarded pathways lies Whisper Hollow, the less auspicious quarter where shadows play host to secretive exchanges. Whisper Hollow and its draped corners where emissaries and spies exchange silent messages, housing secrets in its cloistered abodes that many a noble would pay dearly to uncover—or conceal.

The Order of the Veiled Star operates in the shadows of a world that has forsaken magic. This secret society was formed some time after The Fracture when the practice of magic became perilous, casting a once-respected art into the forbidden. Their ethos is anchored in discretion, wisdom, and a solemn respect for the potential devastation their art can wield. Their principle, "*Under the Veil, the Star Shines Brightest*," posits that true mastery of magic emerges only from secrecy and restraint. Members are organized into cells to minimize the risk of discovery; each cell operates alone, with a senior member—"Stellar Guide"—anchoring each cluster. Inter-cell communication is uncommon, often by ciphered messages hidden within innocuous correspondence or relayed through the safe passage of trusted bards. Given the past, the Order enforces strict regulations on the study and use of magic. Mages are trained to eschew large displays, focusing instead on minor, practical spells: healing, herblore, and preservation.

A vast and deep blue ocean fringing Valedor's coast, the Sapphire Sea is famed for its dazzling waters and treacherous depths. It conceals rich marine life and countless shipwrecks, beckoning daring seafarers and traders aiming to harness its bounty and navigate its mysteries.

Flowing like a lifeline through Aldaria's heartlands, the Seraphine River nourishes the realm with its fertile floods. Villages dot its banks, prospering from the rich soil and trade routes it provides, reveling in the comfort of its gentle, nurturing current.

Spanning the central plains of Aldaria, the Verdant Expanse boasts rolling fields of grain and vineyards that stretch to the horizon. This breadbasket of the kingdom basks in the temperate climate, offering up its plentiful harvests at summer's peak.

Rising stark and formidable, Thornia’s Thornwall Mountains form a natural fortress. Riddled with jagged cliffs and echoes of mysterious pasts, their snow-capped peaks harbor iron, jewels, and, if old wives' tales hold, remnants of ancient magic sealed within their stone.

A beacon of maritime prowess, Marinport is Valedor’s crown jewel, spanning across the rugged coast of the Sapphire Sea. Grand harbor arms embrace the ocean's might, a testament to nautical engineering, safeguarding fleets of gleaming vessels. Towering over the commerce-fuelled chaos is the Citadel of Wisps, a spire from where the Admiralty oversees sea-borne strategy against the symphony of masts and sails. Here, the salt-laced Bazaar of Bounties thrives; a marketplace where exotic goods are bartered, and tales as tall as the ships' masts are sold for a pint. Narrow, brine-washed lanes bustle with fishmongers, merchantry, and throngs of savvy patrons keen on oceanic delights. Bordering the district, a series of fortified watchtowers, known colloquially as Seawatch Blues, stand sentinel—ever vigilant against the unknowns that dwell within the deep Sapphire's embrace.

- Position: King’s Younger Brother - Age: 43 - Description: Rugged with squint lines from frequent frowning. His bearing is formidable, with a spartan crown of jet-black hair. - Personality: Silent and brooding, yet fiercely loyal. A military man with a voice like thunder and a presence that demands respect.

Encased within the protective embrace of Thornwall Mountains, Cragcrown clings defiantly against the mountain precipices. Fortress of the highlords, the Iron Bastion, carved directly into the living rock, casts resilient shadows over this city that never yields. Perilous bridges and carved stairways cleft into stone invite daring souls to traverse its heights. At its core resides the Steel Bazaar, an irregular warren of forges and smitheries, their clash and clang forging the zealous heart of Thornian identity. Gloomier yet is the Haunt—Cragcrown's underscythe, gripping the fringes, home to clandestine meetings and covert trades often overlooked by the mountain-silhouetted sentries. A mausoleum of secrets, cheerily veiled under celebratory hallows that resonate with each hammer-strike echoed through the peaks.

The Forgebound Brotherhood: A powerful guild of master blacksmiths and artisans in Thornia, known for their unparalleled craftsmanship in weaponry and armor. They guard their forging techniques jealously and are revered for their creations.

The Sea-Charted League: This collective of navigators, cartographers, and explorers is fundamental to Valedor's dominance over the seas. They map new trade routes, discover distant lands, and the secrets of navigation. Regular innovators, they also play a part in designing the latest nautical gear.

The Silent Shoes: A covert network of elite spies and informants that sell their services to the highest bidder in all kingdoms. Few know of their true operations, but their whispered influence can shift the tide of political maneuverings. They are the unseen variable in many a grand scheme.

The Edgeweavers: Known as a whimsical band of entertainers, this troupe moves between courts and common squares, their performances setting trends and providing common ground. Secretly, they are custodians of old tales, including coded magic knowledge, which they keep alive in songs and stories.

The Crimson Albatross: A formidable brigand collective operating out of shadowed coves along the Sapphire Sea, they are a thorn in the side of all three kingdoms. While known mostly for their smuggling operations, rumors circulate of their possession of magical artifacts that they neither use nor sell, for reasons unknown.

The Custodians of Honor: A martial fellowship in Aldaria devoted to upholding ancient chivalric codes. Their influence within the military is significant; they advocate for honor in war and peace, whispering in the ears of commanders and knights about ethical combat—and perhaps inspire fear in the Inquisitors for their revered standing.

The Harvest Hand: An alliance of farmers and vintners in the Verdant Expanse tasked with ensuring the health of crops and the continuous bloom of Aldaria's agrarian market. Their widespread and trusted presence makes them excellent conduits for information—of which even The Order of the Veiled Star avail themselves.

- Position: Duke Harlan's Wife - Age: 38 - Description: Impeccably poised with sleek, auburn tresses and icy-blue discerning eyes. - Personality: Politically astute, outwardly pleasant with an undertone of ambition. A master of courtly intrigue.

- Position: Duke Harlan’s Son - Age: 19 - Description: Athletic and ruggedly handsome with sable hair and a forthright gaze, he bears the look of an adventurer. - Personality: Bold and courageous, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. His forthright honesty is refreshing and sometimes disarming at court.

Governed by the noble house of Aldarus, this picturesque land boasts diverse topography, from the windswept coastline of Ironshore to the foreboding peaks of the Thornwall Mountains. At its heart lies the Aldarian capital, Edengate. Aldaria's prosperity stems largely from a fertile central plain known as the Verdant Expanse, graced by the life-giving river. Bountiful harvests of grains and wines underpin its economy, while well-positioned tracts of boreal forests accommodate vigorous lumber and game trades. Aldaria trades its resources skillfully with the neighboring states of Valedor and Thornia while maintaining a dignified isolation in terms of culture and technology; curiosity towards the wider world exists, albeit cautiously peering from behind the sturdy bulwark of traditional values and practices.

Magic, considered a relic of a bygone era, is forbidden and feared, secretly treasured by few who dare to recall the spells and hexes. The Great Fracture, as it later became known, was a cataclysm that sundered magic's pure connection to this world. The Fracture not only devastated the land but also thinned the access to magical energies, rending spells unpredictable and their wielders often mad. Magic used to exist in the Age of Wonders.

A breakthrough in spellcraft permitted the establishment of Mana Wells—conduits drawing raw magical energy from deep within the earth. It promised untold power. Kingdoms grew drunk on this arterial flow of arcane, their dependency deep and dark. Yet, such rapid ascent invites downfall. The misuse and overextraction of magic led to realms of existence — the plane and the mana-infused nether—starting to shred, much like the delicate fabric under too much tension. What was deemed an inexhaustible natural resource proved otherwise, as the Mana Wells began to deteriorate. Emerging were anomalies; natural disasters of unknown magic that struck seemingly at random: villages were lost to spontaneous fires that raged beneath a rain-soaked sky, newborns recited prophetic tales in ancient tongues, and crops resisted scythe and sickle, protecting themselves with sentient will. In one cataclysmic night the Mana Wells across various kingdoms simultaneously erupted. Veins of rampant energy scorched the lands, skies roiled with arcane storms, and from the depths, beings of pure magic reeled and raged at the exposed reality. This was The Fracture—a splintering of mystical energies and laws of physics.