The Kingdom of Thrasos

A realm where the dream of peace and collaboration had been realized. At the heart of this dream stood the city of Kheiron. Each of the governing races had a palace connected by arching skybridges like a crown upon the city's head. The jewel of this crown was the Library of Thrasos; a tower that rose above all to remind them that knowledge was greater than any of them. It bound them at their heart, guided them with its ethics, and united them across boundaries of language and blood.It remained a meeting point and hub for the governing races and all those who came after. The skills of generations went into the beauty of it, etched into every house, garden and tower. Sitting against a serene coast with a river winding through it, it was easily reached by traveler and merchant alike, making it a true heart for the Kingdom of Thrasos.

Governing Races

Dwarves
One of the first races that came into being. Reclusive folk who preferred to be left to their crafting. While they maintained their seats on the governing council, they often only attended votes of great importance and left the day to day maintenance of the Kingdom to the Elves and Humans.Elves
Created to be the shapers and caretakers of the wild places of the world. Because there was so much work to be done, they were divided between the Gods of Light and Dark.
Dawn Elves: Serve the God of Light and tend to favor the cultivation of flora.
Dusk Elves: Serve the God of Dark and are more comfortable under the stars than the sun, tending to the creatures that roam the world.Humans
The last of the governing races to be created, acting as a bridge between the reclusive Dwarves and the reserved Elves. Hearty folk with a heart for adventure and exploration.

Other Folk

Orcs
A highly nomadic people that value bonds over all else, including material possessions. Prized as warriors for their imposing size and skill, but feared for their fierceness when protecting home and hearth. Created to be one of the governing races, but chose to remain nomadic and independent.Gremlins
A chaotic people with no real social or familial structure. Can be highly independent loners or travel in groups of dozens or more. Value only chaos and material goods, typically gained through theft. Poor speech due to lack of interest in languages, only learning what they need to get by (or get out of trouble).

After the Last Day

For days the grand capital city of Kheiron screamed and burned. People fled by the thousands and Devourers roamed even the remote county side. Hundreds of thousands perished until the fourth day when it suddenly stopped. No more Devourers came into being. Those that remained did so mostly in the ruins Kheiron, only occasionally venturing outside its walls.But the damage had already been done. A population decimated, towns, villages and cities wiped from the landscape. In the nearly two centuries since the Last Day, most were reclaimed by nature which seemed to grow back more lush than ever, except for Kheiron. It remained a shadowy, forlorn ruin where only Devourers and the occasional brave looter or explorer roamed. A strong magic surrounds most of the city, barring passage by way of a feeling of dread and lethargy, like one is trying to walk through waist deep mud. On rare occasions these wards will weaken or break, allowing the brave in and the Devourers out, but they're always returned by an unseen hand.Many came to believe the Goddess of Death, once a deity to be revered and not feared, had grown angry and claimed the city. Now, she keeps her agents of chaos in check, until such time as she requires them again. Some even believe that invoking her name will cause them to turn into a Devourer upon their death, and because of this her name has been largely forgotten to time.Still, none know with any certainty how the Last Day occurred, or even why the cataclysm suddenly stopped. The races were far too preoccupied with the survival they still scrape for to this day. Only the already nomadic and hearty Orcs were largely unaffected and even helped the remaining races adapt to the new and difficult world in a Decayed Kingdom.

Planned Characters

Italics indicate key lore characters

  • The Lost Prince

  • The Scholar

  • The Brute

  • The Explorer

  • The Necromancer

  • The Forlorn Goddess

  • The Trapped God

  • The Thief

  • The Monster Hunter

  • The Fleeing One

The World of Ouranos

Once a curated landscape of vibrant cities and towns, populated by diverse peoples. After the cataclysm of the Last Day, it became a world of vast and untamed places, some wild and free, others dark and withering like the former city of Kheiron. The history documented over millennia by the races that once governed the land are now only remembered by a few, though the last Day is etched into the genetic memory of every race.The undercurrent of magic is considered by most to be the lifeblood of the planet. It could once be learned by any with the talent and control to summon it. It was believed to have been mostly reclaimed during the cataclysm and few remain who can control it or teach others to do so.

The City of Kheiron

Located on a rocky coast with a river winding through it and an abundance of plant life, the capital city of Thrasos was vibrant and ever evolving. Boasting a port and large artisan district, it was a cultural and mercantile hub. Ruled by the four governing races; Dwarves, Dawn Elves, Dusk Elves and Humans, though the Dwarves, for the most part, did not reside in Kheiron. They preferred their privacy and usually only attended votes of great importance. Each had their own monarchy and each family designated one member for the Council, though this wasn't always the king or queen.Near the heart of the city, each of the governing races had a dedicated tower palace styled in the way of their people yet cohesive to the city they had fostered together. To represent this unity, each tower had lofty skybridges connecting them. In the center of this ring was the Library of Thrasos, standing taller than the rest.The crown jewel of the kingdom, it was inhabited by the best scholars and magic users Ouranos had to offer. Entire levels of bookshelves packed floor to ceiling with tomes dedicated to every topic, both common and obscure. Labs and studies, classrooms and training rooms, the marvel was truly the pride of Kheiron.

The Last Day

A cataclysmic event so named because the world was forever changed after its passing. The flourishing landscape became almost completely devoid of civilization, leaving previously thriving villages, towns and even cities abandoned to be reclaimed by nature.The morning after a Council gathering, the representatives of each of the royal families fell ill, with the exception of the Dwarves who had not attended the mundane meeting. The Human king was the first to succumb to the rapid wasting illness. Shortly after the queen of the Dusk Elves and the Dawn Elves' prince.While the city mourned and began to hunt down what they believed to be an assassin, the families tended to their loved ones. Even after death, their bodies continued to waste away, turning into skin stretched too tight over bone, turning black and leathery. Rather than rot and decay, they started to emit strange wisps of black that appeared almost to be smoke. Horrified, they rushed to burn the dead, lest the cause be disease rather than the suspected poison.Before they could be put to rest by pyre, suddenly, the Human king's body began to contort violently, without screams or moans. Silent save for the sickening crack of bone and cries of onlookers. The roiling, smoke-like shadows began to cover the frame of the deceased which had morphed into a vaguely lupine form, large and dangerous.Attempting to attack the family he once loved, the now monstrous former king was slain finally slain by the royal guard, but not before killing and mortally wounding many. Soon after, the other royals who had perished underwent the same transformation. Then those who had slain by them. Then, those in the city who died by any means. It soon became clear that the catalyst was whatever had killed the royals, but death in any form created them.The new blight spread beyond the walls of Kheiron and soon through all of the Kingdom of Thrasos. The governing races who had worked in genuine harmony for millennia suddenly and brutally turned on each other in their suspicions. The Dawn Elves blamed the Dusk Elves, for surely they were related to the shadow creatures. The Dusk Elves believed they were framed by the Dawn Elves. The Humans suspected both Elves, for thinking themselves above the other races. The Dwarves disappeared entirely. Their own cities carved into the sides of the highest mountains were found abandoned and to this day none know what happened to them.

The Pantheon

God of Light: Solos
Overseer of Ouranos when the sun touches the earth. Dawn Elves are attributed to him and claim him as their patron god. Their myths say that he taught them how to cultivate the plant life which now thrives over Ouranos.God of Dark: Nylos
Deity of darkness and curator of the stars. Worshiped by the Dusk Elves and widely believed to be the creator of animal life in Ouranos which his elves have an affinity for.Goddess of Life: Archos
Creator of Ouranos and the four governing races. Believed to have also created the Orcs, but they chose a nomadic lifestyle over her intention for them, but they still claim her as their deity. Some believe the wilds reclaimed the world so quickly because she was angered by the Last Day and no longer wishes for the races to thrive as they once did, no undeserving of her creation.Goddess of Death: Name forgotten
Since the earliest writings of the races, she was not a deity to be feared, but celebrated as a gentle usher into the next life. Some, but not all, believe she grew wrathful for some reason and brought about the Last Day as punishment, which suddenly stopped when she was sated by the near total destruction of civilization. Now taboo to speak her name, even among those who don't believe her responsible and because of this her name has been forgotten.