Solvaris

Name: Solvaris — a once-prosperous realm now tightly controlled by the ruling House Ignellion. Culture & Themes Magic: Once shared freely among people, now hoarded and controlled by Ignellion institutions. The Runeforge Academy indoctrinates promising young mages, binding them to the state. Economy: Wealth and resources flow toward the capital, leaving rural towns struggling. Ideology: Rebellions rise among common folk who see the lies of the “Eternal Sovereignty,” but they are crushed by elite soldiers and loyalist mages. Underlying Story: An allegory for imperialism and capitalism — power concentrated in few hands, with culture and truth rewritten to uphold tyranny.

Shape & Geography: A large, Germany-shaped country with a southern “tail.” North (Greenvale): Fertile farmlands and vast forests. Home to common folk in the plains and reclusive tribes of elves in the woods, who remember truths older than the Ignellion myths. West (Thornreach): Harsh, mountainous terrain rich in dwarven mines. Anchored by Lake Stonewater, a vital trade and fishing hub. South (Vel’Sereth): Begins with marshes and swamps in the southwest, shifting into cracked earth and desert. Between the wastes and the fertile crownlands sits Duskwatch, a frontier city. The Heartlands (formerly Crownlands): Central Solvaris, the seat of Ignellion power. Contains the capital and the most controlled, developed regions. The Capital Name: Caldera — built on the side of a massive, blown-out volcano that opens to the ocean in the east (like Kauaʻi’s caldera). Layout: The Keep: Royal fortress built into the volcano’s slope. Sigilrow: The arcane quarter at the city’s heart. Home of The Runeforge, an immense academy-tower nearly level with the Keep, dominating the skyline. Streets are packed with magical shops, scroll markets, and enchanted workshops. Harbor: The open crater forms a natural port to the sea, driving trade and naval power.

The ruling class are Human but the country is a mix of different races, much like you'd find in the forgotten realms. the dwarves live in the west, the elves live in the north and have pretty much withdrawn from society apart from a few. Orcs and Goblins live in the hills to the south-west and are typically evil aligned - raiding the rest of the continent.

Government Royal Family: House Ignellion — mythologized as dragon-slayers who used its hoard to unify Solvaris. In truth, their origins are darker, tied to power-hoarding and manipulation. System: A council monarchy. Each region (Greenvale, Thornreach, Vel’Sereth, and the Heartlands) elects or appoints two council members, but Ignellion power overshadows all. The council is a façade of democracy; true control lies with the crown. Current Rule: The King has recently died. The Queen now reigns, consolidating her hold on power amid a fragile political climate.

Religion The Imperial Faith: The Eternal Flame — state religion venerating fire, light, and eternal rule. Propaganda-laced and tied tightly to House Ignellion’s legitimacy. Sacred Keepers (“Keepers”): The royal religious guard, fanatical paladins of the Flame. Their leader bears the title High Warden (name TBD). Older Faiths: Elves (Greenvale): Worship the Worldroot, an ancient deity of growth, memory, and deep time. Vel’Sereth Tribes: Venerate the Tides — not a god but the vague, inevitable pull of cycles, change, and decay. No symbols, no icons, only the truth of ebb and flow. Dwarves (Thornreach): Revere earth, stone, and ancestral forges; not fully fleshed out yet.

# 📜 **Timeline of Solvaris** ### [[Mythic Age]] (uncounted years ago)** - The world is raw and untamed. Gods, spirits, and primal forces shape land and sea. - Elves say the **[[Worldroot]]** took root, birthing the first forests and their people. - [[Vel’Sereth]] legends whisper of endless tides, washing civilizations away before memory. - Dwarves & Gnomes claim their ancestors awoke in the western mountains, called forth from stone. - Humanity is scattered, tribal, insignificant. --- ### [[The Age of Fire]] (~1,000 years ago)** - The dragon [[Cyrathis the Ancient Wyrm]] claims the eastern caldera as its lair. It terrorizes human settlements but also enforces balance — no empire rises under its shadow. - Elves and dwarves tell tales of uneasy truces with the wyrm. - Human stories frame this as an age of suffering, ripe for a savior. --- ### [[The Rise of House Ignellion]] (~450 years ago) - _[[Aurelian Ignellion]]_, a human warlord, “slays” the dragon and takes its hoard. - **Myth:** He is hailed as a chosen hero, who unites Solvaris under his noble flame. - **Truth (secret):** The wyrm’s death may have been treachery, a ritual, or theft from another’s victory. Some whisper its spirit still lingers beneath Caldera. - [[Caldera]] is built atop the caldera-lair, becoming the jewel of the new realm. --- ### [[The First Sovereigns]] (~350–250 years ago)** - [[House Ignellion]] cements its rule, styling itself protectors of the [[Undying Flame]] - The **[[Eternal Sovereignty]]** is declared, with the Ignellions at its center. - [[The Sacred Keepers (or Keepers)]] are founded to enforce both faith and crown. --- ### [[The Great Consolidation]] (~200 years ago)** - Magic, once decentralized, is seized. Independent mage circles and dwarven forges are absorbed into Ignellion-controlled academies and guilds. - [[The Council of Solvaris]] is formed after widespread rebellion as a “democratic” body to appease regions, but Ignellion dominance is baked in. - The “scholarship” system begins - talented youths are taken into elite schools, reshaping regional elites into loyal servants of the Sovereignty. - Greenvale elves withdraw deeper into their forests, muttering that men meddle with roots they cannot see. - Vel’Sereth grows restless as swamps dry and deserts spread, neglected by Caldera. --- ### [[The Age of Stagnation]] (~100–20 years ago)** - Solvaris seems unshakable, but cracks form: - The mines of Thornreach begin to yield less. - Farmers in Greenvale grow resentful of dwindling magical aid. - Duskwatch whispers that the tide is turning. - Still, House Ignellion’s propaganda keeps most in line. --- ### **The Iron Flame’s Reign (~40 years ago – 1 year ago)** - **King Alaric Ignellion (“The Iron Flame”)** rules with an iron hand. - Military expansion strengthens borders, but dissent simmers at home. - Alaric centralizes power even further, crushing dissent in Thornreach and executing Greenvale rebels. - He dies suddenly — illness, poison, or worse. --- ### [[The Burning Crown’s Rule]] / [[the year of mourning]](Present Day) - [[Queen Seraphine Ignellion]] has ruled for one year. - She presents herself as radiant and benevolent but works ruthlessly behind the scenes. - the [[Undying Flame]] faith proclaims her the “Dawn after the Dusk.” - [[The Council of Solvaris]] is fractured, dissent is quiet but growing, and whispers of rebellion stir across Solvaris. - There is reports of large [[Orc]] armies forming in the mountains south of [[Thornreach]] - They have been raiding in all directions making travel unsafe in lots of parts of the continent. - The elves have all but disappeared, they stick to the woods and cities of [[Greenvale]] - the representatives that sit on the council are marely there to keep the peace & go along with what the Ignellions want in exchange for their people to be left alone.

standard gold, silver & copper

Towns & cities have their own law enforcement but the law is set by the Ignellions and the sacred keepers.