Post by wildknight on Oct 28, 2009 6:09:13 GMT -5
The World of Trithune
Tedd Haas, 2009
SETTING BASICS
What is Trithune? Trithune is a new D&D setting designed specifically for the 4E rules. The purpose is to try to incorporate as many of the printed character options as possible (albeit, often with different story and flavor), excepting information specific to particular settings (specifically, any information a book bearing a setting title, such as Forgotten Realms or Eberron).
What is the essence of the world of Trithune? Trithune is a relatively new world, having been formed only slightly more than a millennium ago. As such, new ideas are constantly emerging from the shadows of the world. It is a setting of discovery, as well as one of fear and darkness.
HISTORY
An abridged history of the World of Trithune
Before Firstbreath (No Date)
In the realm known as Eternity, two great forces clashed endlessly for control of all that was and all that was not and all that was yet to be. These were the Kael, which we now know as the gods, and their eternal enemy, the dark forces of nature and chaos that scholars call the Primordials.
As the two powers bent their will toward destroying one another all of reality suffered silently until, like the spark from the forge that catches the tinder pile and blazes to life, a small piece of the vastness was broken off, taking on an essence of its own. In the light shed by that cast-off spark grew a seed that soon became a hardy plant, growing in the rough soil of the ether. From that seed sprang forth our world, which we call Trithune (which means, in the tongue of dragons, “from chaos, purpose.”).
The Age of Firstbreath (0 – 60)
Plants and animals abounded from the start upon this new world, but the greatest of these were great lizards that stalked upon four legs, and some took to the skies upon wings, spreading terror wherever they went. These great predators were fierce indeed, but they lacked the spark of intellect. The first beings to truly show wisdom were the spawn of their greatness, and they are today known as The Dragonborn. None can say from whence the first Dragonborn came, but it was they that created the first kingdom...
The First Age of the Empire of Krayeth (60 – 160)
While the first Dragonborn were surely nothing more than wandering bands of savages, in the year 60 two Dragonborn, known to history as Draecius and Emarada, each leaders of their own tribes, met in battle. Each was impressed by the ferocity and cunning of the other, and soon they were wed. Their descendants would be the first royal line of the Empire of Krayeth. The two monarchs ruled together on the very spot of their first meeting, the city of Nayreth, for 20 years before abdicating their thrones to two of their children, a son and a daughter, establishing a tradition of co-rule that would last for many decades, until...
The First Civil War (160 – 177)
In the year 160, the 100th year of The Empire, a new Emperor and Empress were crowned. They were Thrace the Wanderer, and Jelka the Conquerer. Jelka, upon attaining her throne, immediately launched wars of conquest against neighbors that had only recently revealed themselves; the elves, men, and dwarves. Jelka sought to wipe these foundling races from the world before they could threaten the Empire, and for a time, Thrace was content to let her do as she pleased while he journeyed the world's height and breadth. In time, however, Thrace developed a sense of compassion and companionship for these new peoples, and pleaded with Jelka to cease her war. Jelka would not be dissuaded, and soon the two rulers were at war with one another in a battle that split the empire for nearly two decades.
Eventually, both sides cried out for peace, but terms could not be reached that satisfied either. Into this dire situation came Cullen Redhawk, the first halfling to make himself known. Cullen mediated the dispute, bringing peace back to the Empire. Though Cullen refused it, a position was created in his honor and a third throne added to the Imperial Seat. From that day forward, there would be three rulers of the Empire of Krayeth, with policy being set by a majority decision, and with any dissenter honor-bound to abide by the decision of the other two.
As to precisely how the disposition of the “lesser” races was decided, there are many theories, and likely none are completely true. It is fact, however, that within a few short decades of the end of the civil war, the Empire of Krayeth held humans, elves, and dwarves as slaves or, at best, vassals with few rights. In honor of Cullen Redhawk, halflings were allowed to travel freely through all Imperial Lands, though they did not hold the rights of Imperial Citizens.
The Expansion (ca. 180 – 300)
The Empire continued to expand outward, clashing with the beings that dwelt in the new lands they found. Aside from the common “monstrous” races (goblinoids, orcs, and so on) the Goliaths and Shifters were both fierce protectors of their own lands, and for the first time, the Empire found it easier to deal diplomatically with these “uncivilized” folk than to conquer them. Both races were allowed to live under their own banners, so long as they paid tribute (including sending some of their own warriors to serve in the Imperial Army). Eventually, the Empire stretched to the great frozen forests of the south, to the Midnight Mountains in the north, and to a new ocean in the East. This new Ocean they dubbed The Calm, for unlike their native ocean on the western shores, which was always stormy and tempestuous (and far too dangerous to travel), The Calm was placid and inviting, and new avenue for exploration had been found...
The Dread Awakens (ca. 327)
Historians argue (as they are apt to do) about the exact year in which the first Imperial ships landed upon The Forbidden Isle. It is known that for decades, the Empire had sailed amongst the islands of The Calm, bringing great wealth back to the Empire, and encountering other cultures, which they either traded with or conquered, as seemed best at the time. But one island, known alternately as Vediccan (“the place of fear”) or simply “The Forbidden Isle” was known to sailors, but left off of every map and never mentioned in public. This island was unlike any other; no ship which approached it had ever returned, and it was wreathed in eternal darkness. Great rumors sprang up about the place, and eventually these reached the ears of Emperor Chratan the Sea-Fairer, and he set out with a hand-picked crew upon the greatest vessel the Empire had ever built, The Breath of Sun, to explore this island. Though the Emperor never returned, one sailor did. He was found on an island near The Forbidden Isle, babbling insanely. He was returned to Imperial Lands, where he was held for several months before he killed himself in captivity by breaking out his own teeth and using them to tear his own throat out. Every word he said was recorded, for hope of learning what had become of the Emperor, and thus were the first whispers of The Dread spread, first amongst those that guarded the sailor, and then into the general populace.
The Second Civil War (403 – 529)
For nearly 50 years, the Empire had ceased expansion and had, in fact, begun to retreat somewhat into itself, reducing its borders and leaving the lands of the Goliath and Shifter once more free, though they were theoretically vassal-states to the Empire. The weight of sustaining their expansion and their great armies and navies had begun to bend the Empire. The ruling Council (Empresses Verrian and Thesicca, and Emperor Drovaine) agreed unanimously to do all they could to rebuild the Imperial treasury. General Andreccus Tydran saw this as an affront to the Empire's great military history, and after many months of following orders he disdained, he finally turned his sword on the Imperial Council, killing all three and declaring himself Imperator. However, his treachery would not be allowed to stand. Although he held the capitol, many loyal to the Imperial Lines held power in other territories, and the Imperator (and the two who held that title after him) found himself constantly at war with the Empire he'd hoped to rule. Finally, in 529, the third Imperator saw that he would never cement rulership, and prepared to surrender to the nobles... but first he signed a royal decree, giving freedom and citizenship to all slaves of the Empire. He was no friend to slaves, but he hoped that this last gesture would weaken those who had cost him his throne. With his official surrender, and the assumption of the thrones by three new Imperial Rulers, the civil war officially ended, but the status quo of the empire had been broken forever.
The Last Slave (530)
Though the Imperial Council quickly moved to rescind the order freeing all slaves, it was impossible to force those who had been given citizenship to return to the life of slavery. In the outlying lands (those held by the nobles rather than the Imperator), the slaves had never been freed despite the decree, but word of their new standing spread like wildfire, and slave revolts were common. Their arose a dwarf who called himself only “The Last Slave.” Beneath his banner, all slaves of the empire rose up, refusing to do any labor at all. Though many slaves were executed, their solidarity eventually forced even the most die-hard of nobles to accept that the era of the slave was over. Dwarves of The Last Slaves Clan (Kannrach) spread throughout the Empire, organizing labor into “guilds” and that guild system remains in place (and is still dominated primarily by dwarves) to this day.
The Renaissance (550 – 700)
With the races of elf, dwarf, and human newly freed, the Empire of Krayeth actually enjoyed a short period of economic and social upswing, as each race quickly displayed its worth as Imperial Citizens. Elves were quick studies of arcane magic, and within a few short decades, rapidly advanced the Empire's understanding of magic. Dwarves, meanwhile, proved excellent craftsman and engineers. The architecture and social engineering of the Empire improved rapidly, and dwarven planners made vast improvements on the aqueduct system. Humans, for their part, proved highly adaptable, and seemed suited to almost any sort of task. Half-elves and gnomes (a crossbreed of elf and dwarf) became increasingly common in this time, until they were considered separate races in their own right.
The War of Dread (700 – 800)
At first, few thought anything of the first movements of The Dread. Contact was lost with outlying lands on the eastern coast. Soon, though, entire Imperial fleets were disappearing, and more often than not, storm clouds gathered ominously over The Calm, as far as the eye could see. These reports were initially dismissed by the Imperial Council, and that would prove a fatal mistake. Within two decades, The Dread had spread its shadowy wings over almost all of the Eastern Provinces. By the time the Empire sent significant forces to investigate, The Dread already had full control over all the peoples of the coastal lands, and the isles. The war began in earnest when the Imperial stronghold at Skardain fell to hordes of humanoids, backed by demons and devils. Throughout the war, the Empire consistently lost most battles, suffering heavy losses, but the forces of The Dread were content to move and strike slowly. The advance of the Dread, however, seemed inevitable, until...
The Hatching (801)
Under the direction of elven magicians, Imperial arcanists had been working for half a century on a new weapon for the war. By magically altering the large, flying reptilian predators that had once roamed the land freely, they granted them vast magical powers and, perhaps more importantly, great intelligence. These beings, “dragons”, turned the tide against The Dread for the first time.
The Dread Revealed (817)
After a decade and a half of losing battles to the Imperial Forces (backed by dragons), The Dread revealed a secret weapon of its own; beings not entirely of flesh. These half-fiendish creatures were called Tieflings, and they were a cross-breed between man and devil. They brought a new power to the battlefield, as well. These “warlocks” appeared at first only in small numbers, but eventually there were many. The Dread had finally shown its true nature; it was an infernal thing, a living conduit straight to the chaos from which such dark things are spawned.
The Final Struggle (840 – 902)
Though the battles balanced between the two warring factions for a time, eventually the unpredictable nature of dragons (particularly those of the chromatic breeds), and the arcane might of The Dread's warlocks returned the momentum to the side of darkness. This time, The Dread did not hold back. It swept across the lands, devouring everything in its wake until, in the winter of 902, The armies of The Dread laid siege to mighty Nayreth itself, the heart of the Empire. But the Imperial Council had prepared for this eventuality. In a mass working of magic that took the lives of the majority of the Dragonborn race, the Dread and all of its fully infernal allies were banished back to the dark realm from whence they had come. The Empire of Krayeth had breathed its last, but in so doing, it had destroyed the threat of The Dread.
The Dark Time (902 – Present)
The Empire was in tatters and rather than working to rebuild, those few Dragonborn nobles who remained fell to warring amongst themselves, or entered into hate-fueled crusades to destroy every last Tiefling. The Empire crumbled and faded, and soon was no more. Those who had once been loyal vassals set out upon their own paths, and all that the Empire had built and stood for fell into ruination. Yet, the last great working of Krayeth changed the world as much as its existence had, for the power they spent caught the attention of the Kael, and brought divine power to Trithune at long last. Of course, there are those who argue whether this will prove to be a good thing, or just more evil...
Thus has it stood for nearly a century.
Of Deities and Divinity
The race of celestial beings know as The Kael have been paying attention to Trithune for less than a century, and have only been providing divine power to their followers for half that time. Thus, their exact nature and contributions are not well understood. What is known is that the Kael did not create Trithune; at least not intentionally. As best as any scholar can tell, Trithune is an accidental bi-product of the Kael's war with the Primordials and, in fact, The Kael weren't even aware that the world existed until the sacrifice of the Dragonborn created a sort of “beacon” for them.
Despite not being omnipotent or omniscient, The Kael are infinitely more powerful than mortal beings. Even their aspects (splinter beings representing a portion of their divine power) are a challenge for the most powerful living mortals. The Kael seem to be aware of (possibly in contact with) beings which they, themselves, consider to be “gods.” Regardless, The Kael have have become the deities of Trithune, the source of all divine power. The Kael are seemingly much fewer in number than mortals, but are equally fractious.
Gods
Varrat
Primarily worshiped by those in positions of power, Varrat should not be mistaken for a “king” of The Kael, for they have no rulers amongst themselves. Instead, Varrat is a being who embodies widely varying (and often conflicting) ideas and ideals for how a society should be governed. His followers, therefore, are everything from compassionate councilmen to maniacal tyrants, and everything in-between. Varrat himself passes no judgments regarding such things, though his priests and followers have no such qualms, and are known to fight even amongst themselves in support of their chosen ideals. Varrat instructs his followers to
Obey the laws of the land in which they dwell, or seek to change them through legal methods
Consider violence an absolute last resort in seeking changes to a political system
Lead if leadership is your talent, follow if it is not. Most of all, know the difference.
Aldea
Aldea is a warrior, and most of her followers are warriors as well. Aldea teaches that warriors should always serve a purpose, and as such has as many Paladins and Warlords in her service as Fighters. Clerics of Aldea are known to be amongst the most militant of priests. In addition to seeking excellence in battle, Aldea's adherents often seek positions within military and militia organizations, and most town guards have at least one priest of Aldea in their number. Aldea teaches her followers to
Always seek to be the best in physical combat, and particularly in melee, to bring glory to themselves and to Aldea
Mourn the death of a worthy opponent, but never hesitate to kill in battle.
Respect the brotherhood of warriors
Peldrak
A vintner and brewer amongst The Kael, Peldrak seems to be valued for what he produces, but not as much so for his insights. Likewise, his mortal worshipers are typically known as fools and oftentimes, drunkards. Across Trithune, festivals of Peldrak include long nights soaked with wine and ale and frivolous games. But Peldrak's priests and true followers know that there is more to their god than parties and jokes. Peldrak collects secrets, and sells them through intermediaries, as do his few followers who are in the know. Peldrak teaches his true followers to
Encourage others to drink and be merry... for in their frivolity, do they reveal their secrets
Know the difference between appearing to be a fool, and actually being one
Secrets are power. Power is of far greater value than pride.
Tedd Haas, 2009
SETTING BASICS
What is Trithune? Trithune is a new D&D setting designed specifically for the 4E rules. The purpose is to try to incorporate as many of the printed character options as possible (albeit, often with different story and flavor), excepting information specific to particular settings (specifically, any information a book bearing a setting title, such as Forgotten Realms or Eberron).
What is the essence of the world of Trithune? Trithune is a relatively new world, having been formed only slightly more than a millennium ago. As such, new ideas are constantly emerging from the shadows of the world. It is a setting of discovery, as well as one of fear and darkness.
HISTORY
An abridged history of the World of Trithune
Before Firstbreath (No Date)
In the realm known as Eternity, two great forces clashed endlessly for control of all that was and all that was not and all that was yet to be. These were the Kael, which we now know as the gods, and their eternal enemy, the dark forces of nature and chaos that scholars call the Primordials.
As the two powers bent their will toward destroying one another all of reality suffered silently until, like the spark from the forge that catches the tinder pile and blazes to life, a small piece of the vastness was broken off, taking on an essence of its own. In the light shed by that cast-off spark grew a seed that soon became a hardy plant, growing in the rough soil of the ether. From that seed sprang forth our world, which we call Trithune (which means, in the tongue of dragons, “from chaos, purpose.”).
The Age of Firstbreath (0 – 60)
Plants and animals abounded from the start upon this new world, but the greatest of these were great lizards that stalked upon four legs, and some took to the skies upon wings, spreading terror wherever they went. These great predators were fierce indeed, but they lacked the spark of intellect. The first beings to truly show wisdom were the spawn of their greatness, and they are today known as The Dragonborn. None can say from whence the first Dragonborn came, but it was they that created the first kingdom...
The First Age of the Empire of Krayeth (60 – 160)
While the first Dragonborn were surely nothing more than wandering bands of savages, in the year 60 two Dragonborn, known to history as Draecius and Emarada, each leaders of their own tribes, met in battle. Each was impressed by the ferocity and cunning of the other, and soon they were wed. Their descendants would be the first royal line of the Empire of Krayeth. The two monarchs ruled together on the very spot of their first meeting, the city of Nayreth, for 20 years before abdicating their thrones to two of their children, a son and a daughter, establishing a tradition of co-rule that would last for many decades, until...
The First Civil War (160 – 177)
In the year 160, the 100th year of The Empire, a new Emperor and Empress were crowned. They were Thrace the Wanderer, and Jelka the Conquerer. Jelka, upon attaining her throne, immediately launched wars of conquest against neighbors that had only recently revealed themselves; the elves, men, and dwarves. Jelka sought to wipe these foundling races from the world before they could threaten the Empire, and for a time, Thrace was content to let her do as she pleased while he journeyed the world's height and breadth. In time, however, Thrace developed a sense of compassion and companionship for these new peoples, and pleaded with Jelka to cease her war. Jelka would not be dissuaded, and soon the two rulers were at war with one another in a battle that split the empire for nearly two decades.
Eventually, both sides cried out for peace, but terms could not be reached that satisfied either. Into this dire situation came Cullen Redhawk, the first halfling to make himself known. Cullen mediated the dispute, bringing peace back to the Empire. Though Cullen refused it, a position was created in his honor and a third throne added to the Imperial Seat. From that day forward, there would be three rulers of the Empire of Krayeth, with policy being set by a majority decision, and with any dissenter honor-bound to abide by the decision of the other two.
As to precisely how the disposition of the “lesser” races was decided, there are many theories, and likely none are completely true. It is fact, however, that within a few short decades of the end of the civil war, the Empire of Krayeth held humans, elves, and dwarves as slaves or, at best, vassals with few rights. In honor of Cullen Redhawk, halflings were allowed to travel freely through all Imperial Lands, though they did not hold the rights of Imperial Citizens.
The Expansion (ca. 180 – 300)
The Empire continued to expand outward, clashing with the beings that dwelt in the new lands they found. Aside from the common “monstrous” races (goblinoids, orcs, and so on) the Goliaths and Shifters were both fierce protectors of their own lands, and for the first time, the Empire found it easier to deal diplomatically with these “uncivilized” folk than to conquer them. Both races were allowed to live under their own banners, so long as they paid tribute (including sending some of their own warriors to serve in the Imperial Army). Eventually, the Empire stretched to the great frozen forests of the south, to the Midnight Mountains in the north, and to a new ocean in the East. This new Ocean they dubbed The Calm, for unlike their native ocean on the western shores, which was always stormy and tempestuous (and far too dangerous to travel), The Calm was placid and inviting, and new avenue for exploration had been found...
The Dread Awakens (ca. 327)
Historians argue (as they are apt to do) about the exact year in which the first Imperial ships landed upon The Forbidden Isle. It is known that for decades, the Empire had sailed amongst the islands of The Calm, bringing great wealth back to the Empire, and encountering other cultures, which they either traded with or conquered, as seemed best at the time. But one island, known alternately as Vediccan (“the place of fear”) or simply “The Forbidden Isle” was known to sailors, but left off of every map and never mentioned in public. This island was unlike any other; no ship which approached it had ever returned, and it was wreathed in eternal darkness. Great rumors sprang up about the place, and eventually these reached the ears of Emperor Chratan the Sea-Fairer, and he set out with a hand-picked crew upon the greatest vessel the Empire had ever built, The Breath of Sun, to explore this island. Though the Emperor never returned, one sailor did. He was found on an island near The Forbidden Isle, babbling insanely. He was returned to Imperial Lands, where he was held for several months before he killed himself in captivity by breaking out his own teeth and using them to tear his own throat out. Every word he said was recorded, for hope of learning what had become of the Emperor, and thus were the first whispers of The Dread spread, first amongst those that guarded the sailor, and then into the general populace.
The Second Civil War (403 – 529)
For nearly 50 years, the Empire had ceased expansion and had, in fact, begun to retreat somewhat into itself, reducing its borders and leaving the lands of the Goliath and Shifter once more free, though they were theoretically vassal-states to the Empire. The weight of sustaining their expansion and their great armies and navies had begun to bend the Empire. The ruling Council (Empresses Verrian and Thesicca, and Emperor Drovaine) agreed unanimously to do all they could to rebuild the Imperial treasury. General Andreccus Tydran saw this as an affront to the Empire's great military history, and after many months of following orders he disdained, he finally turned his sword on the Imperial Council, killing all three and declaring himself Imperator. However, his treachery would not be allowed to stand. Although he held the capitol, many loyal to the Imperial Lines held power in other territories, and the Imperator (and the two who held that title after him) found himself constantly at war with the Empire he'd hoped to rule. Finally, in 529, the third Imperator saw that he would never cement rulership, and prepared to surrender to the nobles... but first he signed a royal decree, giving freedom and citizenship to all slaves of the Empire. He was no friend to slaves, but he hoped that this last gesture would weaken those who had cost him his throne. With his official surrender, and the assumption of the thrones by three new Imperial Rulers, the civil war officially ended, but the status quo of the empire had been broken forever.
The Last Slave (530)
Though the Imperial Council quickly moved to rescind the order freeing all slaves, it was impossible to force those who had been given citizenship to return to the life of slavery. In the outlying lands (those held by the nobles rather than the Imperator), the slaves had never been freed despite the decree, but word of their new standing spread like wildfire, and slave revolts were common. Their arose a dwarf who called himself only “The Last Slave.” Beneath his banner, all slaves of the empire rose up, refusing to do any labor at all. Though many slaves were executed, their solidarity eventually forced even the most die-hard of nobles to accept that the era of the slave was over. Dwarves of The Last Slaves Clan (Kannrach) spread throughout the Empire, organizing labor into “guilds” and that guild system remains in place (and is still dominated primarily by dwarves) to this day.
The Renaissance (550 – 700)
With the races of elf, dwarf, and human newly freed, the Empire of Krayeth actually enjoyed a short period of economic and social upswing, as each race quickly displayed its worth as Imperial Citizens. Elves were quick studies of arcane magic, and within a few short decades, rapidly advanced the Empire's understanding of magic. Dwarves, meanwhile, proved excellent craftsman and engineers. The architecture and social engineering of the Empire improved rapidly, and dwarven planners made vast improvements on the aqueduct system. Humans, for their part, proved highly adaptable, and seemed suited to almost any sort of task. Half-elves and gnomes (a crossbreed of elf and dwarf) became increasingly common in this time, until they were considered separate races in their own right.
The War of Dread (700 – 800)
At first, few thought anything of the first movements of The Dread. Contact was lost with outlying lands on the eastern coast. Soon, though, entire Imperial fleets were disappearing, and more often than not, storm clouds gathered ominously over The Calm, as far as the eye could see. These reports were initially dismissed by the Imperial Council, and that would prove a fatal mistake. Within two decades, The Dread had spread its shadowy wings over almost all of the Eastern Provinces. By the time the Empire sent significant forces to investigate, The Dread already had full control over all the peoples of the coastal lands, and the isles. The war began in earnest when the Imperial stronghold at Skardain fell to hordes of humanoids, backed by demons and devils. Throughout the war, the Empire consistently lost most battles, suffering heavy losses, but the forces of The Dread were content to move and strike slowly. The advance of the Dread, however, seemed inevitable, until...
The Hatching (801)
Under the direction of elven magicians, Imperial arcanists had been working for half a century on a new weapon for the war. By magically altering the large, flying reptilian predators that had once roamed the land freely, they granted them vast magical powers and, perhaps more importantly, great intelligence. These beings, “dragons”, turned the tide against The Dread for the first time.
The Dread Revealed (817)
After a decade and a half of losing battles to the Imperial Forces (backed by dragons), The Dread revealed a secret weapon of its own; beings not entirely of flesh. These half-fiendish creatures were called Tieflings, and they were a cross-breed between man and devil. They brought a new power to the battlefield, as well. These “warlocks” appeared at first only in small numbers, but eventually there were many. The Dread had finally shown its true nature; it was an infernal thing, a living conduit straight to the chaos from which such dark things are spawned.
The Final Struggle (840 – 902)
Though the battles balanced between the two warring factions for a time, eventually the unpredictable nature of dragons (particularly those of the chromatic breeds), and the arcane might of The Dread's warlocks returned the momentum to the side of darkness. This time, The Dread did not hold back. It swept across the lands, devouring everything in its wake until, in the winter of 902, The armies of The Dread laid siege to mighty Nayreth itself, the heart of the Empire. But the Imperial Council had prepared for this eventuality. In a mass working of magic that took the lives of the majority of the Dragonborn race, the Dread and all of its fully infernal allies were banished back to the dark realm from whence they had come. The Empire of Krayeth had breathed its last, but in so doing, it had destroyed the threat of The Dread.
The Dark Time (902 – Present)
The Empire was in tatters and rather than working to rebuild, those few Dragonborn nobles who remained fell to warring amongst themselves, or entered into hate-fueled crusades to destroy every last Tiefling. The Empire crumbled and faded, and soon was no more. Those who had once been loyal vassals set out upon their own paths, and all that the Empire had built and stood for fell into ruination. Yet, the last great working of Krayeth changed the world as much as its existence had, for the power they spent caught the attention of the Kael, and brought divine power to Trithune at long last. Of course, there are those who argue whether this will prove to be a good thing, or just more evil...
Thus has it stood for nearly a century.
Of Deities and Divinity
The race of celestial beings know as The Kael have been paying attention to Trithune for less than a century, and have only been providing divine power to their followers for half that time. Thus, their exact nature and contributions are not well understood. What is known is that the Kael did not create Trithune; at least not intentionally. As best as any scholar can tell, Trithune is an accidental bi-product of the Kael's war with the Primordials and, in fact, The Kael weren't even aware that the world existed until the sacrifice of the Dragonborn created a sort of “beacon” for them.
Despite not being omnipotent or omniscient, The Kael are infinitely more powerful than mortal beings. Even their aspects (splinter beings representing a portion of their divine power) are a challenge for the most powerful living mortals. The Kael seem to be aware of (possibly in contact with) beings which they, themselves, consider to be “gods.” Regardless, The Kael have have become the deities of Trithune, the source of all divine power. The Kael are seemingly much fewer in number than mortals, but are equally fractious.
Gods
Varrat
Primarily worshiped by those in positions of power, Varrat should not be mistaken for a “king” of The Kael, for they have no rulers amongst themselves. Instead, Varrat is a being who embodies widely varying (and often conflicting) ideas and ideals for how a society should be governed. His followers, therefore, are everything from compassionate councilmen to maniacal tyrants, and everything in-between. Varrat himself passes no judgments regarding such things, though his priests and followers have no such qualms, and are known to fight even amongst themselves in support of their chosen ideals. Varrat instructs his followers to
Obey the laws of the land in which they dwell, or seek to change them through legal methods
Consider violence an absolute last resort in seeking changes to a political system
Lead if leadership is your talent, follow if it is not. Most of all, know the difference.
Aldea
Aldea is a warrior, and most of her followers are warriors as well. Aldea teaches that warriors should always serve a purpose, and as such has as many Paladins and Warlords in her service as Fighters. Clerics of Aldea are known to be amongst the most militant of priests. In addition to seeking excellence in battle, Aldea's adherents often seek positions within military and militia organizations, and most town guards have at least one priest of Aldea in their number. Aldea teaches her followers to
Always seek to be the best in physical combat, and particularly in melee, to bring glory to themselves and to Aldea
Mourn the death of a worthy opponent, but never hesitate to kill in battle.
Respect the brotherhood of warriors
Peldrak
A vintner and brewer amongst The Kael, Peldrak seems to be valued for what he produces, but not as much so for his insights. Likewise, his mortal worshipers are typically known as fools and oftentimes, drunkards. Across Trithune, festivals of Peldrak include long nights soaked with wine and ale and frivolous games. But Peldrak's priests and true followers know that there is more to their god than parties and jokes. Peldrak collects secrets, and sells them through intermediaries, as do his few followers who are in the know. Peldrak teaches his true followers to
Encourage others to drink and be merry... for in their frivolity, do they reveal their secrets
Know the difference between appearing to be a fool, and actually being one
Secrets are power. Power is of far greater value than pride.