A world of sword and sorcery, Cambria is home to a few continents, each with its empires and kingdoms vying for supremacy. Before the time that would come to be known as the Dawn of Ashes, Cambria had entered a period of calm across the world. Benevolent kings and emperors sought to raise their people well and treated all fairly. Dissent evaporated as even the most destitute farmer could live without fear of famine or war.
Aesa
In the Kingdom of Aesa, rulers from the Pendragon family had steadily governed with a benevolent hand and restrained sword. Both nobles and commoners prospered as Aesa entered a golden age, free from strife. Apart from the usual brigands and rogues, no wars had been waged nor fields razed for a few generations. However, certain nobles began scheming and their eyes hungered for a higher station than the one they enjoyed in these times of peace. As if taken by a wave of madness, factions arose, nobles gathered their armies, and Aesa was plunged into chaos and conflict. Like a plague, neighboring kingdoms and empires similarly struggled against this wave of madness. Before long, all of Cambria would be hurled into a grim dawn, with Aesa at the heart of it all.Avalon
Among known leylines of Cambria, two exist within the continent on which Aesa lies. The founders of Avalon felt mana from one of these leylines at the bottom of a valley and constructed their sanctuary there. Many creatures of water and exotic plants made this sanctuary their home and grew bountifully while enriched by the leyline of water beneath them. Now, Avalon is overseen and protected by an enchantress who can channel the leyline’s magic and impart blessings on those deserving. Rumor has it that Avalon’s waters have the power to cure all and that the sanctuary holds a powerful weapon.
Camelot
The capital of the Aesan Kingdom, Camelot and its magnificent castle are advantaged by a dense blanket of wind magic, making conquests from adversarial nations nearly impossible. For centuries, Camelot and its mages have harnessed the power from the leyline of wind upon which the castle sits and are now proficient at enchanting armaments and accessories for its soldiers and people alike. As long as Camelot stands, Aesa will never fall.Varuck
Off the coasts of Aesa, venturing farther into the Great Ocean, there lies a continent of treacherous terrain and deadly volcanic mountains. Even the most prepared explorers and adventurers would have their mettle tested. Beneath the centermost mountain of Varuck lies an outcropping of the leyline of fire whose mana constantly fuels the bubbling molten rock. Many have tried to utilize this abundant energy without success, leaving only massive ruins as evidence of their failures. However, some say a group of sorcerers is now attempting to summon an otherworldly demon at Varuck’s spire.
Factions
House Pendragon
From a long line of warriors, the Pendragons have been said to have hearts of fire and pride enough to match the fabled great lion Vertus. In some centuries before the Dawn of Ashes, the Pendragons were able to ascend to nobility after honorable service and loyalty under Aesa’s rulers. Winning the hearts and minds of the Aesan people, the Pendragons quickly rose in both political power and military might. Backed by the Pendragon’s might, the then-ruling royal family became tyrannical. It was a matter of time before the Pendragons raised their blades against that tyranny. Supported by both the wary nobility and commoners, they summarily became the de-facto head of the Aesan kingdom. King Uther proudly sits upon the throne as the current family head though his succession is uncertain, his most talented and brightest son holding a degree of apathy towards his royal duties.
Corhazi
The Corhazi were originally one of the prestigious noble families in Aesa and worked closely with the royal family to ensure the security and prosperity of the kingdom. Tasked with clandestine operations and keeping track of all subversive plots, the Corhazi were adept at maintaining order in the shadows. Over time, those trained and contracted by the family became lone agents before subsequently reorganizing as a secret group of elites. Eventually, the Corhazi family fell into ruin and only its name survived within that organization. Now, they are but an urban legend, survived by seemingly disorganized groups of thieves and assassins.Corrupted Nobles
Many members of the Aesan aristocracy only prioritized self-preservation and wealth, since even the start of the Aesan Kingdom. In the period of widespread peace and prosperity, the nobles had no ill motivations or cause to push for higher stature, each family able to live as comfortably and as freely as they liked. However, as if out of nowhere, noble families began expressing discontent with their perceived stagnation of wealth and peerage. Steadily, they consolidated their funds into war chests and began withdrawing from mutually beneficial endeavors altogether. Struck by constant deceit and distrust of one another, they became increasingly dependent on a sole advisor and powerful magus in hopes of coming out ahead.Creatures
Cambria is a rather large world with varieties of creatures and plants across its many biomes. Aesa, itself, is home to animals parallel to those of other realms, such as squirrels, rabbits, and wolves, but due to the effects of such potent domains under the leylines, stronger and more potent species have emerged. There are sometimes hordes of boars that stampede across forests, ravaging all life that lives within them, much more akin to a natural disaster than that of a typical beast's activity. Of course, there are recordings of mythical beasts in Aesa’s history, though many largely believe them to now be works of fiction or fanciful stories, such as the tales of an earthen phoenix that may never die or of a colossal lion whose roar renders its enemies fearful and meek. The waters far beyond Aesa itself are largely uncharted. Those that set out to rectify this have often left only skeletal ships and mangled remains, though it is uncertain what may be the cause.
Dawn of Ashes
In Cambria’s time of peace, an unknown mage quickly gained the trust of nobles and knights with her keen mind and apparent political acumen. Over a few years following her guidance, these nobles’ greed stirred once more in the face of promises for greater power and riches and began forming factions against House Pendragon who - from the nobles’ point of view - dared prioritize the wellbeing of serfs and servants over the deserving aristocracy. The continent plunged into chaos as conflicts broke out and battlefields constantly began to rage with cries of soldiers. Neighboring kingdoms, empires, and continents were, in time, also struck by this wave of madness. Cambria would be hurled into a grim new dawn with fetid air and ashen skies, waiting to be saved.