Cal Eryndor

Cal Eryndor
Founded in 1254 A.C.
By Right Reclaimed Capital: Ren Tolaris Demonym: Tolarian Geographic Location: On the north-westernmost mountainous island of Eldland, surrounded by several small archipelagos that shield the mainland. Dominant Race: Elves Cultures: Aevor, Murathi Religion: Saelorian Faith Currency: Guilder Official Language(s): Talmyrian (most dominant), Common Government: Colonial council, led by a Varhil Monarch: Rhaedon Lythar, Tirnor of Talmyria History: 1254 A.C. - Cal Eryndor was founded after the conquest of the island of Utenwacht, kickstarting the Reinari-Talmyrian war. 1261 A.C. - A large portion of the colony’s military population was lost after the devastating defeat at the Siege of Castle Rosberg, reigniting a leadership dispute over the colony.

Cal Eryndor is the entry point for Talmyria’s ambitions on Eldland. It is the first elven foothold on the continent since the exile and the newest colony to take form under the unified elven banner. Its people answer to their Tirnor, in a shared effort to hold the settlement firm against pressure from within and beyond its walls. Danger sits close at hand, yet the colony meets it with the same resolve that carried their kind across the seas. Tensions surface quickly in a place shaped by war, and they are settled through firm leadership, diplomacy, or open force when needed. Even so, Cal Eryndor holds ground where new claims can still take root. Its survival and all the strength it gathers will decide the shape of every future venture eastward.

The colony took shape after a campaign sent to suppress piracy along the coast. The expedition misidentified the isle of Utenwacht, a Reinari holding, as a raider base. Its capture triggered the conflict that followed and set the colony’s political standing from the first day. What remained of the settlement was cleared. In its place, the elves established a fortified harbour and the supply post that sustained the first years. The administrative quarter followed soon after and became the centre of Talmyrian authority on Eldland. Eight years of steady labour have shaped Cal Eryndor into a functional strongpoint. Its walls were strengthened. New docks extended the harbour’s reach. Storage halls, workshops, and military facilities filled the inner grounds as the population increased. The council quarter houses the nine-seat colonial council, which directs governance, trade, and defence. The colony maintains a permanent garrison, a fleet, and a civilian community made up of settlers, contracted labourers, and representatives of the sponsoring houses.

Life in Cal Eryndor is controlled and practical. Talmyria keeps the supply lines open so long as the colony continues to show clear value; however, trade with the mainland remains limited. Travel beyond the isle often needs an escort or, at the very least, caution. Even so, the settlement fulfils its purpose. Ships refit before the western crossing, and convoys gather in the harbour while scouts monitor the situation along the Reinari coast. Within Talmyria’s broader plans, Cal Eryndor stands as a trial. It is small and tightly managed, yet its position determines whether further influence into Eldland can take hold.

“Over one thousand years passed since our people were purged from these lands, slaughtered like cattle by turncoats who called us allies only moments before. Banished across the waves. Now the vermin thought they could use their slaves and vassals to disrupt our commerce in the land. But no longer, we will seed the soil of our ancestors once more, but now, we will remain.” - Zaahl Ahril, Aevor Maritime Guard stepping foot on Eldland’s soil, 1254 A.C.

Culture & Society

Cultural Blend

The colony of Cal Eryndor has, in its few years of existence, acquired quite a diverse population. Part of this stems from the simple reality of a small elven settlement taking root in a foreign land, drawing constant traffic from outside peoples visiting the young enclave. Another source of this diversity arises from necessity.

As the war with Reinar dragged on, the number of colonists dwindled, forcing the colony to rely increasingly on elves drawn from across their home realm and, in some cases, even taking on deserters from among the native peoples of Eldland who sought a new life among these strange newcomers, hoping to escape their harsh existence on the mainland. However, not all such arrivals were accepted. The elves remained keenly aware of the potential risk of admitting the enemy within their own walls. It is true that in war, there is little room for morality and kindness. Especially to outsiders. The primary cultural groups within the colony, therefore, remain elven. Predominantly, these are the Aevor of Talmyria, followed by a subset of Murathi who chose to voyage along, whether as explorers, conscripts, the banished, or ambitious elves seeking to establish a new under-realm in the untamed East. Few were aware of the scarred past buried in the tunnels beneath the world’s eastern spine. For whatever purpose it may be, they choose to sail.

Social Hierarchy

Organization of State

As with all the colonial possessions of Talmyria, the newly founded realm of Cal Eryndor, too, is ruled by the iron fist of a colonial council. Like most of these outposts, far from the homeland, there are no mere civil hubs or kingdoms of the great realm. Instead, they serve as important lifelines for vital trade and lucrative military campaigns to control the flow of naval traffic across the great oceans of Eseron. Cal Eryndor was founded on the back of a military campaign to put an end to the brutal age of piracy, declared by His Majesty the Tirnor. He personally authorized the return to these hostile lands he once called home. The elves of Atherin, who, like him, have their ancestry in the roots and bones of the land, petitioned him to allow for such a campaign.

Now that the land has been settled and tamed, a colonial council was elected from the largest patron houses of the expedition. A colonial council consists of nine seats, each of which holds a significant role in the colony’s day-to-day governance. The first seat is that of the Varhil, the lord and protector of the colony and acting governor. It is a post granted to one of the nine patrons in an election held by the council and is often granted to the largest house or patron of the expedition. The holder of the first seat is the head of the Colonial Council and is responsible for the safety and protection of the colonial citizens, making them the head of the local garrison. The second seat is responsible for the colony’s treasury. This seat concerns itself with tax and trade. The third and fourth seats are considered heads of diplomacy. They maintain relations with foreign powers and manage any contracts signed, ensuring that any relevant information is returned regarding diplomatic relationships back to Talmyria. The fifth seat is responsible for intelligence. This seat acts as a master of spies and whispers throughout the realm. The sixth and seventh seats are responsible for civil stewardship. They manage construction projects, housing, culture, supply levels, and, if need be, rations. The eighth seat is responsible for sea and trade. Managing the merchant fleets and ensuring that the correct goods ordered by stewards are imported while exporting any excess wealth back to Talmyria to pay their tribute. The ninth and last seat is responsible for the general administrative tasks of the council. They take notes on any meeting and ensure that any new laws passed fall within the bounds of the law. They hold a controlling role and are the last line of defence in preserving law and order in times of chaos.

The seats of the Colonial Council are not fixed to the members holding them. Once the founding patrons of the realm have been determined by the Tirnor, the houses holding that status barter among one another to divide the seats of the newly founded colonial council. This is a volatile and, at times, incredibly long process as every House involved leverages its status and wealth to negotiate as many seats for itself as possible. As the colony operates and the council is instated, a vote of no confidence with at least 5 out of 9 votes can depose someone from their seat. This forces the House to provide a new seat holder from their family, and if they cannot, give up their seat to another House. In cases of emergency, a Varhil can also be deposed in a vote of no confidence. This requires all seats other than those of the Varhil themselves to vote for deposition and forces the House of the Varhil to give up that seat to another House. Elections for a new Varhil can always be called for on a majority vote basis, and the title is granted by majority vote, all the same.

Noble Houses

The noble and merchant houses that occupy the colonial lands are limited to the patrons of the expedition. They form the ruling class and are tied to the nine seats of the Council. It is not unheard of that other families, or even royalty from Talmyria, visit the colony. Of course, their status is respected and recognized within the colonial realm. However, they are not counted among the ruling class of the colony itself and cannot hold any seats on the Council unless they become recognized patrons through their contributions to the colony.

Occupation of the Colonial Council Seats.
Seat One	Seat Two	Seat Three	Seat Four	Seat Five	Seat Six	Seat Seven	Seat Eight	Seat Nine
Varhil	Talmereth	Kai'ethdor	Kai'ondir	Tirdor	Ethnavor	Talhilmer	Selthmarin	Lekethdor
Verion Thayne	Sarion Vaelmir	- Thayne	- Thayne	Miraina Rhodia	- Vaelmir	- Thayne	- Vaelmir	- Thayne

Noteworthy Houses of the Colony of Cal Eryndor:

		Vaelmir	House Vaelmir is an old noble line from the Talmyrian Kingdom of Atherin, long tied to governance and maritime oversight. Once regarded as steady stewards of the empire’s eastern ambitions, their influence has thinned in recent generations. The House is led by Sarion Vaelmir.
		Rhodia	House Rhodia originates from the Talmyrian Kingdom of Atherin, a seasoned merchant house built on orchards, seafaring routes, and disciplined trade. Their wealth grew from steady work, supplying ships and western settlements. It is now led by Miraina Rhodia, seventh of her line.
		Thayne	House Thayne rose from the merchant courts of Salmiri. Their grand fortune was built on overseas ventures and an instinct for profitable contracts. They care little for eastern reclamation, only for the trade it generates. The House is currently led by Verion Thayne.

Religious Belief

The Saelorian Faith is a dual-aspected pantheon shared between two cultures, the Aevor and the Murathi, who perceive the same gods through different forms yet accept them as one unified whole. The religion centers on the belief that life follows a guided arc rather than a straight path, moving through the three inevitable stages of life: Formation, Shaping, and End. Each stage is governed by a paired set of deities. First are the Mothers of Nature, who grant unchecked life and becoming, then the Lords of Creation, who impose form, labor, and consequence, and finally the Mistresses of the Veil, who preside over death, judgment, and final understanding. Binding these stages is Aevathi, the sole central divinity, known as a patriarch or matriarch depending on tradition, who does not rule life itself but the passage between its phases. Though the two cultures name, depict, and emphasise the gods differently, they share a single cosmic structure across mirrored halves, distinct but inseparable. This unity is expressed in the faith's symbol: the crescent moon and seven stars. Three stars represent each culture respectively, while the central star stands for Aevathi, shared by both. Together, they signify the balanced arc of existence and the necessary union of light and dark beneath the heavens.

Military

Unlike most colonies of the Talmyrian realm, Cal Eryndor has been granted special military status. Being not only a simple trading outpost and naval base, but also the springboard of further colonial ambitions in the east. Ever since the war with the Kingdom of Reinar broke out in 1254 AC, the mainland has sent a continuous stream of troops, ships, and supplies to ensure that the lands, once part of the eastern elven lands, remain in Elven hands. An effort mostly funded by the patrons of the expedition from Atherin, who not only have a monetary interest in the land, but also a heavy cultural one. However, as the war dragged on for nearly a century now, the Tirnor demands results, threatening to demand an abandonment of the whole endeavour if victory is deemed impossible and becomes an infinite drain of resources much-needed elsewhere. A fate thus far avoided due to successes on the front and whispers from an unknown source, convincing His Majesty that victory is still within grasp, combined with the split of the kingdom of Reinar. It is only a matter of time until the lands are formally granted to the Talmyrian crown. After the disaster that was the Siege of Castle Rosenberg in 1261 AC, most of the elven military power had been severely weakened. Only now, after a change of leadership of the whole colony and a year of awaiting the slow trickle of troops and supplies from the homeland, is the military prowess of Cal Eryndor at a place where it can fight once more.

At the head of the armed forces of the colony stands the Thalorin, the guardian of order, who is a grizzled military veteran put in charge of the day-to-day operations of the troops. He is chosen to his position by the ruling Varhil, and only answers to him.

The Colonial Militia

At the front and center of the colonial army stands its local militia. These are any and all able-bodied volunteers and citizens of Cal Eryndor drafted into service in times of need. They form the backbone of the army in defensive operations and are used as both garrison, camp guards, artillery crews, and units holding the flanks of the professional forces. They consist mostly of simple archers, spear and swordsmen, and engineers manning the artillery. One of the signature artillery pieces used by the militia is a grand scorpion firing bolts attached to a thick metal chain. These machines are used in sieges and in smaller variants in naval warfare and watchtowers overlooking ports. The head of the bolt is specially designed to penetrate weaker stone walls and wood and then hatch open, making it unable to be removed. The static scorpion, bolted firmly in place, will then begin to pull the chain back in, pulling in ships and ripping holes in walls to create breaches from a safe distance. The colonial militia, as stated before, is not a professional branch and is mostly made up of citizen conscripts drafted in times of need. It is therefore not kept operational at all times except for smaller rotating companies to stand guard in towns and ports in times of peace. This is both to relieve the professional forces who are already stretched thin and to ensure that everyone remains military trained, and thus the force, when called upon, is still in fighting condition.

Maritime Guard

The hardened professional counterpart to the colonial citizen militias is the Maritime Guard, professional marine forces that operate the many deadly warships of the Talmyrian navy. They are grizzled battle-hardened warriors from all over the mainland and are often stationed on particularly dangerous colonies as well as a permanent garrison force. On Cal Eryndor, the garrison is rather small, having the bulk of its force wiped out at the Siege of Rosenberg. The Maritime Guard is now primarily focused on manning the warships and forming the core of the elven army in the East. A company of Maritime guard is easily recognizable. Fielding vastly superior armour to the militia units and helmets decorated with extravagant feathers and other decorations. They wield large warbows and either halberds or glaives, which they handle with mortifying precision and skill.

Auxiliaries

The armed forces of Cal Eryndor call upon many others to serve its cause. Independents and sellswords who fill the gaps in the elven formations. These auxiliaries range from human deserters and free companies who care not for who they fight, wizards who offer their arcane knowledge, beastmasters lending their creatures to the fight, and many more various fighters and formations. Civilians lending aid to the armed forces in an official manner are also counted as a generic auxiliary, often somewhat mockingly referred to as “Nevor”, meaning “Ballast Guard.” They are not meant to see combat at all and are no more than a facility position. They range from cooks, baggage carriers, medical trainees, cleaners, smiths, and ladies and gentlemen of the night to upkeep the morale of the soldiery.

Noteworthy Historical Auxiliary Units of Cal Eryndor.
	Vhalenai Ashencloaks	These are the cursed companies of the split-born elves and are a terrifying blender on the field of battle. Wielding darkened armour adorned with a metal face mask and ash-grey cloaks to signify their duality. They do not believe in ranged warfare, considering bows and artillery the tools of the weak. They believe only in melee prowess. A mindset they have obtained as they see the honor they may find in battle and death, the only way to redeem themselves as worthy to their untainted kin. They wield a pair of razor-edged blades to rip and tear into their target with the aim of doing as much damage as possible, ensuring that even their survivors will forever bear their marks. Their presence in an army is ghastly as they strictly keep to themselves, not speaking to anyone but their own and their commanders from the moment they wear the mask.
	The Pale Sisters	The pale sisters is the name of a Kaurian sisterhood of porcelain-skinned magi and healers of exquisite beauty. These women chose to join the colonial forces in the year 1259 after they heard of the horrors of the war and its ever-mounting casualties. They treated many and cared for the dying and their bodies after they died. Not allowing anyone anywhere near their healer’s block until the bodies were disposed of safely to guard against volatile necromancers who may want to misuse the bodies of the fallen. The sisters, however, mysteriously vanished one night after an attack on an elven camp on Eldland’s mainland from which they were operating. It was said that, as their tent was mysteriously set ablaze after the raid, their last sighting was of some of them running into the forests outside, covered head to toe in blood and once elegant dresses now ripped and torn.
	Von Wendel’s Lion Company	The reputation of von Wendel’s Lion Company varies depending on who is asked. Hailing from the southern borders of the Kingdom of Reinar, these men are grizzled heroes who stood firm in many battles against southern invaders. However, when the king’s purse ran dry, Dieter von Wendel declared himself and his company an independent hireling group, not caring which crown filled their coffers as long as it did. Some declared them traitors of the realm, others, usually those who hired them, declared them excellently trustworthy men who honor their word unquestionably as long as you pay them fairly. A noteworthy quirk in the soldiers of the company is that since they became independent, their signature look has become that they wear their shields upside down to show that even though they still bear the icons of Reinar, they are no longer part of it. Most of the company was wiped out at the siege of Rosberg in 1261.

Laws & Judicial Systems

The elves of Cal Eryndor follow a strict set of laws provided to them by the court of the Tirnor. These fundamentals were not merely laws of the land to be enforced everywhere the elves of Talmyria go; they are the conditions for the colony’s existence. These laws cannot be ignored, nor can they be changed without explicit permission from the Tirnor. For the punishment of breaking these laws, if found out, is death without question for any who questions the will and wisdom of the Tirnor cannot be trusted to uphold his order. There are, however, many freedoms for colonial citizens as well, a draw for many to come on these voyages to unknown lands to begin with. The colonial council may shape the local law it sees fit, in addition to the fundamentals. A freedom granted by request of Western settlers many moons ago, to better reflect the local situation and be able to act on it effectively. Additionally, priests of the temple may also enforce religious laws on grounds they control. A freedom granted by Tirnor Rhaedon after he completed his unification. A token of gratitude for granting him his title and their support throughout the process of unifying the realm. This effectively makes every temple or other religious complex an independent micro-state. Only recognizing the fundamental laws outside of their own. Local lawmakers and rulers, therefore, hold no power within these places. A reality they despise, but can do nothing about, for none question the rule of the great Tirnor openly.

The Fundamentals

• Article I. Every Citizen of Talmyria is considered a child of the Tirnor. Therefore, they are expected to be treated as such. They have a fundamental right to food, water, and housing. Local authorities are expected to facilitate these fundamentals within their realms.
• Article II. Every Citizen of Talmyria has a right to a fair trial within Talmyrian lands. They are to be represented by a Quoraelis knowledgeable of local laws.
• Article III. The Tirnor is the unquestioned lord and ruler of the Talmyrian realm, and one will never doubt his mandate.
• Article IV. Everyone is expected to promote the formation of a stable family unit that brings forth a new generation of Talmyrians. In addition, one may not pry within established family units or seduce a married citizen to cheat in marriage.
• Article V. No citizen shall lay a hand on another without their permission. Any act of violence, intimacy, or other unwanted contact is therefore not allowed. Law enforcement is exempt only when performing required restraint or arrest.
• Article VI. Insulting sacred symbols, rites, or priests of the Temple is forbidden. Every citizen must uphold the dignity of the faith that binds the realm.
• Article VII. Oaths to Talmyria bind the soul. To abandon sworn duty without leave is a betrayal of the people.
• Article VIII. Every citizen must safeguard the strength of Talmyria. Sabotage, arson, waste, or the destruction of resources vital to survival is forbidden. In times of peril, all who are able are expected to take up the defence of elven life.
• Article IX. No citizen may seek communion with forbidden arts. Any practice barred by the Temple or the Tirnor, including cursed workings, Denur craft, occult or cult rites, and remnants of lost human sorcery, is strictly forbidden.

The Colonial Clarification Trial

Unlike the mainland, where proceedings may involve large civic assemblies, trials within Cal Eryndor follow older Talmyrian custom. The colonial council holds judicial authority and conducts what is known as a Clarification, a formal determination of truth based on sworn record, testimony, and precedent. Two council members are selected by drawing from the eligible pool. The process is blind and cannot be influenced by the council, the Varhil, or the accused. If the draw produces a conflict of interest, a Quoraelis is assigned to take the compromised seat.

A Quoraelis (“Voice of the Mandate”) does not advocate. They ensure the accused understands the charge, the relevant statutes, and the process itself. They prepare the written account for the council and confirm that all statements are properly entered into the record. Their duty is clarity, not persuasion, and no Clarification may proceed without their certification.

Each presiding figure serves as a Keeper of Record, interpreting law rather than debating it. The Varhil acts as the final voice. When present, the Varhil’s word closes the Clarification. If absent, a third neutral council member is chosen to stand in the role. Proceedings are brief. The accused offers a statement under oath. Witnesses do the same. Memory sworn before the council is treated as binding. False oath is a capital crime. The council reviews the record, applies precedent and the Fundamentals, and delivers judgment.

Violations of religious law committed on temple grounds are judged by the local priests, whose authority in such matters is absolute. Their halls answer only to the Fundamentals and the sacred order of the Temple. No governor or council member may overrule them.

Criminals of War

Reinari and Denur, taken into custody within Cal Eryndor, are not treated as common offenders. According to the nature of their offence, they are classified and detained as prisoners of war. The Denur are judged under a standing doctrine known as the Renkaris ("Eternal War"), a Talmyrian principle founded on the fact that no formal peace has ever been written between Elf and Denur. By this doctrine, any hostile actor of those peoples is presumed to stand in opposition to the elven realm unless proven otherwise. A prisoner of war may face a Clarification only when accused of a defined crime, such as murder, sabotage, treachery, or any act the colonial lawbook recognises as endangering the colony or its people. When such charges arise, the individual is tried as a war criminal, regardless of status or circumstance. The burden of proof is severe. The colony assumes that any Reinari or Denur taken under arms, found within restricted zones, or implicated in violence has acted with intent against Talmyrian authority.

Trials of this kind are grim affairs. The Quoraelis still ensures the accused understands the charge, but the protections granted to citizens do not apply. Oath carries weight, yet the council rarely grants the benefit of doubt. The presiding Keepers examine the record with strict reference to wartime precedent, and testimony from elven soldiers or officials is given absolute priority. Many such cases end with the sentence already implied by the circumstances of capture. Murder and attempted murder are punished by execution. All other grave offenses are answered with a lifelong forfeiture of servitude. In all matters concerning these prisoners, the colony acts with the understanding that leniency risks the lives of its people and undermines the Tirnor's mandate.

The Rite of Unveiling

Murathi judgment does not follow the structured form used by the Aevor. Their trials rest within the authority of the priesthood, and most matters are settled inside the temple halls. A circle of priests hears the charge, reviews any witness account, and delivers a ruling according to long-standing codes, Murathi custom, and recorded precedent. Lesser offenses end with labour terms, ritual obligations, or bindings meant to resolve the harm done. Most cases stop at this stage. Greater crimes do not.

When the offense is severe, such as murder, treachery, or repeated violation of temple rule, the priests call for an Ordeal. This is a form of judgment reserved for charges they claim no priest should settle by voice alone. The accused is taken beneath the temple and brought before the Khasgath, regarded by the Murathi as an ancient guardian of souls of their people. Outsiders offer many descriptions of it, and none agree. Its judgment never varies. The creature lunges for the face with its hooked claws, raking across the brow and cheek before driving straight for the eyes. What follows leads down only two paths, and every Murathi accepts them as final. If the creature tears out the eyes and goes further, the offender dies on the stone floor. This is guilt without question, as the creature has taken what it was owed. However, if the creature blinds but does not kill, the priests declare that guilt was present but not absolute. Intent mattered. Circumstance mattered. The act was condemned, but the person was not beyond use or redemption. These survivors are known as the Vashkir ("Shorn").

A Vashkir loses name, House ties, and all standing. They become bound to the temple for life, serving in the tasks no ordinary Murathi will touch. They clean the chambers beneath the temple, maintain the guardian's hall, and take on rites meant to acknowledge the harm they once caused, however painful those may be. They are neither free nor cast out. They are in a sightless living sentence as a reminder of the offence, the ordeal, and the boundary between mercy and death. The priests maintain that the Khasgath cannot be deceived, and the Murathi do not dispute this. They accept the Ordeal as the final measure when lesser law proves insufficient and when a wrong is judged too grave for ordinary judgment.

Technology & Magic

Cal Eryndor lies on the furthest eastern frontier of the nation of Talmyria. It is a freshly established colony embroiled in close to a century of near-constant conflict. A by many considered cursed land, doomed to end up like the many failed colonial projects of the far north. By many others, however, it is considered an opportunity instead. The many patrons of this eastern project, driven by a will and ravaging hunger to reclaim a piece of their long-lost glory and history that has been soiled over by younger civilizations and has had its memory trampled by the passing of time, are offering their project up to those willing to bring their brilliance to the lands to ensure that this time, elfkind will endure. The patrons pay generously, and thus, the full might of elven arcane and engineering prowess builds up rapidly on the small island shore town of Ren Tolaris.

Many, if not all, of Cal Eryndor’s technological and arcane advancements come straight from the homeland of Talmyria. The streets of Ren Tolaris count many arcane workshops, wizard conclaves, guild halls, medics, and all other crafts a thriving, forward-facing society could desire. Many young entrepreneurs from the mainland, hearing tales of generous pay and opportunity unbound, make the trek to the far-off land of the Eastern Colony. A trend that has only grown in recent years and has turned the city into a surprisingly sizable hub of engineering, science, and magic. The many guilds that occupy the colony viciously try to outcompete and absorb their competition to enlarge their share of the frontier’s real estate and trade. Some may even have greater political ambition and wish to become a patron of the colony through their sheer contribution to the colony. Competition is fierce and leaves little room for outsiders to set up their businesses in the colony; however, it is not entirely unheard of to see a human or tiefling workshop appear on the streets of Ren Tolaris. The mythos of the new lands has even reached the depths of Akrunel’s many realms, and thus not even the many caves of Cal Eryndor are spared as the Murathi have set up small conclaves in the underbelly of Ren Tolaris, where alchemy thrives. The end of this gold rush of brilliance is not in sight, and the long-term effects of this are yet unknown. It will either be the city’s undoing or the foundation of its soon-to-rise zenith.

“Walking down the streets of Ren Tolaris may cause one to easily forget that we are at war. Surrounded by so many bright minds, engulfed in the luxury brought to the frontier by these people, one does not give a grain of thought to the many bodies on which the foundations of this place are built and the oceans of blood that flow around us in the name of prestige and profit.” - Carinel Feleris, veteran enchantress.

History

I. PROLOGUE - THE BEGINNING

What history often teaches us is that prosperity does not outlast ambition.

And so in the elder days, long before the present age, the elves and Denur held sway upon the continent of Eldland in their most ancient forms, in their most ancient home. Their realms overlapped as their trade routes wound through mountain passes and water alike. For a time, their kinship seemed secure, but something broke between them. No one agrees where or how, only that trust gave way to resentment, and resentment to war.

The elves spread thin across the continent, cut off from the heartlands that had long sustained them, until they found themselves bleeding out on alien soil. The Denur seized upon that moment of weakness and struck from strongholds carved into Eldland’s very bones, yet though they seemed unyielding, even their strength was tested beyond endurance. The war did not spare the humans either, who, in their primitive form, dwelt between the great powers and got caught like kindling in the blaze. They were scoured from Eldland’s face, and in time their name became little more than a memory.

There was no victor. The calamity ruined all. Eventually, the elves were broken and driven at last into exile across the western seas. Yet theirs was no blind voyage into nameless waters, for already beyond that horizon lay many settlements and kingdoms seeded in calmer days. They sailed toward lands that had grown into a broad patchwork of kingdoms and city-states. Many had begun as waystations of the seafaring houses. Others rose from outposts raised by kin who had long looked westward. All had taken root and become realms of their own. To these havens the exiles fled, burdened with grief, until sorrow itself became the mortar of a new foundation.

Across the sea, the exiled elves endured. Their new lands in what is now known as Talmyria were fertile, and most importantly, beyond Denur's reach. Yet it still carried a bitter taste. Eldland had broken them. Their numbers were thin. Their strength was spent. They were granted lands within what would one day be the kingdom of Atherin, one of several realms that would later rise to shape Talmyria. They did not carve these holdings themselves. They survived within them. Their unity did not shatter in open rebellion. They survived there while they gathered what remained of their people. Old houses withdrew into their own halls. Fleets kept to their own harbours. Pride remained, but power did not. Some clung to the ways of the land they lost, others to the salt air and tide.

In the years after the exile, the elven realms operated without a central power. Each kingdom governed its own affairs, and most disputes ended only when one side lost interest. Order held, but without cohesion, and no ruler exercised influence beyond local borders.

An elven man named Rhaedon Lythar altered that arrangement. He established control over the district surrounding Rylion in Valisor and consolidated its neighbouring territories through consistent administration. Local lords accepted his oversight because it produced predictable outcomes. Courts functioned, trade routes stabilised, and the coastal wardens followed unified directives. Within a generation, Valisor operated as a single, governed region under his rule. Only after this consolidation did the Temple issue its declaration. Its priests named him Tirnor, the appointed steward and protector of elven kind, and linked his rule to an older mandate. The title gave him a formal claim that no other leader held. He applied it immediately. Envoys were sent south and west with proposals of alignment. Unification was presented as an expected sacred duty rather than an act of expansion.

Responses differed. Kauris accepted early, aiming for stability and advantage. Thirselan agreed after negotiation. Other regions resisted and were incorporated after brief campaigns. These conflicts were limited in scale but significant in outcome. By 312 A.C., most of Talmyria functioned under one structure, held together by the authority of his office. What began as the organisation of a small region in Valisor became the basis for a unified elven realm.

Back in the heartland, the Denur also endured, but a curse befell them and confined them deep within their own mountain-holds. Their kingdoms had fractured, and their vast delvings became prisons of indestructible stone. And with humanity being no more, Eldland lay gutted, scarred but yet unbowed. In the emptiness left behind, other people rose in time, scattered folk who grew from the ashes of the fallen age.

And the years passed.

II. CAL-ERYNDOR

By the age of the great-grandsires, elven fleets no longer kept to familiar waters. They began reaching distant coasts and Eldland once more. Reports spoke of the continent’s wealth in timber, metals, and harvests. Merchant ships tested the routes while carrying fruit, oils, and crafted goods. For a time, trade was easy profit. The kingdoms of Eldland were eager to exchange their gold and goods for elven luxuries. But word spread quickly along the coasts. Refugees, smugglers, and outlaws of the southern lands soon turned their attention to the “golden ships.” They were natural seafarers, skilled but lawless, and over time their small bands grew into fleets of raiders. Elven merchant vessels began to disappear. The few survivors spoke of brutal attacks from ships bearing strange emblems and hulls cutting the waves like hungry beasts. At first, the elves dismissed them as little more than brigands. Then, as the attacks increased, and they lost all the more precious cargo, they were forced to see them as a real threat. When losses became too great to ignore, elven pride demanded a response. Warships were assigned as escorts to the elven trading convoys, but even then, the raiders continued to strike, often in larger numbers. The trade routes were simply too long and too exposed to protect in full. It became clear that if the elves wanted to secure Eldland’s wealth, they would need a colony port for it. A place where ships could resupply and fleets could assemble.

So it was that in the year 1254 A.C., the trading fleets set out once more for Eldland from Cal Cairamar, but this time as part of a full colonial armada. Soldiers, settlers, guilds, and merchants sailed together. They expected to find pirates and brigands, but instead they came upon the outer isles of the Kingdom of Reinar. The lord of the isle saw their sails on the horizon and raised alarm. Messengers flew to Kronstadt, the capital of Reinar, situated in the heart of the mainland, but the elves had already moved. They mistook the isle’s defenders for pirate lords and struck with full force. The harbour burned, and the lord of the isle and his household perished.

The elves made the ruins their base. To them, it was simple. A pirate haven was destroyed, a foothold won, and the first stone of a new colonial order was set. They renamed it Cal Eryndor (Fortress of the East Stone) after the cliffs and foundations they uncovered there, which bore remnants of their own lost craft. As they rebuilt the walls and quays, the scholars and stonemasons found old stones buried in the ground. Those were foundations older than any known settlement on the isle and ruins that seemed to hint their people had once ruled here long before the calamity that drove them west.

But the humans saw only an invasion. To Reinar, it was no pirate stronghold but sovereign land. The king of Reinar was furious when the news reached him. Diplomacy failed before it could even begin, and war was declared. And though the elves might have withdrawn, their pride forbade it. Leaving would have meant weakness. Remaining meant legitimacy, so they stayed. Of course, the colony struggled. Supplies from across the sea were scarce, and their strength lay in their ships, not in holding land. Reinar pressed them hard, but then fortune intervened. The king of Reinar died, and his heirs fell into dispute. On one side was a cautious Southern prince, and on the other an ambitious Northern one. This conflict tore the kingdom apart in a succession crisis. The humans turned on each other. The elves held their ground and found the chance to dig in deeper. From the ashes of the first settlement, Cal Eryndor grew into something more than a redoubt. They rebuilt harbours, reinforced walls, and made attempts to push further into the mainland, though often with little lasting success. And always, beneath their stones and streets, they searched, seeking traces of what had been theirs before.

III. THE CONSOLIDATION OF CAL-ERYNDOR

In the years that followed the first landing, Cal Eryndor changed in spirit, though its stones remained the same. What began as a foothold had grown into a fortress-town shaped by loss, persistence, and the steady labour of those who refused to abandon what had already taken so much from them. The harbours were rebuilt, and the walls rose higher. Yet beneath every improvement lay the imprint of a failure that marked the colony more deeply than any triumph could.

During the fracture of Reinar, the elves had moved. They believed the moment offered an advantage. Their aim was not the taking of Kronstadt, nor even a foothold on the mainland, but pressure. If they could choke the capital’s harbours and roads, the royal household might be forced to the table. A treaty could have secured the isle by lawful accord rather than prolonged bloodshed. The plan relied on speed, coordination, and the assumption that Reinar’s divided lords would be slow to answer. Instead, the colony walked into disaster.

The first blow fell at sea. A shift in the winds tore apart the convoy screen and scattered the escorts across the bay. Reinari ships, long familiar with their own waters, struck before the lines could reform. Several elven vessels burned before they could escape the harbour’s mouth. On land, the collapse came even faster. The companies advancing along the outer roads found the Reinari defenders far more organised than expected. The moment their supply ships faltered, their position turned into a trap. Reinari infantry swept down from the ridges, cutting off the retreat. Archers struck from treelines the elves thought abandoned. A cavalry charge shattered the rear guard. What began as a measured advance dissolved into a rout across unfamiliar ground. Losses were severe. Entire units vanished in the chaos. Officers were cut down trying to rally lines already broken. Many who fled toward the coast found no ships left to carry them. For a people slow to forget, the scale of the defeat settled deeply into memory. It was not a setback but a failure and a reminder that the colony’s footing on Eldland was far more fragile than its walls suggested.

Blame followed soon after. The colonial commander, Sarion Vaelmir, who had urged the plan forward with certainty, faced open doubt for the first time. His judgment had been trusted without hesitation, and now it was questioned at every turn. A vote of confidence was held among the council of investors and house representatives who governed Cal Eryndor’s daily affairs. Authority passed from his hands, though his seat in the council remained. His wealth and early patronage bound him to the colony’s foundation from its first stones, and such ties could not be removed by decision alone. He bitterly withdrew into his duties in silence, as a fixed presence on the council.

Under new leadership, the colony set itself to recovery. Supply lines from Talmyria resumed, though not without warning. The council in the homeland grew wary of sending aid without return, for the colony had brought little profit and much expense. Every convoy carried the reminder that their patience was not endless. Still, the ships came. Shipwrights repaired what remained of the fleet, and Aevor planners reorganised the districts and raised new watch-posts along the cliffs. No one spoke openly of pushing inland, though the idea lingered in distant thought. Their aim was endurance, not advance, until the ground beneath them steadied. The people worked with a quiet resolve common among their kind. They did not abandon a claim once made.

Even so, strain pressed upon the settlement. The council continued its work, but every decision bore the weight of past error. Settlers moved with guarded caution. Soldiers hardened their discipline. Beyond the walls, Eldland remained unsettled. The Kingdom of Reinar was still divided, with its competing lords vying for advantage, yet none had forgotten the burning of the isle or the attempted coercion of their capital. Everyone from the colony was met with suspicion wherever they travelled. Even those who sought profit kept their dealings quiet.

In time, a new governor sought to restore confidence. He set about rebuilding the fleet piece by piece and strengthening the watch. He restored a clear chain of command. Council positions are open to those prepared to serve through structure and responsibility rather than through wealth alone. Small measures at first. Steady improvements. A convoy completed its passage to Talmyria without incident. A new granary stood ready by the harbour road. Scouts reported that nearby Reinari lords were occupied with quarrels among themselves, even as their broader conflict with the humans continued. These were modest gains, but they mattered. They offered the colony a measure of stability it had lacked since the failed campaign. Cal Eryndor remained a settlement born through misunderstanding and shaped by war, but it endured. Its people watched the mainland with careful patience. They built, repaired, and prepared, for no one could say what the coming years might demand of them.

Now, eight years after the first landing, the colony stands. It strengthens where it can and gathers what it lacks. A gold rush of free commerce and expanded new markets drove merchants, guilds, inventors, and magi to settle on the newfound colony, turning the ravaged, considered hopeless colony into a bastion that is set to last. The future of the elves in Eldland is still unwritten, yet their foothold holds its ground, and their presence ensures the story continues.

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