The World of Haylene

The world of Haylene is relatively small, and the part inhabited by what the elves call "the People of the Art" (races that have independently developed arcane magic) is limited to the area shown below.

This region, commonly called the "Middle Reaches" (or the "Imperial Reaches" by humans) is dominated by the former Imperial lands.  At its height, shortly after they conquered the Woods of Tulone, the Empire of Rhysone spanned nearly a thousand leagues.  The regions of the former Empire consist of:

• The Imperial Coast, the home of the Imperial City itself, and the only area still under the direct control of the city.
• The Heartlands, which have broken down into a collection of petty "kingdoms," none of which are more than a few days rides across.  
• The Northern Marches, a collection of five large baronies that still maintain the culture and organization of the fallen Empire.
• The Hinterlands, a series of large region consisting of the distant county of Durrington, the Marches of Metrol, and the Imperial Runs... all of which are now outright controlled by the Guilds.
• The Tulone Woods, whose conquest was relatively brief, and is rarely thought of as Imperial Lands.

Beyond the fallen Empire, the Middle Reaches contain most of the elven and dwarven lands in Haylene.

• The Five Nations of Prydain contain the once proud lands of the high elves.
• The Aelwode is the home of the reclusive and xenophobic drow elves.
• The Dwardok Mountains contain all the dwarf holds in the world.
• The Chasmn of the Broken Pact is a monstrous region, inhabited by chitins, ettercaps, and malign fey.
• The Dragon Ride, to the north, has recently been invaded by goblins, and whose hobgoblins seem on the verge of joining the People of the Art.

Further, to the South, there are three lands influenced by the lich-lord's kingdom of Xynalin.

• The Midnight Sea is an inland sea known for its dark waters, and is home of the Midnight Coast, home of petty warlords and nations that last a generation, maybe two.
• Norden Darkane is a vassal state of Xynalin, and known for its necromancer princes.
• The Keldoran Wilds are known as orcish lands, and have never been conquered by any foreign people, but who often serve as mercenaries in Xynalin's armies.

Tulonian Circles

Lands: Tulone Woods

Races: Elf (Wood), Gnome (Forest), Halfling (Stout), Half-Elf, Human

The woods of Tulone have long stood as a land apart, separating the old Imperial lands from the forces of Darkane.  Loosely organized into small villages and tribes, they eschew any central authority, and are instead lead by their tradition of the Bond… a war leader and a druid who lead groups, never larger than 200 people.  

History

Historically, the Circles of Tulone were powerful, and able to resist the advances of the Rhysonian Empire.  However, during the events leading up to the Great Conflagration, the Circles were broken, never to return to their state of former greatness.  For the past centuries, they’ve existed in smaller, weaker tribes, that survive mostly by hiding from invaders.

Goals

• Each circle is concerned only with the welfare and survival of its tribe, and led by two individuals, a Kael (war leader) and a Gunth (a spiritual leader).  One refers to an individual by their title, then their rank (so a war leader, rank 2, would be a “Kael of Modest Repute.”)
• By tradition, the tribe is never so large that the Kael and the Gunth cannot know everyone by name.

Key Individuals

• None.

Rank and Associated Abilities

Associated Subclasses Barbarian (Totem Warrior), Druid (Circle of the Moon), Ranger (Beast, Hunter, Stalker)

• Of Little Repute (Rank 1): Barbarian, druid or ranger training available (required for 2nd level of druid or 3rd level of barbarian or ranger).
• Of Modest Repute (Rank 2): Druidic or ranger training available (required for 5th level of ranger or 6th level of druid).
• Of Notable Repute (Rank 3): Barbarian or ranger training available (required for 6th level of barbarian or 7th level of ranger)
• Of Great Repute (Rank4): Barbarian, druid or ranger training available (required for 10th level of barbarian or druid or 11th level of ranger).  Currently, there are no Kaels or Gunths of Great Repute.
• Of Highest Repute (Rank 5): Barbarian or druidic or ranger, training available (required for 14th level of barbarian or druid or 15th level of ranger)

The Shanolis

Lands: Prydain

Races: Elf (High)

For centuries, the Shanolis have defended the elves of Prydain, and are known as some of the most fearsome warriors in the world.  Each one of them is versed equally in blade and spell, and the training of a Shanolis is a very specific thing.  

Note: each rank of the Shanolis requires specific levels in an associated subclass.  

History

The Shanolis serve the Queen, there is no Shanolis without the Queen to serve.  Still, the traditions that encompass the Shanolis style are quite old and must predate the founding of Prydain.  However, since the founding, the elves of Prydain have only allowed the Shanolis to practice the art of Bladesinging.

Goals

• Serve the Queen.
• Protect the Realm.
• Perfect the Art

Key Individuals

• Fiedilann Ap’Andin: The Queen’s champion and the grandmaster of the Shanolis, Fiedilann is a living legend amongst the Prydani.
• Ecorina Ap’Mengali: Fiedilan’s former apprentice, and one of the masters of the Shanolis.  
• Wendolyn Ap’Urlond: A master and ruthless agent of the Queen who she currently favors for missions.
• Inselle Ap’Ingalis: The newest master, and youngest since Fiedilann to achieve that title.

Rank and Associated Abilities

Associated Subclasses Fighter (Eldritch Knight), Rogue (Arcane Trickster), Wizard (Bladesinger)

• Apprentice (Rank 1): Fighter, Rogue training available  (required for 3rd level of fighter or rogue). An apprentice must complete this training to move onto journeyman
• Journeyman (Rank 2): Wizard training available  (required for 2nd level of wizard).  A journeyman must complete this training to move onto Bladesinger
• Bladesinger (Rank 3): Fighter, rogue or wizard training available (required for 6th level of wizard,7th level of fighter, or 9th level of rogue).
• Master (Rank4): Fighter, rogue or wizard training available (required for 10th level of fighter or wizard,13th level of rogue).
• Grand Master (Rank 5): Fighter, rogue or wizard training available (required for 14th level of wizard, 15th level of fighter, or 17th level of rogue).  There is only ever one grandmaster at a time.

The Pact Primeval

Lands: Primarily the Hinterlands

Races: Elf (Wood), Gnome (Forest), Gnome (Rock), Half-Elf, Halfling (Lightfoot), Halfling (Stout), Human, Orc

Outside of civilized area, a loosely organized group of bards, druids, and elves remember the old ways that predated even the Empire.  Followers of the ancient ones, the Archfey they believe built the world, they remain on the outskirts of the world, vigilant for threats from the South.

History

Never numerous (at least in the times of men) and often at odds with all civilized people (who they view as worshipers of base forces), the force of the Pact Primeval are spread quite thin, and have for generations been fighting a losing battle against the Old Ways.  Nearly wiped out a thousand years ago by the forces of the Empire and its Mysteries, they waged a series of conflicts against the dwarves of the Ap’Dwardok in order to survive.  The conflict made them both unable to resist the Darkane Incursion

Goals

• Maintain the tales of the old ways, so that they do not perish.
• Push back against the forces of Darkane.
• Atone for the crimes against the Dwarvish people and stand fast against the orcs.

Key Individuals

• Ephria the Beloved: The hierophant of the Pact Primeval and the one true authority in the Hinterlands.
• Skarverran Berg: A half-elf (an extreme rarity in Haylene) who has defended the hinterlands for over a century.
• Flewlynn of Tulone: A well-traveled bard who is the only link between the forces of the pact and “civilized lands.
• Rawls the Green: This adventurer, known for his copper-green hair, was responsible for some of the great wars prior to the Great Conflagration
• Quentin the Dreamer: The primary messenger that the pact uses to communicate across the Hinterlands.

Rank and Associated Abilities

Associated Subclasses Bard (College of Glamour), Druid (Circle of Dreams), Paladin (Oath of the Ancients), Ranger (Primeval Guardian), Warlock (Archfey)

• First Order (Rank 1): Bardic, druidic, paladin, ranger, and warlock training available (required for 1st level of warlock, 2nd level of druid, and 3rd level of bard, paladin, or ranger).
• Second Order (Rank 2): Druidic, paladin, ranger, and warlock training available (required for 5th level of ranger, 6th level of druid or warlock, and 7th level of paladin).
• Third Order (Rank 3): Bardic or ranger training available (required for 6th level of bard or 7th level of ranger)
• Fourth Order (Rank4): Druid, paladin, ranger, and warlock training available (required for 10th level of druid or warlock, 11th level of ranger, or 15th level of paladin).  Currently, there are no Fourth Order paladins or warlocks.
• Fifth Order (Rank 5): Bardic, druidic, paladin, ranger, and warlock training available (required for 14th level of bard, druid or warlock, 15th level of ranger, and 20th level of paladin).  Currently, there are no Fifth Order druids, or warlocks

High Mages of Prydain

Lands: Prydain

Races: Elf (High)

The elves are the undisputed masters of the arcane, and Elven Wizardry is the envy of all the people of Haylene.  Within the Eight Towers of the Kythori, the elven people command power that is unheard of outside the borders of Prydain  

History

While the elves control the largest and best known college of wizardry, it is not the oldest.  The Four Towers date back to an older tradition, before the Queen came to power over the Prydani peninsula.  

Goals

• While they serve the Queen, the High Mages are all quite independent, and chaff at attempts to lead them.
• Each one is quite politically powerful, as they are allowed to address and advice the Queen.  The archmages are essentially her counselors.

Key Individuals

• The Queen of Prydain: On of the great arcanists in the world, the Queen of Prydain is seemingly ageless, and has led her people since time forgotten.  
• Nymuea: The queen’s oldest friend, and her devil’s advocate, Nymuea is the archmage of divination.
• Ornien: The most powerful wizard in Prydain, Ornien is the archmage of evocation.
• Selestra: Known as much for her temper and wit as her magical ability (and it is considerable), Selestra is the youngest of the archmages, and has mastered Enchantment.
• Dyfed: A recluse and a bit of a scoundrel, Dyfed places little value on even the lives of his elven brethren.  He is the archmage of abjuration.
• Rhystel: Known to be older than the Queen, and of universally bad reputation, Rhystel is rarely seen in Prydain.  He is, however, the archmage of conjuration.
• Thymean: An adventuresome and charismatic leader, Thymean is the archmage of transmutation.
• Anippa: The white necromancer, and the first to be named by the Queen when she started the council, Anippa has long practiced a unique tradition of necromancy.
• The Mistmaster: The archmage of illusion has long left his or her enemies guessing as to the archmage’s true identity.

Rank and Associated Abilities

Associated Subclasses Wizard (Abjurer, Conjurer, Diviner, Enchanter, Evoker, Illusionist, Necromancer, Transmuter)

• First Circle (Rank 1): Wizard training available (required for 2nd level of wizard).
• Second Circle (Rank 2): Wizard training available (required for 6th level of wizard).
• Third Circle (Rank 3): Wizard training available (required for 10th level of wizard).
• Fourth Circle (Rank4): Wizard training available (required for 14th level of wizard).  There is only one wizard of the 4th circle or higher for any given school, plus the queen.
• Fifth Circle (Rank 5): Bestowed on any wizard capable of casting 9th level spells.

The Guild

Lands: Throughout the known world

Races: Elf (High), Gnome (Forest), Half-Elf, Halfling (Lightfoot), Halfling (Stout), Human

An ancient organization that won great influence after the Great Conflagration, when the Queen of Prydain agreed to allow her “speakers” beyond the borders.  In the centuries that followed, the speakers worked with the various bardic colleges and guilds to establish an understanding… today, these five Guilds essential control the roads and any diplomatic relations between settlements.  The five guilds are:

• The Ancients Guild: These guildsmen seek out ancient works and collect them, making sure old knowledge remains in the guild.  They also maintain the college of Lore.
• The Bondsman Guild: Justice is difficult with the lack of strong nobles, and so the bondsman’s guild is essentially a collection of bounty hunters.  They maintain the college of Swords.
• The Jester’s Guild: Jesters are extremely rare in this day and age, but their guild is the oldest, dating back to the days of the Empire.  
• The Keepers Guild: Unable to maintain an army or lands, many nobles hire the Keepers or take them as vassals to defend their lands beyond their borders.  As such, most settlements are administered by a Keeper.  They maintain the college of valor.
• The Speakers Guild: Growing out of the Prydaini tradition, the Speakers are the independent heralds and diplomats of the world.  They also maintain the College of Whispers.

History

The Guilds existed independently as a group of respected professions that also traveled before the Great Conflagration, and in the centuries since have seized most of the power outside of city walls.  They no longer answer to the Queen of the Elves or to the Imperial City, but maintain their own hierarchy.

Goals

• The Guilds seek to control civilization within the remnants of the Imperial Shore.  A largely amoral organization, they concern themselves primarily with power.
• They obtain that power by serving their purposes well.  While they have a strict hierarchy, they are small in number, and expected to act largely autonomously.

Key Individuals

• The Master of Roses: The leader of the guilds, a mysterious figure whose true face is unknown, but believed to possibly be the founder.
• Garret Myrdol: The guildmaster of the Jester’s Guild, and generally considered a rival to the Master of Roses
• Marta Soltiz: The guild master of the Keepers, and one of the more famous heroes amongst the humans of the Imperial Shore.
• Wycliffe Myrdol: Garret’s nephew and one regarded as one of the finest swordsmen in the world.  He is the guild master of the Bondsmen
• Zifnab of the Imperial City: Guild master of the ancients, Zifnab (who has many names) is a fixture in the Imperial City, one of the few gnomes who are allowed to dwell in there.  
• Elyra: The recently ascended guild master of the Speakers, Elyra is the daughter of a previous guild master, Faela.

Rank and Associated Abilities

Associated Subclasses Bard (College of Lore, College of Swords, College of Valor, College of Whispers), Rogue (Assassin)

• Apprentice (Rank 1): Bardic or rogue training available (required for 3rd level of bard or rogue).
• Journeyman (Rank 2): Bardic training available (required for 6th level of bard).
• Guildsman (Rank 3): Rogue training available (required for 9th level of rogue)
• Guild Master (Rank4): Rogue training available (required for 13th level of rogue).  There is only ever one Guild Master for each guild.
• Master of Roses (Rank 5): Bardic or rogue training available (required for 14th level bard or 17th level of rogue).  There is only ever one Master of Roses.

The Four Towers

Lands: The Imperial City, Prydain, the Hinterlands

Races: Elf (High), Half-Elf, Human

The only source of wizardry outside of the Prydain, and one of the few places of the holy outside the Mysteries, the Four Towers have long represented hope for the good people of Haylene.  However, in recent times, they have fallen far from their once powerful state, and today only one of the Four Towers can truly claim an archmage.  Organized along four cultural lines, each of the towers was led by the Loremasters, and served by an order of holy warriors:

• The Northern Tower, in Prydain, was served by the Akadi Archers (arcane archers).  Unfortunately, the Loremaster of the North was slain over a century ago by the Red Witch of the Western Tower.
• The Eastern Tower, in the Imperial City, has always operated in hiding from the mysteries, protected by the Knights of the Whetted Blade (paladins with an oath of vengeance).  The Loremaster of the East, Valketha, is the last Loremasters in their tower.
• The Western Tower lost it’s Loremaster, Talecka, to the Red Witch (who was once her apprentice). The Red Witch is technically the Loremaster of the West, but no longer dwells in the Tower.  The Horizon Walkers of the West… the handful of planar guides who have always defended the Tower, now serve a lesser mage.
• The Southern Tower was overrun hundreds of years ago prior to the Great Conflagration, but the Warriors of the Wode (ancestral guardians) kept faith and eventually reclaimed the tower.  The Dundrarch, the Heirophant of the southern druids, came to live there in more recent times, and today, the Southern Tower operates independently.

History

Originally, the Towers were built by an alliance of humans and elves, who both risked their lives as traitors to defend against the growing perils that afflicted Haylene.  Over the years, their power waxed and waned, although the loss of the Southern Tower nearly crippled the faction, and the actions of the Red Witch essentially ended it.  Today, they maintain their missions separately, but only the Eastern Tower is able to follow its charter, although the Southern Tower is a formidable force to itself.

Goals

• The Four Towers were established to combat planar incursions into the world of Haylene.  
• The primary concern of the Towers is the land of Darkane and the perils of the Underdark.

Key Individuals

• Valketha, Loremaster of the Eastern Tower: The last true Loremaster, and historically one of the least powerful, Valketha is part of an effort to keep the flame of the East alive.
• The Red Witch of the Western Tower: Reviled for her part in the Reckoning, the Red Witch has reformed and attempts to make amends for her misdeeds.
• The Dundrarch: A powerful opponent of Darkane, the Dundrach is believed to be a hereditary position
• Ophalia, Caretaker of the West: The surviving wizard of the Western Tower, she tries to care for her walkers
• Edgerrin the Well-Traveled: The leader of the Horizon Walkers.
• Allyn Lackland: The leader of the Knights of the Whetted Blade
• Shema of Tulone: The Dundrach’s daughter, and heir to the position.

Rank and Associated Abilities

Associated Subclasses Barbarian (Ancestral Guardian), Druid (Circle of the Land), Fighter (Arcane Archer), Paladin (Oath of Vengeance), Ranger (Horizon Walker), Wizard (Loremaster)

• Apprentice (Rank 1): Barbarian, druid, fighter, paladin, ranger or wizard training available (required for 2nd level of druid or wizard or 3rd level of barbarian, fighter, paladin, or ranger).
• Learned (Rank 2): Barbarian, fighter, paladin or ranger training available (required for 5th level of ranger, 6th level of barbarian or 7th level of fighter or paladin).
• Walker (Rank 3): Barbarian, druid, fighter, ranger or wizard training available (required for 6th level of druid or wizard, 7th level for ranger, or 10th level barbarian or fighter).
• Initiated (Rank4): Barbarian, druid, fighter, paladin, ranger or wizard training available (required for 10th level of druid or wizard, 11th level of ranger, 14th level of barbarian, 15th level of  fighter or paladin). All individuals with this rank are listed above.
• Master (Rank 5): Druid or wizard training available (required for 14th level of druid or wizard).  At any time, there could only be four Masters, right now there are only three.

Treatises of the Red Witch

My Dear Astrel, Blood of my Blood and My Only Apprentice, 

I trust that your days in your grandfather’s villa wear easily upon your soul, for I know like me, it won’t be long before the wanderlust takes you. Still, enjoy the respite that comes with the wealth and title my son has labored so hard to secure for his kin… it is a fleeting comfort, but a comfort none the less.¹

However, I have come to know a human wizard who called himself your apprentice… I encountered one Lord Lyman Wyndruin attempting to construct a makeshift sanctuary in the vicinity of a Vuulir stone near his family’s ancestral lands.²³ The folly of this endeavor aside, I took the opportunity to question him as to the purpose of his inquiries, and in doing so, realized the inadequacy of Lord Lyman’s cosmological knowledge. 

 Were I a Master of the Council, such a performance would reflect poorly upon not only you as his mentor but upon me as your teacher.⁴ But the Council Mages are fools, and we both know you ought not be judged on Lord Lyman’s failure to grasp the intricacies of our teachings. Instead, I would suppose that in his humane shortsightedness, he paid little attention to any lesson that did not directly relate to the mystical production of flame or lightning. And yet, I am left with a lingering suspicion that the highly… sensitive… manner in which you were taught does not lend itself to teaching students. It is difficult to share many of our adventures together, is it not? 

As such, I thought I would provide a series of treatises on the cosmology of Haylene that you might share with your apprentices. I shall excise the more arcane elements and focus on… what is the human word for it… a planewalker’s perspective.⁵ I will keep them clear, and in the interest of a human’s attention span, concise. I only ask that you do not attach my name to these essays. Instead, let us use the moniker by which I am more widely known, shall we? 

                                                                                 Your loving ancestor, 
                                                                                 The Red Witch 

The Red Witch is an archmage, adventurer, and perhaps the most experienced “planewalker” Haylene has seen in recent centuries. While some scholars might surpass her in terms of lore, her working knowledge of world’s cosmology is unparalleled (one might also learn that she has also had a hand in shaping that cosmology). In a series to treatises to her apprentice, Lady Astral the Half-Elven, she can provide clear and accurate insight into Haylene’s peculiar planar structure.

These treatises represent the knowledge one might recall with a DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) check when address a particular phenomenon. Dungeon Masters are encouraged to provide them to their players, particular after they make an appropriate ability check. If desired, the information can be passed to the players with a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check if the footnotes are redacted.

Finally, the Red Witch is not without her biases, and she does make mistakes. This may lead to minor inconsistencies in her essays (but it’s probably best not to point that out to her).

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1 The Red Witch is a Prydani elf, writing to her half-elven kin. He son, Astrel’s grandfather, is likely an old man, while the Red Witch remains in the prime of her life.^↩

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2 Astrel has recently taken to training wizards in the ways of the Four Towers… these individuals are almost all Rhysonian nobles.^↩

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3 Wyndruin being one of the Northern Marches, and is largely devoid of human settlement since the Great Conflagration.^↩

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4 The Red Witch refers to the Council of Prydain’s High Magi.^↩

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5 The word “Planewalker” has no direct translation into Prydani (Elvish). The concept of casually exploring other realms of existence is not something a typical Prydani would think to do.^↩