# Important Groups and Nations ## Se'fas Little is known of Se'fas after the destruction of the city during an Elwind event. ## Lyra Lyra is a fortified city of stone and secrets, built into the steep river cliffs where mountain stone meets water. Unlike typical merchant settlements, Lyra's economy is driven by a guild of professional negotiators and information brokers who trade in knowledge as readily as goods, with each citizen trained from birth in the art of diplomatic manipulation. The city's unique culture revolves around an intricate social hierarchy where one's ability to broker deals and uncover secrets determines their status, making Lyra less a town of merchants and more a complex ecosystem of strategic human interactions. ## Hawthorne Hawthorne was once a farming town before the mighty Halis woods began to expand. Now entirely surrounded by the great forest the denizens maintain a sizeable clearing within the woods for themselves. The woods are always growing and must be cut back at all times lest they swallow the city whole. They export their logs by boat through the river to [[Ingora Vallis]]. During a famine, in the third year after the village's founding, a druid named [[Vogran]] developed a magical cure to the village's dilemma. He created a unique type of desiccation magic to aid in food in preservation and was able to save the village. In the years that have followed, the townsfolk have perfected a form of the magic they now keep as a closely guarded secret. As a result of the current thane's weakness the powers in the area do not respect Hawthorne as they should. [[The White Manticore Tribe]] led a rebellion against the thane several years ago, tensions are still high and there are rumors of stirrings from the tribes once again. ## Ollen Ollen has always been the last stop for merchant caravans heading in and out of the southern desert. Their years of hedonism and wealth earned from exporting luxury goods has drained the coffers of the city dry. [[Lucius Ollender]], the descendent of the original founder and de-facto leader, leads a campaign to bring Ollen back to its former glory Many years ago the water nymph Naia made a deal with her lover, [[Caius Ollender]], to supply water to him and his descendants. With her assistance the settlement grew into the [[Ollen]] we now know today. Having been tasked for so long to supply the ever-growing settlement with its water her power has begun to wain. She now remains in her pool, a shade of her former glory. Some time after the founding, an emissary of [[Lyra]] had [[Caius Ollender]] assassinated over a petty dispute. After many generations a tentative peace deal has been struck, and the cities are enjoying a newly kindled trade relationship. In secret [[Lucius Ollender]] plots against [[Lyra]], only biding his time to make his move. ## Slint Slint is a barbaric and tribal settlement of mutants. Formed in service of a radioactive meteor that they believe to be their god. Each day a prisoner is chosen to approach the meteor and be given a "gift". The chosen subject is usually killed, and those that survive gain strange and twisted mutations. The now-mutated survivor is then freed and given a chance to join the village. It was destroyed by a meteor during the Elwind Crisis. The city has been rebuilt around the remains of the meteors crash-site. Their religion began to form during the reconstruction of the city. Having grown in power over the course of the rebuild they have now become the ruling power of the city. # Faith Astoria has no unifying religion. There are dozens , if not hundreds, of deities actively being worshipped within Astoria. Worshipping multiple gods, and tolerating the followers of gods who do not totally align with your own are commonplace. Inside [[Ingora Vallis]] there is a more traditional church based faith is practiced. The king is considered a divine emissary of that god and is the head of the faith. The church has little power outside of the city, though they are looking to expand. The truth is that gods are simply ordinary people who have transcended mortality. Heroes who have reached the apex of their character's arc, will find themselves looking towards higher aspirations. Those that are highly dedicated, very clever, immensely powerful, and more than anything, lucky, will break free of the shackles of mortality. They will find themselves to be as gods, and who are we to disagree. #