Azurvale. If a plucky hero from earth was to be placed anywhere, it would probably be here. Not me and you, of course. Granted that you are summoned to Valenfrost like I was.
Azurvale is a large continent that spans as wide as the abyssal sea. Home to many and probably one of the safest places to be, Azurvale’s terrain is described as grassy hills, impressive mountains, diverse forests, and clear lakes. It’s basically the perfect place for a fantasy hero to get his start.
Azurvale is also a mix of many cultures and factions. The most prominent of all of them however, is the Lumen Kingdom.
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FACTIONS
THE LUMEN KINGDOM
Medieval Europe basically. At least what I can tell judging from the weaponry and armor. The Lumen Kingdom is governed by its king, who also doesn’t have as much power as old kings did. In fact, from what I’ve been able to figure out, there is a council that controls and votes on decisions made by said king. Possibly made up of nobles and important figures, the council is the central government for the ever expanding kingdom.
Their central religion revolves around Delphine, the goddess of light and healing. You can read more about her in the Gods chapter. Despite their devotion to her, their government actually separates the church from politics. Funny.
The Lumen Kingdom has a history with the rest of the world, from sparking conflicts to invading foreign lands, they are pretty much disliked by a lot of countries. Still, there was a supposed time where this wasn’t the case.
Falrick’s Notes
The Lumen Kingdom stretches across all of Eastern Azurvale’s coast, their reach expanding slowly through the continent. They do this by absorbing smaller kingdoms and clans, either by negotiations or forceful invasion. This way of expansion would soon lead to a bloody war between both the Kingdom and the nomads of Valenfrost.
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Despite the apparent separation of church and council, there are signs that these laws aren’t fully enforced or obeyed. For example, one of the most notable troops under Lumen control are the Lumen Knights. Highly trained and dangerous most of the time, these guys worship Delphine and follow her doctrine. They’re also not bound like inquisitors and can choose to fight for the Lumen Kingdom.
Faust’s Notes
My experience with the Lumen Kingdom hasn't been so great. I’ll admit, there is some bias against them. They did nearly kill me after all and their goddess isn’t exactly squeaky clean. That’s a story for another time however.
KINGDOM OF STERYOS
I don’t know much about them. If I recall correctly, they occupy the land west of the Lumen Kingdom and are relatively neutral.
FARKOS REPUBLIC
Again, not a lot to tell. They reside farther west of Azurvale, bordering with the Gale Sea and the Horus Mountains. What I’ve heard of them is that they’re a much more contained faction, made up of mostly elves.
HORUS MOUNTAINS
This one I do have some info on. A late friend of mine was from these mountains. Before he passed, he did tell me of his homeland, the Horus Mountains. Ranging from the far west to the east, these mountains are the home to the dwarves.
The Horus Mountains are made up of multiple colonies, which are basically clans. They once fought and bickered amongst themselves centuries back, even waged wars in the mountains. From what I was told, they only stopped when there was a disease that ravaged them. It only affected dwarves and gnomes, so the mountains were a hotspot. Thousands died and many left to find refuge and haven somewhere else. This left the Horus Mountains nearly abandoned.
After a couple of centuries, the mountains sort of grew back to what it used to be. The colonies made peace and they focused on mining the mountains for their resources to trade and keep themselves fed.
The Horus Mountains are not really a faction. They don’t attack nor expand and are relatively peaceful. As peaceful as a group of dwarves are. They are only made up of dwarves, and only accept other dwarves into the mountains. People can visit for sure, but they can’t overstay their welcome. Trading is really the one thing you can do over there as a person.