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[hider=The Gods and Goddesses]

[u][b]Zray - The Lady of Death[/b][/u]

[indent]Zray is the Goddess of death.  She is not the one who claims the souls of those who pass on but she is the one who cares for them when they do.  She constructs an after-life that is tailored to the individual and will use this as a place to help everyone work through any unresolved issues they have left in life.   She is often depicted one of two ways, and it depends on how close the mortal is to the end of their fate.  At first, if a mortal catches a glimpse of Zray she will appear like their worst nightmare.  She does this to give those young and full of life a healthy fear of death.  When someone closes in on their end, Zray adopts a form that appears to be someone that they love.  In the end, Zray wants nothing more than to be a familiar and friendly face that walks someone to the next stage of their existence.[/indent]

[u][b]Luna - The God of the Hunt[/b][/u]

[indent]Luna is the god of the hunt.  He is often depicted as a cross between a wood elf and a deer, the bottom half-elf and the top deer.  He focuses on both aspects of the hunt, offering his blessings to both the hunter and the hunted.  Those who seek his blessings would do well to remember that those on the other end may have done the same.  While he does not call any part of the mortal plane home, he has a love for the Elder Woods and the wood elves that call it home.  As such, he has blessed the Elder Woods with his Spirit Birds.  These birds are what allow him to infuse the lands with his magic, allowing those who live within to thrive.[/indent][/hider]

[hider=Eldoria] Eldoria is the name of the continent where our story takes place.  The landmass is a long continent that is wide near the western beginning and the eastern end of it, with a thin strip in the middle that connects the two sections.  The equator runs down on the south side of this landmass, meaning that the southern coast is a hot, tropical, and luxurious place while the northern coast is battered by a near-perpetual winter.  There are numerous mountain ranges, some claimed by the dwarves and the rest claimed by goblins, orcs, and other creatures of the dark.[/hider]  

[hider=Human Factions and other notable groups in their area] [indent]Humanity is generally concentrated on the western edge of Eldoria.  There are three main factions and a thousand smaller ones that dot the landscape here.  In terms of the powerhouses, the three main factions are The Frost Tribes of the North, The Solar Disciples in the South, and The Empire of Man in between the two.  Legend states that the three areas were once one whole empire, long before even The Maestro descended to our realm.  When the emperor died, his three sons fought for control over the strong empire.  Their fights turned violent, and what was one became three.

The Frost Tribes: are a loose confederation of smaller factions.  They will typically wage war on each other, and raid the lands south of them for prosperity.  Temples of the Frost God dot the Landscape here.  They have one main capital city, Skor, and it sits well within the arctic tundra making it safe from most attacks during the year.  Their warriors are some of the most brutal that humankind produces, and feature warriors who try and defeat their opponents through brawn alone.  They bring the cold of their home with them when they do travel, and they have strong ice magic that can conjure powerful blizzards, ice spears, and even a cold that can freeze a man solid.  Their goal, as a people, is to spread the cold of their home to the rest of the world.

The Empire of Man is the strongest human kingdom, and they boast one of the largest armies on the continent.  They are trained well enough and typically focus on formation fighting and siege warfare.   Their soldiers are well armored, well armed, and well fed, and this almost distracts from the fact that the common soldier is not well clothed, well nourished, or well looked after.  To the Empire of Man sacrifice is as vital to their war effort as the soldiers, and to the Empire of Man nothing matters more than a compelling military victory.  They worship the God of Justice, even if their courts are anything but just.  They face constant raids from the Frost Tribes, massive assaults by the Solar Disciples, and a near-perpetual war with the Badland races.

The Solar Disciples are the most prosperous of the three human factions thanks to their ample coastline and powerful navy.  They control the most traveled shipping lanes on this side of Eldoria, and as such they have a much more powerful standing army pound for pound when compared with the rest of the Human Factions.  Their soldiers are almost all battlemages, using the fire magic provided by their God of the Sands, and are equipped with fire-enchanted weapons and armor courtesy of the Runes smiths in the dwarven lands.  Their cities are more sparse, popping up around the three major rivers that snake their way to the oceans through their territories. 

One of these cities, Arcane Junction, is one of the premier destinations for scholars of the magical arts and is a marvelous sight that rivals even the grand cities of the high-elven people.

On the western side of the continent, on the other side of the West Spire mountains reside the badlands.  Here, massive tribal groups of centaurs and orcs threaten the Empire of Man.  These various tribes rarely band together, but when they do they can threaten to breach the fortifications that protect the empire.[/indent][/hider] 

[Hider=Dwarves][indent]Dwarves are spread out all across the lands, typically found within the mountain ranges but some small factions call the surface world their home.  They are typically fairly short, but very strong for their size.  When the mountain dwarves venture out of their fortress home they are typically clad in thick armor, and travel in force.  

Iron Dwarves are the dwarven faction that controls the central mountain range that connects the two ends of Eldoria.  They are the richest faction in our realm by gem wealth alone, and they are also the group of dwarves that can single-handedly influence the trade between the realm of man, and the elven realms.  They constructed the grand road, the wide cobblestone street that runs from one end of the continent to the other, and they alone can block it off to those who no longer have access to it.  Their wealth has brought them much influence, but it has also brought them much in terms of power.  They have access to some of the most advanced weaponry that has ever graced a battlefield, and it is this advanced weaponry that they keep locked behind their walls.  Gunpowder weapons have become relatively common in the defense of their fortresses.  

The Ironspire Citadel is once such a fortress.  It is found near the center of the continent proper, and it is one of the most defensive positions in all the realms.  As well, the mines underneath it are still very rich in their exotic ores.

Steel Dwarves are the heavily armored fighting force that lay claim to the Snow Peak Mountains on the eastern flank of Eldoria.  They are the most numerous, and most centralized, dwarven faction and as such, they are considered the second most powerful dwarven faction.  Their name comes from their superior armor and melee weapons that each dwarf carries with them into battle.  As well, their weapons and armor carry with them the fabled runes of power that enhance their defense and offensive capabilities.  While they used to war heavily with their high-elf neighbors, the two have known peace for three hundred years concurrently.

The Light-Foot dwarves are a loose band of dwarves who call the surface world their home.  They lived in peace to the south of the Iron Dwarves until Maestro arrived and desolated their lands.  They have been scattered ever since.  Their lands now form the vast majority of the desolate lands, where nothing ever grows and it is said that the souls of The Maestro's victims still haunt these lands to this day.  These rumors were so strong that the Iron Dwarves built their great road well around the blighted edges of this land.  Today, they are found all over Eldoria however the biggest group calls the wood-elves forest their home.

The Obsidian Bastion is found here, and there have been talks from the Light-Foot leaders of taking back their land and they plan to start with the Obsidian Bastion.  The local warlord who calls this fortress his home, Droz The Cruel, has heard of these plans and has bolstered his control over his fortress.  

Chaos dwarves are the only dwarven faction found on the islands around Eldoria.  They are a scourge of the ocean and war with the Solar Disciples near constantly.  Their island homes are volcanically active, and as such they feature chaos magic-infused obsidian weapons, and their fortresses are built to withstand the heat, and lava flows they face.  Not much is known about their culture but it is speculated that they have begun to harness the power of demons to fuel their war machines.[/indent][/hider]

[hider=Elven Factions][indent]There are two primary elven factions, the high-elves of Silvermoor and the wood-elf covens.  The high elves typically enjoy long, lavish lives where needs are met and wants are forgotten.  Their soldiers are the most well-trained on the planet, thanks to their decades-long training regiments and continued practice through their centuries of service.  They have hundreds of cities, with each featuring towering spires and many wonders of the world.  The Silvermoor Elves rule over them all.  The Silvermoor bloodline can be traced back for tens of thousands of years, and they have led the High Elves to their position of power.  The only thing that has prevented them from total conquest of Eldoria in the past is their low birth rates and small standing army.

The High-Elf territory holds the mortal realm presence of the Lady of Death.  She came to the mortal plane years  ago and resides within the Verdant Canopy.  While attempts have been made to clear her from her home, any who have entered to do so did not leave this forest.  As such, the high-elves of Silvermoor have reluctantly accepted the presence of death in their lands.  

The Wood-Elf covens are independent but are easily united groups that call the Elder Tree forests their home.  These covens allow any into their ranks so long as they respect the land they dwell on and pay respects to the Elder Tree while they reside here.  Lumelight Haven is located here and it is the primary holy site of both the Wood Elves and the druidic orders from all the realm.[/indent][/hider]

[hider=Other factions and races]There exist many smaller nations that dot the landscape, and many more races who hold positions of power.  One would do well to remember that just because they are from a place where their faction ruled without struggle, they do not share the same blessings in these nations.[/hider]