The Realms

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Aeledd

Aeledd is the physical and mortal realm. It is sometimes referred to as “the world” or “the real world” but it is no more real or fundamental than any other realm. However, it is the realm that is most physical and most comprehensible to living, mortal beings. It is also the domain of the incarnation of Magic, sometimes known as Tiesh. The regions, nations and peoples discussed in this book all exist on Aeledd.

The Shade

Just beyond the threshold of the physical world is the Shade, a shadowy mirror where perception and purpose matter more than logic or flesh. Long ago, the Shade was Fate’s realm. With Fate’s hand guiding it, the Shade was a place where destiny and purpose were decided. During the era of imbalance, it was a lawless frontier. Now it is drawing closer to the mortal world, and even overlapping in places.

The Void

The Void is a place of remembrance and death. The Heart of the Void is the home of Death herself, sometimes called Lesh, or the Lady of Moths. The Void is accessible to the living via both the Gate of Moths in Fortune’s Bend and via the Bridge, but outside of the rare event of the Bridging, the living can travel the Void only briefly and with great hardship.

The Divine

Stories tell of a Divine Realm that is home to the Genesori. Aeledd, the Shade and the Void exist separately but interconnected and in balance with one another. The Divine realm is completely separate since the Genesori have chosen not to touch the world directly. Those of great faith or in possession of powerful relics may occasionally call on the power of the Divine, but only the Genesori and their Divine Zeniths may physically travel there. As such, almost nothing of it is known by mortals.

Noteworthy Beings of the Realms

The Gargoyles

There are beings known as the Gargoyles. These are not the grim, stone creatures of old tales but wondrous creations of Fate, bound with the substance of the Shade and Aeledd in equal parts. Once thought to be mere myth, their presence in the world has been palpable in recent centuries. Each was entrusted with the task to watch for the gifts of the living that Fate held dear and their names speak of those assets: Lorekeeper, Tuneweaver, Heartbinder, Oathtaker, Lightseer, and Wayfinder. Now they watch the Purposed and have made it their duty to bestow blessings upon those who embodied the same gifts that Fate held dear the most.

Lorekeeper wanders through villages and cities, their ears listening for the retelling of tales of old and the first utterances of new tales that could become local lore. Their eyes watch for those who seek out the old knowledge in book and scroll and share the legends of their people. Tuneweaver, on the other hand, floats through the streets and festivals, listening for melodies that stir the heart and move the soul. Their presence is often marked by the harmonious hum of music and song.

Heartbinder moves among communities, oft unseen but ever present, their focus on those who mend broken bonds and foster unity. Oathtaker is a silent guardian of promises and commitments, recognizing those who uphold their word with unwavering resolve. Lightseer, a beacon of hope, roams the darkest corners of the world, seeking out those who bring light and optimism to others. Way Finder is the guide, they watch for those who plan, get ready and prepare. Honoring those who help others be ready for what will come their way.

The Celestials

The Celestials are the children of Death and Fate, and they are in general the most powerful denizens of the Shade. Each one has a representation among the stars, a constellation. Each celestial has 4 aspects, each associated with a different season. And each aspect has certain words and themes that represent how they influence the lives of the purposed.

Celestials of the Broken City

Celestial	Winter Aspect	Spring Aspect	Summer Aspect	Fall Aspect	Constellation
The Prisoner	The Guilty Thief often represents capture, victory of the law, or a maimed limb.	Chained by Love often represents young romance, love at first sight, obsession, or selfish affection.	The Captured Soldier often represents military defeat, a broken fighter, finally meeting someone stronger, or paying the cost of someone else’s deed.	The Unforgiven often represents self-flagellation, a prison of the mind, disgrace, despair, or regret.	Pisces
Maiden	The Seamstress often represents careful planning, hard work, construction, or a solitary profession.	The Virgin often represents purity, youth, innocence, or unspoiled wilderness.	The Dancer often represents rhythm, gaeity, celebration, courtship, or discipline versus passion.	The Bride often represents commitment, a new beginning, two becoming one, passage into adulthood, romance, or illusions.	Andromeda
Eagle	Royal Eagle often represents royalty, authority by power, or the highest authority	Majestic Flyer often represents beauty, the arts, nature, or birds.	The Black Eagle often represents war, violence on the battlefield, a seasoned veteran, or cold observation.	The Vulture often represents ugliness, fear, scavengers, evidence of guilt, survival, or unwanted obligations.	Cassiopeia
Arrow	Black Thorn often represents poison, thorns, or assassination.	Silver Arrow often represents riches, nobility, vitality, or inspiration.	War Bolt often represents war, order and chaos, unexpected bad news, or methodical thinking.	True Shaft often represents archery, success, competition, painful honesty, or a vital choice.	Triangulum
Lamb	Tethered Lamb often represents foreboding, pain, a dark fate, or innocent bait	Frolicking Lamb often represents children, frivolity, joy, or a carefree spirit.	The Ram to Be often represents predestination, leadership, strength, or heirs.	The Shorn Sheep often represents commerce, industry, trade, temporary loss,	Aries
Archer	The Steppes Bowman often represents archery as a way of life, a fierce nature, barren times or terrain, or a long shot.	The Ace Archer often represents competition, professional archers, victory, pinnacle of a martial craft, magic bows, or magic arrows.	A Child on their First Hunt often represents a new skill, an unfamiliar terrain, first-born children, acceptable failure, paternal relationships, or transition to adulthood.	The Assassin often represents assassination, poison, vital blows, a one-shot kill, or sudden loss.	Perseus
The Wife	The Baker often represents food, providers, celebration, process, end of hunger, or comfort.	The Mother often represents children, life, birth, nurture, nostalgia, or home.	The Slattern often represents disloyalty, loss of control, humiliation, practicality, the true power beneath a facade, or desire.	The Courtier often represents elegance, an unattainable goal, arrogance, wealth, or masks.	Taurus
Tyrant	The Tyrant’s Head often represents the end of tyranny, victory for good, the inevitable failure of evil, or revolution.	The Small, Petty Tyrant often represents petty authoritarians, overbearing parents, minor bureaucrats, or school bullies.	The Tyrant Rising often represents political intrigue, assassination, ambition, betrayal, or the power to rule.	The Tyrant Surrounded often represents fear, paranoia, loneliness, working for something to discover it was not worth the cost, or a harbinger of doom.	Orion
Gate	The Iron Gate often represents a way that is closed, exclusion, or that your enemy is will protected.	The Hinged Gate often represents choice, passage from one thing to another, the possibility of return, or undeath.	The Wooden Gate often represents husbandry, family, agriculture, insufficient protection, or a warning not to assume security.	The Stone Gate often represents ancient things, no possibility of return, leaving the familiar behind, or the concept of death.	Coma Berenices
Oxen	Ox tail Stew often represents a sacrifice, a needful loss of something useful, a worthwhile death that is not your own, or a ruinous moment of need.	The Baby Ox often represents strength yet to be, fertility, birth, the cycle of rural life, or investment.	The Sacrificial Beast often represents worship of the genesori, the cost of divine intervention, costly strategies, taking undue credit, or casting false suspicion.	The Beast of Burden often represents farming, carrying a burden for others, community, growth, patient labor, diligence, or lack of ambition.	Cones Venatici
The Fortress	The Stagnant Tower often represents imprisonment, starvation, inadequate shelter, or an incorrect strategy.	The Lonely Wall often represent distance from loved ones, being outnumbered, retreading old ground, diligence, or soldiers.	The Pastoral Ruins often represents complacency, a well-deserved reward, peace, old age, or a simple life disrupted.	The Embattled Keep often represents attacks from all sides, desperation, unpopular opinions, or a danger to the homefront.	Bootes
The Rat	The Scavenger often represents cleverness, stealth, the thief who steals what they must, and one who finds value where others do not.	The Plague Carrier often represents disease, pestilence, unwelcome messages, or decay.	Wharf Rat often represents untrained combat, pugilists, thuggish minions, or something larger than expected.	The Vermin often represents garbage, hysteria, unsupported fears, fear-mongering, or carrion.	Ursa minor

Celestials of the Crossroads

Celestial	Winter Aspect	Spring Aspect	Summer Aspect	Fall Aspect	Constellation
Rope	Hanged Man often represents disgrace, punishment, revolution, or warning that a past transgression will soon come to light.	Climbing Rope often represents making the impossible possible, lofty goals, transcendence, or Aeledd’s contrast with the divine realm.	The Knot often represents security, expertise, long-lasting good craftsmanship, something complex made simple, or a memory.	The Lariat often represents a failure to escape, a suddent halt, a geographically distant threat, capture, or an expansion of influence.	Draco
Crow	Sootwing often represents survival through ingenuity, adaptation, illusion, and local knowledge.	The Winged Thief often represents prosperity through cunning, mischief, tinkers, or a victory of the unworthy.	The Laden Nest often represents collections, covetousness, personal weakness, or wealth.	The Mob often represents a threat reveal, harassment, victory through numbers, or protection of community.	Corona Borealis
The Road	The Dark Path often represents unknown destinations, dangerous jouneys, unpleasant methods, or going astray.	The Cobbled Street often represents a market, finances, trade, civilization, crowds, expansion, a great city, or conquest through money.	The Road Untaken often represents adventure, promise, ingenuity, good times, or meeting new friends.	The Pass often represents a way through difficulty, rewards for persistence, pressure from multiple sides, or an effective idea.	Serpens
The Beggar	The Starving Man often represents hunger that does not end, the displaced, those too prideful to beg, or charity.	The Con Artist often represents thieves, lies, deception, or vulnerable prey.	The Wounded Veteran often represents maimed limbs, infantry soldiers, widows and widowers, or an overlooked need.	The Humble Beggar often represents beggars, poverty, desperate need, inequality, or an overlooked asset.	Hercules
The Flame	The Hearth often represents, home, family, homesteading, hospitality, or acceptance.	Campfire often represents safety, warmth, danger just beyond sight, or storytelling.	Burning Inferno often represents pain, uncontrolled fire, torture, arson, passion, or rage.	The Spark often represents life, inspiration, creation, or dedication.	Auriga
The Hut	Roadside Tavern often represents safety from the elements, an oasis, far travelers, traders, or rumors.	The Stranger’s House often represents a warning to be wary of the open door. It can also represent insanity, perversion of home, or returning home to find it changed.	The Hovel often represents hardship, charity, destitution, moral bankruptcy, or a decaying society.	The Rangers Lean-To Camp often represents rangers, hunting for food, using natural resources, distance from home, or emotional solitude.	Monoceros
The Bear Trap/Trap	The Rusty Jaws often represents inept hunters, unusable things, an unsprung trap, or disease.	The Bloody Trap often represents a costly escape, blood, maimed limbs, desperate sacrifice, or the prey having the last word.	The Large Bear Caught often represents hunters, trappers, a great thing destroyed by trickery, immobility, extortion, or circumstantial consraints.	The Empty Trap often represents failure, an inept hunter or thief, a failed ambush, a false victory, or the opponent having the last laugh.	Gemini
The Old Woman	The Grandmother often represents kindness, wisdom, gifts, and knowledge.	The Widow often represents grief, sadness, loss, love coming to an end, or the Cairns.	The Hag often represents punishment, arcane power, fear of the unknown, guilt, or misanthropy.	The Storyteller often represents history, knowledge, morality, creativity, bards, or prophecy.	Canis Minor
Hound	The Mad Dog often represents frenzy, bestial nature, the familiar turning on you, and feral canines.	A Boy’s Best Friend often represents dogs, unquestioning loyalty and friendship, nostalgia, or the return of an old friend.	The Warhound often represents a dog of huge size, a torn throat, the bestial nature of war, the loyalty of troops to their commander, or words turning to violence.	The Drowned Puppy often represents waste, cruelty, orphans, cowardly murder, or innocence lost.	Lynx
Hunter	The Trapper often represents the patient predator, the provincial provider, making use of every resource, and knowing your target.	The Fisherman often represents bounty from mystery, fishermen, temptation leading to danger, or a wide-reaching trap.	The Trophy Hunter often represents disregard for others, great skill, a braggart, a legend brought to an end, gluttony, or obsession.	The Bounty Hunter often represents vigilantism, blood money, unorthodox justice, a lonely hunt, or a warning of danger.	Cancer
Stallion	The Stud often represents being past one’s prime, noble lineage, retirement, or arranged marriages.	The Unicorn often represents the Arcanis, a healer-warrior, the power of pure emotions, innocence, curatives, or healers.	The Wild Spirit often represents speed, freedom, an unbreakable spirit, graceful strength, or the guardian of a natural place.	The War Horse often represents warfare, bravery, thundering power, unstoppable force, carrying extra burdens, or the crushing of hope.	Camelopardis

Celestials of the Faraway Isle

Celestial	Winter Aspect	Spring Aspect	Summer Aspect	Fall Aspect	Constellation
Lioness	Shape in the Grass often represents an expert, provider that risks all, rangers, and a culler of the sick or weak.	The Ousted Mate often represents maternal instinct, exile, selfless acts for the young or weak, hard living, or protecting a legacy.	The Pride often represents companies, teamwork, many hands with one mind, skirmishers, or a besieged group.	The Queen often represents inherent nobility, savage beauty, power behind the throne, or a delicate negotiation.	Leo Minor
Lion	Among the Pride often represents suspicion, familial treachery, protection, and hereditary rulers.	King of Beasts often represents kinship, natural heirarcy, divine right, charisma, the Kingmaker, or beasts.	The Lion Rampant often represents righteous rage, retaliation from on high, an unconquerable spirit, and genealogy.	The Manhunter often represents hubris, ignorance of nature, foolishness, just desserts, or being put in one’s place.	Leo Minor
Stag	The White Hart often represents legends, great trophies, elusive answers, or a reward for a kind heart.	The Prey often represents escape, alertness, trickery, stealth, self-preservation, instinct, or fear.	The Young Buck often represents virility, competition, masculinity, passage to adulthood, or persistence.	The Carcass often represents the concept of death, trading beauty for practicality, cycle of life, food chains, or commonality after removal of status.	Ursa Major
The Shell	The Crab often represents risks bringing rewards, alien forms, evasion, armor, or lower societal class.	The Mollusk often represents fool’s gold, basic needs, unremarkable things, want versus need, or a reward incongruent with effort.	The Oyster often represents riches, desire, hidden treasure, humility, or defense.	The Egg often represents faith in the outcome, mystery, caretakers, or that a great future requires effort.	Lyra
The Explorer	The Anthropologist often represents a foreign people, minority becoming majority, new customs, or understanding.	The Cartographer often represents order, conquering fear, evaluation of assets, scholars, or gaining a new perspective.	The Treasure Hunter often represents greed, adventure, reward at the end of a dangerous road, puzzles, legends, or chasing a dream.	The Archaeologist often represents ancient secrets, things lost being found, careful preservation, or a message from the past.	Sagitta
The Ship	The Raft often represents trade, bloodflow, heedless wandering, or acceptance of the outcome.	The Shipwreck oftne represents scavengers, despair, senseless loss, punishment, or loss to overpowering forces.	The Oceanrider often represents hope in the face of impossible odds, trust in the unseen, shallow knowledge, or confidence in a dangerous situation.	Coastal Skimmer often represents a risktaker, a fringe society, unstable or dangerous terrain, or danger on all sides.	Aquila
The Jewel	White Diamond often represents marriage, riches, purity, supreme toughness, or assigned value.	Green Emerald often represents vanity, jewelry, aristocracy, snobbery, or arrogance.	Red Ruby often represents blood, love, anger, killing out of passion, assigning value to life, or status by association.	A Rock often represents being cheated, an unlucky result, worthlessness, undeserved outcasts, or doting parents.	Vulpecula
The Pit	The Void often represent permanent death or self-determination.	The Open Grave often represents a doorway for those you have slain, unfinished business, the Bonekeeper, fear of death, or portents of danger.	The Abyss often represents insatiable hunger, dark urges, temptation, or corruption.	The Precipice often represents an important decision, caution, foolishness, balance, or a warning that the ends do not justify the means.	Cygnus
River	The Delta often represents imminent danger, imminent loss of control, passage into a different world, or an expansive world.	Flood often represents betrayal, danger below the surface, overwhelming circumstances, or loss of a friend to outside forces.	The Source often represents life, mountains, rain, cycles, solving a mystery, oases, or a reward for difficult work.	Meander often represents trade, following a set course, being carried along, or reliability.	Delphinus
Jackal	The Jackal in the Shadows often represents assassins, highwaymen, fanatics, or a treacherous end from an unlikely source.	The Baby Eater often represents monstrous action born of desperation, the small or the weak, thuggery, a robbery that ends in death, or the betrayal of the duty of care.	A Pack of Carrion Eaters often represents a ragged assembly, a gang of criminals, scavengers, starvation, or systemic injustice.	The Lone Jackal often represents a thief on their own, a master thief, a tombraider, or standing alone against a crowd.	Equuleus
Beast	Eyes in the Darkness often represents mystery, terror of the unknown, or bravery.	The Subtle Threat often represents betrayal, hidden in plain sight, lack of caution, or a misleading appearance.	Great Monster often represents strength, fortitude, terror of the unknown, or knowledge of mortality.	The Hunted Beast often represents the hunt, tracking, caution, a battle of wills, or the ends of endurance.	Cepheus
Sentinel	Watcher in the Dark often represents sinister intentions, unknown foes, becoming prey, or scrying.	The Golem often represents a dormant power, eternal sleep, hubris, enchanters, constructs, or stifled will.	The Gargoyle often represents a dangerous location, a bane to evil, night, or the Purposed.	The Night Watchman often represents fear of the dark, psychological fear, neglect of duty, terror, or weak defenses.	Lacerta

Celestials of the Killing Fields

Celestial	Winter Aspect	Spring Aspect	Summer Aspect	Fall Aspect	Constellation
The Worm	Worm in a Jar often represents biology, the scientific study of nature, specimens, childhood, or captivity.	Worm on a Hook often represent fishing, bait for a trap, prioritizing utilty over life, a final service, or dread.	Worm in the Grave often represents the inevitablity of death, decay, the Cairns, the undead, a spoiled bounty, or a warning of corruption.	The Worm Within often represents parasites, decomposition, transience of flesh, wasting illnesses, or vulnerability to corruption.	Pegasus
Priest	The Counselor often represents good advice, preparation, intangible obstacles, or recognizing personal weakness.	The Exalted often represents piety, humility, angels, divine magic, or a paragon of faith.	The Confessor often represents judgment, eyes of the genesori, Zeniths, torture, guilt, siege, or persistence.	The Charitable Friar often represents travel, last rites, pity, providing for the needy, or faith without arrogance.	Canis Major
Ghost	The Hallway Spirit often represents murder, treachery, family ties, or secrets behind a normal facade.	The Wisp often represents a beacon, wind, a neglected situation, attention for the meek, or fragile emotions.	The Garden Spectre often represents being watched, evil within beauty, spite, envy, or toxic family.	The Shade often represents condemnation, revenge, murderous intent, or insurmountable evil.	Puppis
Lance	The Jousting Rod often represents high spirits, festivity, glory without risk, and competition among nobility.	…and Aid them in Romance often represents flirtation, physical attractiveness, wooing, foppery, illlegitimate children, or romantic tales.	To Make them Grand in Battle… often represents cavalry, nobility in war, national struggles on a personal level, glory. knights, or heraldrics.	The Page’s Burden often represents aspirations, conformity, rigid structure, or societal injustice.	Volans
Knight	The Black Knight often represents authorized treachery, broken rules, cheating, and brains over brawn.	Knight Errant often represents travel, solitary existence, integrity, honor, or being beholden to none.	The Courtly Lover often represents romance, unspoken love, courtship, chivalry, noble sacrifice, or poets.	The Guardian often represents bodyguards, martyrs, protection, the value of life, or selflessness.	Cornina
Owl	The Sleeping Owl often represents dulled wisdom, danger running amok, or untapped knowledge.	The Hatchling often represents unfamiliar territory, students, bewilderment, or beginning of knowledge.	The Great Horned Owl often represents merciless judgment, omniscience, power and dignity, or knowledge of wrongdoing.	The Barn Owl often represents compelling charisma, subtlety, silence, assassins, or an enemy nearby.	Pyxis
Witch	Snow Queen often represents cruelty, envy, relationship endings, or cold.	The Trickster often represents justice, vengeance, dark humor, or exposing flaws.	Bright Lady often represents light, compassion, joy, restorative magics, or broken curses.	The Crone often represents evil, decay, power, curses, or the warning against rigid opinions.	Vela
Squire	The Sullen Lad often represents envy, resentment, underappreciated work, or threat of treachery.	The Secret Admirer often represents unrequited love, distraction from duty, personal over national, or ideation.	The Heir often represents respect for elders, tradition, reward for duty, celebration of children, or generational trauma.	The Young Sir often represents undeserved status, insincerity, a cruel leader, a sheltered mind, or a childhood disrupted.	Sextens
Boar	The Winter Feast often represents a fall from grace, the spoils of war, or a nullified threat.	The Jolly Trotter often represents carefree joy, games, time for family, virility, or flirtation.	The Angry Prey often represents the tables turned, victory of the oppressed, underestimation, or the end of a regime.	The Burrow often represents unseen danger, a sudden attack, sacred ground, or a last stand.	Antila
Sword	The Hoarfrost Blade often represents being unprepared for battle, carelessness, something useless but pretty, or inexperience.	The Bloodletter often represents bloodlust, unwarranted violence, sadism, draining away, or carnage.	Sword on the Mantlepiece often represents inheritance, rich history, destiny, a greater purpose, or a forgotten purpose.	The Shattered Blade often represents effort for nothing, an inviable solution, impotence, defeat, or strategic intelligence.	Chameleon
Shield	One Man’s Roof often represents time for reevaluation, making use of assets, determination, or wanderers.	The Buckler often represents agility, overconfidence, rogues, or anticipation of attack.	Tower Shield often represents a great burden, all options having high cost, an army, a military defense, or a voluntary recluse.	The Coat of Arms often represents pride, a family matter, a strategic target, heraldrics, inner strength, or the strengths of animals.	Crater
Dragon	The Frost Drake often represents overcoming weakness, mastering elements, ice, or a heartless warrior.	The Scaly Hide often represents a fierce protector, rain, an impenetrable defense, or a strategy to attack the interior.	The Great Wyrm often represents a sacrifice required, an overpowering enemy, fire, terror, destruction, or storms.	The Slain Beast often represents a great thing brought low, a successful quest, the end of a long conflict, or that insurmountable odds are better than they appear.	Hydra

The Vargoth

The Vargoth are mysterious entities that destroyed Valarmore over a decade ago and are currently attacking the Five Duchies. The Vargoth were widely considered mindless monsters, and so the world was shocked when the Vargoth Empire declared themselves a nation, peer to the others of Aeledd, and expressed a desire to open diplomatic and trade relations. Some nations have opened negotiations with the Vargoth, while others support the Five Duchies and their defense of the Howling Gates. For now, most nations remain divided or neutral, either uncertain how to proceed in this unexpected turn of events or unwilling to engage with either side of a war being fought in faraway lands. But more and more peoples and nations are beginning to understand the threat the Vargoth represent.

The foot soldiers of the Vargoth assaults appear to be those who have fallen in previous attacks, reduced to empty Husks by some unknown means. Other people seemed to have Turned to the Vargoth cause with their minds intact. Alice Stormbow, now the High Herald of the Vargoth Empire was once one of their fiercest opponents. Those who have been where the fighting is the fiercest have reported bloodcurdling shrieks in the distance, but if any have seen the source of these noises, they have not lived to tell the tale. All these facts have led to a great deal of speculation about the true nature of the Vargoth and the means by which they recruit their forces – speculation which has thus far produced very few answers.