Welcome to Eldraine

Eldraine is a medieval world filled with knights, castles, and magical creatures. Wild magic is woven through the heart of the plane and two opposing but intertwined sides battle over it, impossible to untangle one from the other. Many cherished fables and fairy tales find a new life in Eldraine; from Little Red Riding Hood to Three Blind Mice, classic stories are given twists and turns and re-imagined as part of this wondrous world.

The Realm and the Wilds

Eldraine is a medieval world filled with knights, castles, and magical creatures. Wild magic is woven through the heart of the plane and two opposing but intertwined sides battle over it, impossible to untangle one from the other: The Realm, the lands of human kingdoms, and the Wilds, the forest home of the fair folk.

History

Before the rise of humanity, elves ruled the land that is now the realm. Legends say that in ancient times the woods had no borders and its wild growth stretched as far as the eye could see. According to the humans, the elves were proud, arrogant, vain, and cruel, and they allowed any sort of magic to flourish unchecked. They asserted that those who were too weak to defend themselves should bend the knee to those more powerful in exchange for protection.

Eight or nine generations ago, humans rose to power and drove the elves out of what would become the realm. They pushed the elves into the forests, cleared large swaths of land to free them from fae magic, and founded five knightly courts. The woods itself retreated with the elves, creating the divide between the realm and the wilds that Eldraine has known in the centuries since.

The Realm

Most of the realm is small hamlets and farmland, but it is ruled over by five royal courts: Ardenvale, Vantress, Locthwain, Embereth, and Garenbrig. These courts serve and protect the people of the realm and uphold their fundamental virtues. The five courts are mostly independent states, but they are unified as one realm under the rule of the High Throne. Though they may harbor fierce rivalries on the tournament grounds, they are rarely in open conflict with one another and have never openly been at war.

Each court was established around a relic of tremendous magical power. They were originally elvish treasures from when elves ruled the land, but their origin is unknown. These relics are wondrous, mysterious objects with immense magical power and a sentience that lies just beyond mortal understanding. What is known for certain is that each of the five relics is the physical embodiment of one of five virtues and possesses the power to judge that virtue within individuals. In the realm, the virtues of the relics (and their judgement) are considered objective and inarguable, and it is this infallibility around which all of realm society is built.

Virtues

Life in the realm revolves around five fundamental virtues: loyalty, knowledge, persistence, courage, and strength. All denizens of the realm, be they knights, nobles, or peasants, strive to uphold these virtues in their everyday life. When a person in the realm wishes to compliment or insult another, they will often cite their success or failure to live by one virtue or another. The five virtues are established by the five relics and are thusly treated with absolute respect and authority. The denizens of the realm see all the virtues as ideals to strive for.

Knights

In the realm, knighthood is among the highest honors one can receive. Knights are revered as champions, heroes, and paragons of virtue. Knights of the realm, who are all addressed with the honorific "Syr," have many responsibilities, from protecting innocent townsfolk to going on daring adventures in the wilds. Knights are often equipped with finely crafted armor and weaponry, ride noble steeds of various size and species, and occasionally wield powerful magic drawn from the relic of their respective court. Achieving knighthood in one of the courts means taking on a quest to prove excellence in that court's virtue. In some courts, the final step to becoming a true knight involves being judged by that court's relic.

The High Quest

About once a generation, a mysterious creature called the Questing Beast chooses an extraordinary knight to undertake a grueling challenge, called the Great Quest, to claim the High Throne of the realm. Those seeking the High Throne must achieve knighthood from all five of the realm's royal courts, proving they are virtuous enough to be worthy of the loftiest position in the realm.

Ardenvale

Perched on top of a hill overlooking the pastures and fields of the realm is Castle Ardenvale. Within its great white walls are acres of manicured lawns and precise, lush gardens. Near the top of the castle's central tower, the Circle of Loyalty is protected by dozens of loyal guards.

Ardenvale is a beacon of peace in the realm, standing as both a symbolic and literal object of power. Merely speaking its name is thought to weave subtle magic of protection around the speaker and their allies. Ardenvale is the seat of the High King.

Rule of the High King

The current ruler of Ardenvale is the High King, King Kenrith.

Virtue: Loyalty

Ardenvale is built upon the core virtue of loyalty. The court sees loyalty as a foundation of kinship and trust that supports the other virtues, not merely a slavish obedience to whoever happens to be in charge.

Ego is the enemy of loyalty, because it undermines that foundation of trust and harmony. Thus, Ardenvale knights strive to perfect their virtue by forsaking selfish thoughts and desires.

Knights of Ardenvale

The knights of Ardenvale are loyal above all else—not just to its rulers, but to each other, and to the entire community that makes up the court. A true knight's loyalty trumps any sense of arrogance or self-importance: victory belongs to the group, not to any individual member, and even a lone knight's glory accrues to Ardenvale as a whole.

Ardenvale knights are fierce in battle, and all the more so when fighting in a group. They rarely quest alone, and loyalty means that no knight is ever left behind in the clutches of the enemy. When not engaged in battle or questing alone in the wilds, Ardenvale's knights love to gather at the court for company and conversation, treasures they value above all others.

Relic: The Circle of Loyalty

At the heart of Castle Ardenvale is a magical ring of eternally burning silver fire known as the Circle of Loyalty. To be named a knight of Ardenvale, aspirants must walk through the flame, for its magic can detect selfish people and prideful motives. Those who pass through the flame unscathed are deemed worthy and knighted at the center of the ring itself. Those who are burned are quickly pulled out and healed, but rarely are they allowed to attempt the trial a second time.

Embereth

The court of Embereth lies in the mountains near Ardenvale. To the locals, Embereth refers to the entire surrounding free city, while the large tournament complex some call a castle is known by its "true" name: The Burning Yard. The Burning Yard is a large collection of competition arenas, training rooms, and grandstands that hosts a never- ending tournament that features jousting, wrestling, horseback melee, one-on-one combat, archery, and other martial skills. It is a beloved destination known throughout the realm, and both knights and aspirants from all five courts will come here to see how they stack up against the competition. Participation is open to all brave enough to enter.

Rule by Council

In place of a single ruler, Embereth has a ruling council made up of its knights and its noble class. The nobility in particular have a reputation for hotheadedness and fiery passions, which is reflected in the frequency of personal conflict "taken outside" to the Burning Yard. Such contests are rarely fatal, and all participants readily accept the outcome as a final resolution of the dispute.

Virtue: Courage

Knights of Embereth believe that courage is the highest virtue, as nothing done without bravery can truly be considered virtuous. Without bravery, no one would ever try a new thing or work to improve their skills. But with courage in one's heart, no challenge is too great.

Fear and cowardice are the enemies of valor, so Embereth's knights strive to conquer their fear. Empty courage is an easy way to get oneself killed, but true courage is knowing how to use the gift of fear as a motivator for achievement.

Knights

Embereth's knights are famously optimistic, singularly certain that anything is achievable so long as you face it head- on. They are gregarious and confident, and always willing to try new experiences, though they're not particularly long- lived. As a show of courage, Embereth knights never carry shields and often incorporate the broken shields of opponents into their armor.

Embereth's knights are intrigued by irrationally dangerous quests, believing that the most frightening challenges are the ones most worth conquering. A knight might seek to slay a faerie that terrorized them as a child, a witch that took their mother, or a giant that sat on their lover's house.

Relic: The Irencrag

The Burning Yard is built beside the Irencrag—a massive boulder glowing with volcanic heat. In order to become a knight of Embereth, an aspirant must first face the fear inspired by its red-hot surface in order to plunge their sword into the boulder. If they are truly courageous, they can pull their sword back out, but if they are cowardly or hindered by fear, the sword remains stuck in the Irencrag.

According to Embereth knights, the Irencrag will speak to aspiring knights in a voice only they can hear, often taunting them as a test of their courage.

Garenbrig

Built by giants long before the ascendancy of humans in the realm, Castle Garenbrig is an enormous and strikingly odd structure. The main bulk of Garenbrig is its relic, the Great Henge, which sits atop a jutting stone outcropping. The rest of the castle encircles the Henge at a human size and scale, making the court a harmonious fusion of giant-sized stone, human construction, and natural growth.

The large, central stone of Garenbrig forms the gnomon of a sundial. At certain times and dates, the monoliths surrounding the central stone align with the path of celestial bodies and open a temporary gateway into the deepest, darkest parts of the wilds.

Rule of the King

The current king of Garenbrig is a Stone Giant named Yorvo, who towers over even others of his kind. He wears a crown fashioned from the broken weapons of those who have challenged him to claim his position. To all the court's knights and nobles, Yorvo and his throne are a reminder of the proper use of strength: protecting those less strong than yourself.

Virtue: Strength

Above all, the knights of Garenbrig prize raw physical strength. A Garenbrig knight should be able to wield the largest weapons, wear the heaviest armor, and perform feats of strength that border on supernatural. They also value strength of will and character—but as an addition to physical power, not a replacement.

Strength is the most external of the virtues, and this shapes the Garenbrig worldview. They view action as far more important than intention or desire and take a dim view of people who focus on their interior lives and personal virtue without actually doing anything.

Knights of Garenbrig

To become a knight of Garenbrig, one must demonstrate a great feat of strength, something beyond the capabilities expected of their size and species. The ruler of the court is the arbiter of whether a feat of strength is worthy of knighthood.

Those who have earned knighthood take great pride in their strength and deploy it readily, even in pursuits that the other courts consider un-knightly. Garenbrig knights can often be found wrestling giants and fighting great beasts in the forest, but they can just as often be found carrying water in a fire brigade or clearing trees after a storm. They are fond of stories and contests in the great hall at Garenbrig, but most knights are found out in the world, helping and protecting the weak and innocent.

Relic: The Great Henge

The Great Henge is a large circle of enormous stone monoliths arranged in a variety of shapes and patterns, depending on when you visit it. A singular mountainous stone slab dominates the center of the Henge and acts as the gnomon of a massive sundial. At sunrise and sunset on certain dates, the shadows of the surrounding monoliths fall in such a way that the central stone becomes a magical gate to the depths of the wilds. The surrounding calendar stones can be lifted and moved to align with the desired time and location of the journey. Moving a monolith even slightly is a great feat of strength; moving several of them to the right positions to open the portal is enough to virtually guarantee a Garenbrig knighthood.

Locthwain

At one point in time, Castle Locthwain was a mobile, flying fortress—an enormous magical structure floating on rainclouds, constantly moving. Unfortunately, the Castle fell to the ground during the Phyrexian invasion, the mechanism that kept it aloft permanently damaged.

The interior of Locthwain is a labyrinth of narrow passages connecting great halls. Knights from other courts who have wandered in the maze have compared it to the wilds, suggesting that elven magic contributes to the sense of disorientation and, eventually, terror that claims those who become lost in the castle.

Virtue: Persistence

In the view of Locthwain, persistence is the highest virtue because it directs and marshals the other virtues toward a purpose. In Locthwain, persistence means determination, purposefulness, commitment, tirelessness, the stubborn refusal to give up.

Knights of Locthwain

The knights of Locthwain are haughty, believing themselves superior to other knights by their devotion to the highest virtue. They are pragmatic enough to flee a losing battle, but their persistence ensures that they will find some way to return and defeat their enemies.

Relic: The Cauldron of Eternity

The Cauldron of Eternity is said to be a huge stone cauldron with the power to bestow everlasting life and restore life to the dead, so long as it finds them worthy. When elves ruled the realm, Castle Locthwain sat atop the cave where the Cauldron of Eternity was housed. But when humans took over the realm, the Cauldron was lost to the wilds. Locthwain knights seek out the Cauldron of Eternity to curry favor with queen Ayara.

Vantress

Castle Vantress rises like an island up from the surface of Lochmere, a mist-shrouded lake in a remote part of the realm. Banners and pennants fly from its spires and water flows freely throughout the fortress like an elaborate fountain. The castle rests on top of a large shaft that is normally full of water. At the bottom of this shaft is a dim, cave-like space where the Magic Mirror rests.

Castle Vantress is renowned as a center of scholarship in the realm, and researchers and questioners from the other courts often make the difficult journey to Vantress to find information that can't be found anywhere else.

Rule by Magic

Unlike the other courts, Vantress has no official ruler. Instead, the people of Vantress are led by the Magic Mirror itself. Still, taking the orders of a sentient magical object that spends most of its time underwater can be quite a challenge, so most of the day-to-day responsibilities tend to fall on the Archmage. The current archmage is an old human man, Gadwick the wizened.

Virtue: Knowledge

Vantress knights believe that knowledge is the highest virtue. Knowledge directs the proper application of every other virtue in varied circumstances and helps to prevent problems from worsening into deeper problems. The enemy of knowledge is not just ignorance but rigid thinking and hidebound traditions. The knights of Vantress must be able to adapt their understanding of the world based on new information and new ideas.

Knights of Vantress

In Vantress, knighthood is knowledge applied to the challenges of the world. Once knighthood is bestowed, the knights of Vantress continue to seek out new secrets, but they also venture out into the world and the wilds to put their knowledge to use. Many of them strive to help those who are in need of knowledge.

Loremages

Vantress spellcasters, often called loremages, chroniclers, or riddleseekers, seek out the lore of the wilds and dig into the secrets of the convoluted magic of the fair folk. They are surprisingly daring and well-traveled scholars.

Relic: Indrelon, the Magic Mirror

Vantress was formed around the Magic Mirror, an enormous secret-hoarding mirror submerged deep beneath the lake Lochmere and guarded by merfolk. Its true name is Indrelon, though only those who reside in Vantress call it by that name. The mirror rewards the virtue of knowledge in all who come before it in the form of magical boons and powers. Recently, however, the magic mirror was stolen by the Stom Giant Lady Beluna, and taken to her castle of Stormkeld in the Kingdom of Storms far above the realm. In times past, knighthood at Vantress was achieved by telling the mirror a secret it did not already know. That responsibility now technically falls to the archmage, but some aspirants take on the quest to sneak into the giant's castle to seek the mirror itself.

The Boundary Lands

The boundary lands are a nebulous region between the Realm and the Wilds traversed by a cart road. Both humans and fair folk frequent these lands, trading with each other for coin. Rangers are often hired by travelers for safe passage through these lands.

Tanglespan

The Tanglespan is a giant chasm in the boundary lands. Created outside Castle Locthwain during the Phyrexian invasion, it is crossed by a network of plant bridges and beanstalks. Fauns map out the crisscrossing pathways spanning the chasm, and guide travelers across the chasm in exchange for a modest toll. They often have to fend off trolls who also inhabit the chasm.

Orrinshire

Orrinshire is a shepherd village that lies at a remote edge of the Realm. Yearly visits from a single traveling merchant serve as a holiday on their own. The village avoided both the Phyrexian invasion and the Wicked Slumber. Orrinshire is best known for its wool, and there are at least five times as many sheep in the village as people.

Delverhaugh

Delverhaugh is a dwarven fortress, situated underground near lake Lochmere and Castle Vantress. The settlement is known for its elaborate and lavish Grand Balls, to which only the most prestigious and renowned individuals of Eldraine are invited.

The Wilds

The Wilds are an enchanted environment with shifting borders, where distance, direction, time, and the seasons all seem to be distorted and where both monsters and curses abound. The wilds are unruly, diverse, unstructured, unpredictable, and ungoverned.

Dozens of different types of creatures dwell in the wilds, called "fair folk" by the humans of the realm. They live together in an anarchic and uneasy stasis, too disorganized to go to war but too unruly to live in peace.

The magic of the wilds is just as untamed and diverse as the people who live there, manifesting in strange and often beautiful ways. It can be alluring, empowering, healing, restorative, and refreshing; but it can also be repellent, enervating, and destructive. Claiming some of this magic, or even simply understanding it, is one of the primary reasons that knights of the realm undertake quests into the wilds.

The Heart Land

The entire land of Eldraine was once ruled by the elves, and the Heart Land contains the ruins of the lost elven dominion. Its perimeter is guard by four pyramids, each with a pair of obelisks on top, and is surrounded by a river.

The closest thing the Wilds have to a ruling body is a Council of Druids, elves who wish to return the plane to the days of elvish rule. They meet in an amphitheater made out of the remains of a petrified dragon, situated in the heart of the Heart Land. No single druid holds authority over the council, but by longstanding tradition, the five eldest druids hold seats of honor—representing the five magical sites of their ancient realm.

Dunbarrow

The village of Edgewall in the lands of court Garenbrig lies on the edge of the wilds. Despite warnings, many travel through to Loch Larent for fishing, and children seek adventure in the woods. But the misty marsh of Dunbarrow lies just beyond the twisted trees.

Dunbarrow is known as a haven for witches; those humans who seek magic power unfettered from fae riddles. Here they live in cabins and gather in covens, uncovering ancient secrets and preying on those who stray from Edgewall's roads. Aside from the witches themselves, this place is home to giant spiders and a number of faerie pests.

Sweettooth Village

Sweettooth Village is a place of legend, and few know its exact location in the wilds. It is a village made entirely of candy; gingerbread houses with frosting shingles, licorice trees and chocolate streets. It is said that a Dunbarrow witch created the place, and would leave trails of gumdrops leading to its location, in order to lure children from nearby villages. Whether or not the legends are true, the place is very real. Every so often a traveler stumbles upon a gumdrop trail and finds themself in the village. And the village is not abandoned; candied horrors still roam its streets. Those who eat the candy of Sweettooth Village almost always end up as snacks themselves.

Loch Larent

A popular lake for fishing in the farthest reaches of Dunbarrow, Loch Larent is a week's journey from Edgewall. Eerie blue lights have been seen to bob and weave below the surface.

Similarly to Lochmere in the realm, Loch Larent is home to native merfolk that live deep underwater. While most merfolk are content to study magic and lore, some present a danger to fishermen, dragging them below the waves.

Winter's Home

Winter's Home is the icy castle created by the witch Hylda during the time of the Wicked Slumber. The main tower stands on a rocky cliff overlooking Loch Larent. The road to the castle is paved with glittering crystal gravel, and a pile of bodies at the outermost drawbridge marks the point most adventurers fell. A series of five portcullises lead to successive fortresses with seemingly never-ending walls and drawbridges leading to nowhere. Hylda eventually relinquished her crown. Without its magic, Winter's Home is slowly melting.

Kingdom of Storms

The Kingdom of Storms is a kingdom of storm giants situated above the Wilds. A land of cottages, keeps, and towers spread across islands of magical cloud, it can only be reached by climbing massive beanstalks known as Everstalks. Besides its ruling storm giants, its inhabitants include other giant creatures such as geese, oxen, and elemental elk known as tempest harts.

Stormkeld is a massive marble castle in the clouds. It is home to the storm giant Lady Beluna and current location of Indrelon, the Magic Mirror of court Vantress. When Beluna's pet Beanstalk Wurms escape the castle and plant themselves in the ground below, they are known to destroy villages, forming new Everstalks.

Tuinvale

Tuinvale is the home of the High Fae deep within the wilds. Ageless and inhuman, high fae are the oldest creatures in Eldraine, embodying the natural splendor and danger of the wilderness. The high fae are ruled by Talion, the Kindly Lord. Talion is as strange, ancient, and fickle as the wilds of Eldraine, and the Kindly Lord demands fealty and respect from followers.

Talion's court is a palace of hewed stone. Its ground is covered in cool moss and silver grass. The mind-bending structures of the court shift and glimmer as if translucent, and vary from thatched houses the size of mountains to miniature castles populated by miniature knights. Atop a staircase, Talion's glittering throne room within smells of perfume, while the throne itself is shrouded in shadow. Its twisted trees bear jeweled fruit. Adventurers are invited to speak to a High Fae by the appearance of an archway made of ethereal, translucent stone.