The Charneault Kingdom (Charnalt)

Hidden behind the Magical Forest of the Grove Maze, the Charneault Kingdom was once a land of honour and spirituality, with a deep connection to nature. Its countless rivers, lakes, and forests are regularly engulfed in a magical mist, which hides just as many castles and fortified villages. But now it is a land of broken vows, dark tales, and terrifying creatures lurking in the night. While the last elven city of Tol Leyemil faces a coup by the Dark Elves, King Thibault de Sauveterre can barely hold the kingdom together as he seeks a cure for the curse which the treacherous Dark Elves cast on his daughter.

Landscape

The Charneault Kingdom is a beautiful land nested between mountain, forest, and sea. To the northeast, a network of hills and groves called the Grove Maze cuts the kingdom off from the rest of Etharis and in particular, the Bürach. To the northwest lies the base of the Rockteeth Mountains sheltering the huge Elven city of Tol Leyemil. The kingdom’s southwest is dominated by the rocky ocean coast, inhabiting the Waterteeth, a dangerous chain of misty swamps and islands.
The wind mainly blows from the sea, driving clouds along the rivers to the north, where they hit the Rockteeth and the Grove Maze. There they fall as torrential rains, feeding the many springs and streams that flow back down towards the centre of the region.

The Grove Maze

The Grove Maze is a range of wooded hills where adventurers easily get lost. It is said that the groves themselves move, while the rivers dry up or flood without warning.

The Thousand Rivers

The heart of the Charneault Kingdom is studded with hills, between which countless rivers flow. Where hills suddenly give way to a valley, rivers will converge and form a lake that remains covered in mist for most of the year.

The Mist

Said to originate from the Temple of the Mists in the south of the region, the mist will mysteriously appear and disappear in different areas, but almost always giving rise to magical manifestations.

HISTORY OF THE CHARNEAULT KINGDOM

Caer Neiada, the Land of the Rivers

Elves had settled in the region many centuries before the arrival of humans. The name Charneault derives from the name the elves used to call the region, “Caer Neiada” which means “the land of countless rivers”.

Arrival of the First Men

During the Era of Expansion, many tribes attempted to cross the Grove Maze. Only a few, led by the most level-headed and honourable leaders, were granted passage by the spirits of the forest, keeping the more barbaric tribes at bay.

First Contact with the Elves

The first tribes settled in the northeastern part of Caer Neiada where there were fewer rivers and more fields, facilitating the development of agriculture. After some time, they pushed toward the centre and finally encountered the elves in the heart of the river land. Relations between the two races were hostile at best, culminating in a war that would last generations and see the fall of the elven kingdoms.

The rise of King Aymeric

After an age of relentless war and the burning of the forests, the elven Lord Thuridan Sarador formed a delegation to personally negotiate with the humans. In what still is known as the Noble Sacrifice, he offered them his life in exchange for an end to the war, the security of Tol Leyemil, and the creation of a pact to share the land as equals.
The human warlords refused the pact at first, finding themselves in a commanding position and the elves almost defeated. However, it was the now exalted king of legend, Aymeric Noblecoeur, who raised his voice and fought for peace between the two peoples. Warchief Aymeric called attention to the wars between humans and the rest of the world and how they brought bloodshed and grief for all involved. From the near extinction of the gnomes to the destruction of the dragonborn’s homeland, humanity had fallen far from the virtues of honour and justice. King Aymeric remarked that if they continue this war, they would be no different from the other human tribes of Etharis. With much work and every kind of diplomacy, Aymeric Noblecoeur at last convinced the other warlords to end the war, unify the tribes as one kingdom, and share the responsibilities of the land with the elves through the Pact of the Sacred Land. For this great and noble achievement he was crowned by both humans and elves as King Aymeric Noblecoeur, the first king of Charneault.

The Pact of the Sacred Land

The Pact of the Sacred Land outlines the peace between humans and elves, and their respective responsibilities in sharing the land. It decrees that the king of Charneault, and each king that would come after him, must send his first daughter to the elven shamans, who will train her in their ways. The daughter is taken to serve in the Temple of the Mists for the rest of her days. The exact tasks she fulfils in the temple have never been revealed to any elf or human outside the Circle of Bondmakers. All attempts to circumvent this tribute have brought disaster upon the people of Charneault and so it is still upheld diligently to this day. The pact between the two peoples also involves a clear distribution of the tasks necessary to protect the Charneault Kingdom. The Elves promised to help in appeasing the Spirits of Nature, responsible for strange and supernatural manifestations, wherever they happened. To put their words into action, they created the Circle of Bondmakers, a community of elven shamans who reside within the temple of mist and regularly wander the Kingdom to restore or strengthen their bond with the spirits, wherever they might cause trouble.
In return, the humans promised to maintain a permanent force of knights across the entire kingdom, with the exception of Tol Leyemil, to protect both the population and nature itself. Swearing to defend the forests their ancestors burned to the ground. They also promised to help elven refugees to migrate from outside the kingdom to Tol Leyemil. At that time several Knight Chapters were founded and assigned specific missions, such as patrolling the kingdom, guarding the borders, guarding the area surrounding Tol Leyemil, and escorting the Bondmakers.

The Dark Elf Curse

After centuries of peaceful existence between the Elves and Men of the Kingdom, relations took a grim turn as the elven population of Tol Leyemil became divided. As the rest of Etharis fell into darkness, more elves began to return to their homeland, preaching the heinous nature of humankind. The situation worsened within the elven city when some elven leaders expressed greater ambitions over the land of the Kingdom. Claiming that Caer Neiada had been an elven territory for far longer than it had been inhabited by humans. They called for a retaking of their territory reserved for the elves beyond Tol Leyemil, to help spread the population which had come to the city. Factions developed for and against these claims. One of the most vindictive of these factions was the Dark Elves, who counted many sorcerers among their number. Impatient with the slow shift of opinion in favour of expansion, the Dark Elves seized the initiative in an attempt to escalate the situation. What followed became known as the Dark Elf Curse, and caused endless grief to the most sensitive hearts of the human and elven populations.
Dark Elf thieves retrieved a book of forbidden spells from which Lord Sorcerer Diyanthar, the mightiest of the Dark Elf sorcerers, learned to take control of the Spirits of Nature, an act considered sacrilege by the elves. They enacted a ritual that would use the Mist to convey their enchantments across the Kingdom, defiling the very roots of the land and creating an opening for sorcerers to take control of spirits. The Dark Elves’ leaders intended to bind the Spirits of Nature against their will to fight in the war to retake all of Caer Neiada. However, to accomplish such a task, they needed to sacrifice a pure heart. They seized the opportunity when the new king, Thibault de Sauveterre, came to Tol Leyemil to offer his daughter, Princess Tiphaine de Sauveterre, in keeping with the pact. A group of Dark Elves, disguised as the princess’ official escort from Tol Leyemil, kidnapped the princess. They did indeed bring her to the Temple of Mists, but once there, Dark Elf sorcerers began their ritual with the princess at its nexus. Soon a dark mist appeared above the temple and alarmed the city of Tol Leyemil. By then it was too late to stop the ritual. Everything would have worked according to Diyanthar’s plans, had not a valiant knight intervened.

Ser Guilhem le Preux is one of the most renowned knights of the Charneault Kingdom. He is first known for having sworn two mystic oaths with powerful spirits. But what made him truly renowned was his honorable yet unsatisfied love for Princess Tiphaine. Despite the Pact of Sacred Land, he asked for her hand and begged her royal father not to send her to the Temple of Mist. The princess was said to secretly return Guilhem’s love, but neither would dare to go against the word of King Thibault. The king was deeply saddened by the situation as he felt in his heart that their love was true. But as king, he could not abandon the ancient pact, for fear of the consequences.
When Ser Guilhem heard the king’s decree, he swore an oath to never love another than Princess Tiphaine and to live a life of a knight errant. But a short time after he left, the spirits with whom he had taken an oath contacted him to warn him that the princess was in grave danger. He made haste to Tol Leyemil and found the group of Dark Elves sailing towards the Temple of Mists with her. He followed them and, thanks to his renewed magical powers, managed to reach the temple shortly after the ritual started. Gathering all his courage, he fought his way through the Dark Elf escort and managed to strike a blow to Diyanthar. The ritual was interrupted, but both Guilhem and Diyanthar were caught, alongside Princess Tiphaine, in a magical explosion when the ritual collapsed.

Of the ten elven shamans who were sent to the Temple of Mists to find out what happened, only the Grand Shaman Aethorion returned. He did not bring good news. The ritual had indeed been interrupted, but its effects had not been completely prevented, and from that day forth the Mist was unstable. Sometimes grey as it had ever been, it can also take on a dark taint which proves extremely dangerous; wherever it appears, it throws the Spirits of Nature into turmoil, making their manifestations far more dangerous. Dark tales of villages slaughtered by monstrous creatures led by Dark Elf sorcerers and bewitched dark knights began to spread in the land.
The Dark Elves and their allies fled from Tol Leyemil and headed to the dead city of Tol Kerdywel, hiding their movements with the Dark Mist. It is said that by doing so, they were following Diyanthar’s last orders. No one apart from them knows what these orders were, but knowing their destination is enough to raise grave concerns—Tol Kerdywel is known to be the place where a lich princess lies, vanquished and banished ages ago by the elves of old. There is no certainty about the fate of Princess Tiphaine and Ser Guilhem, but both have apparently been seen as apparitions in the Mists, calling for help to lift their curse. As for Diyanthar, he also seems to be trapped in the Mist, as no trace of him could be found anywhere in the Kingdom. But that does not mean he has become harmless, as each time he is seen in the mist, dark creatures appear shortly after...

PEOPLE AND LIVING BEINGS

The People of the Charneault Kingdom

A fervent love for the land is the feature that best defines the people of the Charneault Kingdom. From the lower classes to the rich families there is a common saying: “Do not spoil, or be foiled.” Many people devotedly work in agriculture or fishing the rivers, and nature usually has returned their care, rewarding the hard worker with heavy yields if he treats his land kindly.
The faith in the Spirits of Nature has become quite strong among the lower classes, who believe that not thanking the local Spirits is the best way to attract the Mist and troubles. This has sadly become even more strongly believed with the arrival of the Dark Mist, and not without good reasons. The life of a farmer had been relatively safe for generations but now it is far more dangerous. As the Mist intensifies, the most superstitious do not dare to go to the fields when the Mist is near, or signs of it, dark or not. This has led to the disruption of agriculture in the entire kingdom and led to shortages, something unseen for many decades. With the population in turmoil, the Kingdom turned to the knights for protection. Facing popular clamor, King Thibault authorized an increase in the number of each Knight Chapter in an attempt to restore order and the feeling of security. Knighthood being admired among the populous, it did not take long for many new applicants to be knighted, especially by the most ambitious Knight Chapters. However, this influx of new knights has also increased rivalry between Knight Chapters, and quarrels between opposing knights and their families have become frequent. All in all, the people of the Kingdom are people used to enduring a life of labor and service to a higher cause.

Knighthood

The Quest

Knighthood is a highly codified institution in the Charneault Kingdom. Any squire willing to become a knight must first arm themself and leave their home on a quest. They bear a blank shield during their quest until they have accomplished their first deed of bravery. Once achieved, the squire can assert the right to bear a coat of arms on their shield. If the squire helped in some way to fulfill the mission assigned to a Chapter, they can then wear the arms of that Chapter.

The Mystic Oath

Sometimes during their quest, a knight might meet a Spirit of Nature and gain their trust through their noble acts and behaviour. The most renowned knights are those who have manage to enter the service of such a Spirit by taking an oath to protect and serve them until the Spirit chooses to release them. In return, the knight is blessed with powers that vary widely depending on the Spirit to which the oath was taken.
Those few knights achieving such prowess are also granted a place on the Royal Council, a select council of knights that report directly to the king and who he trusts with the most important of endeavours.

Elves

Bond with Nature

The bond with nature has always been stronger for the elves than any other race of Etharis. From the many generations spent living in connection with nature, the elves have acquired many skills and deep knowledge. However, they have also developed a powerful sense of superiority towards humans, who are unable to feel the beating pulse of the world. Many elves suspect some significance in the fact that the gradual Rotting of the World has mostly coincided with the rise of humanity in Etharis. This has of course deepened the enmity between humans and other races, an enmity that has spread all over the world to varying degrees.

Decline and Decadence

According to wise, ancient elves, the fact that Spirits of Nature are rarely seen elsewhere in Etharis is due to the Rotting of the World. Apart from a handful of locations hidden in the most remote parts of Etharis, the Charneault Kingdom seems to be the last region of the world where the Spirits of Nature are sometimes visible. Thus is it no surprise that only in Charneault are the elves openly maintaining bonds with the Spirits.
However the Rotting of the World has not left elves untouched, even in the protected land of Caer Neiada. Some have developed deviant behaviour and ideologies that threaten the cohesion of what remains of the elven civilization.

Spirits of Nature

Mystical creatures, usually invisible to humans, the Spirits of Nature are supposed to be present everywhere at all times according to the elven sacred texts. They are manifestations of the raw magical energy inhabiting water, earth, rocks, plants, and trees.

Maintaining balance between mystical forces

When the Mist falls upon a place, sometimes it will arouse manifestations from the nearby Spirits. The Spirits are very sensitive to the feelings of living beings in their territory and will react accordingly. Sometimes their manifestations are indirectly beneficial to inhabitants, but other times, when the spirit senses turmoil, it will react poorly. From mazes in which people can be lost for hours or even days, to illusions that trap people or curse them, the tales of malicious or dangerous manifestations have long stopped being counted.
Such situations have to be handled sooner or later, as they will otherwise almost always lead to the manifestation of monstrous creatures, set off by the anxious spirit. It is rare for the situation to go this far, but when it does only the intervention of an elven Bondmaker escorted by Vermeil Knights can settle the situation.

Dark Spirits

There are beings that none wish to mention too often: tales of creatures that should not exist, and of people that did exist… but vanished. When the Dark Mist spreads too far and too thick, creatures of darkness appear and spread terror. From werewolves to giant spiders, the tales are plentiful, and many of them are based on reality. Such is the power of the dark magic that corrupts the noble Spirits of Nature and exploits their power. It is not a threat to be taken lightly, and King Thibault de Sauveterre has recently reinforced the Wind Walkers, the Knight Chapter in charge of scouting the land and carrying messages. The ability to respond quickly is a key asset in protecting the people against such dangerous manifestations.