Five Great Kingdoms: Averon
Five Kingdoms. One High Throne.
Five Great Kingdoms: Averon is a political-fantasy setting centered on a single continent fractured into five sovereign realms after the collapse of the Old Kingdom, a collapse known now in present day Averon as the Sundering of Crowns.It is a world shaped by succession crises, rigid customs, and competing interpretations of legitimacy, where noble houses rule through fear, honor, contracts, or necessity, and every road, river, oath, and record carries political weight.FGK:A focuses on court intrigue, dynastic pressure, factional influence, and the quiet violence of governance, exploring how rulers maintain authority, how heirs are forged or broken by expectation, and how the shadow of a lost High Throne continues to haunt a continent that insists it no longer needs unity.
The Sundering of Crowns was essentially a dynastic collapse that happened over a thousand years ago. It was a continent-wide civil war that erupted after the death of the last universally recognized High King (Roderin the IV), whose heirs all possessed competing claims to the throne — blood, marriage, decree, and conquest.For a brief, bloody span of many decades, five crowns were declared at once. It ended in the permanent end of a unified continent, the rise of sovereign kingdoms instead of one kingdom that ruled the entire continent, the rewriting of succession law everywhere, and the elevation of several Noble Houses who betrayed correctly or incorrectly.
Map of Averon
This is the official map and travelling routes of Averon
TRAVEL TIMES & ROADS OF AVERON:
Travel in Averon is shaped less by distance and more by terrain, season, and authority, with roads varying wildly in quality depending on who maintains them and why.The Nature of Roads in Averon:Most roads are stone-set only near capitals, forts, and major ports; beyond that, they become packed earth, gravel, or wagon-rutted tracks that change with weather. Milestones exist on old imperial roads but are often cracked, buried, or repurposed as boundary markers.
• Travel speed assumes clear weather, no military interference, and legal passage.Major Continental Routes:• The Crownroad
The oldest surviving imperial road, running from the Northern Reaches through the High Lands toward Fieldmarch, passing through Greyhaven and Talonsgate. Well-maintained near capitals, heavily patrolled, and symbolically important. Travel: ~25–30 miles per day on foot, ~40 by horse.• The Nevarran Way
A coastal road tracing the western edge of Averon through the West Bank ports and shipyards. Frequently damaged by storms, salt, and smuggling activity. Travel: ~20 miles per day due to tolls and inspections.• The Talonstride Route
Follows the Talonstride River from North Rock into Fieldmarch via Rivermarch. Vital for grain, troops, and river traffic coordination. Travel: ~30 miles per day when uncontested.• The High Pass Roads
Mountain routes through North Rock connecting to the Northern Reaches and High Lands. Narrow, fortified, and often closed in winter. Travel: ~10–15 miles per day, weather permitting.River Travel:
Rivers are the fastest legal way to move bulk goods, but require permits, tolls, and seasonal awareness.• Crownflow River: Lifeline between High Lands and Fieldmarch; tightly regulated.
• Silver Flow River: Trade artery of the West Bank; ledger-heavy and taxed relentlessly.
• Talonstride River: Military-sensitive route linking North Rock to the south.
• Barge travel can double effective speed compared to roads, but stops are controlled and logged.Borders, Passes, and Delays:Crossing between kingdoms almost always incurs with Toll checks, Ledger verification (especially West Bank), Armed inspection near North Rock borders, Religious scrutiny near High Lands roads, Border checks near Thornwatch.
Houses of Averon
The five greatest houses of the realm
The lesser noble houses of the realm
Lesser Noble Houses sworn to House Aerien:House Rookwell — Lords whose guard the only safe approaches into northern Aerien territory in Castle Rookwell. Their oath to House Aerien predates the Sundering of Crowns.House Harcliff — Lords of Harcliff Spire where griffins were once sighted to have nested a long time ago; they treat Aerien authority with near-religious reverence.House Dunmere — A severe, martial house elevated after dying in great number for Aerien during the civil war. They believe honor is debt. Lords of Dunmere Bastion.House Vaelor — A line rumored to carry a trace of Aerien blood, though never publicly acknowledged. Lords of Castle Vaelor.
Lesser Noble Houses sworn to House Skant:House Brackenholt — Granted lordship after validating Skant’s controversial succession claim during the Sundering of Crowns. Their word still carries legal weight across Averon. Lords of Brackenholt Hall.House Pellgrave — Masters of taxation and royal levies; unpopular everywhere, but ruinously efficient. Lords of Pellgrave Hold.House Quillford — Custodians of charters, birth records, and land rights. They can legitimize — or erase — a lineage. Lords of Ledgerfall.House Carn — Once minor knights, raised high for enforcing Skant decrees without hesitation. Lords of Carnwatch.
Lesser Noble Houses sworn to House Tagel:House Barrowfield — Overseers of immense grain plains; a failed harvest here would shake half the continent. Lords of Barrowfield Manor.House Addema — River wardens controlling barge traffic and trade tolls. One of the richest ports in Averon. Lords of Addema Port.House Copley — Agricultural traditionalists who submitted early during the war and were allowed to keep their wealth and titles. Lords of Old Copley Court.House Fenick — Marshland settlers tasked with turning hostile terrain into productive farmland — stubborn survivors. Lords of Fenick Hollow.
Lesser Noble Houses sworn to House Beorthean:House Alcrest — Former chamberlains to the royal court who refused to abandon Beorthean after the crown was lost in the Sundering of Crowns. Lords of Alcrest Castle.House Marrowyn — Bound through generations of intermarriage with House Beorthean; their loyalty is as political as it is personal. Lords of Marrowyn Hall.House Thorne — Knightly traditionalists who still speak of the “rightful order” of the realm. Watches and guards near the Wall and roads from High Lands and Western Bank. Dangerous idealists who idealize the Old Kingdom. Lords of Thornwatch.House Valegray — A cousin familial line of kin to House Beorthean — close enough to legitimacy to unsettle succession politics with House Beorthean. Lords of Valegray Castle.
Lesser Noble Houses sworn to House Verasir:House Kestrelmarch — Frontier lords hardened by constant skirmish; their children learn the sword before courtly speech. Lords of Kestrel Keep.House Brandfort — Hold massive stone bastions built atop conquered land. They trust walls more than treaties. Lords of Brandfort Castle.House Halvorn — Descended from farmers originally, but took part in the land battles against House Beorthean. Lords of Halvorn Fields.House Crowhurst — A long lineage of ruthless cavalry commanders whose charges ended several decisive battles in the Sundering of Crowns. Lords of Crowhurst Vale.
Kingdoms of Averon
The five kingdoms of the realm
The High Lands
Ruled by House Aerien from the capital of Highfall, the High Lands are a realm of elevation, discipline, and symbolic authority, where rule is reinforced through ritual, fear, and the lingering prestige of griffin mastery. Power here is public, uncompromising, and deeply entwined with the Ascendant Creed, making the High Lands both revered and resented across the continent.The Northern Reaches
Governed by House Beorthean from Kingsreach, the Northern Reaches preserve the most intact remnants of Old Kingdom customs, valuing honor, oath-keeping, and restraint over spectacle. Its people are shaped by harsh climates and long memory, and though the crown is worn lightly, legitimacy here is judged more severely than anywhere else in Averon.North Rock
A hard, militarized kingdom ruled by House Verasir from Ironwatch, North Rock is defined by fortified borders, constant readiness, and respect earned through strength rather than lineage. Command, not ceremony, determines authority, and rulers who cannot defend their land do not keep it for long.The Western Bank
Ruled by House Skant from Charterfall, the Western Bank is the legal and bureaucratic heart of Averon, where written record, precedent, and procedure outweigh blood or battlefield valor. Power is exercised through charters, tolls, and the Concord’s ledgers, making the realm outwardly orderly and quietly ruthless.Fieldmarch
Under House Tagel and centered on the capital of Wheaten, Fieldmarch is the agricultural backbone of the continent, controlling grain, rivers, and survival itself. Its authority is practical rather than glamorous, and while its rulers rarely boast of dominance, every kingdom feels Fieldmarch’s influence when harvests fail or granaries close.
High Lands Kingdom
"Above all, we endure."
The High Lands Kingdom forms the geographic and political heart of Averon, rising into rolling highlands threaded with ancient roads and symbolic power.
The High Lands Kingdom forms the geographic, political, and ideological heart of Averon, rising into rolling uplands threaded with ancient roads, fortified passes, and symbols of authority that long predate the Sundering of Crowns. Ruled from the capital of Highfall, the kingdom derives its power not from abundance or conquest, but from legitimacy, tradition, and control of continental governance. The Crownflow River cuts through the region, sustaining settlements and serving as a ceremonial artery tied to rulership rites, while cities like Greyhaven function as critical crossroads linking westward trade, northern military routes, and eastern border roads. The High Lands are heavily fortified, bordered by The Wall and Thornwatch to the north, with Widow’s Peaks and Castle Rookwell guarding key approaches.The realm’s southern edge opens onto the High Crown Coast, where Dunmere Bastion and Harcliff Spire defend against naval threat along the Varmir Strait, while the Darken Forest forms a natural southeastern barrier separating the kingdom from Fieldmarch. Authority here is absolute and visible, enforced through law, ritual, and the ever-present Crownsguard, and shaped by House Aerien, whose rule emphasizes order, fear-backed stability, and public legitimacy over mercy or populism.
| Capital: | Highfall |
| Ruling House: | House Aerien |
| Current Monarch: | Queen Ameria Aerien |
| Political Role: | Central authority of Averon; legitimizer of rule, law, and succession |
| Geography: | Rolling highlands, fortified passes, coastal cliffs, central river basin |
| Major Locations: | Highfall, Greyhaven, Talonsgate, Castle Rookwell, Widow’s Peaks, Dunmere Bastion, Harcliff Spire, Eyrenspire, Feirer Obelisk |
| Religion: | Ascendant Creed dominant |
| Culture: | Formal, hierarchical, disciplined; public ritual and visible justice |
| Law: | Emphasizes acclamation, crown protection, sacred sites, and exemplary punishment |
| Reputation: | Authoritative, austere, feared rather than loved |
Current Living Royal Family Tree:Queen Ameria Aerien — Reigning monarch.
Prince Auridean Aerien — First Prince, heir to Highfall.
Princess-Consort Vaelora Aerien — Auridean’s wife.
Prince Aedryn Aerien — Eldest son of Auridean, Heir-presumptive.
Princess Helyne Aerien — Aedryn’s younger sister.
Prince Tharion Aerien — Second son of Queen Ameria.
Lady Mirisel Dunmere — Tharion’s wife.
Lord Althric Aerien — The Queen’s younger brother.
Northern Reaches Kingdom
"The never-ending watch."
The Northern Reaches Kingdom occupies the far northwestern edge of Averon, bordered by the Markandal Sea to the west and north and defined by cold coasts, old stone, and lingering imperial memory.
The Northern Reaches Kingdom occupies the far northwestern edge of Averon, shaped by cold seas, ancient stone, and lingering memory of the Old Kingdom’s ideals. Ruled from the inland capital of Kingsreach, deliberately set south of the exposed coast, the realm balances maritime vigilance with inward-looking tradition. The northern shoreline is crowned by Kingsfall, an ancient imperial seat overlooking the Markandal Sea, while the western coast is guarded by Alcrest Castle and Old Rhygan’s Tower, standing watch over the treacherous Sharp Rocks.Offshore to the southwest lies Ancestor Hall, a solemn island tied to lineage, burial, and oath remembrance. Inland, the Silver Flow River runs south past Silverkeep, carrying both trade and authority into the Western Bank, while the eastern interior rises sharply into the High Mountains, forming a natural barrier against North Rock. Noble power is anchored by fortified halls such as Valegray Castle in the west and Marrowyn Hall near the mountain foothills, reinforcing old alliances and guarded roads. At the southern edge of the kingdom, Thornwatch stands beside The Wall, marking the hard border with the High Lands and serving as both fortress and ideological boundary.The Northern Reaches value honor, oaths, and restraint above ambition, holding fast to customs that predate the Sundering and judging rulers not by expansion, but by dignity, memory, and endurance.
| Capital: | Kingsreach |
| Ruling House: | House Beorthean |
| Current Monarch: | King Cedric Beorthean |
| Political Role: | Keeper of Old Kingdom customs and oath-bound legitimacy |
| Geography: | Cold coastlines, inland highlands, mountain barriers, river valleys |
| Major Locations: | Kingsreach, Kingsfall, Silverkeep, Thornwatch, Valegray Castle, Marrowyn Hall |
| Sacred / Ancestral Sites: | Ancestor Hall |
| Religion: | Traditional reverence, tolerant of older belief structures |
| Culture: | Defensive, disciplined, oath-bound rather than expansionist |
| Law: | Oath memory, restrained justice, lineage verification |
| Reputation: | Honorable, austere, unyielding in memory and principle |
Current Living Royal Family Tree:King Cedric Beorthean — Reigning monarch.
Queen Halwyn Beorthean — Reigning monarch.
Prince-Regent Kodrin Beorthean — First Prince, heir.
Princess-Consort Maereth Alcrest — Kodrin’s wife.
Lord Cassian Beorthean — Kodrin’s eldest son, Heir Apparent.
Princess Yselle Beorthean — Kodrin’s younger daughter.
Lord Theron Beorthean — the King’s younger brother.
North Rock Kingdom
“What is sworn in stone is not undone by time, fear, or blood.”
North Rock Kingdom stretches across the northeastern highlands of Averon, a region shaped by stone, war, and constant readiness.
North Rock Kingdom spans the harsh northeastern highlands of Averon, a land defined by stone, elevation, and perpetual readiness for war. Entered primarily through the High Mountain passes near Kestrel Keep, the realm is structured around defense, mobility, and command rather than comfort or ceremony. Its capital, Ironwatch, stands east of the main passes where fortresses, garrisons, and military roads converge, functioning less as a courtly seat and more as a strategic command center. South of the mountains lies Marchspire, anchoring the western approaches, while routes eastward are guarded by Brandfort Castle, beyond which the land opens into Crowhurst Vale and the broad Halvorn Fields, regions prized for cavalry training and mass levies.To the north, the land slopes toward the sea, where Stonewake serves as the kingdom’s primary port, facing the dangerous Stone Deep Waters, with the Deep Caverns lying offshore and largely unexplored. The Ironvein River runs south along the western edge of the realm, while the Talonstride River cuts southeast through Rivermarch, linking North Rock directly to Fieldmarch’s grain routes.North Rock governance is unapologetically martial, valuing strength, command, and proven capability above blood alone, and its rulers are judged not by lineage but by their ability to hold ground, command loyalty, and respond decisively to threat.
| Capital: | Ironwatch |
| Ruling House: | House Verasir |
| Current Monarch: | King Vorun Verasir |
| Political Role: | Continental military anchor and frontier enforcer |
| Geography: | Mountain passes, highlands, open cavalry plains, northern coast |
| Major Locations: | Ironwatch, Marchspire, Stonewake, Rivermarch |
| Key Fortresses: | Kestrel Keep, Brandfort Castle |
| Religion: | Pragmatic observance, faith secondary to survival |
| Culture: | Militarized governance, trial by command, constant readiness |
| Law: | Martial authority, swift frontier justice, command legitimacy |
| Reputation: | Brutal, efficient, unyielding, feared rather than admired |
Current Living Royal Family Tree:King Vorun Verasir — Reigning monarch.
Queen Kaedra Verasir — Reigning monarch.
Prince Dain Verasir — First Prince, heir.
Princess-Consort Rysa Verasir — Dain’s wife.
Lord Korrin Verasir — Dain’s eldest son, Heir Apparent.
Lady Sedara Verasir — Korrin’s younger sister.
Prince Halvek Verasir — Second son of the King.
Lord Brevan Verasir — Halvek’s son.
Western Bank Kingdom
“Where trade flows, power is decided.”
The Western Bank Kingdom runs along Averon’s western coast, shaped by rivers, records, and relentless administration.
The Western Bank Kingdom stretches along Averon’s western coastline, a realm shaped not by armies or ancient bloodlines, but by records, rivers, and unyielding legal authority. Its power flows southward with the Silver Flow River, which enters the region from the Northern Reaches through Silverkeep, widens near Ledgerfall, and empties toward the coast near Charter’s Keep along the Markandal Sea. The capital, Charterfall, sits just inland from the coast, deliberately placed to balance maritime trade access with administrative security, and serves as the legal and bureaucratic heart of the kingdom. Inland routes from Ledgerfall pass Carnwatch and lead toward Brackenholt Hall, where lesser houses enforce precedent and procedure rather than force of arms.Along the eastern border, travelers cross the River of Oaths at Broken Oaths Bridge, marking the boundary where Western Bank governance gives way to the High Lands’ authority. The southern coastline hosts Hallowmarket, a pressure outlet for trade and dispute, while the Black Archive occupies a secluded northern shore, safeguarding sealed records and contested claims.At the far southwestern edge of the realm stands the Pale Monastery, isolated on its own island above the sea, where the Concord maintains the official records, treaties, and lineages of all Averon.Western Bank rule is defined by documentation, precedent, and delay, where power is exercised through ink and seal rather than steel, and a claim unrecorded is treated as a claim that never existed.
| Capital: | Charterfall |
| Ruling House: | House Skant |
| Current Monarch: | Queen-Regnant Elsveth Skant |
| Political Role: | Legal, administrative, and archival authority of Averon |
| Geography: | Western coastline, river networks, inland administrative corridors |
| Major Locations: | Charterfall, Ledgerfall, Hallowmarket |
| Key Sites: | Charter’s Keep, Black Archive, Pale Monastery |
| Religion: | Formally observant, politically selective |
| Culture: | Bureaucratic, procedural, precedent-based |
| Law: | Written authority, sealed objection, ledger supremacy |
| Reputation: | Cold, obstructive, indispensable, quietly feared |
Current Living Royal Family Tree:Queen-Regnant Elsveth Skant — Reigning monarch.
Prince Jurien Skant — First Prince, heir.
Princess-Consort Calayne Skant — Jurien’s wife.
Lady Marrow Skant — Jurien’s eldest daughter, princess.
Lord Isembard Skant — Jurien’s son, Heir Apparent.
Prince Torvane Skant — Queen Elsveth’s second son, second prince.
Field March Kingdom
“From the soil we rise, and by our labor the realm is sustained.”
Fieldmarch Kingdom spreads across the fertile southeastern plains of Averon, defined by rivers, ports, and vast agricultural lowlands.
The Fieldmarch Kingdom spreads across the fertile southeastern plains of Averon, a land defined by grain, rivers, and the quiet power of sustenance rather than armies or law. Entering from the High Lands, travelers pass through the southern edge of the Darken Forest before emerging near Fenick Hollow, where marshland slowly gives way to managed farmland and drainage canals. The Crownflow River enters Fieldmarch from the northwest below the High Lands, bending south toward Addema Lock, where its waters are divided, regulated, and measured to sustain irrigation, river traffic, and famine reserves.North of the Crownflow, Barrowfield Manor dominates the largest continuous grain plains in Averon, while Old Copley Court lies southwest of the capital, anchoring some of the region’s oldest and most conservative farmland. The capital, Wheaten, stands inland on stable ground, deliberately removed from flood risk yet bound to every corner of the kingdom by roads and river tallies, connecting north to Rivermarch along the Talonstride River, east to Eastport on the Gulf of Tagel, and south to Addema Port, where river cargo meets open sea trade.Offshore, the Three Old Towers rise from separate islands southeast of Addema Port, while far to the southwest Varmir Watch commands the narrow Varmir Strait, controlling passage between the Gulf of Tagel and the Neverran Sea.Fieldmarch rule rests on preparation rather than conquest, where authority is judged by whether the realm survives winter fed, supplied, and stable.
| Capital: | Wheaten |
| Ruling House: | House Tagel |
| Current Monarch: | King Halric Tagel |
| Political Role: | Primary agricultural and food-supply power of Averon |
| Geography: | Fertile plains, marshland, river deltas, managed farmland |
| Major Locations: | Wheaten, Rivermarch, Eastport, Addema Port |
| Key Sites: | Barrowfield Manor, Old Copley Court, Addema Lock |
| Religion: | Practical observance, tied to harvest and survival |
| Culture: | Provision-based authority, logistical pragmatism |
| Law: | Granary priority, river accounting, market regulation |
| Reputation: | Quietly powerful, indispensable, feared during shortages |
Current Living Royal Family Tree:King Halric Tagel — Reigning monarch.
Queen Merrow Tagel — Reigning monarch.
Prince Edrin Tagel — First Prince, heir.
Princess-Consort Ysolda Tagel — Edrin’s wife.
Lord Toman Tagel — Edrin’s eldest son, Heir Apparent.
Lady Fenra Tagel — Toman’s younger sister, princess.
Princess Lysa Tagel — King Halric’s younger daughter.
Lord Garrin Valeholt — Lysa’s husband.
Lord Berric Valeholt — Son of Lysa and Garrin.
Cultures of Averon
The languages, ethnicities, holidays and all about Averon living
Holidays & Public Events that are continent-wide across all of Averon:Oathmoot Week — an early-spring week when lords renew key oaths publicly, disputes are “paused,” and the Concord records fresh seals for the year.Sundering Night — a late-autumn vigil marking the fracture of the Old Kingdom; fires burn in silence, and saying the wrong name can start fights.Waymark Fair — rotating market-festival hosted near major crossings where the Charterhouse sells new passage writs and merchants gamble on next season’s routes.Northern Reaches Events:The Bearing Days — formal court season where petitions are heard in open halls; nobles attend because refusing to be seen is suspicious.Starwake — a winter ceremony under the crowned-star banner honoring old royal memory; it’s polite, cold, and full of subtle political tests.The White Mantle Tourney — a prestigious tourney where victory is less about brutality and more about composure, courtesy, and “clean honor.” Any are invited to join from any kingdom. Is held once a year in early spring. Happens near Silverkeep.North Rock Events:The Steel Oath Muster — an annual mustering where captains swear fresh oaths before weapons and witnesses; promotions and demotions happen openly under the ruler of North Rock.Border Hunt — a harsh late-summer campaign-season “hunt” that’s really patrol warfare (bandits, raiders, rival scouts) dressed up as tradition.The Ash-Drum Games — brutal competitive trials (archery, endurance, riding, shieldwork) used to rank companies before winter. Many noble houses across North rock take part during the spring every year. Happens in Marchspire.Western Bank Events:The Ledger Opening — the public “start” of the fiscal year when toll schedules, tariffs, and legal calendars are posted to every kingdom; riots aren’t rare.Charter Court Season — a formal season of hearings where disputes are fought with precedent, witnesses, and procedural traps instead of blades.
The Ink & Silver Masque — elite festival in Ledgerfall where alliances are made behind smiles, and one signature can ruin a house.High Lands Events:The Acclamation Procession — a massive public procession reaffirming House Aerien rule in the capital of High Lands; attendance is “voluntary” the way a blade is “optional.”Ascent Day — a restricted holy-political day tied to Griffins; pilgrims are banned, and arrests are common “for safety.”The Black-Gold Lists — a martial showcase where the Crownsguard publicly names commendations and punishments to set an example.Fieldmarch Events:The Great Tally — harvest accounting season when granaries are measured, reserves assigned, and the Court of Grain effectively decides the year’s politics.Riverlock Festival — a river-port festival celebrating the river gods/goddesses they worship in Fieldmarch.The Winter Reckoning — a public evaluation of lords and stewards after winter in front of House Tagel.
Institutions of Averon:The Moot of Talonsgate:
A permanent diplomatic forum held at Talonsgate every two years where envoys, ransom-brokers, and border stewards negotiate truces, prisoner exchanges, trade protections, and road-rights under strict “steel-peace” rules that forbid armed dispute within the walls.The Waymark Charterhouse:
A neutral civic authority of engineers, roadwardens, and bridge-keepers who maintain Averon’s major crossings (especially Broken Oaths Bridge and key river fords) and sell “safe passage writs” recognized in all five kingdoms, making them indispensable to merchants and marching armies alike. Is normally held Brackenholt Hall every five years.
Ethnicities & regional identities of Averon:Reachborn (Northern Reaches)Rockmen (North Rock)Highlanders (High Lands)Bankmen (Western Bank)Fieldmarchers (Fieldmarch)
Languages of Averon:Averic Common: The modern, living language of Averon, spoken across all five kingdoms in daily life, trade, warfare, and governance, with regional accents and slang but full mutual intelligibility; all commoners, soldiers, merchants, and most nobles speak Averic Common as their first language.High Averic (also called the Old Tongue): The ceremonial and historical language of the Old Kingdom, no longer spoken conversationally but preserved in royal inscriptions, ancient charters, coronation rites, sealed oaths, and Concord records, carrying immense symbolic authority where its use implies legitimacy, antiquity, and lawful continuity.
Commoner living in Averon:Most commoners in Averon understand the world through weather, harvests, roads, and fear, not crowns or borders; few ever see a capital or meet a ruling lord, and most live and die within the same region. Power is measured locally, with garrison captains and tax collectors mattering far more than distant kings, and noble houses are known only when they bring soldiers, tolls, or famine.• Justice is expected to be uneven, swift for the poor and negotiable for the powerful, and trials are widely believed to be performances rather than truth. Faith is practiced quietly and privately, especially where the Old Faith is condemned, with shrines hidden in homes, fields, or riverbanks.• War is feared rather than celebrated, as it brings conscription, scarcity, and unsafe roads, while long-distance travel is rare and dangerous enough that crossing multiple kingdoms is considered extraordinary.• Griffins are spoken of in whispers or disbelief, magic is publicly dismissed but privately suspected, and most common folk believe that the world is older, harsher, and far less just than those in power admit. That is why many either fear or respect House Aerien for being able to control Griffins.• Most people think dragons are myth or blasphemous fable.
Common Foods across Averon:Barley Bread – Dense, dark loaves baked daily; eaten with everything from stews to cheese.
Pottage – A thick stew of grains, roots, and whatever meat or vegetables are available; the backbone of common diets.
Salted River Fish – Especially carp or silverfin, dried or packed in salt for travel and winter stores.
Roast Turnips & Onions – Cheap, filling, and often cooked in hearth ash or fat.
Hard Cheese – Sharp, aged wheels meant to last through travel and winter, common in every region.
Meat Pasties – Pastry sealed around minced meat and vegetables, popular with soldiers and travelers.Common Drinks across Averon:Small Ale – Weak, cloudy ale drunk daily instead of water; safe even for children.
Dark Beer – Stronger, bitter brews favored in colder regions and garrisons.
Spiced Cider – Apple-based, lightly fermented, especially common near harvest seasons.
Mead – Honeyed and celebratory, often reserved for feasts, weddings, and festivals.
Herbal Infusions – Non-alcoholic brews made from roots and leaves, common where ale is scarce.
Taboo topics & insults across Averon:Across Averon, questioning the legitimacy of a ruling house, openly praising the Old Kingdom, or suggesting the Concord alters records are considered dangerous subjects, often provoking silence or swift punishment. Insults commonly target lineage, honor, faith, and competence rather than personal behavior, as identity and reputation are inseparable from survival.Northern Reaches: Calling someone “oath-thin,” “unbearing,” or accusing a house of forgetting its vows is a grave insult, while mocking the Old Kingdom or the Rite of Bearing is taboo.
North Rock: Insults focus on weakness, such as “soft-handed,” “wall-hiding,” or “unblooded,” and questioning a leader’s military competence is deeply offensive.
Western Bank: Calling someone “unrecorded,” “ledgerless,” or “procedurally false” is a serious slight, and openly criticizing the Concord or written law is taboo.
High Lands: Suggesting a ruler lacks Aerien favor, griffin legitimacy, or public acclamation is treasonous speech, and calling someone “low-sighted” or “ground-bound” is insulting.
Fieldmarch: Accusations of hoarding, waste, or mismanaged harvests are among the harshest insults, and speaking lightly of famine or price manipulation is socially forbidden.
Factions of Averon
The many factions/order(s) within averon
The Crownsguard:The elite royal guard of the High Lands, sworn directly to House Aerien and trained primarily at Dunmere Bastion, serving as both protectors of the capital and a symbol of lingering continental authority.• They matter because their loyalty is watched closely by every kingdom, and rumors persist that parts of the Crownsguard still believe in a single ruler for Averon.
• Their uniform colors are black and gold. Often feared and respected across the High Lands.
The Concord:The Concord is a continent-spanning monastic order based primarily at the Pale Monastery in Western Bank, responsible for the preservation, verification, and interpretation of all official records in Averon, including births, deaths, marriages, oaths, land charters, and succession claims. Though outwardly neutral and ascetic, the Concord wields immense quiet power, as nothing is considered legally true unless it is sealed, copied, and recognized by their scribes, making them the ultimate arbiters of legitimacy across all five kingdoms.• The Concord claims independence from all noble houses, yet its records determine which houses rise, fall, or vanish from history entirely, and many believe its archives contain omissions and alterations dating back to the Sundering of Crowns itself.
• Passage to the Pale Monastery is hard to get to due to the rocky waves surrounding the island.
The Order of the Veiled Star:The Order of the Veiled Star is a clandestine ideological brotherhood devoted to preserving the memory and legitimacy of the Old Kingdom and the High Throne, believing that Averon was never meant to be divided and that the Sundering of Crowns was an unnatural fracture of rightful rule.Though officially dismissed as relic-keepers and harmless traditionalists, the Order operates quietly across all five kingdoms, embedded within courts, garrisons, monasteries, and noble households across all of Averon.
• They do not seek power openly; they seek continuity. House Aerien deems any who are a part of this order to be traitors to their kingdom and has them to be arrested on sight.
• It is rumored that House Beorthean has ties to this order.
The Court of Grain:The Court of Grain is a powerful economic council based entirely in Fieldmarch, operating from the fertile southeastern plains where the greatest grain reserves, granaries, and river locks of Averon are concentrated. Though it holds no crown and claims no kingdom beyond Fieldmarch, its decisions determine food distribution across all five realms, giving it quiet authority over survival, stability, and war.
• Fieldmarch is its heart; the rest of Averon is its dependency.
• West Bank negotiates constantly to avoid embargo
• High Lands stockpiles heavily to reduce dependence
• North Rock guards supply routes as strategic assets
• Northern Reaches remembers famine during the Sundering and mistrusts the Court deeply
The Ashen Continuum:It is a forbidden cult rumored about across some of Averon, feared for its rejection of all recorded history, lineage, and lawful rule. They are hunted in every kingdom, not for conquest, but for what they seek to unmake.• The Ashen Continuum believes in Gyrok, a kingdom older than the Old Kingdom, where memory, lineage, and authority did not exist and survival was the only law. Dragons are seen as the true gods of the skies, not griffins.
• They view the Old Kingdom and the Five Kingdoms as corrupt layers built atop a forgotten truth, with the Sundering of Crowns seen as an incomplete collapse.
• Records, bloodlines, archives, and inherited power are considered sins, making the Concord and noble houses their primary enemies.
• Their goal is not rule but erasure, believing that famine, lost histories, and broken succession will allow the world to return to Gyrok.
The Keepers of the Quiet Faith:The Keepers of the Quiet Faith follow the Old Faith, a belief system that predates the rise of the Old Kingdom and was practiced across Averon before crowns, borders, or dynasties divided the land. They hold that the world was once governed not by kings or conquest, but by balance, continuity, and restraint, and that the fracturing of Averon into realms was merely the latest expression of humanity’s failure to accept limits. They do not reject the Old Kingdom outright, but see it as a temporary order layered atop an older truth, one that existed before the High Throne and will endure after all crowns have fallen.• The Old Faith also spoke of dragons being the true beings of power, not griffins. And that is considered heresy to most believers of the Ascendant Creed.The following Great Houses formally condemn the Old Faith:
• House Aerien denounces the Old Faith as a threat to divine and dynastic authority, arguing that a realm without sanctioned belief cannot be ruled, and quietly authorizes suppression where Quiet Faith influence undermines loyalty to the High Lands.
• House Skant labels the Old Faith subversive, claiming its rejection of written law and sanctioned legitimacy erodes the foundations of governance, and has used Concord-recognized decrees to outlaw its rites in West Bank cities.
• House Verasir considers the Old Faith dangerous weakness, branding its adherents as defeatists who undermine military unity, and permits forced conversion or expulsion in North Rock frontier territories.
• Public shrines are illegal in those three kingdoms; private observance persists in villages and borderlands.
• Under their rule, public practice of the Old Faith is punishable by exile, imprisonment, or worse.
• However, House Beorthean and Tagel do not condemn this faith and are more open to many faiths.
The Black Ledger:The Black Ledger is an illicit, continent-spanning network of informants, brokers, and silent accountants who traffic in secrets, debts, and reputations, operating beneath the official structures of Averon. Unlike the Concord, which records what is permitted to be remembered, the Black Ledger preserves what must never be acknowledged — bribes, betrayals, bastards, false oaths, hidden murders, and altered histories. If the Concord governs legitimacy, the Black Ledger governs leverage.• Members are known as Keepers, though most use false names and never meet face to face. Beneath them are Collectors, who gather secrets from courts, taverns, ports, monasteries, and battlefields, and Binders, who verify information before it is committed to the Ledger.
• The Ledger itself is not a single book, but a distributed system of encoded records, often hidden inside legitimate account books, shipping manifests, or Concord-adjacent documents.
• The Concord officially denies the Black Ledger’s existence, though many suspect certain records align too conveniently.
• House Skant hunts the Ledger relentlessly, seeing it as a rival to legal authority, yet is rumored to have used it during the Sundering.
• House Aerien considers the Ledger a threat to symbolic power and orders quiet purges when its agents are uncovered.
• House Verasir tolerates it so long as it serves military ends, eliminating rivals before battles are fought.
• House Tagel quietly engages with it to protect trade routes and ports.
• House Beorthean is believed to be deeply entangled with it, as many of their secrets date back to the fall of the High Throne.
• Rumored to operate in the coastal shadowlands north of Charter’s Keep.
The Free Companies of the Markandal:A loose coalition of veteran sellswords, ship-hired marines, and campaign sailors who move along the western coast between the Markandal Sea ports and inland mustering roads, fighting for coin, plunder-rights, and “wintering contracts” when kingdoms can’t pay in silver.
The Ascendant Creed:The Ascendant Creed is the dominant and publicly sanctioned religion of the High Lands, teaching that the world is ordered by hierarchy, vigilance, and elevation, and that rule is not chosen by faith alone but proven through strength, restraint, and the ability to stand above others without falling.• Griffins are revered not as gods, but as living proofs of elevation, creatures that judge worth instinctively and reject false authority, which is why House Aerien’s historical bond with them is seen as sacred validation rather than mere dominance.
• The Ascendant Creed rejects the Old Faith as dangerously egalitarian and condemns its emphasis on balance over hierarchy, arguing that balance without structure invites collapse.
• Though most influential in the High Lands, the Creed maintains sanctioned temples in major cities across Averon, often near seats of power, where it functions as both religion and ideological reinforcement of lawful rule.
Laws of Averon
The universal and regional laws of Averon
Universal laws of Averon:
(Recognized in all Five Kingdoms)The Law of Sealed Word: Any oath, treaty, or contract sealed and recognized by the Concord is binding in all five kingdoms and cannot be lawfully broken without continental consequence.
The Law of Safe Passage: Envoys, heralds, Concord scribes, and Waymark wardens bearing proper marks may not be harmed, detained, or obstructed in any realm.
The Law of Truce-Blood: No blood may be shed during formally declared truces, diplomatic moots, or steel-peace gatherings recognized by the Concord.
The Law of the Common Road: Major roads, bridges, and river crossings maintained under continental charter may not be destroyed, blocked, or seized without recognized cause affecting all of Averon.
The Law of Harbor Neutrality: Ships bearing neutral or Concord-sanctioned colors are protected from seizure or attack within recognized ports across all kingdoms.
The Law of the Pale Record: Records preserved and certified by the Concord supersede all other archives in matters of lineage, land, oath, and legitimacy.
The Law of Non-Ascent: No individual may lawfully claim sovereignty over all of Averon without unanimous recognition from the five kingdoms and Concord confirmation.
The Law of Hostage Honor: Highborn hostages taken under treaty or truce must be kept alive, unharmed, and properly housed until lawfully exchanged or released.
The Law of Faith Restraint: No kingdom may enforce religious conversion or persecution beyond its own borders under continental law.
The Law of Necessity: During famine, plague, or mass displacement, actions taken to preserve life may temporarily supersede borders, tolls, and local authority under Concord oversight.
Regional laws for each kingdom:Northern Reaches Laws:The Law of Bearing: A ruler or lord who governs cruelly, falsely, or dishonorably forfeits their right to rule, regardless of blood.
The Law of Open Grievance: Any free subject may petition their lord directly during sanctioned court days without punishment or reprisal.
The Law of Oath Memory: Oaths sworn before witnesses bind not only the speaker but their heirs unless formally released.
The Law of Cold Mercy: Justice must be firm but restrained, forbidding torture, mutilation, or punishment born of passion rather than judgment.
The Law of Proven Blood: Claims of inheritance require both lineage and public acknowledgment by peers, not secrecy or coercion.North Rock Laws:The Law of Held Ground: Any lord who cannot defend their territory may be lawfully replaced by one who can.
The Law of Steel Oath: No ruler, captain, or commander holds authority until sworn before arms and witnesses.
The Law of Military Priority: Defense of borders and supply routes overrides all civil disputes during threat or war.
The Law of Trial by Command: Leadership disputes may be settled by sanctioned martial demonstration rather than courts.
The Law of Frontier Justice: Crimes committed in border zones are judged swiftly and without appeal to preserve order.Western Bank Laws:The Law of Written Truth: No claim, inheritance, or right exists unless recorded and recognized by lawful authority.
The Law of Precedent: Past rulings hold equal weight to present judgment unless formally overturned.
The Law of Sealed Objection: Any claim may be lawfully delayed or challenged if a procedural fault is identified.
The Law of Ledger Authority: Taxation, tolls, and obligations are enforceable only as recorded and archived.High Lands Laws:The Law of Acclamation: Rule is not recognized until publicly affirmed within the capital.
The Law of Crown Protection: Any threat to House Aerien authority is treated as treason against the realm itself.
The Law of Sacred Ascent: Certain high places are reserved for ruling rites and may not be entered unlawfully.
The Law of Exemplary Punishment: Justice must be visible, decisive, and symbolic to maintain order.Fieldmarch Laws:The Law of Sustained Plenty: No ruler or lord may hold authority if their lands cannot reliably feed their people.
The Law of Granary Priority: Grain reserves take precedence over trade, luxury, and military expenditure.
The Law of River Accounting: All river traffic must be logged, taxed, and regulated to prevent scarcity.
The Law of Market Fairness: Hoarding, price manipulation, and artificial famine are crimes against the realm.
The Law of Winter Reckoning: Each year’s survival is judged by preparation rather than intent.
Renowned Figures of Averon
These are the most important or most well-known figures of renown across all of Averon
High Scribe Aurel Voskan
Supreme preserver of records within the Concord; his seals can legitimize or erase a lineage, and his name is spoken cautiously even by kings.Marshal Edrick Blackmantle
Lord-Commander of the Crownsguard; publicly loyal to House Aerien, privately rumored to believe in continental unity.Mistress Saelene Quill
An infamous Black Ledger Binder known only by reputation; said to have ruined three noble houses without ever being seen.Waywarden Corin Holt
Senior Warden of the Waymark Charterhouse; controls passage writs for the Crownroad and Broken Oaths Bridge.Lord-Preceptor Malveron Berien
A severe religious authority of the Ascendant Creed; openly shapes doctrine to reinforce Aerien rule.Lady Ysara Thorne
Matriarch of House Thorne; feared for her ideological devotion to Old Kingdom customs.Archivist Halden Rhygan
A controversial old Reachborn scholar obsessed with pre-Sundering texts.Warlord Brask Halvorn
A legendary cavalry commander; credited with ending two border rebellions through shock assault alone.Captain Renna Kestrelmarch
A rare woman to command frontier troops; respected even by Verasir hardliners.Master Jurist Pell Dane
The most feared legal mind in Charterfall; known for collapsing claims using forgotten precedents.Ledger-Warden Isolt Grey
Overseer of toll charters along the Nevarran Way; accused of knowing “too much” about missing coin.Grain-Lord Merrek Barrowfield
Senior voice within the Court of Grain; blamed whenever famine threatens, whether responsible or not.River-Mistress Anya Addema
Controls river locks near Addema Port.The Quiet Father (alias)
A wandering preacher of the Old Faith; never seen twice in the same place, increasingly mythologized.Ash-Speaker
Known as the leader of the Ashen Continuum; known for burning records before massacres.
The Calendar & currency economy of averon
This is the offical way to tell time across averon & the type of currency traded
In Averon, time is measured according to the Sundering of Crowns, with years marked as BSC (Before the Sundering of Crowns) or ASC (After the Sundering of Crowns), and the moment of division itself referred to not as a numbered year but as the Year of Sundering. The calendar follows a standard twelve-month, three-hundred-sixty-five-day cycle, yet the months are not named; instead, they are carefully counted, often called moons in formal records kept by maesters, stewards, and royal chroniclers.• Among common folk, however, time is understood less through numbers and more through the rhythm of the seasons — the deep stillness of winter, the uncertain thaw, the long campaigning days of summer, and the slow decline into autumn’s harvest.
• While official documents may record precise days and moons, daily life remembers events more loosely, with births recalled as occurring “late in the winter cold” and wars remembered as beginning “before the harvest,” anchoring memory to survival rather than the page.
Currency and trading basics of Averon:Across Averon, coinage exists in many regional forms, but trade only functions because everyone agrees on weight, metal, and seal, not face value. Merchants count coins by sound and cut before they count by name.Continental Standard:
(Recognized Everywhere)Despite regional minting, most trade ultimately converts to a shared standard known informally as Crownweight.
• Gold Crowns – High-value currency used for land sales, military contracts, noble debts, and international trade; rarely handled by commoners.
• Silver Marks – The backbone of daily commerce, wages, rents, tolls, and tariffs across all five kingdoms.
• Copper Pennings – Used for food, drink, lodging, and local market exchange among common folk.
• Foreign or old coins are accepted only by weight, and shaved or clipped coinage is a criminal offense in all kingdoms.Kingdom Variations:• Northern Reaches favor older, heavier silver marks stamped with legacy seals from the Old Kingdom; purity matters more than portrait.
• North Rock issues thick, blunt-cut coins meant to survive frontier handling, often marked only with steel stamps rather than faces.
• Western Bank produces the most paperwork-heavy currency, with serial-sealed coin batches recorded by clerks and auditors.
• High Lands circulate ceremonial gold and stamped silver tied to House Aerien authority; counterfeit Aerien coinage is treated as treason.
• Fieldmarch uses grain-backed silver notes for bulk trade, convertible at granaries and river ports, especially during harvest seasons.Trade Foundations of Averon:Trade in Averon moves along three arteries: grain, roads, and rivers.
• Fieldmarch controls food, making grain contracts more powerful than gold during lean years.
• Western Bank controls charters, tolls, and ledgers, deciding who may trade legally.
• North Rock controls overland security, determining which routes are safe enough to exist.
• High Lands control prestige goods, weapons, trained guards, and symbolic authority.
• Northern Reaches control legitimacy of old measures, especially in noble exchanges and treaties.
• Barter still exists in rural regions, but anything beyond village scale inevitably converts into coin, ledger, or oath.Trade Enforcement & Disputes:• Trade contracts are usually witnessed by local stewards, but high-value agreements are sealed through the Concord.
• Disputed weights, false measures, or forged marks are crimes everywhere, though punishments vary.
• Smuggling is common along coasts and borders, but interfering with grain shipments is universally despised.