Dragon's Howl Prison

After a series of tragic events involving magic and wizardry, the Cloaken Monks declared all magic to be illegal. As one might expect, the wizarding world resisted, and fighting broke out. Eventually, the conflict involved most of the kingdom and became known as the First Wizards War. 

The Cloaken Monks, with far superior numbers, were victorious over the wizards, and the war ended with many wizards dead, most in hiding and the leaders in custody. The wizards considered the greatest threat were taken to a newly constructed prison known as Dragon's Howl. Here, they were locked in tiny cells, and any use or suspected use of magic was met with extreme measures. Many wizards died in Dragon's Howl Prison. Some froze to death during the brutal winter, others starved to death or succumbed to the elements after being locked in small cages with no protection from the weather and given little or no food.

In the center of the prison was the largest  known to exist. The Cloaken Monks believed the stone had the power to block magical spells and suppress magical powers. Many weapons had been formed from Obsidian during the war and used against the wizards.

The Wizards held in the prison were some of the most knowledgeable and powerful wizards in the world. Eventually, they were able to organize an uprising and, after killing many of the guards, escaped to freedom. They then went on to lead the remnant of the wizarding world in the Second Wizard's War. Tragically, nearly all of the wizards who were not able to escape the prison were executed or allowed to starve to death. 

Dragon's Howl Prison is now abandoned and in ruins. It is known as the most haunted place in the kingdom. The wizards who suffered and died there remain, using their powers to torment, and if reports are to be believed, kill anyone who trespasses into their eternal resting place.

Bracken - The Devil's Swamp

The stories tell of a group of people traveling through the area of devil's swamp before the kingdom was even settled. The devil caught them and tortured and killed them one by one. The last person alive was a young lady. She begged for her life and agreed to do anything if the devil would not kill her.

She agreed to become the devil’s concubine for a period of five years, after which she would be set free. During those five years she was with child six times and gave birth to half demon half human creatures that came to be known as Brackens.

Legend tells of how the woman was released after the five years but by that time she had gone insane and never found her way out of the swamp. The Brackens wander the swamp day and night searching for her, for their lost mother. They are as vile and evil as anything that walks this earth. 

The Great Queen - Airien

Queen Airien was the wife of King Felix II, whose father, Felix I had served for more than twenty years. Felix I led the kingdom in the first war with the Eastern Raiders. When he died, Felix II took the throne. Just four and a half years into his reign, Felix II died of very mysterious causes. There were many rumors that the king had been assassinated, either by Eastern spies or a traitor within his own court. Airien feared for the safety of her son Felix III who was but an infant. To protect her son, and the kingdom, Airien did what no woman had ever dared, she claimed the throne as her own.

The King's knights recognized her authority and pledged her their allegiance. Queen Airien led the kingdom through a period of great building and prosperity. During her reign, the Eastern raiders felt the kingdom, being led by a woman, had become weak and vulnerable. They mounted their forces and rode down from the mountains, attacking every village and city they encountered. 

Queen Airien mustered her army, and with her knights at her side, she led the army eastward. After a hard and brutal five day march, the army came upon the raiders. Queen Airien mounted her great white stallion, and with her long hair flowing in the wind, she led the charge against the enemy.  A great victory for the kingdom was won that day, and the raiders were pushed back. It would take another twelve months of warfare and fighting to completely push the raiders back across the eastern border, but Airien did not stop there. She continued into the mountains and even into the lands of the old kingdoms in pursuit of her enemies. Only when the queen was certain the raiders no longer posed any threat to the kingdom did she order a withdrawal. 

After serving as Queen for thirty years, Airien advocated the throne, and her son Felix III was crowned King. While no longer in authority, Airien remained a key advisor to the king and watched with pride as he continued her legacy of building and prosperity. Upon her death, Queen Airien was interred in the tomb of the kings, her rightful resting place.

Founders of the 3rd Kingdom

 More than a millennial ago, two great empires existed beyond the eastern mountains. For centuries the two kingdoms lived in harmony. Separated by the Lioness River, both regions thrived and grew into great kingdoms. As is the custom of man, the kingdoms began to grow jealous of one another. The North envied the great gold mines of the South. The people of the South desired to possess the rich and fertile farmland of the north. Envy grew into spite and spite into hatred. Eventually, they could not tolerate the other, and during the reign of King Gruber of the North and King Sebastien of the South, war broke out.

The armies of the two kingdoms marched out to battle. The river Lioness ran red with the blood of the fallen. The desires of the kings could not be satisfied with blood, but only with the total annihilation of their foe. Months of fighting turned to years, years to decades, and decades to centuries. The two once mighty kingdoms were left in ruins, barely a shadow of what they once were.

Those the war did not destroy were to face even more horrors. Famine, disease, and pestilence left too many dead to bury. The great farmlands had been burned, poisoned, and left to wither and die. The gold mines sealed and lost to memory. Nothing remained to rebuild, nothing left to salvage. Even then, the fighting continued. The great kingdoms were gone, but the villages and remnants continued to fight, loot, and burn what little remained. 

Out of the ruins emerged twelve adventures, who found a last sliver of hope. Twelve men packed up what little they owned, took their families and forged a trail through the mountains, and emerged in a new land.

Eventually, these brave souls formed a new kingdom unlike anything that had come before. This 3rd kingdom would be nothing like the previous kingdoms. The kingdom would grow larger and more powerful than anything the world had known. Much of this has been forgotten, but remnants remain, stories of the people, the events, the adventures that make the 3rd kingdom so special, so unique. From the ashes of envy, hatred, and war, came the 3rd kingdom.

Wizarding World

 The Wizard's world is made up of several levels from Grand Wizard to Potion Collector. Wizardry was deemed to be legal after the second Wizards War. The term wizard is a generic title that, in legal terms, applies to both men and women. When speaking specifically, female wizards are referred to as witches. In most cases, wizards and witches do not practice magic together. A wizard will generally work alone. A witch may work alone but will more often work within a Haven.

Grand Wizard - Only seven wizards can have the title of Grand Wizard. Only with the death or vanishing of a Grand Wizard will a new wizard be considered for the title.

Wizard - A man who has completed all requirements regarding incantations, potions, and spells. Must be at least thirty years of age.

Wizard Apprentice - Must be over twenty years of age and accepted by a Wizard for training. Will be in training until he has completed all requirements.

Apprentice - Someone under the age of twenty who is desiring to become a Wizard's Apprentice. These men will usually work for or around a Wizard to gain experience and acceptance until they reach the age of true apprenticeship.

Potion Grand Master - One who has attained the rank of Potion Master and has had one of their signature potions used by a Grand Wizard.

Potion Master - has mastered the art of potion making and has invented at least one signature potion, which is widely used in the Wizarding world.

Potion Maker - has some skills but little experience. Will normally work with a Potion Master for a number of years. During this time, the Potion Master has the right to take credit for any Potion the Potion Maker may invent.

Potion Collector - A man, normally of limited resources who is used to gather the various items needed to produce potions. Many of these items can be rare or dangerous to obtain. A Potion Collector, while not highly intelligent, is generally resourceful and a capable adventurer. Potion Collectors are generally looked down upon in the Wizarding World, even though they serve a very vital role withint the community of Wizards.

Library of Lady Catherine

The Library of Lady Catherine - Located at the northern edge of the Bonne Desert, the library was founded by Lady Catherine, sister of King Dunbar. Catherine was a visionary who sought to expand knowledge and to make it accessible to the public. The library, the largest and oldest in the world, is home to more than 8,000 manuscripts, books, scrolls and parchments.

The Complex is located in the hot arid desert region as the low humidity helps to protect and preserve the parchments and other documents. Made up of several buildings, dormitories and gardens, the library serves as a learning center and is open to all.

The main library building has multiple basement levels, one housing the restricted section of the library. The books and parchments contained there are either considered controversial in some manner, or are extremely rare. In either case, access to these documents is very limited. Many of the most valuable documents are stored in the Styder Tower.

In addition to the library and its study centers, the complex is also home to an extensive scriptorium. The intent is to preserve important documents as well as make multiple, accurate, copies so they can be more widely distributed and studied. Lady Catherine's vision of a place of learning was realized in the library complex as well as the distribution of documents to other centers around the kingdom.

Tree Nymphs

Tree Nymphs are one of the rarest magical creatures of The 3rd Kingdom. Very little is known about these delicate creatures. While they live among us, mostly high in the trees, they will only be visible to humans when the Nymphs allow it, which is extremely rare. For this reason, no one is certain just how many of them there are or how they live.

While a tree nymph is human sized, their weight is that of a feather. Because of this, they build their villages, which can be quite large, high in the trees on the tiniest of branches. Nymphs are very sensitive to their surroundings and their health can be adversely affected if evil is nearby.

Most Tree Nymph colonies have one village leader, or chief, who is appointed for life. Tree Nymphs have an exceptionally long lifespan, with it being told of some living as much as 300 years or more. They are very passive and will not take sides in any type of armed conflict. They are also very in tune with all other life forms, and it is all but impossible to hide from a Nymph.

Beautiful, fragile, kind, and reclusive, Tree Nymphs are said to embody all that is good about this world.

Mueller's Comprehensive Book of Potions

 - This book contains a wide variety of potions, both magical and mundane.

(Magical potion requires the use of a spell or incantation to either activate or strengthen the potion. - A Mundane potion works alone, with no magical powers required of the wizard. - Many consider mundane potions to be non-magical.)

- Contains entries from some of the finest potion masters and potion collectors throughout history.

- To have your potion added to this collection is considered very high praise indeed.

- Book is widely used by the Wizarding World and by many in the Witching Community. - Witches tend to vary the incantations slightly in order to achieve a specific result. This is considered gray magic and is frowned on by most wizards and witches.

- Mueller was neither a wizard or a sorcerer, but an academic. For years he gathered various potions as a hobby. After he had collected several hundred potions, he decided to record them in a single text. By the time he completed the Book of Potions he had gathered more than three thousand potions. Mueller also included an index of ingredients used in the potions. The master index of ingredients listed some forty thousand items. These range from a mouse toe to the root of a crucible tree. 

- Mueller, and his entire family, were harrassed by representatives and followrs of the Cloaken Monks. He was eventually forced to abandon his search for additional potions and secretly published this text. As a result, he was shunned and lost his entire fortune. He died a poor and broken man. Now, centuries later, his Book of Potions is regarded as a masterpiece. It is overseen by the Muller Society who is in charge of adding any new potions to the text. 

- An original copy of the Mueller Book of Potions is on display in the Lady Catherine Library.

Dragoness,,, many say myth, some know better,,,

 Several centuries ago, a legend developed, and while many believe them to be a total myth, the stories persist
to this day. 

Certain species of dragons can develop more intense spirits, generally only after living a very long life. It is said that when these spirit dragons die, they are often reincarnated into a human form. The form is always that of a woman, but she will never be fully human and will never be comfortable among people.

These Dragoness are fierce warriors, have highly acute senses, and like to live in the deepest forests as far from people as possible. They are rarely seen, but a few witnesses have reported the Dragoness' at times can be very violent. The dragoness will often have a special relationship with dragons and can approach them and even live among them. 

Dragoness' may carry a dagger or knife, but will generally be very scantily clad, and some prefer to remain nude, staying as close to their dragon form as possible and avoid clothing, seeing it as becoming too human. Because they avoid humans and can at times be aggressive, many believe the Dragoness' to be possessed by evil spirits left over from their lives as dragons. This concern is made more credible as a Dragoness is not susceptible to any known spell or potion. Because of this, the Dragoness is seen as a natural enemy of wizards and witches.

The Cloaken Book of Anti-Magic

The Cloaken Monks were the original guardians of peace and justice in the Kingdom. One of their core
beliefs was their hatred of magic. While the Monks admit magic is real, they insist all magic, and those who use it, are evil. The Monks compare magic to a flame. The flame must have a source of fuel, which in the case of magic is evil. As magic is used, the evil consumes the person (their soul), eventually leaving only worthless ash and suit. 

In their desire to eliminate magic, the Monks recorded every known method to counteract magic. The book, known simply as the Cloaken Book of Anti-Magic, contained counter potions, a list of weapons which could be used against a wizard and how to make them, and also gave details on how to deal with and avoid magical creatures. 

One chapter of the book contained detailed instructions on how to identify a witch. This was considered critical since most witches operated in secret or more often as members of a secret coven. Wizards were much more open with their magic and rarely hid their power or association with wizardry. 

It should be noted that Cloaken Monks would openly use potions either to heal or to ward off evil. They considered any potion that required an accompanying spell or incantation to be magic and therefore forbidden. If no spell or incantation were required, the Monks considered the potion to be scientific and was therefore allowed. This included many medicinal concoctions that had been in use for centuries.  

Small, pocket sized, versions of the anti-magic book were produced and carried by senior Monks. Given the expense and difficulty involved in duplicating these texts, possessing one was considered a high honor.

Seatter's Book of Magical Spells and Incantations

 

- Accepted as the primary text by the wizarding world as well as the witchcraft community.

- There is some controversy involved with this book given the wizard's name that appears on it, but it is nonetheless considered the most complete and accurate book of spells ever compiled.

- Contains more than 570 incantations and 850 spells. These range from the very simply to the highly complex incantations.

- The Cloaken Monks gathered up and destroyed all copies of the book they could find when magic was deemed illegal. Some copies were preserved in individual collections. It is believed there are only three ancient copies remaining which include all of the original content.

 - Original versions of the book were fully illustrated. The text also included warnings about certain spells and incantations as well as unusual side-effects of others. These are considered rare, but are at times very serious in nature.

- It is rumored, but has never been confirmed, that a copy of this text is kept in the restricted section of the Library of Lady Catherine.  (Thieves once broke into the restricted section but were caught in the act. All three were killed by Library guards. It was widely believed they were after the copy of Seatter's Book of Magic.)

House of Caliburn

The House of Caliburn - A family of master swordsmiths and forgers who have made every sword carried by the King's Knights in modern times. The forge is located in the northern mountains and has been in continuous use for centuries. Tradition claims that each sword adopts a portion of the soul of its user. 

A knight, when retired or when they are lost in combat, will have their sword passed on to another knight to be chosen by the king. No sword made by the House of Caliburn for a Knight of the King  has ever broken in battle. 

Only two swords carried by Knights are not accounted for. The sword of Sir Gaylord was lost when he went mad and rode into the forest of memories and never returned. The second missing sword belonged to Sir Torkien. The knight had gone deaf and was to retire. He chose to embark on one last quest. Since he had lost all hearing, he sailed to the island of the mermaids, believing he would not fall victim to their enchanting songs. It is unknown what became of Sir Tolkien, but he nor any of his party ever returned. 

The House of Caliburn forge mines its own ore from an on-sight mine. The ore is of a very high grade and helps make the swords strong, lite and durable. A sword made for a King's Knight will be approximately six inches longer than the average one-handed sword, measuring thirty-seven inches. The Knight's sword will weigh in at three pounds and is perfectly balanced. 

The forge makes a variety of other swords and weapons but will not produce a Knight's Sword for anyone but the king.  The House of Caliburn has won the forging title in the Crete Games for the past twenty-two consecutive years. No other forge even comes close to the number of titles and championships won by The House of Caliburn.

A Time Walker

A Time Walker is a person who will have a vision of the future when they make physical contact with another person. This is most often seen as a curse, and the Time Walker will live a life of solitude and avoid any human contact. The stress of their condition and solitude results in a wide number of physical ailments, and most are in poor health. 

Some Time Walkers will see a future that is set and unchangeable. Others will see a future in which their own actions can result in an alternate future being played out. Still, others will see a future that can be altered, but not by the Time Walker themself. It is considered improper for a Time Walker to share their visions, but many do so because they cannot shoulder the responsibility alone.

It is unknown how a person becomes a Time Walker. It is known that a person is not born with the power, and it is not passed down from parents to their children. No one who has ever acquired the power has ever lost it prior to death. Many refused to discuss any visions of the power itself, but their lifestyles left no doubt the power remained.

Some rulers have sought out Time Walkers in an attempt to gain an advantage over an advisory or military enemy. These occasions have generally ended very badly for the ruler as the power to see the future does not tell how to best alter or change it in favor of a single person or army.