Multiple Settings 🌑 The Black Sun Ascendant:Lore 🌑

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Lore
While this has Lore and describes places do keep in mind they are others things there. Thing the players will make so it's not all described here. If you have questions ask in the OOC please.

List:
The History of Elaris
Factions & Powers
The End Prophecy
Vhalgaard
Soldrith
Wraithlands
The Shrouded Peaks
The Black Maw

 

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The History of Elaris​

The Age of Radiance (The Kingdom’s Rise – 800 years ago)


Founded by King Aldric the Radiant, who wielded the Sunforged Crown, said to be blessed by the gods. Within four years of King Aldric being in power he would order The Grand Cathedral of the Eternal Sun to be built. King Aldric even worked on small bits himself before it opened for the kingdom to use. Soon after the city itsself started to form around it, Soldrith, the capital. The Pale Covenant was established as an order of sacred knights meant to protect the kingdom from darkness. The Pale Covenant was a group of knights who was assigned by King Aldric to protect the kingdom. They was a peaceful group in the most part. As the other city's started to form, magic started to appear. Magic was seen as a divine gift, granted only to those deemed worthy.




The Sundering Wars (The Kingdom’s Fall – 400 years ago)


The gods grew silent. The Sunforged Crown was lost in a war against an unknown enemy. After the Sunforged Crown lost, time seemed to go wrong everyone seems
To experience time differently now. The Weeping Choir first emerged, whispering of the Black Sun’s coming. The kingdom fractured, with noble houses turning on each other.
The Bloodless Court first appeared—nobles who refused to die, feeding off the essence of their own people.




The Era of Twilight (The Present Day – The Eclipse is Near)


Elaris is now a dying realm, its cities abandoned or corrupted. Vhalgaard remains as the last major city, but it is rotting from within. time is know a unknown Concept to many or to the ones who do understand never seem to experience it the same. The Hollow Remnant seeks to prevent the Eclipse, but their numbers are dwindling. The Forsaken Kin grow in number, drawn to the Marked Ones—including the players

 

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Factions & Powers​

The Pale Covenant – An ancient order of knights sworn to purge corruption from the land, though their own methods have grown monstrous. They now believe that the only way to save Elaris is through bloodshed.

The Weeping Choir– A fanatical sect that sings the praises of the Black Sun, believing that its eclipse is a blessing, not a curse. Those who listen to their hymns too long begin to change.

The Bloodless Court – The nobles of Vhalgaard, whose rulers have not aged in centuries. They host lavish feasts, but none of them eat.

The Hollow Remnant – A secretive group of scholars, warlocks, and prophets who seek to undo the End Prophecy by any means necessary, even if it means destroying the gods themselves.

The Forsaken Kin– Once human, now something else. These cursed souls lurk at the edges of civilization, drawn to those who bear the Omen. They whisper promises of power… and hunger for...

 

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Long ago, the gods sealed away something nameless within the sun itself, turning it into a radiant prison. But over the ages, faith dwindled, the gods fell silent, and the sun began to darken. Now, the Black Sun Eclipse looms, signaling the prison's final collapse.



The End Prophecy, carved into ancient monoliths, speaks of the coming of the Marked Ones—souls tied to the eclipse, destined to shape its outcome. The prophecy’s final verse is incomplete, rewritten by countless hands in blood, each translation offering a different fate.



Some say the Black Sun’s prisoner is a dead god, seeking rebirth. Others claim it is the First Shadow, the source of all nightmares. And some believe it is something older than gods or demons—something that never should have been

The End Prophecy​

First shall come the Wailing Star, bleeding fire across the heavens. The dead shall whisper, and the sky shall split in mourning. The old gods shall turn their backs, and the new ones shall awaken in hunger.

Second shall come the Hollow Moon, casting no light, no shadow. The winds shall carry the voices of the forgotten, and the veil between worlds shall grow thin. The graves shall open, and the unliving shall walk.

Third shall come the False Dawn, a light without warmth, a sun without flame. And when it fades, the Black Sun shall rise, its eclipse eternal, its hunger without

The borders shall unravel, the world shall bleed, and the heavens shall tremble. The Wraithlands shall spread like a plague, the Hollow Lords shall feast, and the Twilight Veil shall break. Elaris shall stand last against the tide, but its walls shall crack, and its towers shall fall.

The last sanctuary shall crumble, and none shall be spared. They shall stand before the Black Sun, alone at the end of all things.

They shall speak the final words of this world.

If they kneel, the Black Sun shall rule, and all shall fade into silence.

If they stand, the Black Sun shall burn, and the world shall be reborn in fire and sorrow.

If they turn away, the Black Sun shall consume all, and nothing shall remain—not memory, not light, not even time itself

 

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Vhalgaard​

"A dying city where the air is thick with whispers, the streets reek of forgotten sins, and the last embers of a broken kingdom flicker in the dark."

Vhalgaard is the last great city of Elaris, but it is not a city of hope. It is a corpse refusing to decay, held together by old power, fear, and the inexorable pull of the coming Black Sun Eclipse.

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The State of the City
Vhalgaard stands at the heart of a dying world. It is a place where:
- The sun barely touches the streets, swallowed by the ashen clouds.
- Time feels broken—sometimes, it moves normally; other times, people wake to find entire weeks missing.
- People vanish overnight, their homes left untouched, their names slowly fading from memory.
- The city's nobles, priests, and knights have all lost their purpose, yet they cling to power out of habit and fear.

But something beneath the surface is waiting. Watching. Preparing.

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The Districts of Vhalgaard

The Hollow Spires (Noble Quarter)
"They call themselves eternal. But eternity is just another word for decay."
- Home of the Bloodless Court, the city's immortal aristocracy.
- The streets are eerily pristine, untouched by the filth that plagues the rest of the city.
- The nobles do not age, do not sleep, and do not eat—yet they hunger for something.
- It is said that every mirror in this district reflects not the present, but glimpses of the past or the future.

The Ashen Ward (Common District)
"No one dares to look up anymore. They know something is watching."
- The heart of the city, where merchants, beggars, and the hopeless gather.
- The Ash Storms are growing worse, covering buildings in gray soot that burns on contact.
- The Weeping Choir moves through the streets, singing songs that warp the minds of those who listen too long.

The Sunken Warrens (Slums & Catacombs)
"The deeper you go, the louder the whispers become."
- The lowest district, a labyrinth of collapsing streets and underground ruins.
- Crime and corruption fester here, but even the criminals fear what lurks in the tunnels below.
- The bones of the dead are starting to move again, dragging themselves toward the surface.


The Black Monastery (Religious District)
"The priests do not pray anymore. They only listen."
- Once the spiritual heart of the city, now a crumbling monastic fortress filled with silent clergy.
- Those who linger too long within the halls begin to hear a voice calling their name.
- At midnight, the bell tolls thirteen times, even though the tower collapsed centuries ago.

The Gate of Unrest (Outer Walls & The Watch)​

"The dead are watching. They want to come home."
- The walls of Vhalgaard were meant to keep invaders out—but now they serve to keep something in.
- Part of The Pale Covenant, an ancient knightly order, watches over the Black Gate, but their ranks have dwindled.
- At night, figures can be seen beyond the walls, whispering in forgotten tongues.

 

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Soldrith​

"The city where kings once ruled, now a silent monument to a forgotten age. Its streets are choked with dust, its temples abandoned to shadows, and its throne—empty."

Soldrith was once the jewel of Elaris, the heart of its empire and the seat of its gods. Now, it is nothing but a crumbling ruin, swallowed by time, war, and an ancient curse. Those who enter do not return the same—if they return at all.

Some say that something still lingers in Soldrith. Something waiting. Watching.

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The State of Soldrith
- The city has been abandoned for centuries, but the streets are eerily untouched.
- No birds, no animals, no insects—nothing living remains.
- At night, golden lights flicker in the palace windows, and voices echo through the streets.
- Those who speak the city's name too often dream of a faceless king, sitting on a shattered throne.
- It is said that The past does not stay buried here. Some believe the city itself is trying to remember.
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The Districts of Soldrith

The Throne District (The Palace & The Empty Throne)
"The last king never died. He simply ceased to be."
- The ruins of the Royal Palace, a grand structure of white marble and golden spires, now overgrown with black vines.
- At its center lies the Empty Throne, where the last king of Elaris once ruled.
- The air thickens as one approaches, and the closer you get, the more you feel as though something is standing right behind you.
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The Grand Cathedral of the Eternal Sun
"Once, it was the beacon of faith. Now, it is a tomb of silence."
- The largest cathedral in the kingdom, dedicated to the Eternal Sun, the patron god of Elaris.
- Its great bell rings at midnight, even though it has been broken for centuries.
- The golden stained-glass windows no longer depict saints and angels—they now show unfamiliar figures, their faces blurred.
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The Eclipsed Archive (The Forbidden Library)
"Knowledge is power. But some knowledge is a curse."
- A vast library containing ancient texts, forbidden prophecies, and records of a history that no longer exists.
- Many books have been burned, but the ashes whisper in voices not their own.
- Some shelves contain books written in an unknown language, yet those who look at them for too long begin to understand.
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The Weeping Gardens
"The flowers here do not wilt. They simply bleed."*
- Once the royal gardens, now overgrown with blackened trees and silver roses that bloom even in death.
- The fountains no longer flow with water—only a thick, red liquid that smells of iron.
- Statues of past kings and queens stand throughout the garden. Their eyes follow those who pass by.
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The Sunken District (The Lower City, Now a Graveyard)
"They tried to bury the past. But the dead refuse to stay beneath the earth."
- The lower quarter of Soldrith, now **half-sunken into the ground.
- Some streets end in sheer cliffs, dropping into bottomless pits of darkness.
- At night, the dead rise—not as corpses, but as echoes of the past.

--
Soldrith (The Fallen Capital, Now a Ruin)

"The once-holy city, now abandoned to shadows and ghosts."


Once the seat of kings, now a silent, crumbling ruin.
The Grand Cathedral of the Eternal Sun still stands—but its doors are sealed by golden chains.

 

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The Wraithlands: The Cursed Expanse of Elaris​

"No kingdom claims these lands. No banners fly here. Only the wind howls, and the dead walk where the living dare not tread."

The Wraithlands are the shattered remnants of a once-thriving kingdom, now a desolate, haunted wasteland stretching for miles beyond the ruins of Soldrith. It is a realm where death is not the end, and time itself seems to fracture and bleed into the past.

Few who enter ever return. Those who do often speak in hushed whispers of flickering lights in the mist, voices calling from empty villages, and shadows that do not belong to them.

The land is broken, but it is not empty. Something still lingers here. Watching. Waiting.

The Nature of the Wraithlands
A perpetual twilight hangs over the land, as if the sun has long forgotten these ruins.
The air is thick with spectral fog, shifting and moving as though it has a will of its own.
The sky is wrong—at times, the stars flicker into unfamiliar constellations, or vanish entirely.
Memories linger—travelers sometimes see phantom echoes of the past, replaying forgotten tragedies.
The land itself seems to hunger, as if it remembers the living and wishes to reclaim them.

The Hollow Fields
"The crops still stand, but no one harvests them."

A vast stretch of abandoned farmland where withered crops remain standing, untouched for centuries.
Scarecrows still stand in the fields, their faces twisted in expressions of silent agony.
Those who walk the fields too long begin to hear whispers—as if the fields themselves remember the farmers who once tilled the land.


The Rotting Ruins
"The homes remain. The people do not."

A decayed village where doors stand open, meals sit uneaten, and furniture is perfectly intact.
No bodies remain, only empty clothing and forgotten belongings, as if the people simply vanished.
At night, lanterns ignite on their own, and faint footsteps echo through the streets.

The Shattered Keep
"Its banners still hang. Its soldiers do not."

The remnants of an ancient fortress, its walls cracked and broken, yet its war banners remain untouched by time.
The ruins are haunted by the shades of fallen knights, still guarding a cause they no longer remember.
Ghostly torches flicker to life when intruders draw near, and whispers fill the corridors.

The Rift of Unmaking
"The land ends here. And beyond? Only the void."

A massive fracture in the earth, stretching for miles, from which no light escapes.
Those who stand at the edge see glimpses of another time—another reality.
Sometimes, things crawl out of the Rift. Things that should not be.

The Obsidian Gate

A black stone doorway, standing at the Rift’s edge, covered in runes that burn the eyes.
Those who approach feel a pull, as if something beyond is calling to them.

Extra information
The Wraithlands (A Blighted, Haunted Expanse)

"They burned the land to kill the corruption. It did not work."


A vast wasteland of ashen fields, ruined villages, and haunted battlefields.
The dead do not rest here—at night, ghosts reenact their final moments.
The Pale Copatrolsare know to patrol this land often, executing anyone showing signs of Black Sun corruption.

 

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The Shrouded Peaks: The Veil Between Worlds​

"The mountain does not welcome travelers. It swallows them."

The Shrouded Peaks are a jagged, icebound mountain range stretching across the northern border of Elaris, where the Veil between the living and the dead is thinnest**. The range is perpetually enshrouded in mist, obscuring the true nature of what lies within.

Legends speak of hidden paths that lead to nowhere, voices carried on the wind, and shadows moving within the fog. Some claim that time itself bends within the Peaks, twisting the fates of those who dare ascend its haunted slopes.

It is said that no one reaches the summit unchanged.

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The Nature of the Shrouded Peaks
- The mountains are unnaturally cold, and even fire struggles to burn here.
- The mist seems alive, shifting and moving as though watching intruders.
- Some travelers report seeing figures in the fog, but when approached, they vanish.
- The higher one climbs, the more reality begins to unravel.
- Time fractures—sometimes the past leaks through, sometimes glimpses of a future yet to be.

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Notable Regions of the Shrouded Peaks

The Whispering Pass
"The voices call from beyond the fog. Do not answer them."
- A narrow, treacherous mountain pass, constantly shifting as if the mountain itself is trying to confuse those who walk it.
- Travelers report hearing whispers calling their names, often in the voices of long-dead loved ones.
- If one listens too closely, the whispers begin to offer choices.



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The Sunless Hollow
"Light does not reach this valley, and yet the shadows are still there."
- A deep gorge between the mountains, where the sun never shines.
- The air is thick and heavy, as though something unseen moves through it.
- At night, figures gather in the valley below, standing motionless.


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The Veilwood (A Forest of Echoes)
"These trees do not burn. They do not break. They do not forget."
- A twisted, ashen forest where the trees are blackened and skeletal, yet refuse to fall.
- Any sound made here echoes endlessly, repeating words long after they have been spoken.
- Some shadows do not match their owners.



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The Frozen Sanctum (The Monastery of the Forgotten Order)
"The monks sought enlightenment. Instead, they found silence."
- A ruined monastery, built high in the mountains, its halls now choked with ice and silence.
- Its walls are covered in scriptures written in a language no one remembers.
- The monks' bodies remain—frozen, perfectly preserved, as if the ice came in a flash out of nowhere



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The Summit of Ash and Bone
"The peak is not meant for mortals. Yet some still try."
- The highest peak, where the mist grows so thick it becomes nearly solid.
- The ground is covered in ash, and bones litter the summit, though no one knows whose.
- Those who reach the peak are never seen again—at least, not in this world.

The Shrouded Peaks (Mountains of the Forsaken Kin)

"They say the air is cursed, that no mortal should breathe it. And yet, something lives up there."


A frozen mountain range, where Forsaken Kin roam freely.
At the peak lies the Shrine of the First Eclipse, where the first Marked Ones were sacrificed.
The mountain itself whispers, and those who climb it hear their own voice calling to them.

 

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The Black Maw: The Abyss That Hungers

"The Maw is not a place. It is a wound in the world, and it will never heal."

The Black Maw is a vast, gaping abyss of unknown depth, lying at the heart of a forbidden land where even the most fearless dare not tread. It is not merely a chasm—it is a living hunger, a cosmic wound where the fabric of reality has unraveled, consuming all who draw too close.

Legends say the Maw is older than the world itself. Some claim it was born from a god’s dying breath, others whisper it is a doorway to something beyond time, a place where forgotten horrors slumber.

No one knows how deep it goes. No one who has entered has ever returned.

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The Nature of the Black Maw
- The air around it grows thick and heavy, pressing against the lungs like an unseen weight.
- No wind stirs within a mile of the Maw, and sound is muffled, as if the abyss is devouring even voices.
- The ground surrounding it is cracked and crumbling, as though reality itself is being pulled inward.
- Light struggles to exist near the Maw—torches flicker and dim, and even magical light seems to falter.
- At night, the Maw whispers, though no two listeners ever hear the same voice.

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Notable Regions of the Black Maw

The Rift-Scarred Wastes(The Land Devoured by the Maw)

"Nothing grows here. Nothing remains."

- A vast expanse of broken earth, extending for miles around the Maw.
- The land is scarred with deep fissures, some leaking a black mist that moves against the wind.
- Ancient ruins half-swallowed by the earth hint at a civilization that once stood here—before the Maw awoke.



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The Maw’s Edge (The Final Threshold)

"Stand too close, and you may never stand again."

- The very lip of the abyss, where the ground seems to lean inward, as though longing to fall.
- Looking down into the Maw reveals nothing but pure darkness—deeper than shadow, a void that swallows all light.
- Sometimes, things crawl up from the abyss, but they never live for long beneath the sun.


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The Hungering Descent (The Paths into the Maw)

"There is no bottom. Only the falling."

- A spiraling network of natural tunnels and man-made staircases, leading down into the Maw’s abyss.
- Some paths are lined with strange bones, remnants of things that never should have been.
- Time begins to lose meaning the deeper one goes—footsteps echo before they are made, and shadows flicker in places where no one stands.


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The Voidheart(The Unseen Depths)

"No one has seen the Voidheart and lived to tell of it. But we hear its whispers still."

- The place where the Maw is said to truly end—or begin.
- Those who come near speak of shapes moving in the dark, vast and slow.
- The whispers here form words, but no language known to mortals.
- It is believed that whatever created the Maw still waits within the Voidheart.

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The Black Maw (A Fissure Leading to the Abyss)

"Something below is trying to escape. The earth itself is cracking apart."


A massive, bottomless chasm, where eldritch horrors stir beneath the surface.
The Weeping Choir worships this place, believing it is the wound through which the Black Sun will bleed into the world.
Those who gaze into its depths speak in tongues afterward.