Info and lore regarding the world of Arda.
Current Rulers of Arda and Families
The Elves: The elven king is Valanter. His wife Natasha was killed in the Great War (also known as the third Goblin War) which also took the life of Caleb’s brother, Cale. Elves are longer lived than even the Elestari, to the point of being seen as immortal, so it was a great loss to the elf kingdom when Natasha died. Valanter is considered to be one of the greatest kings the elves have ever had. Through his wisdom and strength, the elves have prospered and succeeded even after enduring multiple wars. Valanter led his people in four noteworthy battles; the first was against an Elestari king around three thousand years ago, when he had just taken the throne. The second and third were during the Goblin Wars that originally destroyed Amaroth. The fourth war was also against the goblins, when Garzvhal became their chief. This battle was fought alongside Avana, of Amaroth, before she was crowned queen.
Valanter’s son, Vrealyn rules the elven city of Mirava and rarely leaves after the death of his own wife, Celestia, in childbirth. While his wife was living, Vraelyn had a wild streak that pulled him away from Mirava where he was supposed to be ruling. It is said that he bested an Ice Troll barehanded and could often be found swimming in the ocean with the great Kraken. However, all of this came to a halt with the death of Celestia. She had been the greatest tamer of his spirit. Losing her turned the once joyful, wild elf into a cold, distant creature.
Vraeyln’s son Toryn came into the world on a starless night. His skin was pale, and he never gained the fair golden glow that others of his kind were known for. Due to the death of his wife and the strangeness of the child, Vraelyn could not stand Toryn. Toryn was left largely to his own devices and was raised almost exclusively by his grandfather, Valanter. After an incident where a guard of the city was killed, Toryn left the elf kingdom and wandered over Arda and beyond. Hiring himself out as a mercenary, Toryn traveled to the pirate haven on the northern reaches of Arda. There he sailed and pillaged with the pirates for many years, until tired of the bloodshed, he trekked into the Cascade Mountains. In the Cascades, he found a place to rest in the small village of Hylfin.
The Dwarves: The dwarven king is Halfor the Wise. He has ruled the dwarves for nearly one hundred years. During his reign, the dwarves have found a new vein of gold and ruby that Halfor judiciously used to improve trade with other kingdoms, most notably the Icelanders for their furs. Halfor is best known for his love of rubies, mining for them almost exclusively. His wife, Cassia, also shares his love for the red gems. Together they have made rubies a sign of power for the upper class. They have only one child, Halever.
Halever has an adventurous side and enjoys crossing the land of Arda similar to his younger cousin, Killian. Halever and Killian also share a love of smith's work. He can often be found creating fabulous armor or delicate jewelry in the smithy.
Halfor has one brother, Kalmar, father of Killian. Kalmar and his wife, Zyphereth, had two sons, Korah and Killian. Korah was killed during the Great War, also known as the third Goblin War, with his brother Killian surviving him. Kalmar is deeply interested in mining techniques. He has made impressive progress with flash mining, the process of using small quantities of black powder to safely remove rock in tight, dangerous spaces. His remaining son, Killian, is married to Avana, queen of Amaroth.
The Wild Wolves: The wolves of the north are a highly intelligent species of Dire wolf. They are always white in color generally with gold-colored eyes. Their current High Chieftain is Finris. The wolves prefer to stay in the northern Wilds of Arda, but will venture into the Cascade and Blue Fire Mountains. Wild wolves do not normally mingle with other species, but there has been an alliance in the past between them and the kings of Arda. When the kingship fell and the Rangers were formed, a horn was gifted to the head Ranger to call upon the wolves in times of great need.
The wolves typically do not all speak the common tongue used between the different species, preferring to use their own language. However, with Avana considered part of the pack, the common tongue has become more frequently heard.
Finris took in Avana, raising her with his own son Fallon when her family was killed and her father, Caleb, taken by goblins. In the pack, Avana is Finris’ adopted daughter and sister to Fallon. Finris dearly loves Avana and visits her often even as she rules Amaroth.
Fallon is good friends with Avana and Killian’s son, Aohdan. Fallon considers himself a guardian for Aohdan until the title of High Chieftain falls on him at his father’s death.
Wild wolves have a long-standing hatred with their arch enemy, the Ice Trolls. Trolls are one of the few creatures willing to hunt the wolves, and outside of dragons, are the wolves’ only fear. Rista, the mate of Finris, was killed by an Ice Troll, adding fuel to their hatred. Avana keeps the fur from Rista as a favor to Finris as he couldn’t stand the sight of it but did not want to dishonor her memory by throwing it away.
The Elestari: The Elestari are a powerful group of shapeshifting dragon people. They do not have a king any longer, but are instead ruled by a group of elders from each of their guilds. Warrior, Wizard, Healer, Metallurgy, Cuisine, Weaver, Woodwork, and most important to them Knowledge. Elestari value knowledge and wisdom more than anything else. They will spend hours debating anything from an insignificant problem to matters of deep curiosity. Their halls are lined with thousands of books. Elestari enjoy fine things and can be perfectionists. Presentation is significant to them, from good food to their armor.
They have lived magically hidden away in the highest peaks of the Blue Fire Mountains for several thousand years, never leaving their homes. The Elestari were once a part of Amaroth and lived all over Arda. They intermingled with the humans, and many of the old kings were of Elestari blood. This was a golden age of Amaroth where prosperity abounded and people sought after knowledge instead of wealth. A strong wizard king rose to the throne during this period. He was said to be the most powerful wizard to have ever lived. He ruled well until the death of his son.
Then the Elestari king began to delve into black magic, trying to bring life back to his lost child. He could never revive his son, but he managed to create an assassin for himself, Azrael, who was forced to serve his every whim. His dark arts and grief sent him into a deep madness that eventually led to him enslaving his people and going to war with the surrounding kingdoms.
The king was finally brought down by Valanter, but at a great cost to Amaroth and to the elves. The Elestari were horrified by what had happened, so they put a curse upon themselves and hid. The curse was spent after two thousand years, but still, they hid, afraid of the world. They did not make an appearance back to Arda until they were attacked and enslaved by goblins under the influence of an evil dragon name Killkari.
This occurrence led to the meeting of Aohdan, son of Avana and Killian, and Saoirse an Elestari woman. Aohdan, Saoirse, Avana, and Killian worked together to free the Elestari from the clutches of Killkari. After their exposure to the world again, the Elestari have begun to trickle down from the mountains and have begun to again make homes in Amaroth.
The Humans of Amaroth: The human ruler is Avana, queen of Amaroth. Avana is a direct descendant of the kings’ of Amaroth through the Rangers. Her grandfather, Aramis, was the head Ranger and her father, Caleb, was a retired Ranger. Avana also has Elestari blood in her veins through the kingship, which allows her to shape-shift into a dragon.
Avana lost her family at a young age to goblins who killed everyone but her father. They abducted Caleb, sending Avana on a desperate search for him. Through her searching, she met Killian and eventually found out about her birthright. After many years she was reunited with her father only to have war break out against Garzvahl, the goblin chief. Defeating the goblins and marrying Killian cemented her role as the queen of Amaroth.
Together, they have one child, Aohdan, who is the much-loved prince of Amaroth. Fallon, of the wild wolves, has spent a great deal of time with Aohdan and is not only his guardian but a best friend. Aohdan is also capable of shapeshifting and is married to Saoirse.
Icelanders of Sigror: The people of Iceland are currently ruled by Asbjorn the Strong. He is the leader of the conglomeration of the formally nomadic bands that live in the frozen tundra of Iceland above Arda. Icelanders originally were descendants of warring pirates who had lost their standing with the pirate families living in Arda and other countries. These outcasts, hunted by both friend and foe alike, chose Iceland as their haven. It was uninhabited by humans at that time due to the unforgiving cold, Trolls, and wild animals.
The pirates became nomadic tribes that roamed across Iceland following the reindeer and living off the land. They did not have a leader, often feuding against one another in battles for the best pastures and food sources. They also, were brutally attacked by the Ice Trolls that inhabited the country.
Ice Trolls became the humans biggest problem, killing not only the reindeer but also the people. The Icelanders believe that humans would not have survived if it had not been for their first king, Gunnar Strong Shield. Gunnar was able to convince the tribes to unite with him to fight back against the Trolls. Leading the humans, Gunnar also introduced the training of Ursine, the giant bearlike creatures that often preyed on their reindeer. With the united tribes and Ursine, Gunnar attacked the ice and stone palace of the Trolls which was the capital of the Troll kingdom.
Through a fierce and bloody battle, the humans succeeded in defeating the Ice Trolls and driving them from the castle effectively breaking the back of the Troll kingdom. Since that time, the humans and Ice Trolls have been bitter enemies. The castle lies in the northern regions of Iceland and is called Sigror, meaning victory. The kings of Iceland have resided there ever since. Many Icelanders also call this large castle their home as it is considered the capital of Iceland.
The Five Families of Piracy: The pirates of Arda are a conglomeration of human and elven mercenaries that raid the coasts of Arda, Iceland, and the surrounding countries. They are ruled by family groups that are constantly fighting one another for leadership. There are five factions or clans; the Mirvellians (an elvish clan), the Rollo clan (human), the Lairds (an elvish clan), the Gundarsons (human), and the currently ruling Odinheim family (human).
All pirates must fall under the protection of one of these families or are considered to be outcast and can be killed on sight. Under the pirate code, switching families is frowned upon, but not unheard of. The Pirate Haven on the northern shores of Arda is where the heads of all five families live. They control all northern ports and have an ongoing battle against Tir Falken, the main trading city on the western side of Arda, for trading rights.
Pirate Haven is considered the main port between Iceland and Arda. Though the Icelanders are descendants of outcast pirates, they maintain a healthy trading relationship. Almost all furs coming into Arda from Iceland come through the Pirate Haven. Travel is considered, fairly safe as long as you are willing to pay the steep bribes the pirates require. The pirates consider it bad manners to rob travelers who have paid for their protection. It is best, however, to travel on ships manned by the current ruling clan.
Merchants, on the other hand, are a different story. Black market trade is the biggest moneymaker for the pirate families. Everything you can imagine can be found in Pirate Haven for the right price. Smuggling items and raiding ships from other families is the main source of trouble between the clans. Gold, jewels, spices, furs, weapons, anything they can get their hands on. Rumor says that each family has piles of gold and other booty hidden along the coast of Arda and on small islands in the western sea.