Kaleshan Intro Lore

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Introduction

Kaleshan is a continent that, in the year 250 AGS, is in many ways both exceedingly young and exceptionally old. None of the major nations have been around for long, yet hints of past civilizations live on in abandoned ruins and isolated minor nations.

For those who wish to uncover ancient mysteries, Kaleshan offers plenty to explore. Most of the continent's history has been lost to time, but the wise adventurer knows that what has been lost can always be found. Whether it be in the ancient forests populated by strange creatures or the rumored ruins of a long-gone civilization in the Belkalen Desert, there are always new discoveries to be made.

For those who wish to make a name for themselves, the three major nations are vibrant, evolving places where anyone can make an impact with enough will and determination.

The Fensin Commonwealth is a loose association of cities with one common goal, to trade with the world and get rich doing it. Effectively isolated from the rest of the continent by the Pashutil Mountains and the Belkalen Desert, it has not (yet) been a target of the Gasha Empire for conquest, and provides a safe haven for many refugees. The Commonwealth is also the most diverse nation on Kaleshan, attracting people from all over with its promise that anyone can rise from rags to riches in its bustling cities. Although the Commonwealth is only a loose association without a clear formal government, it is common knowledge that the Alekin family and its great companies hold the real reins of power there (and according to some, across the whole of Kaleshan). Besides that, the many guilds of Kaleshan also tend to be headquartered in the Commonwealth.

The Gasha Empire strives for peace and unity across the continent, and despite appearing seemingly out of nowhere 250 years ago, has managed to "unite" most of Kaleshan under its rule. Countering this vision of a united continent, however, are the four rebellions it has faced in its 250 years of existence, and support for a new one seems to be bubbling up. The people of what used to be the Parasomi Kingdom are notoriously stubborn and independent, and aided by smugglers from the Fensin Commonwealth and people still loyal to the Parasomi royal family, they hold hope that this time they'll finally get their freedom.

The Belkalen Kingdom is the only existing major nation that is older than The Great Starfall, and its resilience is often attributed to the tough living conditions that come from being surrounded by desert as far as the eye can see. This nation boasts the largest libraries on the continent, and attracts scholars and mages from across Kaleshan to study in its colleges, the foremost of which is the College of the Mage Stone in Belkalen. The Kingdom is constantly making new technological leaps that allow for the construction of complex machinery powered by the Mage Stone, but this technology never seems to function properly beyond a certain distance from the stone, preventing these advancements from spreading to the rest of Kaleshan. However, recent discoveries made by the College could change that very soon.

The Great Starfall and the Star-Touched Stones

It is impossible to fully understand these three nations without first understanding the events of 250 years ago, the months-long meteor shower known as the Great Starfall. The year 0 was so significant to so many who called Kaleshan home that it provided the impetus to finally coordinate calendars across the continent. No event before or after has left such a lasting impact on the face of the continent and the relations between its people as the Great Starfall did. This is the story of the arrival of The Star-Touched Stones.

That summer, a meteor shower rained down so bright and large it lasted for several weeks and filled the night sky with countless shooting stars. One observer likened the stars flying by to the fearsome rapids of Shero Punta. This is the event that became known as the Great Starfall. In this time, three unique Stones were found around the continent. These Stones were the size of small buildings, firmly embedded in the ground without having left any sign of a crater, each a deep crystalline hue and glowing as if lit by an internal flame. Each Stone, when found, provoked a different response from those who discovered it... and bestowed a distinct power upon those chosen by it.

The Gasha Stone and The Gasha Empire

The first Stone landed in territory possessed by the Gasha people, which at the time had been but a small elven tribe embroiled in a fierce debate between two factions. The Faron faction represented the more traditional of the two, believing that they were already in the land promised to their ancestors by the God Keida and that there was no need to expand and go elsewhere. The Batan faction represented those who wished to expand the tribe's power and people further across the continent, by force if needed, believing that the resources in their promised land were not enough for their ambitions. When the meteor shower started, the Faron interpreted it as a warning of a looming threat, whereas the Batan interpreted it as a sign from Keida that it was time for a change. When the Gasha Stone landed, it was discovered by the leader of the Batan faction, Goren Dun. Its sheer size convinced the majority of the Gasha that it was a symbol of power and swayed the debate in favor of the Batan. Since then, those individuals chosen by the Gasha Stone have been marked with mismatched red and brown eyes and blessed with military prowess, commanding large armies for the Gasha and executing strategic tactics with innate ease. As a result, the Gasha Empire grew mostly unmatched, and is currently the largest nation in Kaleshan. Having grown too large too quickly, however, has left the Gasha Empire with internal issues that it still struggles with 250 years later, and is only able to hold onto its power through military might.

The Alekin Stone and The Fensin Commonwealth

The second Stone landed in Bon Tai alongside a down-on-his-luck half-elf fisherman, Sabo Alekin, who had dozed off trying to catch fish in the light from the meteor showers. The splash from the impact woke him up and filled his boat with countless fish, but the glow of the Stone floating on the surface mesmerized him far more than the fish did. Try as he might, he was unable to move it; it seemed to be fixed in place, as if anchored to the very surface of the water. In the morning, he returned with the biggest haul of fish his local market had ever seen. He returned to the Stone night after night, and though others joined him, he was the only one for whom the fish seemed to willingly swim into nets. He began referring to the Stone as "my lucky lake rock" (others called it the Alekin Stone) and amassed great fortunes over the years through many economic endeavors. The Alekin family is now the most wealthy in Kaleshan, and those chosen by the Alekin Stone can be recognized by their distinctive mismatched gold and green eyes. The local village Alekin hailed from was eventually renamed Sabo in his honor, and is now the largest city on the continent. Unlike the military generals of the Gasha Empire, the Alekin family has never been directly involved in national affairs. However, the increased trade they brought established long-lasting stability and prosperity that would result in the formation of The Fensin Commonwealth.

The Mage Stone and The Belkalen Kingdom

The third Stone landed in the palace garden of the oldest major nation in Kaleshan, the Belkalen Kingdom. The king's wizard, Balma Pandini, was the first to discover it, as she had the habit of going on nighttime walks to study the stars and had been out watching the meteor showers. Stunned by its silent and sudden appearance in front of her and feeling drawn to its intense magical aura, she convinced the king to put her in charge of studying it. Within a week she discovered how to harness the magical properties of the Stone directly. Within a month she invented a device that could keep food fresh using the magic of the Stone. Within a year she had created an automated irrigation system that effectively ended the Hundred-Year Drought, a drought that had brought the kingdom to the brink of collapse. Her work established the Belkalen Kingdom as a magical and technological powerhouse and attracted wizards from across Kaleshan. After attempting and failing to move the Stone somewhere else, the king gave his palace over for the use of Pandini and her many students in exchange for a grander palace built using the devices Pandini was creating. Thus began the College of the Mage Stone. Those chosen by the Mage Stone are marked with mismatched silver and blue eyes and have Pandini's magical skill and unrelenting inventiveness. Although the technology powered by the Mage Stone works at a distance, there is a limit near the borders of Belkalen which no one has been able to break, keeping these innovations within the borders of the kingdom.

Isolationist Nations

There are two other notable nations on Kaleshan, both of which are notorious for their isolationism.

The Dwarves of Tanu Pashdon

Although many dwarves have found their homes in the many other mountains and cities of Kaleshan, The Dwarves of Tanu Pashdon have dwelled within the mountains for as long as anyone can remember and are believed to be the first inhabitants of the continent. Dwarven records and family trees show that they descend from the original nine dwarves who settled there, the legendary Ironforged, but there are no dates accompanying any of their history, only the names of contemporary rulers. Far too many generations have passed to establish a year of founding with any meaningful accuracy. Their capital and only city is Pajhanpara, The City of the Mountain, which is rumored to be a sprawling, underground metropolis that rivals even the city of Sabo in size.

Dwarven society in Tanu Pashdon is hierarchical. Highest above all is the King of the Mountain. This position is always held by the head of one of the eight Houses of Iron, the dwarven clans descended from the Ironforged. Below them are the heads of the other Houses of Iron, and they are followed in the hierarchy by the main families of each house. The title of King of the Mountain is passed cyclically through each of the Houses upon death or abdication of the current King, a common, traditional occurrence marked with much ceremony. The rest of the dwarven population is divided among the houses based on their ancestry, with each dwarf bound to their respective house.

When the dwarves originally settled in Tanu Pashdon and formed the Houses of Iron, there were nine, one for each member of the Ironforged. However, the ninth house, Kamista Kamea, also known as the Lost House, was banished from the mountains at some point over thirty generations ago. The reason for their exile remains a mystery, and the usually meticulous dwarven records are silent on the matter. The vast majority of dwarves met throughout Kaleshan are descendants of that house, with very few exceptions. Members of Kamista Kamea are viewed with deep distrust by those within the mountains, and this feeling is reciprocated in kind.

The dwarves of Tanu Pashdon are an insular people, keeping contact with the outside world to an absolute minimum. They emerge from their mountain strongholds only on rare occasions, typically to trade for specific goods or to defend their homeland from external threats. This isolation has allowed them to maintain their unique culture and traditions, untouched by the passing of centuries and the tumultuous events that have shaped the world beyond their borders.

Buru Meldon

Buru Meldon, “Buru” meaning “Isolated”, is an island chain located off the southeastern coast of Kaleshan. Although it refers to itself as Jantakalen Meldon, “Jantakalen” meaning “Moonrise”, it was given the name “Buru” by traders from the Alekin Trading Company who have been blocked from entering. Given that The Alekin Trading Company is the most trusted source of maps in Kaleshan, the name stuck with the rest of the continent. The capital is Jantakalen, and the islands are ruled by a monarchy.

The populace is elvish, and known to be more spiritually inclined and superstitious than those on the mainland, guided by the many prophecies kept at the royal palace in Jantakalen. Shortly after the Great Starfall, more and more prophecies began to come to pass, causing many to believe that some other large event was looming over the horizon.

Currently, the only settlement on Buru Meldon accessible to the outside world is Jesalkona, a small trading port set up exclusively for that purpose. The locals remain suspicious of foreigners and perform purification rituals on themselves and any goods they receive through trade before returning to Jantakalen. Due to the Alekin Trading Company’s direct connection to Sabo Alekin, and thus, to the Prophecy of the Fallen Stars, they are banned entirely from the islands.

When Buru Meldon was still known as Jantakalen Meldon, it was a semi-active trading partner of Monakona, trading rare gems found only in Janta Pash and exquisite glassware produced by the island’s glassblowers in exchange for strong metals and luxurious textiles from the mainland. That all changed in 7 AGS when a particularly proud trader boasted of the Alekin Stone as the source of the mainland’s wealth in a tavern in Jantakalen. Rumors of the Star-Touched Stones spread throughout the island until the news reached the king’s advisor, a woman from the local monastery who was well-versed with Jantakalen’s mythology and many prophecies. It is said that the moment the three Stones were mentioned, she turned as pale as the moon and as still as Janta Pash in winter. After rushing off to speak with the trader, she returned to the king and shared with him an ancient prophecy:

When three fall the stars and three peoples transcend,
That is the time that will herald the end.
For the ones that bring wealth will take all others own,
To claim the world's riches is their aim alone.
The ones that bring wisdom create a reliance,
With them in control there is only compliance.
The ones that bring strength will lead you to the grave,
There remains only that or a life as a slave.
Join not with the fallen, their boons ill-begotten.
When end comes to all, you alone will stand tall. -Prophecy of the Fallen Stars

With this prophecy in mind, the king swiftly forced all foreigners off the island and closed the nation’s borders. Those who were abroad were given a period of one hundred days to return or be barred from the islands forever, with return punishable by death. Thus began the Buru Period of the islands. It was only after another 116 years had passed that the port town of Jesalkona was established and limited trade returned to Buru Meldon.

Cosmology of Kaleshan

At the very core of Kaleshan's Cosmology are the 13 Mystic Essences, metaphysical forces that combine to form the very basis of the world. It is through the tumultuous combination and recombination of these Essences that everything from magic to Kaleshan itself came into being. Although the Mystic Essences are not entities in their own right, the Gods are effectively pure manifestations of each Essence, carrying out their "will" in the world.

The Gods themselves do not often interact directly with the world of mortals, instead preferring to act through their followers. Occasionally, some Gods appoint a worthy living creature to serve as their Aspect. Aspects are creatures that have proven themselves to live a life fully in dedication to one of the Mystic Essences, and are blessed with extraordinary power (and divine responsibility) in exchange. Examples of this include Pyrotheos and Ramhalst, two dragons that serve as the Aspects of Yama and Gulfosa respectively, and Terachelys, the Living Island, who serves as the Aspect of Pashgota.

There is some debate among the people of Kaleshan as to whether those chosen by the Star-Touched Stones have in fact been chosen to be Aspects. However, religious scholars tend to be in agreement that they are not, as they do not serve (or even attempt to serve) as representatives of their respective Gods, focusing instead on personal gain.

The Secondary Domains listed in the table below are additional domains the Gods are known for. As an example, Kaminel is known as the God of Knowledge and Light.