Organisations

Religious Groups

• Church of Trinity: Biggest religious organisation of Kali, devoted to the three gods Pelor (Light and Inspiration), Kord (Competition and Endurance) and Rao (Peace and Cooperation).
• The Harvest Guard: Yondallas (Harvest, Community and Protection) priesthood, agents and militia. One of the few religions allowed to raise and command standing armies.
• The Ancestral Cult: Udans main religion, based on honoring the deeds and values of fallen heroes and familiy members.
• The Iron Faith: Main religion of the dwarven Kingdoms, with Moradin (Earth, Crafting and Honor) as main deity, Glittergold (Invention, Luck and Intellect) as second in line and Atesch (Fire, Wealth and Power) as a necessary evil.
• The Circle of Stars: Loose bond of various dieties sharing the power over the night sky. Higher up include Corellion (The Moon, Music and Archery), Celestria (Stars, Dreams and Fortune) and Xan Yea (Darkness, Serenity, Death).

The Keepers of Dawn

A summary by Loremaster Corryn Thistleflame, archivar of the Keepers of Dawn

The Keepers of Dawn are an ancient organisation of warriors, sages and negotiators tasked to protect the Kingdom of Udan and surroundings from otherworldly threats. The true beginnings of the order is lost to time, While the first recordings in this very library reach back about 300 years, the Keepers Lighthouse is known to stand watch on the Isle of the Dead since the first heroes of the realm have been buried there. Due to its existence predating most of Udans laws, they are an independent force from the rest of the kingdom which excuses them from the restrictions in meddling with spirits, demons and the supernatural in general as well as prevents its members from being forcefully conscripted. Occasional exploitations of the ancient rule exceptions unfortunately antagonized recent rulers, causing unnecessary tensions and the spreading of dreadful rumours.

The headquarters of the organisation is localised on the Isle of the Dead, the ancient burial ground of the land’s greatest heroes and rulers. Since many great personalities have the habit of remaining active even after death, the close proximity to the magical, undead calming fire on top of the Keepers Lighthouse as well as to a multitude of supernatural experts had already prevented a multitude of potential necrotic uprisings. It also offers lore masters like me a unique opportunity to personally question some of the greatest minds and leaders of our history about their work, cutting out the middleman of copying second-hand manuscripts.

The Keepers are often jested to be a weirdness magnet, especially in the sense of their members. Outcasts, oddballs, and people with no place to go work alongside those who aim for glory and duty, giving the organisation access to all kinds of experts and specialists. While this diversity is not a recent development, their percentage seems to be constantly increasing, especially since the closure of the capital city offices decreased the number of upper class recruits drastically. I personally think the workplace atmosphere of the Isle of the Dead is another factor of low membership. It is not for everyone.

The main objective of the Keepers is to maintain peace between the people of Udan and the surrounding supernatural world. This is especially necessary, since the borders of the mundane and the mystical are incredibly thin in Udans territories, which could lead to anything from simple fairy circles appearing in cornfields to full scale demonic invasions. Luckily, the worst-case scenarios are uncommon, and due to the many outposts and offices of the Keepers of Dawn strewn all over the countryside, the organisation has maintained a fully operating swift response system for centuries. In the most cases, Keepers are sent out in small teams and act as trained negotiators, researchers, or exterminators -depending on the type of situation- as well as a sign of safety to the common folk. In times of war, the Keepers remain off the battlefields, instead dealing with threats local garrisons would otherwise take care off. Nowadays, these spare teams are mostly tasked guarding the Hornwall, unfortunately lacking in resources to do all that needs to be done.

In conclusion, the Keepers of Dawn have made it their mission to protect the people, to deal with the supernatural, to understand the unknown and to act as a beacon of light, even if the world is at its darkest. We have done so for hundreds of years, through wars, famine and exoplanar catastrophes, and we will continue our work, no matter what comes next.

I just wished we had more staff, I haven´t had a proper vacation since I joined six years ago. I miss my family...