Eldratia

Supplement to King Edric III

The main enemy and personal nightmare is Vaelin "The Ash King".

Vaelin was one of Edric III's eldest sons (according to some rumors, even one of the most promising). Like all his children, the king viewed him solely as a tool. When the court mages and the Arcana Council proposed using the young prince as a living vessel for an ancient fire artifact, Edric agreed without hesitation.

This was the last straw.
Vaelin broke free of the ritual, destroyed half the royal palace's eastern wing, and departed, leaving only ashes and corpses in his wake. From then on, he became more than just a rebellious son to Edric III, but a true obsession.

The King's attitude towards Vaelin
Edric III both hates and fears him.

Any mention of the "Ash King" at court causes the monarch to experience a rare outburst of rage.

The King repeatedly secretly sent detachments and even entire punitive expeditions to search for Vaelin, but all of them either returned with huge losses or did not return at all.

In private conversations with his closest advisors, Edric admitted that Vaelin was the only one of his blood whom he had truly underestimated and who had been able to truly harm him.

For King Valdren, Vaelin is living proof that even expendable material can sometimes bite too hard. And this realization has haunted Edric for many years.

King Edric III
Title: His Majesty Edric III, King of Valdren, Lord of the Central Lands, Supreme Patron of the Orders
Age: 54 years
Race: Human

Appearance
A tall, broad-shouldered man with a heavy, commanding presence. His short, dark-blond hair is already noticeably graying at the temples, but his face retains a stern, handsome appearance. His steel-gray eyes are heavy and appraising. He wears ornate yet practical royal armor even in the palace—a constant reminder that he is, first and foremost, a warrior and a ruler. His fingers are adorned with numerous rings bearing the seals of various houses, including those of his many wives.

Character
Cold, calculating, and extremely pragmatic, he possesses a keen political mind and an iron will. He can be charming and magnanimous in public, but in private he reveals his true nature—a man for whom everything, including his own blood, is a tool.
He treats his wives as political assets and a means to cement alliances. He treats his children as purely expendable. His heirs aren't family, but spare pieces on the board. Those who show weakness are quickly removed from the game (sent to dangerous fronts, to monasteries, or simply "forgotten"). Those who demonstrate strength and usefulness are used to the last possible moment.

Family
Officially, the king has over fifty wives and concubines of various origins (Valdren noblewomen, vassals' daughters, even a few representatives of other races taken for alliances). The exact number of his children is unknown even to courtiers—estimates range from 80 to 120. Only a few of them wield any real influence at court. The rest exist as reserves and bargaining chips in political games.

Board of Directors
Edric III rules the kingdom with a firm hand. He supports the knightly orders and the Royal Academy of Magic, but trusts no one completely—neither the Council of Mages nor the Golden Blade Guild. He prefers to keep all forces in tension and balance, so that no one can threaten his power.

Irithel
Title: Priestess of the Eternal Leaf, Guardian of the Sacred Grove
Age: looks 26-28 years old (actual age is over 180 years old)
Race: Wood Elf

Appearance
Slender and tall, even by elven standards. Her light-blond hair with a greenish tint is usually braided loosely, adorned with living leaves and small white flowers that never fade. Her eyes are bright green, almost emerald. Her skin has a light golden hue, characteristic of elves who have lived long outdoors. She dresses in light, natural robes of fabric reminiscent of leaves and silk, with elements of light wooden armor. On her arms and neck are thin bracelets of living vine.
There is almost always a huge saber-toothed tiger next to her.

Character
Calm, gentle in communication, and extremely observant. She speaks softly but confidently. She dislikes cities and crowds, preferring forests and wild lands. She treats people with cautious politeness and those who harm nature with cold fury. She does not seek power or glory, but if her groves or allies are threatened, she becomes merciless.
Respects strength, but most of all values ​​balance and harmony.

Capabilities
A high-level priestess of nature. She wields the magic of growth, healing, and plant control.
Can speed up the regeneration of allies and create dense thickets that serve as both protection and a weapon.
Has a strong spiritual connection with Reik - they feel each other's state from a distance.
She is able to temporarily “awaken” ancient trees and ask them for help.
Officially, her strength is rated at high A/low S-rank, but in her native forests, she is significantly more dangerous.

Position
Irithel hails from the Green Kingdom of Lyrian.

Pet
Name: Rake
A huge male saber-toothed tiger, ash-gray with black stripes. Its fangs are almost as long as a hand. Despite its intimidating appearance, Rake is completely subservient to Irithel and displays an almost canine devotion to her. In battle, it acts as one with its mistress. Many believe they share a magical bond.

Priscilla
Title: Princess of the Shadow Empire, Heir to the Crimson Throne
Age: looks 20-22 years old (actual age is much higher)
Race: High Vampire (Pureblood)

Appearance
A graceful, almost fragile-looking girl with porcelain skin. Her long, jet-black hair is usually worn loose or in an intricate updo with silver embellishments. Her eyes are a deep crimson, glowing faintly in the dark. She dresses in refined yet formal attire in dark shades—black, maroon, and silver. She almost always wears thin black gloves and a small silver circlet on her forehead—a sign of her status.
Despite her fragile appearance, she exudes a sense of danger and coldness.

Character
Calm, polite, and extremely perceptive. She speaks softly, almost never raising her voice. She manages to be charming and dangerous at the same time. In public, she carries herself like the perfect aristocrat, but behind her polite smile lies a keen mind and a habit of calculating several steps ahead. She treats the weak with cold disdain, and the strong with cautious interest.
She rarely shows real emotion. It's believed that only a few people have truly angered her in recent decades.

Capabilities
He has mastered the ancient blood magic of the Shadow Empire at a very high level.
She is able to control shadows and create strong structures from them (blades, wings, barriers).
Has a strong hypnotic gaze and can instill simple commands.
As a purebred vampire, she is extremely tenacious, regenerates quickly, and hardly ages.
Officially, her strength is rated at high S-rank, but many suspect that she is much stronger than she lets on.

Council of Mages of Valdren
(official name - High Council of Arcana)

This is the highest magical body of the Kingdom of Valdren. The Council has existed for several centuries and is considered one of the most conservative and influential magical assemblies on the continent of Aerion.

Main functions
Control and regulation of all legal magic within the kingdom;
Issuing licenses to magicians and registering artifacts;
Overseeing the Royal Academy of Magic in Aurelia;
Advising the king and court on magical threats;
Investigation of prohibited practices (necromancy, spatial ruptures, working with portals without permission).

Structure
The Council consists of nine seats:
One Supreme Arcanist (head of the Council);
Eight Circle Masters (each responsible for his own school of magic);
Decisions are made by majority vote. The Supreme Arcanist has the casting vote in the event of a tie.

Peculiarities
The Council is extremely wary of the Golden Blade Guild and especially of aliens (Isekai).
They prefer to keep strong independent magicians under control through licenses and restrictions.
They have their own closed order of battle mages, who answer only to the Council, and not directly to the crown.
Officially loyal to the King of Waldren, but in reality they have considerable autonomy and their own political power.
The Council meets in the White Tower of Arcana, a tall spire in the very center of Aurelia, access to which is strictly restricted.

Selena
(full name unknown, in Guild documents it is listed simply as "Selena")
Age: Unknown (appears to be 25-28 years old, but some archives hint that she appeared in Eldratia much earlier)
Race: Human (officially)
Rank: SSS (Mage)
Status: Secret agent and personal blade of Guildmaster Kael Vornblad

Appearance
A tall, slender woman with a perfectly upright posture. Her long, snow-white hair is usually pulled back into a tight high ponytail or partially hidden under a hood. Her bright green eyes are calm and cold, almost emotionless. She wears the heavy but perfectly fitted dark silver armor of the Guild Special Forces (a rare specimen issued only to the most trusted). In her hands, she always carries a long staff of black metal with a large, pulsating blue sphere at the top—an artifact rumored to have once belonged to Kael himself.

Character
Reserved, taciturn, and extremely disciplined. She almost never raises her voice. Her speech is brief and to the point. She treats most people with polite indifference, but she displays a rare, almost fanatical loyalty to Kael Vornblad. She can be charming when the task requires it, but it's always a facade.

Capabilities
Specialization: high-level spatial and anti-illusionary magic.
The blue sphere on the staff allows her to "see" reality distortions, mirror images, and parasites.
Can create stable portals over short distances and temporarily "seal" space, preventing the enemy from teleporting or dissolving.
One of the few who can fight relatively safely against Kaelen "Mirror" and his copies.

(By the way, that's her in the photo.)

The most dangerous members

1. Vaelin the Ash King
   Origin: Former Prince of the Kingdom of Valdren (Aerion)
   Race: Human
   Threat: SS
   Once the heir to the throne, he burned down half the palace and fled after his family attempted to use him as a magical vessel. Now his body is covered in cracks, oozing black ash. He controls the Ash Miser and can reduce entire squads to ash in minutes.

2. Siriel "Bloodleaf"
   Origin: Exiled from the Green Kingdom of Lyrian
   Race: Dark Elf
   Threat: SS
   She was the guardian of the sacred groves. After sacrificing an entire settlement to awaken an ancient root, she was exiled. Now she commands the Bloodleaf Hunters and the Whispering Roots. Her voice can drive entire squads mad.

3. Drakus "The Bone Traitor"
   Origin: Exiled from the Dragon Realm by Skald
   Race: Dragonborn
   Threat: SSS
   Once a pretender to the throne of the sleeping dragon emperor, he tried to kill him in his sleep and was cursed. Now he himself has become a Bone Dragonborn of the highest order. He flies on wings of ice and bone, and his frosty fire cannot be quenched by ordinary magic.

4. Morana "Misty Widow"
   Origin: Misty Archipelago
   Race: Unknown (believed to be formerly human)
   Threat: SS
   Once a pirate captain, she returned after her ship sank with her entire crew... not quite alive. She commands the Mist Drowned and can blanket entire ports in deadly fog.

5. Kaelen "Mirror"
   Origin: Unknown (Shadow Empire suspected)
   Race: unknown
   Threat: SSS
   The most mysterious member of the Council. No one has seen his true face, only reflections. He is a master of Mirror Parasites and can impersonate important people for months, including high-ranking members of the Guild. It is said that even Kael Vornblad once nearly fell victim to him. He wears a dark hooded cloak that conceals his face, with glowing purple eyes.

Black Council of Schism
(or simply - the Split)

This is a secret brotherhood of exiles, traitors, and the broken, rejected by kingdoms, guilds, and even their own races. They serve no throne and consider the Golden Blade Guild "the watchdogs of kings." Their goal is to destroy the existing order of Eldratia and create a world where might is everything, and laws are written only by those who survive.
Its headquarters are unknown. Rumors suggest it moves between the abandoned ruins of the Ashlands and the hidden islands of the Misty Archipelago.

Low-level monsters (rank F–D):
Stone slug
Forest Jumper
Carrion Ratman
Fire beetle
Misty Moth
Baby sandworm
Bone rat
Thorny Hunter Bush
Water spitter
Shadow mosquito
Mushroom crawler
Lesser Harpy Eagle chick
Ice Spider
Bloody leech
Stone Goblin Scout

Void Maw

Habitat: Locations where unstable portals have recently opened
A black hole shaped like a huge mouth, surrounded by the debris of reality. Space around it is distorted.

Capabilities:
Draws in anything that comes too close (including magic and sound).
Sometimes it spits out already “changed” creatures from its mouth.
It has almost no physical form - it can only be sealed.

Threat Rank: SS–SSS (one of the most dangerous)

Whispering Root

Habitat: Ancient forests and ruins
Not so much a creature as a vast network of roots underground. On the surface, it manifests as human faces growing out of trees.

Capabilities:
Whispers to victims their deepest fears and desires.
Can control already dead bodies, turning them into puppets.
It is almost impossible to kill it completely - you need to burn out the entire root system.

Threat Rank: S (Considered a natural disaster)

Thunder Bull Titan

Habitat: Plains of Aerion
A huge bull the size of a house, covered in stone skin. Lightning constantly crackles between its horns.

Capabilities:
Creates shock waves when running.
Can summon real lightning from the sky.
Very territorial - defends entire valleys.

Threat Rank: A (alone), S (if in a herd)

Mirror Parasite

Habitat: Almost everywhere, but especially often appears near portals
A small creature resembling a silvery leech. It attaches itself to a person and begins to imitate their appearance.

Capabilities:

Creates a nearly perfect copy of the victim (except for the eyes, which are always silver on the copy).

The copy tries to kill the original and take its place.

If the original dies, the parasite becomes completely "it" and can live for years.

Threat Rank: A (due to cunning)

Bone Dragonborn

Habitat: Dragonspine
A subdragon created from bone and ice. It appears as the skeleton of a winged lizard, within which a cold blue flame burns.

Capabilities:

Breathes out frosty fire that burns and freezes at the same time.
Can collect the bones of fallen warriors and strengthen himself.

Very smart - sometimes sets up ambushes and even bargains (rarely).

Threat Rank: A–S

Bloodleaf Catcher

Habitat: Green Belt (jungle)
A tall, slender creature, covered in leaves and vines. In place of its face is a huge, blossoming flower with rows of teeth.

Capabilities:

Perfectly camouflaged among vegetation.

The vines can pierce the body and suck blood on the spot.

If it is "killed", a new plant-monster grows from the corpse within a few hours.

Threat Rank: B–A

Foggy Drowned

Habitat: Misty Archipelago
A creature that looks like a translucent sailor in tattered clothing. There's almost no face—only a black void and wet, perpetually dripping hair.

Capabilities:

Dissolves completely into fog and can appear anywhere within a radius of several hundred meters.

Pulls the victim into the water (even if there is no water nearby - water appears out of thin air).

Whispers in the voices of those he has already killed.

Threat Rank: B (in dense fog - A)

Ash Miser

Habitat: Ashlands
A tall, emaciated humanoid with skin covered in cracks from which black ash constantly pours. Instead of eyes, there are smoldering embers.

Capabilities:

Absorbs heat and magic around itself, creating a zone of cold.

Can "breathe" a cloud of caustic ash that corrodes armor and lungs.

If he is seriously wounded, small fire elementals burst out of the cracks.

Threat Rank: C–B (in groups – A)

The most influential organization in the world is the Golden Blade Guild (officially the "United Adventurers Guild of Eldratia").

The headquarters is located in the city of Kaelmost at the junction of three kingdoms.
The guild issues ranks (from F to SSS), registers quests, provides insurance, and partially controls the artifact market.

The guild has its own fortresses, training grounds, and even a small fleet.

There is a strict hierarchy within the guild: ordinary adventurers → squad captains → regional masters → Council of Seven → Guildmaster.

Guildmaster
Name: Kael Vornblad
Title: Supreme Guildmaster of the Golden Blade, "He Who Saw the End"

Kael is human (or at least appears human). He appears to be around 60 years old, but rumor has it he arrived in Eldratia over two hundred years ago.

Tall, grey-haired, with a deep scar across his left eye and the constant slight squint of a man who has seen too much.

Character: Calm to the point of being frightening.
He speaks little, but his every word usually carries weight.
He hates the political games of kings, but is forced to participate in them in order to maintain the independence of the guild.
Personally knows almost all SSS-ranked adventurers by name.
Rumor has it that it was he who once closed the Great Portal, through which something far worse than ordinary monsters almost poured into the world.
His office is on the top floor of the guild tower in Kaelmost. Hanging on the wall is a broken black sword, which, according to legend, once belonged to the god of war.

Humans are the most numerous species. They reproduce quickly, adapt well, and often become adventurers.

Elves (high, forest, dark) - live for hundreds of years, are strong in magic and shooting.

Dwarves are masters of runes and blacksmithing and live in the mountains.

Beastmen (catmen, wolfmen, foxmen, etc.) are very diverse in culture. Many live in the Green Belt.

Dragonborn are the descendants of dragons. They have scales, horns, and innate fire/lightning magic.

Halflings are a small but very tenacious people. They make excellent scouts and thieves.

Aliens (Isekai humans) are a separate "race" in status. They are often perceived as bearers of strange knowledge and technology, and are therefore treated with curiosity and caution.

The Kingdom of Valdren (center of Aerion) is a classic human kingdom with knightly orders, magical academies, and a rigid hierarchy. Its capital is the white-marble city of Aurelia.

The Empire of Shadows (northeast of Aerion) is a dark realm ruled by vampire aristocrats and necromancers. Officially "neutral," they are feared by all.

The Union of Free Cities is a confederation of coastal trading city-states. There are almost no kings here, but the guilds are very powerful.

The Dragon Kingdom of Skald (Dragon Spine) is the nation of the dragonborn. Their ruler is a living dragon emperor who has been sleeping for three hundred years.

The Green Kingdom of Lyrian (Green Belt) is an elven-beastman state where nature and magic are considered one.

Aerion is the central and most populated continent. The main human kingdoms and trade routes are concentrated here.

The Dragonspine (north) is a mountainous, frigid continent covered in eternal glaciers and volcanoes. Home to the dragonborn and ancient ruins.

The Green Belt (south) is a tropical and jungle continent with huge rivers and floating islands.

The Ashlands (east) is a scorched desert continent where the war of the gods once took place. Now, nomadic tribes and artifact hunters roam here.

The Misty Archipelago (west) is a chain of islands permanently shrouded in magical fog. Seafolk and pirates rule here.

Eldratia is a world where magic and ancient ruins intertwine with the very earthly ambitions of kings and adventurers. The sky here is slightly more purple than on Earth, and at night, instead of one moon, two are visible—silver Lyra and crimson Vorn. Portals from other worlds open rarely and almost always chaotically: people, animals, and even entire fragments of the landscape sometimes "fall" into Eldratia. This is why there are so many "aliens" (as the locals call those arriving from other worlds).