Read Cardea's in-game history here.

Cities
Cities form the very heart of Cardea, the centre of life, and the pulsing lifeblood of the land flows through them. Nearly every mortal who has has walked the land has chosen to become a citizen of one city or another, and few are those who manage to survive without the valuable resources that citizenship can bring.

Four cities, thus far, have been discovered, yet still are heard tales from travellers and sailors alike of distant lands where may be found even more bustling centres of civlisation.

Arboria, City of Trees, nestles in the verdant growth of the Oakenwood, far into the eastern reaches of the realm of Ashordin. There, watched over by its rulers and patron, the city flourishes, a place of peace and reflection, borne of the very essence of Nature itself. In the midst of the burgeoning city stands a mighty Mallorn tree, so large that the wealthier districts and city edifices are built nestled amongst its branches, shaped by the skills of the ancients, so that the tree yet lives.

Travel across the world, to the distant western coast, and the Broken Isles, and there you will find Aquitane, the City of Legend. Aquitane is a place of deep mystery, for it is founded upon the ruins of some other civilisation, whose art and knowledge can be glimpsed in fragments all about the city. In modern times has the City of Legend become rediscovered, and now serves as a bastion of light and justice in a shadowy world.

Far to the North, upon the Shining Coast, and looking out over the Sea of Tranquility stands Maine, City of the Free, built upon a rocky island in the delta of the River Gonfalas, where it pours into the waiting ocean. Maine has sprung up there from the vistations of traders and ships from all over the world, and has become a haven for the villanous, anonymous and those seeking freedom from repressive law and society. Still, the city grows daily, its haphazard and changeable government proving suprisingly effective. (Read Maine's newspaper, the Maine Free Press, here.)

Last, as we turn our eyes to the cold, mountainous lands of the south we espy Nineveh, the City of Shadows. The oldest city of Cardea, and also the first to fall prey to the Mists of Ashordin, this place welcomes few, and evil lurks abroad in its streets, flaunted and used to secure power in its blackhearted society. Despite this, it has become the seat of power of dark empire, and the talons of its rulers and Patron can be felt in far distant places.

The Guilds
Throughout the more civilised areas of Cardea, most often in the centres of trade and commerce, there are to be found the chapter houses of the vocational guilds.

These guilds are founded by like minded individuals, for the collective purpose of advancing the morals, beliefs, goals and knowledge of the said guild.

These purposes range from religious and professional interests, such as might be found in the Templars and Alchemists guilds, through to higher purposes as evinced by the Druids and the Keepers.

Very few who enter the lands of Cardea go long without joining one guild or another, and often read the pages of this library to gain further insight into guilds that may interest them.

The Druids guild are the guardians of the woodlands, and of the wild places throughout the realms. They hold fast to the tenets of Nature, in dedicated service, and know many secrets and places forgotten. They are wild and cunning as beasts, and as enduring as the forests from whence they draw their power.

The Alchemists guild are one of the oldest in the realm, operating their lucrative business from the City of Maine. They are masters of potions, runes and enchantment and their valuable services are often in great demand.

The Troubadours serve as the historians and record keepers of the world, and are schooled in prose, verse and song. Their talents are many and diverse, and from their clever application, this newly created guild has begun to secure a place for themselves in the grand scheme of things.

The Diabolists conjure forth the power of the Abyss to do their bidding and demons obey their each and every word. Their powers serve naught but wickedness, and cause much pain and suffering to the world. Still, their numbers are small, for the trials that one must face to wield such mighty power are great indeed, and many falter and fail along the way.

The Knights are dedicated to the upholding of Justice and Order wherever they go, in service to their patron, Revelation, God of Light. Their valourous number set forth in search of heroic quests, seeking out fell creatures and bearding them in their lairs, or championing the cause of the weak or needy, protecting them in times of dire need.

Similar to the Knights, yet curiously estranged from them, are the Rangers, who stride the wildernesses of the land, defending the world itself from the powers who would defile, or abuse it, for their own purposes. The rangers are a hardy breed, well schooled in the use of arms and of stealth.

Within their towers can be found the Mages guild, those who wield the power drawn from the very fabric of existence. The mages are scholarly and bookish, but should not be taken for weak foes, for the power they command is the equal of all others, and their spells can destroy as easily as create.

Within the shadowed city of Nineveh can be found the chantry of the Templars, warrior priests dedicated to both the forces of Law and of Darkness. It is their sword and faith that enforces the will of the Iron Empire, and its cruel rulers.

Through those very shadows, if one looks closely, can be seen the forms of the Thieves, sliding through the streets to go about their deeds. Masters of deception, poison and stealth, a Thief makes a dangerous opponent indeed, and death often comes before sight of the hand that delivers it.

With all this pain and suffering in the land, whether from the cruel poison, the claws of a vile monster, or the hands of those engaged in battle, there is always need for rest and healing. Such can be sought at the hands of the Keepers Guild, deedicated to peace, reason and equality. This ultimate act of civilised society ensures that all may be given mercy and balm, regardless of their alliegences. All Keepers, it is said, give a vow of pacifism, and to this day none have been known to have broken their word once given.

Before I end this missive, I should tell you of one more thing. Perhaps it is just a rumour, or perhaps not, but word reaches my ears of a guild that dares to practice the darkest of all arts, Necromancy, but all those that have dared to seek this legendary guild out have met with strange curses, or even deaths, that drive them away.

The Divine Pantheon
Above all else in Cardea there stand the Gods themselves, beings of incredible power, with existences so incomprehensible as to be beyond the scope of this poor writer.

They scheme and plan, create and destroy, reward and punish, but the methods by which they work, and the reasons for which they act are far beyond the minds of mortals, even though the touch of the Gods can be felt in all places and in all lives.

For weal or for woe, as blesing or bane, but Gods they are, and only the foolish would seek to deny their existence or their power.

Greatest, wisest and above all other Gods there is Tarkun, The Creator, and it is from Him that all things spring, and that all things must return. He seems most distantly removed from the mortal world by His lofty position, but is at the same time most inscrutably bound to each and every tiny action, to each mote of His Creation. Of all the Gods, only Tarkun has no mortal following, having transcended the need for worship under which all other deities must labour.

But Tarkun is opposed, for with each creation comes the taint of Chaos, and the touch of Untergrax, the Unmaker. This fickle power is alike to Tarkun, and yet unlike, seeking the ultimate destruction, reformation, and destruction again of Cardea, in an unending cycle of death and rebirth. But it is whispered, though out of earshot of the other Gods, that without the Unmakers entropic caress, the world will be all order, and nothing would ever be made anew. Take care lest you mark Untergrax as enemy or ally, for at one turn he can be one, and again, he could be the other.

To guard against the Unmaker, Tarkun has called forth other Gods from across Creation, and bound them by His Will, and they are called the Primal Gods.

Ashalon, God of Darkness, rose from the firstborn race of Cardea, and alone came to defy Tarkuns power, some say lured by the Unmaker into His scheming, but now this terrifying power serves Tarkun, ensuring that Chaos is held in check amongst the fell creatures and darkest souls of the land. It is by Ashalons hand that evil comes into the realm, through bloodshed and death, through domination and power.

Ashalons power is great indeed, but to ensure balance, and to battle chaos, Tarkun set forth the God of Light, Revelation, from the blood of Mortality, setting him high in the Heavens to oppose the Darkness, which had already claimed the essence of Janus, his brother and torn him from the Heavens. Revelation holds both Justice and Valour in his hands, and stands the eternal watch against the enemies of Creation, tempered by the wisdom and kindness that his heart held in mortal life. From Revelation comes Valour and Honour, and to him are called the strongest of hearts.

Whence came Mortal, and the war with the Firstborn, Tarkun rewarded his faithful with the gift of freewill, and at that moment was born Dante, Goddess of Fate. She is the weaver of all destiny, and the closest to mortal man of all the Gods. It is even said by some that She knows the fate of the very Gods themselves. From the touch of Dante, comes Doom, Destiny, Luck and Civilisation, as She encourages the spirit of man to achieve.

Avenlora, Goddess of Nature, could be argued as the oldest of all the Primal Gods, for She first walked the land when the Unmaker brought Chaos to the natural world, spawning all of the myriad creatures and plants that we see today. Tarkun set chose Her from the mortals, and set Her to guard the sceme of Nature. As such, Her ways are often incomprehesible to civilised minds, and Her actions can seem fickle, as She reflects both the touches of Tarkun and The Unmaker upon Her Realm. Hers are all the things that grow and live upon the land, as are the seasons, and the environs of the Realm.

Of the other Gods, who reside within the Pantheon, three are of note.

First, there is Levana, Goddess of Newborns, whose wardenship it is to watch over those born afresh to the Realm of Ashordin, brough forth through his mists, devoid of memory of the past and often of their lives. She it is to whom you should turn, if the world threatens to overwhelm the senses or lose you in confusion.

Then comes Wraith, sometimes called the God of Fools, and few can even begin to understand the insane mind of the Capering God. Tarkun only smiles gently when asked of Wraiths, and does not answer, although a few sages have dared to suggest that Wraith may have been the Unmakers only attempt to elevate a God of his own. Wraiths sphere extends to cover the jesters and clowns of the lands, and the minds of the harmlessly insane. Suprisingly, His following is both large and active.

A God whom is rarely seen, and some say is another aspect of the Goddess Avenlora is Durelon, Lord of the Skies. His domain are all the things of the firmament, both moon and sun, stars and skies. He can send storms or soft rain, howling gales or warming breeze, and from his lofty peaks He surveys all below.