Khionis, the King of Winter, rules his Court from a palace made of solid snow and crystal atop a mountain sacred to the winter fey. He spends much of his time in meditation and only emerges from it when he feels the need. If, however, he is provoked into ending his meditations early, a temperamental side of the King shows itself.

Petitioners may find that Khionis greets them with a smile and a bow, or with spell and sword. But they cannot know until they speak.

#Lore24 22/04/24 #Auvia #Feypril

Párenómi, the Queen of Winter, serves as the head of the Court's military. Xe leads from the front, with a cadre of elites xe has handpicked spread across the winter moon's army following in xeir footsteps.

The more militaristic among the winter fey are trained to prepare for any eventuality, and rightly so, because their moon is perhaps the most dangerous to navigate and live upon. But thanks to Párenómi's rigorous training, the army suffers few casualties.

#Lore24 23/04/24 #Auvia #Feypril

Diápágo, the Prince of Winter, is always the first winter fey that a traveller from #Auvia will meet. Because they are the one digging you out of the snow and leading you to safety.

A jovial and pragmatic fey in equal measure, they are always curious about the world below and the people who live there. When meeting those who seek a boon from the fey, Diápágo may even forgo the tradition of bringing them to the palace and provide the wanderer their quest directly.

#Lore24 24/04/24 #Feypril

Thélinoú, the Knight of Winter, serves as King Khionis's advisor. Bedecked in crystalline armour and often sporting a dour expression, she has the duty of providing a voice at court when her King requires a second opinion, and also of ensuring the winter moon's inhabitants have enough food and resources to get by. She handles trade requests and responses to petitioners.

Many address her with some amount of fear, even if Thélinoú will hear their case fairly.

#Lore24 25/04/24 #Auvia #Feypril

Krýskhei, the Aide of Winter, is the artisan of the Court. Ce has a wide array of skills in the craftsfolk's arts, and jumps from one to another faster than the weather changes. Sometimes this means leaving half-finished projects in ceir wake, but ce always comes back to them when the mood strikes.

The Winter Palace, as well as the surrounding city, was the result of Krýskhei having a small decades-long obsession with shaping buildings out of snow and crystal.

#Lore24 26/04/24 #Auvia #Feypril

Few travel from #Auvia to the Winter Court, for not many are willing to brave the journey. Those who do take the risk, however, find themselves in a hauntingly beautiful place, shaped by the ethereal power of winter magicks and the fey who wield them.

Flutes, chimes, and sylvan choruses seem to be around every corner, even in places where silence would be expected. This music always sounds familiar, though if the songs have lyrics at all, it's hard to understand them.

#Lore24 27/04/24 #Feypril

The winter moon is the harshest, and it invariably shapes those who call it home. Creatures of the wild, half-beast and half-elemental, routinely plague the routes between the Winter Court and outlying settlements. Snow ranges from light drifts to full-force blizzards in a matter of hours. Clear skies are a rare occurrence.

The Winter Court and its people face many a challenge in their day-to-day lives, from weather to wildlife.

But they persist, somehow.

#Lore24 28/04/24 #Auvia #Feypril

Of course, it's not just the people of #Auvia who make the journey to the Courts of the Fey. The reverse is also true. Inhabitants of the four moons often visit the world below, whether at the behest of their Court or for their own reasons. On occasion, they may be moved to enter a bargain for power, resulting in warlocks who borrow of their magicks.

There are even stories of some fey being sent to Auvia by their Kings, though they are often portrayed as outcasts.

#Lore24 29/04/24 #Feypril

Of those exiled from the Courts of the Fey, perhaps the tale of Asímia is the most well-known. She came to #Auvia from the Winter Court at the turning of the seasons, found love with a traveller, and married him in the summer seven years later.

Their daughter Kosmi, half-fey and half-Auvian, was gifted with unusual magicks of her own: a deep connection to the natural elements of the world. Ever since, Kosmi's powers have passed down to the daughters of her line.

#Lore24 30/04/24 #Feypril

Each of the Auvian nations keeps its own currency, which can cause problems for travellers. Coins of each nation are made with different amounts of precious metals, and international relations and diplomacy can affect the value of foreign coin and products.

As a result, adventurers most often keep an amount of coin from each nation they visit, leading to having multiple coinpurses on hand and occasionally needing to barter for goods or a stay at a roadside inn.

#Lore24 01/05/24 #Auvia

It is theorised by some scholars across #Auvia that the world is composed of natural elements that sprang from the "Core Elemental Forces" of air, earth, fire, and water. Iohnite experiments have revealed elements that can be harnessed by combining the Core Forces, and are beginning to discover more.

For example, a combination of elemental Air and Fire produces Lightning for a few seconds. This led to the development of spells to shock one's enemies whether near or far.

#Lore24 02/05/24

Some combinations of the Core Forces that share an element are similar, but others are vastly different. For instance, combining Air and Earth, two drastically opposite elements, creates Thunder, while Air and Water become Ice.

These combined elements are expressed in the natural world as well, in the form of lesser elementals that inhabit environs similar to their core. Lesser elementals of Thunder, Lightning, and Ice, for example, live in, on, and around mountains.

#Lore24 03/05/24 #Auvia

Most elementals aligned to Earth make their homes in caverns, under mountains, and in dark places where Auvians tend not to venture, lest they delve too deep. Combining other elements with Earth lends itself to results that are naturally found in the same habitats.

Earth and Fire combine to create Lava, a dangerous substance at the best of times, while Earth and Water produce Poison - something many creatures who dwell in the dark and the deep are all too familiar with.

#Lore24 04/05/24 #Auvia

Efforts in studying the arcane combination of elemental forces have determined that blending them in a specific order or quantity has little to no bearing on the element created. As a result, science has concluded that there are six combinations that result from two different pairs, four results for combining three, and one for merging all four.

Without introducing other elements, combining Fire and Water creates Steam, a curious element that appears in heated regions.

#Lore24 05/05/24 #Auvia

Naturally, elemental combinations that require three or more elements grow more complex - and more difficult to manipulate - as more components are added. Thus they are named the Complex Elements.

The first of these to be discovered was Blast: a blend of Air, Earth, and Fire. Blast-aligned magicks create explosions - plain, simple, and lethal, as researchers learned.

Blast has no elemental counterpart in the wild, and can thus be considered the first manmade element.

#Lore24 06/05/24 #Auvia

The arcane combination of Air, Earth, and Water grants a spellcaster control over plant life, allows them to commune with creatures of the wild, or helps them create magical poisons from natural ingredients. However, when presented with these findings, the druids of #Auvia, especially those of Khava, reject this scientific method as being an imbalanced form of their own nature magicks. To a druid, the balance of nature must be upheld in all things, even the destructive aspects.

#Lore24 07/05/24

One of the Complex Elements was discovered by attempting to blend elements that were themselves combinations of the Core Four. This was Storm: the result of combining elemental Lightning, Ice, and Steam.

Storm is one of the most destructive Complex Forces, requiring immense amounts of control to wield it without collateral damage. It is similar to the seas surrounding #Auvia in that it does not respond well to being contained or directed. Rather, it lashes out at any and all.

#Lore24 08/05/24

The fourth Complex Element, Corrosion, is the product of Earth, Fire, and Water. As far as arcane researchers can tell, it takes the form of a magical substance that viciously erodes almost anything it comes into contact with, from flesh and wood to stone and starsteel.

That is not to say that there are no non-destructive uses for this magick. The problem with that, however, is that no-one has found any yet. As such, use of Corrosion is heavily regulated within Ioh-Né.

#Lore24 09/05/24 #Auvia

When the power to combine the elements was discovered, many researchers thought the same thing: "let's put four of them together and see what happens!" The result was surprisingly disappointing at first: a colourless, shapeless creation that held no form for any extended length of time.

This concept later proved to be one of the foundations of arcane spellcraft: Force, the humble embodiment of elemental balance. It is all aspects and none, flexible and easy to wield.

#Lore24 10/05/24 #Auvia

The practice of arcane magicks is, of course, unbound by nation or creed. Only by knowledge. After all, you can't wield an element you don't know about.

It is rumoured that there are two elements of magic that work alongside Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Few know their names, and fewer still know how to wield them.

An adventurer who gains power over these obscure elemental forces will soon find themselves a force to be reckoned with purely through fear of the unknown...

#Lore24 11/05/24 #Auvia

One of the more obscure elements is only obscure to arcane definitions of magick, rather than spiritual. Belief holds great power in #Auvia. Faith in the Seven Gods is what grants a cleric their abilities, and it is believed that they have the power to touch the souls of others through their devotion.

For this reason, Soul - the power of faith made manifest - has been a point of study for many arcane researchers. Some wish to tame this mysterious power, but others know better.

#Lore24 12/05/24

The following is an example of a spell belonging to the Soul element. At present, it is on the Cleric and Warlock spell lists.

Soulsight
Enchantment cantrip
Casting time: 1 action
Range: Self (60-foot radius)
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
You alter your senses to perceive other creatures by the presence of their souls. (cont'd)

#Lore24 13/05/24 #Auvia
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For the spell's duration, you immediately become aware of whether there are any hidden creatures within range, but not their exact location. You can't detect the presence of creatures without souls this way.
On your turn, you can use a bonus action to end the spell and force a hidden creature within range to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the hidden creature is immediately revealed, and it can't take the Hide action again until the end of your next turn.

#Lore24 13/05/24 #Auvia
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The second of the obscure elements is actually incredibly prevalent throughout #Auvia. Everyone has access to it, but few know how to wield it and fewer still have managed to do so without burning through their own life force.

Small cadres exist throughout Auvia in backalley buildings and hidden hideouts, dedicated to unlocking the hidden power in every Auvian. In their hunt for the elusive means to unlock these secrets, they inevitably find the answer:

The power of Blood.

#Lore24 14/05/24

The following is an example of a spell belonging to the Blood element. At present, it can only be learned by Warlocks.

Bloodburn
Evocation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: S, M (a vial of your own blood)
Duration: Instant
You tap into your own life force to ravage that of another creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d8 necrotic damage.

#Lore24 15/05/24 #Auvia
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If the target fails the save, you may take 1d4 necrotic damage as you bleed yourself to increase the damage to 1d12. The damage you take can't be reduced in any way.
This spell doesn't affect creatures without blood in their bodies, such as undead or constructs.
This spell's damage increases by one die when you reach 5th level (2d8 or 2d12), 11th level (3d8 or 3d12), and 17th level (4d8 or 4d12).

#Lore24 15/05/24 #Auvia
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If one were to somehow harness the arcane power of Soul and Blood - feats that as of yet have not been publicly achieved - and combine them with other elements, the results would likely be unlike anything #Auvia has ever seen. Though in fairness, magic is still in its infancy for the most part, and mayhap Yatherie shall see fit to grant some eager student or other the secret to harnessing this power...

... or mayhap She already has, in Her divine wisdom.

#Lore24 16/05/24

The fey, of course, have their own approach to magicks, which eludes the grasp of researchers. Much to the Auvians' frustration, while they have spells to detect the presence of magic, the fey who delight in spellcraft usually also enjoy confounding those who seek to understand their tricks.

A researcher who enters into a pact for knowledge often finds they learn many things, *except* that which they want to know. Scholars quickly learn: don't try to understand the fey.

#Lore24 17/05/24 #Auvia

Bards and Paladins tend not to wield arcane magicks, instead drawing on the power of belief.

A Bard shapes this invisible force into bolstering the hearts of their allies and hindering their foes, their songs, stories, and sometimes their mere presence in a battle turning the tide.

By contrast, Paladins draw strength from their own convictions, holding fast to the oaths they swore, whether to the Seven Gods, the people they serve, or the fire burning within.

#Lore24 18/05/24 #Auvia

For your consideration, a delve into some spells that have arisen from the discovery of magickal elements.

Steam Cloud
2nd-level Evocation | Druid, Wizard
Casting: 1 action
Range: 60 ft
Components: V, S, M (a torch and a vial of fresh water)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You superheat the air in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within range, creating a thick steam. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured.

#Lore24 19/05/24 #Auvia
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When a creature enters the steam for the first time on a turn or starts their turn there, they must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a success.
Creatures and objects in the steam cloud have vulnerability to lightning damage. If they have resistance to lightning damage, that resistance is negated until they leave the cloud or the spell ends.
A wind of 20 mph or greater disperses the steam, ending the spell.

#Lore24 19/05/24 #Auvia
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Corrosive Rain (draft)
3rd-level Evocation | Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Casting: 1 action
Range: 90 ft
Components: V, S, M (a vial of acid worth 1 sp, which the spell consumes)
Duration: 1 minute

You hurl acid into the air, causing it to rain down in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d8 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

#Lore24 20/05/24 #Auvia
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Creatures using natural armour or wearing armour made of metal, stone, or wood must also make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, their AC is reduced by 1 until the spell ends, as corrosion eats into their protection.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8, and the AC reduction is increased by 1, for each spell level above 3rd.

#Lore24 20/05/24 #Auvia
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Cauterise (draft)
2nd-level Evocation | Light Cleric, Druid, Wizard
Casting: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of ash and a handful of dirt)
Duration: Instant

You harness the searing power of Lava to seal the injuries of a willing creature you touch, causing them to regain 2d6 hit points. If the creature has resistance to fire damage, they regain an additional 1d6 hit points.

#Lore24 21/05/24 #Auvia
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Alternatively, you can superheat your hand and lash out at an enemy. Make a melee spell attack against a creature you can reach. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 fire damage and 1d8 bludgeoning damage.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the healing and the fire damage each increase by an additional die (1d6 or 1d8) for each spell level above 2nd.

#Lore24 21/05/24 #Auvia
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Freestride (draft)
1st-level Transmutation | Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a vine from a climbing plant)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Choose up to five creatures within range. You and the chosen creatures ignore nonmagical difficult terrain until the spell ends, as the environment around you reshapes itself to grant you safe and unobstructed passage. Vines and branches might bend aside, or loose earth turn solid.

#Lore24 22/05/24 #Auvia

Relentless Detonation (draft)
5th-level Evocation | Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Constant explosions begin in a 20-foot radius sphere centered on a point you choose within range. The sphere persists for the spell's duration, and its area is heavily obscured difficult terrain.

#Lore24 23/05/24 #Auvia
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Each creature in the sphere when it appears or that ends its turn there must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, they take 3d6 fire damage and 3d6 bludgeoning damage, are pushed to the nearest free space outside of the sphere, and are deafened until the spell ends. On a success, they take half damage and suffer no additional effect.
Creatures within the sphere are deafened until they move out of it.

#Lore24 23/05/24 #Auvia
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Toxic Transformation (draft)
6th-level Transmutation | Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Casting: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a vial of poison or venom from a deadly animal)
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Until the spell ends, you drip with powerful toxins. You clear the poisoned condition if you have it, and gain the following benefits:
• You have immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition, and you have resistance to acid damage.

#Lore24 24/05/24 #Auvia
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• You emit a poisonous aura in a 10-foot radius around you, that moves with you. While in this aura, creatures hostile to you don't benefit from resistance and immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition, and have disadvantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
• When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, they take an extra 2d6+6 poison damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of your next turn.

#Lore24 24/05/24 #Auvia
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