TYRFANE

Symbol of Tyrfane
Type
Oligarchic Theocracy
Ruler
High Council of Lords
Races
Humans 94% Halflings 4%
Dwarves 1% Other 1%
Population
2,500,000

Tyrfane is a nation that covers the Eastern side of the Mirror Plane, a land of grassy hills and plains, divided into various lordships, each overseen by a noble house and/or church affiliated with a Good deity.


A land of hills, plains and castles

Tyrfane Knight

Tyrfane Roadwarden

PROMINENT FACTIONS
The Arcanum Watch
Established at the beginnings of the last Age of War, the Arcanum Watch is a cabal of wizards and other arcanists, each called a Librarian, sanctioned by and registered with the Church of Light for collecting arcane knowledge and power.


Inside the Arcanum Watch Academy of Capitol

Historically, arcane magic has been a considerable threat both to the religious rulership of the lands of Tyrfane as well as the very fabric of the Mirror Plane. With the oversite of the Arcanum Watch and their aggressive recruitment of any arcane magic-user, this threat has been reduced considerably in the last few decades.

Church of Light

The Church of Light is a unified church representing various clergies of many different faiths found in the lordships of Tyrfane. Influence is dependent on numbers of senior clergy in attendance at Capitol's Temple of Light, dependent on membership within each lordship's churches.


Clergy from various faiths worship
in Capitol's Temple of Light


Initially it was the Church of Lathander that was dominant due to the houselord and Exodite founder of the church being members of his clergy. Then as the lordships of Tyrfane became unified under the church, for many years the Church of Tyr was dominant. Due to a shift in followings when Tyr died and Lathander's real identity was revealed, the Church of Torm then took greater control. Now with the latest Age of War over and Tyr's ressurection, Tyr is once again rising as the dominant faith in the Church of Light.


The Shrine of Lathander within the Temple of Light, visited by a Heartwarden of Sune

The current split of senior clergy in attendance at the Temple of Light is as follows:
  • Chauntea - 3 attendees
  • Ilmater - 1 attendee
  • Kelemvor - 1 attendee
  • Lathander - 2 attendees
  • Sune - 1 attendee
  • Torm - 4 attendees
  • Tymora - 1 attendee
  • Tyr - 4 attendees
  • Waukeen - 3 attendees

Guild of Waukeen's Merchants
Both churches and houses of Tyrfane need money and trade amongst themselves. Not every lordship is self-sustaining and agriculture is unevenly split across the nation of Tyrfane when compared alongside populations and food requirements.

Waukeen's church rose rapidly to the position of leading merchant authority in Tyrfane, centuries before Tyrfane was a united nation rather than a bunch of lordships fighting over land, resources and people. No attempts to challenge their control of the nation's economy are easily recalled.


Waukeenars are always keen to do business with the many merchants of Tyrfane
High Council of Lords
Each lordship's house has a representative on the Council, and a single advisor from the Church of Light. Any of the lords can call the council together, and a representative failing to attend a meeting is usually an indication that that house doesn't care what the council is politicising about in that meeting.


Approaching the entrance of the
High Council Chambers in Capitol


The First Lord and/or Lady of a house may also attend along with or instead of their representative. This occurs rarely and when it does usually indicates that something very serious affecting the entire nation needs to be decided.

House of Justicars
The oldest and largest lordship in the nation of Tyrfane, predominantly affiliated with the Church of Tyr. Whilst the churches of Torm and Tyr are united, the families of both the Silver Gauntlet and Justicars retain old grudges and rivalries.


Justice Village

House of the Silver Gauntlet

The second oldest and largest lordship in the nation of Tyrfane, predominantly affiliated with the Church of Torm. The house split from the House of Justicars only a few hundred years after the first Age of Exodites, and whilst their churches are united, the families of both houses retain old grudges and rivalries.

Castle of the Silver Gauntlet

The Imperial Movement

Whilst the Church of Light has effectively united the lordships of Tyrfane under the High Council of Lords, ancient rivalries between the various houses and their associated faiths remain and often cause conflict and disruption to religious fellowship.

The Imperial Movement is a somewhat cult-like organisation of activists seeking a change to imperial rule and the establishment of a single ruling Emperor, his or her edicts to supercede those of the High Council of Lords. Whilst the movement often seems divided, there has been a notable increase in their influence over the politics of Tyrfane in recent years.

Knightly Army of Tyrfane
All of the lords' houses maintain their own armies, with a majority of these troops affiliated to a religious order within a church within each lordship.

It is these orders that then form the bulk of the Knightly Army of Tyrfane, under the command of the High Council. This council tries to still maintain a large united military even in times of relative peace.

Sylvania's recent success in pushing Tyrfane forces back behind their newly established borders has caused considerable division within the Council, with some lords attempting to continue raids on Drakenreich borders regardless and others wishing to consolidate defences on the same border that is being ignored. All the houses seem keen to rekindle old rivalries between themselves as well.

Unless, or until, war officially breaks out, the Knightly Army remains in considerable disarray with loyalties to nation, church and house constantly being tested, and resentments towards Sylvania and Drakenreich and other houses split. The Church of Light can only do so much to hold the houses together and whilst their advisory role to the Council weakens, so the rising likelihood of civil conflict and border skirmishes rises.


OTHER NOTEWORTHY FACTIONS
Church of Ilmater
Ilmater's clergy have little influence on the ruling of Tyrfane but this is mostly out of choice.


A Martyred Brother tends to a patient
in Capitol's Hospice


Their own church has a small representation in the Church of Light, but prefers independent centres of worship and service which are wide-spread throughout the nation, providing health-care to all.

Druid Circles
Druid circles and the worship of nature has dwindled considerably in Tyrfane in the last few decades, most followers of such faiths either being purged or disbanded by over-zealous witch and demon hunters (lumping fae and similar spirit creatures, and the practitioners of their magic, into the same religious hate-basket usually reserved for necormancers and demonologists) or going into hiding, or fleeing to the forests of Sylvania.


A druid grove in a quiet and secluded spot of Tyrfane

However, since the end of the Age of War there has been some resurgence of druidic activity and nature worship, as tolerance from ruling faiths has begun to be restored. Much of this is attributed to the work of both Sune's and Chauntea's clergy in the Church of Light, but in truth it may also be due more to increasing countering of extremists, such as the Inquisition, by groups such as the Harpers, with increased support from allies in Sylvania.

The Harpers
This group's levels of activity in Tyrfane are difficult to track. It is generally acknowledged that they focus most of their efforts on protecting those persecuted by extremist groups such as the Arcanum Watch and the Inquisition and have a well established and well hidden 'underground railway' used to get refugees out of Tyrfane and into Sylvania.

It is likely the group has connections to the Church of Chauntea and Church of Sune but nothing has come into public light as proof, such claims remaining popular topics of gossip.

The Inquisition
Officially, this organisation does not exist, and members of it rarely meet or co-operate, each operating independently.

Inquisitors task themselves with the elimination of necromancy, evil druidic cults, unsanctioned use of arcane magic (usually considered witchcraft) and the remaining vampiric influences in the land.

Inquisitors have ties to the Church of Light, the Arcanum Watch and the Shrouded Guides but tend to use these as a source of information and resources and not necessarily for leadership.

Organised Criminal Families
Cults of Mask and their criminal networks have been a thorn in the side of the Guild of Waukeen's Merchants for centuries and no matter how hard Tyrfane authorities have tried to eliminate them, the more engrained into the houses of many lordships they remain.

Whilst roaming gangs aren't a problem as such, many merchant families seem to have an unlimited supply of 'muscle' busy with a variety of criminal activities, including in Capitol's so-called 'Black Market'.
Roadwardens and Lawkeepers
The Guild of Waukeen's Merchants instituted the Roadwardens to protect trade roads long before Tyrfane was a united nation. In recent years, these protectors have diversified and most of civil law enforcement duties are now held by precincts and their Lawkeepers, found in most Tyrfane villages, towns and city districts.

House and church loyalties are generally considered conflicts of interest for Roadwardens and Lawkeepers, although most officers are staunch Waukeen followers, with Shaundakul and Tyr close seconds in popularity.

The actual process of prosecution and punishment of criminals is normally passed on to the Church of Tyr, although more senior officers generally have the authority granted to them by the Church of Light to act as a proxy.

Capitol's law enforcement is managed separately by an order of Tyrrans of the Knightly Army, simply known as the Capitol Watch, ensuring the Guild of Waukeen does not have too much control over matters of law in the centre of Tyrfane's government.

Sharan Cults
Much like the cults of Mask, cults of Shar have been making trouble for the lordships well before they were united under a single nation's flag, and they remain trouble, operating in the shadows of Capitol and many of Tyrfane's population centres.

The Shrouded Guides
A religious order of monks and clerics who worship Kelemvor.


Shrouded Guides

These clerics and monks are gravediggers, embalmers, and other cemetery workers and crafters. They report sightings of undead and gravesite desecrations to the Church of Light but are also believed to have direct ties to the Inquisition.

United Tyrfane Navy

Tyrfane's navy is very much a separate organisation from the Knightly Army but still answers to the military command of the High Council. Most of the ships and crew are provided by the merchant side of the Lords' Houses, rather than their churches, however. This can result in some discord when their military agendas do not match, such as when troop transport is needed, reducing patrols for piracy on merchant lanes.


Marines of the United Tyrfane Navy on deck

Vampire Lines
It is a commonly held belief by most common-folk in Tyrfane that vampires have been a part of the Mirror Plane since the day of its creation, and that no matter how much the state claims they have been eliminated, everyone is fairly certain that the latest murder in a back-alley of Capitol has to have been the work of vampires.

Witch Covens
In Tyrfane, use of arcane magic by anyone other than a Librarian of the Arcanum Watch, whilst not illegal, is usually treated as potential heresy and a threat to the religious rule of the land (regardless of whether it is in fact necromantic or infernal magic used). Unsurprisingly, those who wish to avoid the oversite of the Arcanum Watch and likely recruitment into their ranks, organise very secretly.

IMPORTANT PLACES