Four dwarven warriors stand alone on a bridge. Before them, the elven armies of the Umbra Queen march toward them over the rubble of a burning city. Behind them, the last remaining survivors of the dwarven empire, Dun Tallach, flee the mountain. Weapons drawn, the dwarves ready themselves for their final stand.
A young tiefling with a broken horn darts into one of the many dark alleys of Port Brazos, three Oathkeepers hot on his heels. He tucks the small lockbox into a pouch and turns another corner to find two more guards cutting off his escape. Kai smiles as smoke begins to gather around his hands. Five Oathkeepers against one Rook? He’ll take those odds.
A soulforged mage performs a ritual in the cold atop Mount Jaikon. As magic swirls around them, they lift an iridescent egg towards the night sky. The egg glows with the same pale light as the broken moon above. The shell cracks and the mage smiles.
Welcome to Cordia
Cordia is a homebrew world I created for an ongoing D&D 5e campaign I run for my friends. It’s more or less a stereotypical fantasy D&D setting with many of the classic tropes you’d expect from the genre - dwarves, elves, dragons, a token evil empire to the south. I like to think that I’ve put my own spin on things and that it isn’t totally derivative… but honestly, I don’t really mind if it is. I’m a strong proponent of the “Take the stuff you like and stick it in your game.” advice I first heard from Matt Colville’s YouTube channel. Cordia is essentially an amalgamation of themes, ideas, and tropes from my favorite stories. Beginning with this post, I’ll be writing a series of articles about the world of Cordia, detailing the people, places, and stories that I love about it. I hope these ramblings provide inspiration or spark an idea for my fellow storytellers and world builders out there.
Modern day Cordia is a fairly high-magic setting in roughly the same vein as the Eberron or Ravnica settings. Mages and scholars have played a large role in creating an advanced, well connected group of cultures. Despite the relatively advanced civilizations, the world is still quite dangerous. Large swaths of untamed wilderness divide many civilizations and even seasoned adventurers are weary of wandering too far into the frontier. Danger is not all gone once you enter the walls of a city, however. Many factions vie for power and entire kingdoms are on the brink of war. Cordia is a setting rife with intrigue, danger, and adventures just waiting to be explored.
Harmony From Chaos
Long before mortals walked Cordia, before there was even land to walk on, there was only elemental chaos. The five elements (earth, water, air, fire, and magic) existed only in their pure, untethered forms, swirling through the astral sea as a storm of raw energy for eons unknown. It was only through the vision of two gods that order was brought forth from the chaos.
There is still much debate as to where Ira and Ilune came from. They may have been powerful beings from another realm or perhaps they were born amidst the elemental chaos itself. Whatever their origin, the twin gods saw potential in the chaos and began the arduous process of taming the elements themselves. As the raging forces began to calm, the gods gave form to their wild energies, creating the five elemental dragons known as the Primal Wyrms.
Tectus and Sekona, the Wyrms of earth and sea, took their places as the foundation of the world. Ashka surrounded the new planet, cradling it in her wings and becoming the great Wyrm of the wind and sky. Finally, Solis and Rhega took up their watch as guardians. The sun and the moon assumed their eternal posts, nurturing and protecting the realm with fire and magic. After eons of work, Ira and Ilune looked with pride upon their new home: Cordia.
Uneasy Peace
Most of the “civilized” lands of Cordia were once dominated by the far-reaching Arraxian Empire. God-Emperor Arraxian I sought to rule over all of Cordia. Using his empire’s technological superiority and his own god-like power, he nearly succeeded. After nearly 5 centuries of conquest and rule, the Arraxian Empire was driven back. The Primal Wyrm of magic, Rhega, sacrificed herself to deal a mortal blow to Emperor Arraxian I, leading to the withdrawal of the Arraxians to their homeland in the south. Now, the cracked moon of Rhega hangs in the sky as both a symbol of freedom and a reminder of the price that was paid for it.
The newly freed peoples of Cordia banded together to form an alliance of kingdoms known as the Mirren Accord. Now, after ~400 years of unsteady peace, Cordia seems to be on the verge of another seismic change. Magic is growing wild, attacks from the Giant’s Belt are growing in frequency, and rumors of Emperor Arraxian’s return drift from the south. Across the land there is a tension in the air as if a powder keg is about to explode.
Nations of Cordia
There are many nations and cultures across Cordia. Below are short descriptions of some of the most prominent:
The Arraxian Empire - After being driven back to their ancestral homeland in the south, citizens of the Arraxian Empire are still a proud, resilient people. Despite his centuries-long absence, the people of the empire are still fiercely loyal to their silent emperor.
Balaton - The people of Balaton are progressive and technologically innovative almost to a fault. Balaton sees itself as a beacon of civilization while its neighbors see its adoption of Arraxian technology and customs as a red flag.
The Beastlands - Members of the diverse, independent tribes of the Beastlands rarely travel to the western nations. When they do, they are often greeted with curiosity and distrust from the “civilized folk”.
Carva - As the only nation to never be fully conquered by the Arraxians, citizens of Carva are proud of their heritage and ancestral traditions - even if they come across as isolated and strange to their neighbors.
Kahar - Constantly fending off attacks from giants to the north and east, the citizen-warriors of Kahar are as tough and enduring as the snowy tundras they call home.
Port Brazos - Port Brazos is the largest center of trade in Cordia and the diplomatic center of the Mirren Accord. The enormous city is colorful, diverse, and fiercely independent.
Wistari - The ancestral homeland of the elves and home to the refugee nation of the dwarves. The peaceful Wistarians are master crafters and artisans skilled in weaving old magics of the mountains and forests they call home.
The Wilds - The Wyrmwood Forest, Giant’s Belt, and the unexplored eastern wilds hold many secrets. Individuals from these lands seem to have inherited some of the primal energy of their homelands.