Balance was broken the day god Voone disappeared. Argenveil felt the divine energy fade away and the king was assassinated.
Without Voone to choose the king's successor, Travald Graf took the throne. Under his rule, Magic was forbidden and spellcasters were either arrested or slain. It became a crime to be other than human in their land. Those with non-human blood were persecuted and killed. Families destroyed, children left behind, cities left in disarray.
This was the world Bartholomew Steiner grew in. Left in the care of the Guard as a boy, he learned to hate outsiders and distrust Magic as stated by the Law. His world turned when he met half-elven twins Allora and Allura Nightingale as Steiner was confronted with the reality that Magic is still a part of his country.
Their only hope is to untangle the threads goddess Ilo had laid 30 years ago to return Her son, the god Voone, to His full power.
Webs of Ilo started as a D&D campaign me and my group of friends ran every weekend for about 2 years. These were such fun times that my friends kept asking me to draw their OCS and commission me for artwork to the point of asking me to use the campaign to draw each day during the Inktober 2018 challenge. After rising up to the challenge I started to miss my characters and the moments we lived through the campaign and as such, decided to share this story with the goal to make other people have fun and share our good times and memories too.
Records of Theodor Ezdur, Left Councilor of King Gunther
Ansberg, White Palace, 898 E.D
His Divine Majesty, King Gunther, departed from Ansberg this morning accompanied by a small company of his most trusted men.
The reports arriving from Drergred grow darker by the day. Two more envoys reached the capital before sunrise. Another settlement near the western frontier has fallen, and entire populations now flee toward the southeastern roads carrying little more than what their hands can bear.
The accounts remain fragmented and often contradictory. Some speak of a sickness that spreads through villages within hours, leaving behind only corpses. Others claim bands of black-clad men descend upon entire settlements, slaughtering indiscriminately alongside what should be royal guards. The most disturbing account came from a survivor near Angarth: "Night fell at midday… and then the clouds themselves began killing us."
Whatever now moves through Drergred draws dangerously close to the larger cities. Angarth Keep reports smoke upon the horizon and an endless procession of refugees arriving at their gates with nothing to their names but terror.
His Majesty informed us during the emergency council that Voone Himself spoke and commanded that he march toward the heart of the chaos without delay.
Gunther departed with Travald at his side and entrusted the kingdom to my care until this campaign reaches its conclusion.
The training of the Brandt children shall no doubt become… unusual under such circumstances. If they are to one day stand as royal advisers, then perhaps it is fitting they learn first how kingdoms behave when fear begins to outweigh reason.
...
May the Light of Voone preserve us from the eternal dark.
Personal journal of Travald Graft, Right Councilor to King Gunther
Nordhafen, Wolfhowl Keep, 898 E.D.
Nothing - not a thousand stories nor ancient legends - could have prepared us for what we witnessed in the west.
The signs began the moment we crossed Khaltorsweg. Bodies lay scattered across the roads and fields alike. Blackened. Darker than ash itself.
Livestock. Men. Women. Children. Common clothes beside noble jewels. Guard uniforms beside farmer’s rags. Separated in life, yet claimed equally in death.
But the silence was the true horror.
No flies. No birds. No wind through the grass. Not even the plants survived that black contamination.
Commander Hans was the first among us to be taken by it. He followed a faint voice calling from beneath an overturned carriage. We all heard it, though he reached her first.
A young woman still lived beneath the wreckage. Veins blackened beneath her skin. Before Hans could move the carriage, the impossible unfolded before our eyes.
The head of the dead horse tore itself free from the corpse. Threads of black shadow poured from the neck as the thing lunged for his arm. What followed were two unbearable minutes of screaming, panic, and prayers to Voone. None of it saved him.
When we turned toward Gunther, he stood utterly still. His eyes had become white. Voone manifested before us. The god’s voice emerged through Gunther’s mouth and echoed across the silence: "I have made a mistake. It must be corrected."
Five days have now passed. We stand at the center of the blight.
Those consumed by it cannot be touched. Supply lines are being established while more troops advance westward to reinforce our position. Selin has answered our calls for aid and now sends its finest Blessed and mages. Gunther has spoken little since Voone revealed Himself before us. I now oversee much of the campaign in his stead.
Whatever Gunther saw… whatever the god showed him…
May it not be the last thing Voone ever speaks to mankind.
276
"Before you speak, keep in mind I don't look kindly at liars."
Born in the aftermath of the War of Shadows, Steiner grew up on the edge of a kingdom still haunted by its losses.Admist the persecution and fear of any wisp of magical energy.
Raised between the farmlands of Growarden and the walls of Khaltorsweg, he entered the Guard young and quickly earned a reputation for following his moral compass more readily than his orders.
Blunt, stubborn, and unwilling to abandon those under his protection, Steiner has spent years carrying burdens that were never his to bear.
Hidden beneath that reputation lies a secret capable of condemning him in Argenveil: the ability to heal.
All that’s left from the time before the Guard is an old compass, a broken trinket he was told to be a charm.
Lately, however, that compass has begun pointing somewhere entirely unexpected.
"Some burdens are too heavy to carry."
Born heir to one of Selin’s ruling bloodlines, Allora spent most of her life preparing for responsibilities she never truly wanted.
Precise, disciplined, and quietly relentless, she abandoned her ceremonial duties for years in pursuit of research that would allow even ordinary people to wield devastating power once reserved for Magic alone.
Yet no matter how far she traveled from Selin, the weight of the Nightingale name continued to follow.
The Council still waits for the return of its rightful Chair.
And Allora is beginning to understand that some inheritances cannot simply be escaped.
"No matter what it takes I'll make you survive this!"
Quietly perceptive and difficult to read, Allura moves through both battle and life with unsettling calm. Beneath her seemingly detached demeanor lies someone deeply shaped by isolation, survival, and a constant need to stay one step ahead of danger.
Though born with an unusual affinity for fire magic, Allura possesses something far rarer - the ability to negotiate with Shadow itself, a force tied to the Death Realm where living beings are slowly consumed by darkness. If few understand what that truly means, fewer still survive long enough to ask.
"Time is too precious to use it unwisely."
Prime Minister of Argenveil and the closest figure to King Travald. He became the King's counselor since before the coronation.
He's also the heir of the Hunter's Guild as his mother, Cassandra Hunter, reaches old age. Raised by his mother, Adam was taught who his father was and how he should take what was his by blood right. Adam's goals now encompass both the new metal mines near Khalthorsweg and the search for the Relic of Denwall.
"I will bring back the true King!"
Taken to the royal court alongside her brother, Ava was once hailed as a prodigy of High Magic under the tutelage of Prime High-Wizard Theodor Ezdur. Though still young, both siblings rose quickly, groomed to one day serve as High Advisors to Prince Friedrich, heir to King Gunther's throne.
But the rise of King Travald shattered that future.
Branded as threats, Ava and her brother were seized and imprisoned in the infamous Tower, where years of cruel magical experimentation left her body scarred with Shadow and tethered to Hephaat's death realm. What she endured there remains largely unspoken, but the marks of it are etched in every spell she casts.
Rescued by the Resistance, Ava emerged not just as a survivor, but as one of its fiercest and most trusted leaders. Among the displaced and hunted, she is a symbol of hope, strength—and vengeance.
Now, she searches for the True King of Argenveil… and a reckoning long overdue.
"Sometimes the winds blow hard but you cannot lose focus."
A diplomat by necessity and a troublemaker by nature, Cairbe left the elven lands of Selin and now fights alongside the Resistance in Argenveil. With a sharp eye, a sharper tongue, and a suspicious fondness for chaos with legs, he's as likely to win hearts as he is to test someone's patience.
Straddling two worlds, Cairbe serves as a vital bridge between elf and human, his presence a reminder that not all have forgotten the true cost of Travald's reign. He's old enough to remember what others were made to forget—and the truth still echoes in him like a song half-buried by time.
"Can't explain Magic. It just... happens!"
Youngest son of the Lentner House. Born at the wrong time, Ernst must keep his ability to control Magic well hidden, even from his family to avoid being taken by the Guard. Only his older brother, Wolfhard, knows about his abilities.
After being openly accused of being a spellcaster, Ernst is forced to leave his family and step into a dark world outside the gates of his sheltered life. Still, he's a kind, light-hearted spirit who prefers to see the bright side.
"Survival made us use the Law as a cover."
One of the few officially sanctioned Blessed still permitted within Argenveil, Reinhard Mauss built his reputation as both a capable healer and a dependable member of the Guard.
Calm-spoken and deeply compassionate beneath his composed demeanor, Mauss has spent years quietly navigating the fragile line between duty, faith, and survival.
His reassignment to Ansberg as the Guard’s official reporter granted him access to far more than records and political correspondence.
Information travels easily through the halls.
Especially for a man secretly tied to the Resistance.
"The Gods have forgotten us a long time ago so we make do on our own."
Khaltorsweg City Guard's Captain therefore the leader of this city and Mauss and Steiner's chief in command. He entered the Guard at about 10 years of age, not much time before Steiner.
King Travald's campaign against non-humans brought great pain to his life at a very young age yet somehow he managed to pull through and even take advantage of the new regime.
Weintraub and Steiner grew together as orphans adopted by the Guard and the relationship between them grew as they relied on each other for support, to keep their secrets, and to share their love. But as the stakes became higher they started to see the world through different colored lenses as Weintraub started to connect the hidden dots left behind by his father.
"I regret his killing but I don't regret his death."
An old man who lives alone in the Dark Marsh where he moved to before the anti-Magic law was passed. Here, he can still teach Magic to those still born with the skill to use it.
He doesn't speak much about himself or his past but his true nature is shown as we learn he has strong connections with the Resistance.
Theodor is also old enough to remember the old King, Voone's lost gift to Argenveil, the Relic of Denwall, and what happened to them both.
"I lost my first family. I won't lose this one too."
Eldest son of the Lentner House and the heir to the vast heirloom of his family. He was raised to be a businessman and to expand his family's influence as such he is a learned, intelligent, and silver-tongued youth.
Life turned upside down really fast for Wolfhard when his little brother was accused of spellcasting in an anti-magic society. He then had to choose between his family legacy and the life of his brother.
"You can fight for your country even after you leave the army."
Known for being the Captain of the fastest ship in Selin, she is a former knight who decided to take a civilian path after losing most of her family and friends over 30 years ago during the Shadow invasion at Drergred.
Later she met a human soldier still living in Selin after the borders were closed, they married and together they changed their path to the seas.
Darkstorm still remembers the alliance between Selin and Argenveil and the events that took place in the now wasteland of Drergred which led to its dissolution.
"...It's about survival...
Inspired by the bravery of Argenveilian soldiers who fought the threat in Drergred lands, Oliver joined the Guard as soon as able, only to discover that the Guard was becoming something corrupted and a far cry from what the stories told.
Time and civil unrest took all he had left outside the Guard and left him alone in a world of corruption and subterfuge. No longer able to follow distorted rules and morals he decided to leave but in a twist of faith, found himself bound to a new group only this time he was no longer bound by the Law and with far greater pay.
Goddess of Fate, obstacles, and challenges throughout Life. Represents one's development through Life. She's the connection between Birth and Death, her children: Voone and Hephaat.
Ilo is praised throughout the entire continent. She's both respected and feared because of the twists of fate she can suddenly offer. Although considered fair, She will challenge her Chosen to the extreme to show the best in them and thus grant them the fate they wish.
Always represented by a three-headed female (child, adult, and old), the race will change according to the country/kingdom she is found in. She is Selin's main Goddess since the long elven life gives them more time to face Ilo's challenges.
God of Life and light, The-one-that-Iniciates. Present in births and creation, the source of Life and Strength.
Voone is the one that begins life and projects and the last God of the main triad to bless the mortals. Voone is summoned every time a new project, endeavor, crowning, and birth occurs. He's also prayed to by those who work with discoveries: sailors and explorers, artificers, and mages. Those blessed by Voone are considered bringers of change and are usually known for being innovators. They often grow as outcasts and rarely reach their full potential because they can be easily estranged.
Voone is Argenveil's main God and the one who chose the country's first King. He chooses the ruler, blessing them with the Relic of Denwall. Voone is usually represented by a flaming sword since that was the appearance of the first Relic.
Goddess of Death, night, and darkness. The-one-that-comes-in-the-end. Represents the end and opens ways for the rebirth of Voone. Hephaat is present in death, battlefields, slaughterhouses, and every time the end of something has come.
Hephaat is neutral but represents what many people take as evil or bad so most of the time she's not welcomed. Helligenn, being the realm with the hardest life conditions, has had a close connection to Hephaat for millennia and She became their main goddess. Helligenn rulers are known for keeping pet crows in honor of Hephaat and the Table of Ancestors is presided by 12 Hephaat priestesses along with the living rulers.
Hephaat is known for being the ruler of the Shadow World although no real connection with the Goddess has been found. Her chosen do not have access to that realm and are adamant about keeping that distinction and protecting the Living world from the Shadow world. They were at the forefront of the battle against the shadows in Drergred.
Sigil of Argenveil - The Bear
The sigil of Argenveil was adopted from the Builder's Guild from where the current King, Travald Graf originated. As he rose to the throne, Travald chose to erase all the remaining symbols and connections to the past and thus a new flag arose from the troubled times that led to his coronation.
Political System
Argenveil is, by nature, a monarchy. It's ruled by a king/queen who is chosen not by bloodline but by the divine will of the god Voone through the Relic of Denwall. For centuries, since the time of the first chosen of the god, Denwall, the land has been governed by the chosen of the Relic - the Divine King/Queen, Vessel of Voone. The ceremony of presenting the Relic is done to every descendant of the ruler as they are born and year after year, to all of their descendants until either a new heir is chosen by the God or the active ruler dies. If this event occurs before a new heir has been chosen by the Voone, any who feel the call can be presented to the Relic. As such the bloodline has changed throughout the centuries with new families rising to the throne.
Since this system is a bit unstable and able to elect an unprepared ruler, Argenveil counts on selected representatives of different areas to ensure the new ruler is taught what is necessary to take on the role. These are selected by the former representatives from a very young age and taught in the ways of the Throne.
From 5 generations, up until the War of Shadows, the Wilhelm bloodline were the chosen rulers as Voone always found one of them a suitable Vessel.
Without the Relic ceremony, there would be no official ruler, and thus, as the Relic of Denwall disappeared a new type of ruler took the throne by ensuring a strong military and political power. This was how King Travald rose to the throne.
Relic of Denwall
A weapon that will only attune to their rightful owner. Carries the name of the first king of Argenveil and it is said it was given by the god Voone himself. It can take the shape most convenient to its rightful heir. This is the reason Voone is represented as a flaming sword as the first Relic took that shape in the hands of Denwall.
The Relic is usually passed down through bloodline as long as Voone accepts the heirs. The heirs can be chosen anytime, even as a baby is born, so there can be two Relic users for a while. But not for long as this is also a sign that the former user is nearing the end of their life. In this case, the relic will change its shape to best fit the strongest heir or the nearest one.
Since the death of King Gunther Wilhelm, the Forsaken, the Relic is nowhere to be found, and no true heir has been chosen. The last time the relic was seen using its full, raw, nature was during the battle against the Shadows at Drergred. It stood above Argenveil's throne for years and even after King Gunther's death until disaster struck and enemies of the crown destroyed it 30 years ago.
Culture
Calendar
Argenveil's current calendar begins with the rise of the first king, Denwall, and the first recorded appearance of Voone's avatar to the mortal realm.
The current year is 934 E.D. (Era of Denwall).
Naming Traditions
In Argenveil, children traditionally inherit the family name of their father and are given a single personal name.
Certain bloodlines, particularly among noble and influential families, preserve ancestral names by passing the same given names from one generation to the next.
When paternity is uncertain, disputed, or the father is deceased, the mother’s family name may be granted instead. Such an act signifies that the child is formally acknowledged and protected by the mother’s lineage regardless of their birth.
Orphans, children of criminals, slaves, prostitutes, half-bloods, and elves are often stripped of — or denied — a family name entirely due to the stigma attached to their condition or ancestry.
In place of a lineage, such individuals commonly take the name of the city in which they were born as their surname.
Sigil of Selin - Tri-Eoga
The 3 half moons represent the 3 heads of the goddess Ilo, Selin's patron Goddess. The pattern, drawn as a circle is also representative of the magical circles cast by high mages from the Council reminding everyone that Magic should be innate to those of elven blood.
Political System
Selin is ruled by the Council of Fates. Considered blessed by the goddess Ilo herself the eight ruling families share political, economic, and military powers. The Chairs or, Tsao'ollae, are inherited by blood and blood alone. No other bloodline might sit on the Tsao'ollae. An empty chair, belonging to the ninth family, the Cranes, is a testimony of this. As the bloodline died so did their power.
As such it's in these families' best interest to keep a pure and healthy bloodline, ensuring that their marriages are well arranged (considering both genes and power). Good breathers are also important and females are encouraged to have many children. On the other hand, females also have priority over the Tsao'ollae. If the firstborn is a female it's considered a good omen and she will immediately be considered as the next heir. The ruling is passed through the female line considering males only if no other female blood relatives are able.
The Table of Ancestors is a mix between a democratic society and a theocracy in its essence. Three (3) members are elected from the three most important cities of Helligenn and will intervene and decide for their fellow countrymen together with 12 priestesses of Hephaat who are in charge of invoking the 12 Helligenn most powerful and influential ancestors.
Similar to a temple complex, The Table of Ancestors is located under a mountain, in which 12 small temples were built with the remains of Hellien influential ancestors. The priestesses are in charge of these temples and of constantly communicating with the souls of the dead. Through Hephaat's power, the souls of the dead are locked in these temples and can only manifest through their assigned priestess.
It's only with the souls of the dead's attendance that the 3 chosen Hellien can make their decisions.
Helligann flags are made of gray seal skin collected from the local animals and painted with cinnabar dust mixed with the seal’s fat.
Rumours say the inhabitants of Helligann are immune to the deadly effects of mercury present in cinnabar.
Individuals who possess a special connection to a god or goddess. They are usually healers. The longer they dedicate their lives to the deity that blesses them, the more attuned they become to divine energy. This attunement enhances their magical abilities.
An Argenveilian derogatory term for those of mixed blood with races other than humans.
Magic is rooted in one's ability to perceive and attune to the world in such a way that they can control the natural elements and matter. This innate ability requires training; otherwise, it will never truly develop. While it may manifest in any individual, it appears to be more prevalent in certain families, suggesting a genetic component.
According to legend, the first magic weavers were born from the gods themselves, borrowing divine energy to shape reality. This belief explains why some magic users seem naturally inclined toward specific types of magic and, most importantly, the existence of the Blessed—those gifted with the ability to manipulate matter and heal the body.
Magic places a significant strain on the body, especially when used for extended periods or beyond the physical and mental limits of the weaver. This can lead to extreme fatigue, irregular heartbeats, fevers, and even convulsions. In some cases, prolonged use may also induce altered states of mind, causing hallucinations, paranoia, or even temporary insanity. The severity of these effects varies depending on the complexity of the spell, the weaver's attunement, and their experience in channeling magical energy.
The limits of magic are defined by the caster or casters and the amount of physical and mental energy they can provide for a spell. Magic is not an infinite resource; the body acts as a conduit, and if pushed too far, it can suffer irreversible damage. While both physical and psychological harm may result from the use of magic, only physical injuries can be healed by the Blessed. However, even they are bound by their own attunement—if a wound or affliction surpasses their threshold, it remains beyond their ability to mend.
Furthermore, no magic, regardless of its strength, can restore life to the dead. Once the essence of life has faded, it cannot be reclaimed, as it now belongs to the goddess Hephaat.
An ancient weapon imbued with the essence of the god Voone. It can only be wielded by the god's chosen. The name originates from the myth of the first chosen king of Argenveil.
An organization that arose after King Travald took the throne. Its goal is to restore Argenveil to its former state. To achieve this, they must recover the Relic of Denwall and place the chosen king or queen on the throne once more.
A dark substance that infiltrates and destroys all life it touches. It originates from the Shadow Plane, believed to be Hephaat's realm and the final resting place of the dead.
Shadow does not naturally exist in the realm of the living; it must be brought here, forging a connection between the worlds of the living and the dead. This is an incredibly complex and taxing process, one that has only been theorized by the greatest Magic Weavers in history. It requires not only an immense amount of energy and resources but also the defiance of two divine wills: that of the goddess Hephaat (of the Plane of Death) and the god Voone (of the Plane of Life).
Yet, 40 years ago, this very process occurred, culminating in the Battle of the Last Light, which left Argenveil's district of Drergred completely decimated and devoid of life.
Following King Travald's rise to the throne, intense research into the Shadow—its origins, properties, and potential—has been conducted at Verlassen Sanatorium, also known as the Tower. As a result, some mages have gained the ability to siphon power from the Shadow. However, wielding this energy comes at a terrible cost: it slowly drains the wielder's own life force until, ultimately, they perish.
Much like the Blessed, the Touched have a special connection to a deity. However, unlike the Blessed, they cannot attune their abilities through sheer will; instead, they must follow the path and challenges set by their deity. Their magical abilities manifest unpredictably, often leaving them out of control—sometimes even suffering mental or physical consequences—until they begin to understand the path before them. Ultimately, the Touched can become physical vessels for the deities themselves, serving as Avatars.
