The Lyons were the first family to leave Gadaron and settle in the wilds of Ebreyon nearly two centuries ago. They planned to use their vast agricultural knowledge to develop the large uninhabited land. They would then use their massive shipping fleet to transport food for sale to much of the rest of the world. The plan worked to perfection due in large part to the diplomatic capabilities of Valis I and Elessia Lyon, the heads of both family and company. They developed strong relationships with the dwarves of Grymmsfist and elves of The Vale who had both been previously reclusive even to the point of xenophobic. This alliance between the three races combined with the natural borders and the willing provision of Lyon grains to all the world has kept the region free from attack for decades. The recent discovery of a magical metal called Allustrium around the Frozen Spine Mountains north of Gronnskull has caused problems for the alliance. Excursions have been launched by other nations through Lyon and Grymmsfist to be the first to get there and lay a claim. The Gronnskull region is wild, untamed and extremely dangerous, prompting large and heavily armed excursions. These excursions are causing problems along the trade route as the mercenaries willing to go on suicide missions are not known for adhering to local laws on their way through. Grymmsfist imposed martial law in the north forcing all excursions to go through Lyon by land or sea. This has caused Lyon’s military resources to be stretched thin.      

Lyon started as a monarchy when the quickly growing nation made it clear that they wanted Valis I and Elessia to be their King and Queen. They reluctantly agreed but wrote into law that within ten years the government would be split into five equal parts: judicial, legislative, defense, economic and executive. Most of the power would be ceded back to the people who could vote for their representatives in each of the four departments with the royal family providing the fifth, by assuming the executive function. The crest of the Kingdom of Lyon is a stalking six-legged lion on a white field with a wide red stripe and a central blue stripe diagonally from lower left to upper right. 

In the Kingdom of Lyon faith is a matter of choice. Neither crown nor government have any interest in dictating matters of faith to their people. Temples are allowed wherever they may be planted. The government and law enforcement only get involved if the peace is disturbed or people are incited to activity not conducive to peace. The Kingdom of Lyon is the only nation on the continent that truly allows freedom of worship. 

Lyon is the richest nation in the known world. They have maintained a tenuous border with Valinor whose regent adheres to diplomacy but secretly envies and despises the strength of their neighbor. They believe that if they can secure the Allustrium deposits they can swing the balance of power in their favor. Lyon remains also a force of good on Aeramor. As such they are a constant target for scams as well as a destination for immigrants looking for opportunity. The military has been stretched thin guarding the trade route while also manning borders in the north and south. Enemies have seen this as a sign of weakness and rumors of spies testing security and even the accessibility of the royal family. There are even rumors that someone inside the government is actively working with enemies to destabilize the alliance, though agents of the Cohort, a covert spy organization of elves, dwarves and humans protecting the assets and dignitaries of all three nations.

Regent King Valis Lyon VI  

Valis VI is young, but he is a benevolent King. He is completely devoted to his nation and its people. His youth and decades of strong Kings before him have made him soft. He fails to see the harsh realities of the world. The emergence of Adonai and the changes in Gadaron have overwhelmed him. He sees hope in the stories coming from the region, and choses to ignore the potential dangers of the God they worship as well as the reactions of less benevolent leadership on the continent.   

Regent Queen Thalia Valinor 

Thalia is the daughter of the current King and Queen of Valinor. The marriage was arranged as an effort to cease hostilities between the two nations. There are many in Lyon who think Thalia is a plant and that the efforts by Valinor for peace are a thinly veiled ruse to get access to the Allustrium in the mountains only accessible through Lyon.  

 Judicator Paulus Jonans - This judge is the head of the judicial branch of the Lyon government. This branch has no say in creating law or legislation. They simply decide whether the laws being proposed fall within the constitutional provisions outlined at the founding of the Regency. Paulus is considered a constitutionalist always erring on the side of the constitution as it was written. The other two justices on this triumvirate court are less stringent though they do seem prone to fall back to the written word. They would rather the legislators pass laws that the people are invested in instead of practicing judicial activism. 

 Minister Sendrayha Lurielle - This elven transplant is the current head of the legislative branch of the Regency government. As an elf she is honorable and adheres to the written law to the letter. This can be a good asset to have in politics, but her personality also comes with a downside. She doesn't allow herself the latitude to seek the spirit of the law when there is a commonsense dispute in the way the law was originally written and how the world has changed since. 

 Adherent Evers Hadrion - This elder human is the longest tenured member of the council. He oversees the entire military through his air, land and sea generals. The only part of the defense force that is not under Hadrion's purview is The Pride, the Lyon Regent Guard. He is unusually stressed lately as his forces are stretched thin with all the expeditions traveling through Lyon to get to the mountains of Gronnskull to mine Allustrium. 

 Steward Rodrick Rhodes - The economy minister is the newest member of the council. Many thought that putting one so young in charge of finance was a mistake. He is a brash young man with bold ideas about new ways of generating revenue. He has a two-front plan to expand Lyon financially. First, he sent three expeditions to search for Allustrium. His hope is to stake a large claim and then sell the excess on the open market. His secondary plan is to charge tariffs for the transport of Allustrium back through Lyon. This gold-grab on his part could blow up in his face or could position Lyon as the economic leader on Ebreyon. 

 Dominika "Nika" Drake - This thirty-ish-year-old half elven woman is the leader of the covert arm of the Regent Guard called the Pride. She is extremely loyal to the Regent and his wife. Her infiltration and investigation skills are second to none. She has spies all over Ebreyon and probably the other continents as well, but she will never admit to it.

The Elves of the Vale were on Ebreyon long before any of the other races were around to document their movements. They lived tens of centuries in peaceful existence, their only enemies being the cousins who left the splendor of the woodlands for the dank lightless caverns of the 'Beneath'. They formed the Obsidian Order to balance the Viridian Order of the surface elves. The two factions had their own battles to fight in their chosen realms, so they paid little attention to each other. Over the centuries the elves have had skirmishes with the battle-hungry orc and goblin races, but their superior magic and fighting prowess always discouraged their foes from repeated attacks. Once the humans found their way to Ebreyon the orcs goblins saw them as softer targets and began to harass them through the Freelands pass. The elves resisted diplomatic overtures by the Regency of Lyon for many years. It wasn't until The Vale was attacked by the Dread Lich Zanth 'Adar and his undead legion that the elves considered their neighbors worthy of alliance. On the night of the Battle of the Midnight Run the elves had resigned themselves to a last stand in the Capitol city of Mystria. They had secreted the non-fighters north to Tyshdala. Once there the children were sent through the East Pass (now called the Midnight Run in memorial) to King’s Crest, the northern capital of Lyon. They were unaware that the Lich had sent a flanking force to advance from the north. The elven refugees would have been massacred had it not been for Valis Lyon and his Military. Dwarven and Human Border patrols had noticed the undead movements. Valis arranged an alliance with King Ragan Grimbeard to protect both of their borders. The human and dwarven forces collapsed on the undead as they entered the pass. Midway through the bloody fight a small force of elves joined the fray from Tyshdala with thousands of elders and children in tow. The battle was bloody, but the fragile alliance was victorious against the dead. The humans and dwarves gained the respect of the elves when they each sent relief forces to support Mystria while their rear guards provided protection for their families.  

The three armies battled the seemingly endless horde of undead. Meanwhile a small force was sent to deal with the Lich himself. The twin elves Halaruil (rogue) and Heraliel (cleric), two dwarven warriors Jondorli (fighter) and Aghack (ranger) and Prince Valis II the Paladin of Atmos and son of the King of Lyon confronted the foul being and emerged victorious.     

The three races have lived in peace and cooperation since, though they agreed to respect each other’s privacy they vowed to be vigilant in having the backs of their neighbors. 

The elves have a court of elders that is made up entirely of people who have earned the positions through sacrifice and service to the greater community. There are five seats on the Viridian Council with an Archdynast (Highlord and lady) who get a vote each preventing a split vote. The elves have stayed out of affairs of state in Ebreyon in the past, but the events of the Midnight Run showed them that they had a responsibility in continental peace-keeping and other diplomatic affairs. They remain skeptical of everything they are told and have little social grace. 

Generally, the elves of The Vale don’t seem to display their faith. Whether they simply keep it secret and personal or don’t have faith is unknown. People who have managed to get close to them have heard them mention concepts or beings like the elements of earth, air, fire and water with personal characteristics. 

The elves have been quiet about the Allustrium situation and have given no indication that they have heard anything about the Unseen or Adonai. They have accepted the invitation to the Continental Conclave to discuss these and other issues. They are expected to send one of the Solons, but the Archdynasts themselves will attend showing that they believe these situations to be more serious than they are letting on.  

Archdynast Lord Tyriax Lyre -  Tyriax changed drastically after the death of his wife Emaela and their son during childbirth. Emaela had given him two amazing daughters but no heirs until this pregnancy. He was devastated at their loss. He remarried a year later but this union was purely political. Zyrania's father was awarded a seat on the council as part of the arrangement which Tyriax hoped would curb his constant protests and accusations against the council. Tyriax treats his new wife well and always adheres to all protocols and expectations in public. In private he keeps his wife at a distance. He has no ill will toward her, but he has no intention of having his heart ripped out again.     

Archdynast Lady Zyrania Lyre - Zyrania is the second wife of Tyriax. When his first wife died in childbirth the court chose the daughter of a political rival as his second wife. The thought was that it would soften the animosity between the families and give Zyrania's father enough power in court to cease his machinations. Several of the younger women of the court have taken to calling her the 'black widow' despite her seemingly complete devotion to her husband. She is ambitious to a fault and overly concerned with the thoughts of others. This has led her to be a people pleaser in her service to the Vale, which always results in half the people being displeased.  

Solon Khyrmin Araqen - He is by far the oldest (657 years old) and most pompous of the Solons in recent memory. Khyrmin can be difficult to work with because of his harsh personality but he is truly brilliant and has lived a rich and exciting life. He was a foot-soldier during the Battle of the Midnight Run. Most of his unit was wiped out as they protected the escape route of the refugee children and families. He became close friends with the Human Lieutenant who risked his own unit to reinforce the battered elven unit on Butcher's Rise. 

Solon Ardreth Marghana - Ardreth earned her spot at the table through her economic efforts. She worked diligently, and with little assistance from the rest of the council, to develop a trade network that revitalized the elven economy. The economy was dedicated to rebuilding and revitalization for decades after the Lich War with. The occasional incursions by orcs and goblins from the west hampered their efforts in the southern and western mountains. Even their dark elf cousins used their underground warrens to mine resources that used to be exclusively elven. Ardreth focused on developing the rich land of the Vale and the skills of the druids and farmers to increase food production for trade for the other needed resources. In the last few decades The Vale has become the breadbasket for Ebreyon. This has made it difficult for even their staunchest enemies to show open aggression.   

Solon Jastira Olamaris - Jastira earned this position through her educational efforts. She has single-handedly revamped the training for all elven children of the Vale to include cultural studies of all races of the continent and beyond. She will be very interested in the emergence of Adonai and the changes it has wrought upon Gadaron, now called the Fertile Crescent. 

Solon Tialha Kelyra - No one knows how Tialha earned this title. No one has any doubt that she did as the elves are great proponents of order. She is aloof in public appearances, leading people to give her a wide berth. Few have ever dared to ask for her history, and no one has ever heard it.   

Solon Onas Pernala - Onas is the highest-ranking cleric of Alustra in The Vale. He is a truly giving and selfless person and serves the community in any way he can. He has been assigned the duty of choosing an emissary to go with the group heading to the Fertile Crescent (formerly Gadaron) to investigate the appearance and claims of the followers of Adonai. 

Inquisitor Taenaran Eiljyre - Taenaran is the head of all military for the Vale. She is the most evasive and deceptive person you would ever want to meet. She rarely gives a straight answer, answers with questions, or outright lies just for practice. When any envoy or emissary is sent anywhere outside of the Vale Taenaran will try to include an assistant (assigned by her) or at the very least give the emissary directions or instructions on things to try to learn. If the person is agreeable, she will give them a method of communication to report directly to her.   

 Overseer Emarille Chaecian - She leads The Vale’s covert investigation force that they refer to as the “Moon Shadows”.

The Technarchy of Zenoth is a mystery to the other nations of Ebreyon. The Technomancers who rule it are unknown, fiercely reclusive, and guard everything about their society so closely many think they are xenophobic. When they take part in regional or global politics, they do so through use of ambassadors who have little power to make decisions or effect change. It is a very rare occurrence that they invite a dignitary to their lands and when they do, they are only allowed to see a carefully curated series of events designed to give them a specific narrative to leave with and communicate back to the world. Zenoth, in general, is highly advanced technologically. Even their magic is focused on artificing, infusing magic into technology for use in war and societal needs. The nation has possibly the strangest origin of any other nation on Aeramor (except the Fertile Crescent, of course). The region was wild and unexplored until a massive object fell from the sky, hitting the western range of the Frozen Spine. Excavation companies, all representing different nations, were dispatched and soon found the 'object'. It was not a meteor as expected. Instead, it was a craft of alien origin. All the people on site, regardless of national origin, at once ceased contact with their patrons and governments. Those governments sent investigative teams who also ceased contact and did not return. Some then sent military forces. Those forces were met with a force field that even the greatest minds and magic could not penetrate. It took nearly a century for the excavation teams inside the force field to decipher the technology onboard the damaged craft. 

The government of Zenoth has an impressive racial diversity that includes representatives from every nation that sent expeditions, rescue teams or military forces. Every being inside the force field was eventually mentally overwhelmed and 'convinced' of the greater good of advancing the technological agenda of the Triumvirate. The few who resisted the mental assault were hunted and killed except for one. When the triumvirate tried to overwhelm a young gnome sorcerer, named Tukwic Sluselvoss, his aberrant mind was unleashed, causing enough chaos for him to escape. Somehow, he managed to walk right through the force field and out of Zenoth to tell his tale to any who might listen. He later changed his surname and became a hermit with only his family around him. The council of Zenoth is made up of thirteen representatives, but the final authority for all decisions for the nation falls to the mysterious 'Triumvirate' that exists and operates behind the scenes. No one has ever seen them in person. They communicate either telepathically or using technology. The great secret from the world is that no biological citizen has ever left Zenoth. All 'dignitaries' sent outside the nation are Synths, which are highly advanced automatons that will pass for the biological races they represent. 

There are no people of faith in Zenoth. 

The Synths are not inherently sentient. They were designed by the Technomancers as a method of turning the populace of a new world into compliant workers and soldiers. They have a soul harvester built into them. When a person is killed in range of an active soul harvester the Synth is infused with their entire essence. That Synth becomes a sentient being in a synthetic, cyber-robotic body. Anyone who learns of this secret is hunted down, taken into custody and questioned by the Triumvirate. If found to be of use to Zenoth they will attempt to assimilate the person. If they resist, act in a violent manner, or have no use discernable to the Triumvirate they are killed. 

High Psionist Sh'riss: These Psionists of the Triumvirate have no discernable differences from each other. They are identical in every way. They speak only mentally. Their manner of communication is soothing but altogether without personality or emotion.   

High Psionist Thar'kun: (Same as above) 

High Psionist Char'veen: (Same as above) 

Technomaster Nuglut: This goblin male is the current leader of all technological research and development. He is nearly impossible to get to as he never leaves his labs. His current projects involve rebuilding and reprogramming automatons found on Aeramor to receive the essences of humanoids as their Synths are capable of doing. He sent expeditions east to find "Allustrium" believing that it may be part of the alien's own ship that broke off during the crash.