Fantasy Worldbuilding

Noctharion, the Seventh Throne: Guardians of the Dusk

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Part I — The Lost Kingdom of the Seventh House

Before Barakthûn was cursed, before the shadow consumed the land, there was Noctharion — the Seventh Throne.
It was not yet the Fallen Kingdom.
It was the Twilight Realm.

Where Gallandor gleamed with marble and sunlight, Noctharion stood in basalt and obsidian. Its skies were often storm-shrouded, its rivers deep and dark, its mountains black as iron. And yet, in this brooding beauty, there was majesty.

Noctharion was meant to be balance.
Where Gallandor raised banners of gold and white, Noctharion flew crimson and midnight.
Where Gallandor built temples to the Light, Noctharion raised citadels of endurance — fortresses meant to hold the line when others faltered.

They were not cruel, but they were proud.
Not shining, but steadfast.
Not joyous, but resolute.

It was dusk made kingdom.

The Twilight Realm

The Seventh Kingdom was carved from black stone cliffs, its fortresses rising like thorns against the horizon. Obsidian spires crowned its citadels, and basalt roads cut across the valleys like veins of shadow.

Its people believed themselves guardians of the dusk — the shield between the brilliance of Gallandor and the wild darkness beyond. They found beauty not in brightness, but in the strength to endure.

Among the Seven Thrones, they were the Iron Fist — the kingdom others trusted to hold the borders when the world trembled.

House Draemyr – The Twilight Bloodline

The rulers of Noctharion sat upon the Seventh Throne, proud and unyielding. The Draemyr line was famed for its fortress-lords, warrior-queens, and generals who shaped dusk into a weapon.

Ancestral Legacy

Valryon Draemyr – Founder of the line, called the Twilight Lord. Built the first obsidian citadels, declaring dusk as the shield between light and dark.

King Athelion Draemyr – The Stone Sentinel. Known for fortifying the borders of Eldoria with unbreakable bastions and commanding legions that never broke rank.

Queen Seranyth Draemyr – The Iron Rose. A warrior-queen who rode at the head of her armies and is said to have slain a giant alone at the Battle of Duskwatch.

Lord Malrec Draemyr – The Iron Voice. Famous for his uncompromising discipline and oratory; his decrees were said to echo across the mountains long after he was gone.

King Kaelor I Draemyr – The Shadowed Crown. Questioned why Noctharion should kneel beneath Gallandor’s light, planting the first seeds of ambition that would one day bloom into ruin.

The Later Line

Lord Veyric Draemyr – The most ambitious of his line. His reign marked the first whispers of division within the House, as branches of the family split between loyalty to Gallandor and hunger for power. His name would one day give rise to the Veylric Divide.

Lady Thalyss Draemyr – A courtly mastermind whose cunning words bent lords as surely as blades. Whispers claimed she courted shadows long before the kingdom itself fell to them.

Prince Althar Draemyr – The last heir before the fall into Morghast. A brilliant commander and tactician, but too proud to see the corruption seeping into his own bloodline.

Legacy of the Seventh Throne

The Draemyr dynasty embodied dusk — not light, not darkness, but the strength of the in-between. Yet within that strength grew a fatal flaw:
the belief that they should not guard the crown, but be the crown.

That flaw fractured their House, leaving it vulnerable to whispers of power and, eventually, to the corruption that would make Noctharion the seedbed of Barakthûn.

Themes of Noctharion

Majesty of Shadow – Beauty found in endurance, dusk, and storm.
Pride of Guardianship – The conviction that they alone were strong enough to defend Eldoria.
The First Cracks – Seeds of ambition, jealousy, and hunger for dominion that set them apart from Gallandor’s unity.

Behind the Writing

Noctharion was always meant to stand apart.
If Gallandor was the crown, Noctharion was the clenched fist.

Writing it as a kingdom of dusk and brooding beauty gave me the contrast I wanted against Gallandor’s marble light and Silvermoon’s starlit grace.

I wanted readers to feel the tragedy of it — that this kingdom wasn’t born wicked. It was noble, strong, even necessary. But nobility turned to ambition, and ambition turned to ruin.
To me, that makes the fall into Barakthûn all the more heartbreaking.

Until Next Time…

Noctharion is only the beginning of the Seventh Kingdom’s tale.

Next, we’ll explore The Veylric Divide — how ambition split House Draemyr, how whispers of power fractured their unity, and how the Twilight Realm began its slow descent into shadow.

If dusk can be corrupted… what hope then for the crown of day?

A Note to Readers: The Road Ahead

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If you’ve been following along with our journey through Eldoria, you’ve seen Gallandor’s shining crown, Silvermoon’s starlit beauty, Greenwood’s sylvan dominion, Stormhold’s ocean throne, Durhaven’s stone bastion, and Ironclad’s fiery forge. Six kingdoms — each proud, each distinct, each vital to the fate of the realm.

But there is still one left.

The seventh.

Barakthûn.
The Fallen Kingdom.
The land of shadow, sorrow, and betrayal.

This next series of posts will take us deeper than ever before. Because Barakthûn isn’t just a kingdom — it is a story of corruption, of nobility lost, and of a darkness that still breathes beneath the ash.

To do it justice, we’ll be unfolding it across multiple entries:

  1. Noctharion, the Twilight Realm — When the Seventh House was still noble, guardians of the dusk.
  2. The Veylric Divide — How ambition and whispers of power fractured their line.
  3. The Morghast Curse — The final fall into shadow, and the birth of Barakthûn.
  4. The Dread King’s Realm — What the land has become, and why its shadow still haunts the world.

This will be the turning point in our exploration. Once the Seven Kingdoms are laid out, we’ll begin peeling back the layers — the territories, the bloodlines, the wars, the prophecies — until the saga stands in full view.

So sharpen your quills, steady your hearts, and ready yourselves.
Because if Gallandor is the crown… Barakthûn is the wound.

And sometimes it is the wound, not the crown, that defines the fate of kings.

Greenwood: The Sylvan Dominion

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If Gallandor is the mountain and Silvermoon is the sky, then Greenwood is the earth itself. The third of Eldoria’s great kingdoms, Greenwood is not a land built of stone or crowned with towers. It is a realm grown — a living dominion of colossal trees, river-spirits, and druids bound to the heartbeat of the world.

To enter Greenwood is to pass beneath boughs that have stood since the Age of Ashes, where roots coil like serpents, where wolves of ember flame watch from the shadows, and where the very forest may rise in judgment. It is not merely a kingdom — it is a covenant with the land.

The Verdant Wilds

The Greenwood stretches across the heart of the Verdant Wilds, an endless forest where sunlight filters through golden canopies and rivers carve silver veins across the earth. But beneath its beauty lies power.

  • The Whispering Woods – Sentient groves said to carry voices of the dead. Travelers often hear names spoken on the wind.
  • The Golden Forest – Heart of Greenwood, its trees shine as if aflame at sunset, but their glow never fades.
  • Cursed Glades – Battlefields of the First Sundering, where shadows seeped into the soil. No flower grows there, and those who linger too long hear whispers urging them to despair.

The Greenwood is not a passive land. It remembers. It judges. And it does not forgive.

Thal’Emoras: The Living City

Hidden deep within the Golden Forest lies Thal’Emoras, Greenwood’s capital — a city not built, but sung into being.

Its halls are woven into the trunks of colossal golden-wood trees, spiraling upward in layers of vine-bridges and terraces lit by sap-lanterns. Roots form stairways, branches bend into arches, and flame-druids tend torches that burn with green fire, symbols of life and balance.

Notable Landmarks

  • The Rootspire – A monolith entwined with roots, believed to be where the first druids bound their lives to the land. Lady Myrialis guards it with unyielding zeal.
  • The Glade of Ancients – A circle of trees so vast their branches weave together like a temple roof. Here, oaths are sworn before the spirits.
  • Temple of the Verdant Eye – A sanctuary grown from a single tree, its heartwood glowing with emerald flame. Within, seers glimpse visions in fire and leaf.
  • The Golden Canopy – The highest level of Thal’Emoras, where the Queen’s council meets beneath branches that shimmer like captured sunlight, even in the blackest night.

Thal’Emoras is not merely a city — it is the forest dreaming in stone and song.

House Thalorien – Wardens of the Forest

The rulers of Greenwood are not kings in the manner of Gallandor or Silvermoon. They are wardens, chosen by both blood and the will of the land itself.

  • Warden-Queen Aerwyn Thalorien – Regal, fierce, and bonded to the Verdant Eye, she carries the Green Sight, hearing whispers of both past and future in the rustling of leaves. Her word is law, not because of crowns, but because the forest itself bows to her.
  • Prince Faelor Thalorien – Her only son, gifted with spirit-sight but brash and proud. He distrusts men, seeing them as destroyers of balance, and often rivals Iogro Merrybelly with open disdain.
  • Lady Myrialis – Aerwyn’s sister, Keeper of the Rootspire. A figure of dread and respect, more priestess than noble, who communes with spirits few dare approach.

House Thalorien traces its line back to Eldros the Verdant, the first druid to bind his soul to the Whispering Woods. They are less a dynasty than a covenant — the embodiment of Greenwood’s vow to protect balance at all costs.

The Culture of Greenwood

The Greenwood elves are distinct from their kin of Silvermoon:

  • Silvermoon → starlight, high magic, crystalline towers, scholars of fate.
  • Greenwood → roots, druids, torchlight, spirits, guardianship of balance.

Greenwood Traditions

  • Tree-Song Magic – Elves sing to shape living wood, raising bridges, halls, and even weapons from the forest itself.
  • Spirit-Binding – Some druids form lifelong pacts with river or beast, drawing strength from their bond.
  • The Ember Flame – Green fire that symbolizes balance; it is never allowed to extinguish within Thal’Emoras.
  • Shadowblending – Warriors slip into the forest’s essence, becoming one with shadow and green — perfect scouts and ambushers.

Their lives are not about dominion, but harmony. To Greenwood elves, to cut without blessing or to take without offering is blasphemy.

Greenwood in the Age of Ashes

During the First Sundering, Greenwood stood as the last barrier against Malakaroth’s eastern advance.

When the Dread King’s armies marched, Aerwyn’s ancestors called the forest to war:

  • Oaks tore their roots from the earth, crushing siege engines.
  • Wolves cloaked in emerald flame hunted cultists through the night.
  • Rivers rose in living torrents, drowning entire battalions.

The land itself fought beside Greenwood. But such power came with scars. There are glades that still bleed shadow, and rivers that whisper with voices of drowned soldiers. Greenwood carries those wounds like a crown — a reminder that balance must always be guarded, or it will shatter.

Prophecy in Greenwood

The druids believe the scars of the Brothers Three are not random. They say the Whispering Woods spoke of them long before their birth — three wounds upon the land, born as sons, who would either restore balance or break it forever.

Some claim the markings on their flesh mirror carvings found in the Rootspire itself. Others whisper that one of the Brothers is destined to fall, his death the price of balance.

Whatever the truth, Greenwood watches them with both hope and fear.

Songs of Greenwood

“Beneath the golden boughs we sing,
Of fire’s gift and shadow’s sting.
The forest wakes, the spirits cry,
Balance holds, or all will die.”

Behind the Writing

Greenwood has always been, for me, the “soul” of Eldoria. Where Gallandor is weight and vigilance, and Silvermoon is mysticism and prophecy, Greenwood is life itself. It’s the reminder that the world is not just kingdoms and crowns, but roots and rivers and spirits older than men or elves.

I wanted Greenwood to feel as dangerous as it feels beautiful. A kingdom you would long to see, yet fear to offend. A place where nature does not serve you — it tests you.

It also reflects my love for being outdoors, for forests that feel alive. Greenwood isn’t just a fantasy forest — it’s what forests feel like when you’re standing in them, listening to the wind and realizing you are very small.

Until Next Time…

Greenwood is the third of the Seven Kingdoms, and one of the most primal. In the weeks to come, we’ll sail the storm-lashed cliffs of Stormwatch, delve into the fiery forges of Ironclad, and walk the frozen halls of Durhaven.

But for now, we leave Greenwood — a realm of druids and spirits, where the forest itself remembers the Age of Ashes, and where balance is both gift and burden.

Silvermoon: The Starlight Realm

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If Gallandor is the heart of Eldoria, then Silvermoon is its memory. Hidden high among the mist-shrouded peaks of the Celestian Vale, this elven kingdom has stood since the Age of Ashes, a sanctuary of starlight, wisdom, and secrets.

To step into Silvermoon is to step into a dream — where moonlight glimmers upon white stone terraces, where ancient runes hum with power, and where the air itself feels charged with a quiet, ageless magic.

The Celestian Vale

Silvermoon is carved into the high mountain valleys, shrouded by mists and crowned by starlight. Forested slopes climb toward crystalline peaks, waterfalls plunge into moonlit pools, and the night sky seems closer here than anywhere else in Eldoria.

The elves of Silvermoon say their land is not merely of the world, but between it — a place where stars whisper and where time flows differently beneath the moon. Travelers who enter the Vale often lose track of hours, sometimes even days, as if Silvermoon itself bends the threads of fate.

The City of Lunareth

At the heart of Silvermoon lies Lunareth, the capital city of the elves. Built upon a tiered plateau that gleams like silver under the stars, Lunareth is both fortress and sanctuary.

Notable Landmarks

  • The Observatory of Liraeth – A great tower crowned with lenses of crystal, where seers chart the heavens and read the will of the stars.
  • The Starwell Pools – Sacred springs said to reflect not only the sky, but visions of what may come. Pilgrims whisper prayers here by torchlight.
  • The Arcane Circle – A vast ring of standing stones, glowing faintly with runes of silver. Here, the elven magisters gather to weave starlight-magic.
  • The Moonspire Palace – Seat of House Valcaryn, its spires carved to echo the constellations. Its throne room opens directly to the night sky, for the rulers of Silvermoon claim their crown not from blood alone, but from the stars above.

House Valcaryn – Lords of Starlight

Silvermoon is ruled by House Valcaryn, an ancient line as unyielding as the mountains and as mysterious as the night.

Current Rulers

  • King Arandor Valcaryn – Proud, wise, and distrustful of men, he has guarded Silvermoon for centuries. His word is law, though even he claims to bow to the stars’ decree.
  • Princess Elara Valcaryn – Beloved daughter of Arandor, she defied her father’s will when she gave her heart to Prince Darian of Durhaven. From this forbidden union came Iogro Merrybelly and Searanore, half-elven children whose destinies entwine with the Brothers Three.

Bloodline Through Elara

  • Iogro Merrybelly – Half-elf, half-human son of Elara and Darian. Known for his humor and wisdom, though mocked by some as “Merrybelly.” He is destined to be a protector of the Brothers Three.
  • Searanore Valcaryn – Hidden twin sister of Iogro. Raised apart to protect her from political danger. Fierce warrior, cold and distant in youth, but destined to become one of the most important figures in uniting Eldoria.

Traits of House Valcaryn

  • Masters of starlight magic — weaving fate, prophecy, and light into spellcraft.
  • Lorekeepers who sing prophecy into song rather than writing it in text.
  • Fiercely protective of bloodlines, believing their royal line is chosen by the stars themselves.
  • Deep mistrust of men, which makes Elara’s choice a scar on their house’s pride.

The Culture of Silvermoon

Life in Silvermoon is guided by starlight. Its people are scholars, seers, and artisans who weave magic as naturally as others weave cloth.

  • Starlight Magic – Unique to Silvermoon, this discipline draws from constellations, moonlight, and the unseen threads of fate.
  • Lorekeepers – Elves record not only history, but prophecy. Their scrolls are written as songs, their archives more like libraries of music than words.
  • Rites of Night – Festivals of light are held when the moons align or stars flare. Lanterns float into the sky, carrying prayers for guidance.
  • Isolation – Though beautiful, Silvermoon is not always welcoming. Its people are cautious of outsiders, especially humans, believing most are too fleeting to be trusted with eternal secrets.

Silvermoon in Prophecy

The seers of Silvermoon believe the Brothers Three are not merely heirs of Gallandor, but threads woven by the stars themselves. Some say the three scars they bear are reflected in a constellation above Lunareth, seen only once a generation.

The union of Elara Valcaryn and Darian Varric — though forbidden — is also whispered in prophecy. Their children, Iogro and Searanore, represent something new: a bridge between men and elves, between mortality and eternity.

To the elves of Silvermoon, this is both hope and heresy. For prophecy is clear: the stars bless the world with saviors, but they also curse it with trials.

Songs of Silvermoon

Bards sing often of Silvermoon, their verses drifting like echoes of starlight:

“Silvermoon glimmers, veiled in mist,
Where fate is written, where stars insist.
In Lunareth’s halls, the night is a crown,
But stars may rise — and stars fall down.”

Behind the Writing

Silvermoon was one of the first kingdoms I imagined when building Eldoria. I wanted a realm that felt ethereal, almost otherworldly, yet rooted in deep traditions. It became the perfect counterbalance to Gallandor — where Gallandor is stone and burden, Silvermoon is starlight and secrecy.

It also became one of the most personal kingdoms for me to write, because Silvermoon ties directly into family and choice. Elara’s defiance, Iogro’s half-blood heritage, and Searanore’s hidden destiny all spring from this place. Their struggles mirror themes I’ve always loved in fantasy: identity, belonging, and the cost of defying tradition.

Until Next Time…

Silvermoon is the second of the Seven Kingdoms, and one of the most mysterious. In the weeks to come, we’ll descend into Greenwood, where druids and forest elves weave life into living cities of torchlight and oak. We’ll also chart the seas of Stormwatch, delve into the forges of Ironclad, and tread the frostbitten halls of Durhaven.

But for now, we leave the starlit halls of Silvermoon — a realm of beauty and burden, memory and prophecy, where the stars themselves weave the fate of Eldoria.

Silvermoon — where starlight crowns the night, and prophecy shines eternal.

Gallandor: The High Kingdom of Eldoria

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Every world has its crown — the place where history, destiny, and power converge. In Eldoria, that place is Gallandor. Known as the First Kingdom, Gallandor was born out of victory in the First Sundering, and for a thousand years it has stood as the guardian of prophecy, the jewel of Arathia, and the seat of the High King and Queen.

It is more than a kingdom. It is the beating heart of Eldoria.

The Land of Arathia

Gallandor lies in Arathia, the fertile heartland of Eldoria. Its rolling plains are rich with crops, its rivers glimmer like silver threads, and its roads carry travelers from all corners of the realm. Yet at the center of this abundance rises something far greater — Ashrathal, called Emberhold in bardic songs.

This mountain was not born of nature alone. It rose from the scar of the First Sundering, a peak forged in ash and fire when Malakaroth, the Dread King, was defeated. To the lords of Gallandor, it is Ashrathal, the Throne of Ash. To the common folk, it is Emberhold, the Keeper of Embers. Both names are true. Both carry weight.

Upon its slopes and around its base, Gallandor was built — a kingdom of stone and memory. But beneath the mountain lies a darker truth.

The mountain itself is a tomb.

At its core rests the chained body of Malakaroth. Gallandor is both protector of the world and reminder of its greatest wound. To live in Gallandor is to live in the shadow of vigilance, knowing that peace is not guaranteed but guarded every day.

The City of Arathia

At the mountain’s foot sprawls Arathia City, Gallandor’s capital and the jewel of Eldoria. Its white-stone walls gleam in the sun, its spires rise toward the heavens, and its streets hum with knights, scholars, merchants, and pilgrims.

Notable Landmarks

  • Caer Thalion – Royal citadel of House Galanor, where the High King and Queen sit the throne. Its banners fly high above the city.
  • The Great Library of Eldoria – Vault of prophecy and history, where the Whispering Stones are kept under guard of the Keepers.
  • The Hall of the Dragon Riders – Monument to Gallandor’s proud order of dragon riders, now faded but never forgotten.
  • The Spindelum Vault – Hidden deep beneath the city, where the Spindelum of Time was once locked away.
  • The Whispering Stair – Tower where seers climb to glimpse visions. Its steps echo with voices not of this world.

Arathia City is not only the seat of kings. It is the memory of the First Sundering, the guardian of prophecy, and the heartbeat of Eldoria itself.

House Galanor: Blood of Kings

At the center of Gallandor’s story stands House Galanor, the ruling family whose line stretches back to the Age of Ashes.

  • King Alric Galanor – A wise and battle-hardened High King, patron of the Keepers and defender of prophecy.
  • Queen Elenara Galanor – Regal and compassionate; scarred forever when Morgathra, sister of the Dread King, attacked her during pregnancy.
  • The Brothers Three – Torin, Kael, and Eadric. Triplets born in a single breath of fate, scarred in the womb by Morgathra’s curse. Each bears a fragment of shadow, and each is bound to destiny.
  • Galen Galanor – Brother to Alric, a retired general and secret leader of the Keepers, sworn to guard the Spindelum of Time.

House Galanor is not just a royal bloodline. They are guardians of the world’s hope. The fate of Eldoria itself is tied to their scars.

The Burden of the Crown

Gallandor’s rulers carry more than crowns — they carry the weight of a tomb. Every monarch of House Galanor swears the same oath:

“As long as Gallandor stands, the tomb remains sealed.”

It is their glory, but also their curse. To be High King or Queen is to watch over the wound of the world, never free of the shadow it conceals.

The Culture of Gallandor

Gallandor’s people are proud and resilient, shaped by both plenty and vigilance.

  • Farmers tend the fertile fields of Arathia, their harvests feeding much of Eldoria.
  • Knights uphold ancient codes of chivalry, carrying lances and banners that trace their lineage to the First Sundering.
  • Scholars of the Great Library dedicate their lives to understanding prophecy and recording the lore of the past.
  • Common folk live with quiet pride, knowing their kingdom is the shield of Eldoria.

Gallandor is also haunted by memory. Every festival, every song, every monument whispers of the war that shaped the world. Its people live with hope, but also with scars.

Legacy of the Dragon Riders

Gallandor was once home to the legendary dragon riders, warriors who forged bonds with dragons and carried fire into battle against Malakaroth’s legions. Their order has all but vanished, but their spirit remains.

The Hall of the Riders is lined with statues. Songs still tell of Riven and the others who rode flame across the skies. Some believe their bond is not gone — that when the world needs them most, dragons and riders will rise again.

Gallandor in the Brothers Three

For the Brothers Three, Gallandor is not only their birthplace. It is their burden.

Born in Caer Thalion, beneath the banners of House Galanor and above the tomb of Malakaroth, their scars tie them to Gallandor’s destiny. Their journey stretches far across Eldoria, but all paths lead back to Ashrathal — to Emberhold — the mountain that holds both ash and ember, ruin and hope.

If Gallandor falls, all Eldoria falls with it.

“The crown of Gallandor guards the tomb,
If the crown should fall, the world is doomed.”

Behind the Writing

Gallandor has always been one of my favorite creations. From the beginning, I knew I wanted a kingdom that felt both majestic and haunted — a place of light and glory, but one forever built upon scars.

Tolkien’s Gondor inspired me, but Gallandor became something heavier. Not just a city of stone, but a city built on a tomb. Not just a line of kings, but a bloodline bound to prophecy. For me, Gallandor embodies the tension of fantasy itself: light built over shadow, hope born of ruin.

Crafting Gallandor has been my escape — a place to explore, to build, to return to when life demanded too much. It’s been years of sketches, notes, maps, and songs. And now, opening its gates here is a joy, letting you step into the world that has lived in my head for so long.

Until Next Time…

Gallandor is the First Kingdom, but it is only the beginning. Soon, we’ll step into Silvermoon — the hidden realm of elves — and Greenwood — the torchlit dominion of druids and forest spirits. We’ll descend into Ironclad’s glowing forges, sail with Stormwatch’s storm-driven fleets, march across Durhaven’s frozen plains, and walk the haunted halls of Barakthûn.

But it begins here, in Gallandor.
The First Kingdom. The guardian of the tomb. The heart of Eldoria.

If the crown of Gallandor falters, so too does the world.