The kingdom uses the plentiful resources of Eastern Caldron and sizable tithes gathered from citizens to protect their people and maintain control over the Kingdom, while keeping a keen eye out for opportunities to expand their influence across the continent and harness more magical power.

The kingdom's religious proscriptions are proving more and more difficult to enforce in this time of rumored conflict. On one hand, the kingdom regulates and restricts religious freedom, while on the other hand, they are sending many voyages into the Vesper Forest to hunt and find the Temple of Life and harness the raw power of the Deities of Order.

Now that tensions with Turia have increased with the spotting of orcish and goblin forces, the Crown is spreading propaganda through all aspects of daily life to unite the people of the kingdom against their common enemy. They hope to garner support for the war by reinforcing rumors about the kidnapping of Ostanzan children and the violent and cannibalistic nature of the orcs and goblins. They use their curated information to power the public's sympathetic outlook on Turia.

Though many citizens gripe about the kingdom's restrictive laws, the majority have grown accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle under imperial protection. Fear of the evils that stalk the edges of civilization generally outweighs any frustrations about civil liberties, and the relative peace provided within the confines of kingdom is welcomed. However, dissidents have begun to speak loudly of their discontent, and the growing trend of uproar is making King Dryden quite irritable.

Historically, the Spectral Arcan has been responsible for much of the kingdom's acquisition and retention of power, but the royal bloodline has always harbored a paranoid dislike of the council of mages. Handshakes and smiles hide distrust, and the king fears that the powerful mages will one day rebel against his totalitarian rule.

The King and his chamber ignore most foreign powers. Requests for alliances from the Council of Tal’Dorei and the distant continent of Tammemar have been met with indifference, and efforts to install a skyport in Ostanza to enable easier foreign travel have been continuously shut down.

A number of personages maintain the power and influence of the kingdom, some working to expand its power, while others seek to redeem their country.

King Marcus Dryden

(male human)

King Dryden was raised with the strict beliefs of the Dryden royal family, and his mounting responsibilities as the leader of one of Gaia's greatest nations weighs heavily on him. Dryden is a dark, clever, and often paranoid king — and a lonely one since his wife Duvia passed away nearly ten years ago. Fiercely nationalistic and proud of his heritage, the king harbors a disdain for outsiders and their challenges to imperial rule; he often has emissaries thrown from the borders or imprisoned until a replacement is sent to barter for their release. Marcus does genuinely wish to protect the lives of his people and be remembered as the best of his bloodline. However, civil unrest is brewing, and his frustrations with the Spectral Arcan and their refusal to carry out some of his imperialistic ideals only intensify his forceful demeanor. His only living son, Eidys, has been unable to produce an heir, and King Marcus fears that his family line will come to an end, an obsession which drives him to seek out a way to prolong his life and use the powers of the Specral Arcan to aid him.

Chamberlain Queselia Viras

(male human)

Chamberlain to the previous king and now to Dryden, Queselia handles all affairs regarding the management of the house of Dryden. Trusted deeply by the king, Queselia refuses to give into the brooding tendencies of her monarch and hopes to guide him toward a more just rule. Although she is unable to protect him from his own unreasonable impulses, she hopes to find a way to curb his self-destructive behavior.

Prince Eidys Dryden

(male human)

Heir to the throne of the kingdom, Eidys has shown great strength in physical combat and war games, but little cunning in social or political matters. Though he was once eager to please his father, the consistent lack of approval has left Eidys jaded. Happy to live an extravagant life free from crushing responsibility, he’s been eager to produce a child to whom he could abdicate should his father pass. However, he and his wife, Princess Suria Dryden, have been unable to conceive. The king has all but given up on his son, leaving the prince dejected and bitter.

Princess Suria Dryden

(female human)

Wed into the royal family from her own noble house of Saugiss, Suria was filled with pride to bring honor to her family. Unfortunately, the unexpected difficulty in producing an heir has put her and her husband out of favor with the king. Unwilling to give up, Suria is seeking to remedy the situation by any means necessary, no matter how unnatural. She often consults with the Spectral Arcan, but to no avail.

Prime Arbiter Varius Wyther

(male human)

The Wyther family are longtime allies of the Dryden bloodline, and Varius managed to advance his family’s influence within the empire above most other noble houses. Rising to become the Prime Arbiter of Ostanza, Varius has final say on all matters of law that do not require the king’s attention. A brutal man with a grudge against religious empowerment, Varius is constantly attempting to sniff out corruption within the approved structure of worship within the empire. His estranged daughter Lydia disagrees with his ruthless methods and now lives in Turia as an advocate for civilian rights.

Crown Marshal Hayden Clive

(nonbinary human)

As a decorated veteran of the The Prime Order who has served for nearly twenty years, Hayden is a highly respected soldier and clever tactician who is instrumental in the campaign against the southern orcish forces. Known to be stern but adaptable in the face of adversity, they’ve risen through the ranks and now directly advise the king on all major military actions. Hayden prefers to avoid court life, especially as their practicality often clashes with Varius’s cold cynicism. Currently assigned to oversee the defense of the southern gates at Fort Wayne, the Crown Marshal is doing their best to keep their soldiers safe and the enemy at bay.

Exechequer Nunvua Dimgate

(female dwarf)

Nunvua is in charge of the tithes from the various cities within the empire and is the overseer of the biannual collections by her tithe collectors. She absolutely loves numbers and wealth, taking joy in squeezing every copper she can from those who are legally obliged to pay. Obsessed with efficiency and intolerant of sloppy work, Nunvua will even comb through the ledgers of her subordinates late into the night in order to achieve numerical perfection.

Guildmaster Kai Arness

(male human)

Kai came to prominence within Ostanza through the Arness family’s illustrious connections within the merchant guilds of the empire. He earned the nickname “Goldfang” for his penchant for sneaking missing profit from the pockets of businesses unable to pay membership fees and taxes. The guildmaster often works with Exchequer Dimgate to maintain the proper flow of gold into the coffers of the empire.

Argonomist Tylyra Winrora

(female half-elf)

Tylyra is seen as a studious spitfire, and she has unexpectedly proven to also be a masterful bureaucrat with a talent for exploiting legal loopholes. Driven by a youth in poverty, she swore to help repair a broken system of agricultural distribution. By making the right moves and the right friends — and making a loud fuss when necessary — she eventually became a folk hero to the underprivileged. Hoping to watch her eat her words and collapse under the pressure of imperial politics, the Crown offered her chief management over all agriculture in the position of Argonomist. Much to their chagrin, she’s proven both driven and capable, pushing for advanced change in the kingdom. Unable to discard someone so high profile during a time of general unrest, the Crown instead endures her work while attempting to bury her in red tape.

Theolocart Kon Bruda

(male human)

Once a High Septor in the Order of the Archive, Kon Bruda’s faith in the Knowing Mentor (Ioun) has waned since accepting the office of Theolocrat. Kon is a specialist in the historical and social workings of modern religion. When the previous Theolocrat passed away, he accepted the post out of a sense of duty, then became accustomed to the lavish lifestyle afforded by his position. He helps the Crown alter existing religious texts and write approved sermons and prayers for distribution throughout the empire. He left the Order out of anger due to not being chosen by the previous Oracle. He felt as though he had proven himself to be the most faithful and intelligent in the group and considered the Oracle a father figure, so when news came that he would not receive this promotion, he grew bitter and vowed to destroy the Order.

Emissary Lord Zedrick Gaf

(male human)

A beloved noble and socialite from the House of Graf, Zedrick showed prowess in gathering rumors for his own entertainment. The cunning Varius Wyther saw promise in Zedrick’s talents and recommended him to the king to become the empire’s lead emissary. Now acting as the diplomatic contact to the world beyond the kingdom’s boundaries, Zedrick is eager to do the Crown’s bidding while rooting out gossip that may prove politically expedient. In his travels, Lord Zedrick often crosses paths with Lord Athesias Uludan of the Spectral Arcan, and the pair loathe each other deeply. Zedrick is desperately trying to convince the king to install a Skyship Tower in Ostanza to make his travels easier.

Oliver Schreiber, Retainer to the Crown

(male gnome)

Most know Oliver as the immediate head servant to the king and the royal family for nearly three generations. As one of the most trusted members of King Marcus Dryden's circle, Oliver holds more power than his compatriots would believe.