valdris

Welcome to Valdris

The world where ancient clockwork slumbers… and stirs

Greetings, traveler, and welcome to the continent of Valdris — a realm where the echoes of an impossible civilization still tick and hum beneath the surface of everyday life. Here, eight centuries after the mysterious Great Silence, the towering ruins of the Architects stand as both monument and mystery, their brass gears and crystal hearts awakening once more.

The World Awakens

It is the year 847 since the Great Silence — that pivotal moment when the enigmatic Architects vanished without trace or explanation, leaving behind only their magnificent, incomprehensible mechanisms. For eight hundred years, their ruins have stood largely dormant, occasionally offering glimpses of their former glory but mostly silent as tombs.

But something has changed.

The mechanisms stir. Ancient timers tick toward unknown conclusions. Brass envoys emerge from sealed chambers, bearing messages in languages long forgotten. The Recent Awakening has scholars, rulers, and common folk alike asking the same question that has haunted Valdris for centuries:

What did the Architects intend… and are they truly gone?

Three Paths, One Continent

The peoples of Valdris have responded to their Architect inheritance in three distinct ways, shaping the political landscape of our time:

The Ruin-Holder Kingdoms

Noble houses who have built their power around controlling major Architect sites. They wear Crown-Gears as symbols of authority and speak of themselves as the rightful inheritors of Architect wisdom. Cities like Grimhaven thrive under their rule, where Architect lighthouses burn without fuel and mechanical wonders serve the crown.

The Wanderer Confederations

Nomadic traders and travelers who treat the ruins as waypoints on endless journeys. They know the secret routes between active sites and serve as the continent’s living memory of safe passage. The Walking Gardens of Yss’andra follow paths they alone understand, while Wanderer caravans bring news from distant lands.

The Ruin-Shunner Republics

Communities that have chosen to reject Architect technology entirely, building their strength through traditional crafts and collective governance. Towns like Millbrook stand as testament to what human hands can achieve without ancient assistance — though even they cannot escape the shadow of the great clockwork sentinel that watches over their fields.

Marvels and Mysteries

Across Valdris, three Great Ruins dominate the landscape:

Thymeris the Golden — The greatest of Architect cities, its hundred brass towers now pulsing with awakening amber light after centuries sealed away
Singing Spires of Kelathon — Haunting melodies drift from these crystalline towers, carrying messages in harmonies no living tongue can interpret
Walking Gardens of Yss’andra — Terraced pyramids that migrate across the Northern Reaches on clockwork legs, their seasonal flowers blooming with impossible regularity

But these are merely the largest of countless ruins scattered across the continent, each holding its own secrets, its own dangers, and its own role in the unfolding mystery of the Recent Awakening.

Voices of Valdris

Among the many who seek to understand or exploit the Architect legacy, two groups hold particular sway:

Tinker-Priests — Devoted scholars who worship in Architect chapels, coaxing minor magics from ancient devices through prayer and careful study
Silence-Keepers — Mystics who believe the Architects still watch through crystal eyes, waiting for the right moment to return

Their competing philosophies add another layer of complexity to a world already divided by politics and ancient mystery.

Your Journey Begins

Whether you seek glory in the depths of awakening ruins, profit in the dangerous trade routes between kingdoms, or truth in the libraries of learned scholars, Valdris offers countless opportunities for adventure. The Recent Awakening means that even the most well-mapped ruin might reveal new chambers, new dangers, and new wonders.

Navigating This Vault

This knowledge vault has been organized to help you explore Valdris efficiently:

Essential Reading

Common Knowledge — What every Valdris citizen knows about their world
World Map — Navigate the continent and understand the relationships between regions
Timeline — Key events from the Great Silence to the Recent Awakening

Diving Deeper

Settlements — Cities, towns, and trading posts where adventures begin
Factions & Organizations — The groups that shape Valdris politics and culture
Political Systems — How power works in the three great societies
Technology — Understanding Architect mechanisms and their modern applications
Architect Ruins — Detailed guides to the great sites and lesser mysteries

Quick Reference

NPCs — Important people you might encounter
Economics & Trade — Commerce, currencies, and trade routes
Social Systems — Daily life, customs, and cultural expectations

Using the Vault

This vault uses Obsidian’s linking system to connect related information. Click any [bracketed text] to jump to related pages. Use the search function to find specific topics, and explore the graph view to see how different aspects of Valdris connect to each other.

Remember: This vault contains only player-accessible information. The deeper mysteries of Valdris will be revealed through play, exploration, and the careful unraveling of eight centuries of accumulated secrets.

The Gears Turn

The mechanisms of Valdris are stirring. Ancient protocols activate. Sealed chambers open to reveal wonders and terrors alike. In taverns across the continent, merchants speak in hushed tones of brass knights walking the old roads and crystal oracles speaking riddles in the ruins.

The question is not whether the Architects will return — it is whether Valdris is ready for whatever they intended.

Your story begins now. Choose your path wisely, for the very foundations of the world may depend on what you discover in the awakening ruins of Valdris.

Last Updated: 847 AS (After Silence) - Year of The Recent Awakening