Coalition of Thenion Part I - The Moonlit Realm

THE MOONLIT REALM

Thenion is a volcanic island-state. Its people, the Thenrin, live primarily in vast subterranean cities twisting through the stone beneath the surface. The land is rich in minerals and mana crystals. With no standing army, the Coalition relies on specialists, assassins, and the deadly terrain itself for defense. Life underground is harsh but thriving— governed by Matriarchs, and sustained through adaptability, cunning, and tight-knit guild structures.

GEOGRAPHY

Thenion is one of the most remote and enigmatic corners of Calad—a vast volcanic island born from the caldera of a long-slumbering volcano. The outer rim of this colossal crater rises like a crown of blackened fangs, veiling the land below in a constant shroud of mist. Sunlight rarely reaches the surface, falling only faintly on fields of dark hexagonal stone and sparse, low-growing grasslands. And yet—life persists.

Hardy crops take root in ash-rich soil, tended in small, scattered farming villages clinging to the caldera’s slopes. Fungal orchards, resilient grains, and deep-rooted mosses are cultivated in terraces fed by mineral runoff. Ink greatsnail pens shimmer alongside large-hooved cattle, and ash-fed lizards graze in enclosed surface pastures, watched over by quiet-eyed herders wrapped in highland cloaks. These farms, though sparse, form the outermost lifeline of Thenion’s food web—practical, enduring, and surprisingly lush beneath the clouded sky.

But the true domain of the Thenrin lies below.

Beneath the rock crust twists an endless world of caverns and chambers, carved by magma and time and further shaped by its various inhabitants over the ages. Underworld cities are densely packed beneath the tallest peaks of the caldera, with settlements stretching downward and upward alike—grand dwellings rise from the bases of titanic stalagmites, while slender spires and walkways descend from the heights of hollowed stalactites. Narrow bridges arc between spires, threading the air with narrow paths above the glowing depths.

Warm-colored mana crystals pulse from the walls, emitting heat and shedding light that paints the cities in otherworldly hues. Luminescent mosses, vines, and fungi crawl across ceilings and walls, cultivated both for their light and their nourishment. The air is pleasantly warm all year round, an especially inviting trait for the Rin that came from a darkened, cold world and stumbled upon the caves and caverns of the Netherealm.

The terrain itself is restless, prone to quakes, collapses, and sudden changes as deep flows of elemental energy shift beneath the stone. Entire segments may be swallowed or revealed overnight. But the people have lived alongside the earth for centuries, adapting their architecture and magics to this.

At the heart of the caldera, in its lowest Moonhearth basin, lies the vast and mystic Starveil Lake—a steaming expanse where turquoise light shimmers through veils of drifting black ash. Its waters are believed to be warmed by the breath of the Great Wyrm slumbering beneath. Moon and stars are reflected upon its surface even at midday, unmoving and eternal, as though the sky itself has bent low to dream beside it.

On each Lunar Solstice, the lake becomes a sacred ground. Here gather the clergy of the Night Temple—devotees of fertility, love, and harvest. Beside the still waters, they perform rites, divine futures, and offer blessings to new or aspiring mothers.

Surrounding the lake, groves of luminescent trees rise in gentle arcs, their heat-adapted roots sunk deep in ash-rich soil. This basin serves as a threshold—a place where the surface and subterranean world converge. Cavern routes and trade tunnels from the major undercities thread toward the lake’s edge, making it a vital hub for pilgrimage, worship, and even commerce.

POPULATION

The most numerous inhabitants of the everdark cities are known as the Thenrin—a distinct subrace of the Rin. Their bodies bear the signature of the deep: pale, ashen skin of various hues, luminous eyes that gleam in moonlight, and hair in shades ranging from muted tones—such as dusty violet or moss green—to glittering silver and the black of void-lit caverns. Their appearance speaks to their swift evolutionary adaptability—hallmarks of a people long shaped by the underworld. In addition to this, the Thenrin possess natural ambidexterity and an ability to use mana to reinforce their physical performance, particularly in agility, balance, and reaction speed.

The geographical situation of the island has forced most of the population to center around immense urban hollows carved into the depths of stone. These cities are the beating heart of the Coalition—sprawling yet contained, chaotic yet cultured. Despite their density, the total population of Thenion remains the smallest among Calad's major factions.

While predominantly Thenrin, the population is also home to chimera tribes—most notably Lamias, Harpies—as well as certain lesser demons, who have found a place within the Coalition’s cavernous cities. 

POLITICS

Thenion is not a unified nation but a loose confederation of city-states, each governed by its own ruling Matriarch. These Matriarchs wield sweeping judicial and executive authority within their domains, often ruling from their thrones of carved stone and crystal with an iron fist.

Political life is marked by ever-churning intrigue. Each court is a web of alliances, secrets, betrayals, and assassinations—none of which are viewed with particular shame or scandal, but rather as a natural part of governance. Masquerades and murders share the same stage in Thenrin high society.

Above and beneath the courts, the guilds exert silent control. Formed originally as survival collectives—fungalists, miners, masons, hunters, artisans, alchemists—they grew into power blocs that now dictate the daily rhythm of Thenian life. Guilds control resources, regulate professions, and in many cases possess more sway than the Matriarchs themselves. The Coalition is thus sustained by a balance of necessity, ambition, and calculated rivalry.

A Council of Matriarchs meets only in times of great threat or to ratify matters of shared interest, such as trade agreements or the regulation of intercity conflicts. These summits are rare and often fraught with passive-aggressive pageantry.

MILITARY

Thenian cities maintain no formal armies. The concept of uniformed, standing legions is alien to their culture. Instead, each city relies on a constellation of internal forces. The closest approximation to professional soldiers are the Bladebrethren—elite honor guards and enforcers for the Matriarchs, sworn to absolute loyalty and obedience.

More feared still are the Nightshades—Court Belladonnas, ladies-in-waiting to their Matriarchs, who are masters of espionage and assassination.

Other specialists defending the cities are often provided by the guilds themselves, usually in exchange for favors, privileges, or influence. The Hunters' Guild, one of the oldest and most martial of all, continues to serve as scouts, survivalists, and wilderness guardians. However, many other guilds maintain their own disciplined agents of conflict. In particular, the devotees of the temple-guilds are known for developing secretive, unconventional martial talents—blending combat with ritual, doctrine, and arcane precision.

The Coalition’s defense lies not in massed formations, but in the lethality of its specialists. Assassins, saboteurs, spies, and other agents trained in the deadly arts of misdirection and precision strike make up the bulk of their martial response.

And of course, their homeland itself defends them. The labyrinthine cave networks, unstable terrain, and deadly fauna render the island a logistical nightmare for any would-be conqueror. Even if an army could enter, it would never emerge due to the caldera's labyrinthine intestines, traps, and narrow corridors.

To Be Continued in Part II...