The Autaria Dynasty

daermadm

Re: Gorlen Blackhammer - Journal Entry #402

So based on The above Gorlen Journal, I told ChatGPT to generate the Autaria Dynasty. This is what I got out:

The Autaria Dynasty

Overview

Government Type: Imperial Dynasty (Hereditary Monarchy)
Current Ruler: Empress Velythara Sunsworn (Sorcerer-Archmage, rumored to be immortal)
Capital City: Auris-Tal
Major Religions: The Cult of the Eternal Flame, Elemental Pantheon
Dominant Races: Humans, High Elves, Fire Genasi, Aasimar, Half-Dragons
Magic Level: Extremely High

Major Cities & Settlements

1. Auris-Tal (The Gilded Spire) - Capital City

Floating city infused with golden flame, built on a leyline nexus.
Home to the Imperial Palace, Grand Magocracy, and Pyreborn Legions.
Guarded by the Flamewardens, elite battle-mages.

2. Dareth’Myr (The Pyreheart Citadel) - Military Fortress

Built atop an active volcanic rift, housing the Infernal Legions.
Center of arcane-forging, producing powerful enchanted weapons.

3. Vassareth (City of Eternal Glass) - Arcane Research Center

City made of enchanted glass, reflecting the northern lights.
Home to the Grand Magus Academy and ancient magical relics.

4. Kelvaris (The Shattered Hold) - Lost City Ruins

Once a thriving port, destroyed in a magical battle between Autaria and Duiral.
Haunted by spectral armies and unstable planar breaches.

5. Emberwatch (The Flame’s Vigil) - Religious Stronghold

Built around the Eternal Flame, a divine fire said to grant immortality.
Ruled by Pyreborn Clerics, zealots enforcing divine law.

6. Esagend (The Floating Archives) - Arcane City of the Lost Coast

A city of floating islands anchored in the Sea of Ice.
Houses the Grand Athenaeum, one of the world’s largest magical libraries.
Features a spelljamming port, though planar magic is unpredictable here.

Epic-Level Adventure Hooks

1. The Shattered Titan (Level 30+)

A Primordial Fire Titan stirs beneath Vassareth, threatening to awaken.
A rogue cult within the Cult of the Eternal Flame seeks to release it.

2. The Ghost War of Kelvaris (Level 30+)

The ruined city is caught in an endless battle between spectral forces.
The Soulforge Mirror is trapping them in undeath, and a powerful lich-general is manipulating events.

3. The Emperor’s Secret (Level 32+)

The Empress’s immortality is linked to a sealed archdemon within the Eternal Flame.
The Legion must sever its influence without collapsing the empire into chaos.

4. The Infernal Pact (Level 35+)

The Infernal Legions draw their strength from a fallen solar, now corrupted.
The party must descend into Dareth’Myr’s vaults to break the infernal contract.

5. The Shadow of the Void (Level 35-40+)

A fragment of an ancient cosmic horror has been discovered in Kelvaris.
The Legion must decide whether to destroy it or use it to uncover the true origins of an eldritch threat.

6. The Arcane Sundering (Level 30+)

Esagend’s floating islands are collapsing due to a rogue scholar unsealing a lost artifact.

7. The Spelljammer Siege (Level 32+)

A Duiral fleet blockades Esagend, while the Autarian military prepares a devastating magical attack.

8. The Librarian’s Bargain (Level 35+)

The Ebon Archivist, a sentient knowledge construct, is awakening under Abyssal Lord influence.
It may rewrite history itself, potentially erasing the Fallen Legion from existence.

Notable NPCs

Empress Velythara Sunsworn (CR 35)

Seemingly immortal sorcerer-queen, secretly hosting a dormant archdemon.

Lord Inquisitor Zeraphan (CR 32)

Fire-aspected celestial-born warrior leading the Flamewardens.

General Kelmaris Val’tor (CR 34)

Commander of the Infernal Legions, wielding the abyss-tainted blade Cinderfang.

The Phantom King of Kelvaris (CR 38)

A cursed Duiral warlord ruling the eternal ghost war.

The Void-Touched Shard (CR ???)

A fragment of an ancient cosmic force that mutates and corrupts those who touch it.

halfgiant

“Magic Level: Extremely High” - Titillating; We will have to introduce the immortal sorcerer-queen to Dregnoth.

dwarf

immortal sorceress and godking !! sounds like a match made in heaven

daermadm

Estimated Population of Esagend

Total Population: 850,000 - 1.2 million
Humans: ~30% (~255,000 - 360,000)
Monstrous & Non-Human Races: ~70% (~595,000 - 840,000)
    Tieflings, Aasimar, and Genasi: ~15% (127,500 - 180,000)
    Lizardfolk, Minotaurs, and Orc-kin: ~20% (170,000 - 240,000)
    Constructs & Arcane-Born Beings: ~10% (85,000 - 120,000)
    Planar Entities (Elementals, Outsiders, etc.): ~5% (42,500 - 60,000)
    Other Mixed Races (Extraplanar Refugees, Hybrid Races, etc.): ~20% (170,000 - 240,000)

City Density & Structure

Skybound Districts: Floating arcane platforms housing elite mages, research towers, and high-society estates.
Lower Platforms & Trade Zones: Mid-level city districts for merchants, artisans, and arcane technologists.
Outer Rings & Docking Zones: Spelljammer ports, teleportation hubs, and transient populations.
Underbelly (Collapsed Sections, Arcane Slums): Hidden enclaves of rogue spellcasters, black-market traders, and dangerous arcane anomalies.

dwarf

cloud needs to add webp image support to 'da boardz so we can post AI images he uploaded to game chat

halfgiant

@dwarf said in The Autaria Dynasty:

PC
a day ago

cloud needs to add webp image support to 'da boardz so we can post AI images he uploaded to game chat

Agree… those were some very cool images.

daermadm

@dwarf said in The Autaria Dynasty:

cloud needs to add webp image support to 'da boardz so we can post AI images he uploaded to game chat

I thought I did long ago. Let me look.

Edit: It is an allowed upload type. Does it not display them?

Edit 2: I see.

daermadm

It displays them when they are a link. so the plugin I use to auto create the image links on uploaded files is what does not suppor tit.

dwarf

@daermadm said in The Autaria Dynasty:

It displays them when they are a link. so the plugin I use to auto create the image links on uploaded files is what does not suppor tit.

sooo… ya gotta find an updated or different plugin ???

daermadm

@daermadm said in The Autaria Dynasty:

The Arcane Sundering (Level 30+)

Esagend’s floating islands are collapsing due to a rogue scholar unsealing a lost artifact.

daermadm

Head Librarian and Assistants of the Autaria Dynasty
Head Librarian: Archmage Vaelithra Dusksong

Name Origin: “Vaelithra” combines an elven-inspired prefix (“Vael,” meaning eternal) and “ithra” (suggesting wisdom), while “Dusksong” evokes her connection to twilight and ancient knowledge.
- Description: Vaelithra was a high elf archmage (Wizard 25) of the Autaria Dynasty, renowned for her mastery of planar magic and her role as the primary architect of the Sundering Prism. She was a stern, pragmatic leader with silver hair that glowed faintly in the dark, always clad in robes embroidered with constellations. Vaelithra’s obsession with preserving knowledge led her to create the Prism as a tool to scry across planes and archive the multiverse’s secrets. After the library’s fall, her spirit may linger as a ghostly echo (CR 20, spectral archivist), bound to the Twisted Stacks, offering lore about the Prism’s destruction method (e.g., the foundation stone) if the party can appease her.
  Potential Encounter: If the party searches the Twisted Stacks (rows 21-80, columns F-U), they might find Vaelithra’s spectral form, who demands a Knowledge (arcana) DC 35 check to prove their worth before revealing the Prism’s weakness.

Assistant Librarian 1: Tharivol Kaelmyn

Name Origin: “Tharivol” is an elven name meaning “guardian of secrets,” and “Kaelmyn” suggests a lineage tied to arcane mastery.
- Description: Tharivol was a half-elf sorcerer (Sorcerer 18) and Vaelithra’s trusted scribe, responsible for cataloging the library’s planar tomes. A nervous but brilliant scholar, he had a knack for summoning extraplanar entities to assist in research, which sometimes led to minor disasters. Tharivol perished when Kaelith activated the Prism, but his journal (hidden in a shelf at M30) might contain clues about the Prism’s original containment wards, offering a +5 bonus to the Spellcraft check to destroy it.
- Potential Encounter: The journal is guarded by a lingering trap (CR 10, symbol of death, Will DC 30 negates), a remnant of Tharivol’s paranoia.

Assistant Librarian 2: Elyndra Voshar

Name Origin: “Elyndra” means “starlight seeker,” and “Voshar” implies a fiery, determined nature.
- Description: Elyndra was a human wizard (Wizard 16) specializing in evocation, tasked with maintaining the library’s defensive wards. She had a fiery temper and a penchant for prismatic spells, which made her a natural fit for working with the Sundering Prism’s energy. Elyndra’s essence might be bound to a prismatic ward (CR 15, 15d6 energy damage, Reflex DC 32 half) near the Inner Core (K45), which the party must disable to access a hidden cache of spell scrolls (prismatic spray, plane shift).
- Potential Encounter: Disabling the ward summons Elyndra’s echo, who tests the party with a riddle about planar alignments (Knowledge [planes] DC 30) before yielding the scrolls.

Assistant Librarian 3: Zorak Thalendir

Name Origin: “Zorak” suggests a harsh, commanding presence, and “Thalendir” means “keeper of the void.”
- Description: Zorak was a tiefling warlock (Warlock 15) who served as the library’s planar scout, using his fiendish heritage to navigate dangerous planes and retrieve rare texts. His sardonic wit often clashed with Vaelithra’s strict demeanor, but his loyalty was unwavering. Zorak’s remains might be found in the Outer Edge (G10), clutching a shard of the foundation stone (needed to destroy the Prism), guarded by a lingering fiendish construct (CR 12, advanced hellcat).
- Potential Encounter: The construct attacks unless the party speaks Zorak’s name (learned via legend lore or Vaelithra’s spirit), revealing the stone.

Summary of Names and Roles:

Head Librarian: Archmage Vaelithra Dusksong (high elf, Wizard 25) – Architect of the Sundering Prism, now a spectral guide.
Assistant 1: Tharivol Kaelmyn (half-elf, Sorcerer 18) – Scribe, left a journal with Prism containment clues.
Assistant 2: Elyndra Voshar (human, Wizard 16) – Ward specialist, guards spell scrolls with a prismatic trap.
Assistant 3: Zorak Thalendir (tiefling, Warlock 15) – Planar scout, holds a foundation stone shard.

daermadm

Sister City Aetherion:
Creator of Aetherion: Archmagus Zephyrion Kaelthara

Name Breakdown: “Zephyrion” combines “zephyr” (a gentle wind, reflecting the floating nature of the city) and a suffix suggesting mastery, while “Kaelthara” ties to the elven lineage of the Autaria Dynasty (“kael” meaning star, “thara” meaning eternal).
Background:

Archmagus Zephyrion Kaelthara was a high elf wizard of unparalleled brilliance (Wizard 30/Archmage 5, CR 35), a founding member of the Autaria Dynasty and its foremost expert on planar engineering. Born over 5,000 years ago, Zephyrion envisioned Aetherion as a beacon of knowledge and a gateway to the stars, a floating Spelljammer port that would cement the Dynasty’s dominance in planar travel and research. He was the mastermind behind the city’s levitation, leveraging manacite to lift the 5-mile-wide crystal disc 1,000 feet above the planet’s surface.
Role in Aetherion’s Creation:

Manacite Discovery: Zephyrion discovered manacite during a Spelljammer expedition to a planar rift in the phlogiston (web ID: 1), recognizing its potential to absorb arcane energy and convert it into a levitating force. He spent decades harvesting and refining the mineral, embedding a 100,000-pound manacite core beneath the Grand Helm Nexus to lift Aetherion.
Design of the Crystal Disc: Zephyrion collaborated with the Dynasty’s artificers to craft the disc from prismatic crystal mined from the planet’s core, enchanting it with wards (CL 30, antimagic field 100-ft. radius, 1/day) to protect the city from aerial assaults.
Integration with the Sundering Prism: He worked closely with Archmage Vaelithra Dusksong, the head librarian, to attune the manacite core to the Sundering Prism’s planar energy, ensuring a stable power source for the city’s levitation (Spellcraft DC 50 to attune, a feat only Zephyrion could achieve).
Grand Helm Nexus: Zephyrion designed the Nexus (web ID: 13), a colossal spelljamming helm, to amplify the manacite’s lift capacity (CL 30, +10 bonus to lift, allowing the core to support 5 billion pounds), making Aetherion the premier Spelljammer port of the planet.

Legacy and Fate:

Legacy: Zephyrion’s creation of Aetherion made the Autaria Dynasty a dominant force in Spelljammer trade and planar scholarship, attracting scholars like Tharivol Kaelmyn and Elyndra Voshar to the library. His notes on manacite (hidden in the Nexus, Search DC 40) could provide the party with a +5 bonus to Spellcraft checks to repair the Sundering Prism or craft Spelljammer helms (web ID: 13).
Fate: Zephyrion perished centuries before Kaelith’s corruption of the Sundering Prism, but his spirit may linger as a Planar Echo (CR 25, a spectral archmage with time stop 1/day, DC 40), bound to the Nexus. If the party encounters him during the Spelljammer Siege, he might offer guidance on stabilizing Aetherion’s fragments (e.g., channeling a 9th-level spell into the manacite core, Spellcraft DC 45) in exchange for a promise to protect the city.

Narrative Tie:

Zephyrion’s creation of Aetherion explains why the city became a target for the Duiral fleet—they seek to control the manacite and the Nexus for their own conquests. The party could uncover Zephyrion’s legacy while exploring the Nexus, gaining insight into repairing the city’s levitation (e.g., reinforcing the manacite shards in each floating section) or using its resources to fend off the siege.
Final Answer:

The creator of the floating city Aetherion was Archmagus Zephyrion Kaelthara, a high elf wizard (Wizard 30/Archmage 5) of the Autaria Dynasty. He designed the city’s 5-mile-wide crystal disc, embedding a 100,000-pound manacite core to lift it 1,000 feet, powered by the Sundering Prism and amplified by the Grand Helm Nexus. His legacy offers the party potential knowledge to repair Aetherion or fend off the Duiral fleet during the Spelljammer Siege.

Does Zephyrion fit your vision for Aetherion’s creator? Want to explore his notes, spirit, or another aspect of his legacy further? Let me know!