Thirawen

The Riftwrought Sentinels

Balance is not stillness, it is the dance of opposites.

Origins

Born from the ashes of the cataclysm known as the Second Sundering, which was felt all across Avaleen, the Thirawen did not do what other orders did. They did not unify to seal breaches or destroy rifts, but rather guard them, stabilize them where they could. Forging a sacred order bound by oath and spirit, tethered to their cause.

Rifts between realms have always been an issue, but with the Sundering severely weakening the Veil, they became a permanent problem. Untamed rifts tore through the world, spilling alien magics and creatures into the material realm that were not prepared for it. Until the disparate Thirawen put an end to the incursions.

The name Thirawen stems from the Alaic word thira (threads or weaving) and the high elvish word wyn (sacred grove, usually synonymous with growth and protection).

Purpose

"To mend the wounds that could not be healed. To guard the seams of the world where the Veil bleeds. That is the vow of the Thirawen. So will we keep watch. So will we serve."

They serve as both caretakers and sentinels of rifts that, for some reason, cannot be fully closed. Fractures that connect the material realm to strange, often hostile or curious realms. Each Thirawen Sanctum is ritually tethered to the leyline fractured by its rift, forming a living stitch that stabilizes the realms and the balance of Avaleen.

Their tether strengthens their connection to both natural and spiritual magic and binds them to the health of the land.

Structure

The Sanctums are maintained and cultivated by druids who tend to the wild magic that grows like roots and vines through the rifts. Each society also has dedicated scouts and watchers who patrol the edges of the area, as well as hunting aberrations that slip through.

These Waywatchers and Leyscouts are trained to detect tremors in the Veil, often traveling far and wide in their dedication. They never stay long, for the distance to their Sanctum weakens their power and their very life-force. Still, their role is vital: to warn of breaches, and if need be, prepare new sanctuaries.

Each Sanctum watches over a different rift; some elemental, some fey-touched, others shadow-cloaked or wholly alien. Instead of purging or sealing the rift, they attune to it, gradually weaving the realm’s essence into the landscape and themselves. Each Sanctum of the Thirawen has adapted traits of the realm it guards as they do not reject change, shaping flora, language, magic, and even spirit.

The most famous Sanctums in Avaleen are:

·      The Eldborne Sanctum – guards a rift to the elemental plane of fire in Thalhelm, Khorun
This sanctum is covered with embervines and rituals include walking barefoot over hot coals. Some members learn to read flame, interpreting visions from the realm. Their architecture is mostly made of obsidian and basalt. Their leader is called Ashkeeper.

·      The Frostshade Sanctum – guards a rift to the elemental plane of ice in Thal-Veryn, Oliria
This silent forest is thick with trees with crystal-like bark and a gentle snowfall is not uncommon. Members wear white tattoos that chill when danger is near. They utilize ice beasts to guard the perimeter, each bonded to a druid. Their leader is called Rimespeaker.

·      The Windgrove Sanctum – guards a rift to the elemental plane of air in Lumindor, Oliria
Perched among cliffside trees and floating stones suspended by magic, the members of the air sanctum are masters of manipulating the wind. Their leader is called Eye of Stormsong.

·      The Wavemourn Sanctum – guards a rift to the elemental plane of water in the Xhortan Sands, Khorun
The peculiar location of a waterplane rift in the middle of the desert sets this sanctum apart from other Thirawen communities. Their oasis is surrounded by slick dunes and is a popular resting place for weary wanderers caught in the sands. They use tide-chants to soothe the rift’s pull. Their leader is called Tidewarden.

·      The Stoneveil Sanctum – guards a rift to the elemental plane of earth in Ala
Lit by glowing moss and surrounded by hollowed out caves and hills, the members here have runes carved into their skin, matching the runes in the soil. Their leader is called Markthane (meaning Voice of the Earth)

·      The Umberlight Sanctum – guards a rift to the Shade realm near Jin, the Araxi Whites
This sanctum is hidden by ever-twilight frozen woods where light is strange and shadows seem alive. Members wear voidveils to protect against madness as the illusions that rests between sleep and dream become real here. Their leader is called Gloamseer, and they do not like the illevan king.

·      The Hollowbloom Sanctum – guards a rift to the Faerie realm in the foothills of the Greywilds Range, Oliria
The ever-blooming glade of this sanctum is the goal of pilgrimage for many akati, though many are turned away. The flora is heavily influenced by Faerie and some members are half-fey or glamour-marked. Truth here is a negotiated art. Their leader is called Bloomspeaker.

Every three years, the leaders of all Sanctums will travel to each other to hold a Council, discussing issues needing to be addressed and sharing insights and knowledge.

Culture

The Thirawen do not have a centralized leadership or nation. Instead, they are organized into Sanctums. These are half-settlement, half-living sanctuaries, and evolve symbiotically with the nature of their rift. Therefore tradition and ritual varies from place to place, but some aspects remain the same:

·       The Binding is a sacred oath ceremony that ties the lifeforce of each sentinel to the fractured leyline, a bond that sustains their magic but anchors their soul.

·       Each Sanctum also has an Echo Vigil, a round-the-clock watch listening for signs of rupture or invasion.

Thirawen in the world

The Thirawen walk a narrow path in the eyes of many avalites. Many see them as strange; why protect what could unmake the world? But to the Thirawen, it is the way of the natural world. Their oaths are not to kings, gods, or laws, but to the Veil and the world itself—a living weave of memory, energy, and boundary. They do not interfere in mortal politics, unless those politics threaten a rift. Therefore, they’re seen as recluses and hermits best left to their own devices.

Some of them do not tether themselves to the rift, dedicating themselves instead to act as diplomats and couriers between the Sanctums and other courts and seats of power.