This entry delves into a corner of Ezora, a fragment of my world’s lore that you can adapt to your game if you find it inspiring. Use this adaptable lore to enrich the story, characters, or themes of your own game world.
The Chardaukans are a human race native to the island of Chardauka, whose history emerges from resistance against oppression. Their origins can be traced back to the uprising of various primitive slave tribes who managed to break free from the mind control magic of their masters: the lizardmen, the batrachians, and other amphibian species. These creatures were creations of the ancient koprus, a tyrannical race from the marine depths that, since -25,000 CA, had consolidated vast underwater empires. The koprus transformed and subjugated various terrestrial species through their innate mind control magic, consolidating their power by constructing menhirs and monoliths imbued with arcane energy. These structures, raised by the amphibians, extended their influence beyond the waters, enslaving primitive humanoid tribes on the emerged islands, including those that would eventually form the diverse cultures comprising Chardauka.
Liberation began in the year 113 CA, when a violent eruption of the sacred volcanoes, triggered by the flaming god Vul'kar, destroyed several mind control menhirs, freeing multitudes of slaves from their influence. With the help of the benevolent couatl, the sacred feathered serpents, the human, elven, orcish, and nacatl tribes formed an unprecedented alliance. In 125 CA, this coalition reached the heart of koprus power on the island's central plateau, destroying the most powerful menhir and marking the beginning of a new era for Chardauka. Although some factions remained loyal to the koprus, seeking to adapt to the aquatic environment through magic, the victory paved the way for the development of the first independent human societies on the island.
Over the following centuries, the Chardaukans developed a deep connection with their natural environment, notably their symbiotic relationship with the feathered dinosaurs that inhabited the island's jungles and marshlands. These animals became fundamental pillars of their society: triceratops were employed as beasts of burden for transportation and construction, while the Chardaukan aristocracy used swift bipedal dinosaurs as mounts, symbolizing their status and power. In the domestic sphere, the small penkytus, chicken-sized creatures known for their characteristic noise, were integrated into households as a source of both meat and eggs.
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| Huatli, dinosaur knight by Anna Steinbauer |
The era of the Empire of Sun and Moon began in the year 500 CA, when humans and nacatl had managed to colonize almost the entire island, maintaining a fragile unity in the face of the constant amphibian threat. This period saw the rise of the first Witch-Queen, who unified the human tribes, instituting an unprecedented cultural and scientific renaissance. Chardaukan mages perfected spells that remain fundamental to advanced magic even today, while the nacatl established their own cities in the jungle. Meanwhile, elves and orcs pilgrimaged to the sacred volcanoes, where the Blazing Pact would emerge with the Sul'tar and Say'tar as descendants.
During this golden age, the cult of Kha'sazhul, lord of life and death cycles, emerged and guided the Chardaukans in refining the reanimation practices inherited from their former amphibian masters. Under his tutelage, these techniques evolved toward benevolent purposes, laying the foundation for the future creation of the Chardarrim, preserved bodies that would allow souls to continue serving their community after death.
A Chardarrim
However, in 1,137 CA, the Empire faced its greatest tragedy: the Great Disaster. A magical plague, released by the koprus as revenge, spread through the magical portal system that connected the main imperial settlements. The City of Mirrors, the central nexus of this portal network, became the epicenter of a catastrophe that culminated in the Empire's collapse. Kha'sazhul's silence during this crisis triggered an unprecedented crisis of faith, leading to the widespread abandonment of his public worship. Although some communities maintain clandestine temples, most modern Chardaukans consider the public worship of supernatural entities imprudent.
The next major crisis arrived in 2,223 CA, when a new eruption of the sacred volcanoes opened a portal to the plane of Ignia. Fire creatures and demons, supported by supremacist cults of the Flaming Fist, devastated the island. The unified resistance of Chardaukans and nacatl managed to seal the portal and defeat the invaders in 2,232 CA, demonstrating that cooperation between peoples remained vital for survival.
Today, Chardauka presents a fragmented panorama, composed of independent city-states, territories controlled by mages and warlords, and various religious congregations preserving ancient traditions in the wilderness. The practices of creating Chardarrim have been perfected, allowing the deceased to continue contributing according to their skills and knowledge. This tradition exemplifies the persistent Chardaukan pursuit of the common good, even beyond death.
Hope for reunification has emerged with the appearance of a new Witch-Queen in the south, descendant of the ancient emperors. Meanwhile, the island faces growing foreign influence: the maritime powers of Utuma and the Sacred Kingdom of Revraine, along with Drache corsair fleets, compete for control of strategic trade routes. Foreign trading posts and missionaries of foreign religions attempt to establish themselves on the island, but the Chardaukans, proud of their history and traditions, have resisted these attempts at submission, recognizing in these intrusions a new threat that must be faced with the same determination shown by their ancestors.
Inspiration and References
- The Maya, Aztec, Inca, and Olmec civilizations have been the historical inspiration for the Chardaukanos. To be clear, I never intended to make a faithful representation of these cultures. I simply took inspiration from their architecture and art very freely.
- Isle of Dread (and the module set there, Torrents of Dread in Dungeon Magazine 114) was one of my initial references for Chardauka in general. This is where my idea of koprus as the ancient masters of the Chardaukanos comes from.
- The Charonti from Isle of Destiny: Jakandor were another starting point for this culture. They have that idea of a civilization rooted in the habitual use of zombies for mundane and more sophisticated tasks (though it gives them a tone where they almost seem like constructs), as well as an aversion to a god who failed them during a magical catastrophe. In my case, I linked that to an attack by the Scaly Ones, as a last remnant of the war between them.
- Ixalan has feathered dinosaurs and a culture of humans linked to them. I've taken from this setting the imagery, fantastic illustrations, and even songs from the video game's soundtrack that use their cards.
- Chult, from Forgotten Realms, also has jungles and dinosaurs, and I've drawn some general ideas about their inhabitants. The city of Port Nyanzaru was especially useful for getting ideas for my Chardaukan cities, like Tarmulin.
- From Pandora, the world of the movie Avatar, I also took ideas for the biomes, plants, and dinosaurs that coexist with the Chardaukanos.
- Lastly, Ixtal, from League of Legends has always been on my radar, but I never quite ended up taking (at least consciously) any ideas from there. The same goes for Maztica in Forgotten Realms.
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