The Vidoran Crisis Book 1:
The Weight of Small Betrayals

Aylman [AIL-MAN] is the eldest son of Hile, a driven and resourceful young man whose ambition often outpaces his scruples. At around twenty-four years old, he has already earned a reputation in Eslading for his skill, work ethic, and ability to navigate the blurred lines between enterprise and exploitation. Hardworking and clever, Aylman is also deeply pragmatic—comfortable bending rules and forging discreet alliances if it means gaining an edge. His dealings with local bandits and the Thieves Guild reflect a mindset shaped more by opportunity than by principle.

Yet, for all his moral flexibility, Aylman is not without conscience. He rarely sees his choices as harmful—until the harm becomes undeniable. And when it does, the quiet voice of guilt reminds him that some lines, once crossed, don’t vanish just because they were profitable.

Tavernkeeper of Neverharbor, Elaren [EE-LAHR-IN] is a quiet pillar of her community—graceful in movement, elven in appearance, and stronger than most realize. In her mid-thirties and long unmarried, some say she turned down every suitor because the tavern became her true companion: a place of warmth, laughter, and the fellowship she worked tirelessly to nurture. Inherited a decade ago from a distant uncle, the tavern grew under her care into a place where quarrels softened, strangers found welcome, and weary souls remembered what peace could feel like.

Elaren’s calm voice and steady judgment made her a natural reconciler, often called upon to cool rising tempers and mend fraying ties. She did not seek leadership, but in her corner of the world, she led by presence alone. Fiercely loyal to her friends, selfless when need called, and quietly devoted to the soul of Neverharbor, she was the heartbeat of the town—until the day everything burned.

From those ashes, Elaren would rise—scarred, grieving, and carrying more than memory. She would become the voice that warned the kingdoms: the Ravens are coming.

Elgyon [ELG-YON] is the son of a hunter, raised in the wilderness and trained in the quiet skills of tracking, observation, and survival. Though he possesses all the instincts and precision of a master woodsman, he lacks the appetite for killing that often defines the hunter’s path. Instead, Elgyon channeled his talents into the shadows of society—rising through the ranks of the Information Guild, where silence, subtlety, and clarity of thought are prized above all else.

Now a high-ranking operative, Elgyon’s deep well of knowledge and personal connections make him an invaluable asset as Cendomvita’s political landscape begins to fracture. Sharp-eyed, disciplined, and guided by a quiet moral core, Elgyon is not the type to command a room—but he’s often the one who sees what others miss, and who moves when it matters most.

Hile is a respected and influential leader within the Transportation Guild of Eslading, known for transforming his father’s modest delivery business into one of the most expansive overland trade networks in Cendomvita. While a portion of his work handles local shipments across Vidora and Elowen, Hile’s true strength lies in coordinating long-haul transport—navigating treacherous routes, complex borders, and shifting political landscapes with precision and foresight.

A lover of maps, scrolls, and the study of civilizations, Hile is as much a scholar as he is a merchant. His deep knowledge of history, geography, and politics has shaped both his business and his worldview, and he has passed that same intellectual curiosity on to his youngest son, Phine. Despite his methodical nature, Hile rarely makes important decisions without the counsel of his wife, Ashira, whose empathy and intuition serve as a critical counterbalance to his rational mind.

With trusted connections in the Information Guild—and a reputation that verges on honorary membership—Hile is a figure whose influence extends beyond commerce, touching realms of knowledge, strategy, and quiet resistance.

At fourteen, Phine [FA-IN] is Hile’s youngest son—and already far more than just a boy running errands. Energetic, curious, and relentlessly observant, Phine approaches every task with wide eyes and sharp questions, never content to follow orders without understanding their purpose. Though obedient by nature, he is no passive learner. He studies as hard as he works, developing a grasp of history, geography, and politics that often rivals the grown men around him. On the road, Phine’s knack for picking up regional dialects allows him to blend in effortlessly—sometimes even pass for a native. More than that, he has a rare talent for earning trust. Whether with hardened merchants or wary strangers, Phine has a way of drawing people close—and keeping them there. In a world darkened by suspicion, his gift for friendship shines bright.

A discreet and sharp-minded operative of the Information Guild, Samir [SAH-MEER] is assigned to accompany Aylman, not as a bodyguard, but as a set of silent eyes. With a quiet demeanor and a keen sense of danger, he is well-trained in both observation and survival. Samir understands how to fade into the background, how to read a man’s words by what he doesn’t say, and how to extract truth from misdirection. But even skill has its limits. Tasked with uncovering deeper motives and loyalties, Samir soon finds himself navigating a path far more perilous than expected, one that will test his training, and his fate.

Posted at the western edge of the coastal plains near Ostengate, Grimm serves as the fort’s Sergeant of the Guard and a living relic of the Old Guard. He is a man with deep knowledge of forgotten trails, hidden hamlets, and the buried history of Cendomvita. Long ago, Grimm joined the Vidoran army while searching for his kidnapped sister, Maribel, a pursuit that shaped both his career and his resolve. Over the years, he built a reputation as a capable and weathered soldier, practical in his ethics, occasionally amenable to a well-placed bribe, but equally known for offering help when it truly mattered. Many of his patrols, by chance or choice, passed near his family’s long-abandoned farmstead in the foothills. For most of his life, Grimm was married to the uniform. That changed when he crossed paths with Elgyon and Phine—two figures who stirred in him something long dormant: purpose beyond duty.