Derenta

What was once an abandoned land by a dead god was discovered by a group of Caspanas seeking refuge from mortals who misunderstood and hunted them. From that moment on, they made it their mission to locate other Caspanas, eventually forming the largest concentration of cursed horses in all of Mereldia. With thousands of inhabitants spread across roughly 20,000 square kilometers, it is impossible for everyone to know one another, but that has not stopped most from living as if they were one big, extended family.

Geography

Derenta is larger than any city in Mereldia, yet smaller than most countries. It lies in the north-west, deep within a region considered a dangerous zone beyond the wildlands, and is further hidden by the mountain chain to its east. Regularly maintained shielding spells keep the land inaccessible to those who wander too close, preserving both its secrecy and the safety of its inhabitants.

The territory stretches across roughly 20,000 square kilometres, encompassing a wide variety of landscapes. A mountain chain, fittingly called The Divide, splits the land in two. The west side focuses on training and family life, considered safer for lying farthest from the main land connection. The east side, by contrast, serves as the administrative heart, though much of its territory remains empty, like the west. Its only notable permanent settlement is the Village, a cluster of record halls, storage buildings, seat of the infirmary and also including a sheltered residential district. Beyond the village, the region is mostly open, save for the crystal caves in the south, which supply a steady flow of gemstones for enchantments, and the East Lake, the east's largest body of water.

Ranks

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Leader (unavailable)

Holds final authority in all matters concerning Derenta. They govern the land, arbitrate disputes between ranks, and render binding decisions when consensus cannot be reached. The Leader is advised by trusted people (advisors), but once judgement is given, their word stands.

Advisor (unavailable)

Trusted and experienced members drawn from any track or rank. This role exists in addition to their primary duties and does not replace their original standing. Advisors provide counsel, historical context, and strategic guidance to the leaders, but hold no ruling authority of their own.

The Four Tracks

There are four tracks one can choose from, which will be counted as their rank. It is possible to rise up into the status of an elite or a leader in that track.

Track Leader (unavailable)

There is one leader for each track, so four in total, who commands them and makes important decisions. Those duties include assigning mentors to apprentices, managing the register for their respective track, planning high stake missions, etc.

Elite (locked)

Members with incredible skill that were honoured with the elite rank after commiting a remarkable deed.

✦ Warrior

Warriors serve as the standing military force, trained extensively in combat, discipline, and command structure. Honour, loyalty, and obedience are central to their role; orders are expected to be followed without hesitation. Most Warriors are proud, serious, and duty-driven, valuing structure and restraint over individual freedom.

✦ Scout

Scouts are Derenta’s intelligence and reconnaissance specialists. Known for their wit, adaptability, and sharp minds, they undergo the most diverse and demanding training of any track. Scouts are masters of disguise, infiltration, and information-gathering, able to blend seamlessly into cities and even observe fae unnoticed. Their education spans lore, magic, linguistics, stealth, combat, and deception. While Scouts once sought out potential new members, their focus today lies almost entirely on covert missions.

✦ Guard

Guards are bound to Derenta and never leave its borders. They maintain the Barrier spell and its many seals, keeping the land hidden and inaccessible. When a seal fails, Guards act as the first line of defense against intruders such as fae, demons, or predators.
Within Derenta itself, Guards also serve as interior control, handling conflicts, enforcing law, and responding to crimes. Their training closely mirrors that of Warriors, with the addition of advanced barrier magic, seal-crafting, and internal security procedures.

✦ Healer

Healers dedicate themselves to preserving life within Derenta. They possess extensive knowledge of plants, potions, and medical magic, capable of treating nearly any injury that is not immediately fatal.
Healers typically remain within Derenta. To accompany Warriors and Scouts on missions, a Healer must undergo additional training and receive a special license certifying them for field deployment. Without this qualification, Healers may only leave Derenta under heavy protection to acquire ingredients any non-healer is not qualified to handle.

Apprentice

Those that are still in their training to become Warriors, Scouts, Guards or Healers.

Keeper

Those who choose not to enter training in the track system serve Derenta through civic, administrative, and logistical work that keeps the land functioning. Their duties include record-keeping, supply management, coordination, farming, construction, and other non-martial responsibilities essential to daily life. Due to the secrecy of the land and their lack of track training, the Keepers are not permitted to leave Derenta.

While many choose this path permanently, it may also be taken for a time by those undecided about which track to pursue before entering an apprenticeship or for those who need a break from their track but don't want to sit around idly.

Youngling

Children that are not yet of age to bind themselves to a track or to the Keeper path. They receive basic education, care, and communal guidance, but carry no duties or obligations beyond learning and growth.

Apprenticeship

Before beginning an apprenticeship, each individual must first choose the track they wish to pursue. This choice is publicly declared during Black Night, a ceremony held on the night of the new moon in the Village’s Meeting Hall. In the presence of the Track Leaders and invited family or friends, future apprentices announce the path they will follow and formally commit themselves to its training.

After the track has been declared, preparations begin for the Turning Ceremony—the ritual in which the individual awakens the Caspanas curse through a controlled death and rebirth. This awakening marks the true beginning of their apprenticeship. Because the process causes a sudden surge of magical power, the assigned mentor immediately begins guiding the newly awakened apprentice to help them control their abilities and prevent accidents.

Although the chosen track is expected to be considered carefully, apprentices may later petition for a track change. If approved, their training begins again under a mentor within the new track.

Training

Training takes around eight years on average. Depending on talent, learning speed, and prior knowledge, this time may be shortened to a minimum of five years, though it may also be extended to up to ten years if necessary.

Since the minimum age for the Turning Ceremony is ten years, most apprentices are teenagers, particularly because the curse slows the aging process. It is not unheard of for adults to begin an apprenticeship, though this is uncommon and usually occurs under special circumstances.

Throughout this time, apprentices spend the majority of their days training alongside their mentor. While they still have free time to pursue personal interests and spend time with family or friends, their lives largely revolve around their education and practice. During the summer months, mentors take their apprentices beyond Derenta’s barrier to the Midsummer Crossing locations on the westernmost edge of the land. There, apprentices undergo intensive training while immersed in their primary element—an experience many consider the highlight of their apprenticeship.

Gradutation Exam

In their final year of training, apprentices must undergo a graduation exam. For this test, a group of four apprentices is selected—one from each track and each possessing a different primary element. Accompanied by their mentors, they are sent on a mission outside of Derenta. These exams are usually conducted in a city, where blending into the crowd can be an important part of the task. Healers & Guards, as well as Scouts & Warriors, are typically paired with individuals of opposing magical affinities, further emphasizing the need for cooperation and mutual understanding—especially in the case of Scouts and Warriors.

Each track must demonstrate different abilities during the exam.

Healers are tested on their ability to work with limited resources outside of the controlled environment of the infirmary. During the exam they must identify useful medicinal plants in the wild and correctly determine which parts can be used for treatment. Using only minimal tools and materials available in the field, they are expected to prepare effective remedies and demonstrate that they can improvise when proper equipment is unavailable. This skill is considered essential even within Derenta itself, as emergencies do not always occur near the infirmary. The healer’s ability to remain resourceful and make the most of what is available is therefore a central focus of their exam. The diagnostic portion of their evaluation is conducted separately in Derenta under controlled conditions.

Guards are tested primarily on their ability to react to danger and protect others. During the mission they must remain alert to threats and respond decisively when unexpected situations arise. They may be placed in scenarios where they must confront a minor fae or another controlled threat in order to demonstrate that they are capable of defending both themselves and their companions. Throughout the exam, the Guard carries the additional responsibility of protecting the group’s healer, who is the only member without combat training. This requires them to balance offense with defense and maintain constant awareness of their surroundings.

Scouts face the most varied challenges during the exam. They must demonstrate that they can navigate unfamiliar environments, move through populated areas without drawing attention to themselves, and gather information discreetly when necessary. In city settings they are often placed in situations that require quick thinking and careful improvisation, such as deflecting questions, creating believable explanations on the spot, or guiding the group through crowded areas without revealing their intentions. One of the most challenging aspects of the Scout’s exam, however, is coordinating with the Warrior of the group while maintaining the group’s cover.

Warriors must prove that they can fight effectively while still operating as part of a coordinated mission. During the exam they may be placed in situations where combat becomes unavoidable, requiring them to protect the Scout or defend the group without drawing unnecessary attention. Unlike typical battle scenarios, they must exercise restraint and follow the Scout’s guidance when stealth or subtlety is required. Because many Warriors are naturally reactive and prideful, their ability to cooperate with a Scout’s more calculated approach is a crucial part of their evaluation.

When the exam is passed, the apprentice graduates in a ceremony and is from then on considered a full-fledged member of their respective track.

Post-Graduation Certification

Only those who bear an official mage title are permitted to undertake mage missions throughout Mereldia. To obtain this certification, Warriors and Scouts usually register for and take the Arcanist examination at a Magic Academy. Attendance at the academy itself is not required, as the certification exams are open to anyone who officially signs up for them. They typically present themselves as wandering mages who have completed an apprenticeship under a private tutor and now seek official recognition of their abilities. This is a common enough path that it rarely raises suspicion.

However, as discretion is the highest priority during these operations, the times and locations of these examinations are coordinated by the Mission Office. This allows the process to be arranged in a way that supports their assignments while minimizing any risk of exposing Derenta’s existence.

Everyday Life

Derenta's population consists mainly of Caspanas. While there are exceptions, those are uncommon. If you are in Derenta, then you did not move here, but you were born here. Newcomers are incredibly rare these days, especially since the Caspanas Execution order has been established in Koruna in Dumannios of the year 1308 A.W.

Derenta provides a safe place for the Caspanas that live there, so that they don't have the fear to be hunted by the Heranor Family (a family of powerful fae) or rootkin and chimeras following prejudice.

For those of Warrior and Scout ranks, it is common to embark on missions outside of Derenta for various purposes. They are usually set out on missions together to ensure both combat skills in case protection are available, as well as the resourcefulness needed in precarious situations.

Your Character

If this is your first character in this faction, then you have to make them a curse-bearer, since non-Caspanas are the exception.
- Non-Caspanas characters for Derenta can be created as a second Derenta character.
Read through the entry about the Caspanas curse in the magic section when creating your character, so that mistakes in the design and behaviour can be avoided.
Your character has been born in Derenta. Characters from outside are falling under the special permission regulations.
Your character can either be in one of the four tracks (Warrior, Scout, Guard or Healer) or a Keeper
Your character will probably never have seen a Heranor, but only heard of them.
Those qualified for missions visit cities from time to time, so roleplaying with characters outside of Derenta is possible. Just make sure no one figures out your character is cursed, nor are they allowed to figure out where Derenta is!

They are subtle and keep a low profile. Heranors and other fae are not actively sought out, but rather avoided. A fight only occurs when absolutely necessary.
Keep in mind that your character's mentor is a very important person in their life. The eight years of training, therefoe, are very important. Do NOT pass it off in just a few sentences!
Caspanas need a lot of meat to keep their magic going and when running low on energy they might succumb to hunting instincts. So make sure that your character goes hunting regularly (every 2-4 days is minimum).
While Lilafly's characters (the leaders, track leaders and advisors most especially) can be used in your character's backstory, please keep their involvement neutral. Djuro (the leader) can be mentioned when the Turning Ceremony is mentioned and the Track Leaders can be included in the Black Night ceremony and when the assignment of the mentors has to be written. In short: don't god-mod Lilafly's characters!
- You are welcome to contact Lilafly if you want to involve her characters in your character's backstory somehow and are unsure how to do that without god-modding.
Derenta is one of the lore-heaviest factions and this page only shows a summarised fraction of it. When you write your character's backstory and are stumped about details, please consult the extended lore page as it very likely contains the information you seek.

More information can be found on the lore pages. The section for Derenta in particular can be found here.