Thesalon

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Recommended First Reads ​

You do not need to read the whole wiki before Session One.

The campaign begins with a focused starting situation:

You are aboard the Azure Aviary, a Maritheli vessel traveling through Windrider Gulf waters.

Your first job as a player is not to master every continent, faction, god, law, or old war. Your first job is to understand the campaign frame and create a character who belongs aboard the ship when play begins.

Use this page as the recommended reading order.

Fastest Reading Path ​

If you only have limited time before Session One, read these pages in this order.

OrderPageWhy It Matters
1Welcome to the CampaignGives the basic campaign premise and starting frame.
2Player Knowledge and Spoiler PolicyExplains what is safe to know and what the wiki will not reveal.
3Campaign Tone and ThemesSets expectations for the kind of story, danger, and choices involved.
4Campaign Start OverviewExplains the opening situation aboard the Azure Aviary.
5The Azure AviaryIntroduces the ship where the campaign begins.
6Why Your Character Is AboardHelps you choose a direct reason your character is present.
7Quick Start for Character CreationTurns the campaign premise into a playable character concept.
8What You Need Before Session OneGives the final checklist before play begins.

That is enough to start.

Everything else is optional context.

Minimum Reading Before Session One ​

At minimum, every player should know:

  1. the campaign begins aboard the Azure Aviary;
  2. Windrider Freeport is the first major hub, not the opening location;
  3. each character needs a reason to be aboard the ship;
  4. the campaign is player-facing but spoiler-controlled;
  5. names, law, ships, refugees, factions, and moral choices matter;
  6. characters should be built to cooperate when trouble begins.

The fastest way to get that information is to read:

  1. Welcome to the Campaign
  2. Campaign Start Overview
  3. The Azure Aviary
  4. Why Your Character Is Aboard
  5. Quick Start for Character Creation

Reading Path by Goal ​

Choose the reading path that matches what you are trying to do.

I Need to Make a Character Quickly ​

Read:

  1. Quick Start for Character Creation
  2. Why Your Character Is Aboard
  3. Character Creation Overview
  4. Character Ties to the Azure Aviary
  5. What You Need Before Session One

Then answer:

  • Why are you in Marithel?
  • Why are you aboard the Azure Aviary?
  • What do you want from Windrider Freeport?
  • Why will you stay involved when trouble begins?

I Want to Understand the World ​

Read:

  1. Overview of Thesalon
  2. The Current Age
  3. The Crownless Age
  4. What Most People Know About the World
  5. How the Continents Connect

Then read only the continent pages that interest you.

You do not need to memorize all six continents before Session One.

I Want to Understand the Starting Region ​

Read:

  1. Marithel at a Glance
  2. Marithel Player Guide
  3. Ships and Shipboard Life
  4. Sea Law and Guest Law
  5. Routes, Reefs, and Safe Passage

This is most useful for sailors, shipborn characters, Maritheli locals, faction-tied characters, privateers, merchants, pilots, refugees, and legal witnesses.

I Want to Understand the First Major Hub ​

Read:

  1. Windrider Freeport Overview
  2. Blue Lantern Law
  3. Low Lantern Refugee Moorings
  4. Freeport Factions and Services

Remember: Windrider Freeport matters early, but the campaign begins before arrival.

I Want to Understand Factions ​

Read:

  1. Player-Safe Factions
  2. Factions Overview
  3. Blue Lantern Freeports

Then read faction pages only as they become relevant.

Factions are meant to create choices, contacts, pressure, favors, enemies, and rumors. You do not need to memorize them all.

I Want to Avoid Spoilers ​

Read:

  1. Player Knowledge and Spoiler Policy
  2. How to Use This Wiki
  3. Welcome to the Campaign

Then focus on pages marked:

player_safe: true
spoiler_level: none
campaign_phase: pre-session-one

Avoid anything marked:

spoiler_level: dm-only

Reading Path by Character Type ​

You can also read based on your character concept.

Ship Crew, Sailor, Privateer, or Shipborn Character ​

Read:

  1. The Azure Aviary
  2. Why Your Character Is Aboard
  3. Ships and Shipboard Life
  4. Sailor, Privateer, and Shipborn Characters
  5. Sea Law and Guest Law

Useful questions:

  • What ship work can you do?
  • Are you crew, passenger, or working passage?
  • What ship, route, or captain shaped you?
  • What would you notice aboard before others do?

Refugee, Exile, or False-Name Character ​

Read:

  1. Refugee and Exile Characters
  2. Why Your Character Is Aboard
  3. Blue Lantern Law
  4. Low Lantern Refugee Moorings
  5. People Far From Home

Useful questions:

  • What did you leave?
  • What name are you using?
  • Who might claim you?
  • What protection do you hope Windrider Freeport can provide?

Healer or Caregiver Character ​

Read:

  1. Healer and Caregiver Characters
  2. The Azure Aviary
  3. Ships and Shipboard Life
  4. Low Lantern Refugee Moorings
  5. Sea Law and Guest Law

Useful questions:

  • Who taught you to care for others?
  • Is someone aboard under your care?
  • What supply are you afraid of running out of?
  • Would you break procedure to save a patient?

Scholar, Scribe, Translator, or Researcher ​

Read:

  1. Scholar and Scribe Characters
  2. Languages and Communication
  3. The Azure Aviary
  4. Sea Law and Guest Law
  5. Blue Lantern Law

Useful questions:

  • What do you study or record?
  • What document, map, name, or testimony matters to you?
  • What mistake are you trying to correct?
  • What would you refuse to copy or translate?

Faction-Tied Character ​

Read:

  1. Faction-Tied Characters
  2. Player-Safe Factions
  3. Factions Overview
  4. Why Your Character Is Aboard
  5. Windrider Freeport Overview

Useful questions:

  • Who are you tied to?
  • What do they want from you?
  • Is the tie public, private, secret, or former?
  • What order would you refuse?

Cleric, Paladin, Devout Character, Pilgrim, or Shrine Worker ​

Read:

  1. The Gods Most People Know
  2. Gods, Magic, and the Planes
  3. Sea Law and Guest Law
  4. Healer and Caregiver Characters
  5. Marithel at a Glance

Useful questions:

  • What god, saint, shrine, or rite matters to you?
  • What does mercy require?
  • What do you believe about death, burial, oath, and safe passage?
  • Why are you traveling by sea?

Outsider Newly Arrived in Marithel ​

Read:

  1. Overview of Thesalon
  2. Character Origins by Continent
  3. Why Outsiders Come to Marithel
  4. Marithel at a Glance
  5. Why Your Character Is Aboard

Useful questions:

  • What surprised you about Marithel?
  • What custom do you misunderstand?
  • What from home do you carry with you?
  • What do you need from the sea road?

Pages You Can Save for Later ​

Do not worry about these before Session One unless they directly relate to your character.

Page TypeWhen to Read
Full faction pagesWhen that faction becomes relevant.
Full continent pagesWhen choosing homeland or encountering people from that continent.
Deep law pagesWhen law, names, debt, salvage, or court procedure becomes important.
Religion deep divesWhen playing a religious character or interacting with temple politics.
Shops and pricesWhen buying, selling, hiring, repairing, or preparing for travel.
Downtime pagesBetween adventures or during port stays.
MapsWhen travel, routes, or location questions matter.
Rumor pagesWhen choosing background flavor or seeking hooks.
Campaign tracking pagesAfter play begins.

The wiki is meant to grow with the campaign.

Suggested Session Zero Reading ​

For Session Zero or character-building discussion, read:

  1. Welcome to the Campaign
  2. Campaign Tone and Themes
  3. Player Knowledge and Spoiler Policy
  4. Quick Start for Character Creation
  5. Character Creation Overview
  6. Why Your Character Is Aboard
  7. What You Need Before Session One

During Session Zero, focus on:

  • party compatibility;
  • reasons to be aboard;
  • reasons to stay together;
  • tone expectations;
  • character secrets requiring DM approval;
  • safety tools;
  • party relationships;
  • rules expectations;
  • how much lore each player wants.

Suggested Ten-Minute Prep ​

If you have ten minutes, read:

  1. Welcome to the Campaign
  2. The Azure Aviary
  3. Why Your Character Is Aboard

Then answer:

My character is aboard the Azure Aviary because...
My character wants to reach Windrider Freeport because...
My character would help the other characters because...

This is enough to begin.

Suggested Thirty-Minute Prep ​

If you have thirty minutes, read:

  1. Welcome to the Campaign
  2. Player Knowledge and Spoiler Policy
  3. Campaign Tone and Themes
  4. Campaign Start Overview
  5. The Azure Aviary
  6. Why Your Character Is Aboard
  7. Quick Start for Character Creation

Then choose:

Homeland:
Reason in Marithel:
Reason aboard:
Possible connection to another PC:
Thing my character wants:
Thing my character fears:

Suggested Deep Prep ​

If you enjoy lore and want more context, read in this order:

  1. Overview of Thesalon
  2. The Current Age
  3. The Crownless Age
  4. What Most People Know About the World
  5. Character Origins by Continent
  6. Marithel at a Glance
  7. Marithel Player Guide
  8. Player-Safe Factions
  9. Languages and Communication
  10. The Gods Most People Know

Then read any character-specific pages that match your concept.

What Not to Read Yet ​

Before Session One, avoid anything marked:

spoiler_level: session-revealed

or:

spoiler_level: dm-only

Also avoid any DM notes, hidden faction plans, unrevealed encounter material, secret cargo notes, concealed villain files, or pages marked as not player-facing.

The player-facing wiki will not intentionally put those in the normal reading path.

Final Advice ​

Read enough to understand the starting situation.

You are aboard the Azure Aviary.

You are in Marithel.

You are at sea.

You have a reason to be there.

Windrider Freeport matters, but you have not reached it yet.

Everything else can unfold during play.