An epic story connected to the history of Exandria
Tales of glory, corruption, torment, and redemption
Choose your allegiances with multiple factions that are working towards opposing goals
Meet varied NPCs to learn from and compete with
Start with exploring the wastes of Xhorhas before travelling further afar
More World Resources
Here's a primer on the world. It's short and worth watching. Exandria: An Intimate History
This adventure begins in Xhorhas, where most humans are nomads; most elves are drow who live above ground; dwarves and halflings are rare; and goblinoids, orcs, lizardfolk, kobolds, and other creatures sometimes seen as "monstrous" elsewhere are more populous than gnomes and dragonborn. Whether the characters are natives of Xhorhas or outsiders, they are aware of what's said in the "What the Characters Know" section below.
You don't need to know all of this but it's here if you want some lore!
Your characters already know a number of things about the world.
Kryn Dynasty. The Kryn Dynasty is the dominant nation in Xhorhas. It was founded by a drow queen named Leylas Kryn, who fled the Underdark and the tyrannical rule of Lolth the Spider Queen along with her disciples. The Bright Queen still rules the dynasty centuries later, and its cities contain more than just drow. Orcs, goblinoids, tieflings, humans, and many others call the cities of the dynasty their home. Countless more denizens of the dynasty are nomads who roam the wastes in clans, hunting mastodons and other Xhorhasian megafauna.
The Luxon. The official deity of the Kryn Dynasty, whose symbol appears on the nation's heraldry, is the Luxon. This mysterious divine entity of light and rebirth has granted its faithful several esoteric secrets, the greatest of which is consecution—the act of preparing one's soul for rebirth. Through consecution, some people within the Kryn Dynasty have lived many lifetimes, often in bodies different from the ones they were first born in. In the sequence of consecution, a drow might become a goblin, then be reborn as a bugbear, then an orc, and so on—all the while gaining greater knowledge about the world through their experiences. This process has no mechanical benefit, but you can make consecution and rebirth an interesting part of your characters' back stories.
If a follower of the Luxon who has undergone the ritual of consecution dies within 100 miles of a Luxon beacon, their soul is ensnared by it and reincarnated within the body of a random Humanoid newborn within 100 miles of the beacon.
The War of Ash and Light. The war between the Dwendalian Empire and the Kryn Dynasty has ended. Tensions remain, but the mood across Xhorhas has lifted and most have a sense of relief. This adventure begins 1 year after the end of the war.
Other Important Information. Working together we will determine what other bits of information your characters might know about Xhorhas, Wynandir, Wildemount and the world beyond. Perhaps your character's parents fled to the Empire from Tal'dorei during the attack of the Chroma Conclave, or you are an Aeormaton escaped from Eiselcross, maybe you are a merchant from the shining jewel of Ank'harel seeking to make your mark among the Drow of the Kryn Dynasty. There are other continents on Exandria and the adventure does not stay in Xhorhas, so don't feel that you have to contain your character to the peoples typical of Eastern Wynandir.
I'm a huge Critter. I've watched all of both animated series and own a ton of merch. I have several hardcover books and run every campaign I can set in Exandria. However, I didn't discover Critical Role until campaign 3 so I have only seen parts of campaigns 1 and 2.
There are gaps in my knowledge about the world or NPCs, but I try hard to make sure I have the important bits. As a player, you don't have to know anything about Critical Role to enjoy this campaign!
I'll fill in my own blanks as we go. This might create a difference between the canonical Critical Role world and our game. That's okay! When we start this game we are creating a new clone of Exandria. There will be some unknown mutations that we might discover together.