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Exandria is the name of the world on which most events of Critical Role take place.[4] Exandria exists in a Material Plane,[5] although it features connections to other planes of existence, such as the portals to the elemental planes guarded by the Ashari.

History[]

Main article: History of Exandria

Since the gods first came to Exandria, there have been three distinct ages: the Founding, the Age of Arcanum, and the Era of Reclamation. The events of Exandria Unlimited: Calamity and those recounted in Downfall take place late in the second age, the events of Exandria Unlimited: Divergence take place at the transition to the third age, and the events of Critical Role through the end of Campaign Three take place in the final decades of the third age. For a timeline of Exandrian history as it is now known, with dates, see the article Timeline.

Calendar[]

Main article: Calendar of Exandria

An Exandrian year lasts 328 days over the course of 11 months. Each day is 24 hours in length and the 7 days of the week are named Miresen, Grissen, Whelsen, Conthsen, Folsen, Yulisen, and Da'leysen.

Geographic characteristics[]

Exandria - Crit Recap Animated

Exandria in Crit Recap Animated.

Continents[]

Tal'Dorei
Previously known as Gwessar, Tal'Dorei is a northern continent[6] which includes the Republic of Tal'Dorei (including the former city-state of Whitestone), as well as the dwarven stronghold of Kraghammer, the elven realm of Syngorn, and, far to the south, the hobgoblin empire of the Iron Authority.
Issylra
A continent northwest of Tal'Dorei that is dominated by the country of Othanzia, which includes Vasselheim and Pyrah. Elsewhere on the continent is the Demithore Valley.
Marquet
A continent to the south of Issylra and southwest of Tal'Dorei. Before the Calamity, it was lushly forested.[7][8] Centuries after the Divergence, it is covered mostly with desert landscapes and mountainous terrain, sheltering rare bastions of civilization. One-third of Marquet is covered with deserts.[9]
Wildemount
Located to the east of Tal'Dorei, this continent contains the trade-oriented Clovis Concord to the west along the Menagerie Coast, the austere Dwendalian Empire within Western Wynandir, and the secretive Kryn Dynasty in Eastern Wynandir.
Domunas / The Shattered Teeth
During the Age of Arcanum, the continent of Domunas[10] held the town of Toramunda which later split into the flying city of Avalir and its terrestrial sister city Cathmoíra. The landmass was destroyed on the eve of the Calamity, leaving behind the Shattered Teeth.[11] Centuries after the Calamity, the Shattered Teeth is an archipelago of 43 islands southeast of Tal'Dorei, beyond a fog bank called the "Fool's Curtain".[12]

Oceans[]

  • Beryl Sea: The ocean to the south of Marquet.
  • Frigid Depths: The cold ocean to the north of Issylra, Tal'Dorei, and Wildemount.
  • Lucidian Ocean: A vast ocean to the south-east of Tal'Dorei and south of Wildemount, containing the Shattered Teeth.
  • Ozmit Sea: The sea separating Tal'Dorei from Issylra and Marquet to its west.

The shortest trip from Issylra to Wildemount by ship would be westward. It would take weeks, and the waters wouldn't offer smooth sailing.[13]

There are nations and cultures under the sea that are largely separated from the surface world and which were generally unexplored by the players as of September/October 2023.[14][15]

Underdark[]

The Underdark is a vast subterranean region that exists below the continents of Exandria. A dark and hostile place, the Underdark is almost a world unto itself, with civilizations, monsters, politics, economies, and threats that may interact only sporadically or indirectly with the surface world.[16] Notably, the Underdark has significant connections to the Far Realm, from which many aberrations emerge.

Time differences and horizons[]

Time differences between locations, often shown when teleporting, give clues to Exandria's size.

  • When it is 10:00 or 10:30 in the morning in Whitestone, it is 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning in Vasselheim.[17]
  • Wildemount's Draconia is far enough east of Tal'Dorei's Whitestone that, in Horisal (winter in the northern hemisphere), when teleporting from Whitestone two hours into daylight, one arrives around sunset in Draconia. The two places are, relative to each other, "on the entire opposite side of the planet."[18]
  • In Quen'pillar (autumn in the northern hemisphere), when it is dusk at Issylra's Lake Umamu, it is morning in Wildemount's Nicodranas.[19]

During the apogee solstice of 843 PD, when the red moon Ruidus was fixed in the sky above central Marquet, the moon could not have been seen from central Wildemount.[20] However, it could be viewed from the Demithore Valley in central Issylra,[21] and could barely be seen from Zephrah in eastern Tal'Dorei.[22]

Equator and tropics[]

Three days into a four-day journey from Emon southwest to Vesrah, the characters were said to still be heading toward the equator.[23] Marisha Ray or Laudna made an offhand comment that the city of Jrusar is "right on the equator",[24] which if taken literally would mean most of Marquet is just to the south of the equator.

The following places are described as tropical:
Southern Wildemount and the Lucidian Ocean

Marquet, the Hespet Archipelago, and the Islands of Anamn

Southern Tal'Dorei

Seasons[]

Exandria experiences seasons, though they are not uniform in length:[48]

  • Winter is the longest season, lasting 102 days. After the ascension of the Matron of Ravens, winter has been associated with that goddess of death, fate, and the passage of time.[49] Winter was previously the domain of another god, Ethedok, until that god was consumed during the Founding.[50] In between those times, it was the domain of the Raven Queen's predecessor.[51][52]
  • Spring lasts 74 days. It is associated with the Arch Heart, god of beauty and arcane magic.[53]
  • Summer is the shortest season, lasting only 68 days. It is associated with the Dawnfather, god of the sun and agriculture.[49]
  • Autumn or fall lasts 84 days. It is associated with the Moonweaver, goddess of love and misdirection.[54]

Satellites[]

Moons by Clara

Official art of Catha and Ruidus, by Clara from Exandria: An Intimate Appendix - Ruidus and the Gods.[art 2]

Catha and Ruidus over Xhorhas - Kent Davis

Official art of Catha and Ruidus over Xhorhas, from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, by Kent Davis.[art 3]

Exandria has two moons,[55][4][56] named Catha and Ruidus.[57] Though often depicted close to each other, Catha and Ruidus have different orbits and can appear in different points in the sky.

On extremely rare occasions, both moons can be involved in a "double eclipse" of Exandria's sun, potentially causing a collision of multiple planes in the area under their shadow and allowing large numbers of creatures to cross even from the Outer Planes to Exandria.[58]

Catha[]

Main article: Catha

Catha is similar in appearance to Earth's Moon, though it is closer to Exandria and appears larger in the sky.[56] It has a 30 to 40 day cycle during which it waxes and wanes.[59]

Ruidus[]

Main article: Ruidus

Ruidus appears smaller in Exandria's sky due to its further distance from the planet, and its reddish-purple, maroon-brown color contributes to a dimmer glow.[56] Lycanthropy is relatively unaffected by this moon in comparison to the closer moon.[60] It has a very slow orbit, taking around six months (up to 182 days) for a revolution, and is visible for about half of the year.[61] Myths and rumors about Ruidus abound. Some believe it to be either pre-creation from when the elements themselves were consuming all of Exandria. Others believe it may have not originally existed, but was a creation of the Betrayer Gods, and was some sort of long-running mysterious plot that was cut short during the end of the Calamity.[62] There is a standard belief in various cultures across Exandria of it being an entity of ill-omen.

From the surface of Ruidus, when Exandria is nearly directly above, the planet takes up about one-fifth or one-sixth of the sky.[63]

Sun, stars, and constellations[]

Exandria rotates around a star at the proper distance to allow life on the planet's surface; this star is the Exandrian Sun, often associated with the Dawnfather and, to a lesser extent, with the Everlight.[64]

Dragon constellation 2

Fan art of the constellation of the Dragon, by Micaerys.[art 4]

Moreover, in the night sky there are numerous visible stars, much more distant, which due to their arrangement in the firmament form constellations with associated stories in different cultures of the world. The known Exandrian constellations are:

  • The Dragon: The first constellation the gods saw when they arrived on Exandria,[65] presumably visible in the sky of Issylra.[66]
  • The Imprisoned: Constellation visible in the sky of Tal'Dorei, and associated with mysterious spirits cursed by the Moonweaver, according to legend. Both star spirits and the constellation itself can grant magical powers to mortals.[67]
  • Surrac's Shield: Constellation visible in the sky of Tal'Dorei, a four-starred diamond with a fifth star in its center. It was used by the leaders of the Qoniira Tetrarchy to calculate where to establish their cities, arranging the main settlement and the four satellite cities that surrounded it in the same way as the five stars of the constellation.[68]

Languages[]

Many different languages are spoken across Exandria. Common is the most widely spoken among humanoids, though most races also have their own language, and there are some regional languages.

Map gallery[]

Official maps[]

Official map of Eastern Exandria by Andy Law.

Map of Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting

Official map of Tal'Dorei, by Andy Law from Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn.[art 5]

Wildemount Poster Map

Official map of Wildemount, by Deven Rue from Explorer's Guide to Wildemount.[art 6]

In-game Exandria map

Official map of Exandria from "The Fate-Touched" (1x103) at 3:18:47.[art 7]

Exandria

Official map of Exandria from "The Fate-Touched" (1x103) at 3:18:47.[art 8]

Fan-made maps[]

Map of Marquet - Niko Vanhala

Fan-made speculative map of Marquet, by Niko Vanhala.[art 9]

Issylra - Niko Vanhala

Fan-made speculative map of Issylra, by Niko Vanhala.[art 10]

Known and unknown Exandria[]

The information reflected in books and maps as of September 2023 shows the "known Exandria", leaving open the possibility that there are landmasses and/or island formations to be discovered. Furthermore, there are territories and nations under the sea and in the Underdark that have yet to be described.[69] That said, given that the fastest sea route from Issylra to Wildemount would be westward,[70] and no other continents that are part of "known Exandria", there are presumably no major landmasses that would interrupt that ocean passage.

Presence in 5th Edition[]

Outside Critical Role and its own sourcebooks, the world of Exandria has been mentioned in various books and adventure modules within Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition:

  • The first mention was made in Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, as the world where Arkhan the Cruel got the Hand of Vecna,[71] a reference to Joe Manganiello's role at the end of Campaign One.[72]
  • In Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, the Flotket Alps of Wildemount are suggested as a possible alternative location to run the adventure, instead of using the world of Toril.[73]
  • In Candlekeep Mysteries, different worlds and cities are offered to place the large library where the main plot of the book is focused. One of those worlds is Exandria, offering as examples of good locations the Soltryce Academy of Rexxentrum and the Cobalt Reserve in Westruun.[74]
  • In The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, two NPCs are mentioned as people who arrived to the domain of Prismeer in the Feywild, coming from "the world of Tal'dorei": Klee Westerly, a nonbinary human; and Hogus Pinsworth, a male stout halfling.[75]
  • In the updated Dungeon Master's Guide (2024), Exandria is mentioned among the official worlds in 5th Edition, and presented as an example of published setting for a campaign.[76]

External links[]

Trivia[]

  • Matt confirmed that Exandria was the world he had worked on and developed the most, and that he didn't expect it to grow this much. He has also stated that he would like to make his worldbuilding more collaborative.[77]
  • The metal rod attuned to Exandria that Allura Vysoren used to cast Plane Shift looked like an iron rod with a spiral of deep cerulean coloration.[78]
  • Some of the inhabitants of Ruidus used to believe that Exandria (a place they were only able to see through dreams) was some sort of afterlife for them, but this belief was destroyed when the people of their dreams started physically visiting the moon.[79]
  • Deerstalker Pictures, the popular fantasy comedy webseries, made a reference to Exandria in a video: in it, a wealthy man ranting about his disdain for tabaxis mentions that they are "eating the dogs in Westruun" (itself a reference to a delusional statement made by Donald Trump in 2024).

References[]

  1. See "Red Rural Revelations" (3x84) at 1:18:08.
  2. See "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) at 4:05:38.
  3. 3.0 3.1 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 41.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Matthew Mercer explained that Exandria is the name of the world and it has two moons.
  5. Artagan explains, "This is but one of many Prime Materials."  See "Blessing in Disguise" (2x95) at 17:53.
  6. See "Critical Role Panel w/ Matthew Mercer and Mary E. McGlynn from MomoCon" from 32:58 through 34:30.
  7. See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 159.
  8. See "Excelsior" (E3x01) at 2:41:44.
  9. See "A Warm Welcome to Marquet and Campaign 3!" on CritRole.com.
  10. See "Excelsior" (E3x01) at 1:36:46.
  11. See "Fire and Ruin" (E3x04) at 6:00:04.
  12. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 98.
  13. See "Crisis of Faith" (3x61) at 4:46:59.
  14. See "4-Sided Dive: Kiss and Tell" (4SDx16) at 1:18:10.
  15. See the Critical Role panel from London's MCM Comic Con at 59:00.
  16. See, for example, Matt's discussion of the illithids after they were freed from K'Varn's influence.  See "Talks Machina Fireside Special: Q&A with the Critical Role Cast" (Sx33) at 52:42.
  17. See "Dangerous Dealings" (1x42) from 3:34:40 through 3:35:03.
  18. See "The Frigid Doom" (1x64) at 3:14:22.
  19. See "The Nein Hells" (3x111) at 1:00:33.
  20. Matt refers to the Tishtan excavation site in central Marquet and to the geologically active area around the Truscan Vale (the Bromkiln Hills and Mount Mentiri) in central Wildemount, but he may be saying more generally that Ruidus can't be viewed from anywhere in Wildemount while it is over central Marquet.  See "Somewhere Out There" (3x59) at 0:59:31.
  21. See "The Apogee Solstice" (3x51) at 4:28:43.  The players did not learn they were in the Demithore Valley until "Somewhere Out There" (3x59).
  22. See "Aid of the Tempest" (3x66) at 1:18:32.
  23. See "Onward to Vesrah" (1x87) at 13:10.
  24. See "Growing Bonds and Teasing Threads" (3x06) at 3:32:07.
  25. Stretching from the coastline is "this dense tropical forest".  See "With Great Power..." (2x94) at 3:23:35.  See also 3:34:38.
  26. It is a "tropical region." See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 6. See also pp. 8 ("sunny, tropical"); 43; 59 ("lush, rain-swept, tropical"); 197 ("Tropical fruits"); and 206.
  27. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 146.
  28. A "bright and sunny tropical forest [...] full of vibrant tropical flowers and birds". See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 77.
  29. It is "filled with [...] swaying tropical trees". See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 71.
  30. "Tropical weather". See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 65.
  31. An "incredibly dense tropical jungle". See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 75.
  32. Features the "simple pleasures of the tropics". See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 68.
  33. "[S]easide heat in this tropical region of the continent".  See "Frigid Propositions" (2x109) at 1:18:28.
  34. A more "tropical environment" than even the Menagerie Coast. See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 17.
  35. Bisaft Post is "a tropical escape" even for Clovis Concord citizens. See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 60.
  36. Has a valley with "an enchanted tropical forest." See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 78.
  37. Artagan describes Rumblecusp as "fairly tropical".  See "A Tangled Web" (2x77) at 3:22:56.
  38. Reaches "an uncomfortable tropical temperature."  See "Ghosts, Dinosaurs, and Stuff" (2x102) at 1:01:02.
  39. "It is a beautiful tropical day."  See "The Ruined Sliver" (2x104) at 1:59:09.
  40. Features various "jungle, tropical trees".  See "Dangerous Liaisons" (2x37) at 3:01:48.
  41. "You are very much in tropical weather."  See "Welcome to the Jungle" (2x38) at 12:03.
  42. "You can see what looks to be a cluster of tropical trees [...] some elements of it seem tropical".  See "Devoutness and Dicks" (2x107) at 1:29:17.  See also 1:00:28.
  43. There are tropical trees at Dalen's Closet.  See "One Year Later..." (1x95) at 1:09:09.
  44. Tropical fruits are found around Marquet's northern shores.  See "Dalen's Closet" (Sx47) at 45:28.
  45. "You do catch the occasional sour smell of a tropical flower."  See "Cloak and Dagger" (1x68) at 1:16:19.
  46. The "city seems like the middle of this distant, tropical paradise."  See "Tangled Depths" (1x88) at 1:06:48.
  47. The jungle just south of the Mornset Countryside is described as having a "sort of tropical wet fern and foliage" scent.  See "A Test of Worth" (E1x05) at 1:11:32.
  48. See the Calendar of Exandria page.
  49. 49.0 49.1 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 32.
  50. See "Axiom Shaken" (3x43) at 3:02:19.
  51. See "Duskmeadow" (1x57) at 0:57:06.
  52. See "A Test of Fate" (3x109) from 4:15:26 through 4:17:08.
  53. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 14.
  54. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 33.
  55. Matthew Mercer stated that Exandria has two moons.  See "The Midnight Chase" (2x03) at 0:51:48.
  56. 56.0 56.1 56.2 Matthew Mercer described Exandria's two moons (source).
  57. See "Manifold Morals" (2x74) at 1:35:24.
  58. In one adventure hook, Dark Days, an army from the Nine Hells crosses over. See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 134.
  59. See "Refjorged" (2x76) at 1:44:26.
  60. Matthew Mercer clarified that the distant moon doesn't affect lycanthropy compared to the closer moon (source).
  61. See "Chasing Nightmares" (3x11) at 2:56:37.
  62. See "Manifold Morals" (2x74) at 1:37:56.
  63. See "Ruidus" (3x83) at 2:35:08.
  64. Matthew Mercer commented on Sarenrae's role on Exandria and her relationship with other gods.
  65. See "Downfall: Part Three" (3x101) at 1:20:37.
  66. See "Somewhere Out There" (3x59) at 4:02:56.  According to legend, the primordial titans and the gods met for the first time on Ascendant Bridge Mountain, the tallest point on Exandria and the first place the deities visited when they reached the planet. Since said mountain is in Issylra, the constellation might be visible from that continent.
  67. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, pp. 84–85.
  68. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 115.
  69. See "4-Sided Dive: Kiss and Tell" (4SDx16) at 1:16:59.
  70. See "A Long Walk of Reflection" (3x62) at 4:47:07.
  71. See D&D: Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, 5th ed., p. 112.
  72. See "Vecna, the Ascended" (1x114) at 5:32:05.
  73. See D&D: Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, 5th ed., p. 8.
  74. See D&D: Candlekeep Mysteries, 5th ed., p. 1.
  75. See D&D: The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, 5th ed., p. 156. See also page 176
  76. See D&D Dungeon Master's Guide (2024), 5th ed., p. 136.
  77. See Chatting with Matthew Mercer at 6:05.
  78. See "The Eve of the Red Moon" (3x81) at 2:20:35.
  79. See "Red Rural Revelations" (3x84) at 0:57:05.

Art:

  1. Screenshot of Exandria, by Cyarna Trim from "Exandria: An Intimate History" (Sx61) at 5:09. Used with permission.
  2. Official art of Catha and Ruidus, by Clara from Exandria: An Intimate Appendix - Ruidus and the Gods. Used with permission.
  3. Official art of Catha and Ruidus over Xhorhas, from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, by Kent Davis (source). Used with permission.
  4. Fan art of the constellation of the Dragon, by Micaerys. Work contributed to the Critical Role Wiki by the artist.
  5. Official map of Tal'Dorei, by Andy Law from Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
  6. Official map of Wildemount, by Deven Rue from Explorer's Guide to Wildemount. This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
  7. Official map of Exandria from "The Fate-Touched" (1x103) at 3:18:47. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
  8. Official map of Exandria from "The Fate-Touched" (1x103) at 3:18:47. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
  9. Fan-made speculative map of Marquet, by Niko Vanhala (source). Used with permission.
  10. Fan-made speculative map of Issylra, by Niko Vanhala (source). Used with permission.