On the scorched trail -
Gruff in desert. Monsters in desert. Monsters eats Gruff. Gruff runs. Gruff finds trail. Trail no monsters. Gruff follow trail...

Those acolytes who channeled Elori's light and grace were rewarded. Those who instead channeled Elori's deceit and judgement were shamed and outcast.

Lack of other qualification is a qualification itself! From the point of a flavour consumer, how does the flavour so far appeal to you? What stands out?

@Anjomeddon:
I like to think that Anjo has Urabrask syndrome. He has a sentimental side. He sees his followers as pets of a sort. He's fond of them as sort of pets. Ooh that's a good human, you're getting an extra ration tonight! Except Anjo sees the majority of his pets as interchangeable and individually disposable. Unless you're a particularly impressive grand architect or warleader or something. If you're just an average warleader (and over the centuries he's had plenty) Anjo won't take any real personal interest in you. People who aren't his personal playthings are beneath his interest- unless their messing with his followers which are mine damn it and only I get to decide when they die!

@Anjo/Glac relationship
I see them as emotionally distant siblings (twins maybe?). They both detest the other's methods and believe their own way to be superior. They can get along from a distance but both know that if they actually spent a whole week in each other's company they would end up at each other's throats. It is in their mutual interest to avoid each other and preserve their relationship, such as it is.

Some flavour nuggets:
SteelBridge - The city of Steel Bridge was once known by another name, but centuries after the Stilling has become synonymous with it's distinguishing feature- the plane's first (and in light of a certain catastrophe) 100% metal-frame bridge. All the other bridges across the Big Gap have crumbled and rotted away long ago, leaving Steelbridge (the bridge) the only way across and turning Steelbridge (the town) into a bustling trade center and the biggest settlement in the area.
Steelbridge is a universal ceasefire zone because everyone from a hundred miles out can agree that the bridge's integrity must be maintained. Even conquering armies know that Steelbridge should only be taken by negotiatin and the town and bridge itself has gone more or less untouched by multiple empires.It is currently overtaken but untouched by the Faith of Elori.
This is also the farthest sunward that the robes of the Academy carry serious weight. Even within the range of influence of ludite zealots nobody can convince the Steelbridgers to turn against the only people who truly know how to maintain the bridge. This pisses of the cultists sooo much. Way more than the actual artificers ever did.
Maybe this is the base of the Trade Consortium? They're the ones who really run the place. Also makes sense since that's where the Academy would logically think to launch such an intiative.

Big Gap** - A massive canyon running more or less parallel to the terminator*. Across its entire length the only way to cross is at Steelbridge. The scholars of Frostwynd have a proper name for the canyon, but find that even they end up referring to it as Big Gap.

How would everyone feel about a black merchant protagonist?
Guess I'll leave the lich for next time.
I aslo need to look into the Aloise Hartley thing.
Also we need to get the Elori/Anjo thing sorted out. I figure Elori's Anjo's favouritest ever human who runs his proxy religion because Anjo is way too temperamental to actually manage of of these things.

* The line on a planet's surface dividing night and day. Also a word I really like.
** Deep Trench maybe? Long Gorge/Gap? I just want something descriptive and overly simple. A "Grand Canyon" that doesn't sound too derivative.