Latest revision as of 11:10, 15 April 2007

Terra is an open setting, a planet in the same universe as Gaera, designed by Will Baseton and Dia. Several characters on Gaera at current hail from Terra, most notably the Baseton clan of ryuujin. While the planet is a source of much turmoil and chaos to its own people, the presence of advanced magical technology and the abundance of ruins have made it a haven for treasure hunters and dimensional jumpers looking to shake things up.

Basic Information

Geography

Terra is split into four major continents, with several smaller subcontinents in the outlying sea. Two of the continents are named for the two Great Deities that oversaw the creation of the planet, while the other two were once religiously named but changed by their own inhabitants. Outside of these four landmasses is a massive, mostly uncharted ocean, filled with islands and subcontinents that are home to all sorts of indigenous civilizations.

The Inner Lands

Lyser, named for the Father deity involved in the creation of the land itself, is the central-most continent and was until recently the hub of civilization. Largely populated by humans and demihumans before the war that drove the surviving human population into subterranean domes, Lyser was ground zero for the Reaper retrovirus attack. A calm and temporate climate governs this area, marked by all manners of green. Recently, as humans have been venturing back up from underground to reclaim their lost territory, the capital city of Valon has begun to experience a renaissance of activity.

• This continent's subterranean caves are home to the Myrdel Dome, one of the largest postwar human settlements.

Laetia, the easternmost continent, was home primarily to the ryuujin in the past before the Laetian Civil War decimated a large portion of the population. Named for the creator goddess who governed life itself, Laetia's landmass is a mixture of rocky highlands and rolling plains. The land itself is saturated with magic, a likely cause of the evolution of ryuujin into a full-fledged society. The largest city on the continent is Dologen, the capital and sole remaining city occupied by the Ryuujin as an imperial colony. Dologen is also home to a large forest known as Scalewood, where many of Terra's Forest Elves have retreated to.

Prometheus, the northern continent, was previously known as Astaros, named for the fall of the dark deity Astaroth, but after Astaroth's second attack on the world resulted in a massive loss of life on the continent, the rebuilding population renamed it Prometheus. Characterized by even higher mountain ranges than Laetia, many of the cities on Prometheus are built in the center of mountainous craters. Because of this rough and hard to access terrain, Promethean citizens found it much easier to escape from the effects of Reaper, and it is in fact the most heavily populated post-war continent in Terra.

Heimdall is the smallest of the four main landmasses, and lies to the south of Laetia. Also known as the "Ghost Country", Heimdall's original name has been lost in the waves of history. More a massive island than a small continent, Heimdall was once known for being the site of the largest city on all of Terra. In the modern day, it stands as the most horrible symbol of Astaroth's final attack. In an event known as the Time Crash, Astaroth used a large portion of his powers on the city, freezing the entire island in time. Even after his death, the curse on the island persists, leaving a perfectly preserved city that grows increasingly decayed and dead as one ventures deeper into its center. Because of this curse, the island is summarily avoided by most of the population of Terra, fearing rumors of roving undead...and worse.

The Outer Sea

The Outer Lands are not really one continent at all, but rather a series of smaller islands and subcontinents surrounding the Inner Lands. These islands are home to all sorts of unusual species and cities, often operating completely independent of the influence of the Inner Lands.

Population

Terra is home to a host of unusual species, both mundane and magical. While just about any humanoid species could be found on Terra, previously a multidimensional hub, the most populous indigenous species on Terra are as follows:

• Humans - Once the overwhelming controller of the majority of Terran territory, humans have, during the Sixth Age, been dealt a crippling blow by the Reaper virus, an anti-human biological weapon that grew quickly out of control and decimated lives on all sides of the conflict. However, a large percentage of the population managed to escape the virus' effects before it spread too far, and retreated into domed cities beneath the larger landmasses. As Reaper has faded from the human continents, humans have begun to venture back out into their pre-war homes and reclaim the land that was once theirs.
• Elves - Many varieties of elves live on Terra as well. Originally spreading across most of the landmasses in communities unique to their subspecies, the elves retreated during the War of the Storm, fearing persecution by the increasingly manic human armies. They dealt with this by spreading out to many of the Outer Lands, while a large percentage of Forest Elves migrated to Laetia to settle within Scalewood Forest, with approval by King Ryuu Baseton. Since the war's end and Reaper's ravaging of Lyser, the majority of Terra's elven population has declined to return to their old cities, which are currently guarded by magical constructs known as Sentinels, built to defend the cities until their rightful owners return.
  • An offshoot race of High Elves, the Metherei, is responsible for the creation of the ryuujin race, due to extended crossbreeding with human-form dragons.
• Merfolk - The race most unaffected by the War of the Storm and the resultant Reaper outbreak was one that, in fact, does not live on any of the main continents at all. Known as the Falthen in their native tongue, several branches of aquatic humanoids live in the many seas surrounding the Inner Lands, pursuing opt-in diplomacy with any nations willing to trade and associate with them, although they will not go out of their way to aid surface-dwellers who have not proven themselves. Sa'ter'ei, the largest Merfolk city, lies off the eastern coast of Laetia, built on the same magical foundation as the city of Dologen. It is heavily enchanted by a massive chunk of Laetian crystal held in the city's center, to the point at which its water is breathable by surface-dwellers, much to the surprise of visitors.
• Demons - One of the most easily noticed testaments to the lasting effect Astaroth has had on Terra is the fact that, after his second attack was repelled, several of his demonic armies were left without a means of returning to the darkness from which they were spawned. Trapped on the physical plane with no means of returning home en masse, the former followers of the Fallen God were driven to the furthest borders of the Inner Lands, eventually migrating to an island to the west of Heimdall. They built a settlement known as Verizel in the center of the island, and largely retreated from the public sphere. Contrary to popular belief, however, not all of Terra's demons are innately evil. Rather, they are a species of dark-aligned humanoids whose patron deity abandoned them, and now function as a readily neutral piece of the Terran population.
• Dragons - Dragons exist all across Terra, mainly taking human form to avoid being attacked by glory-seekers and treasure hunters searching for a quick dollar. There is no official dragon "colony" of sorts, as the species has grown particularly skilled at blending in with its surroundings. Their population numbers nowhere near as large as the humans, elves, or merfolk, but without question, every major city likely has at least one dragon living within it. Much like Gaera's Aldrosian dragons, Terran dragonkin are mostly quadrupedal when in dragon form, and can manifest in a myriad of colors and shapes. Particularly rare in Terran dragonkind are gemstone dragons, born primarily in mountainous regions, and metal dragons, widely considered "mutants" by the draconic community due to their unstable forms.
  • Ryuujin - A subspecies of dragon born from extended crossbreeding with High Elves, ryuujin could easily be considered more elf than dragon in the modern era, building civilizations and advancing the spread of magi-technology. Most ryuujin spend much of their lives in humanoid form, only unveiling their dragon forms in combat or when absolutely necessary. Primarily centered around the continent of Laetia, where the White Dragon Empire once controlled the majority of the landmass, ryuujin occupy the magically amplified city of Dologen, the former seat of draconic power. Most Ryuujin are not overwhelmingly physically strong in their humanoid forms, their elven blood predisposing them towards magic, but there is a percentage of the population that is genetically predisposed towards physical combat. These ryuujin often become members of the Imperial Guard or armed forces.

Time

The most commonly accepted calendar on Terra follows a 14-month format. Dates are listed month first, followed by day, and then year. There are seven days in a standard Terran week, and 24 hours in a day, much like Earth and Gaera. The current year is roughly 2764, in the Sixth Age of the Modern Terran Calendar. There have been several Ages in Terran history, often marked by major events. Each roll-over between Ages also results in a restart of the calendar.

Religion

Contrary to most worlds, Terran deities can - and do - die, and as such, the Gaeran pantheon is particularly amorphous. In recent years, due in no small part to the Reaper incident causing critical damage to worship as a whole, the deities have either retreated to conserve power, or in the case of Ladon, the Dragon God, passed away. Despite this, religion is a strong part of most Terrans' lives, as it is particularly difficult to deny the presence of deities when an entire continent lies frozen in time.

Technology

The technology level in Terra is considerably more advanced than modern Gaera, but ages behind MAC Gaera. Magic is the primary power source for technology on Terra, and it allows for such advantages as electricity, full plumbing, and vehicular transportation. Heavily crystallized magic is also used for utility purposes, such as information archiving and music storage. A few examples of Terran magitechnology are as follows.

• Music Spheres - Small spheres of magical energy sealed in a polished orb, these spheres can store sound and replay it later when activated.
• Data Crystals - Crystallized energy used in the archiving of information, these crystals function as rudimentary computers with the ability to display text held within. Experiments have been made to expand the technology's versatility, but as of yet have met with failure.
• Runes - Astral symbols representing a tie to a certain magical plane, these runes can be attached to an individual, granting them abilities connected to that plane. An example of this technology would be the Cosmos Rune, a unique Rune attached to Will Baseton that enhances his control over portals.
• AEGIS Armor - Military technology utilized by humans in the War of the Storm, these magically-powered suits of armor stand roughly '7 in height, and interface with the wearer via a runic connection on the wearer's head. The suits offer extreme magical amplification and defense capability. When attempts were made to test AEGIS technology on non-human, innately magical subjects, catastrophic accidents were reported. It is currently unknown why the technology would react so violently to non-human test subjects. The technology is no longer in wide use, although some workable AEGIS suits still exist, and salvageable suits are often still found lying on the battlefields from just before Reaper.