Terra(World)

Basic Information

Terra is an open world 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.

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.

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 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.

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 Modern Terran 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. The technology is no longer in wide use, although some AEGIS suits still exist.