Setting
The year is 1190 of the Age of Resonance. Our story begins in the western sub-continent of Lyr, which is currently ruled by the kingdom of Attoria in the north and the Exharkan Protectorate in the south. While these two powers have been enemies for centuries, starting on the continent of Cal’Atas, they are now in the first year of an uneasy truce. Both armies, however, still keep close watch over their shared border.
The people of Attoria come from all races and walks of life, and all are allowed to prosper under the rule of Queen Essylt “Hearthguard” Attore. However, many still remain wary of the Exharkan Protectorate to the south, as there are whispers of an end to the truce with the rulers of the golden city.
Across the kingdom, low hills and temperate forests allow for easy living, but there still remain many unexplored and dangerous regions within Attoria’s borders.
Kingdoms
-
Under the rule of Queen Essylt “Hearthguard” Attore, the borders of Attoria surround most of the land north of the River Sanguine.
Capital: Vellia
People: Mostly humans, dwarves, and halflings
Social System: Feudal
Primary Deity: Yessett
Primary Exports: Wine, Woundstone, Crownwood -
The empire of Exhark claims much of the land south of the River Sanguine, excluding the orc-controlled Durzgog Grasslands.
Main City: Goldmarsh
People: Human, half-elves, dragonborn
Social System: Feudal
Primary Deity: Yessett
Primary Export: Gold, Springfire -
Iim’Evess
Iim’Evess covers the most territory on Lyr. Within its borders, the elves of Iim’Evess patrol the desert of Esa’Eluré and the Forest of Peram.
Capital: None. The seat of power moves within the desert of Esa’Eluré.
People: Elves (high and desert)
Social System: Kinship
Primary Deity: The One and The Many
- Forest Aspect: Peram (Beauty)
- Desert Aspect: Faliir (Wrath)
Primary Export: Fulgurite, Silk -
Nezbal claims the mineral-rich Zolnya Mountains and the rocky land surrounding them.
Capital: Kor’Varad
People: Dwarves
Social System: Caste
Primary Deity: Hrodrik
Primary Export: Various Metals and Alloys, black powder -
The cold-hardened warriors of Iomýra have been on the continent for about 20 years. They find warmth in the ale halls across Ölmýr.
Capital: Austgátt
People: Goliath
Social System: Clan
Primary Deity: Gundis
Primary Export: Ale, Leather -
Few have been brave enough to explore the Vveir. Fewer still have returned. The best course of action is to avoid the far eastern section of the continent, but for those of you who decide to venture into the unknown: go prepared, trust no one, and listen out for thunder.
The Peoples of Lyr
Most races work harmoniously on Lyr, especially in Attoria. Together, they built most of the cities, towns, and villages of the western sub-continent. In a fight, these races will back their friends before their own people. However, there are always exceptions.
-
Humans. They do good, they do evil, and they do everything in between. Most importantly, they make up the majority of the people on the western sub-continent. Luckily, the humans of Attoria tend to work well with others.
-
Gnomes form close-knit communities throughout the towns and cities of Attoria. Many of them crossed the Ocean of Illira to escape the effects of the sundering of the old kingdom. Gnomes take delight in life, enjoying every moment of invention, exploration, investigation, creation, and play. For some curious reason, some gnomes are calling themselves the Elders, regardless of their age.
-
Halflings came to Lyr on their own. They typically don’t oppose the governing bodies, but they feel they should be able to live their lives according to their own rules and whims. As such, many halflings experience wanderlust and only tend to set root when they find a place that is too comfortable to leave.
-
Elves tend to stay in their own lands, so not much is known of their culture outside of Iim’Evess. Some leave their homeland from time to time, but they usually don’t say much about where they come from. No one really knows whether the Elves have been here from the beginning or if they found and settled Lyr like everyone else.
-
Hailing from the frigid lands of Iomýra, the Iomýri have recently settled in the northern territory of Ölmýr. These goliath warriors revel in physical challenges. Their favorites include clan battles, gladiatorial competitions at Evermore Threshold, and drunken wrestling in their beloved ale halls. The Iomýri offer a warm welcome to all who are willing to take a punch… or ten.
-
Many other intelligent races have traits that some would call demonic or monstrous, but not all of them are raiders, murderers, and thieves. Tieflings, half-orcs, and a few other races on Lyr try to politely join society. Few succeed.
Religion
No Lyrian would consider themselves atheist, as everyone knows godly forces exist. People of the Common Practice don’t often directly worship the gods, instead, they typically choose to worship one particular Ascendant. People of the Evessan Practice believe in one entity that presents itself as many parts.
The Common Practice
The most common religious practice of Yessett revolves around the Two, Yessett and Raemid, true gods who have always been. However, most who follow the common practice choose to revere a particular Ascendant, exceptional mortals who ascended beyond their temporal forms to govern that which they most embodied in life.
The Two rule over the tides of order and chaos, the balance between them ebbing and flowing in an eternal struggle for reality. After they created existence, these entities manifested themselves physically as the binary planets Yessett and Raemid circling the sun, Illumé.
Most people worship Yesset, the god of order who became the very world they live on. However, there are those who see the Raemid, the other planet in the binary relationship, as the ultimate power.
-
The Two rule over the tides of order and chaos, the balance between them ebbing and flowing in an eternal struggle for reality. After they created existence, these entities manifested themselves physically as the binary planets Yessett and Raemid circling the sun, Illumé.
Most people worship Yesset, the god of order who became the very world they live on. However, there are those who see the Raemid, the other planet in the binary relationship, as the ultimate power. -
The Ascendant were once mortal. While most were intensely devoted to one of the Two, some ascended to godhood by the sheer conviction of their own principles.
The common people of Attoria often find the aspects of the Ascendant to be more approachable for worship than the Two. Orders worshiping the Ascendant have become more popular in recent decades. -
The Antithians are gods created out of necessity. The world did not know what it meant to die and leave this plane of existence, so the forces of chaos and order birthed two beings to ensure balance. As chaos had order, life now had death. But death alone would litter the world with everlasting husks—eternal reminders of loss. Thus, decay was unleashed upon the world, and with it, disease and rot. For this, death and decay would be considered the antithesis of everything Yesset and Raemid gave.
Most Lyrians disregard The Antithians. Many hate them. Very few worship them. -
Many forgotten and unworshipped entities still linger in the shadows. While their power has diminished, adventurers should still be wary when in their presence.
Evessan Practice
The elves of Iim’Evess are monotheistic. They believe the One acts through multiple avatars, the Many. When intervention is required, the One manifests the necessary avatar to send to their people.
Experienced Avatars of The One
Peram, Avatar of Beauty
Anlinar, Avatar of Courage
Roziam, Avatar of Compassion
Faliir, Avatar of Wrath
Ianuul, Avatar of Deceit
How Everything Ends (According to Lyrians)
The following is an excerpt from the musings of acclaimed explorer, taxonomist, and author F. Archer Jareeb:
People have always wanted to know how the world ends. For many, it’s more important than every single event that would lead up to the final moments of everything. Throughout history, there has always been someone claiming that the end is nigh. Sometimes, they back it with “evidence,” but most times, they claim it’s prophecy.
Prophecy is a dangerous thing. 99.9997% of the time, prophecy is nothing more than a vivid dream brought on by too many hallucinogens. .0003% of the time, however, prophecy is real. The fact that there exists even a nearly negligible chance that prophecy can come to fruition means that many people of Yessett take most prophecies seriously. I don’t believe I need to expound upon the reasons why this is dangerous, so I’ll go ahead and seemingly contradict my mathematically tested statistic by telling you about four undoubtedly true prophecies that were made by one person in a single day.
The first was named The Hearth at the Last of Tomorrows; the second, The Lake at the Precipice of Nothing; the third, The Winds over the Bridge to Neverafter; and the fourth, the Crack at the Seam of the World. These prophecies are collectively known as The Sounds at the Ends of Everything.
The Common Calendar
Planet: Yesset
Sun: Illumé
Year: 1190 AR (Age of Resonance)
15 months/year, 5 days/week, 390 days/year.
Months are broken down by celestial occurrences. The number 26 is based on the movement of the Tristars.
Seasons
Spring: Alms 14 -Lyré 6, 97 days
Summer: Lyré 7 -Ahvaan 20, 96 days
Autumn: Ahvaan 21 -Viridis 15, 100 days
Winter: Viridis 16 -Alms 13, 97 days
Months
Olmé - The first of the Tri-stars, Olm, is visible alone for 26 days
Oyené - The second of the Tri-stars, Oyen, is visible with Olm for 26 days
Oruxé - The third of the Tri-stars, Orux, is visible with Olm and Oyen for 26 days
Lyré - Olm leaves the night sky on Oruxé 26th, Oyen leaves on Lyré 26th
Irythas - Iryth, the great tree on the satellite Ehlora, blooms (avg. of 36 days). 26 days
Imun* - The heavens are calm. Named for Imiamun, the Elf Daughter. 30 days
Ahvaan - The satellite, Alm, is farthest in its orbit. 26 days
Igné* - Sisere brightens for 32 days
Siseré* - Sisere is the brightest star in the sky for 23 days
Taeshen* - The Great Black darkens half the stars in the sky for 24 days
Viridis- Month of the aurora. 26 days
Deahvi - The constellation, The Chorus of Deahv, is visible. 26 days
Unuré* - The Snow Star, Unur, flickers for 21 days
Shtett - The comet, Beshtett, crosses the sky mid-month. 26 days
Alms - The satellite, Alm, is closest in its orbit. 26 days
Days of the Week
Hrodsday, Nivsday, Peramsday, Lirsday, Gundsday