Mind-Altering Substances

comes in a myriad forms and are available in every corner of Terra. From specially grown cousins of tobacco that relax, calm, and relieve pain, to powders, pills, and liquids that do everything from relieve pain to produce vivid hallucinations, they are a pall upon the average citizens of the world.

Some of the substances are naturally occurring, such as mushrooms, herbs, and some flowers. Others, many powders, pills, and liquids, are created by magic-users or alchemists. Then there are the various alcohols that are far more potent than the average brews: dwarven spirits most notably, as well as fae wine and gnomish mead.

As everyone knows, alcohol is one of the most potent substances, especially where the dwarves, elves, and gnomes are concerned. Dwarven ale is superior to every other brew in its effects on every other race. It often intoxicates or even inebriates in less than a full mug. Fae wine, made by the great elven family of Ithrandia, has a more dreamlike effet on the consumer. It also affords a different kind of clarity, despite the consumer’s drunkeness. Gnomish mead is often flavored with various fruits or berries. It also has a different effect than the other two beverages, in that it often gives the onsumer the impression of flying or floating, on top of the inebriation.

Powders and other altering substances are often added to alcohol or other beverages to increase or amplify the effets. They are also able to be injected or, in the case of powders, can be smoked.

Krezdiv

home of the Corelon Zepheroth, Guildermaire, and Bethsaille, it is the most magically advanced country in all Terra. It boasts the most bountiful harvests of corn, wheat, oats, and barley. They also produce large amounts of sugar cane and maple syrup. Nearly half of all their production is exported. They are also known for their melons, root vegetables, and tomatoes.

Despite being the leading authority of all things magical, musical, and fashion related, they are third in healthcare, sixth in military might, and second in education. They rely more on their magic than their military to defend the country. While they hold health and hygiene in high regard they don’t send as many to Argenon as Iskenderun. Home to two magical academies and the bard college, they value learning more than every country except Cynsile.

The center of fashion, most other countries follow their lead. Their nobility and aristocracy spend a large amount of their time focused on their appearance and attire. While they cannot boast the grand creations of the dwarves of Dorath, the country, and especially the capital city of Corelon, is home to a sizeable gnomish population. A large percentage of halflings call the country their homeland as well. The ingenuity and resourcefulness, as well as their skill and creativity continue to be a large reason for the fashion prominence.

The Adventurer’s Warehouse, the single largest business and only “chain store” in all of Terra, calls Corelon home to its flagship establishment. What began as a small, lone shop selling basic equipment to new adventurers, over the generations has grown into a massive franchise with at least one sprawling complex on each continent (except Ni-Shan) across Terra. This business boasts the most innovative, unique, and exotic merchandise known. They sell everything from armored gowns and suits, to enchanted weapons, to powerful potions, and so much more. It is unlike any other retailer.

While generally frowned upon, especially by the lower classes, slavery is not unheard nor illegal in Krezdiv. Mostly nobility, the aristocracy, merchants, and some ships still use slave labor on a regular basis. Since the country is a kingdom, there is little chance that it will ever be completely outlawed.

The biggest celebration of the year is the midsummer celebration. It is marked by the Zepheroth and the Nostratale (the bardic competition). These two massive competitions bring more new visitors to the country and capital city every year. With the renown and wealth attributed to the victors, it is a small wonder that all of Terra has yet to turn out for the events. While the royal family, King Amos and Prince Andros, host a massive and elaborate gala, the commoners celebrate in more traditional ways. This usually involves consuming copious amounts of alcohol and food, brawling, sex, and many other forms of debauchery. Many in Terra can trace their night of conception to this week of the year.

Nestapor

is home to Prince Glaive, and a Nordic-based culture specifically with regards to horses, in and out of battle. Their cavalry is second to none and has been so since ancient times.

The country is almost exclusively grass and farmlands with the rolling hills of Rhaedon as its border against the White Scorched Desert of Adamar. Its three other sides are protected by ocean and, mostly, hazardous rocky shores. This allows for some fishing and a powerful navy. It also protects from most invaders.

While slavery is frowned upon, there are some places in Nestapor where it is considered acceptable. Most often they are found on farms, especially working with horses, though some work in the cities for merchants.

Cotton and grains are significant exports, considered to be some of the best fiber in all Terra because of the consistent and temperate weather allowing for better growing seasons. The sex trade is carefully regulated, as with most developed countries across Terra.

Before the series begins, they have little to no real political power in the world. After Princess Isadora is betrothed to Prince Glaive, all that changes. Over the years, they grow to be a dominant force for change in many arenas throughout the geopolitical environment. Under her guidance, their information network develops and quickly rivals Iskenderun’s.

Adamar

is the origin of the once-great pyromancy tribes. It’s also the only desert in all Terra and makes up the entire country. It’s flanked on the southeastern border by the Sol’s Spine Mountains and the southwestern border by the hills of Rhaedon. There are strong Egyptian, Arabic, and Turkish influences on the culture of the country.

As it is a desert and on the equator, there are no seasons. There is little rainfall, except along the mountains. Water is the greatest comodoty in the land. Those who know where to look, can find it with little trouble.

Camel is the most reliable means of travel. Slavery is still acceptable. Bandits are common, especially out in the depths of the desert. This breeds skilled and vicious warriors. The towns and cities along the moutains are famous for theirs jewelers and weaponsmiths. Costal cities and villages have learned to turn the salt water of the sea into useable water for farming. Sturdy grains, goats, and sheep are the staples. Dates, coconuts, and other hardy fruits and nuts are regularly cultivated and exported.

Since Adamar is a desert nation, they have little, outside of skilled warriors and smiths, to offer to the world at large. Though, ther exotic produce and grains offer value on the markets of Terra. They import the vast majority of their goods.

Those who hail from Adamar have darker skin, hair, and eyes. Their beauty is renown the world over. It affords their bards an advantage and their warriors as well.

Near the northern-most tip of Adamar, reside the great sheiks and their vast hareems. They control vast swaths of the desert and breed the greatest horses in all Terra. Known for their endurance and fortitude, they are coveted by most rulers on the continent.

Ni-Shan

is the island nation where the goddess Jade established her favored style of martial arts. Its culture is similar to that of feudal Japan.

Traditionally, and since the beginning of time, the country was ruled by a hereditary emperor and his samurai general. Each province was ruled by a lesser lords who answered to the emperor, and had samurai of their own to enforce their will. The peasants of the land spend long days growing rice, raising livestock, or fishing.

As time progressed, the Guild of Shadows gained a foothold in the country and often aligned with the various criminal organizations that operate in the background all across Ni-Shan. The agents of the Guild of Shadows operate within the different organizations, usually unbeknownst to the leaders of those organizations. As the Guild is far more powerful than any other criminal group, they often guide the lesser groups along their desired path.

Tradition is the backbone of the island nation. Everything is routed in the way it has been done for generations. Parents teach their children respect, honor, and duty from a young age. These are the foundational principles that drive the society.

Alongside the longstanding tradition of the warrior and his blade, exists those skilled warriors who need no weapons. The monks and martial artists of the land tout a myriad different styles of unarmed combat, the most prominent being founded by the goddess herself (Kenchido). From this country, many nations of Terra learned and developed their own varied style of hand-to-hand combat.

For countless generations, Ni-Shan remained largely closed off to the other nations of the world. The occasional lost ship would limp into one of the ports along the southwestern coast after one powerful storm or another. However, two generations prior to the current emperor, it was decided the country couldn’t thrive or survive if it didn’t open its borders to commerce and new blood. This has allowed the island nation to grow and prosper in ways the ancestors could never have imagined.

Morgath

the northern most country on Acleron. At the start of the series, it is overrun by monster hordes and ruled by the bloodmage Roan Wolfoak. The people of the land do their best to avoid the death and destruction wrought by the evil beings.

Historically, the country was known for its cold, rocky, and mountainous terrain where few crops grew. Only root vegetables and those hardy enough to survive the brutal cold are sustainable. It was often known to have vast herds of yak and buffalo, raised for their meat, milk, and fiber. Some of the warmest, non-magical garments and bedding came from the country. While the land was mountainous, there was little ore to be gathered and little of significance had occurred within its borders. It was the northernmost country in all Terra and therefore saw snow, ice, and cold for nearly nine of the twelve months every year.

At one time, the country was divided and ruled by regional dukes or baron. Each noble was responsible for large expanses of the land. They taxed the peasants but offered fair and reasonable protection against bandits and monsters since time immemorium.

*Spoiler Alert*

After Roan’s downfall and the utter destruction of the massive monster horde, the country lay in chaos and turmoil for nearly a generation while its people struggled to recover and rebuild. There is little more of the books that take place in the country after the third book.

Dorath

home of the dwarves is a land of mountains and hills. While they sustain some farming (mostly growing grain and raising meat animals) to provide for the population with little trade needed, they focus much of their time and effort into fermenting beverages, mining ores and gems, crafting incredible items from their mining, and no small amount of creative engineering.

These sturdy and industrious beings garb themselves in natural fibers, often adorned with additions of metals or gemstones. When in battle they regularly wear full or partial plate mail, or scale mail. Their favored weapons are often the tools they work with, though double-headed axes are regularly weilded too. The war machines they design and create are unequalled in all Terra.

Dwarven weapons and armor are unequalled in all Terra. Their techniques are closely guarded secrets, passed down from one generation to the next. The same is true of their jewelry, war engines, and other inventions.

It is said that Amon, creator-god of dwarves, raised up the mountains so they could learn, study, and perfect their skills. He is believed to have whispered the greatest secrets of smithing into the stones and they sprang to life as Xenon Hammerfell and his blushing bride Onyx Clangadin. Upon their appearance, Amon charged them to multiply and teach their children the secrets he taught them.

As the mountain halls filled, the massive dwarf-built, underground cities got crowded. Tempers flared, resentment festered. The children of Xenon and Onyx left, to explore their world and establish trade with the other races. As they did, they intermingled bloodlines, ideas, and cultures. This brought more wealth and renown to the dwarf kingdom.

As the centuries passed, the men of Terra tried to steal the knowledge and resources of Dorath. This led to tension and ultimately war among the races. While victorious in defending their secrets, the dwarves withdrew into their kingdom and only traded sparingly with the neighboring countries.

The Free Lands

home of the Vahkahran, the wild and nomadic tribes similar to Mongolians, and the independent city-states. This land is mentioned briefly in the first book but is truly introduced in the second.

Mostly grasslands, but with a few rolling foothills leading into the Andalie Mountains, and a small forest along the northwestern coast, it boasts the greatest herds of sheep and goats in Terra. The Vahkahran, mighty warriors to the last, are fiber artists without equal. The independent city-states boast some of the greatest jewelers outside the Dwarven kingdom, and skilled farmers who grow produce found nowhere else in Terra. Lastly, the White Cliffs are renowned for their weaponsmiths and armorers, second only to the dwarves.

Only a handful of merchants risk the journey. As a result, there is a sort of monopoly on the goods entering and leaving Iskenderun.

In the beginning, the Vahkahran were a single massive tribe called Neera. It was led by a great chief who had seven brave and skilled sons. Chief Ashahkar ruled Neera with an iron but steady hand. He and his shaman established the majority of the laws and traditions that are still honored and/or held to at present day. However, upon his death, the tribe was divided into seven smaller tribes, as his sons couldn’t abide by his decision of who would be his successor.

Historicly, the country has been left to its own devices.

Slavery is still legal. The strongest survive and thrive, as they have since the beginning.

*Spoiler Alert*

This is the time of both the greatest peace and the most turmoil since Neera first rode the plains. Under Chieftess Kaylin Zel, the whole of the country is united in preparation. The future is uncertain, but they all desire to defend their home.

Glendar

home of the elves, where the entire series begins. It is the largest and most ancient forest in all Terra. While there is some grassland near the coast and occasional clearings scattered throughout, it is the forest home to both high and wild elves. This is the place many refer to when they speak of the Great Forest.

The elven nation makes up nearly ninety percent of the southern border of Iskenderun, while only a small portion if its western border is shared with the dwarven nation along the southern run of the Demon’s Run Mountains. This is where many elven princes have served for decades in the Titans’ Guard before returning to the palace to learn to rule the nation.

While most mock the elves and often refer to them as sprites, faeries, or other such unflattering terms, most are skilled warriors, trained for nearly a half century before allowed to join the elven army. Longbow and either a single long sword, or combination of long and short sword, are the prefered weapons of these lithe and lethal fighters. Still, many chose to atune themselves more keenly with the land. As a result, they are revered as rangers or druid who guard and defend the natural world.

For generations beyond remembering, the elven monarchy was led by the first pureblood son of the reigning elf king. Only when King Darlyn Zephyr took the throne and named his first born, bastard, son prince of the blood, did things begin to change. That is what sparks the civil war that opens the series.

Elves are seldom inclined toward elaborate and ornate attire. Most tend to wear simple, natural, and effective garb in browns and greens. Only for the most special of occasions do they adorn themselves with any sort of jewelry.

While they celebrate the winter and summer solstice, and the fall and spring equinox, the elves also rever every other celestial event. They can often be found dancing beneath the moon and stars on the nights of meteor showers and full moons, as well as when significant constelations apear. Elves rever the stars as their great memory-keepers.

*Spoiler Alert*

Once home to hundreds of colonies of faeries and fae kind, the ignorance of humans saw their numbers vastly depleted. Thanks, however, to King Tarak Zephyr and his rescue of the faerie queen in his youth, they have begun to flourish once again. It will take, at the least, the span of an elven generation to return to the vastness of ancient times, but things look bright for the elfkin.

Cynsely

is the island nation where the rest of Terra comes to learn more about medicine. They are the only true democracy. While not the most magically advanced, they are a beacon for learning, a leader in civil engineering, and the home of the greatest shipwrights known through all the world.

Waxing Moon Cove is the home of the most renown shipwrights in all Terra. They built most of the ships in the Iskenderian Royal Navy. They also built many of Maas Zupkas’ ships for his massive trade conglomerate.

As the country is vastly covered in forests, this facilitates the shipbuilding enterprise. It also allows them to export the lumber to the other countries throughout Terra. They boast some of the most rare and exotic woods, as well. Meanwhile, the remainder of the country is open fields of buckwheat, barley, and oats. There are smaller fields of corn, orchards, and farms with cows, pigs, and chickens. Fist, crustaceans, and shellfish are plentiful for the island nation and they export a portion of their catch.

The medical academy resides in the capital. It is the benchmark for healthcare and medical knowledge throughout Terra. Priests, clerics, midwives, and healers aspire to study there. The most modern techniques are studied and taught.

There are rumors, currently unfounded, of ancient creatures residing in the hills surrounding th cove. However, nothing has ever been proven. Some say an ancient druid resides on the edge of the hills, in the forest. Some say more rare and exotic beings reside there.

It is the home of modern plumbing. The founder of the sciences, which is a new field of study that few are aware of. It is also trying to encourage more countries toward democracy, rather than kingdoms. They are struggling to establish a foot-hold.