The World of Terra

makes Terra spin. And, while some countries don’t trade as much as others, there is a regular exchange of goods, services, and information across the globe.

Northern Iskendurun and Southern Adamar are famous for their coffee export. Krezdiv is famous for its chocolate and magic. Dorath, home of the dwarves, is famous for its gems, precious metals, alcohol, and war machines. Glendar is famous for its wine. Cynsely has the best doctors and healers.

While many countries mint their own coins, the size and value is consistent throughout Terra. Different dealers assign different values to gems, depending on market saturation and personal preferences.

Often times, information is an even greater comodity than coins and gems. The exchange of information is especially valued by the rulers of countries. This is part of the reason Iskendurun is so well-known. Not only did Keegan, Duke of Kahn establish the Ghosts, it is believed he set up the Guild of Shadows too. Knowledge is power.

are the heartbeat of Terra, as every culture and country has its own folk songs.

Bards are often as famous as war heroes. They have their own academy and annual copetition. Singers with stringed instruments are the most popular. Some musicians play an instrument but don’t sing. A few only sing, without instrumental accompaniment. A few play wind instruments.

There are a handful of books, throughout the various libraries of the world, with collections of written musical compositions. Some books have multiple compies. Others are unique. Most bards and musicians don’t write down their music.

Even the elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halfings have their own folk and war songs. Orcs, high ogres, and giants have been known to have music, as well. Some of the other legendary creatures are believed to have their own music.

Each country and culutre has their own dances. Some are simple, others more elaborate. Some are performed in groups, couples, and individuals. Many cultures, rooted in nature, fashon their dances after brid or other animal mating rituals.

Often times, dances are performed during mid-season celebrations. Others are, especially with nobility, a daily occurance. Some villages have their own special celebrations, as with the Festival of Tears.

Even lullabies have a special place in Terran cultures.

have no homeland of their own as elves and dwarves do. They live amicably among humans, elves, and dwarves. Often they take jobs as tinkers, toymakers, and jewlers, as they are ingenious and resourceful. Occasionaly they are employed as informants or thieves. Many rise through the ranks of magic-users, whether bard, mage, sorcerer, or cleric.

As gnomes are found all throughout Terra, their appearances are as varied as the humanoids they live among. While their average height remains around two to four feet tall, their hair, skin, and eye colors are wide ranging.

Most citizens across Terra are amiable toward these diminutive beings. They work alongside gnomes as easily as any other race.

While too small to ride horses there are certain breeds of ponies that are suitable mounts for gnomes. As a result, these riders become impressively skilled cavalry. Others, especially rangers and druids, ride their animal companions. There has been a famous barbarian gnome or two in the history of Terra, though they are few and far between. Many become clerics of their creator deity, Aerae. Still others find music to be their outlet and find themselves as wandering bards. When it comes to gnomish magic-users they favor sorcery or wizardry. Only one infamous warmage gnome is recorded in the annuls of history, and he was from when Terra was young.

Most countries in Terra are somewhat sexist and make life easier for men over women. This, however, hasn’t stopped gnomish women from leaving their mark in the world. Three great gnomish engineer women have gained noteriety. Others became royal toy-makers, couteriers, and jewlers.

No matter where you travel, you can find gnomes in every walk of life.

is an integral way of life for all Terra. It can be as broad and general as a mother teaching her daughter to cook, bake, and manage a home, to something as grandious and specific as a king hiring countless tutors to educate his son in ruling the kingdom.

Farmers and tradesmen regularaly raise their children to take over once they’re too old to carry on or they pass away from an unexpected event. Merchants, traders, and even soldiers often do likewise with their offspring.

As with all societies, however, there are poor and orphans. Many join loal thieves’ or mercenarys’ guilds. Some are fortunate to find honest work.

Those who inherit magical abilities are often sent, at a young ag, to the various magic academies throughout Terra. They are sometimes sent to nearby temples to learn divine magics.

Some communities, especially those with elemental or psionic abilities, will collectively contribute to their children’s education. These innate gifts are inherited from one generation to the next. Seldom are outsiders born with suh abilities.

No matter where a person goes throughout Terra, it is impossible not to acquire knowledge of one kind or another.

are necessary for survival, of course. However, there are varying levels of such things. There is simple “peasant” fare from basic ingredients like grains, fruits, and animal products. And there is more elaborate “rich” fare where bakers and cooks spend hours, even days, working to prepare a single meal.

Porridge is one of the most common foods all across Terra. Its base ingredient varies from one nation to the next, as do the add-ins. Varieties of eggs, breads, cured meats, vegetables, grains, and fruits are international.

Street food is a separate culture for the entire world. It is most prominent and celebrated in Ni-Shan, Krezdiv, Cynsely, and Adamar. There are stalls, carts, and stands with all manner of cooking.

Restaurants are prevailant all over, as well. From local taverns and inn common rooms to exclusive, high-end restaurants.

Depending on the country, the alcoholic beverages vary. There is all manner of fermentation. Ales, wines, and meads are popular all across Terra, along with beers. There are hundreds of different liquors and spirits.

There are a myriad non-alcoholic beverages that are also indicators of wealth. Coffee, tea, and chocolate are among the most prominent. Krezdiv is experimenting with carbonating water to mix with flavored syrups.

Sweets are massively popular. Every country has their own variations. Cynsely is renown for its candies. Krezdiv is famous for their frozen treats. Iskendurun is know for its baked goods. Ni-Shan has rice-flour sweets.

is a vast and elaborate thing. Many kingdoms have a library within the royal palace. Iskendurun’s is one of the largest private, royal libraries. Corellon has the largest public library in all Terra.

There are all manner of books in every culture. There is classic literature, modern literature, and fairytales. Books range from fiction to nonfiction. There are books on everything from battle tactics, farming, and clothing styles to spellbooks, holy writings, and music.

Several countries have books in other country’s language. Some countries have scroll books instead of hard covered books. Some even have a few enchanted books.

While “art” is a terribly broad term, it is clear what art is across the world. Many of the countries of Terra encourage art in all its myriad forms. Often times, the most renown artists acquire patrons. Rich men and women favor their artists with finances, workspaces, and all means for a thriving lifestyle.

Musicians, sometimes called bards, even have their own academy. There is a contest, competition, every year. They are given great prestige, especially in Iskendurun, Nestapor, Krezdiv, and Alondrol. Cynsely is a hub for artists to thrive as well. They encourage dance and acting over all others.

Many countries encourage jewelers and metalsmiths as artists, in their own right. Gnomsih tinkerers, dwarven jewelers and weaponsmiths are among the most highly sought-after. Halfling toy-makers produce some of the best for royal, and noble children.

Sculptors and painters are regularly commissioned by royal and noble families to commemorate their greatest members. Weavers, tailers, and seamstresses create fabric and garments of such elaborate design and intricacy that they set the trends for entire nations.

Art is a way of life that enriches all the people of Terra.

These foreshortened, stocky, ingeneous, resourceful beings spend most of their time, life, and talent in the mountain ranges of Terra. The mountain nation of Dorath on Acleron is the home of these brilliant beings. They aren’t nearly as long-lived as their elven neighbors and passive enemies. However, they tend to outlive humans by several decades.

Several clans of dwarves migrated outside the borders of their homeland. They evolved and adapted to their new surroundings. Despite their dislike of large bodies of water, they traveled to all the corners of Terra. Their primary skills and trades adjusted to the materials available in their new lands. Especially those in Krezdiv, with access to the most advanced magics in all Terra.

The dwarves mainly focus on weapon and armor smithing. They also, occasionally, partner with gnomes for toymaking and engineering. In some of the countries, they are the most skilled jewlers of renown. They mine and manufacture from great underground cities, for the most part, no matter where they land.

They tend toward neutrality in conflict, unless called upon by clan or national honor. Some fight for the sheer joy of battle. Others, to test their latest war engines. They bring all their skill and prowess to everything they endeavor.

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are an elegant and beautiful group of nations. There are several different kinds of elves.

The country of Glendar is the home of the elves. The ones who were in the civil war are often refered to as high elves. Often fairer haired than most others. They live longest of all of their kind.

Also within the country, reside the wild elves. Dark-haired and eyed, they are truly children of nature. They paint themselves with woad in the ancient symbols of honor to the spirits of nature.

Ruling over the northern part of Adamar are the sand elves. Dark-skined, pale-eyed, and black-haired, they don’t live nearly as long as their cousins in Glendar. While separate from Adamar, they are not exactly their own country either.

Only spoken of in legend and faery tales, there are the sea elves of the deep oceans. Blue-skined, haired, and eyed, they breath through gills in their necks. They have their own society and live nearly as long as their cousins in Glendar.

There are, of course, half-elves of every kind. They roam throughout all of Terra. Even the king of Glendar himself sired several. Often scoffed, mocked, or outcast, they do their best to keep their heritage hidden. Others are raised to honor by their acts, bringing prestige to their kind.