The World of Terra

is akin to our Mabon or Autumnal Equinox with a touch of Samhain or Halloween. It is celebrated with fires, feasting, and festivals. Farmers, especially, give thanks to Kelli, goddess of the harvest. Effigies of the goddess are often raised in farming villages and towns. Sometimes even competitions are held for new shrines.

While some countries aren’t as avid when celebrating Midautumn, others go all-out. Iskendurun and Krezdiv are two of the biggest proponents for celebration. While the royal families don’t host elaborate dances, they donate to local temples of Kelli as well as providing food to orphanages.

The traditions are slowly seeping into elven culture as well, since the number of half-elves grows every year. They bring in different aspects of their own festivities including carving gourds as lanters and giving small sweets to children.

Especially in central Iskendurun, where there are many large farming communities, everything closes down early in order to prepare for the evening festivities. There are sprawling celebrations that fill the town squares with tables piled high with food, music, and dancing.

is the warmage guild. It was created by the first teachers of the warmage academy. Only the most skilled and gifted students are invited into the guild.

These warmages often ally themselves with the greatest rulers in Terra. They are frequently believed to shape history. Their policies and contributions are unique and grandious.

Many return to teach at the academy. They train those students who will succeed them. They foster and encourage independent and inovative thinking.

They have guild houses all over Terra and meet annually at a different house each year. Policies are ammended and/or voted in. New members are selected and tested. There is feasting and celebrating. The cities that host these events often deal with the fallout for a long time after.

is a guild of warriors, also known as grogs, whose life’s purpose is to protect their mage or sorcerer. They are trained from a young age. Once they complete their training they are psychicly linked for the rest of their days.

The psychic link is a special and unique bond. It not only allows the mage to speak to their grog, but it also allows the magic-user to cast spells through the warrior, no matter what armor and weapons they use.

This is a long and ancient tradition dating back centuries. All children qualified for this academy spend the last few years at the magic academy training. Despite their natural inability to use magic, they need to learn how it works on and through them. They also find the magic-user they will eventually bond with.

As a result of this unique bond and the resulting abilities, many kingdom rulers require special protection if a mage and grog enter their prescence. These precautions are often uncomfortable for the mage and painful for the grog. This discourages violence.

Often times, a magic-user will enter their grog into the Corellon Zepheroth for better odds of victory. It is often frowned upon, but there are no rules against such entries. The most skilled and powerful fighters are able to overcome the challenge.

These powerful pairs frequently sell their services. Occasionally, they travel the world alone, however the magic-user prefers the company of others as added protection. Traveling groups and even military organizations try to acquire the services of such pairs.

are the druids and rangers guild. Only the absolute best of their ranks are drafted into the organization. They are gifted with special privelages and items that indicate their alliance. Often held in high regard, they are frequently recruited into the Titans’ Guard for their unique skills.

With natural magical abilities that rival some of the great sorcerers and mages, regional rulers try to recruit them as hunt masters and the like. Few offer their services, but most are more inclined to freedom in the wild they love so much.

These men and women are usually skilled warriors as well as magic-users. While many tend to favor archery, they are also versed in martial weapons. Most favor simple short swords and few wear any armor heavier than leather.

While they are often renown for their animal companions, not all have them. When they occasionally have to venture into populated areas, they tend to leave their companions on the outskirts as they are usually larger than normal animals and frighten the average peasants.

Though there are many half-elves in this organization, there are also humans, elves, halflings, and gnomes. Dwarven rangers are extremely rare and druids are nearly non-existant. Occasionally, there is a half-orc but they are even more rare than the dwarves.

is the greatest medical academy in all Terra. It is located in Ki, on Cynsely and takes up most of a city block.

Men and women from all over Terra travel there to learn everything from prenatal care to post mortem. It is the only academy of its kind in all of Terra. Those who attend are constantly seeking new and better ways to improve the quality of living, of all in the world.

The academy has put in place a policy where those who are dying may choose to donate their body to the academy for further study. Those people can write into their will their desires. This allows students to learn more about how different systems work. It is an unprecidented thing in Terra. However, smaller academies, branches of Argenon, have begun appearing throughout the world as it is difficult to transport bodies in a manner that still allows them to be examined.

As Cynsyle is a democracy instead of a monarchy, the free exchange of knowledge is unparalleled. Not only has that country benefitted, but all of Terra. The men and women who become doctors, nurses, midwives, and coroners take their knowledge all over. Some even join the clergy and the Order of Silence. Recently, a group has even begun studying the bodies after death with the sole purpose of learning how the individual died. It isn’t widely accepted, as yet.

There are still those resistent to such knowledge. They believe the studies to be bordering on necromancy. They treat those who practive such things as evil beings and outcasts.

Thankfully, those from the great magic academies understand the difference between the study of biology and the study of necromancy. They are more than happy to protect and prop up those who practice and study the medical arts.

The classes are rigorous. A large percentage of the students don’t complete the full course. A hospital, the first of its kind, was established near the outskirts of Ki. It allows the students to complete their residencies and become medical professionals.

is the college for bards. It is located in Teshkar, in the capital city of Kras. It was originally created to bring together those who love music so they could colaborate and exchange ideas and tips.

Over time, the great wandering musicians settled down and began teaching the younger generation. Not only did they teach music, but they also taught other skills. A bard’s life is extremely diverse. They teach them how to fight, seduce, and use the magic their music creates.

For those unfamiliar with bards, they are nefarious for filandering and causing no end of trouble. The great ones write epic ballads, travel the world, and seduce rich and beautiful men and women. The great ones play not only taverns and inn, but also nobles houses, royal palaces, and collisums.

Every year, the leaders of the school make the journey to Corellon, during the Zepheroth, to host the opening ceremonies and the bard competition. There are great prizes and prestige for the bard whose ballad is chosen. As a result, bards the world over, playing every instrument known, and even a few of their own creation, flock to Corellon in the days and weeks leading to the great tournament.

Not all bards attend the college. Not all those in the college leave and travel the world. Some of the best students at the college, however, are recruited for other things. Commonly, they are spies, though not always. The skills they learn are effective in many other trades, as well.

is a group of priests and priestesses from all the temples. They are spread throughout Terra and have no temple of their own. Most, they find residence in temples to Lucian or Lilith. Members of the Order can be found wherever there is a major conflict, the ill or dying, or the elderly. They provide care for the dead, preparing their bodies for whatever ceremony the person or their loved ones chose.

Those of the Order will clean the body, dress or stitch any wounds, and coordinate with whomever handles the funeral arrangements. All this, they do without speaking. Each member takes a vow when they join. No matter the season or country, these men and women wear a midlength gray robe. They keep their hair short, so as not to interfere with their work. Embroidered on their robes is a sun on the horizon.

All the denizens of Terra respect the members of the Order. It’s commonly accepted that they are given food, lodging, and protection wherever they go. To turn one away is to invite terrible misfortune on oneself and family.