Chishi Era (地支代, Chishidai)
The Chishi Era marks a dramatic fracturing of the continents following the Gogyō Era. For the first time in Erthas’s history, over a dozen distinct landmasses drifted into separate evolutionary trajectories. Elven natural philosophers of the Classical Period referred to this time as the Era of Earthly Branches — Chishi（地支） — associating each landmass with one of the Twelve Terrestrial Signs. Though poetic and imprecise, the number reflected an early awareness of the scale of fragmentation. Later scientific consensus recognizes fourteen major continental plates during this era.
Continental Overview & Dominant Families
Archaeo-Daiin（Thadh, Kiin, Chūin）
Climate: Polar (Thadh, Kiin), Boreal (Chūin)- Plant Families:
- Pinaceae — adapted to extreme cold, forming boreal forests
- Ginkgoaceae — hardy, deciduous forms in protected valleys
- Cupressaceae — cold-tolerant conifers gaining foothold
- Animal Families:
- Morganucodontidae — shrew-like early mammals adapted to freezing climates
- Ceratodontidae — lungfish persisting in glacial meltwater
- Capitosauridae — relic amphibians surviving in thermal springs
Archaeo-Daishin（Shinyū, Shinbō）
Climate: Temperate (Shinyū), Subtropical (Shinbō)- Plant Families:
- Podocarpaceae, Araucariaceae — conifer dominance in uplands
- Ginkgoaceae — common in temperate valleys
- Polypodiaceae — fern thickets in riparian zones
- Animal Families:
- Tritylodontidae — small, herbivorous mammaliforms
- Protosuchidae — early croc-line archosaurs
- Salticidae-like spiders — widespread across leaf litter
Archaeo-Konchuu（Konchū）
Climate: Tropical- Plant Families:
- Zamiaceae — dominant in evergreen tropical forest canopy
- Polypodiaceae — diverse epiphytes and ground ferns
- Animal Families:
- Chiniquodontidae — arboreal cynodonts in dense forests
- Blattidae, Curculionidae — rapid radiation of insects
- Araneidae — web-building spiders adapting to high moisture
Archaeo-Bomi（Bōkō, Teishin, Gohyō, Teigō）
Climate: Tropical (Bōkō–Teishin–Gohyō), Subtropical (Teigō)- Plant Families:
- Zamiaceae, Cycadaceae — dominant in canopy and upland forest
- Matoniaceae, Osmundaceae — tropical ferns
- Animal Families:
- Tritheledontidae, Docodontidae — emerging mammaliaformes
- Euparkeriidae — agile archosauriforms expanding into new niches
- Rhynchocephalians — diversifying lepidosaurians
Archaeo-Saizai（Jinchū, Jinshi）
Climate: Temperate (Jinchū), Subtropical (Jinshi)- Plant Families:
- Ginkgoaceae — prominent throughout
- Podocarpaceae — forming highland conifer forests
- Polypodiaceae — widespread ferns
- Animal Families:
- Tritylodontidae — herbivorous generalists
- Coelophysidae — early small-bodied theropod dinosaurs
- Formicidae-like ants — eusocial behavior likely emerging
Archaeo-Daisai（Shinshi, Kyōshi, Chishi, Kōbō, Chichū, Tōsai, Shinchū）
Climate: Tropical to Subtropical- Plant Families:
- Zamiaceae, Cycadaceae — main canopy components
- Polypodiaceae, Gleicheniaceae — widespread fern diversity
- Podocarpaceae — upland and seasonal forest zones
- Animal Families:
- Chiniquodontidae, Cynognathidae — mid-sized cynodonts
- Sauropodomorph families — early herbivorous dinosaurs emerging
- Tenebrionidae, Curculionidae — beetle lineages expanding across niches
Archaeo-Lomba（Lomba）
Climate: Boreal- Plant Families:
- Pinaceae, Cupressaceae — conifer dominance
- Ginkgoaceae — surviving in seasonal valleys
- Animal Families:
- Morganucodontidae — basal mammaliaformes
- Procolophonidae — lingering herbivores
Archaeo-Ndali（Ndali）
Climate: Subtropical- Plant Families:
- Zamiaceae, Podocarpaceae — dominant in upland forests
- Polypodiaceae — dominant in valleys and riverways
- Animal Families:
- Protosuchidae — early croc-line reptiles
- Docodontidae — diverse early mammals
Archaeo-Zhamo（Zhamo）
Climate: Boreal- Plant Families:
- Pinaceae, Ginkgoaceae — boreal forests
- Glossopteridaceae — final relict pockets
- Animal Families:
- Tritheledontidae — cold-adapted insectivores
- Temnospondyls — declining amphibian groups
Archaeo-Boyuu（Boshi, Teigai, Boshu）
Climate: Subtropical to Temperate- Plant Families:
- Podocarpaceae — conifers common in uplands
- Zamiaceae, Osmundaceae — warm lowland forests
- Animal Families:
- Docodontidae — thriving in cooler forests
- Coelophysidae — lightweight theropods in open plains
Archaeo-Chishu（Chishu）
Climate: Boreal- Plant Families:
- Pinaceae, Cupressaceae — conifer forests
- Ginkgoaceae — valley specialists
- Animal Families:
- Morganucodontidae — high-latitude mammals
- Erythrosuchidae — late-surviving basal archosaurs
Archaeo-Heiyū（Heiyū）
Climate: Polar- Plant Families:
- Cupressaceae, Ginkgoaceae — small, hardy groves
- Animal Families:
- Tritylodontidae — cold-adapted grazers
- Temnospondyli — clinging to thermal streams
Shinshin（Shinshin）
Climate: Tropical- Plant Families:
- Zamiaceae, Polypodiaceae — dominate thick jungle biomes
- Animal Families:
- Chiniquodontidae — fast, nimble insectivores
- Rhynchocephalia — lizard-like reptiles with diverse feeding strategies
Kyougai（Kyougai）
Climate: Tropical- Plant Families:
- Zamiaceae, Osmundaceae — established endemic forms
- Animal Families:
- Tritheledontidae — relic mammal-forms
- Archosauriformes — island-radiated specialists