Introduction to Tanera

  Tanera is a continent of significant size: approximately 3,200 miles in length from the southern coast of the Fetterven Nations to the northernmost line of the Frostreach Mountains, and 1,800 miles at its widest point east-to-west. It exists on the Material Plane, which is the central and original plane of existence, which all others mirror or orbit.   Deep beneath the surface, accessible only from a few points, the Underdark Cave System has its own inhabitants and separate ecosystem. The lands north of the Frostreach Mountains are unexplored, due to the low temperatures and inhospitable weather and terrain.   Recorded civilisation in Tanera has been divided into two main eras by The Flood, a catastrophic event which engulfed the entire continent, decimated its population, and banished deities from the Material Plane: the pre-Flood Unknown Era (UE) and the post-Flood Orthodian Era (OE).  

The Orthodian Era

My only desire is for peace...for each of us and all who follow to live together in spirit even when we are far in distance. To be united in language and connected by culture, so that we never again need suffer the consequences of our former separation.

— Orthod the Uniter, as recorded in 'The Life & Tales'

Tanera in the Orthodian Era has been characterised by the leadership of its namesake, Orthod the Uniter. Bringing together the disparate survivors in the immediate wake of The Flood led to a focus on rebuilding and unity. Being separated from the immortal leaders who had previously dominated their actions, and their very identities, forced the survivors to rethink what they wanted their new world to be like.  

Shared Culture

As part of his new united world Orthod established a common calendar and a common language: Taneran. This was based on and further developed from the old trade tongue, and while the Blood Languages (those common to specific peoples, such as Elvish and Dwarvish) have persisted, Taneran quickly became a first language for the vast majority.

Magic

Magic is something any mortal has the capacity to learn, and it is usual for settlements to have at least one low level magic user, unless the population is very small. Most often these are healers, potion makers, or occasionally alchemists. Cities usually have wizards (several, if there is an academic establishment) and clerics (serving any local temples). The latter are more rare, as this magic has a divine rather than mechanical source.

Technology

Tanera in 830OE is pre-industrial. There are maintained roads between all the northern nations, and animals are commonly used for travel and farming. Mechanical timepieces are not widely used (hourglasses and sundials are still prominent), though clocktowers are gaining popularity in Obane and Avelin. The wealthy, important, or academic may use teleportation circles to travel long distances.

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Kingdoms United

This is not to say that as time passed and nations settled there was no conflict; people will be people. But while nations and kingdoms grew and merged and fought and failed, there remained little appetite for large-scale war, even long after those who could remember what that was like had passed.   In the 9th century of the Orthodian Era Tanera has settled into a few large nations, healthily separated by areas of Unclaimed Borders.  

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The Fallen Isles

The Fallen Isles hold an importance that belies their size. A tiny archipelago off the coast of Cannis City, barely visible on true scale maps of the continent, they have been considered a centre of magical significance throughout the Orthodian Era - even if most no longer remember why.   Ulna is home to the highly prestigious College of Arcana, which attracts many skilled researchers and magic users. Tolsta is a hub of wealth and power, even if much of this lies under the metaphorical surface. Aird refuses to be tamed, deadly and full of secrets.   Most of the residents of the Isles are so used to the oddities they barely consider them of note, but throughout the rest of Tanera their reputation as a place of strange and sometimes volatile occurrences persists.  

A Forgotten Time

The Flood destroyed almost everything that came before, except for that which has been preserved in Holmir, or lies buried beneath the earth or sea, or in other planes. In addition, the survivors had no appetite for dwelling on the past - out of grief or out of fear - and this settled into a general lack of curiosity in the broad population of modern Tanera.

This has made it difficult to access information about the time before, but it is still available, in bits and pieces, for those who seek it. There is academic interest in The Final War, The Fallen Alliance, the Planes of Existence, and even The Verda, though these areas are still widely considered niche and esoteric subject for research.

There are also, of course, adventurers whose interest in relics of the past are a little more material.

 

Life & Soul

As long as there are mortals, there will be choices, and as long as there are choices, there will be stories.

— Granny Willow

The inhabitants of this world are divided into mortal and immortal. Both can be found in Tanera, though following The Flood those immortals who participated in The Final War can no longer access the Material Plane.   Though the relationship between mortals and immortals is not always that of worshipper and deity, all immortals retain the ability to own and trade mortal souls.    

Mortal Peoples of Tanera

Mortal beings are those with finite lifespans, and most are native to the Material and Inner (ie. elemental) Planes.   Not all mortal peoples have souls, but those which do pass to one of the Outer Planes or Mirror Planes (The Feywild and Shadowfell) after death.   The souled peoples of Tanera all have a shared ancestry and despite certain innate physical differences they are able to have children together, and frequently share languages and culture.     The unsouled peoples share some biological and cultural aspects but have a distinctly separate ancestry to souled kind. Many, though not all, originate in the Outer Planes. They do not have souls which can be owned, traded, or contribute to the power of an immortal.    

Deities & Other Immortals

Immortal beings are those with potentially infinite lifespans. Though many still reside on the Material Plane, none are native to it. Most can be killed, but death on the Material Plane usually results in resurrection on their native plane, and they must be killed on their native plane for true destruction. Some more powerful immortals can never be truly destroyed, and can only be put into a dormant state by dismemberment and separation of the constituent parts.   Many immortals are worshipped as deities or other kinds of patron. Immortals own the souls of their worshippers, and the level of an immortal's power is linked to the number of souls they own.     Many immortals do not have or want worshippers, though they may still own or trade souls for other reasons. Explore other immortals here.  

Thinning Borders

The world fractured, and new worlds were formed, each to fit the nature of the immortals and to imprison them. The worlds that had always lain parallel remained untouched, but could no longer be accessed with the ease to which we had become used, and many of our kin were lost that way.

— 'Of the Elves', chapter 26 of 'History of the Flood'

Before The Flood travel between the planes was relatively straightforward for both mortals and immortals. While many deities made their homes on other planes, they were far more present and reachable for their worshippers on the Material Plane than in the Orthodian Era.   The end of The Final War made it physically impossible for immortals who had participated in the war to move from their designated plane. Many of these immortals were satisfied with or resigned to this outcome, or lacked the power or ambition to try and change it. Over the following centuries, however, some have sought to break their binds, using their worshippers and taking advantage of the natural degradation of the boundaries between the planes.   So far, none have been successful - but it is a growing threat.  

The Planes of Existence

Prior to The Flood, only the Material Plane, the Mirror Planes, and the Inner elemental planes existed. The Outer Planes were created for the purposes of separating and housing the banished immortals, and were shaped around the personalities and morals of those who were placed there.    

Adventure Calls

After more than 800 years of relative peace, things are beginning to shift in Tanera. Cults are growing, the borders between the planes thin, beings which have long lay dormant are finally making their move.   It is a perfect time for adventure. Read more about the campaign here.