Pasaulis

The flat world of Pasaulis spands the Prime Material Plane. Pasaulis is surrounded by a vast sea of stars and planetary bodies, such as the sun, moon and planets. These objects are constrained by a celestial barrier which separates the material plane from the Astral Sea. The world itself is made up of three major continents. Aerusia to the west is a vast continent dominated by an inland sea, the Eye of the World. Mountain ranges divide Aerusia into three parts. To the far east is the continent of Icarema which is divided into two parts. North Icarema is a relatively modern continent dominated by the Confederation a group of loosely aligned arcane industrial nations of varying political structure. South Icarema remains in the backward grip of a collection of empires. Between the two great continents is the island continent of Trilia, the location of the city of Toresta. Trilla is a wild land with vast untamed plains, forests and mountains.

At the edge of the world the oceans are wreathed in mists, and those who have dared to penetrate this mist have never been see again. Scholars postulate that these mists are the outer rims of the Astral Sea itself, or perhaps the interface between the Astral Sea and the Elemental Chaos that lies below the world. The celestial barrier does not seem to descend all the way to the sea's surface, but who can know what is beyond the mists?

The number of species, both sentient and sapient across the world of Pasaulis is vast. Some originate in the world, like most of the animal species, plants and sapient species, like Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Goliaths, and the Halflings. Others like Genasi, Aasimar, and Tieflings are both of the world and are influenced by forces outside the Material Plane, be it the Heavens, the Underworld or the Elemental Planes. Elves, the various Beastfolk, Alseid and centaurs and other fey creatures originate in the Shadowrealm and traveled or their ancestors traveled through a portal to reach the material plane, where some have now lived for many generations. Orcs, ever a traveling species, have an origin unknown, they are plentiful on all of the planes, in some form. Their own history is vague about their origin.

The ecosystems of the three continents are unique to each of them, though in recent centuries the Oscare Exchange has fundamentally affected the civilizations on Aerusia and Icarema and even touched the wild continent of Trilla. The Oscare Exchange named for the explorer, adventurer, trader and scoundrel Amir Oscare who first opened up trade between the vastly separated continents which resulted in an exchange of the widespread transfer of plants, animals, diseases, technologies, and ideas between the Icaremas and Aerusia following Amir Oscare's voyages. This exchange had profound positive and negative impacts, including the spread of new crops that improved diets across both continents, but also introduced diseases and magical contagions that devastated populations.

The weather patterns on Pasaulis are predominantly dominated by the movement of the sun and its location in the sky. As a geocentric world the stars, planets, sun and moon revolved around Pasaulis. The sun moves from east to west around the world which caused the day and night cycles. It also wobbles from north to south which is responsible for the seasons. In the height of summer, during the solstice the sun reaches it farthest northern point. During the winter solstice it reaches its point farthest south. the points equally between these points are the equinoxes.

When the sun is farthest north the world is generally warm and it is summer. When it is farthest south it is generally cold and it is winter. At all times it is coolest at the northern extremes of the world and warmer at the southern extremes. Snow is common in the northern reaches and at high altitudes, while in the south the winter is the rainy season and snow seldom if ever appears.

Pasaulis contains a wide variety of plants and animals. Some species are widespread, existing on every continent, whole others are limited to only one, for example the large number of saurian species which are only found on Trilla. Many fey creatures inhabit South Icarema's Noresta Archipelago. While the Alseid are only found in Trill's Melazain Forests.

Natural resources are spread over the world. Iron, copper, gold and silver can be found on every continent. The Quartz Mountains in Tillis provides the balance of ley energy shard crystals, though deposits are also know to exist in other locations. Milton sources their supply in the Rockwells, within their own borders. Leylines criss cross the world and provide the arcane energy to power spells, magical artifacts and arcane industrial machines.

The history of the Prime Material Plane originates in the lost times of the Old Days. Scholars agree that the Creator, father of all, created the material plane and all of its creatures, those only living, the sentient and the sapient. Whether he also created the other planes is beyond the comprehension of mortals, though the elves have their own ideas about it.

In the beginning though humans existed, along with dwarves, gnomes, halflings and all the other creatures they were not sapient. The humans were masters of no language, the dwarves masters of no forge, the gnomes neither clever nor kind and the halflings hid in the dark.

Legend says that Cassia, the Princess, Mistress of Magic, Beloved of Straznik, gifted magic to the world. Shortly thereafter Elves entered the world and gifted the creatures there with the magic of Common. allowing all of the sapient creatures to speak.

Beyond legend it is known that in the dim days of history creatures lived with their own kind. On Aerusia and both Icarema continents Humans, Gnomes, Dwarves, Halflings and Goliaths were plentiful and widespread. Because of the existence of Common creatures of different cultures were able to speak to one another, often leading to cooperation instead of war. But ever ambition and power have called to the creator's creatures and cooperation often gave way to competition, and friendship to war.

The major species were , by no account, the only creatures on Pasaulis. As soon as the Elves entered the world other creatures also came.

In modern times, typically accounted as after Amir Oscare opened up trade between Aerusia and Icarema, the world has seen a great increase in the use of the industrial arcane as opposed to the limited wild magic of earlier ages.