The World You Know

[SlyFox]

Worlds Beyond the Stars

The setting is a shining blue and white planet called Bios {pronounced BEE-ohs} (meaning “life”). It is roughly the same size as Earth, which isn't known to your characters. Your planet has two moons – one huge silver moon called Argyros (meaning “silver”). Imagine living on one of Saturn's moons and having Saturn in your line of vision in the night or twilight sky. That is about how huge (or how close to your planet) your silver moon is. Astronomers can only speculate as to distance and movement of the stars and moons at this point, but your silver moon has phases that cycle much faster than your second moon, therefore your calendar and holy days are based on the phases of the second moon, not on the phases of Argyros.

Your second moon, much smaller and probably farther away (unknown) is Cuprum (meaning “copper”). It is indeed a copper colored moon and is about the size of Earth's moon, distance from Bios unknown. This is the moon whose phases the calendar year and all holy days go by.

Your sun looks and feels exactly like Earth's sun and is the same golden beauty. It is called Khrysos (meaning “gold”). The actual size and distance from Bios is unknown.

The people of Bios are living in the “iron age”. The only known steel is in your tinderboxes and isn't yet used much for weapons or armor, which is why weapons and armor seem so easily corroded, broken or destroyed. Until specifically noted, all weapons and armor are made from iron, which is heavier than steel.

Calendar Year

There are 28 days in a month, 13 months in a year. Undecimber is the name of the thirteenth month. As a result the people of Bios age a little more slowly than do Earthlings.

The Main Land

Elves generally come from three different forests, The Myrell, the Delreev, and a third, less known forest not currently on your maps called the Vestiriel Forest. High Elves come from the Delreev Forest, just south of the Myrell, where the Wood Elves have control. Both forests are separated by the large, ever winding Snake River. Wood Elves are known to come from the mysterious Vestiriel Forest, but there is rumor of a powerful king residing over the Wood Elves of the Myrell. His intentions are not known and his people are very secretive.

Directly to the west of the two main forests, are the Dwarven lands including, Forevermore Valley and Veritas Valley. The Dwarves mine the Denizon Hills at the foot of the Forevermore Mountain Range, just west of their valleys.

Just north of the Dwarven valleys are the Tanaka Plains where tribes of barbarians reside. They are a strange, wily people and their ways are alien to everyone else. The other known barbarian tribes are farther east in the Lithican Rainforest where the tribes are ruled by a matriarchal society. Rumor has it that the Amazons of the Lithican Rainforest have a secret alliance with the Wood Elves of Myrell Forest, but nothing is substantiated as of yet.

The bulk of adventurers live in the subtropical climes of the Truman Valley and Peaceful Valley, centered directly between the barbarian territories. The Snake River winds through these plains and there a large white marble city with gold minarets sits, Snake River City (map 1). The city is huge, built up on both sides of the river with a white stone bridge crossing the waters and interconnecting both sides of the city. This is where the main guildhalls reside, along with the main temples to the pantheon worshiped by the people of this land. It is in Snake River City that the humans of this party normally dwell in. Business is always booming and the people are extremely happy with the lord of this realm, Duke Kalvar. His castle is here in Snake River City, along the outskirts. Under him are the heads of the temples, the guilds, and the city marshals that keep the security.

It is the heads of these guilds and temples, and city marshals that have come together to recruit all of you to undertake a mission for the Duke, and for the entire pantheon of gods that are worshiped in this part of the land.