Some Lore

Preface

The term Men or Man, in general, will refer to both genders of the 3 primary races of Terra Novus: Dwarves, Humans, and Elves. The meaning should be fairly clear based on context.

In this campaign, players will often have more knowledge than their characters, and it is in their best interest if they make sure not to have their character act on knowledge that the player has, that the character does not.

Hopefully, the players will create characters that they enjoy role-playing as. I hope nobody attempts to make a copy of themselves that happens to cast spells, swing a sword, or shoot a bow. A major source of the intrigue in this campaign is going to be from player interactions with the other characters, and the inhabitants of the world of Terra Novus.

The Golden Age of Terra Novus

Imagine history as an intricate diamond. Each glistening facet is a window, peering into a moment in time. To hold this sparkling gem in your hand, and gaze deeply into it, is to know the secrets of a world, and its people.

For the world of Terra Novus, this glistening jewel was shattered by an event that has faded from the recent memories of its inhabitants. While the people of Terra Novus do have a vague understanding of what befell their spectacular world, the specifics of it have been lost to them over the last one-thousand years.

Some moments in history however, have been so brightly burned into the memories of man that they linger on, glistening shards of this shattered history. Some of these shards are scattered in places both dark and light. Men both evil and good have secret knowledge that they safeguard for their own reasons, and it is up to the players to uncover these truths.

Terra Novus was once ruled by science and technology. Co-mingled with magic, great feats could be accomplished by man.

The dwarves harnessed the power of the earth, from its minerals and gemstones, to the planets heat. Steam technology made its way into trains and freighters, and geothermal power heated and lit the great cities of the Underdark. The great subterranean railway system allowed the dwarves to quickly shuttle troops, unseen by the humans and elves.

The elves harnessed the wind and the waves, enchanting lumber from the ancient forests that they made their homes in to fashion a magnificent fleet of ships. They were rumored to even be able to sail the very winds themselves aboard nimble airships, though no records exist of any such technology.

The key to the Elven navy’s success at mastering the ocean was no secret. Their ships were called Hadr-Tar, which literally translates as "piece of (ones)self". A single Elven ship builder, called a Ha’tar ("Selfless"), was selected just days after birth, and would spend their entire life training to eventually construct their own El-Hadr’tar. While the young Ha’tar lived with his family, he spent the majority of his time at the Ha’tar academy. Classes in advanced fluidics, hydrodynamics, woodworking, and engineering were a part of the daily curriculum of these young selfless elves. Once their scholastic responsibilities were tended to, a Ha’tar would understudy the captain of a commissioned Hadr-tar for a full 5-year naval deployment. The Ha’tar would be expected to perform all of the duties of a typical naval officer while on board their ship. It was not until a Ha’tar had mastered the art of sailing, and experienced the needs of the sailors themselves, that they were allowed to begin construction of their own vessel. There were no blueprints provided, and no instructions given, save one: “Build the ship you heart yearns to sail”. With a single artisan constructing the ship by hand, there were no errors in communication, translation, or execution. Many Hadr-tar took over fifty years to complete, but due to the enchanted nature of the Elven lumber, it would never rot or warp to natural causes. The Elven flagship Hyacinth took its Ha’tar over 150 years to complete by hand, boasting 12 decks, 7 sails, integrated Dwarven steam technology as a backup, and at its center, a mobile command chamber for the Elven generals and Admirals to plan tactics and strategy in the event that it ever became necessary. Upon the completion of their Hadr-tar, a Ha’tar was expected to christen the new vessel with his own blood, in a ceremony called the Hadr-Tar-Damal ("a selfless end"). During the Hadr-Tar-Damal, the Ha’tar chose a name for the ship, and performed the ritual, slashing their wrists, and writing the chosen name across the Bow. The bloody Elven script was then enchanted by a cleric of Melora, to never fade, even after decades at sea. While a Ha’tar who abstained from the Ha-Tar-Damal was not considered dishonorable, and would usually go on to be a respected professor at the Ha’tar Academy, the Hadr-tar would carry a stigma amongst sailors, often considered to be cursed, or at the very least, unlucky.

The humans, for all of their ingenuity, were able to master what became the most vital resource: Magic. Human sorcerers and wizards worked in unison with Elven and Dwarven architects and designers to erect impossible cities, with massive twisting crystal spires rising above the land.