Terria

World of the Gods, The wild forestlands

• Magic is feared, many will fear a spell being cast and with the excepting of a few spots magic is unheard of. Even divine magic if of the castaway from the public eye.
• Deity directly influence the world; the gods and their servants take an active role in the world.
• The lands are largely wild and lawless, and the world is divided into city-states that only the rule of nearby farmlands.
• The people are suspicious and prone to superstition but are often friendly when they know somebody.
• The major trade routes are relatively safe, but many live-in large city-states, with large slums even some of the weaker “savage” tribes have sought refuge in the slums of the city.
  

Geography

Terria consists primarily of a single large continent. This heavily forested mainland is called Terria, after the world itself. It is divided into separate city-states, each claiming a small portion of the world for itself.

The large continent of Terria is split into three areas by the Great Divide. To the north of this large mountain range lie lands filled with shrublands, dunes and a few smaller cities states whose inhabitants live out their lives in fear of the Necropolis of Lichenfelde. West of the mountains lies the magical glades and lush forests of Azureglade, its cities once inhabited by the elves, but now lying in ruins. In the south, the temperate forests surround Mag Mell. This grand city, housing the portal to Ianna, constantly feels the gaze of the cursed Black Isle, a narrow, crescent-shaped island that lies a short boat ride away within the Sea of Cinders.

Beyond the continent of Terria, across the Trackless Ocean, lie other wonders, but very few people know of the island kingdoms of Lost Arcus and Whitemere.

Government

Each city-state has its form of government, ranging from democracies and regents to theocracies. The city-states are known to form loose alliances for trade benefits and protection, but they are also just as likely to declare war on each other.

The only city that has remained neutral in any conflict between the city-states is Mag Mell. As a place where all faiths and races can gather in peace, Mag Mell has grown to be the biggest city on the continent, becoming its very own city-state. With the portal to Ianna standing in the middle of this great city, many believe its influence will only increase.

Religion

Religion is an important part of a Terrian's life and in many city-states, clerics wield a significant amount of power; sometimes even more than the rightful rulers.

Each city and village have one or more religious buildings where its inhabitants pray to their god – or gods – of choice. Although their faith generally is not bound to a single deity and people pray and give offerings to any god that they feel would help with their problems, many Terrians favor one god or goddess above the others.

Non-believers are not unheard of on Terria but are uncommon and those that deny the guidance of the gods do well to keep their options to themselves.

Daily life

Most people on Terria feel closely connected to one another and are prone to creating tight communities, centered around their temples and faith. Villages and cities dot the lands, but most Terrians live together in the capitals. Although every city-state has its look and feel, its capital usually takes the shape of a large, sprawling city, interspersed with the ever-important temples and protected from the outside world by a large stone wall.

Citizens of the city-states hardly ever travel and don't know much about life outside the walls of their cities.

Most city-states enlist an army to protect their towns from the dangers that lurk outside the walls, but their influence rarely stretches farther than a city state's capital. Those that brave the harsh conditions of the frontier towns and agricultural villages beyond this protection, erect sturdy walls and hire guards to protect themselves.

World Map of Terria by Martijn Donker