Zeto
The continent of Zeto did not exist at the time of creation. Instead, the landmass rose from the ocean at the call of the Primes, an arena for their champions of the Great Trial. Divided into climate arenas, the continent sought to test the champions in all imaginable ways, a testament to the seriousness to which the Primes took on this challenge.
Brief History In the shelter of the now Darngarum Mountains, races encountered each other, experiencing new cultures and beliefs. While the air of competition proved dividing at the beginning, as generations passed, so did their solitary. Outside the purview of the Primes, who were otherwise occupied, cultures began to bleed together, advancing the Elder Races’ understanding of the geographical world and their intimate knowledge of the arcane and its extensive uses.
On the battlefield, the Elder Races were pitted against one another, testing their physical prowess, mental fortitude, and connection with Arcana. What began as a set series of trials became a free-for-all arena battle, as no clear winner was emerging. For over three hundred years, generations of champions were tested, the trials ongoing well into the Great Migration Era the world moving on in their absence. Finally, when the land lay scarred and torn, bodies left to decompose on countless battlefields, the Primes released the champions, understanding their folly. Most returned to their homeland, now strangers to their old way of life. Some remained to settle the trial lands of Zeto. Thus, the first cities were founded, and peace was known for the first time since Zeto rose from the ocean.
However, a mass migration commenced as the word spread of a new continent connected to raw arcana and resources. None so plentiful as the new races of Dwarves and Halflings, their lineage having no known birth continent. The population began to expand across the more hospitable landscapes, the resources used to create fantastical cities. Having a direct connection to all four primes, Zeto seemed to respond even more heavily to the Age of Amplification the scar used to push all boundaries. For thousands of years, there was peace.
But then the frost arrived. Attempting to use the shelter of their arcana, hundreds of thousands perished in their homes, the planet sucking the warmth from their bodies. Only in the eastern mountains was life sustained, warmed by the planet’s core, the molten rivers providing the right environment to promote growth. In such close proximity, the seeds of conflict were sowed, a 500-year fight for space and to preserve unique cultures. By the end of the age, the population had fallen to the oppression of the Dwarves, forced to comply with their methods and customs to survive.
When the lands thawed, the population divided, and the Dwarves painted the villains and keepers of the eastern riches. The land now faces constant turmoil, a rekindling of the Great Trail but this time of mortal making. Zeto remains a battleground, a fight over resources and the fire of oppression alive and well in the hearts of all those outside the Dwarven dominion. As such, the middle grounds of Zeto are generally left to these conflicts, with control of Stone Watch and Vogulor at the front of many efforts due to their strategic positioning.
Unnatural Terrain of Zeto Abrupt boundaries and drastic climate changes, the biomes of Zeto are perpetually maintained by raw arcana, the ideal conditions created for the Great Trail. There is no gradual movement between these ancient battlegrounds, the air instantly changing when the invisible barrier line is crossed. Additionally, the landmass does not suffer the severe effects of the cold seasons despite its relatively high global position.
The Zeto Games Settlements have emerged at the more ideal locations with access to natural resources or trade routes, leaving large swaths of land inhabited by all manner of creatures morphed by the access to residual creation magic. Though, it is not a complete loss. Every 10 years, the continent hosts the Zeto Games, a tournament of races meant to unite cultures, a stark contrast to the Great Trial. Though all events are enjoyed, the naval battles of the Sea Arena are the crowning jewel of the tournament as perpetual winds that allow for traditional sailing at high rates of speed with a large force.
Geography East-West: 2668 miles North-South: 2300 miles Area: 6,136,400m2
Zeto has the largest landmass and retains the scars of the Great Trials and continuous fighting over resources. The land has arcane-infused soils, polluted waters, and natural greenery or vegetation scarcity. Despite what appears to be available and ideal conditions for crops and livestock, the enriched soils absorb more than produce, making agricultural lands a premium and an extreme sign of wealth.
As illustrated in the previous section, the continent is unnaturally segmented into separate biomes, and the climate is artificially regulated and stagnant. Each biome features a border where a traveler instantly experiences the new climate when it is crossed. Additionally, weather patterns are precise, allowing academics to map out the exact temperature and precipitation that a biome will experience on any given day. These weather patterns function on a rotating yearly schedule and have not altered since the first era.
Flora and Fauna There is a lack of wild flora and fauna on Zeto, with all plants and animals purposely grown or maintained. Outside of avian species, wildlife consists of rodents or other small marsupials with no predators large enough to harm society. Furthermore, exotic species introduced into the ecosystem do not typically thrive on the arcane-infused vegetation making owning exotic species a sign of wealth and distinction.
CONTINENTAL PLANT AND ANIMAL Zeto Breather
Zeto Breather. This funnel-nosed crimson plant uniquely cleanses the air, pulling in toxins as its nutrition. The Breather grows around major population centers or large farms and is featured in window gardens in all cities.
Zeto Hairless Bovine. Through millennia of breeding, the Hairless Bovine decreases processing time and maintenance, increasing profits for farmers.
SIGNIFICANT LANDMARKS Deliberation Island. Now a ruin, trial participants waited under four 30ft tall hourglasses to be awarded for their efforts. Though cracked and broken, the large bases can still be observed, an etching of the four continents of Telsmir, Irragin, Aerilon, and Doloran forever marking the contestants. These islands are constantly excavated, and archeologists find ancient clues to the trials and Primes.
Looping Forest: Protected from destruction by unseen magic, adventurers exploring the dense foliage experience loss of time and direction, typically finding themselves on the forest’s perimeter without explanation. On looking, one can see wonderous lights flickering in the dense woods and strange creatures roaming freely. Explorer’s guides indicate a strange gate of thorns and flowers in the center, a glowing green haze forming a portal to the unknown.
Mystic Wetland. Full of streams, bogs, and perpetual fog, this site makes travel difficult as the earth seems to garner ill will. Yet, despite the difficulties, the Western realm relishes the thought of a Dwarven army attempting to cross its unyielding rivers.
Onyx Glass. Mischaracterized, the site is an obsidian generator as the never-ending stream of lava and self-sustaining lake waters meet. Because of this feature, obsidian is common on Zeto, replacing metals in everyday utility items.
The Scar. The effects of the Primes walking on Gia, the bottomless canyon emits pure arcana in dense gas. This essence is refined into reagents, the base for powerful enchantments. Massive collection machines are found scattered around the scar, their possession a constant battle between the western and eastern realms. Those brave enough to venture into the gas have suffered random effects from an increased ability to wield arcana, being teleported, becoming deathly ill, or simply never being heard from again.
Sea Arena. Measuring almost a week across via ship, this pocket of freshwater is the most famous Great Trial site and is now the principal location for the Zeto Games. The surrounding mountains range produces ever-changing winds, making for dramatic naval battles loved by all residents.
Hell’s Spout A perpetually erupting volcano situated in a northern crater whose lava levels remain consistent. Unlike the other arenas, it shows signs of slowly eroding its magical barrier, breaking through the mountains and into a large body of water.
Stonewatch Range. Test firing location for Dozer’s Cannon an arcane weapon that draws power directly from the planet. Years of study have been dedicated to understanding and replicating its power, but with no success. Stonewatch is a constant battleground, the owner able to protect a large portion of the Scar.
Sytria Island: This was the original arrival place of Titherimoose. The island possesses unique healing properties sought after by clerics and the ill. In the center, the first PantheonPantheon was constructed and houses the leadership of the Order of the Devout.
Sweeping Deserts. Inhospitable, these lands are full of massive sand dunes and valleys, the remnants of air-powered sand ships scattered throughout. Residents believe this to be the site of the most significant casualty event, its negative energy fueling hauntings and spirits.
SEA TRAVEL Zeto hosts two official ports, Oar’s Rest and Thurram, allowing travel to Irragin and Telsmir. It also hosts the only viable undercurrent to Aerilon. An undercurrent out of Far water stretches deep into the Depths of Sedgedon with a path to East Run, Nearon, for anyone willing to brave such a dangerous endeavor.
Oar’s Rest - Boatwright, Irragin Standard Vessel: 79 days Arcane-infused Vessel: 31.5 days Thurram - Deslote, Aerilon Standard Vessel: 39.5 days Arcane-infused Vessel: 16 days Thurram - Brickelwhyte, Telsmir Standard Vessel: 64 days Arcane-infused Vessel: 25.5 days Far Water - East Run, Nearon Standard Vessel: 208 days Arcane-infused Vessel: 84 days
Western Realm Eastern Realm Without a Home
Brief History In the shelter of the now Darngarum Mountains, races encountered each other, experiencing new cultures and beliefs. While the air of competition proved dividing at the beginning, as generations passed, so did their solitary. Outside the purview of the Primes, who were otherwise occupied, cultures began to bleed together, advancing the Elder Races’ understanding of the geographical world and their intimate knowledge of the arcane and its extensive uses.
On the battlefield, the Elder Races were pitted against one another, testing their physical prowess, mental fortitude, and connection with Arcana. What began as a set series of trials became a free-for-all arena battle, as no clear winner was emerging. For over three hundred years, generations of champions were tested, the trials ongoing well into the Great Migration Era the world moving on in their absence. Finally, when the land lay scarred and torn, bodies left to decompose on countless battlefields, the Primes released the champions, understanding their folly. Most returned to their homeland, now strangers to their old way of life. Some remained to settle the trial lands of Zeto. Thus, the first cities were founded, and peace was known for the first time since Zeto rose from the ocean.
However, a mass migration commenced as the word spread of a new continent connected to raw arcana and resources. None so plentiful as the new races of Dwarves and Halflings, their lineage having no known birth continent. The population began to expand across the more hospitable landscapes, the resources used to create fantastical cities. Having a direct connection to all four primes, Zeto seemed to respond even more heavily to the Age of Amplification the scar used to push all boundaries. For thousands of years, there was peace.
But then the frost arrived. Attempting to use the shelter of their arcana, hundreds of thousands perished in their homes, the planet sucking the warmth from their bodies. Only in the eastern mountains was life sustained, warmed by the planet’s core, the molten rivers providing the right environment to promote growth. In such close proximity, the seeds of conflict were sowed, a 500-year fight for space and to preserve unique cultures. By the end of the age, the population had fallen to the oppression of the Dwarves, forced to comply with their methods and customs to survive.
When the lands thawed, the population divided, and the Dwarves painted the villains and keepers of the eastern riches. The land now faces constant turmoil, a rekindling of the Great Trail but this time of mortal making. Zeto remains a battleground, a fight over resources and the fire of oppression alive and well in the hearts of all those outside the Dwarven dominion. As such, the middle grounds of Zeto are generally left to these conflicts, with control of Stone Watch and Vogulor at the front of many efforts due to their strategic positioning.
Unnatural Terrain of Zeto Abrupt boundaries and drastic climate changes, the biomes of Zeto are perpetually maintained by raw arcana, the ideal conditions created for the Great Trail. There is no gradual movement between these ancient battlegrounds, the air instantly changing when the invisible barrier line is crossed. Additionally, the landmass does not suffer the severe effects of the cold seasons despite its relatively high global position.
The Zeto Games Settlements have emerged at the more ideal locations with access to natural resources or trade routes, leaving large swaths of land inhabited by all manner of creatures morphed by the access to residual creation magic. Though, it is not a complete loss. Every 10 years, the continent hosts the Zeto Games, a tournament of races meant to unite cultures, a stark contrast to the Great Trial. Though all events are enjoyed, the naval battles of the Sea Arena are the crowning jewel of the tournament as perpetual winds that allow for traditional sailing at high rates of speed with a large force.
Geography East-West: 2668 miles North-South: 2300 miles Area: 6,136,400m2
Zeto has the largest landmass and retains the scars of the Great Trials and continuous fighting over resources. The land has arcane-infused soils, polluted waters, and natural greenery or vegetation scarcity. Despite what appears to be available and ideal conditions for crops and livestock, the enriched soils absorb more than produce, making agricultural lands a premium and an extreme sign of wealth.
As illustrated in the previous section, the continent is unnaturally segmented into separate biomes, and the climate is artificially regulated and stagnant. Each biome features a border where a traveler instantly experiences the new climate when it is crossed. Additionally, weather patterns are precise, allowing academics to map out the exact temperature and precipitation that a biome will experience on any given day. These weather patterns function on a rotating yearly schedule and have not altered since the first era.
Flora and Fauna There is a lack of wild flora and fauna on Zeto, with all plants and animals purposely grown or maintained. Outside of avian species, wildlife consists of rodents or other small marsupials with no predators large enough to harm society. Furthermore, exotic species introduced into the ecosystem do not typically thrive on the arcane-infused vegetation making owning exotic species a sign of wealth and distinction.
CONTINENTAL PLANT AND ANIMAL Zeto Breather
Zeto Breather. This funnel-nosed crimson plant uniquely cleanses the air, pulling in toxins as its nutrition. The Breather grows around major population centers or large farms and is featured in window gardens in all cities.
Zeto Hairless Bovine. Through millennia of breeding, the Hairless Bovine decreases processing time and maintenance, increasing profits for farmers.
SIGNIFICANT LANDMARKS Deliberation Island. Now a ruin, trial participants waited under four 30ft tall hourglasses to be awarded for their efforts. Though cracked and broken, the large bases can still be observed, an etching of the four continents of Telsmir, Irragin, Aerilon, and Doloran forever marking the contestants. These islands are constantly excavated, and archeologists find ancient clues to the trials and Primes.
Looping Forest: Protected from destruction by unseen magic, adventurers exploring the dense foliage experience loss of time and direction, typically finding themselves on the forest’s perimeter without explanation. On looking, one can see wonderous lights flickering in the dense woods and strange creatures roaming freely. Explorer’s guides indicate a strange gate of thorns and flowers in the center, a glowing green haze forming a portal to the unknown.
Mystic Wetland. Full of streams, bogs, and perpetual fog, this site makes travel difficult as the earth seems to garner ill will. Yet, despite the difficulties, the Western realm relishes the thought of a Dwarven army attempting to cross its unyielding rivers.
Onyx Glass. Mischaracterized, the site is an obsidian generator as the never-ending stream of lava and self-sustaining lake waters meet. Because of this feature, obsidian is common on Zeto, replacing metals in everyday utility items.
The Scar. The effects of the Primes walking on Gia, the bottomless canyon emits pure arcana in dense gas. This essence is refined into reagents, the base for powerful enchantments. Massive collection machines are found scattered around the scar, their possession a constant battle between the western and eastern realms. Those brave enough to venture into the gas have suffered random effects from an increased ability to wield arcana, being teleported, becoming deathly ill, or simply never being heard from again.
Sea Arena. Measuring almost a week across via ship, this pocket of freshwater is the most famous Great Trial site and is now the principal location for the Zeto Games. The surrounding mountains range produces ever-changing winds, making for dramatic naval battles loved by all residents.
Hell’s Spout A perpetually erupting volcano situated in a northern crater whose lava levels remain consistent. Unlike the other arenas, it shows signs of slowly eroding its magical barrier, breaking through the mountains and into a large body of water.
Stonewatch Range. Test firing location for Dozer’s Cannon an arcane weapon that draws power directly from the planet. Years of study have been dedicated to understanding and replicating its power, but with no success. Stonewatch is a constant battleground, the owner able to protect a large portion of the Scar.
Sytria Island: This was the original arrival place of Titherimoose. The island possesses unique healing properties sought after by clerics and the ill. In the center, the first PantheonPantheon was constructed and houses the leadership of the Order of the Devout.
Sweeping Deserts. Inhospitable, these lands are full of massive sand dunes and valleys, the remnants of air-powered sand ships scattered throughout. Residents believe this to be the site of the most significant casualty event, its negative energy fueling hauntings and spirits.
SEA TRAVEL Zeto hosts two official ports, Oar’s Rest and Thurram, allowing travel to Irragin and Telsmir. It also hosts the only viable undercurrent to Aerilon. An undercurrent out of Far water stretches deep into the Depths of Sedgedon with a path to East Run, Nearon, for anyone willing to brave such a dangerous endeavor.
Oar’s Rest - Boatwright, Irragin Standard Vessel: 79 days Arcane-infused Vessel: 31.5 days Thurram - Deslote, Aerilon Standard Vessel: 39.5 days Arcane-infused Vessel: 16 days Thurram - Brickelwhyte, Telsmir Standard Vessel: 64 days Arcane-infused Vessel: 25.5 days Far Water - East Run, Nearon Standard Vessel: 208 days Arcane-infused Vessel: 84 days
Western Realm Eastern Realm Without a Home
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