Welcome to Potestatem Terran! You're likely afraid, tired and wondering how you found yourself on a strange new planet with an asteroid ring orbiting it. Don't worry, you've found this book which means you're less likely to die, be enslaved, or save the world. We Wisconians were once also from Terra, so I have written this guide to Potestatem in a way in which will help you understand it. Note, this is only a brief guide and generalizes greatly so expect variation!
Geography
Potestatem is separated into two major landmasses. Simply referred to as the northern and southern continents. The northern continent is a cold and desolate place. Never go there. If you do, I'd bring blankets. The southern continent is large and has many diverse places. It is a continent that puts Eurasia to shame.
Not only is the southern continent massive, but it is also a land of extreme biomes. The
Foisham Jungle spans the northern section of the continent. The jungles are divided into multiple regions but don't be fooled. The Foisham jungle is one super biomass. Below the jungle is the
Dawn Mountain Range, a line of mountains that would span from Tokyo to London if moved onto Terra. Dozens of other notable deserts, bays, hills, forests, mountains, and the like exist across Potestatem.
Potestatem also has 4 moons; from smallest to largest:
Fluloris,
Coigus,
Cramen, and
Fulgring. The planet also has an
asteroid belt surrounding it.
Cultures
There are many cultures in Potestatem that are tied to many species and groups. The most widespread culture is Perisian. You can think of it as a cultural equivalent to medieval France. Thanks to the long lost
Perisian Empire, this culture is everywhere. Their language is even just referred to as common. Many of the other cultures found throughout Potestatem are similar in some way to cultures that existed on Terra. They also have many unique aspects. You will need to do independent research if you want to know more about a place or people.
One culture which also needs to be mentioned is Wisconian. (The culture I'm from!) Wisconian culture is derived from a magical accident that occurred during the later part of the second era, which caused a town from Wisconsin to be teleported to the area now known as the Wisconian Plains. This has caused Terran cultural signifiers to become somewhat commonplace in some quarters of Potestatem - if you hear someone making "yo mamma jokes," you've likely found yourself a Wisconian!
The Temple & Slivers
Unlike the standoffish gods of Terra,
Potestatem is brimming with colorful divine faces. The most preeminent divine institution is
The Temple. In which the
Thirteen Temple Gods rule according
to their strange rules. You should also know, these gods often sponsor champions so that they can micromanage Potestatem. These champions are known as
Slivers of Divinity; if you're unlucky, you might become one too! If you suspect you have become Slivered or will become one in the near future, I highly recommend reading more into the temple. It will make your life easier.
Time & Calendars
Potesatem is a world without an axial tilt. As such, our Gnomish overlords based their calendar on how often
The Temple finishes an orbit around the world; not how long it takes the world to do a lap around
Lutae. This Calendar, called the Perisian Calendar, consists of an odd array of 900 days, with one month for each of the major temple gods and each month getting shorter and shorter - cumulating with the arrival of the Temple. But don't worry traveler! Our ancestors rightly questioned the usefulness of such a convoluted calendar. As such, I would recommend using the Wisconsin Calendar; it neatly segments the 364 day year into 13 even 4 week long months. (Truly a work of genius!) More good news, a day is conveniently the same as Terra, so hopefully you won't be too jet lagged having just been teleported here.
A Brief History
History in Potestatem has been segmented into four eras. To help denote the flow of time, we use two acronyms, BC (Before Cataclysm) and AC (After Cataclysm). This is a brief description of each era.
Era One - The Age of Discovery: Forgotten Past - 3112 BC
The Age of Discovery is known as such due to the relative lack of historical documentation regarding the era. Current historians use first era to refer to the
very ancient past. It is believed during this era most modern concepts such as The Temple, houses, cooking, etc were created. More "civilized" regions such as the
Arcane Plains and Perisia have some surviving documentation, most known "facts" about this time are myth and legend.
Era Two - The Age of the Perisian Empire: 3112 BC - 144 BC
The Age of the
Perisian Empire would see the majority of the populated world conquered by and subjugated by the
Perisian Emperor. Under the globe spanning empires watch the world would experince peace and prosperity. Many great works would be created as culture and sorcery blossomed in this era.
Perisian culture would dominate such as
Ydnac Lond and stamp their cultur out.
Perisian language, known as "common" today, would become the linqua franka of much. Their language continues to be dominate to this day. Eventually the empire would decline as the Gnomish ruling class neglected their duties and the empire increasingly rotted from the inside out. Many blame their collapse on only the next era's coming.
Either way the Persian Empire is resonpsible for the vast majority of ruins and advancement we know today. What little of it made its way to us.
Era Three - The Cataclysm: 144 BC - 1 BC
The Age of Cataclysms is known as such due to the fearsome monstrosity known as
"The Destroyer", who roamed the world at this time. It was a fearsome beast which consumed entire cities and destroyed many ecosystems across the world. Worse still, it's
Breath created monsters from the living and the dead of any species. This beast roamed the Southern Continent for decades before finally being stopped by a coalition of heroes known as the
Sentinels. Almost all major institutions and nations fell during this time. Most modern nations were created after the third era. The Perisian Empire was shattered during this era and no longer truly exists.
The monsters from the
Destroyer's Breath still wander the planet. Many of them cluster in the ruins and bunkers of now lost cilvilzations.
Fourth Era - Age of Rediscovery: 1 AC - Current Day
After the defeat of the Destroyer, the world has been recovering. Much of the known was obliterated and changed. Ancient wonders and cities destroyed beyond repair. Finding these lost relics and rediscovering the world which was lost is the central theme of the current era. This is the time you find yourself in. Exciting!
Comments