Tarn

Tarn is a fantasy world whose various indigenous people are being observed and eventually colonized by "extratarnials" (ETs). For now, the ETs are content with small interventions, almost never appearing in physical form, so these instances are woven into the fabric of the mythology of the Tarnials. Several times in the past, however, they were less judicious in their actions, and memories of these cataclysms are pervasive in Tarnial cultures.   The ETs themselves shape reality through a weighted democratic form of coherence theory. When Tarnials pray to their dead spirits, demigods, or gods, the ETs harvest their energy and, if they can convince the others, together they adjust the parameters of Tarn and its Tarnials. Smaller wishes work best, because they demand less ET effort.   The planet is in its young middle-age, seismically active, yet stable enough so civilizations can develop. It is the fourth planet of its solar system and has two moons. The polar ice caps, while still robust, are in retreat over the last 25,000 years.   Tarn itself is a number of great continents with cultures of heterogeneous technological advancement. The story will focus on Adana, a continent situated mostly south of the equator, in what is labeled as the "eastern" hemisphere, between three oceans (Huga, Edoka, & Choda) and two seas (Vimu & Vidu). Adana indigeneous peoples, the Adanials, measure time relative to the second catastrophic event of their past, the Fall of Corkul, so dates prior to it are denoted as negative followed by FC and after, optimistically, EY for Enlightened Years.   The most advanced civilizations are found on the continents of Fiper and Forping. The oldest Tarnial fossils are found on the islands of Nata and Tura southwest of Forping, but civilization likely began in Forping sevelral times. The story of Tarn is a series of civilization developments followed by calamity, some of them caused by the Extratarnials. Sometimes, artifacts are found from more advanced technological age, and much of history has been lost among the current scientific community. Clearly, these are not the most enlightened years.   The migration to Adana came in three directions. The most ancient migration came from Jakira (from tribes of Fiper) and the Tarnera Ocean. The second migration arrived through Salo and Gansa (the origins being Forping). The final migration came from the east across the Edoka from Tura, Nata, Fiper, and Forping civilizations. Arguably, this last migration still continues.   The main story is set in 1362 EY, and the first settlements in Forping date from -24,000 FC, so there are approximately 25,000 years of Tarnial civilizations. Adana, however, is a much younger continent; its oldest settlements are from approximately -6000 FC. Like the other continents, Adana's growth has been curtailed by interventions. The two most spectacular were a long-running event called the God's War (from -3500 FC to -2500 FC) and, of course, the Fall of Corkul itself.   The question of Tarn is one of science and technology versus magic and religion. Technologists often laugh at primitives, because to the unenlightened, technology is indistinguishable from magic, but what if magic truly exists? Wouldn't the desire to seek scientific answers instead of accepting the violation of reality also be a weakness? Finding some measure of truth is the purpose of this world and its stories.