The Silverlands

"I spent centuries of my life seeking immortality. When I found it, I stopped. I became sluggish and complacent. Then I realized that this power isn't the end goal; it's the first step on the path to something greater. I will find the end of this path, even if I have to kill the gods themselves." -Malkoran the Skeleton King   The Silverlands is not a world of comfort and success. Simply living here poses a series of risks and challenges that one must always strive to overcome just to survive. Monsters prowl the forests and roads. Demons, Fey and other sorts of magical creatures can appear unexpectedly to help or hinder. Basic magic is accessible to all but the most poor or unlucky, and powerful magic can always be found in major points of civilization or in isolated places of power in the world. Wherever one threat is reduced, another one crops up. The largest cities are just as dangerous as the greatest wilds, just in different ways.   The world was not designed like this; it was a consequence of the Change, a curse brought about by the destruction of the two Originator Gods. At first, they coexisted peacefully and even co-created the planet of the Silverlands. Eventually, the younger god, Aerel, decided that he would like to create life despite being to inexperienced to handle it.   This first sentient race is known as the Prorenae to those who remember it, and simply the Lost to everyone else. They were tall and thin, magically gifted but inexperienced and very naïve. Aerel was proud of this creation, but eventually they attempted to get out from under his yoke. The resulting war was brutal, pitting Aerel against his own creations and fellow God, whom he would inevitably kill.   This conflict weakened Aerel enough to let the surviving Prorenae seal him away in a gap in time, but before he was truly defeated, he spitefully cursed his creations, transforming them into a multitude of creatures, from demons, fey, elementals, or mortals such as elves and dwarves. This event would become known as the Change.   In the time since, other gods have risen to fill the power vacuum left behind, with the most prominent being a group known as the Seven. They constantly combat the intrusions of other beings, from the demons in the caverns of Bresylle to the unfathomable horrors of Wildspace, to just the everyday threats against mortals.   All the races live somewhere in the Silverlands, though some are more populous and widespread. Human settlements can be found in just about any corner of the world, but are mostly focused on the continent of Axa. Many cultures exist as a racial melting pot, including elves, dwarves, goliaths and the so-called "bestial" races such as tieflings and tabaxi.   Most humans on Axa fall under the sway of the Federation of the Eight, a huge conglomeration of the eight most powerful human kingdoms, but many humans live outside those borders. Elves are not quite as powerful as they were during the rule of the Elven Empire, but several elven kingdoms still shape the world and influence the younger races. Elves living amongst humans function well in academic fields, but prefer to live in the outskirts of their respective towns and cities, forming peaceful enclaves. Dwarves still rule supreme in the mining and construction fields, but with the improving technology from humans and other races, their options have begun to expand. Dwarves can often be found as sailors, guards, farmers and many other occupations where their impressive endurance allow them to outperform their competitors. Dozens of other races exist within the Silverlands, such as the vedalken in the cloud city of Aether, the Triton in the underwater ruins of Atlanta, the Lizardfolk from the desert metropolis of Midio, and others.   As there are no other realms for one to exist in, even far more powerful beings, including the immortal ones, make their home in the Silverlands. The angelic Celestials live in the Firmament far above the Earth, keeping to themselves but occasionally scrying for major threats to reality they believe they might need to get involved with. Fiends live either in magically potent lands, waiting for prey to show itself, or they live deep underground in Bresylle, a series caverns carved out by lava flow and their own infernal magic. Even the Seven exist physically within the Silverlands, though encountering them without them wishing it is virtually impossible. Only the Fey can claim their own land, though the Feywild is more of an extension of the Silverlands rather than a separate entity.   Ever since the beginning of the Second Mortal Era, The world has finally begun to step into the future. Ships have grown larger and more complex and can now take more direct routes across the ocean thanks to more reliable mapping and timing tools. Some can even fly The invention of explosive powders has allowed firearms, cannons and mining charges to revolutionize many aspects of life. Magic shops and schools can be found in any town with more than a few hundred people, and the largest cities have their own teleportation circles for those with the privilege to use them.   The technology of the vedalken, Simians and Dwarves have gone even further still, creating devices that can capture lifelike images, transmit one’s voice as if using a message spell, or move quickly across the ground without aid.   These technologies and those with the knowledge to craft and use them are still spreading slowly, however, making older methods still more common and often more reliable for the meantime. Firearms can be found amongst professional fighters or adventurers, but melee weapons, bows and crossbows are still just as effective and popular as they have always been. The world is far from tamed, and the ways that have always worked will likely continue to work for years on.