Arda - The Continent of Eastara
And you, who treads the paths of jagged stone with steady feet remember….
Arda was never for the common folk, for the weak and timid.
No.
Arda is for the seekers, the wonderers, the lovers of adventure, the ones that desire for greatness and fear of ignorance burn within their hearts. Make peace with who you are. Steady your spirit,
and begin!
Arda is for you.
-from the “Musings of Unker”
Geography
Art by Florent Lebrun, Jeremy Paillotin
The lands of Arda are as varied as the stars that cover the night sky when the face of Kuthra is hiding. From the cold and barren wastelands of Vass to the uncharted jungles of Kuvir. From the treacherous pirate isles of the South to the Rockpine forests of Umarak.
One underlining thread that runs through all the land is that of history. City ruins and abandoned temples are now as much part of the scenery as the trees and the rocks. Wherever you go there is a sense that someone else was there before. Maybe it was only a few decades ago but all too often yours are the only feet that touch the ground in many centuries.
Earthquakes frequently ravage the land. When that happens many such locations fall and are lost forever while other rise from centuries of slumber. As such there was never a clear way to determine the true extent of Arda’s civilized past.
Life in Arda
Life in Arda
Arda is merciless and raw. The mighty beasts and creatures that call this land home are not the only danger that she poses. So common it is that the Craft rises wild and uncontrollable, bending reality in unpredictable and dangerous ways. In truth, most of the times it is difficult to discern whether the sights that exist before you are the product of nature herself or a construct of magic that has grown astray. Most of the time…it is a combination of the two.
As such, humanity and civilization are not the ruling force in Arda, thought there is evidence to suggest it wasn’t always like that. Organized life is very hard to flourish and most societies of common folk find themselves barricaded in overcrowded spaces behind tall walls. Travel is scarce and trade is dangerous. Faced with the challenge of every day survival, the people stopped caring about their history and the pursuit of knowledge and understanding fell into oblivion.
There are however those who in the face of Arda’s dangers and mysteries is where they feel alive. The find themselves drawn to the unknown, to the dormant splendor of the past and to the Promise that life can be much more than what it is now.
These individuals abandon all security and dive deep into the extraordinary life of the adventurer.
Magic
Art by Franklin Chan
Magic
Art by Franklin Chan
Arda is a land brimming with magical energies shimmering around every corner. They emanate from the earth herself, they descend down upon us from the skies, some say they even radiate from the deep and forgotten chambers of our souls.
Magic it is called by those who fear and do not comprehend it. But those who wield it refer to it as The Craft. No one really knows what the Craft is or where it’s coming from, but those who can feel the fine threads of reality gently passing through their fingers are often able to weave them, craft them into matter, into thought, into a new reality all together.
Spell casters are indeed able to pull their thoughts into the fabric of reality itself, creating constructs that carry their consciousness and their purpose. Sometimes, the will of the Crafter is so strong, that the constructs of her weaving continue to exist long after her death. Bereft of the guidance of a true consciousness, these creations fall into a kind of entropy or degeneration. That is what we call Wild Magic.
It is no secret that there was a time when great Crafters of immense power walked Arda. The evidence of such beings are simply too much to ignore. Some say that this was the time when the Yororthagrim called Arda their home while others theorize these crafters where simple men and women.
The outcome of such an era is however the same. Today there is so much of our world that takes the form of wild magic. So many the perils that such a world offer to those unable to defend themselves, to those who only wish to live a simple life , free of fear and loss.
Religion
Mist by Artem Demura
Religion
Mist by Artem Demura
Arda is home to many faiths and many schools of worship. Many deities or higher beings can be found that grant guidance, protection, power and purpose to their followers, but these remain to an extent a lesser form of the divine. While many faiths reject and contradict each other there is one that is accepted and acknowledged by all, that of the Aspects, the All Father and Mother, Ronthir and Kuthra.
It can be difficult to explain the Aspects in a few words, as they exist everywhere and they are worshiped in many different forms and for myriads of different reasons. Their most common from is that of the Sun and the Moon. Ronthir is the light of day that warms the hearts men and guides them into Greatness while Kuthra is the light of night, nurturing, concealing, mystical and secret.