What is Barenae? Meta Article

"We were never meant for greatness. Our world was destined to be destroyed by the very thing that saved it. If the winds of fate bring second opportunities, why shouldn't we enjoy the gift of life that's been bestowed upon us?" - _{Extract from Ferol Core manuscripts, 274 D.R}

This is a meta article for my main worldbuilding project, Barenae, which I intend to develop in the future. This article is meant to explain the basis and core concepts for the project, as a way to introduce the more concrete parts and have solid foundations to go back to in case I'm ever lost.

But what is Barenae?

Barenae was, in its conception, a place for entities of great power to rest. Gods, Worldsouls, Primordials ... even the Nivel trusted the services of the caretakers of Barenae. What would creating that kind of sanctuary be like? Then it shifted as I thought about what could go wrong. How things can take a turn for the worse. But also allow room for the people who have been beaten up to rise and stand for themselves.

At its core, Barenae is about the different cultures that inhabit it and the history of those who have been denied their freedom and now seek to discover the beauty of what's theirs.

"A broken, but wonderful place filled with extraordinary people facing its many dangers."

What is Barenae's genre?

The main inspiration is Urban Fantasy with a heavy focus on communities and cultures, and some arcane science and divergent technology sprinkled throughout. Magic is a heavily expressive medium but is also widely interwoven with technology and science, which are averagely pretty advanced for a fantasy world (think zeppelins, basic automobiles, and telegraphs), even if the feel and aesthetic gap between the Inner Sections and the Outer Rim ranges from 1980's environments to more traditional, medieval villages.

What is Barenae's scale?

The event that defines the calendar is the shattering of the original planet by The Redeemer, a gigantic and mighty artifact that tore Barenae from the inside. This separated the planet in eight equal Splinters or Fragments, which would float adrift if not held by Etaria and the own gravity field created by The Redeemer. The group exists somewhere, constantly changing dimensions, trapped in a spatial continuum, absent of stars and devoid of light if not for that reflected by the Redeemer. People inhabit the inner faces of the spheric sectors, since, after the shattering and the translation, the sphere's surface is considered to be unfit for life. Each of the Splinters could qualify as their own planet, but the scale might grow as much as it can afford, and it's unclear right now.

What is Barenae's mood?

A single person can go anywhere and make great changes, as long as they're ready to make them. Innovation and Discovery are great ways to find truth in progress, and a single commodity can go a long way in making everything a little bit better. Traditions and bureaucracy can often slow the pace at which the world works, but freedom of any type is one of the highest tenets for most of those who hold the power.

On a Grim-Noble scale, this world would be practically Noble for those who aren't scared of finding the truth, with a high focus on freedom for the individual and the community. In contrast, a bigger part of the community is content with what they have, which ends up creating a more Neutral environment.

The environment of Barenae is mainly defined by a sense of wonder. Nature is meant to feel wild and untamed, with turbulent storms, massive creatures, peculiar uses of magic ... However, there's this constant bitter feeling that things should be better. The banes of the past always lurk where the light is less bright. Misunderstandings and breaches between different groups are as uncomfortable as they are common. The people of Barenae take this bitterness and make it theirs. Death is painful but understood. Chaos is uncontrollable but just. Wherever you go in Barenae, there's a good chance it'll be easy to make a friend and meet new and interesting people, as long as you're open to new things and look forward.

On a Dark-Bright scale, this world would be Neutral, since there are many wonderful things about it, but there will always be room for improving them.

What are some of Barenae's themes?

The three main themes present in this world are:

• The search of truth in all its forms: Years of disconnection between the different Splinters of Barenae, alongside a feeling that some of the most knowledgeable institutions in the world aren't completely transparent, often inspire people to find truth for themselves, be it by creating truth, making great discoveries or trying to change things so that they are more clear for everyone. This creates a climate where disciplines like technology, science, and politics are always bustling with activity.
  
• Freedom is finding those who you belong with: Since the world is far and wide, often people can feel misplaced where they were born. Traveling is a common occurrence and individuals tend to look for people that share their own ideas, wherever those may be, so everywhere you might go, chances are you might find other travelers, enjoying the beauty of the area, or integrated within the more welcoming groups of society.
  
• The bridges between Past, Present, and Future: The people of Barenae have suffered a lot in history: extraplanar invasions, cataclysms, civil wars... There's a fixation for tradition and trying not to forget the past, that often collides with a more young, careless perspective that looks forward to innovation and progress. It's everyone's task to bring those two sides together now since the dangers of the past are everpresent, but everyone should access all the commodities that come up in the years to come.

What conflicts are going on in Barenae?

• The will of an uncontrollable entity: The Redeemer holds Barenae in place and grants light, heat and energy for its inhabitants. However, nobody can be sure of how it functions, what are its interests, if it even has a will of its own or if it'll keep working forever. It's been a provider of life and death, a savior and an annihilator. Those sections where the influence of The Redeemer is more present show signs of strange phenomena: magic storms, unending blizzards, constant elemental activity... it's impossible to discern what tomorrow might hold.
  
• Reminders from the past: The power of the beings that invaded Barenae in the first place stills scars the land today. Their followers lurk in the shadows. Uncurable plagues appear sporadically. Corruption appears there where the needy require the hand of a rescuer and sows mistrust and confusion. But it's not always them. Resented conquerors, creatures that come from other dimensions, even the gods' people trust never seem totally honest.
  
• The Advancement Disconnection: Given that travel is a common occurrence, people have found that tourism is a very lucrative activity. This has only made the gap between the more advanced people living in the Inner Sections and those on the Outer Rim more evident since the outer people don't have the technological advancements nor the infrastructure that others enjoy. Any semblance of change that could be pushed is often stopped by those whose interests lie with making themselves richer by negating progress to others.

Quick Overview

Motivation

TTRPG use, Creative Development, Opportunities...

Genre

High Magic, Mid Science, Urban Fantasy

Scale

Planet (Sub-divided into Splinters)

Mood

Neutral, slightly Noble (Individual Agency)/Neutral (Quality of Life)

Themes

• "The search of truth in all its forms"
• "Freedom is finding those who you belong with"
• "The bridges between Past, Present and Future"

Conflicts

• The will of an uncontrollable entity - Redeemer
• Reminders from the past
• The Advancement Disconnection

Current Year

3156 D.R (After the First Pulse)

Calendar

Based on Splinter translation
3 seasons
8 months of variable duration
3 weeks each month
228 days in total

Suns and Moons

None

What motivates Barenae?

I've been working with this world for around 5 years, but I've never found the time to write things properly. I felt it was right to finally dedicate the time it deserves to build it properly. Worldbuilding is something I enjoy for the creative opportunities and freedom of expression I've never been able to communicate through other, more artistic ways. Worldbuilding as a discipline to me is something that I want to understand more deeply and that will always keep me on a road to new things.

I've used (briefly, unfortunately) Barenae for ttrpg purposes, and it's been my main way to expand upon new areas and concepts, so I'm always thankful for my players. I'm a game design student and it would be awesome if someday these ideas can be worth something and feed me, which is a solid motivation for learning more and never stop creating.

As a means of self-expression, I hope using World Anvil will make me able to meet the kind of people that's worth living for, people who are great in their worlds but don't hesitate to be great in ours. I've always been shy and insecure, especially through the Internet, so I'm making efforts towards being more open and proud of the things I achieve through community.

It's ambitious for a first project, and I'm well aware. But I want to test myself. I'm open to any kind of criticism and my mindset is to always strive to be better. Learn. Expand. Play with it and make friends along the way.