Etrea

5346 EA

Created by

Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Scope

The motivation behind building Etrea

I created Etrea to give myself a personal playground in which to write stories and novels, allowing myself to explore different characters and ideas. Etrea also allows me to explore fictional non-fiction writing, creating different cultures, traditions, species, and history. The world on WorldAnvil functions like an encyclopaedia, acting as both a reference for my fiction and a place to world build for worldbuilding's sake.

The goal of the project

It is my hope that I will be able to use Etrea to inspire my fiction, art, poetry, and other creative pursuits - such as scientific bestiaries or herbariums. I even hope that I'll be able to create Etrea-inspired fibre art one day! As well as a creative outlet, I hope to use Etrea to explore theories and ideas from our own world, delving into things such as gender, class, and sexuality.

Etrea's Unique Selling point

Etrea is planetary in scope, and has a rich history stretching back thousands of years. Whilst worldbuilding, I want to focus on gritty realism and science, even as it overlaps with magic and mythical creatures. Many cultures are at the beginning of an industrial revolution, and I will be exploring how this impacts these cultures and those around them. Here is the elevator pitch: Five and a half thousand years ago, the world of Etrea awakened with no memory of what had come before. Scant ruins and fragmented dreams are all that remain of the past. Whilst some still seek answers, most believe the past remains hidden for a reason.

Theme

Genre

Etrea is a post-post-apocalyptic science-fantasy world. It focuses on the overlaps between magic, technology, and science, and how they can coexist.

Reader Experience

The feel I want for Etrea is that there is always more to be explored - that not everything is known about the world or its inhabitants. There are a lot of questions about the past that don't have answers.

Reader Tone

The world of Etrea is grey. Hope is often scarce, yet clung to by the people who fight to make it better. Some people in the world live in luxury and pleasure. Others scrape by, scrambling for food and shelter. Others still fight for their lives in unending wars.

Recurring Themes

These are the recurring themes I want to explore in Etrea:

finding hope in dark places
identity
it does not matter what is true, only what people believe
religious persecution
metamorphosis
the relationship between science, magic, and technology

Character Agency

In general, character agency is flexible, though it leans more towards limited. Very few individuals will have the opportunity to make large changes in the world around them, whilst most others will have little to no opportunity to do so.

Focus

Technology and Magic

Many cultures in Etrea are at the beginning of industrial revolution, with the discovery of steam one of the main driving factors. I want to investigate how society changes as new technologies are created and how this affects the day-to-day lives of people who live in these societies. I also want to explore the relationship between magic and technology, especially how they influence each other and each other's development.

The Ecosystem

I am really interested in plants, animals, and fungi, as well as the less loved taxanomical kingdoms. My focus in particular is the way these species relate to each other and the world around them, and also how the sapient species of Etrea interact with them.

Gender Relations

I want to use Etrea to explore gender roles and different systems of classifying gender. Gender is where my interests lie academically (my PhD was about transgender narratives in young adult fiction), so I think exploring it through my worldbuilding is going to happen whether I consciously do so or not. I would prefer to do so mindfully and deliberately.

Culture and the Arts

I am fascinated by different cultures, and how traditions and religions, for example, impact every day life. I also really want to explore my cultures through the arts they create, whether that is literature, ceramics, paintings, or music.

Drama

Hutsaih is using military force to expand its empire across the continent of Oyekos, and is building up its naval prowess for further expansion.

The religious genocide of the Koushan Mai people is continuing in Caillah, with prejudice spilling into the surrounding countries such as Serukis, Kaien, and Akerra.

Dragons have withdrawn from most of the northern hemisphere due to ongoing conflicts with humans.

The relatively recent discovery of steam power has led to industrial revolutions across the world. Some are wary of the damage it could cause to the old ways.

A recent volcanic eruption has caused chaos to trade routes in Sarsand, especially in the country of Moragul.

Civil war is brewing in Fluvansii in southern Viretia.

Etrea © Emily Vair-Turnbull 2020-23
Images © Emily Vair-Turnbull unless stated otherwise | CSS Theme © TJ Trewin
Etrea Logo © Garrett Grace Lewis | Etrea World Theme © Elias Alija