MasterClass World

A temperate planet that would be a perfect place for life to flourish if not, for one thing, a metallic substance in the water. Poisonous and polluting every lake, river, and ocean, it's been there long before living memory and shows no sign of ever going away. So the people adapt. They learn to survive with less water, they learn how to remove the metal from the water, and how to use it to build towering cities. Most importantly, they learn that whoever controls the water, controls the world. One world, two continents, three species, four races, and 5 centers of civilization. One world. Poisoned by a brilliant blue metal, polluting every lake, river, and stream. Two continents. Upper and Lower. The first contains everything from barren deserts to lush rainforests, on this side of the mountains that is. What lies beyond is found only in myths and fairytales. Three species. The Common People who no longer exist in their pure form. The Rain People living in relative bliss in their rainforest communities. And the fabled Mesa People. The 6 limbed beings supposedly found beyond the mountains, living on in Rain fables. Four races. The structured Sand People living in the dunes on the Upper Continent. This theocracy relies on priests to guide the castes and divvy out water. The Rain People live a relaxed life exploring the forest and creating beautiful art, both in their jungle home and on themselves in the form of intricate tattoos. The monstrous Mesa People, a favorite bedtime story of the Rain People, created to keep children from wandering too far from home. But crazed mountaineers and strange mutations lend undeniable weight to the legends. And the Rock People. This community-centered people is in for a rude awakening when Sand explorers arrive, proving they aren't alone in the world. Five civilizations. The Sand strongholds in the Shifting Dunes, circling the Temple. The Rain capital, XXX. The Mesa city known only as the Towering Rock. The Rock villages on the Lower Continent. And the City positioned on the XXX delta, a melting pot where all people can live in harmony without the chains of castes or prejudice, sort of.