Getting Started in Partha

About Partha

Partha is, in essence, my love of fantasy brought to life. On the surface, this may seem like a typical fantasy world with magic and mayhem, but dive beyond the shallows and you’ll find a realm of people and creatures trying to make a home on a new frontier. This is because Partha isn’t an old realm. By the standards of the universe, Partha is very, very young. It was created by mistake, and is held together by string and paperclips.
In Earth's Nordic mythology, there was a tale of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, and the realms that man did not live. This was the closest people came to the truth.
There were originally four Realms that rotated souls through a cycle of reincarnation through the eons. A person on Earth would pass, their soul would move into an in-between space where it would have time to rest and recharge, then the soul would be reborn into the next realm.
However no machine is perfect, and eventually something went wrong. Slowly these four realms that rotated around one another met in an event called The Collapse. Like planets colliding in space, the four realms were shattered against one another, broken into pieces. However, at the center, one piece remained.
Stranded in the whirlwind of absolute chaos, a tiny piece of reality clung to existence. Broken and battered, littered with the remnants of the four realms, Partha came into existence. A nexus, the last remaining life after a massively apocalyptic event.
Despite the grim nature of its origin, however, Partha is and will always remain to be a hopeful story. The land, people, creatures, and magic of this world have collectively clawed their way out of certain doom to live on and forge their own path. Not everyone will always get along, and there will always be good guys and bad guys. But at its core, Partha is the story of people learning to live and build a world together despite any and all differences.

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The Places

Erastur is the primary continent, comprised of six nations. It’s a generally temperate climate, which allowed life after the Collapse to stabilize itself. Of its six nations, there are two major and four minor which have split up the land.

The Wildlands: A massive continent that is almost entirely uninhabitable. Ruled by violent natural phenomenon, unstable magics, and wild storms. Only the most unique creatures can survive in these conditions, and expedition crews rarely return.

Agecia: The smallest continent, home to a mysterious race of people. The Agecians who live there are known to be highly xenophobic, and while not outright violent they will attack those who seek unapproved entry onto their land.

The Major Nations: The eastern coast of the main continent is home of Æ'ur, a nation of people who live with and rely on magic almost exclusively. The west coast is claimed and ruled by Sibrea, a much more diverse but chaotic nation that leans much more heavily on technology.

The Minor Nations: Located on an island to the northeast of Æ'ur, Ghenna stands as a powerful and independent nation that embraces the sea and magic. To the south of Ae’ur, the Thel'esian Sands make for a harsh environment that only the strongest of people can thrive in through a life of war and mining. A small island to the west of the Thel’esian sands makes up the mysterious nation of Albeto, a place of craftsmen and strange combat tactics.

Eternia. There is a constant debate over whether to consider Eternia a major or minor nation, or if it can even be considered a nation at all! The Eternal Forest takes up the central area of Erastur, stretching up to the northern coast. Very little is known about this place, save that it is inhabited by the Fae, and the non-fae that wander into its borders rarely return.

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The People

Because so many realms were converged into one, Partha is full of various races and peoples. These are broken up into the Races of Man and the Prime Races. The Races of Man are the humanoid races believed to all be linked to the same progenitor at some point in ancient history. The Prime Races are sentient, though not always humanoid, and do not share (or are not believed to share) a human ancestor.

The Races of Man

Human

From the realm of Earth. This race is generally well known for their sturdiness, adaptability, and industriousness. They’re often inclined to make their lives simpler with the use of technology and hierarchy. It was the Humans who crafted strong trade lines throughout Partha that helped it recover after the Collapse. Most humans are incapable of creating or using natural magic.

Ærilian

From the realm of Ærilia. The most magical race by nature with a deep connection to the magical element called Kyn. They prefer small, personal communities amongst themselves and have a tendency to be pacifists in terms of conflict, and xenophobic towards the other races. It was the Ærilians who brought Partha into a natural order after the Collapse.

Kan'ali

From the realm of Kan’ali. Originally feared for their violent way of life, these desert-faring people had known only war and bloodshed until Partha’s creation. They are fearless in the face of danger, resistant to extreme climates, and built for combat. However their way of life has also lead to the greatest craftsmen and craftswomen in all of Partha, able to create astonishing structures and items with very little. The Kan’ali were the ones to tame the harsher parts of Erastur and secure access to rare and valuable materials where other races could not.

Agecian

Little is known about this reclusive race, including their realm of origin. Many believe that this is possibly the only race to have originated in Partha. They have the industrious, technology-driven mindset of humans while also being magical powerhouses. Their primary drawback is that, when used, their magic poisons them in both body and soul. They mostly reside on the small continent of Agecia, though a few curious nomads have appeared in Erastur.

The Prime Races

Dwen

Though not particularly intelligent, the Dwen are a curious and simple race. At half the size of an average humanoid, the Dwen primarily live and thrive underground. They’re covered in a dense, wiry hair from top to bottom with only their hands, feet, and faces left bald. Aside from their hair, some of their primary characteristics include very large eyes and noses, and thick claws on their fingers used for breaking up and digging dirt.

Arimala

While technically listed as one race, the Arimala are the most widely varied race on Partha. Primarily discernable by their animal-like appearance, the Arimala are a race of humanoids with features closely resembling common mammals. Often nomadic in nature and tribal in structure, many Arimala live in family groups and avoid large civilizations. Currently there are fifteen known types of Arimala, with arguments among researchers about the boundaries of classifications.

Fae

Little is officially known about this race, though many believe they are as physically varied as the Arimala, without the animal appearance. Known for their spiteful and tricky ways, the Fae seek to lure people into their forest who never return. They do not come out of their forest or socialize with those outside of it.

Dreamers & Dreamless

These are entities without their own physical form. They can inhabit the mind of a sleeping creature and temporarily use it as their own. Dreamers are known to be harmless and simply curious about the physical world. The Dreamless are what happens when a Dreamer refuses to give up a body they are inhabiting. One can easily tell if a body is inhabited by a Dreamer or Dreamless by the bright pastel colors of their eyes while borrowing a body.

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Magic & Technology

When the four realms collided, magic was in a constant state of chaotic flux. Even in current day, the magic on Partha is widely varied and known to be somewhat unpredictable. Because Earth had been long barred from magical energy, humans feared magic and turned to technology instead. This leaves a lot of options for those playing within Partha.

Ærilian Magic

The most common and well-known form of magic, based around a natural energy called Kyn. Kyn comes in one of three states: positive, negative, and neutral. Ærilian magic users use and manipulate Kyn in various ways, causing the Kyn to shift into its various states.

Kan'ali Magic

Most commonly used by the Asi (Shaman) of the Thelessian Sands, Kan’ali magic taps into the balance of nature. Though not nearly as well understood as Aerilian magic, Kan’ali magic allows the user to speak with the earth and animals, and can be used to push a body to its absolute limits and beyond.

Agecian Magic

Little is known about this magic as the Agecians guard its secrets viciously. Unlike other forms of magic, this type seems to be unhindered in scope or ability, and only limited by the power of the user. This magic, despite its immense power, comes with severe drawbacks as it pulls its power from the caster’s soul while subsequently poisoning the body. Agecian casters are easily spotted by the blackened veins that often run from their fingers and eyes.

Drömiri Magic

The most mysterious form of magic that seems to be unusable by humanoids. Known only through old texts and depictions from before the Collapse, Drömiri magic is believed to have been used by the angels of Drömir. Even Prince Attan, the master of magics, is incapable of using Drömiri magic.

Crystal Punk

A mixture of magic and technology used by the humans of Sibrea. Though Sibrean people are very wary of magic, they have found ways to infuse crystals with Kyn energy to be used like batteries for their technology. This is seen as very controversial, especially by Sibrean purists.