Wonders of Ora'a
Welcome to Ora'a, a world full of wonder
Somewhere in a distant universe - yet not so different from the one we know - a terrestrial planet, slightly smaller than Earth, is revolving around Mel, a F-type main sequence star. Orbiting in the Goldilocks Zone, the planet called Ora'a was blessed with the spark of life a long time ago. From the huge oceans covering about 3/4 of the planet's surface, life emerged, made its way onto the landmasses and kept pushing further and further. So, Ora'a became a green planet and even the home for several intelligent species. Wondrous flowers of life are now blooming in every corner of the planet and a few of the species already have gone to great lenghts to discover the world around them and to make it their home. Especially the Oraniri, appearently the most curious of the species, established their settlements all over the known world and thereby became the center of cultural interaction across the lands. However, so much has yet to be uncovered. One of the reasons that life on Ora'a is so successful originates in the very potent energy existing in this universe: the myotic energy commonly known as Myo. Myo occurs most potent on the continent Manaeyra due to a meteor strike in ancient times. The area around the impact spot, called Shardstorm, is not accessible as the energy there is too dense, showing off as a permanent storm causing hallucinations and delusions.Cr̀o͡s̷sinģ the͠ ҉ill̡usi͟on҉ of ̧sp̷a̶c͝e ͟a̷nd ti͡m͏e͝, w͏e g̀eţ a ̷glim͡ps͜è ̶of ̧t͏h̨e͢ ͢im͢age̵s͢ ͟a̷nd ̶s҉t͡o̢rięs ema͢n͘at̨ing̕ ҉th͠i̶s w̵or͢ld̸.͏
A͜ wor̛l̵d ̸f͝ưl̕l͟ ͟o̕f̴ wo̶nde͟r.
Myo - The Source of Creation
In the beginning, there was only Myo. Infinite thought of creation. Motionless. Aimless. An endless ocean of vibrating energy blazing under pitch black sky. Containing everything, yet being nothing at all.Everlasting.
And then, Myo wakend. A reflection of its essence, a first cognition. Primary awareness. Creation. The beginning of time and space. The universe took form, enwrought by Myo like a giant web, initiating physical change wherever it flows through. Lifeforms, touched by the cosmic streams of Myo, are prone to attract its energy and to develop a sensibility for it. Under the right conditions, myotic powers manifest. Powers with the innate spark of creation. Powers that can ignore the laws of nature and bend reality. Instinctively invoked by lesser beings, yet of highly controllable character in sentient creatures. These powers are passed on from generation to generation, becoming more and more potent, innitiating change and calling forth evolution itself.
The Shard that fell from the sky
Celestial fires lighting up a moonless night. Veils of crimson and lilac waving across Ora'a's ceiling. Unnatural silence sheathing every living thing on the ground. And then, a subtle tremble, permeating all, growing stronger and stronger, accruing into a howling creak. With the glare of a star, glistening fists of light cracked open the heavens and punched down through the clouds. Screaming away darkness and peace. Everyone could feel it. Something hit our mother Ora'a, struck it deep and true. And as if the winds themselves were retreating from the blow, they came rushing with such force, no window could withstand. Forcing even my innards to empty. I thought, the world has ended.When the Shard hit the continent Manaeyra, all of Ora'a was shaking. The burning rock, that fell from the sky, thrust deep into the planet's crust, poking a cosmic stream of Myo that unleashed its raw energy all over the world. A giant raging cyclone was raised over the impact area, making it inaccessable. Thereafter, the region was renamed Shardstorm and a new calendar got introduced.
Even stranger things were happening shortly after that. Unseasonal weather events, unusual behavior of animals and more of that sort. No one knew what to make of it. Until one day, 127 years later, a young Oranir priest accidentally managed to control fire. But this was only the beginning. More and more people discovered an innate ability to connect with Myo and shape it through knowledge, acrobatic movements and willpower. The Myodancers rose to power.
The War of Manaeyra
After a long period under the absolutistic regime of the Myodancers - bringing about horrid demonstrations of power and oppression as well as constant progress however - Erian of Kalruy, supreme envoy of the government, provoked the last straw. When one of his tax collections in Aspeca was met with resistance and ended in violence, Erian lapsed into fury and ordered mass executions for deterrence, causing outcries all across the population. Alliances formed soon after and the first armies were set in motion. Countries all around Aspeca realized the momentum and saw their chance to tip over the distribution of power.In the following years the situation became more and more tense, finally precipitating the biggest war Ora'a has ever seen. Peoples all over Manaeyra united against the overwhelming forces of the Myodancers, trying to suffocate them by sheer numbers at first. Yet, without the help of a few renegade Myodancers and the brute strenght of Varaz bred for war, they probably couldn't have stood a chance.
In 585 A.S., 67 years of war and two protraced, tedious sieges later, Mytaria, the capital of the Myodancers, finally fell. With the loss of their heartland, the Myodancer regime was shattered.
Mytaria was renamed to Oitaria and became the seat of the new government: the democratic Confederation of the Free Folks, administrated by the Council of Oi Tara. Marking the beginning of a new era, the Golden Age was proclaimed, academies were opened for the public and slave trade was abolished. Peace returned to Manaeyra and cultural exchange experienced a period of prosperity.
Adventurers from everywhere set off to find their luck in the new world, or to discover the secrets of the old one.