Welcome to Wyrring

Welcome to Wyrring! This article serves as an introduction to newcomers hoping to get a general overview of the world!

Geography

General

The current setting is the west coast of a much larger continent named Wyrring. The region is bounded by a shallow sea to the west and north, and has the Devil's Teeth Mountain Range and the large Great Expanse desert dividing it from the rest of the continent to the east and south. The region consists of a series of small nations with conflicting views. A long-lasting peace has been achieved in the region, but the advent of new forms of technology seem to be pushing them back into conflict.

Estalia

The coast is dominated by the silver spires of Estalia; a powerful republic bound to their ideals of order. In seeking this perfect order, they've turned to an extreme level of beaurocracy, believing that this will help them follow what is known as The Grand Plan - a belief in a set of fundamental laws and rules of the world that can be used to achieve greatness. Through the use of the powerful Silver Legion and the shadowy House of Order, Estalia seeks to enforce this sense of order both within and across the world at large.

Aedan

To the south lies the Kingdom of Aedan; a place where individual freedom and liberty are above all other rights. Consisting of lush farmlands as far as can be seen, the law is enforced by the Queen's Warden. All citizens are expected to participate in all votes passing through Parliament, carried out by the ever-travelling Sensors. As the second largest nation in the region, Aedan serves as the main foil to Estalia's ambitions.

Summer Shores

Many scholars have noted that the rolling, fertile hills of the Summer Shores can at times feel like two nations in one. Although it is officially governed by The Magister, historically their focus is on the operations of The Grand College and the worldwide use of magic. Most of the Summer Shores is under the unofficial control of the Group of Nine - a group of wealthy merchants in Drury, where anything can be bought for a price. Outside of the cities, most people live a peaceful life on the farms and orchards that cover the hillsides, happy and content.

Kraggenhammen-Gracklstugh

To the east of Estalia the dwarven Jarldom of Kraggenhammen serves as a constant bulwark against Estalia's ambitions. Consisting of four large, open pit mines, in which residential and industrial zones have been built up over time, Kraggenhammen is renowned for supplying much of Wyrring with previous gems and iron. In recent history, the city has become extremely wealthy from their recent alliance with the under-city of Gracklstugh. This dwarf-duergar alliance appears to be extremely strong, and despite the relative small size of the cities, their industrial might will surely progress them far into the future.

Other Areas

• Angel's Harbour - A city nestled between Aedan and Estalia, the land upon which it rests was left ambiguous by a peace treaty signed long ago, resulting in a city under the control of both nations, and neither. Angel's Harbour is the home of many riminal enterprises throughout the coast.
• The Barrens - A large plain to the south, which is the home to many nomadic tribes.
• Dwemni Empire - A mysterious empire on the other side of the Devil's Teeth Range, not much is known about the empire, except that it seems to be incredibly vast and very wealthy.
• Eryndlyn - A drow city within the Underdark.
• The Great Expanse - A large desert to the south, believed to be the resting place of lost gods.
• Lapu - A gnomish enclave in the heart of Estalia, consisting of a group of houses connected with bridges, floating in the middle of a lake.
• Ostrangard - A failed kingdom occupying the largest pass through the Devil's Teeth Range. Ostrangard is haunted by many ghosts and monsters.
• Sylvia - A large elvish kingdom nestled within the Devil's Teeth Range, Sylvia tends to keep to itself.

Religion, Magic, and Engines

Long before recorded history, a great war was fought between the gods for supremacy over the material world. To prevent its total destruction, the gods agreed to a peace and to withdraw from the world. Despite the agreement, several of the gods left a part of their essence behind, which manifested into various creatures and monsters. These beings - known as Totems - mark the distinction between the Major and Minor Deities, and act as the primary servants of their godly parent, either directly or indirectly manipulating the population to their will.
Although not everyone can use it, there are many mages in Wyrring studying many different schools. The largest concentration is in Mavos, where many study magic at The Grand College under the watchful eye of The Magister.
A new magic has started to take root in Wyrring, based on the newly invented Kinetic Engine. With the advent of these powerful engines, abilities once thought to require magic to complete quickly can now be done with engineered machines. This has also lead to a popular movement of treating magic as one would do any science; with quantification, classification, and mechanical applications. Many new students of the College forego the more "traditional" schools, and instead focus on these rising topics. As well, many previously devoutees have turned to engines as their new salvation.

Next Steps

If you're a player hoping to get additional inspiration to create a character to blend into the world, this article can help you get you started!