THE WORLD
A Tarnished Crown Jewel
The world of Terminus is unique. It stands alone as the sole creation of the Gods in the Material plane; other of their creations inhabit the other realms, but Terminus is the only world. There are no planes, as such. Each God has a sphere of influence. These appear as vast clouds of stars. Outside of these spheres, the Void seethes with cold and darkness.
The original intent for Terminus was that the world was to occupy the centre of this universe, well away from the chaotic Void that exists away from the protection of the higher beings. However, due to the events in the Age of War, the world of Terminus is now hurtling away from its rightful place, and only vestiges of the Gods can reach Terminus now.
A Harsh Mistress
The southern half of Terminus is comprised mostly of an ocean, the Ael; the northern is comprised of a super-continent and its islands. The two curving southern points of the continent. Virtril and Interal enclose a smaller ocean, the Cael.
Two mountain ranges band the world, Aegeotl, and Torgeol. Most people keep to land; the sharp rise in temperature (all the way up to 11C!) causes vast storm systems that stand still in the ocean. Three of these enormous storms are perpetually raging: Caelanthrus, just off the coast from the Mossbank Cliffs, Revestrus, north of Invernë Links, and Aeltorus, southeast of Windrise.
The Struggle for Survival
Good vs. Evil is not the focus on Terminus. Truthfully, many acts that would be considered evil (such as the enslavement of the Forgers) are tolerated, simply because they lead to a greater good. No, the focus is on order vs. Chaos. Order leads to survival. Chaos leads only to suffering and death.
The main reason for this is the arctic weather that dominates Terminus. The nearby star is old, provides only feeble light, and very little heat. On the warmest days, the temperature just manages to crawl above freezing; on the coldest days, and at night, the temperature can plummet to one hundred degrees below freezing.
Economy & Trade
Most cities have long since stood where they are, and most trade using similar currencies. Cities who wish to attract more trade will often over-weight their coins, in essence giving merchants who trade in their cities a tip for doing so.
|
|
A Common Tongue
The various cultures of Terminus share a common origin, and though there are several languages, all the cultures share a common trade language. Some common terms in use are:
|
|