Geography

The Ravaged Lands

The original settlement of survivors of the Purge, the Ravaged Lands are home to what is left of the Arcarian people who stubbornly refuse to leave.

Velare

Velare is the land settled by the displaced people of Lantir-setia Island from their homeworld of Alskyr. As this is the first generation to live here, they kept much of their culture and terminology instead of inventing new ones (surviving is more important than thinking of a new name for 'caer' after all...)

Dol Ardor

Unlike the people of Lantir-setia, the people from Dol Ardor did not feel like renaming their land and just named it the same thing, probably just to be assholes.

Khalis'a

This is the region claimed by the refugees who escaped the Ravaged Lands, which consists of a number of Arcari and humans.

ki-Shadene

The moon that orbits Arcadias is habitable though those on the planet do not know the fate of the colonies that are said to be there. Legends say that the moon is the origin of the shades and why the planet of Arcadias is plagued by them...

History

For an unknown number of ages, the people of Arcadias lived on the planet, of which they were native to. When populations became a problem, the people looked to the sky and the ancient moon that was habitable. Over the span of a hundred or so years, colonists left to settle a new home.

The most ancient stories, murals, and depictions that are left today indicate that Arcadias was once the home to many races and creatures; including dragons. All that is known about these dragons was that they came in a great time of need for the people of this world - and died trying to defend them. Ships were sent out, seeking the origin of the original dragons to try to bring them back. Those ships never returned

The shades are hard to explain to those not of Arcadias. They are not sentient but fall from the sky on regular patterns, destroying anything they touch. When the moon of ki-Shadene goes dark then the Shades will return until the moon turns again. They are called Shades because of their origin, not their appearance. It took hundreds of years for the people of Arcadias to nearly be wiped out. A few managed to survive by creating cities with protective domes and other methods of protection.

The Settlers

Nearly five-hundred years ago, three ships crashed into Arcadias after getting caught in a temporal storm that directed them from their original destination to a collision course with the planet. One ship, the Utopia according to old logs, crashed into the ocean and all those onboard were killed. The other two ships managed to crash into land with the Verminus landing near the city of Kali-Tavespari, and the Escorial landing hundreds of miles south.

The refugees of the Verminus were rescued by the Arcari of Kali-Tavespari. A dome was erected over the crash site, allowing the humans to be protected by the Shades - in return, the Arcari used the humans to try to strengthen their DNA, thinking that somehow humans held a way to stop the Shades. Children were born half or with partial human bloodlines and for several generations, the Arcari believed their plan was working.

Until it began to show flaws and they took drastic steps to preserve what they had by selectively splicing DNA from parents (or multiple parents) to create perfect children to fill roles in society. The humans were all but forgotten but still protected in the city they now called Verminus after the ship ruins the city was built upon. They also multiplied, their beliefs about the Arcari just as skewed as the ones the Arcari held for the human's purpose and reason for being here.

Meanwhile, the Escorial's people managed to use their ship as a defense against the Shades. With their shields still operational, and with a few adjustments, the ship was turned into a city over the course of five-hundred years. They struggled, but as humans will do, they adapted and survived. The native rocs, giant birds, were tamable and they found uses for the animals. After repairs were made, they were able to bring native animals from earth as well, such as chickens, horses, and cattle, among many others. Plants, too, were restored and grown in greenhouses.

The Destruction of Verminus

Ten years before the events of now, the Council of Kali-Tavespari made a decision to end the 'human experiment' as it was clearly a failure and humans, within their domed city, seemed to be destroying their world. Contamination of the air was seeping into the land. The Arcari could not breathe the air within Verminus anymore without protection. Humans were considered foul, unclean, and contaminated thus unsuitable for use in their programs. The Council decided to exterminate them - eliminating the threat by destroying the city and the population of over sixty-thousands souls.

Not all saw this as a good idea - there were people in there after all. And one, Atsari al'Damiir of House Damiir'irveli-Shanzari, one of the eldest Houses of Kali-Tavespari, had formed a bond with a young woman. When Atsari, who was a natural born child and considered impure and an accident, was denied the right to marry a woman he loved due to the nature of his birth, he attempted suicide by walking into the dome around Verminus. Before he could do this, he saw a young girl watching him and it caused him to pause. She smiled at him, waved, then ran to join her father who was calling her (though Atsari could not hear that). The girl remained in his thoughts on his return to the city but he made a choice to become a Ranger, which is a low-ranking and highly undersought role in Arcari society who do not interact much with nature. When Atsari saw the girl again, she was older and sold to a brothel which, lucky for Atsari, was near the dome which allowed her to escape and meet him. Despite the barrier neither could cross, they found ways to communicate, developing a simple form of sign-language to do so. He called her Taliva as, when asked her name, she presented him a stone of amber; his people called it talivar.

Because of Taliva, when Atsari's brother Savnelo, a noble in the highest courts like the rest of his family, informed Atsari of the Council's plan to destroy the dome, an act of genocide, Atsari rushed to the Dome and crossed it, finding Taliva and warning her. While Atsari managed to get over almost five-hundred people into the ancient labyrinth of the Verminus, he did not have time to save more and was forced to close the hatch even as people ran toward him. The Dome was detonated and the city of Verminus, and its inhabitants were animated in an instant. Atsari struggled against the effects of breathing the air in Verminus but led the people out and to a cache of Ranger gear and weapons, instructing them to go across the desert which he had often explored as far as he could in the past years out of boredom. He believed there was a green land beyond it, one where they could start over. It would be several years before the Shades returned - they had time. The only thing he asked of them was to leave him because he knew he would slow them down and would die within a few hours. He said goodbye to Taliva, who said her name was Amberlyn - he gave her his then watched her leave.

Exodus of Escorial

Atsari was found by Savnelo and rescued but Atsari was seen as an insurgent and traitor to his people for his actions as the believed he released the humans and would spread the corruption they were thought to carry. Savnelo was able to smuggle him out of the city as Atsari was moved to a prison for a life-sentence after barely avoiding being put to death. Savnelo gave him gear, armor, and supplies before sending Atsari across the desert to be with the people he had nearly died to save.

Months in the desert finally brought Atsari to the edge of the desert after rescue from roc riders. In Escorial, the city built within the ancient ship, he was reunited with Amberlyn and the people he saved and he willingly accumulated their way of life with the help of Amberlyn who helped him learn the human language to communicate with the others. He married Amberlyn a year later and began training to be a roc rider. His daughter was born months before he graduated and was given a bird.

Two years after Atsari became a roc-rider, he rescued one of his own kind from the desert, finding his brother who had gone out looking for him in desperation. Savnelo explained that the Council had gone insane to the point of possibly jeopardizing the future of their own people. Atsari's actions had sparked a rebellion on top of all that and many were furious at the genocide of Verminus. Atsari was a hero to many of their people. After speaking with the elders of Escorial, it was decided that Savnelo would return to Kali-Tavespari to bring all those who believed in such things to Escorial. There were arguments against this, including food and water supplies, but Savnelo showed them maps of the ancient world and great cities that could still be standing. With the help of the Arcari's technology, the journey could be made. With nothing but hope for a better future, Savnelo left - Atsari brought him as far as he could to make the journey easier but he did not know when or if he would see Savnelo again.

Nearly a year later, Atsari was on watch when he noticed the long column of people crossing the desert. It was Savnelo, along with his parents, and thousands of others who had left Kali-Tavespari. With them came what technology, knowledge, research, and people they could bring with. The reunion was short lived when the moon phase began to herald the coming of the Shades once again.

The Escorial was gutted for all technology and data. Preparations were quickly made and within a month, the refugees of Kali-Tavespari and the humans began an exodus across the desert to the closest location on Savnelo's map.

The Denzeba Mission Ends

Unknown to Atsari and the people of that continent, on a world a galaxy away, the attempt to find dragons and the mission of that crew was coming to an end.

When the dragons faded and were lost, starships were sent out to find replacements. One ship, known as the Var'ani Denzeba (var'ani meaning 'star ship' and denzeba translating to 'to search for'), found a world that was perfect and had dragons that were nearly identical to those that were lost. However, the ship's crew were divided by the time they surveyed the planet and indigenous species - primarily the gryphons and dragons with the former being more appropriate for what they needed. In the end the crew scattered, the Denzeba was buried in the mountains it landed, and the descendants survived just long enough to see the arrival of the settlers who would name the world Alskyr.

The last of the Arcari vanished soon after, thus were never recorded though proof of their arrival was seen in the few people who were born generations later with their lenient ability to harness the energy around them, similar to gryphons. This form of 'magic' was rare and limited to certain bloodlines for, before fading into myth, several of the Arcari had children with humans and with them, passing on the salvation for Arcadias.

Over time, Alskyr emerged into the culture now seen, with the Caers, Aeries, and more recently, Coves that protected the world from the ants and spores that plagued the planet. Dormant was the Denzeba and the uncompleted mission. In the year 565 AR (Alskyr Reckoning), the Caerlord of Caer Jedrek made a discovery within the mountains of his home - the Denzeba. He gutted the craft, taking the crystals (which were beacons that would get the ship home), as a trophy without knowing what it did. As the political struggle between Dol-Ardon and Lantir-setia continued, the crystals began to wake, sensing two of Arcarian blood - the leaders of Arminas Aeire.

Lord Buttface believed that the crystals were a sign of his right to be a sole leader of not just Dol-Ardon, but all of Alskyr - which naturally did not go over well with the other islands leaders, and with Lantir-setia trying to gain independence he fell into a chaotic state of mind and greed. He presented the crystals when he was summoned to discuss, once again, the annexation of Lantir-setia from Dol-Ardon's control. During the meeting, he tried to appease the leaders with gifts - he gave them each a crystal. For a time, this seemed to pacify them (at least in his mind, because they were not pacified). However, it was Lord Merlin of Arminas Aerie that had convinced the Caerleaders of TolEras to take the crystals, not knowing why but knowing that they should not be in Lord Buttface's hands. Nimune, his wife, also sensed this. Back in Arminas, the two tried to work out the secrets of the crystals.

Im 569 AR, Weyrwoman Yakima of Isla Weyr (Pern), presented her allies and friends of Lantir-setia Runestones to be placed at Caer TolEras, Arminas Aerie, the newly christened Brimir Cove, and the entrance to Teahyr'Roahai, the ancestral valley of the winged wolves. The Runestones would assure that even after being moved to a new dimension where the growing evil was brewing on other worlds, and were all linked to one source, they would remain in contact. However, when the Runestones were activated, they reacted to the crystals, reading a chain effect that teleported thousands of people, dragons, gryphons, and winged wolves off Alskyr and dumped them onto the twin phase planet of Arcadias.

At first, few knew what happened - the land was similar here but those on the eastern coast suddenly found themselves staring into forests or grasslands - the sea gone. Their cities were partially phased over and needed to be rebuilt. Not all were brought over, some remained in the shattered cities left on Alskyr, their fate bleak without defense from the ants and spores. Most, however, found themselves in a new world that was Alskyr...but not.

Currently, those of Dol-Ardon and Lantir-setia (renamed to Velare), are rebuilding and trying to figure out what happened. They have decided to call their new home Arcadias, from the word 'arcadia' which is used to designate a place of rustic innocence and simple, quite pleasure because right now, they are unaware of the dangers that the moon phases will bring. The world is known as Irvels'a, or 'homeland', to the Arcari.

Eventually, the people of Lantir-setia and Dol-Ardon will be found by the Last Oddessy but that will be a while in my timeline, after the Sentran Dragons hatch.

Timeline

Pending...

Religion

Pending...

Factions

Caer Darkstone

Caer Jedrek

Jebre Aerie

Pren Galon Aerie

Brimir Cove

Dendian Vale

Magic

There are two types of magic in the world: arcane and divine. People who use magic typically call the source of magic the Weave, which is an ancient term carried over from descendants of Faerun. (I need to think of something else for what people call it now...)

Magic works essentially the same way as it does in most fantasy worlds, such as the Forgotten Realms and Golarion.

Threats

The prime threat of Arcadias is the Shades.

Note: Information after this is unknown to the characters living on the planet. It's here so I don't forget.

Shades are from the dark side of the moon, ki-Shadene (which is why the organism is called Shades). When the people of Arcadias outgrew their planet and decided to move people to the moon of ki-Shadene, which is habitable, they unknowingly woke an ancient nest of mindless organisms that live on the dark side of the satellite. This organism travels to Arcadias to destroy the planet. Little is known beyond this but in some ways, this organism is similar to Thread on Pern - it floats down and what it touches turns to ash or, in the case of people and creatures, have a short lifespan as undead zombies before crumbling to ash.

While dragonfire is effective against Shades, the ability to use all elements against them is better. This is why gryphons were preferred by the Denzeba as gryphons on Alskyr were more apt in controlling elemental kinetics. The first dragon species to live on Aracadias did not have the ability to teleport, or were unaware of it. The new generation from Alskyr is aware of this ability which will prove very helpful as teleporting will prevent one from becoming ash.

While the term 'shades' is used due to their origin, the organism also resembles a floating shadow or spirit - a shade - which is smoky and wispy. It drifts primarily on the wind with little control of where it goes. Like on Pern, the Shades come in intervals of 30 years with 30 years of respite. These are referred to as a da'Modis, or 'the Coming of'. The intervals between attacks are known as an de'Motsa, or 'the Waiting on'. As the dragoners and gryphoners of Alskyr have not yet encountered this threat, though they will be aware of it soon from the refugees currently heading their way, it is unknown what they will call it.

Important Characters

Amberlyn

Amber is the wife of Atsari al'Damiir and mother to his two children. She is a talented negotiator where her husband fails in communicating and has been instrumental in the resettlement process, as well as the accumulation of the dragoners, gryphoners and various other creatures that arrived during their displacement. Atsari calls her 'Taliva', which translates to 'stone of fire' in his native language since the only thing she could use to try to communicate her name 'Amber' when they met was the stone itself; his people call amber 'talivar'.

Atsari al'Damiir

Also called 'Cinder' by Amberlyn due to their limits in communication in the beginning, His name actually means 'ashen'. Atsari is the natural born son of [names] and one of the only natural born Arcari after years of their synth-breeding program became standard for reproduction. He is a roc-rider and a ranger. Atsari is married to Amberlyn and they currently have two children.

Skiel and Raayah Kisru

Leaders of Caer Darkstone, the pair have been instrumental in the settling of Arcadias as they create a new life after the unexpected events that landed them here.

Merlin and Nimune Rheodd

Both leaders of Pren Galon are as apt with elemental kinetics as their gryphons, which has only heightened since arriving here.