Tëó

Tëó is the home continent of the humans of Eó, who named it after the elder god, Të. Being a large continent, many biome variations can be observed on its surface, though it is primarily host to temperate forests and lake regions, interspersed with grasslands.

Many kingdoms, fiefdoms, and empires sprawl across the vast landscape, each vying for control and power. An ancient empire had once brought the entire land to heel, though nothing remains of these people aside from scattered, nameless ruins.

## History

### Era of Dreams

In the Era of Dreams, when humans and Wildkin were the only races that walked the land, an empire of humans rose to sudden, startling power, subjugating all other nations beneath their might. Ancient tales speak of their ferocity in battle, their overwhelming prowess with advanced technology, and their ruthless ability to conquer all others.

For untold centuries, this empire ruled the entire continent of Tëó, enslaving the Wildkin, and forcing the other nations of humanity to become fiefdoms, each offering their nation's resource output to the capitol. Eventually, however, the empire was struck down; how this came about is not clear, however, afterwards humanity was reduced to primitive tribal societies, similar to that of the Wildkin. It is theorized that this was due to the beast races harboring subjugated humans after the fall of the empire. It would take millennia before humanity regained even a portion of their former achievements.

### Era of Waking

Following the cataclysmic fall of the ancient empire, humans spent centuries living a primitive lifestyle,similar to that of the Wildkin, with a heavy focus on shamanistic Ritual magic. At some point during this time, the first elves sprang from the Well of Life, and began to explore the land, soon coming into contact with the humans, who they believed were little more than animals.

A relationship eventually grew between some of the human tribes and the elves, and through this connection, humanity began to regain some of the skills they had lost in the fall, including arcane magic and metallurgy. The rate of their advancement began to worry the elves, however, and the soon began to keep more of their technological advancements secret from the humans, an attitude that continues to the present.

It was during this time that the various cults of worship began to form around the Eóen Pantheon, and the first groups of modern Disciples came into being. Religious city-states grew up around deity temples, and the beginnings of modern human society were created.

Towards the late Era of Waking, a religious group known as the Dragonknights of Tëlothi-Ka rose to sudden, terrible power, acting under the belief that they were the chosen of Të himself. Wielding powerful magics of an origin that is still disputed to this day, the Dragonknights undertook a great inquisition, with chapters cropping up all over the continent. Before they were ultimately overthrown, they completely eradicated almost all knowledge of Clo'ae, whom they considered to be the ultimate antithesis of Të.

### Era of O'Të

Roughly translated, "O'Të" means "wholesome", and was ultimately used to describe the centuries following the Era of Waking. After witnessing the spectacular demise of the Dragonknights of Tëlothi-Ka, virtually all of the city-states saw the virtue of peace, as opposed to domination. Due to this, innovation and growth soared, and the religious city-states developed into independent nations, able to further their culture beyond the dogma of the previously ruling Disciples.

Some of the notable nations to be founded during this time include the Kingdom of Eronocles, The Nezzarine Triumvirate, Aereneth, and the Empire of Qet. These powers acted as a stabilizing force on the continent, consolidating the various nations and establishing borders that have remained relatively stable even to the present.

It was also during this time that humans first encountered the Dwarves, while mining for precious metals and gems in the western mountains of Resden.

### Era of Madness

The shortest era of Tëó's history, the Era of Madness only lasted for 128 years, though the events that occurred during this time would turn the world on its head. The era began when High Mage Rhan resurrected his lover from the dead using Ritual magic. For the first time in history, the moon Tëlo went dark, and all Ritual magic ceased to function. Many human societies, which are fundamentally built on Ritual magic, ground to a halt. Ancient demon seals disintegrated, protective charms failed, and the backbone of human technology ceased to function.

While the kingdoms of humanity scrambled to put their nations back together, the Wildkin, from Empire of Qet, invaded, taking advantage of the confusion. Almost overnight, the humans of Tëó found themselves having to fend off invading armies, riots within their own borders, and open war as each nation blamed the others for the sudden loss of Ritual magic.

The elves, who cannot use Ritual magic, were unaffected by the loss of it. Unlike the Wildkin, who pressed the advantage with violence, the elves used the situation to plant several of their numbers in key positions of power in the governments of the human nations, assisting them with their unparalleled ability in Arcane magic. When the dust finally settled, nearly all human courts had at least one elven advisor in their ranks.

Order was finally restored when the hero, Kada Moontongue, was able to rebind the Old Pact, returning the light to Tëlo and enabling Ritual magic once more.

### Era of the New Pact

Upon the sacrifice of Kada Moontongue, the Old Pact became known as the New Pact. Under the new pact, elves could renounce their heritage, and become humans, granting them access to Ritual magic for the first time. Very few elves have performed this ritual, however, due to the immediate exile from their homeland, and ostracization from the whole race of elves. The elves consider such converts to be dead, as a new elf is formed in the Well of Life once an elf completes the Ritual of First Blood.

Under the New Pact, limits were placed on the reach of Ritual magic, so that the laws of nature set down by Të would never again be violated as High Mage Rhan had done. Because of this, it took many decades for the kingdoms of humanity to recover from the Era of Madness. The Era of the New Pact continues to the present.

## Geography, Climate, and Environment

Tëó is a large continent spanning nearly 5 million square miles of land, across several different climates. Much of that land is covered in temperate forests, which become evergreens at higher elevations and latitudes. The southern Empire of Qet is largely comprised of arid savannas, while the Kingdom of Eronocles exist in sprawling, rolling grassland, with low-lying swamp lands towards their southern border.

In the southeastern quadrant of the continent, there is a vast, inland sea, in the center of which lies the Isle of Nez. It is from this isle that the Nezzarine Triumvirate governs their nation, which clings to the continental shoreline of the sea.

Aside from more extreme weather to the north and south, much of Tëó enjoys mild, temperate weather, which has helped humanity to spread quickly across its surface. Most areas around the equator enjoy frequent rainfall, creating lush jungle environments, with scattered patches of desert clinging to mountain ranges.