Io

Io
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Shattered Io as seen in the Io Direct

**Io** is the world on which most campaigns in the World of Io series take place. It is a habitable planet that orbits the celestial body known as the Nova, once called Jupiter. Also known as Jupiter I, it is Jupiter's third largest moon, and its closest celestial body. Io has seen much conflict throughout its history, and threats to it and its inhabitants are constantly emerging from all sides. Despite this, Io is a wonderous world filled with magic, adventure and danger and is home to all sorts of fantastical creatures.

## Appearance

From space, the planet of Io can be identified as a glowing blue sphere orbiting the deep red pseudo-sun known as the Nova. The planet appears to be surrounded by an equally distributed blue layer, known as the sky barrier which acts a protective shield against the sun's radiation and otherworldly invaders. To the people of Io, the sky barrier looks like the sky as we would see it on Earth, complete with its bright blue hue and vibrant sun. The night sky itself also appears to be an exact replica to that of Earth before it fell, with matching constellations that should not be visible from Io. This includes the Moon, even though there is no actual moon in orbit of the planet. At present, a great hole exists in the sky barrier above the continent of Isthar, which reveals the vast expanse of space, the violent red Nova, and the impossibly immense floating corpse of a dead god.

Io's surface, meanwhile, is host to a large ocean known as the Great Journey, which covers much of the planet's landmass. There are also several landmass across it's surface, each home to a variety of landscapes and biomes that would be familiar to those on Earth. No official maps of the planet's complete surface has been published at time of writing.

## History

Io was first discovered by the inhabitants of Earth in either 1609 or 1610 by a human named Galileo Galilei. It, along with the three other moons of Jupiter, were the first astronomical objects recorded that orbit a planet other than Earth. Io was continually studied for centuries afterwards, with increasingly sophisticated technological means, in order to better understand its characteristics and place in the universe.

Some time before the fall of Auroran Prime (Earth), Io became inhabited by a population of magically gifted beings known as the Astari. The Astari, under the guidance of their gods Divyana and Voidranu, were able to make the moon capable of supporting life, and they put in place a mystical barrier to protect themselves from their enemies. At one time, this would be reserved for their immortal enemy, Kaasma, but the fall of Auroran Prime led to its survivors, named the Aurorans, to seek a new home. Thus a war began between the native Astari and the Auroran Federation.

The war carried on for a long period of time, until an unease stalemate was reached. Becoming increasingly more desparate, the technologically advanced Aurorans turned to less than ethical means to give them the advantage in conquering Io as their new home. To that end, they began the Lagos Project. Using the captured Astari named Lagos, the Aurorans sought to unlock the secrets of the Astari magics through forcibly experimenting on their subject. This also involved cloning the Astari multiple times and, occasionally, feeding him to a machine called the Inevitable to disassemble and analyze his genetic structure. The Aurorans eventually learned much of the Astari's magic as a result. However, for whatever reason, they enlisted one of the Lagos clones into their military structure, stationing him on Jupiter, which they had also fought the Astrai for possession of. This Lagos eventually learned the truth of his origins from Kaasma, the ancient enemy of his people. This spurred Lagos to seek revenge on his captors and the Astari that he believed had abandoned him to his fate. Thus, with the aid of Kaasma, Lagos caused the planet of Jupiter to undergo a catastrophic transformation turning it into the Nova.

The explosion wiped out much of the Auroran Federation's fleet and the entire populace of Io. The native Astari people were essentially destroyed, and Io was left devoid of life. The five surviving Auroran spaceships made for the now uninhabited moon. Though most of their people were lost and their resources spent, the remaining Aurorans continued their mission, albeit with a new caveat. Rather than they themselves taking the planet, they would recreate humanity and let them inherit this new world as their home. They thus set about their work, permanently landing their spaceships and transforming them into terraforming stations to serve as the primary means of facilitating their goals.

Io was terraformed using Auroran Prime as its template and new settlers were artificially created. These settlers included all forms of life both mundane and fantastical. But the most important for the Aurorans was humanity, which now consisted of several different subspecies crafted for unique purposes and lifestyles. The Aurorans wanted the newly made races to evolve as they had, form their own societies, cultures, languages and myths. To this end, the Auroran Repopulation Project included a Cultural program, which instigated the creation of two godlike beings. Using the magics learned via the Lagos Project, the Aurorans created DIV, the God of Radiance, and VOID, the God of Nothingness. The two gods were designed to be diametrically opposed, which would lead to conflict and force humanity to chose sides. The gods would grant power to their chosen and humanity would wield magic as the Astari once had. The Aurorans envisioned that, once they were powerful enough, humanity would tire of the fetters their gods placed on them, and rise up to overthrow them. Such an act would see the ultimate potential of mortality realized, and the repopulation of Io, as per the Aurorans' designs, would be compete.

## Regions

### Northern Ishtar

Ishtar is one of Io's main continents. It possess a vast variety of different biomes, from snowy mountains in the north and tropical jungles to its south. The majority of the temperate zone of this continent is occupied by the Kingdom of Brisbane, a constitutional monarchy and one of most powerful political forces on Io. In addition to its military might and trading network, the Kingdom also boasts one of the most prestigious institutions of magical education on Io: The Exodus Academy.

### Southern Ishtar

In the south, in areas known as the Ishtar Highlands and the Ishtar Peninsula, a almost uninhabitable mess of jungles and swamplands is to be found. In recent years, the area has been overrun by goblins and other such unruly creatures. The goblins of Ishtar present themselves as almost a parody of normal society and their lands are rife with murder, arson, thievery and general disorder.

### Qethos

Qethos is another of the major continents of Io. A mostly temperate landmass with varying topography, Qethos has a storied history, much of which relates to the Age of the Gods. Once, all of Qethos was ruled under the All King, who exerted his influence from the Kingdom of Llwendolyn. Other neighboring kingdoms, such as the Kingdom of Alabaster and the Holy City of Atlas, swore fealty to the All King, for fear of invasion and persecution. It was in Qethos that the adventures of the Fallen Heroes took place. Many historic sites, such as Gubwater Keep and the ruins of Haven, can be connected with their exploits. In particular, it was at the Holy City of Atlas that the gods Div and Void met their end.

In the modern day, Llwendolyn remains the most important nation on Qethos, though it is now ruled by a senate rather than a king. The kingdom of Alabaster lies in ruins while the City of Atlas ascended into the sky and disappeared, leaving only a giant crater in its place. However, while Llwendolyn has rule primarily in southern Qethos, other unaligned settlements, such as New Haven, are known to exist in the center and north of the continent. Indeed, a rising power now manifests itself in the Kingdom of Nue-Alabhastar in the north, in an attempt to ressurect this kingdom of old.

### Etropa

The densely forested continent of Etropa is unusual, even by Io's standards. It is home to many ruins dating back to the Age of the Gods, though there is a great deal of mystery surrounding them. In recent years, an individual called the Gourmand King has incentivized the rebuilding of these ruined cities and attempts to create a new kingdom from the rubble. The Gourmand King is also responsible for the creation of the Hunter's Guild, which deals with the other oddity found on Etropa.

The continent is home to an eclectic population of monsters; creatures of unusual composition and power found nowhere else on Io. People with no place to go, people seeking glory, people who wish to understand these creatures; the Hunter's Guild welcomes them all, provided their kills can be served up to their self-proclaimed king.

### Asmodia

Asmodia is an island continent comprising mostly of desert. Beneath the sands and scoured earth exists an abundance of a material called coalsand. Said material became harvested en masse to fuel the industrial giant that is the Kingdom of Asmodia. Ruled by the tyrannical Dmitrius Asmodia II, Asmodia seeks to supplant itself as the sole superpower on Io through raw technological might. This ambitious goal is carried out at the expense of the ordinary people of this kingdom. Oppressed by the elite and forced to content with overwhelming pollution, the citizens of Asmodia slave away to realize their king's vision, though there are those who cry out in defiance and demand justice and equality.

The course Asmodia has taken has greatly alarmed one of their neighbors, the Holy Kingdom of Lux. A theocracy who worship the sun, they fear the pollution caused by the constant consumption of coalsand, though not out of concern for the Asmodian citizenry. The Order of Lux believes that a place bathed in shadow for a year will invite creatures of darkness to Io, where they will seek to spread darkness across the globe, and that Asmodia is heading down a path that will lead to the collective doom of Io.

### The Great Journey

Io's sea is appropriately named the Great Journey, and covers a vast swath of the planet. Since time immemorial, the seas have been essential to life on Io. However, the ocean is not just one great empty expanse, as many points of interest exist both above and below its waters. Of particular note for all who sail the seas is the Free Port of Kreshart, located on the island of Kreshart. It has gained an infamous reputation as a haven for pirates, smugglers and brigadiers, and such notoriety is probably deserved. However, Kreshart is located almost equidistant between Ishtar and Quethos, making it an invaluable trading hub and resupplying stop for any and all travelers. The people of Kreshart welcome visitors and merchants from all nations, but above all else value their own independence.

A notable quirk of the Great Journey is the perennial storm pattern that exists between Kreshart and Ishtar; the Serpent's Smile. Deadly, unpredictable and full of perils, travelling through the Smile is not a journey taken lightly, for many a ship has gone in and never come out. Sailors tell of strange things they've seen whilst braving the Smile; mysterious islands, terrifying beasts, ungodly waves and a great Kraken that some claim keeps the storm in motion.

Much of the Great Journey has yet to be explored, and many uncharted islands await both the curious and the unfortunate alike. Nevermore is one such island; a barren wasteland of dead trees and dead hopes. Those castaway here are fated to suffer, as the surrounding waters are deadly beyond compare. And in the center of this godforsaken rock is a colossal tower, silently tempting all who stand in its shadow.

But for everything that lies on its surface, naught compares to that which lies below. Maritime legends tells of terrible things beneath the waves; colonies of viscous seafolk, the devilish Deep One that stalks the abyss, and the fabled city of Krakesque. Krakesque was believed to be a great empire, a testament to mankind's ingenuity and enduring spirit. This prosperous utopia was supposedly rich beyond measure, in gold, knowledge and magical prowess. However, tragedy befalls all that seek to soar ever higher, and Krakesque was no different. In a tumultuous calamity, the city sunk beneath the ocean, its people and treasure lost to time. Many set out with a faint glimmer of hope to find the lost metropolis, but none have so much as come close. Some people, notably elves and half elves, will trace their ancestry to survivors of Krakseque, though such claims rarely come with readily available evidence.

### Other Locations

Io is home to a great many diverse locations that remain yet unexplored. Below is a list of places which have been mentioned, but of which little is yet known.

* Imothan - A land covered in jungles, home to the Lizardfolk.
* Seek - A land of Warforged, created from metal like its native people.
* Mysterious Island - A strange unnamed island where a group of dreamers have awakened.

## Mechanics

*Main article: Technical Details*
The world of Io is a heavily homebrewed setting with many experimental mechanics working at the same time. As an example, there are mechanics that apply only to a single campaign, and there're mechanics that are shared between multiple campaigns.

## Images

### Official Art

Io from the World of Io RevealIo as it appeared before the Shattering, as seen in the Io DirectThe World Map of Io as it appears in Phase 3, as seen in the Io Direct