World

Formally named after the only deity to survive the Great Fall and War of Nations, **Hemera** isthe studied world that encompasses all that is known about history, geography, natural phenomenon and culture. In its current age and rendition, Hemera is home to several races of people descended from centuries of interbreeding between long lost ethnic groups and a plethora of docile and monstrous creatures alike.

## Continents

### Alteria

Alteria is a large continent located in the north. The majority of the landmass is comprised of open plains and rolling hills. Of all the continents, Alteria is the least populated and is considered something of a 'sanctuary' by its inhabitants, who only take what is needed in order to survive and fulfill their needs. The eastern region of Alteria is home to the only known active volcano in the world, while the ridges and peaks to the far north contain an exuberant amount of natural resources such as ore and mineral water. Retaining a moderate climate throughout the year, Alteria is neither hot nor cold. Tornadoes and strong winds are commonplace, though rainfall is scarce and snow is only present atop the highest of summits.

### Khona

Khona is the largest continent in the known world and houses the lords, ladies and laborers of the Grand Duchy of Lorehold. It is an extremely mountainous region with an abundance of ridges, gorges and waterfalls. There are certain areas of the continent that are littered with tall wood forests, and smaller sub regions that contain flatland that have proved invaluable for grazing and herding. Khona maintains seasonal climates, with heavy snow in the winters and humid summers. It rains quite frequently, providing ample opportunity for farming. Similarly, hurricanes plague the coastlines year round.

### Rysmad

Rysmad is the only known landmass to the west. Golden deserts filled with extremely large cacti and man-eating flowers make up the majority of the continent's biosphere, with small oases dotting the dunes and providing nutrients to gatherings of palm trees. Canyons and plateaus, some partially submerged, can be found inside the seas of sand. The westernmost region, the isle that constitutes the territory claimed by the nation of Chauveau, is a frozen tundra with innumerable ice formations and caverns.

## Timeline

### The Great Fall and War of Nations (Unknown—300000 BU)

For centuries, the Old Imperium of Hemera reigned supreme.

Their cast-iron grip assumed control of the entire continent of Arkhona, until it didn't. There came a day, which historians now refer to as the **Great Fall**, where the Imperium collapsed under its own weight. The moment they expanded beyond their territories to the eastern continent of Rynn, they were met by a force that they could not conquer.

The Coalition of Rynn, comprised of the three city states of Suhar, Ambrosia and the revitalized New Aein, met their legions and fleets with open arms. For the first time in known history, intercontinental war threatened the very sanctity of the world itself. The **War of Nations**, as it was called, decimated every known civilization and reduced all kingdoms, empires and otherwise into husks of their former selves: providing the world an opportunity to start anew.

### The Umbral Age (800 BU—2200 AU)

Following the **Great Fall and the War of Nations** was an era of absolute uncertainty.

Several races were driven to extinction, entire cultures were lost, and arcane arts were forgotten. People tried to piece together what remained of the ruins that made up once great cities, trying to understand the travesties that caused  their destruction.

Putting together some semblance of society was a long, lengthy process. Many died as martyrs, who would go on to be deified for better or worse, in what is now known as the **Umbral Age**, which functioned as the first threshold that would determine how all time would be categorized in the future (BU, Before Umbral Age and AU, After Umbral Age).

### The Era of Redemption (2200 AU—3900 AU)

The **Era of Redemption** is synonymous with rebirth on a global scale.

Entire civilizations rose from the ashes of the **Umbral Age**, ushering in a new era filled with wonder, mystery and magic. The arcane arts were re-founded and adapted to fit contemporary trends, even substituting what technology was once capable of.

Nations discovered new ways to turn their soldiers into living weapons, the art of medicine was refined, and religions were founded upon once unspoken philosophies. New continents were named, new regions were discovered, and people all around the world scrambled to become international stake holders.

The Era of Redemption is something of a paradox: it marked the beginning of a new blank slate, but quietly reminded the planet and its people that they were bound to repeat the cycle of history and drive themselves to destruction through the years and years of neo-expansionism that would surely follow.