The Eras of Tyania

An Overview of the Eras

The Eras of Tyania were named as Wonder (Tea'lummisae), Strife (Iiosia), and Ending (Agniton) in the foreign tongue of the atia. Humans, however, refer to them as Wonder, Iiosia, and Agniton. This is because, when it came to the difficulties of teaching the humans how to pronounce "Tea'lummisae", many atia simply used the human word for it, and thus it stuck.

Era of Wonder (Tae’lummisae)

During this time, which lasted many centuries before the beginning of Iiosia, the world was a bright and wild place, untouched by the corruption of black magic or the domination of humankind.

In this period the dwarfs ruled over a vast mountain kingdom, and farmed, ferried, and traded both under and over ground. They were the twine which bound the other two civilised races together.

The tar’tchii were a race of angelic, flying mages. Their physical beauty and aptitude for music and art was surpassed only by their skill at healing, blessing and power over nature. They were one with the skies and the sun, and beheld a mighty and most glorious city where most of their number dwelt.

The third civilised race were the atia, who were also a race of magic users. The atia were a curious and ambitious people, and these traits eventually led to not only their own downfall, but brought about the end of the Era of Wonder, and the beginning of Iiosia. From their settlements they studied the magical properties of water and the winds. They explored the areas of alchemy, astronomy, and geography; venturing across many of the oceans and within the vast forests that carpeted the land. Their frail forms were tall and thin and angular, as they were not physically blessed like the tar’tchii.

These three races held sway over their forests and plains and rivers and lakes, which were otherwise wild and untamed places. Dragons ruled the skies, hunting herds of wild horses and bison. The race which would become humans were as children, using sharpened sticks and rocks to hunt deer and rabbit from their caves.

All this would change with the events of The Sundering (chronicled in the Era of Wonder) which unleashed a wave of dark magic over the world as well as causing widespread earthquakes and flooding. 

Era of Strife (Iiosia)

Iiosia is the world born from The Sundering. During this time mankind develops many of its technologies, and becomes a dominant force founding many cities and establishing various kingdoms and countries.

These tended to be short lived, as due to the effects of The Sundering the world was full of the corrupting influence of the dark arc of magic. Vast swathes of the land were hazardous and dangerous. Races born of the dark arc – the ghreal, demons and tar’tchii, prove constant a hostile presence.  All of this alongside the infighting within the races themselves created a world full of upheaval and strife.

Era of Ending (Agniton)

At the end of Iiosia, magic dies. It’s unclear how this happens – perhaps a malignant force drained magic away, or another conflict erupted which resulted in it being wiped from the world. Regardless, its absence meant that all creatures that were attuned to it slowly died out.

Agniton arose as a world dominated by humans. Over the centuries their technology evolved from swords and bows to guns and tanks, and from alchemy and magic to genetics and economics.

Agniton is a world largely ruled and governed by an organisation called The Agency. The Agency came about as a successful corporation which dominated its opposition to the degree that it could simply buy anything that stood to become a threat. It wasn’t long before the buying became bribing, and those being influenced were not only businesspeople, but government officials and candidates for high positions of power.

Within a two decades, the corporation had effective control of major governments, police forces, services and facilities, observation organisations, news outlets, and even the military. This gave The Agency a huge influence over people’s lives, and their propaganda fuelled a way of life over which they had complete control.

Those inhabiting the world of Agniton live either on-grid, or off-grid.

Those living on-grid live within the government of The Agency. Most of these people live in massive cities called megatropolises. Within these cities, The Agency control almost every aspect of their lives, from the news they hear to the food which they eat. Life within these cities offers a degree of security and predictability, and for those that grew up there and don’t know any different life within the cities is relatively comfortable so long as one follows the rules and doesn't speak out of line.

Off-grid inhabitants live outside of the cities and outside of The Agency’s rule. While free from the control such a life entails, those off-grid must fend for themselves in a landscape which has largely been stripped of its resources. Many years of over-zealous mining, farming and deforestation has left vast areas of the planet a dusty barren wasteland where food and resources are scarce, and people live in isolated settlements or roam the land as either bandits or mercenaries.

Agniton 2.0

Agniton 2.0 is an idea for a second stage to Agniton, wherein magic once again returns to the world – probably quite violently – as hordes of demons spill forth into the unprepared cities of The Agency and cause a war between magic and technology.

The Planet, Moon, and Stars

Tyania is around the size of Earth. It has one moon, and orbits one sun. This may all seem quite similar to Earth, and, of course, it is. That’s because any major alterations in the planet’s mass from Earth would alter the gravity of the world, and therefore the physiology of the beings which lived upon it. Equally, adding extra moons and other variations creates a minefield of effects to tides and lunar lighting that it was deemed not worth adding them – such things were not the focus when creating the world as a whole.

The Sun’s name is Auruara, and the moon is Luminus. They are sisters; both goddesses in the world, revered and worshiped in their own way. This remains true across all of the Eras, although official religions are banned by The Agency within Agniton.

Along with Tyania there are six other planets within the system. These are named Aramis, Innicas, Physis, Mirvina, Vraxux, and Hoath. Iiosia is the fourth planet. The atia discovered the planets during the first era.

The planets too are revered as gods, especially during Iiosia, with the closest holding more power than those further away.

Scope

One of the most important things one must decide when world building (and a lesson I learnt to my cost) is the scale of the world one is creating. 

For the first two Eras - Wonder and Iiosia - the map is around the same size as Europe.

When reference is made to ‘the world’, it can be assumed that what’s being referred to is the known world of that Era. For example, within Iiosia, the 'world' is shown below, even though it is but a portion of the entire planet.

Few have ventured beyond the borders of this map and returned, and fewer still are interested in hearing what’s to be found there. As we'll soon learn, getting by day-to-day on Iiosia is hard enough without wondering what lies beyond the horizon.

But what is over the horizon?

As for Iiosia and the Era of Wonder that will likely remain a mystery. While it’s unlikely that the scope of those two settings will increase, during the third Era of Agniton the world map below is used.

This a time where humankind has used technology to explore and dominate the world. The location of Iiosia is shown for context. 

During the development of Agniton, humankind has stripped many of the world's natural resources away, leaving fast swathes of the planet barely liveable. Across the world, huge cities, known as megatropolises, dot the landscape. Here the vast majority of people live, ruled over by an overarching and overbearing government known as The Agency. 

Gods and Deities

There are no divine powers (other maybe than that of magic), on Tyania. The gods which are worshipped are done so either because they affect the way magic works in some way, or because of deep-routed tradition. it is possible, for example, for Light magic to be stronger when the sun is shining brighter, but this is due to the sun affecting the magical energies in this way, and not because the sun is actually made of Light magic, or in any way sentient. 

The gods had the most influence during the Era of Iiosia, as this was a time of great uncertainty and superstition. Humans, especially, worshipped the Light gods.

The Light gods are the Sun, the moon, and the planets. The sun and the moon both beam down sunlight (the moon reflects it), which imbues Light magical energy. The planets also hold some sway over the powers of magic, but their influence is limited. The reason these are worshipped as gods is because the atia bestowed the knowledge of the heavens to humankind, who then made them their deities.

The Light gods are:

• Auruara – the Sun, goddess of light, justice, truth.
• Luminus -the Moon, goddess of the night, silence, nocturnal creatures.
• Aramis – the Guardian – god of battle, strength, and power.
• Innicas – the Thinker, god of understanding, learning, and magic.
• Physis – the Wild – god of hunting, the elements, animals, the seas, and the wind.
• Mirvina – the Mother, goddess to nature, caring, nurturing, healing, and kindness.
• Vraxux – The Watcher, god of patience, time, observation.
• Hoath – The Dead – god of the underworld.

The Dark gods came about during the end of the first era, and are the demonic entities responsible for war which gave birth to Iiosia. They rely on the power of dark magic to influence the material plane, and on only one occasion has one of these demons been able to physically manifest.

Because they actually have power within the world - that of dark magic - and because they are sentient, then they can objectively be seen as more poweful than the Light gods.

The Dark gods are:

• Orthane – the Destroyer. The perfect combination of cunning, strength, and powerful magics.
• Scythliea – the Wicked. She is a mistress of cruelty, pain, and suffering.
• Til’nith’tei – The Corruptor. He is a master of influence, deceit, and manipulation.
• Fext – The Dark. He is master of the realm of death; the keeper of souls.
• Yvaine – The Knowing. She hordes all knowledge and is the keeper of time and master of magic
• Durst – The Brute. He rules over all things untamed, wild, and ferocious.

These demonic entities can alter the thoughts and emotions of mortals, but their influence is often fleeting, and a great and costly effort must be made in order to gain the attentions, much less the favour, of one of these fell deities.

During the time of Agniton, religion had been outlawed entirely. Only a few rare sects and cults worshipped one god or the other, and these were most often the Dark gods. Whether the Dark gods would be around at all at this stage is a matter of some debate, though could lead to a catalyst for Agniton 2.0 (above).

Magic

Magic is the most powerful and influential element of change within the Eras. Between the Eras of Wonder and Iiosia its powers shaped and warped the land, turned lakes into deserts, men into monsters, and altered the nature of the very world forever.

Between Iiosia and Agniton magic died out entirely (or almost entirely), leading to the mass extinction of every race on the planet save for humans, a handful of dwarfs, and the type of animal and plant life we find here on earth. 

There are four areas of magic, known as arcs. Each arc forms part of the circle of magic.

Initially, during the Age of Wonder, there were there three arcs of magic; wild, light, and earthen.

• Wild magic is the domain of Fire and the Wind. Such magic would be used to clear land for crops, to soar like a bird, or simply light candles with the power of the mind.
• Earthen magic is the domain of Earth and Water. Its magics could purify healing waters, conjure growth in plants, and propel ships across the seas.
• Light magic is the domain of the sun and of the sky. When harnessed, it could banish dark beings, warm a cold room or heal great wounds. In the world of Iiosia there was little use for such things, so it was largely left untapped.

Dark magic entered the world when the atia meddled with powers they did not comprehend; powers which led to not only their own destruction but to the world they knew also.

• Dark magic is the fourth arc. Its domain is the underworld and darkness (though not the night, for that is watched over by the sun’s sister – the moon). It held the powers to raise the dead, summon demons, and end life. For centuries, its existence was unknown, until the events of The Sundering.

Dark magic is a highly corruptive entity. Its introduction into the world shaped many of the races which inhabit Iiosia, where it corrupted many of the races, plants, and animals, and changed them into hostile, vicious creatures. It also poisons the air and the land, and so creates areas that are unsuitable for any reasonable folk to inhabit.

Magic within the Eras

The forces of magic ebb and wane during the Eras.

During the Era of Wonder, Wild, Earthen and Light magic was in abundance.

Dark magic entering the world led to the birth of Iiosia, where the four types of magic are in constant flux.

Agniton is a world without magic, where it is thought of as a myth; a fairy tale. However, it isn't, and the powers that be (The Agency) fear that the forces of Dark magic would threaten the relative control they have achieved.

History, Calendar, and Timelines

Tyania uses the ancient dwarvern calendar. During the eons preceding Iiosia, during the Age of Wonder, the dwarfs were the keepers of time, and the records they kept filled vast libraries in their mountain homes.

During Iiosia, the dwarfs are far more reclusive then during their heyday. Yet they remain the world’s historians, with many dwarfs venturing out explicitly to find news of the world so that it can be recorded in the ever-expanding Tomes of Time the dwarfs keep.

Agniton saw the end of this. With so few dwarfs left it was impossible for them to maintain their society and so they intermingled with humans just to stay alive, leaving their fortresses lost within the mountains. 

While the names of the days and months have been altered over time, the structure of the year remains the same. On Tyania, there is sixty seconds to a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, twenty four hours in a day, 360 days a year, separated into twelve months of 30 days each. This similarity to the way time works here on Earth is done purely for convenience.

The Current Year

While any stories or games which may be created can be set at any point within Iiosia (or any Era), canonically the world sits at the year 688. At this stage, the world has been ravaged by several wars; there are no strong nations remaining and humanities grip on their societies is starting to loosen. At this stage, the world is on a knife-edge, and the stage is set for tales of adventure and courage

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