Eredia

The people of Eredia (called Erré from now on) have some intriguing features that set them apart from other humans. Their planet appears to have an elemental fluctuation that changes their physical form over time. They begin to resemble the animals or beasts of other worlds, and some particularly powerful and wizened Erré can even transform into their beastly forms. The youngest Erré usually have a small muzzle, modified ears, and a tail. The eldest of them resemble animals on their hind feet more than humans.

They live on a planet covered almost entirely by water—something along the line of 95%. There are many Chronoscape entrances and exits that lead to Shérok, allowing for constant communication between the two planets. However, the two still possess vastly different cultures. In general, the Erré have a greater respect for nature and magic. Magic is openly taught and practiced, with or without a dragon involved.

Please note that not all animals are covered by the variety of Erré. If you use an animal outside of these specifications (such as a dragon person), their origin will invariably be marked as Chronoscape. When in doubt, ask! You are free to pursue your own stories.

Language

All Erré speak Latin, with languages from other places showing up most often at Ere D’la Mer and Bestia D’la Mer.

National Colors

Since appearances can be deceiving, the Erré distinguish between classes and nationalities based on attire. The rulers of the islands (with the suffix -mar at the end of their name) will dress entirely in the primary color. The workers of all classes will wear a mix of the two colors. The unemployed, elderly, and children will wear the secondary color. Those who wear solid colors will often wear accessories of their other color, since there is a lot of color overlap between the islands.

Bestia

Clothing Style: Anything Goes
Primary: Brown ; Secondary: Gold
Bestia are the most plentiful of the Erré, and their animal forms tend to mimic mammals and marsupials.

The Bestia actually inhabit two islands. The first and largest of them has rolling hills that give most homes a view of the islands. People from all over Eredia and even the visiting Shéar live here alongside the Bestia.

Bestia Culture & Politics

Bestia d’la Mer has hundreds of doors to and from the Chronoscape, making it the de-facto hub of the entire planet. Their homes are typically made of four joined buildings (often inhabited by multiple generations) with a large courtyard or garden in the center. The buildings themselves are made of clay and stone, with each topped off with a thatched roof.

Races and refugees of all kinds mingle among the Bestia, and it’s sometimes difficult to tell whether someone is native or not. The locals take full advantage of the foot traffic, setting up stores and food stalls where the Peregrines like to take short cuts. On top of this commerce, the island is a popular hub for dealings with worlds beyond even Shérok. They possess the most wealth of any other island. This wealth is evenly dispersed, for the most part, so it’s difficult to notice when visiting the lands.

Not everyone enjoys the mingling of cultures on the main island of Bestia d’la Mer. Those on the smaller island show a clear distaste of visitors. After the Abrendese caused Shérok to plunge from a veritable paradise into a world of crime, some of them began to turn away all inhabitants of the Chronoscape. Eventually, this extended to the Shéar. Abrendese were certainly not welcome on their land. These people believe that the larger island is forsaken and that their island is the only true Bestia d’la Mer. They also believe that the current Bestia-mar must be out of touch with their god. Nonetheless, they are more than eager to receive monetary support from the mainland.

Bestia Religion & History

As with all other Erré islands, Bestia d’la Mer is named after its god, Bestia. What’s more, the god is appropriately named after his domain—the beasts of the world. It’s said that a great calamity occurred which caused the original Erré to flee to the Chronoscape. Bestia was the one who made a safe haven for the mammals, marsupials, vermin, and other creatures of the land. When he accepts someone into his domain as a Bestia, they will gradually grow attributes that match the animals whom he originally saved.  

Among the Erré gods, Bestia serves as the biggest troublemaker. The trickster can only be managed by Ere, though even she has trouble keeping him on a leash. The god once made a bet with Phinae on whose children were stronger. The winner would rule over the living, while the loser would rule over the dead. Phinae was quick to take the bet. The Bestia were strong, but the Phinae were much stronger. It almost seemed that their strength had no limit. However, Bestia had a plan. He had all of his children shapeshift into terrifying beasts and frighten the Phinae any time they attempted to perform a feat of strength. Unable to compete, Bestia and his children were the winners. Phinae and his children retreated to the sea, but out of revenge, the sea god split Bestia d’la Mer into two pieces.

The god himself is kind and welcoming of all people. He sees all of the living—even creatures outside of his domain or people from a different realm—as his own children. As such, the mainland of Bestia d’la Mer is full of people from all places, and those less welcoming to foreigners are tolerated all the same.

Bestia Magic

More than any other race, the Bestia have a penchant for shapeshifting. They can even revert to a fully human or animal form at will and—unlike the other races—it takes absolutely no magical effort to do so. They still receive magical training in their early years to make shifting a clean process. Those who show great magical talent are selected for further training among priests. From there, they can gradually learn to speak to certain animals. These animals include all the creatures whom Bestia originally saved.

Those who manage to speak fluently are made into a priest and receive further training from their fellow priests, the Bestia-mar, or the god himself. A fully trained Bestia priest will be able to read the minds of smaller creatures. The Bestia-mar is also granted the ability to control animals directly (this does not include people). This ability works best the tamer a creature is, though the Bestia-mar has no trouble commanding one or two non-cooperative animals at a time. His favorite color is brown, the color of the earth from which all things come. Second to that, he enjoys the gold of life-giving seeds.

Ere

Clothing Style: Ancient Greek or Roman Garb
Primary: Gold ; Secondary: White

Ere are the only inhabitants that can appear entirely human in shape, though many have soft pastel skin akin to flowers. More than anything else, they value knowledge. They boast the largest library in all of Eredia, and certainly the largest physical library between Eredia and Shérok (it’s hard to compete with digital libraries). Due to the limited space of the library, recreational books are not permitted within its walls. It’s all historical tomes, scientific studies, researcher’s notes, and magical findings.

Ere Culture & Politics

The Ere are led by a council of women who host hundreds of souls. The living host is the one who takes the prominent role in communication, but the memories and thoughts of each spirit can be called at will. More than anything else, they value knowledge. They boast the largest library in all of Eredia, and certainly the largest physical library between Eredia and Shérok (it’s hard to compete with digital libraries). Due to the limited space of the library, recreational books are not permitted within its walls. It’s all historical tomes, scientific studies, researcher’s notes, and magical findings. Their mandatory schooling includes not just magic but mathematics, science, literature, history, and so on. They believe that a variety of knowledge is just as crucial—if not more crucial—than physical health.

Because of all this, they have incredibly prominent guests that come to ask for legal counsel. Their architecture greatly resembles that of ancient Rome or Greece. They have the largest forum of all islands and host frequent festivals. It’s sometimes said that there’s a festival any time the council wants to drink. In any case, the Ere tend to be quiet towards outsiders, but will open up if food or gifts are involved.

Ere Religion & History

Unlike the other island gods, Ere is not seen as a single presence. All of the Ere host a small part of her power, which is returned to her upon their death. The more spirits you possess, the closer you are to using her power. Eventually, you end up with someone who has hundreds of souls. These ‘people’ serve on the council for hundreds or thousands of years, with each legion switching hosts every century or so. They refer to themselves as female, regardless of their original sex. Each of these council members can speak on behalf of their god, Ere, and display enough power to be called a god in and of themselves. They can be killed like any mortal, and if they are outside of Ere d’la Mer’s boundaries, the legion will disperse entirely. As long as Ere inhabit the island, it is possible for a new legion to form and replace the one that was lost.

Ere is capable of some incredibly frightening feats. She can possess not just one but many living people at once. Along with that, she’s capable of reading the minds of others. The only people outside of her control are ones actively protected by Tsotska. She also has no command over simple animals or dragons beyond the ones her hosts bond to. Among the ‘living’ gods, she is undoubtedly the strongest, and she isn’t afraid to wield this power to intimidate her enemies.  

Ere Magic

Despite their subtle differences from the humanoids of Shérok and the Chronoscape, they do seem to have powerful magic abilities. The souls of the dead will attach to the living, which makes the oldest of the Ere a conglomerate of souls. To the magically inclined, these souls appear as golden streamers that trail off their form. On top of this passive magic granted to them by their god, they train in an extensive variety of magical arts.  

The most prominent of their skills lie in healing magicks. They can cure many illnesses, heal many wounds, and identify the physical causes of many ailments. Combined with their anatomical knowledge and excellent surgeons, it’s where you need to go if you want an illness addressed. Even if their magic has no effect, they will take you in, pamper you, and research all of your symptoms in an attempt to save you and others. Beyond this, they practice simple magic. Lighting up small areas, levitating small objects, creating illusions, and so on are all within their power. Explosions and lightning bolts are not. They use wands of various materials (ranging from wood to bone to programmed devices) to channel their magical power.

Phinae

Clothing Style: Ancient Greek or Roman Garb
Primary: Blue ; Secondary: Black

The Phinae are strange in that they do not always resemble creatures. Sure, you’ll see fish, eels, sharks, dolphins, and those sort of aquatic things around. But you’ll also see people growing coral, studded in urchins, or covered in kelp. You might also see people that look completely human plus some gills or a couple scales.

Phinae Culture & Politics

Young Phinae are exceptionally rare, and Phinae that visit land are even more rare. They have no islands of their own and instead spend their time at the bottom of the sea, ruled by a singular Phinae-mar. In the rare event that they have a visitor, magic is used to create corridors down to the cities. It is much more common for the Phinae-mar to visit land than the other way around. When Phinae do opt to leave the waters, they never stray far from the sea. When outsiders visit the world of the Phinae, the inhabitants are welcoming and very accommodating (almost to a frightening extent). Water dragon riders are incredibly common among them, thanks to their advantageous location and scrying abilities.

Because of their location and the nature of their ruler, they rarely partake in the politics of the land. They are acutely aware of the things that go on, though, making their information incredibly useful to those that can win their trust. Since the Erré sea extends into the Chronoscape, their knowledge about culture and the movement of people extends much farther than the margins of a map.

Phinae Religion & History

The god of the Phinae is the only one to directly interact with their people. They serve as the Phinae-mar and represent their people in all political events. However, their identity changes as the dominant spirit of the realm changes. Like many gods, Phinae represents the conglomeration of many souls, with one particular entity at the helm. This entity is the soul among them with the most attachment to the world above the sea, usually through lingering regrets or anger. Their shape shifts depending on this latest identity, along with their name and gender, but they are ultimately the same god. As time goes on and the new soul observes more of the world, they gradually forget their human memories and fade into the ‘old’ Phinae. By allowing human souls to lead the helm, Phinae remains connected to the realm of the living. It prevents them from doing something drastic (such as flooding the world to prevent suffering).

The current Phinae is female and takes great interest in the Tsotska. As such, she is more likely to appear when the Tsotska-mar calls him than any other entity of the worlds. Among all the gods of Eredia, Phinae is the strongest. Their power even reaches into the Chronoscape. They can instantly know what all creatures of the sea know. Since there are many underwater doors to the Chronoscape, they receive information from far-flung worlds and can travel quite swiftly by merging with the waters or hopping from the minds of fish to fish. It is only through this collective knowledge that Phinae knows the frivolous nature of abusing his powers. He is capable of bring the dead back to life—which is how all Phinae are born—so long as they die in the sea. While he is a god, the Phinae treat him more as a king or a great grandfather than an all-powerful being. The Phinae uses the color blue to represent their eternal home and the color black to represent the eternal sleep they are all too familiar with.

Phinae Magic

They are quite capable of breathing underwater, but there’s a bit more to their magic than modified appearances. No one appears to be born or die there. The cuts and injuries they incur are filled by sea life rather than skin and flesh. It isn’t unusual for some Phinae to have exposed bone, though they are just as jovial as ever. Land dwellers that spend too much time among the Phinae will find themselves drawn back to the sea, consequences be damned. It isn’t unusual to find people that resemble those lost to sea dwelling within the realm of the Phinae. However, upon prodding, they will insist they have always lived there.

Alongside their strange longevity and dubious origins, the Phinae can borrow the abilities of the Phinae-mar to perform small rituals and scry all kinds of things. They can see scenes from the future, determine the fate of others through cards, and even warn others of impending danger. On top of that, particularly adept Phinae may meld into the water and travel great distances quickly. Transforming or possessing sea life is second nature to them. Rumor has it that all feral sea serpents were once Phinae who aspired to be dragons themselves and never bothered to shift back. Alternatively, they may have forgotten their original identity in the first place.

T’teré

Clothing Style: Ancient Greek or Roman Garb
Primary: Green ; Secondary: Red
Like the Ere, the T’teré appear quite human, with a single difference…those big wings of theirs which makes them look like birds. The wings can attach on their back or onto their limbs. Many also grow taloned hands and feet, with the most dramatic appearances involving feathered arms, legs, and a sharp beak.

T’teré Culture & Politics

T’teré are ruled by a single T’teré-mar, though their exact identity is unknown. Instead of revealing the identity of the T’teré-mar, a mixed council dictates and discusses the decisions. It is typically considered democratic, with the final word and major political decisions decided by the reclusive ruler. All members of the council treat each other equally, and outside of their Chamber, they are all treated as a T’teré-mar would be.

They live on the smallest islands in all of Eredia, and their little homes have to cling to the mountain at the center of the main island. Thanks to the tiny size of their islands, every roof has a view of the ocean. Roofs are flat and have large entrances and exits, since these tend to be used more than doors. Rain water from the roof is a serious problem for lazy families. They tend to dislike outsiders and keep them restricted to the docks unless it is urgent business for the council. Due to odd rumors coming from many directions, they show an obvious annoyance to any Tsotska they come across.

Very few become dragon riders, as they breed and raise Gryphons. These beasts do their job just fine without a magical bond. Those that do become Riders might still keep their old Gryphon around, much to the dismay of jealous dragons.

T’teré Religion & History

The history of the T’teré goes back quite far and is purposely muddled by the T’terré-mar’s efforts. The majority of people were immigrants from Bestia d’la Mer who were tired of overcrowding and visitors from every corner of the universe. They eventually considered themselves a separate people from the Bestia, though they had no god to call their own.

Eventually, a child appeared that had feathered wings. This was the first instance of any Erré in the world having wings at all. Birds were not under the domain of Phinae, Bestia, Ere, or Tsotska. The child was revered as their god, treated as their ruler, and otherwise allowed to do as he pleased. He had wisdom beyond his years and aged slower than the others, cementing their opinion. As their worship for the child grew, the child gained powers of his own. He became the god they sought and was able to grant the same shape-shifting skills that the other gods of Eredia could.

In reality, he was no god. He was a simple creature from the Chronoscape that held a humanoid appearance for far longer than he should have in that situation. Although he hailed from a race that hunted humans as prey, the worship and kindness of the Erré turned his heart for the better. Their strength became his strength, and with time and the assistance of whatever rested in the planet, he could grant the wings they desired. He still warned his newfound followers of the dangers of the Chronoscape and of accepting anyone under their wing without question. This gradually morphed into the xenophobia that many T’teré exhibit to this day.

The island took its name simply because it was easy for the bird-beaked people to say. The name was then attached to their god. As the original T’teré-mar grew slowly, he stole away from the public light to avoid scrutiny. He does not show himself in public or even visit the Council Chambers. His only ruling duties involve signing off on important decisions or settling quarrels. Though he has existed for almost as long as T’tere d’la Mer, he appears to be in his early fourties.

T’tere Magic

Being creatures of the wind, T’teré took control of the skies. In time, their magic developed to move and manipulate wind. When traveling in a flock, they can create a tailwind to travel vast distances. A hundred-mile trek across the sea is trivial for them, though taking a path through the Chronoscape is usually faster.

The advanced magic users of the T’teré are able to control storms or quell them. When the other islands are in drought or in peril from an impending storm, they call on the T’teré for aid. Combined with the endurance of a Gryphon or dragon, they are masters of the skies.

Tsotska

Clothing Style: Cold-faring Tribal Garb
Primary: Black ; Secondary: Gold

Tsotska d’la Mer is located on an incredibly remote and mountainous island. While it isn’t as expansive as the islands of the Bestia, it is covered in large, steep mountains. The extreme edge of the island has an incredibly high and active cone volcano. It is said that an ancient fire dragon in its center keeps the volcano from ever harming the people of the island. Despite this, the island itself is always cold and often covered in snow. These people are incredibly attuned to the world of dragons and even resemble them in a way. They take on reptilian appearances, though they never grow wings as a true dragon would.

Which is good and well, since they would only want to soar the skies with a dragon companion! A disproportionately large number of Tsotska become Riders. Learning to work with dragons is part of a child’s curriculum, just as important as math or magic, giving them lots of chances to impress a dragon. For those that don’t bond with an Elemental Dragon, there are always feral dragons to tame and use.

They are led by a Tsotska-mar, though a senate exercises great control over the Tsotska-mar’s power. A group of trained dragon riders is also considered a major political force alongside the senate, and they are much more influential on the Tsotska-mar thanks to the respect they have earned from dragons.

Their homes are made of brick and wood to maximize heat retention. Dragon Riders live close to the stables towards the top of the mountains, while the others live near a large port close to sea. The stables themselves have one entrance that opens to the side of the mountain and another that opens to a cliff—perfect for dragons to land and light. The island itself has very few wild animals, which leads Riders to feed their dragons with prey from the Chronoscape.

Tsotska Culture & Politics

Like Bestia d’la Mer, Tsotska d’la Mer is split into two islands. The first has a sparse population that continues to grow smaller. The second island is used to raise wild game exclusively to feed their dragons. It has mild summers and harsh winters. It’s the only place on the planet that hosts frozen seas in the winter. The beaches are covered in stones rather than sand. Their tailors are masters at what they do, though few visit their docks to take advantage of their skill. They have to be masters with all the cold-blooded creatures running around in need of warmth.

The inhabitants are highly distrustful of outsiders—even their own Erré. They particularly detest the T’terre, who ride mounts they consider sub-par, stupid, and demeaning to their rider. They think it reflects an inability to tame or deserve a dragon. Dragons are central to their culture and cause a huge rift within it. Not everyone becomes a Rider, so those that do are lauded as heroes. Those that don’t are the ones that determine the rules, but the Riders have huge political sway. On top of that, the Tsotska-mar is personally appointed by the vote of dragons. These two powers are constantly at odds on what is important for the island.

Although they learn no magic of their own, they can quickly tap into a dragon’s abilities and use it to its fullest extent. This exceptional learning speed and power, combined with their close affiliation with dragons, is the main reason that the Abrendese seek them out for experiments. The second reason is their isolation from the rest of the world. It takes several days of straight flight or swimming to reach the nearest populated island. The third reason is their cultural distance from the other races; In general, they are disliked for their inability to use ‘normal’ magic and their exclusive communities. The fourth is the general lack of wealth. While the Tsotska-mar frequents the Chronoscape more than any other living ruler, he does so purely to protect his island. Advantageous trades are not on his list of priorities, nor would he be very good at them.

It is something of a perfect storm that the Abrendese nobles have taken full advantage of. Raids of the island are not unusual, and the Tsotska are hindered in protecting themselves by a strict code set in place by their god. They can only defend their island while in flight or sailing.

Tsotska Religion & History

 Their god is the oldest of them all. Tsotska is called the father of all Riders; He was the very first among them. Prior to his bond, the dragons were seen as mortal enemies to life itself. He founded Tsotska d’la Mer as a sanctuary to anyone who sought it. Dragons, Riders, and anyone else who needed assistance were permitted to stay. At the same time, the requirements to do so were very strict. Dragons were not permitted to harm one another with ill intent. They were certainly not allowed to harm Riders and vice versa. Those found to disobey these rules on the soil of the island would be killed on the spot. There was a tiny bit of leniency for accidents and scuffles. Tiny. It was not a utopia by any means, but it was one of the first places of its kind.

Tsotska himself is weak compared to other gods, despite his age. He spreads out his existence through the consciousness of all Riders, allowing him to convey critical information to the Tsotska-mar and provide small pieces of assistance to Riders in far places. While he can’t interact directly with the world, he can command dragons to aid others and have complete conversations with the Tsotska-mar. He is not able to communicate with other Riders, though he knows all their concerns.

Tsotska Magic

Tsotska do not have any intrinsic magic of their own. However, they possess a vast wealth of potential that any dragon can tap into. Both they and their dragons are quick to learn dragon magic. This exceptional learning speed and power, combined with their close affiliation with dragons, is the main reason for their persecution.

At the same time, Tsotska have a strange ability to recognize the ailments of dragons and know exactly how to treat them. This could be due to their upbringing more than magic, even if the young ones are able to do it perfectly. There are some common signs that Tsotska can use to pose a dragon and check their health. They are not magical, though even foreign dragons will always know what the Tsotska is trying to indicate.

The only one to practice unique abilities is the Tsotska-mar. Through the blessing of Tsotska, he can read the minds of both dragons and their Riders. He is capable of singing dead dragon souls and Riders into a peaceful rest, which in turn strengthens Tsotska. He can command all dragons as if he himself was their Rider.