A New Player’s Guide
The World of Altera is vast and our Lore can be quite the hefty piece of read. Here are some points of common knowledge new characters can know, to help you choose to begin your path on our world. If you want to know more in-depth, click the links recommended.
Much of what your character knows depends on your own consideration of their background, and what they would have learned. This does not provide you an excuse to start them off with knowledge of how any magics function, or other information they should not be privy to, simply because ‘they received a good education’, but can help their knowledge feel appropriate to the circumstances they find themselves in. We encourage learning deeper parts of Lore in-character
It's important to remember that the concepts below describe their rarity according to how rare they are to the entire population of Altera. It is is vast and diverse land, and Player Characters are not the entire population of Altera. Neither are they a microcosm that represents that population. Player Characters are the remarkable few, those whose paths always happen to cross, by whom the history of the world is shaped. For example, while most Player Characters either start out literate or develop literacy skills at some point, most people in the world are not literate. Similarly, while there may be a number of noble characters, the vast majority of Alterans are commoners.
Content
The World of Altera .. What do I know about..-?
History
Locations
Divines
Inherent Magic
Revivals
Rumors
Quick Knowledge
History
Our world is never at ease. Alterans have prevailed through their most trying times, through tales of Queen Grief, Corruption, restless gods and Titan risings. All of the harrowing facets of history that once haunted many, slowly turn into stories and legends to admire. Much of the world’s history is what only the aged or adept scholars truly understand. There are many more who have lived through it to tell these tales. New characters and players may not know much of old history- thus it is not common knowledge. They can learn through books and others and spread it through information.
When time first began, there were the Immortal Kings, who created the Gods and Altera. Then came the people: Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, and Elves — Silver and Forest alike. One day, an Immortal King fell to a primeval force of the cosmos: Corruption. It twisted her into a demon, and she used her powers of creation to establish the Nether as her stronghold and raise demons to her bidding: the Armies of Naught.
Casting her dread forces through portals to the mortal realm, Queen Grief waged a series of centuries-long wars on the Gods and people of Altera. In a bid to escape the forces of Corruption, they fled to another world, and then another, before arriving on the current Altera. At some point lost to history, the Immortal Kings disappeared, and races directly or indirectly created by Queen Grief — the Earthspawn, Moor Elves, and another said to have created the former — joined the Alteran efforts. Then, one day, Queen Grief was defeated. Over the course of the next few centuries, Alterans went through ordeal after ordeal, most records lost to time..
In recent years, the most known aspect of our history is that we once lived upon a continent called “The Northern Kingdoms” in this world of Altera. It was comprised of several subcontinents, each ruled by different houses, cultures and factions. It was once the homeland to Alteran civilization but tragedy struck when a group of explorers were tricked into destroying the protective field the Immortal Kings blessed their continent with. The mindless undead were no longer warded from coming near, and soon began to swarm the land from the south. Alterans were forced to flee from the shelters of their homes, heading eastward through hail, water and tsunamis. Behind them, their homes were now left to be submerged in the Sea of Storms.
To the east, we came, and to the east we settled. Alterans now inhabit The Eastern Kingdoms. Also known as the Eastern Continent, Gottland, Eastmere, Easa'lach, and other variations in different cultures and regions. This single piece of land, covering leagues of space, welcomed its new settlers who reemerged from their harrowing broken homes. They rekindled their love of adventure and hearth, and some began the roots of worship once more. With new explorations came strange beasts, wild flowers and even sparks of magic that once was rare.
It was not all peace- As we know our world is never quiet. The gods bickered, magic fluctuated, Titans began to rise claiming their place as powerful beings. From the depths of a hollow world where a mindful giant rests came Qlippoth's mutations. To the still lands near the Landing came the heavenstons, fallen from the skies and consumed by an Elemental. To the remaining feathers of a dead spirit, once a benevolent deviant of souls. To the stars of another restful beast, cresting in slumber.. Each Titan gave Altera’s best a run for their radiant.
Now Alterans begin to collect themselves from the last disaster that’s struck, seeking to find within themselves new journeys or connections. This.. is where you come in to join the fray.
>History
Locations
The Eastern Continent is the main span of land on Altera that most living mortals have come to exist on. Many prominent leaders have made their homes here to gather their followers as they’re spread through different cultures, races, beliefs and landscapes. The biggest trade town that all cities and ships run through is “Storm’s Landing.” This is where many gather in the “Kraken’s Den” to share stories, have drinks, and lurk as they journey between towns. There are different shops and different walks of life the Landing has to offer.
>Storm’s Landing
Hundreds of miles off the coast of the Eastern Continent, the Undead walk in both the Sorrows and the Lost Frontier. These locations are continents, islands, or other landscapes that are full of grief and dangers. Spiders, Undead and Skeletal corpses walk, hunting travelers coming to gather resources. Some even find a thrill in their dangers.
The Nether Rift is the work of a chaotic god who created a tear in our realm as mortals settled into the Eastern Continent. Strange walks of creatures, some of ancient Grief, others unknown- appeared through the Nether as Alterans took to defend the area. Now- a fortress is built around the Rift, to prevent dangers from passing through unnoticed. Alterans trek in routine, into the Nether, to clear out the area and gather resources safely.
>Sorrows, Lost Frontier & Rift
To the East and West- The Ruins of the Northern Kingdoms are said to be located. The Northern Kingdoms became both submerged in water and consumed by undead that threatened to claim the people as well, had they not fled. The land is now home to the rot and decay of undeath. It’s a painful memory, as the whole of the Kingdoms were forced to start anew once the land was abandoned. It has been around two decades since the migration and time ever continues.
If you want to build your background and come from a specific city that offers a unique culture, read more on its thread. Players may know as much of a culture or race, as they’re willing to know unless the page explicitly states otherwise.
>Settlement’s thread.
Divines
>The Divine
Inherent Magic
- Players can know the idea that there is magic one can wield, but any details of what type of branches there are must be researched through books or through word of mouth by others.
- Players can’t start off having Arcane magic on their own. Players are encouraged not to have ‘pursuing magic’ as their only goal- for both new whitelist applications and character profiles.
Revivals
>Revival
Rumors & Events
>The Rumors thread
>Campaigns, Events & Adventures
Quick Knowledge - Links
- Alteran Calendar
- Aging - Some people experience aging differently. A child can sometimes grow to adolescence while some adults have only aged a few years. It is a strange phenomena that no one truly knows how to explain.
- Languages - Players can only know up to “Common” and one language of their character’s race or culture when they start. The character must learn the other official lore approved languages in-game, based on their difficulty level.
- For example- A Human Sooleran can start off knowing Marjash and Common, but they must find a teacher to learn Elven. An Elven Sooleran can know all three, but at the cost of not being fluent in one. .
- Races - Some races are so endangered, it’s rare to know they exist in our world. Others are as common as Humans.]
- Mutations -
- There are vague whispers of blood drinking "Vyres". A well-travelled mercenary may know of Vyrism, said to be a curse from some of the Gods that turns people into red-eyed, blood-drinking, yet often surprisingly civil beings. It’s less likely for someone that’s lived in a northern lodge with their family for most of their life.
- Elemental Spirits seem to be possessing people. A few individuals look to have abilities that reflect an elemental - air, fire, water, earth.. But it's uncertain if they're able to truly control them.
- Technology - Crafts in Altera do not exceed a certain point in Medieval time. However, some mechanics can be common enough after someone properly discovers it- clocks, jukeboxes.. >Timelock
- Our Currency is the Radiant
- Immortal Kings - A scholar may have heard of ‘Immortal Kings’, beings said to predate the gods and act as creators of immeasurable power, before mysteriously disappearing. It’s less likely for someone that’s illiterate, or uninterested in history.
Additional Guides
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