The Chronicles of Caldhira
Long before the current age, the world was a single, unified sphere known as Caldhira. It was a time of unbroken horizons and contiguous lands, but that memory has faded into myth. In a cataclysm now known only as The Shattering, the world was torn asunder, its crust fractured and cast into the void.
What remains is the shards. Today, civilization clings to these floating islands of rock and soil, drifting through the aether. From the bustling trade hubs of the larger continents to the lonely, resource-rich outposts on the fringe, the inhabitants of this fractured reality rely on ancient World Gates (Weltentore) to traverse the gaps between the shards.
The Academy of Kandor, the last great bastion of ancient history, teaches that while the physical world is broken, the spirit of its people remains whole.
The Seven Deities
In the absence of a unified land, the people turn their eyes to the heavens and the seas. The Pantheon of the Seven guides the fate of the shards, distinct in their domains yet unified in their rule over mortal destiny.
Bendur The Tide Breaker
In a world dominated by separated islands, Bendur is paramount. The fat, full-bearded Lord of Winds and Waves ensures safe passage across the treacherous waters that surround the shards. His priests, clad in smoky-blue robes trimmed with silver, can be found in every port, offering prayers to the White Whale, Ljenerek—the avatar of the god. A white whale upon azure remains the symbol of hope for all seafarers.
Wendaria The Earth Mother
While Bendur rules the sea, Wendaria rules the hearth and the harvest. Plump, rosy-cheeked, and eternally laughing, she is the Goddess of Fertility and Health. Yet, behind her cheerful demeanor lies a maternal severity; she demands respect for the cycle of life. Her followers bear the symbol of a wheat ear and a water bowl, praying for the sustenance of the isolated communities.
Urvan The Just Sword
Order is maintained by Urvan, the God of Battle and Law. He is the stoic guardian of the Neutral, symbolized by a sword firmly embedded in a scale against a gray background. He reminds the chaotic shards that strength without justice is tyranny.
Maki The Sly Shadow
Not all pray in the light. Maki, the weasel-faced God of Craftsmen, Traders, and Shady Characters, watches over deals made in back alleys. He is the patron of the lost and found, protecting those who live by their wits.
Larja The Huntress
Beyond the city walls, where the shards grow wild, Larja reigns. Depicted as a red-haired woman atop a mighty stag, she is the Goddess of Hunting and the Swamps, guiding those who seek to survive the untamed wilderness.
Pheron The Scholar
The patron of the Academy of Kandor, Pheron is the God of Knowledge and Science. Whether depicted as an old scholar in a white hooded robe or as a white owl beneath a crescent moon, he represents the pursuit of the truths lost during the Shattering.
Tura The Pale Guide
Finally, there is Tura the Beautiful. Clad in elegant black, the pale ruler of the Realm of the Dead awaits us all. She is not feared, but respected as the inevitable conclusion. It is said that the gray dolphin, Griel, serves as her messenger, ferrying the souls of the departed from the shards to the beyond.
The Children of the Shards
The Shards are populated by diverse races, each adapted to life on the drift.
Humans, versatile and ambitious, have established the widest spanning nations, lacking specific strengths but suffering no weaknesses.
The Elves, ancient and attuned to the aether, dominate the arts of magic and alchemy, their long lives dedicated to studying the arcane forces that hold the shards aloft.
Deep within the crust of the larger islands, the Dwarves toil; masters of mining and smithing, they are fearsome warriors who defend their subterranean holds with steel and grit.
In the rolling fields of the agrarian shards, Halflings live a dual existence—renowned as the best farmers in Caldhira, yet infamous for their nimble fingers and talent for thievery.
And then there are the Orcs. While many serve as terrifying shock troopers with a natural aptitude for combat, their society is fractured; some have joined the civilized races as mercenaries, while others remain wild, clinging to the old ways of blood and conquest.
The Bestiary of the Void
To venture away from the guarded settlements is to court death. The shards are teeming with hostile life.
Novice adventurers may find themselves beset by Giant Rats in cellars or swarms of Aggressive Flies in the swamps. The forests are guarded by Walking Trees that crush intruders, while the caves teem with Giant Spiders and burrowing Worms. Even the dead do not rest easy, with Skeletons rattling in forgotten crypts.
But the true terror of the skies remains the Dragons—apex predators who navigate the space between worlds, reminding all heroes that on the shards, safety is merely an illusion.