Senteia

The world of Senteia (sen-TAY-uh) hosts a variety of climates, creatures, and cultures. In this setting, otherworldly horrors prowl the forgotten crevices and the nightmares of the people. 

Geography

For the denizens of Myriath (MIR-ee-ath)—the continental region that comprises the game's main setting—, "Senteia" is the name for the entire planet. Cultures beyond this geographical area have other names for their world, of course.

Myriath is vast region comprising a shallow ocean—also called Myriath—flanked on many sides by large landmasses and speckled with islands and archipelagos.

Altora

Occupying the southern edge of Myriath is the continent of Altora (all-TOR-uh), known for its steep mountains and cold climate. The majority of the landmass is the territory of the Tashali Empire—a collection of industrious human kingdoms united under the rule of Empress Zorana Tashal. One peninsula remains independent from the Tashali: the kingdom of Prydwallia, the capital of which is the river-straddling city of Blackwine. Prydwallia is a nation renowned for its scientific advances.

Nithia

To the northwest of the Myriath region lies a massive landmass known as Nithia (NITH-ee-uh), a realm of sandy deserts, jagged canyons, and dense forests. Many different cultures and nations on this continent have built their cities atop the bones and ruins of the ancient Athael (uh-THY-uhl) Civilization. Little is known about this once vast and powerful culture, except that they possessed incredible magical and technological talents.

Most Nithians are orcs, and their efforts at reclaiming Athaeli technology over the past centuries have begun to yield impressive results. Most notably, the ancient railways have been restored, granting fast and convenient travel across much of the continent. 

Sayzentia

The largest of Myriath's island nations, Sayzentia (say-ZEN-shuh) is a volcanic archipelago in the center of Myriath. It is ruled over by a council of leaders. There are five main isles, and each isle may supply three representatives to the council. That means the council is composed of 15 representatives. Each isle may choose their three through whatever method they decide. Each isle has its own laws, rituals, and customs in this regard. One isle determines its three representatives at random. Another holds a tournament for the seats. Another uses traditional bloodline inheritance.

Sayzentia is well-known for its fleets of merchant ships. Additionally, each of the five isles has its own navy, flying sails of a certain color and pattern. The Sixth Fleet is a force of pirates who operate out of hidden coves to plunder riches. Despite its threat, the council has yet to agree to mobilize against them. The Sixth Fleet maintains great influence in Sayzentian politics despite their crimes.

Éána

Most mysterious of all the lands in Myriath is the elven realm of Éána (ay-AHN-uh). For millennia, few even knew of its existence, since it is usually inaccessible to outsiders.

When the violet moon Osho is full, a massive maelstrom appears in between a central pair of islands known as the Guardians during the twilight hours. Ships who descend the watery slope of the whirlpool eventually find themselves on another world—the moon of Osho itself, in the elven land known as Éána. No one knows how this bridge works, or who created it, but it has been used as a means of travel between the two worlds for nearly a century. Traveling back to Myriathis from Éána requires a similar process. When Senteia is "full," ships can travel through a maelstrom on Osho to appear on the ocean's surface in Myriathis. Since Osho's lunar cycles in this system take roughly 34 days to complete, once a ship uses this method of travel, they must wait 17 days to return again.

Éána itself is a large island, rife with violet forests and fungal lowlands. Because the moon is tidally locked with Myriath, each day and each night lasts 17 Senteian days. This alien rhythm gives the realm a kind of timeless feeling until the radical shift occurs during the transition from day to night or night to day. Virtually all organisms on Osho are strictly nocturnal or diurnal, which means they regularly enter extended states of hibernation or stasis. This even extends to the sapient denizens of Éána, the elves. During the day, the Seelie elves perform their labors from sunrise to sunset, resting only for brief spells. During the night, the Unseelie elves do the same. The two peoples rarely interact apart from dawn and dusk, and are practically living in separate nations. Different sets of laws apply based on whether the sun is in the sky or not, which can be very disorienting to visitors.

The Guardian isles in the Myriath each have a permanent settlement—one Éánian and one Nithian—to monitor the passage and engage in trade. The two island cities have a friendly (sometimes unfriendly) rivalry with one another.

Calendar

The most commonly used calendar on Senteia is the Torthian, standardized in the ancient Athaeli civilization and named for the then-emperor Torth. This calendar follows the journey of a mythological figure in Athaeli legends known as Vikmoiya, which translates roughly to "Fire-Mother" in Ancient Vetharic. The events of her journey correlate with the changing of seasons in a never-ending cycle. It's unclear whether the Athaeli believed this story to be a literal truth or simply an allegory.

Most cultures operate using a 5-day week with an extra day every other week for a total of an 11-day cycle: Araday, Yenday, Belday, Morlday, Sothday, with Tholday occurring once every two weeks.

Gods

A pantheon of eleven gods, known as the Undecima, are the primary deities of Senteia. Lesser gods are not well-known, or limited to specific geographic areas. But the Undecima are ubiquitous across most cultures as established deities, even if not all believe in their divinity.

According to legend, the Undecima created Senteia together with one unified purpose. As part of their pact, they swore vows of non-interference in mortal affairs. This oath prevents them from directly altering the course of history or fully entering the mortal plane. Instead, the gods must act through their disciples and champions, and they cannot use their divine powers to compel these agents.

This non-interference pact has led some Senteians to believe the Undecima's existence to be a hoax perpetuated by mortals for their own selfish ends. Certain individuals are ostensibly imbued with holy power, but Senteian atheists believe that these abilities require no divine explanation. Other atheist belief systems acknowledge the existence of the gods, but maintain that these—admittedly powerful—entities are not deserving of worship.

Ashabela

Ashabela (ash-uh-BELL-uh), the Beautiful Whisper is equally comfortable appearing as a man, woman, or androgynous figure, but they almost always have stunning features and fashion. As the god of love and dreams, they are keenly interested in the unspoken wishes and desires of mortals. Ashabela has an entire city built in her name: Ashabelannar. Its beauty is astounding, with craftsman coming from across the world to make their mark, or simply to marvel in its wonder. The city-state operates under a form of anarchy, with Ashabela's priests resolving disputes when necessary.

Dekaron

Dekaron (DECK-uh-rawn), the Hateful Flame usually appears as a pair of flaming eyes inside a column of black smoke. Dekaron revels in destruction and ruination, but it is not an all-consuming need. He has been known to abstain from wanton chaos when the need arises. An immense and fiery chasm in the heart of Nithia known as Ragatharn is believed to be the Hateful Flame's physical manifestation. Lava boils at the bottom, and spews out once every few decades to destroy nearby vegetation and settlements. The vapors that pour forth are toxic and somewhat hallucinogenic.

Eshek

Eshek (EH-shehk), the Ultimate Judge appear as a genderless figure in nondescript robes, and seldom interferes in the affairs of living mortals. Eshek judges the potential of mortal souls upon their death, and shuttles them to their appropriate afterlives. Eshek themself seldom welcomes mortal souls into their own domain, as few are able to attain the level of neutrality necessary for the position.

Hathala

Hathala (ha-THAHL-uh), the Eternal Font has been known to adopt a variety of forms when appearing to mortals. As god of waters, they preside over oceans, seas, and rivers, as well as trade.

Maelalu

Maelalu (MY-luh-loo), the Watchful Bough prefers to appear as a feminine figure when appearing to mortals, but this is not always the case. Maelalu works to protect the natural beauty of the world. Near the center of Myriath grows a colossal tree that spans several miles, with its roots forming entire islands in places. It is said to be the physical manifestation of Maelalu. A colony of elven devotees lives in the branches in a lofty city called Lamaretha (lah-mah-RAY-thuh).

Okaris

Okaris (oh-KAHR-iss), the Untethered Storm often appears as a grinning man soaring through the sky. He is the god of exploration, freedom, and travel. The Storm of Okaris is an eternal cyclone that wanders where it wishes, carrying ships off-course on a whim, battering down structures when it would be amusing. It is a black storm, with lightning in every color of the rainbow, and thunder that sounds like laughter. It has never ceased, it simply moves from place to place. Because this storm often carries vessels long and unlikely distances, sailors developed a common language known as Stormtongue, to aid in communication between different cultures.

Oon

Oon (OON), the Inscrutable Formula is the god of magic, and is revered by arcanists across the world.

Ravatin

Ravatin (RAV-uh-tin), the Tireless Forge is primarily concerned with technological advancements, though they often refrain from sharing their discoveries with mortals, preferring to watch them come to the same conclusions on their own. Like Ashabela, Ravatin has an entire city devoted to their worship, called Ravatoren. It is a hub of science and industry located in Prydwallia, though enjoys a high level of independence 

Stoiya

Stoiya (STOY-yuh), the Unyielding Stone almost always appears as a woman with a freckled face and brown braided hair.

Ulithia

Ulithia (you-LITH-ee-uh), the Grinning Dark has been known to wear many forms, but almost always female. She is the god of darkness and terror. On the last day of every year, Ulithia manifests as a patch of darkness that blots out the sun and stars. Its orbit is difficult to track, and staring into that void tends to drive one mad, leading most to take shelter indoors during this time.

Zatikh

Zatikh (tsah-TEEK), the Rejuvenating Light, is the god of grandeur and light on Senteia, and they typically appear as a genderless silhouette in a halo of dazzling light. Zatikh's manifestation is a mountain in the treacherous peaks of Altora that faintly glows with white light. Stones taken from this mountain continue to glow so long as their bearers worship Zatikh and work for the good of others, though carrying more than one stone causes each of them to fade. It is said that once the final stone is removed, with no mountain remaining, Zatikh will reward those with glowing stones and punish those without.