Exploring Ancerra - Revision history

Andi at 13:43, 3 September 2025

2025-09-03T13:43:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:43, 3 September 2025
Line 184:		Line 184:
	= Timeline =		= Timeline =
	See [[Timeline]]		See [[Timeline]]

			''*Updated to Print 2''

Andi at 12:24, 3 September 2025

2025-09-03T12:24:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:24, 3 September 2025
Line 98:		Line 98:
	A soul is the Essence cultivated within a single living creature. One soul cannot live multiple times, because when a creature dies and their Essence returns to the Celestial Sea, their Essence doesn’t remain stuck together. This makes resurrection impossible after a number of years, depending on how long it takes for a Soul’s Essence to dissolve back into the Celestial Sea.		A soul is the Essence cultivated within a single living creature. One soul cannot live multiple times, because when a creature dies and their Essence returns to the Celestial Sea, their Essence doesn’t remain stuck together. This makes resurrection impossible after a number of years, depending on how long it takes for a Soul’s Essence to dissolve back into the Celestial Sea.

	This is also why some Resurrection results in a person having their personality changed, some of their memory being lost, or some other combination of unique mental/personality challenges: a person’s Soul might have begun to dissolve, and when they are forcibly resurrected back into a body then the process might bring back their incomplete Essence or might bring other ambient Essence (perhaps Essence that was once part of a different soul and still has different memories and personality associated with it) back into the same body.		This is also why some Resurrection results in a person having their personality changed, some of their memory being lost, or some other combination of unique mental/ personality challenges: a person’s Soul might have begun to dissolve, and when they are forcibly resurrected back into a body then the process might bring back their incomplete Essence or might bring other ambient Essence (perhaps Essence that was once part of a different soul and still has different memories and personality associated with it) back into the same body.

	== The Everwilds ==		== The Everwilds ==
	The Everwilds are an endless tangle of dramatic ~~natura llandscapes~~. Sprawling deserts, enormous forests full of towering trees, blizzard-scoured tundras, and impossibly deep oceans all jumble together in an illogical swirl. While towns and settlements exist in the Everwilds, it is truly the domain of nature. Each natural environment is at its most dramatic in the Everwilds.		The Everwilds are an endless tangle of dramatic natural landscapes. Sprawling deserts, enormous forests full of towering trees, blizzard-scoured tundras, and impossibly deep oceans all jumble together in an illogical swirl. While towns and settlements exist in the Everwilds, it is truly the domain of nature. Each natural environment is at its most dramatic in the Everwilds.

	Travelers who journey into the Everwilds will quickly realize that space and time are relative in this plane. Adventurers may journey across a sweeping grassland towards a towering mountain; while the mountain looks to be a day’s journey away, it may take them an hour or a week to reach the mountain. They will also find, upon returning to the Prime Material, that a week in the Everwilds might have only been half that time in the Prime Material. Other travelers experience the opposite, realizing that two weeks have passed in Ancerra for every week they spent in the Everwilds.		Travelers who journey into the Everwilds will quickly realize that space and time are relative in this plane. Adventurers may journey across a sweeping grassland towards a towering mountain; while the mountain looks to be a day’s journey away, it may take them an hour or a week to reach the mountain. They will also find, upon returning to the Prime Material, that a week in the Everwilds might have only been half that time in the Prime Material. Other travelers experience the opposite, realizing that two weeks have passed in Ancerra for every week they spent in the Everwilds.

	Of all the planes outside of the Prime Material, the Everwilds has the most portals. It is easier to travel back and forth between the Prime Material and the Everwilds than any other plane, either through the use of spells or through finding numerous magical portals throughout the world. Because of this, there is quite a strong presence of fae creatures and fae humanoids in Ancerra, and humanoid settlements in the Everwilds are not very uncommon.		Of all the planes outside of the Prime Material, the Everwilds has the most portals. It is easier to travel back and forth between the Prime Material and the Everwilds than any other plane, either through the use of spells or through finding numerous magical portals throughout the world. Because of this, there is quite a strong presence of fae creatures and fae humanoids in Ancerra, and humanoid settlements in the Everwilds are not very uncommon.

	Much of the Everwilds is a collage of dramatic natural landscapes that do not follow the natural laws of weather and terrain. Jungles may border on tundras, which might in turn give way to tropical archipelagos. However, the six Archfae Conclaves exert significant influence on the land immediately around them. The natural environment around each conclave reflects the general disposition of the conclave’s members.		Much of the Everwilds is a collage of dramatic natural landscapes that do not follow the natural laws of weather and terrain. Jungles may border on tundras, which might in turn give way to tropical archipelagos. However, the six Archfae Conclaves exert significant influence on the land immediately around them. The natural environment around each conclave reflects the general disposition of the conclave’s members.
Line 112:		Line 112:

	=== Ashyidir ===		=== Ashyidir ===
	The Ashyidir Conclave embodies the four prime elements - fire, water, earth, and air - along with their derivatives. Fire and water together make steam, while fire and earth make magma, for example. The Ashyidir have a variety of dispositions but are generally driven by emotion rather than deliberative thought. The natural environment around the Ashyidir Conclave morphs to emphasize the four prime elements. Islands might float in the sky, waterfalls might ~~fall~~ upwards, and forest fires might be more common.		The Ashyidir Conclave embodies the four prime elements - fire, water, earth, and air - along with their derivatives. Fire and water together make steam, while fire and earth make magma, for example. The Ashyidir have a variety of dispositions but are generally driven by emotion rather than deliberative thought. The natural environment around the Ashyidir Conclave morphs to emphasize the four prime elements. Islands might float in the sky, waterfalls might flow upwards, and forest fires might be more common.

	=== Letspina ===		=== Letspina ===
Line 134:		Line 134:
	Time and space move differently in Inferno than they do in the Prime Material, making distance and proximity impossible to measure, and one’s perception of being is heavily influenced by the willpower of an individual. A mortal might find themselves walking the same lonely stretch of 100 yards for years or moving across entire continents in a single step. Countless spirits who have dared enter Inferno have simply vanished, fragmented through mind-breaking confusion and lost to fog of incomprehension, without ever laying eyes on the malefic Fiends that stalk its recesses. These are the luckiest travelers to Inferno.		Time and space move differently in Inferno than they do in the Prime Material, making distance and proximity impossible to measure, and one’s perception of being is heavily influenced by the willpower of an individual. A mortal might find themselves walking the same lonely stretch of 100 yards for years or moving across entire continents in a single step. Countless spirits who have dared enter Inferno have simply vanished, fragmented through mind-breaking confusion and lost to fog of incomprehension, without ever laying eyes on the malefic Fiends that stalk its recesses. These are the luckiest travelers to Inferno.

	Inferno’s hellscape is divided into four domains, each with distinct topology and nightmarish creatures. The Cholereth, Melaneth, Phlegmereth, and Sanguineth are the four broadest categories of fiend into which most fiends can be sorted, and these are also the names that scholars use to refer to the four regions of Inferno. Each domain also has one defining characteristic.		Inferno’s hellscape is divided into four domains, each with distinct topology and nightmarish creatures. The Cholereth, Melaneth, Phlegmereth, and Sanguineth are the four broadest categories of fiend into which most fiends can be sorted, and these are also the names that scholars use to refer to the four regions of Inferno. Each domain also has one defining characteristic. The Exiles, having been expelled from Iztari, make their home in Inferno as well. Many of them, especially Mikhael, have risen to prominence and are capable of contesting the archfiends for dominance over Inferno’s regions.

	The Exiles, having been expelled from Iztari, make their home in Inferno as well. Many of them, especially Mikhael, have risen to prominence and are capable of contesting the archfiends for dominance over Inferno’s regions.

	=== Cholereth ===		=== Cholereth ===
Line 142:		Line 140:

	=== Melaneth ===		=== Melaneth ===
	Durlossoth, the Black City, is an endless collection of tightly packed stone buildings in various stages of [[decay]] and ruin. Occupying the whole of Melaneth, the Black City is full of nonsensical alleyways that twist between structures of no unifying architecture. Overhead, a cloudy sky is stuck in perpetual twilight. The streets seem to shift around its lost wanderers, keeping souls from ever finding their way out. Pale-skinned Melaneth fiends stalk the shadows as gaunt, hunched figures of bone and sinew with hollow eye sockets and twisting voids of blackness at their cores. They are just as likely to welcome you with disingenuous fang-toothed smiles as they are to jump upon you with hooked claws and crude weapons. The buildings themselves come in every shape and size but always contain neglected furnishings of gnarled black wood.		Durlossoth, the Black City, is an endless collection of tightly packed stone buildings in various stages of decay and ruin. Occupying the whole of Melaneth, the Black City is full of nonsensical alleyways that twist between structures of no unifying architecture. Overhead, a cloudy sky is stuck in perpetual twilight. The streets seem to shift around its lost wanderers, keeping souls from ever finding their way out. Pale-skinned Melaneth fiends stalk the shadows as gaunt, hunched figures of bone and sinew with hollow eye sockets and twisting voids of blackness at their cores. They are just as likely to welcome you with disingenuous fang-toothed smiles as they are to jump upon you with hooked claws and crude weapons. The buildings themselves come in every shape and size but always contain neglected furnishings of gnarled black wood.

	'''The Obsidian Palace.''' At the heart of Durlossoth stands a grand palace carved from one solid piece of obsidian. Fortifications and spires loom over the ruined buildings, sprouting countless ballista and defensive emplacements. These sit unmanned and forgotten. The great obsidian gates are left ajar so that any who come upon the palace may enter freely. Inside, grand halls stretch for miles with all the trappings one might expect to find from noble holdings, each room seeming like the occupants left only moments before. Great paintings depict unidentifiable conflicts, the spilling of blood, countless representations of suffering, and twisted portraits with screaming faces. At the center of it all is the throne room of Sahrnulothon, Prince of Ruin.		'''The Obsidian Palace.''' At the heart of Durlossoth stands a grand palace carved from one solid piece of obsidian. Fortifications and spires loom over the ruined buildings, sprouting countless ballista and defensive emplacements. These sit unmanned and forgotten. The great obsidian gates are left ajar so that any who come upon the palace may enter freely. Inside, grand halls stretch for miles with all the trappings one might expect to find from noble holdings, each room seeming like the occupants left only moments before. Great paintings depict unidentifiable conflicts, the spilling of blood, countless representations of suffering, and twisted portraits with screaming faces. At the center of it all is the throne room of Sahrnulothon, Prince of Ruin.
Line 149:		Line 147:
	The embodiments of plague and infection, the fiends of Phlegmereth lurk in the silent bog of Xarnoas. The landscape of Xarnoas consists of flat, sparse boglands covered in a sea of needle-sharp blades of grass, occasionally interrupted by stagnant pools of icy-cold water. Xarnoas is almost completely silent aside from the buzzing that emanates from thick clouds of stinging insects that swarm across the waterways. Very few creatures live in this miserable place, but that does not make it any less dangerous. Large ambush predators vaguely reminiscent of crocodiles lie in wait in the shallows. Bulbous mounds of fungus sprout whipping protrusions that infect any they sting with rotting, transformative growths. Diseases are rampant here, and every paper-thin cut leaves a body in life- threatening danger from infection.		The embodiments of plague and infection, the fiends of Phlegmereth lurk in the silent bog of Xarnoas. The landscape of Xarnoas consists of flat, sparse boglands covered in a sea of needle-sharp blades of grass, occasionally interrupted by stagnant pools of icy-cold water. Xarnoas is almost completely silent aside from the buzzing that emanates from thick clouds of stinging insects that swarm across the waterways. Very few creatures live in this miserable place, but that does not make it any less dangerous. Large ambush predators vaguely reminiscent of crocodiles lie in wait in the shallows. Bulbous mounds of fungus sprout whipping protrusions that infect any they sting with rotting, transformative growths. Diseases are rampant here, and every paper-thin cut leaves a body in life- threatening danger from infection.

	'''The Cathedral of Phlegm.''' While villages of stilted hovels can be found throughout Xarnoas, only one lasting structure stands at its heart. The Cathedral of Phlegm is a massive ruin of ancient stones from an unknown era now sagging into the soft earth. Thick, stinking moss threatens to swallow the cathedral whole. The Six Bishops, the rulers of Phlegmereth, meditate on the power of plague amongst a flock of infected fiends and other unfortunate beings forever cursed with maladies of every horrific imagining. These powerful archfiends are not immune to the spread of illness, instead seeing every pustule and rash as a sign of [[divine]] favor worthy of excessive meditation and reflection.		'''The Cathedral of Phlegm.''' While villages of stilted hovels can be found throughout Xarnoas, only one lasting structure stands at its heart. The Cathedral of Phlegm is a massive ruin of ancient stones from an unknown era now sagging into the soft earth. Thick, stinking moss threatens to swallow the cathedral whole. The Six Bishops, the rulers of Phlegmereth, meditate on the power of plague amongst a flock of infected fiends and other unfortunate beings forever cursed with maladies of every horrific imagining. These powerful archfiends are not immune to the spread of illness, instead seeing every pustule and rash as a sign of divine favor worthy of excessive meditation and reflection.

	=== Sanguineth ===		=== Sanguineth ===
Line 159:		Line 157:
	The dramatic and beautiful plane of Iztari is home of the celestials. The plane is structured as an enormous, gently sloping mountain that never becomes too difficult to breathe despite its great heights. The snow at the peak of the mountain is pleasantly cold but never causes serious frostbite. Similarly, the whitewater rapids that cascade down the mountain never drown anyone, as the water is magically breathable. Various celestial creatures dwell on the different elevations of the mountain. Ponycorns graze in the lush foothills, Chamroshes Sphinxes soar above the treetops, Daeva and Narai splash in the waterfalls, and the Celestial Council oversees it all.		The dramatic and beautiful plane of Iztari is home of the celestials. The plane is structured as an enormous, gently sloping mountain that never becomes too difficult to breathe despite its great heights. The snow at the peak of the mountain is pleasantly cold but never causes serious frostbite. Similarly, the whitewater rapids that cascade down the mountain never drown anyone, as the water is magically breathable. Various celestial creatures dwell on the different elevations of the mountain. Ponycorns graze in the lush foothills, Chamroshes Sphinxes soar above the treetops, Daeva and Narai splash in the waterfalls, and the Celestial Council oversees it all.

	At the top of the mountain, the Celestial Council’s great hall is carved from brilliant marble. Within this hall, the Council debates over planar legislation and argues whether they should allow the Exiles to return from Inferno and rejoin the ranks of the Celestials.		At the top of the mountain, the Celestial Council’s great hall is carved from brilliant marble. Within this hall, the Council debates over planar legislation and argues whether they should allow the Exiles to return from Inferno and rejoin the ranks of the Celestials.

	=== The Exiles ===		=== The Exiles ===
Line 165:		Line 163:

	== The Pale ==		== The Pale ==
	The Pale is the space in between. It is the edge of creation. Whatever darkness is to light, the Pale is to reality. It is a blank canvas to the most powerful gods, and incomprehensible to most mortals. Eldritch beings lurk within the Pale as crawling things hide in the shadows.		The Pale is the space in between. It is the edge of creation. Whatever darkness is to light, the Pale is to reality. It is a blank canvas to the most powerful gods, and incomprehensible to most mortals. Eldritch beings lurk within the Pale as crawling things hide in the shadows. What lives in the pale could drive most intelligent beings insane by simply gazing upon it. What comes out of the pale are nightmarish, otherworldly outsiders that are hard to even keep record of. Even the words on the page crawl. Beings without powerful magic to shield their mind cannot enter the Pale.

	What lives in the pale could drive most intelligent beings insane by simply gazing upon it. What comes out of the pale are nightmarish, otherworldly outsiders that are hard to even keep record of. Even the words on the page crawl. Beings without powerful magic to shield their mind cannot enter the Pale.

	= International Guilds =		= International Guilds =

Andi at 14:40, 29 August 2025

2025-08-29T14:40:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:40, 29 August 2025
Line 69:		Line 69:
	\|[[Dyspara]]		\|[[Dyspara]]
	\|[[Lesmishan]]		\|[[Lesmishan]]
	\|[[~~Sahdradoth~~]]		\|[[Shadradoth]]
	\|		\|
	\|}		\|}

Andi at 14:31, 27 August 2025

2025-08-27T14:31:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:31, 27 August 2025
Line 2:		Line 2:
	__NOAUTOLINKS__		__NOAUTOLINKS__

	Ancerra is the planet on which MythCraft’s adventures begin. This chapter offers detailed information on forty-seven nations that occupy Ancerra’s biggest continent, Gathandia. Ancerra has many explorable regions beyond the oceans that surround Gathandia. Indeed, Ancerra has five moons, three of which have breathable atmospheres and vegetation. You should feel free to make up interesting environments for your players to explore, but the information in this ~~wiki section~~ will give you plenty of specific material to work with if you run your games on the continent of Gathandia.		Ancerra is the planet on which MythCraft’s adventures begin. This chapter offers detailed information on forty-seven nations that occupy Ancerra’s biggest continent, Gathandia. Ancerra has many explorable regions beyond the oceans that surround Gathandia. Indeed, Ancerra has five moons, three of which have breathable atmospheres and vegetation. You should feel free to make up interesting environments for your players to explore, but the information in this chapter will give you plenty of specific material to work with if you run your games on the continent of Gathandia.

	== The Tear ==		== The Tear ==
	Ancerra’s broad history can be divided into four supereons, each transition into a new supereon marked by some kind of momentous event. The setting for MythCraft’s first adventures is the second supereon.		Ancerra’s broad history can be divided into four supereons, each transition into a new supereon marked by some kind of momentous event. The setting for MythCraft’s first adventures is the second supereon.

	The first supereon was a prolonged time of enormous planetary natural disasters and rampaging kaijan.		The first supereon was a prolonged time of enormous planetary natural disasters and rampaging kaijan. A series of devastating disasters and valiant efforts from humanoids to put an end to the kaijan menace laid the groundwork for civilizations to truly prosper, and a remarkable phenomenon in the sky reflects this monumental change. For generations, the night sky held nothing other than the moons. Murky clouds lay beyond the moons by night and the sun by day. But about eight hundred years ago, this changed. Like a tear in a curtain, a great rend opened in the sky. By day, this is a stretch of sky where the distant clouds are absent, though normal atmospheric clouds might still float through this space. By night, those who look to the sky can see stars for the first time in recorded history. While the clouds that separate Ancerra’s solar system from the Pale still persist, the enormous tear in the sky is filled with the magic of twinkling stars, filling the people of Ancerra with wonder and awe.

	A series of devastating disasters and valiant efforts from humanoids to put an end to the kaijan menace laid the groundwork for civilizations to truly prosper, and a remarkable phenomenon in the sky reflects this monumental change. For generations, the night sky held nothing other than the moons. Murky clouds lay beyond the moons by night and the sun by day. But ~~ninety~~ years ago, this changed. Like a tear in a curtain, a great rend ~~has~~ opened in the sky. By day, this is ~~simply~~ a stretch of sky where the distant clouds are absent, though normal atmospheric clouds might still float through this space. By night, those who look to the sky can see stars for the first time in recorded history. While the clouds that separate Ancerra’s solar system from the Pale still persist, the enormous tear in the sky is filled with the magic of twinkling stars ~~and fills~~ the people of Ancerra with wonder and awe.

	== Nations ==		== Nations ==
Line 55:		Line 53:
	\|-		\|-
	\|[[Constel]]		\|[[Constel]]
	\|[[~~Kandif~~]]		\|[[Kandiff]]
	\|[[Roshallan]]		\|[[Roshallan]]
	\|[[Valstrom]]		\|[[Valstrom]]

Andi at 19:25, 2 August 2024

2024-08-02T19:25:03Z

Show changes

Andi at 02:46, 24 July 2024

2024-07-24T02:46:48Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:46, 23 July 2024
Line 169:		Line 169:
	What lives in the pale could drive most intelligent beings insane by simply gazing upon it. What comes out of the pale are nightmarish, otherworldly outsiders that are hard to even keep record of. Even the words on the page crawl. Beings without powerful magic to [[shield]] their mind cannot enter the Pale.		What lives in the pale could drive most intelligent beings insane by simply gazing upon it. What comes out of the pale are nightmarish, otherworldly outsiders that are hard to even keep record of. Even the words on the page crawl. Beings without powerful magic to [[shield]] their mind cannot enter the Pale.

	= International ~~GuiLds~~ =		= International Guilds =
	In addition to the many nations of Gathandia, international guilds are also major players on the continent. Note that this section deals specifically with guilds that hold an international presence and are not explicitly associated with a nation. Falthic crime syndicates, for example, do not have a dedicated entry here as they are closely tied to the nation of Falth.		In addition to the many nations of Gathandia, international guilds are also major players on the continent. Note that this section deals specifically with guilds that hold an international presence and are not explicitly associated with a nation. Falthic crime syndicates, for example, do not have a dedicated entry here as they are closely tied to the nation of Falth.

Andi at 02:46, 24 July 2024

2024-07-24T02:46:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:46, 23 July 2024
Line 187:		Line 187:

	= Timeline =		= Timeline =
			See [[Timeline]]

Andi at 02:45, 24 July 2024

2024-07-24T02:45:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:45, 23 July 2024
Line 169:		Line 169:
	What lives in the pale could drive most intelligent beings insane by simply gazing upon it. What comes out of the pale are nightmarish, otherworldly outsiders that are hard to even keep record of. Even the words on the page crawl. Beings without powerful magic to [[shield]] their mind cannot enter the Pale.		What lives in the pale could drive most intelligent beings insane by simply gazing upon it. What comes out of the pale are nightmarish, otherworldly outsiders that are hard to even keep record of. Even the words on the page crawl. Beings without powerful magic to [[shield]] their mind cannot enter the Pale.

	= ~~Other Information~~ =		= International GuiLds =
	~~[[Deities]]~~		In addition to the many nations of Gathandia, international guilds are also major players on the continent. Note that this section deals specifically with guilds that hold an international presence and are not explicitly associated with a nation. Falthic crime syndicates, for example, do not have a dedicated entry here as they are closely tied to the nation of Falth.

	[[Crime Syndicates]]		=== [[Crime Syndicates]] ===

	[[Magical Guilds]]		=== [[Magical Guilds]] ===

	[[Mercenary Organizations]]		=== [[Mercenary Organizations]] ===

	[[~~Performing Troupes~~]]		=== [[Mundane Guilds]] ===

	[[~~Scholarly Orders~~]]		=== [[Performing Troupes]] ===

	[[~~Mundane Guilds~~]]		=== [[Scholarly Orders]] ===

	[[Witch Covens]]		=== [[Witch Covens]] ===

	[[Timeline]]		= Timeline =

Andi at 02:41, 24 July 2024

2024-07-24T02:41:10Z

Show changes

Andi at 02:31, 24 July 2024

2024-07-24T02:31:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:31, 23 July 2024
Line 74:		Line 74:

	== Planes of Existence ==		== Planes of Existence ==
			Gathandia and Ancerra are not the only places that daring heroes might explore. Adventurers, especially those of higher character level, might journey into the planes of existence beyond the mortal coil. Ancerra and other worlds on the same plane of existence are believed to be on the “Prime Material” plane, according to planar scholars.
			{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+
			\|Avadria
			\|The Celestial Sea
			\|The Everwilds
			\|-
			\|Inferno
			\|Iztari
			\|The Pale
			\|}

	== Other Information ==		== Other Information ==