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==The Forge==
Asmythe is a world of danger and survival, conflict and conquest. The dreams of the ancient sleeping dagapesh made the world, give magic to mortal creatures, and shape their destiny. Myriad mystical monsters inhabit the wilds, created by the ancient ilthura to destroy magic. Delvers in their mountain strongholds and sylvani in their forest villages have survived since the ilthura abandoned Asmythe while Humans and Goblins appeared recently when the stars exploded. Can you survive and become a hero?
The Forge is a primal realm of possibility and potential; neither good nor evil, neither ordered nor chaotic it is the source of all that has and every will be created. From the essence of this realm Asmythe and all the planes of existence were forged. The Forge is the source of all magic and the manifestation of thought and action.


==History==
==History==
===Pre-History===
===Pre-History===
In the beginning there was nothing but the Forge. From the Forge Asmythe took form and the were dragons were guardians of the world. The dragons gave the creatures of Asmythe thought and will and the greatest of these were the [[Ilthids]]. Then the dragons slept.
In the beginning the world was chaos. The dagapesh took form and gave form to Asmythe. They gave the creatures of Asmythe life and will. The dagapesh saw that their work was done and slept. It is said that their forms can still be seen in the great islands and mountains of the world.


===The First Era - The Age Of Beasts===
===The First Era - The Age Of Power===
As the dragons slept the Ilthids gained power. In the first age Ilthids walked the surface of the world and nurtured the elves, dwarves and hoblings as pets. For fifty thousand years the races roamed the world in small nomadic tribes, herded by the Ilthids.
When the dagapesh slept the [[ilthura]] rose. For an eternity the ilthura inhabited the surface of the world and nurtured it. The ilthura were creatures of great intellect, immense magical power, and endless hubris. They built great spires on every land and in every sea. They created the githxa and the fae and many other creatures as servants and thralls.


When the dragons woke they saw the world was not as they left it. Some were angry, others pleased, but all were disappointed in the Ilthids who were banished deep underground forever.
The ilthura split into factions and created monstrous beasts to destroy each other. In the end the ilthura just disappeared leaving all of their creations behind. The creatures of Asmythe were left without leaders, without direction, and without protection from each other.


===The Second Era - The Age Of Dragons===
===The Second Era - The Age Of Anarchy===
The dragons formed councils to guide the races of Asmythe and lead the races into a new era of liberty and self-fulfillment. For ten thousand years the dragons guided the elves to build a surface empire of magic, the dwarves to build an underground empire of machines, and the hoblings to nurture the world upon which they all lived. Each empire was guided by a different council of dragons and the empires reflected the personality of the dragons.
When the ilthura vanished the creatures of Asmythe were left to fend for themselves. Some fared better than others and among all of them the githxa and the fae fared best, for a while.


The Second Era ended when conflict erupted between the elven and dwarven empires. Fueled by the dragons they created a cataclysm that destroyed each all three civilizations. In the cataclysm the dragon Aureus fell; the first and only dragon to die in all the history of the world. The dragons withdrew and promised never again to meddle in the affairs of the world. The death of Aureus marks the counting of the years as kept by sages and historians.
The githxa built empires of their own and took the fae as slaves. But the githxa were not as powerful or wise as the ilthura and their subjects rebelled, throwing down the githxa empires and destroying them.


At the time of the cataclysm the humans and goblins appeared on Asmythe along with a host of other creatures fierce and fiendish.
The fae fractured into tribes and forsook all the craft and trappings of the elder races. These tribes eventually became the sylvani, delvers, kobolds, and the many other races of Asmythe. Of all these the sylvani and delvers were the most prosperous.


===The Third Era - The Age of Anarchy===
The sylvani moved into the forests, plains, deserts, and swamps of the world. These lands are overrun by beasts. The sylvani learned how to avoid the beasts and to harness the dreams of the dagapesh to heal and protect themselves.


While the world was trying to recover from the cataclysm the humans forged an [[Empire]] on the isle of Altazar. The goblins rampaged across the world brutalizing all who stood in their way. The goblins harnessed the power of the [[#Cosmology|outsiders]] to dominate the world and none could stand against them.
The delvers retreated under the mountains where they built cities in the stone so they could defend themselves from invading beasts. They learned to work stone and metal and how to summon and control elementals to create motive devices.  


After a thousand and one years the Age of Anarchy finally ended when the humans empire discovered the gods and with their power were able to build strongholds capable of holding back the goblin hoards.
===The Third Era - The Current Era===
One day a great cataclysm erupted in the skies over Asmythe. The flares and lightning in the sky persisted for many days and nights. When it was over humans and goblins appeared and were already at war with each other. Each thrived on Asmythe, allying or dominating the native creatures and civilizations.  


===The Current Era - The Age of Spirits===
This is the current age. Human and goblin civilizations strive against each other to claim Asmythe while sylvani and delvers hide from the conflict and nurture Asmythe in their own way. Ilthid and githxa ruins and beasts are ubiquitous while mysterious elementals alter the nature of what is real and predictable. Asmythe is steeped in myth and danger.


In the Fourth Era Asmythe is still recovering from the cataclysm. Although humans were the first to use the power of the gods the other races quickly learned of the cosmos as well. The world is scattered with nations of each race fighting to survive and regain their past glory. They engaged in wars with each other over land and doctrine. But the races of Asmythe are too scattered and weak to rebuild their empires, except for the humans who's [[Empire]] was never completely conquered during the third era.
The humans appeared on the isle of Altazar, and made it the seat of the Armada [[Empire]].


This is the current era.
The goblins appeared on the isle of Cozak and rampaged across the world dominating all they encountered.
 
The sylvani have refuges in all the lands of Asmythe, though they prefer forest and other lands where they can hide and shepherd the world in relative peace.
 
The delvers have strongholds in all the lands of Asmythe, though they prefer mountains and other lands inaccessible from the surface and where the minerals are rich.
 
===The Fourth Era - The Future===
 
In the fourth era ilthura return to Asmythe, the veil to the shadow realm falls, and all the races of Asmythe come together in cooperation. This era develops advanced technology powered by arcane and primal energy, reaching super power levels. But outsiders continue to invade and rampage across Asmythe, destroying all life in their path. At the end of this era the dagapesh wake again, resetting the world back to [[#Pre-History]].


==Astrology==
==Astrology==
Circling Asmyth are three moons.  The largest, Cylene, marks the seasons with its four cycles each year. Slightly smaller and much redder, Samlene, cycles every fourteen days; normal weeks are seven days. The third moon, a small dark body name Rolene, hard to see even when in full aspect, cycles every 17 days. Rolene first appeared near the end of the second era and is sometimes referred to as the "dark moon" or "blue moon".
Circling Asmyth are three moons.  The largest, Cylene, marks the seasons with its four cycles each year. Slightly smaller and much redder, Samlene, cycles every fourteen days; normal weeks are seven days. The third moon, a small dark body named Rolene, hard to see even when in full aspect, cycles every 17 days. Rolene first appeared near the end of the first era and is sometimes referred to as the "dark moon" or "blue moon".


By the empire calendar there are four weeks in a month, three months in a season, and four seasons in a year, for a total of 336 normal days per year.  The spring months are Seeds, Clouds, and Flowers; following are the summer months of Stars, Golden, and Contest. The autumn months are Bells, Harvest, and Crowns; finally the winter months of Shields, Storms, and Silver. The new year is on the first day of Seeds. The weeks are Squire, Knight, Prince, and King progressing from the first week of the month to the end of the month. The first day of each week is set aside for worship and is generally a day of friendship and renewal.
By the empire calendar there are four weeks in a month, three months in a season, and four seasons in a year, for a total of 336 normal days per year.  The spring months are Seeds, Clouds, and Flowers; following are the summer months of Stars, Golden, and Contest. The autumn months are Bells, Harvest, and Crowns; finally the winter months of Shields, Storms, and Silver. The new year is on the first day of Seeds. The weeks are Squire, Knight, Prince, and King progressing from the first week of the month to the end of the month. The first day of each week is set aside for worship and is generally a day of friendship and renewal.


Every ninety-eight years is the Time of Passing, alternating between midsummer and midwinter.  This is when a great darkness falls on Asmyth bringing with it a great shaking of the land, heaving of the seas and other great disasters. In the skies a great dark body growing ever bigger heralds the coming of these baneful times; it is called The Destroyer.
Every ninety-eight years is the Time of Passing, alternating between midsummer and midwinter.  This is when a great darkness falls on Asmyth. In the skies a great dark body growing ever bigger heralds the coming of these baneful times; it is called The Destroyer.


Astrologers also mark the passing of three great lights that streak the sky at regular intervals over the years.  There is one seen every 27 years that brings with it the passing of a great leader, one every 42 years that marks the birth of a great hero, and one seen only by a few every 150 years foretells the coming of the avatar of evil who will try to claim all of creation for itself.  There are many other lights that pass through our skies that cannot be predicted; all bring with them an event of great significance.
Astrologers also mark the passing of three great lights that streak the sky at regular intervals over the years.  There is one seen every 27 years that brings with it the passing of a great leader, one every 42 years that marks the birth of a great hero, and one seen only by a few every 150 years foretells the coming of the avatar of evil who will try to claim all of creation for itself.  There are many other lights that pass through our skies that cannot be predicted; all bring with them an event of great significance.


==Cosmology==
{| class="wikitable"
See also: [[Regligions]]
|+ Asmythe Weeks
|-
|Squire||Knight||Prince||King
|}


Asmythe is just one world in an infinite sea of worlds, called "planes of existence". Everything that can exist does, somewhere in the infinite planes and they are all manifestations of the Forge.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Asmythe Months
|-
!colspan="3"|Spring
!colspan="3"|Summer
!colspan="3"|Autumn
!colspan="3"|Winter
|-
|Seeds||Clouds||Flowers||Stars||Golden||Contest||Bells||Harvest||Crowns||Shields||Storms||Silver
|}


Each plane is distinct and separate by means of the AEther, which is a substance or energy that does not truly exist but is ever-present and strong enough to prevent the planes from colliding with each other.  
==Technology==
The world of Asmythe exists in the dreams of the dagapesh and although it is similar to our world it is not the same. The most obvious difference is the existence of magic and elementals. Elementals, being manifestations of energy, are attracted to any mechanism that harnesses or modifies energy, often with disastrous results. The more complex the mechanism, the more likely it is to attract an elemental. A simple wheel may function for weeks without attracting an elemental, but a clockwork device is likely to get infested within seconds.


Any creature from another plane is called an "outsider". Most outsiders encountered are either eternals or creatures summoned through the AEther by magical means.
This presents a limit to industrial technology and effectively limits it to a pre-industrial level. Without cogs, pullies, and other mechanisms to harness natural energy all work must be done by humans and animals.


===Material Planes===
There are aspects of technology on Asmythe that are more advanced than the medieval era, especially in medicine and engineering. Doctors have a good understanding of biology and are able to create medicine and cure diseases effectively. Engineers can design castles, bridges, and vehicles that are larger and more stable than medieval equivalents.
From the point of view of Asmythe, the realm of the planes is like an onion: it has layers. At the center is Asmythe and all the other "material planes", planes that are each a world of living creatures and nations. All material planes exist simultaneously everywhere but can not be seen or touched except through the AEther.


===Conceptual Planes===
Chemistry is not well developed in the third age. Explosives, acids, and other chemical compounds are more complex, less powerful, and less predictable than elemental energy, so they aren't researched. Stainless steel and other advanced alloys are a secret of the delvers.
Beyond and encircling the material planes are the "conceptual planes", which are realms of focused thought and substance such as the celestial and abyssal planes. Similar to the material planes, all conceptual planes exist simultaneous to each other separated by the AEther.


===Primal Planes===
Delvers have their own technology that uses ilthura magic. They are able to create complex mechanical systems that are not prone to elemental infestations. Delver culture is analogous to Steam Punk and they guard the secrets of this technology more fiercely than their own lives. Delver alchemists know the secret of stainless steel, bronze, and other alloys. Delver armor and tools are very valuable and very rare in the Armada Empire.
Beyond the conceptual planes are the "primal planes". The primal planes are realms of pure elements unhindered by thought or ego, barren of life, they exist only as substance from which all other planes are composed. Unlike the other planes the primal planes are arranged around the conceptual planes like the points on a star; each is a distinct "bubble" that is adjacent to but not does not overlap other primal planes.


[[File:AsmythePlanes.png]]
==Language==
During the first era the ilthura commanded through mental force. Their language was the only language and they did not share it with their thralls.


==Technology==
When the ilthura disappeared they left behind writing but no language to give it meaning. The githxa, sylvani, and delvers eventually learned to adopt the symbols of the ilthura and adapt them to create their own languages, as befit their culture.
During the second age the dwarven empire reached a level of technology almost equal to the industrial era of Earth. The dwarves understood physics and chemistry; they had magical machines capable of smelting and mixing metals, forging tools and parts with great precision, and clockwork golems capable of reproducing themselves.


But even these great machines were barely capable of holding back elven spells and proved inadequate at fending off the goblin hoards. In the fourth age almost all of that technology has been lost, as has the power of the elves, but artifacts remain and maybe someday those lost arts will be rediscovered.
Literacy is not common in most places, especially among the sylvani and delvers. Human and goblin language is taught in their respective schools but most people don't go to school and/or don't use writing in their daily lives. Generally only aristocrats, merchants, and scholars know how to read and write.
 
==Language==
During the first age language was as diverse as the people of Asmythe. Every tribe and region had it's own language and dialect. With the rise of the Empire and the Elven and Dwarven nations during the second age language became more unified. The goblin invasions of the third age created an even greater need for a common language that every race and nation could understand.  


Literacy is not common among most nations; although it is taught in some schools most people don't go to school and/or don't use it in their daily lives so it is quickly forgotten. Generally only aristocrats, merchants, and scholars know how to read and write.
===Common Languages===
These are the most common languages of Asmythe during the third era.


===Spoken Languages===
These languages can be written, read, and understood without magical assistance. Although the sylvani and delver languages share an ancient root, they evolved over time and, in the modern era, are distinct and unrecognizable from each other.
These are the most common languages of Asmythe. Every civilized nation uses one or more of these languages to conduct it's affairs. Hoblings never developed their own language, instead they usually take and use the language of the nearest friendly nation.
* Empire Common, "Codrix" - The standard language of all Empire human nations.
* Dwarven - The standard language of the dwarven nations.
* Elven - The standard language of the elven nations.
* Goblin - The standard language of the goblin nations.


===Written Languages===
* Empire Common, "Codrix" - The standard language of the Armada Empire. (Similar to [https://omniglot.com/writing/manx.htm Gaelic])
These languages can be written, read, and understood without magical assistance. Goblins never developed their own written language and the other languages have changed so much over the ages that ancient texts, if they exist, may be difficult to decipher.
* Goblin Common, "Harazod" - The standard language of the Goblin Hoards. (Similar to [https://omniglot.com/writing/korean.htm Korean])
* Codrix - Codrix is the written language of the Empire and human nations.
* Sylvani, "Jaunloul" - The sylvani language of life and nature. (Similar to [https://omniglot.com/conscripts/beringin.htm Beringin])
* Dwarven - Written language of the dwarven empire.
* Delver, "Kathesh" - The delver language of science and mechanisms. (Similar to [https://omniglot.com/conscripts/evhmelish.htm Evhmelish])
* Elven - Written language of the elven empire.


===Magical Languages===
===Magical Languages===
These languages originate on another plane of thought and are impossible to read, write, or speak without magical assistance. With training a person can learn to recognize the characteristics of the language, decipher basic meanings, and even communicate with creatures who speak the language fluently; but doing so without magical assistance can be dangerous and is always unreliable. Arcane texts and spells use these languages, usually draconic, but knowledge of these languages is not required nor especially useful for wizards because magical assistance is still required to understand them.
The ilthura had written language but never taught it to their thralls; the language itself is so strange that it is incomprehensible to any of the living races of Asmythe.
* Draconic - The language of dragons, fey, and other eternals native to Asmythe.
* Celestial - The language of celestials and eternals native to to the "upper" planes.
* Abyssal - The language of demons and eternals native to the "lower" planes.
* Elemental/Other - Each elemental and other outer place also has a native magical language but they are too many to list. Examples include Infernal, Aquan, Ignan, etc.


===Barbaric Languages===
Although the ilthura language is impossible to fully comprehend without deep understanding of its grammar and structure a rudimentary understanding is possible and used by arcane wizards to summoning and control elementals. (The script looks similar to [https://omniglot.com/conscripts/uriovakiro.htm Uriovakiro] but is functionally a form of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_shorthand Shorthand].)
In addition to the civilized languages described above, many beasts and barbarian nations have their own language. Unlike the civilized languages these languages vary from region to region even among the same kind of beast. Orc spoken in the Far Verge is different from orc spoken in Erronia or the Homelands. Sometimes these differences are just a matter of dialect, sometimes they are so different that communication is impossible.


==Economy==
==Economy==
The most common coins are the ancient dwarven coins and the coins of the Empire.  
===Production===
As with most pre-industrial civilizations, food production is most important and the most common occupation. The method of food production varies by region and resources with farming and fishing the most common. Farmers typically live within fortified towns and cities and travel outside the fortifications to work the land during the day. Farms are owned and managed by the local lord with farmers assigned to work plots of land, in a very feudal way. But laborers are not boud to a specific lord, by law they are "free" to petition a new lord if they feel mistreated.
 
Crafts are practiced through guilds, associations of experts who band together to teach and regulate their craft. Guild masters are expert craftsmen who own and manage a craft hall. The guild masters regulate the craft in the local economy; they determine who is accepted for training, who is allowed to practice the craft, the cost of products, etc. The local ruler exercises authority and sets laws governing guilds.
 
===Travel and Trade===
In the third era most of the lands between cities is inhabited by hostile beasts and travel is very dangerous. Fortified cities and town are rarely more than a days travel apart and people live within the fortifications of a town or city.
 
Trade guilds travel between cities buying goods in one place and selling them in another. Purchasing a travel pass with one of these trade guilds is the safest way to travel. The guilds hire warriors and guards to protect caravans during their journies.
 
Sea travel is the safest and most common form of travel, where it is possible. Beasts of the sea are less common than on land but also tend to be much larger and more aggressive. Ships usually travel alone to minimize the loss of an attack, because it is nearly impossible to win a fight against a sea monster.
 
Wizards are able to power and control dirigibles, making air travel possible. Travel by air is very fast, very dangerous, and very expensive. Dragons and manticore packs are rare, but they are fast and can shred a dirigible before the crew realizes they are under attack.
 
===Currency===
Nearly all large transactions are conducted with bank notes, usually issued and backed by the House of Hugo or other local trading company. Coins are only useful for small day-to-day transactions such as purchasing goods or getting a pint at the local tavern. The most common coins are delver coins and the coins of the Armada Empire.  


The coins of the empire are ornate and difficult, but not impossible, to forge. They are, however, barely worth the cost of the base metals and the difficulty of mixing the proper metals into the correct molds, and the harsh penalties for forgeries, makes counterfeit coins fairly rare. In the outer reaches of the empire these coins are somewhat uncommon because of the fear of forgeries and the fact that they are more difficult to get than dwarven coins. In the heart of the empire these coins are the only legal tender; forgers are aggressively hunted and punishments are severe.
Counterfeit coins are rare because it generally costs more to produce a counterfeit than it is worth and the penalties for dealing in forgeries are harsh.


The dwarven coins are of extremely high quality; they are ornate and composed of complex alloys. Dwarven "silver" is not actually silver but some kind of aluminum alloy. The art of making dwarven coins has long been lost, making them much more valuable than their base metal and legal tender in most cities of Asmythe. In many of the outer reaches of the empire the dwarven coins are more common than empire coins.
Delver coins are of extremely high quality; they are ornate and composed of complex alloys. The art of making these coins is a delver secret, making them much more valuable than their base metal and impossible to forge. Although technically illegal, in some parts of the empire these coins are used for large purchases because they are of high value and can't be traced.


Nearly all large transactions are conducted with bank notes, usually issued and backed by the House of Hugo or other large trading company.
Sylvani do not use currency, they share and barter among each other and with outsiders.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Coin Value!!Slang!!Empire!!Dwarven
!Coin Value!!Slang!!Empire Name
|-
|-
|1/10||Copper||Penny||Karot
|1||Tin Rat||Groat
|-
|-
|1||Silver||Shilling||Scruple
|5||Copper Dog||Daric
|-
|-
|10||Gold||Dollar||Drachma
|20||Iron Mule||Florin
|-
|-
|100||Platinum||Crown||Solidus
|100||Nickel Horse||Royal
|-
|-
|}
|}
There are many nations, who are not members of the Empire, who keep their own system of currency; but Empire and dwarven coins are common enough that they are usually accepted as legal tender even in those nations.
==Good and Evil==
"Good" and "evil" are but thoughts and actions brought into existence by the creatures Asmythe and of the planes. Good and evil are more primal even than the gods but they are still just manifestations from the Forge. Most creatures are neither good nor evil even when they have generous or destructive tendencies. Only creatures and beings close to the forge are powerful enough to embody the essence of good and evil.
Powers, abilities, and traits that specifically affect "good" or "evil" creatures only affect beings that:
* Have an alignment or nature that is specifically "good" or "evil" AND
** Have spells-casting or spell-like abilities OR
** Have supernatural or magical abilities
All other creatures, regardless of origin or nature, are not affected by spells or abilities that only affect "good" or "evil" creatures.

Latest revision as of 14:24, 16 October 2023

Asmythe is a world of danger and survival, conflict and conquest. The dreams of the ancient sleeping dagapesh made the world, give magic to mortal creatures, and shape their destiny. Myriad mystical monsters inhabit the wilds, created by the ancient ilthura to destroy magic. Delvers in their mountain strongholds and sylvani in their forest villages have survived since the ilthura abandoned Asmythe while Humans and Goblins appeared recently when the stars exploded. Can you survive and become a hero?

History

Pre-History

In the beginning the world was chaos. The dagapesh took form and gave form to Asmythe. They gave the creatures of Asmythe life and will. The dagapesh saw that their work was done and slept. It is said that their forms can still be seen in the great islands and mountains of the world.

The First Era - The Age Of Power

When the dagapesh slept the ilthura rose. For an eternity the ilthura inhabited the surface of the world and nurtured it. The ilthura were creatures of great intellect, immense magical power, and endless hubris. They built great spires on every land and in every sea. They created the githxa and the fae and many other creatures as servants and thralls.

The ilthura split into factions and created monstrous beasts to destroy each other. In the end the ilthura just disappeared leaving all of their creations behind. The creatures of Asmythe were left without leaders, without direction, and without protection from each other.

The Second Era - The Age Of Anarchy

When the ilthura vanished the creatures of Asmythe were left to fend for themselves. Some fared better than others and among all of them the githxa and the fae fared best, for a while.

The githxa built empires of their own and took the fae as slaves. But the githxa were not as powerful or wise as the ilthura and their subjects rebelled, throwing down the githxa empires and destroying them.

The fae fractured into tribes and forsook all the craft and trappings of the elder races. These tribes eventually became the sylvani, delvers, kobolds, and the many other races of Asmythe. Of all these the sylvani and delvers were the most prosperous.

The sylvani moved into the forests, plains, deserts, and swamps of the world. These lands are overrun by beasts. The sylvani learned how to avoid the beasts and to harness the dreams of the dagapesh to heal and protect themselves.

The delvers retreated under the mountains where they built cities in the stone so they could defend themselves from invading beasts. They learned to work stone and metal and how to summon and control elementals to create motive devices.

The Third Era - The Current Era

One day a great cataclysm erupted in the skies over Asmythe. The flares and lightning in the sky persisted for many days and nights. When it was over humans and goblins appeared and were already at war with each other. Each thrived on Asmythe, allying or dominating the native creatures and civilizations.

This is the current age. Human and goblin civilizations strive against each other to claim Asmythe while sylvani and delvers hide from the conflict and nurture Asmythe in their own way. Ilthid and githxa ruins and beasts are ubiquitous while mysterious elementals alter the nature of what is real and predictable. Asmythe is steeped in myth and danger.

The humans appeared on the isle of Altazar, and made it the seat of the Armada Empire.

The goblins appeared on the isle of Cozak and rampaged across the world dominating all they encountered.

The sylvani have refuges in all the lands of Asmythe, though they prefer forest and other lands where they can hide and shepherd the world in relative peace.

The delvers have strongholds in all the lands of Asmythe, though they prefer mountains and other lands inaccessible from the surface and where the minerals are rich.

The Fourth Era - The Future

In the fourth era ilthura return to Asmythe, the veil to the shadow realm falls, and all the races of Asmythe come together in cooperation. This era develops advanced technology powered by arcane and primal energy, reaching super power levels. But outsiders continue to invade and rampage across Asmythe, destroying all life in their path. At the end of this era the dagapesh wake again, resetting the world back to #Pre-History.

Astrology

Circling Asmyth are three moons. The largest, Cylene, marks the seasons with its four cycles each year. Slightly smaller and much redder, Samlene, cycles every fourteen days; normal weeks are seven days. The third moon, a small dark body named Rolene, hard to see even when in full aspect, cycles every 17 days. Rolene first appeared near the end of the first era and is sometimes referred to as the "dark moon" or "blue moon".

By the empire calendar there are four weeks in a month, three months in a season, and four seasons in a year, for a total of 336 normal days per year. The spring months are Seeds, Clouds, and Flowers; following are the summer months of Stars, Golden, and Contest. The autumn months are Bells, Harvest, and Crowns; finally the winter months of Shields, Storms, and Silver. The new year is on the first day of Seeds. The weeks are Squire, Knight, Prince, and King progressing from the first week of the month to the end of the month. The first day of each week is set aside for worship and is generally a day of friendship and renewal.

Every ninety-eight years is the Time of Passing, alternating between midsummer and midwinter. This is when a great darkness falls on Asmyth. In the skies a great dark body growing ever bigger heralds the coming of these baneful times; it is called The Destroyer.

Astrologers also mark the passing of three great lights that streak the sky at regular intervals over the years. There is one seen every 27 years that brings with it the passing of a great leader, one every 42 years that marks the birth of a great hero, and one seen only by a few every 150 years foretells the coming of the avatar of evil who will try to claim all of creation for itself. There are many other lights that pass through our skies that cannot be predicted; all bring with them an event of great significance.

Asmythe Weeks
Squire Knight Prince King
Asmythe Months
Spring Summer Autumn Winter
Seeds Clouds Flowers Stars Golden Contest Bells Harvest Crowns Shields Storms Silver

Technology

The world of Asmythe exists in the dreams of the dagapesh and although it is similar to our world it is not the same. The most obvious difference is the existence of magic and elementals. Elementals, being manifestations of energy, are attracted to any mechanism that harnesses or modifies energy, often with disastrous results. The more complex the mechanism, the more likely it is to attract an elemental. A simple wheel may function for weeks without attracting an elemental, but a clockwork device is likely to get infested within seconds.

This presents a limit to industrial technology and effectively limits it to a pre-industrial level. Without cogs, pullies, and other mechanisms to harness natural energy all work must be done by humans and animals.

There are aspects of technology on Asmythe that are more advanced than the medieval era, especially in medicine and engineering. Doctors have a good understanding of biology and are able to create medicine and cure diseases effectively. Engineers can design castles, bridges, and vehicles that are larger and more stable than medieval equivalents.

Chemistry is not well developed in the third age. Explosives, acids, and other chemical compounds are more complex, less powerful, and less predictable than elemental energy, so they aren't researched. Stainless steel and other advanced alloys are a secret of the delvers.

Delvers have their own technology that uses ilthura magic. They are able to create complex mechanical systems that are not prone to elemental infestations. Delver culture is analogous to Steam Punk and they guard the secrets of this technology more fiercely than their own lives. Delver alchemists know the secret of stainless steel, bronze, and other alloys. Delver armor and tools are very valuable and very rare in the Armada Empire.

Language

During the first era the ilthura commanded through mental force. Their language was the only language and they did not share it with their thralls.

When the ilthura disappeared they left behind writing but no language to give it meaning. The githxa, sylvani, and delvers eventually learned to adopt the symbols of the ilthura and adapt them to create their own languages, as befit their culture.

Literacy is not common in most places, especially among the sylvani and delvers. Human and goblin language is taught in their respective schools but most people don't go to school and/or don't use writing in their daily lives. Generally only aristocrats, merchants, and scholars know how to read and write.

Common Languages

These are the most common languages of Asmythe during the third era.

These languages can be written, read, and understood without magical assistance. Although the sylvani and delver languages share an ancient root, they evolved over time and, in the modern era, are distinct and unrecognizable from each other.

  • Empire Common, "Codrix" - The standard language of the Armada Empire. (Similar to Gaelic)
  • Goblin Common, "Harazod" - The standard language of the Goblin Hoards. (Similar to Korean)
  • Sylvani, "Jaunloul" - The sylvani language of life and nature. (Similar to Beringin)
  • Delver, "Kathesh" - The delver language of science and mechanisms. (Similar to Evhmelish)

Magical Languages

The ilthura had written language but never taught it to their thralls; the language itself is so strange that it is incomprehensible to any of the living races of Asmythe.

Although the ilthura language is impossible to fully comprehend without deep understanding of its grammar and structure a rudimentary understanding is possible and used by arcane wizards to summoning and control elementals. (The script looks similar to Uriovakiro but is functionally a form of Shorthand.)

Economy

Production

As with most pre-industrial civilizations, food production is most important and the most common occupation. The method of food production varies by region and resources with farming and fishing the most common. Farmers typically live within fortified towns and cities and travel outside the fortifications to work the land during the day. Farms are owned and managed by the local lord with farmers assigned to work plots of land, in a very feudal way. But laborers are not boud to a specific lord, by law they are "free" to petition a new lord if they feel mistreated.

Crafts are practiced through guilds, associations of experts who band together to teach and regulate their craft. Guild masters are expert craftsmen who own and manage a craft hall. The guild masters regulate the craft in the local economy; they determine who is accepted for training, who is allowed to practice the craft, the cost of products, etc. The local ruler exercises authority and sets laws governing guilds.

Travel and Trade

In the third era most of the lands between cities is inhabited by hostile beasts and travel is very dangerous. Fortified cities and town are rarely more than a days travel apart and people live within the fortifications of a town or city.

Trade guilds travel between cities buying goods in one place and selling them in another. Purchasing a travel pass with one of these trade guilds is the safest way to travel. The guilds hire warriors and guards to protect caravans during their journies.

Sea travel is the safest and most common form of travel, where it is possible. Beasts of the sea are less common than on land but also tend to be much larger and more aggressive. Ships usually travel alone to minimize the loss of an attack, because it is nearly impossible to win a fight against a sea monster.

Wizards are able to power and control dirigibles, making air travel possible. Travel by air is very fast, very dangerous, and very expensive. Dragons and manticore packs are rare, but they are fast and can shred a dirigible before the crew realizes they are under attack.

Currency

Nearly all large transactions are conducted with bank notes, usually issued and backed by the House of Hugo or other local trading company. Coins are only useful for small day-to-day transactions such as purchasing goods or getting a pint at the local tavern. The most common coins are delver coins and the coins of the Armada Empire.

Counterfeit coins are rare because it generally costs more to produce a counterfeit than it is worth and the penalties for dealing in forgeries are harsh.

Delver coins are of extremely high quality; they are ornate and composed of complex alloys. The art of making these coins is a delver secret, making them much more valuable than their base metal and impossible to forge. Although technically illegal, in some parts of the empire these coins are used for large purchases because they are of high value and can't be traced.

Sylvani do not use currency, they share and barter among each other and with outsiders.

Coin Value Slang Empire Name
1 Tin Rat Groat
5 Copper Dog Daric
20 Iron Mule Florin
100 Nickel Horse Royal