Explore the Land of Tenebra!
the Fire Lands
Capital: Flamebridge
Specialities & Exports: competitive sword duels, fistfights, thrashings; metal ores, weapons.
Government: Historically, the fire lands were ruled by a general-governor appointed by the High Ruler. These general-governors ruled with an iron fist, slashed first, and asked questions later.
Religion: Adherents worship the (mostly) dormant volcano, Mount Fury. Power is the ultimate virtue, and weakness the ultimate vice. Appease Mount Fury’s wrath and avoid his Inferno in the afterlife with acts of bravery and violence throughout your life.
Traveler Tip: Locals like to say, “You haven’t lived until you’ve lived through a Flamebridge sword match!” This guide is inclined to warn you that you might live longer if you avoid them completely.
the Coast
Capital: Firmgrasp
Specialties & Exports: the visual arts, high fashion, fine dining, and judging poor people; sandstone and marble, jewelry and luxury exports
Government: The city of Firmgrasp was founded by 14 mega-wealthy merchant families several centuries ago, and their descendants ruled via the Council of Patrician until the destruction of the city following the Tiding Bearer Rebellion.
Religion: Devout coastal-dwellers attract Fortune and shun Poverty, which are not so much “gods” as they are principles that push and pull the world, like fate. Fortune’s highly coveted favor can be obtained through acts of decadence and displays of wealth. Poverty’s Purse is to be shunned at all costs (literally). The ultimate virtues are business savvy and wealth, and the ultimate vices are to manage money poorly or to simply be poor.
Traveler’s Tip: Theft is punishable by death or enslavement in this part of Tenebra. This guide recommends paying the merchants upfront to avoid misunderstandings.
the Plains - urban
Capital: Spreadfeather, AKA the “City of Wisdom”
Specialties & Exports: the urban Plains is most famous for housing Tenebra’s only place of higher education, the University of Moraino; science and technology (such as they are), medicine, architecture and engineering
Government: Historically ruled by an elected, High Ruler-approved governor.
Religion: Two political/philosophical groups constantly compete for dominance: the Fellowship of Terravants, who focus their studies on natural science and the providence of the goddesses Bounteous Earth and Stars above, and the Auteer Society, who honor the gods Reason and Logic with their studies of human intellect, mathematics, and architecture. Auteers also try to avoid spending their afterlives in Folly’s Abyss, while Terravants see death as a reunion with Bounteous Earth as they become part of her eternal cycle.
Traveler Tip: Don’t miss the yearly symposium, where Terravants and Auteers go head-to-head in rousing debates at Moraino University! Fun for the whole family (as long as your family likes knock-down, drag-out philosophical discussion).
the Plains - rural
Due to the stark contrast between the rural and urban parts of the plains region, this guide has chosen to split them into two separate sections. Capital and Government sub-sections are omitted for the rural portion since it is the same regardless of whether a plains-dweller makes his or her home in the country or in the city.
Specialties & Exports: all forms of agriculture, animal husbandry, and the associated goods: weaving, dairy, and hides. The plains is the largest, most-populous region as it supplies much of the land’s food.
Religion: While the majority of urban plains-dwellers are adherents to the Auteer Society, rural plains-dwellers are predominantly members of the Fellowship of Terravants and worship Bounteous Earth and Stars Above. You will often hear plains-dwellers swearing by the god of their opposing religion (e.g. an Auteer will exclaim “cursed stars!” when he gets mud on his new ruffled cravat). A sub-culture of Terravants are the roaming herders called Noma. They live in traveling caravans and care for sheep, goats, and/or cows along with their multi-generational families. Loyalty and hospitality are vital parts of their creed as worshipers of Bounteous Earth.
the Desert
Capital: Myway, “the City of a Thousand Pleasures”
Specialties & Exports: luxury tourism for the common Tenebrian (music, food, drink, desirable company, etc.), gambling, and (unofficially) smuggling, slavery
Government: There is no official government in the desert aside from the High Ruler’s authority (pre-Tiding Bearer Rebellion). Tourists to the region may believe this is because of the high level of tranquility and joviality that exist here. Residents and more discerning Tenebrians know that the true authority in Myway are the constantly warring crime lords.
Religion: Citizens and tourists alike revere the goddess of Pleasure by visiting her temple at Oasis Court, but, as locals are fond of telling visitors, “Anything that brings you pleasure brings the goddess glory!”
Traveler’s Tip: You won’t want to miss the yearly Festival of Pleasure to honor the city’s patron goddess! Stuff your face with the most delicious food imaginable, take in the sights and sounds of Tenebra’s finest (budget) musicians and dancers, and drink your worries away over a game of tiles at the tavern! So much fun, you won’t ever want to leave! This guide advises against accruing gambling debts in the city, however, as fees can become quite… Unpleasant.
the Foothills
Capital: Doubleheart, the cultural center of Tenebra, and Tangledweb, the High Ruler’s fortress located deep in the mountains. Historically, this fortress served as Tenebra’s royal city.
Specialties & Exports: the performing arts, stone and ore lumber industry
Government: Historically, large towns in this region were ruled locally by elected, High Ruler-approved governors. In the days after the Rebellion, this region is overseen by a council appointed by the lord-governor of the Plains (which is, as observant travelers will note, the only region that held it together after the Rebellion).
Religion: Worship the Shadows through performing arts as a way to “shadow” truth with fiction. The Shadows were said to be the source of High Ruler Anwir’s power and nowhere is their presence stronger than in the foothills. This religion has fallen somewhat into obscurity since the Rebellion, but rumors say a small group of devout hillpeople may still be practicing the old arts under the title of Shadow Keepers. This guide suspects such rumors to be unfounded.
Traveler’s Tip: Although much has changed in this region over the past decade and a half, the Doubleheart Theater Guild still produces magnificent plays! If you venture as far as the foothills, the journey may well be worthwhile for the thespian-minded.