Tariaus

Tariaus is a world of technology and magic. The world population is made up of mostly humans with a small amount of other races. Dwarves, Elves, Halflings and Gnomes are rare, but are not completely unknown. Little is known about these other races as they have just begun to appear within the last several hundred years.

Most of the population of the planet is divided into five separate regions: Galford, Sondia, Sauksen, Calian, and Reviash.

Little is known about the creation of the world. Some religions believe in some sort of creationism while others believe that the population of the world came from other worlds and seeded the planet many millennia ago. No one knows the real story of the world, and perhaps never will. Recordable history only spans a few thousand years and anything before that are myth and legends. There are even legends about strange artifacts being found from a long dead civilization.

Even though there is only a few thousand years of recorded history it is all thought to be nearly perfectly documented by a religous faction called the Order of the Oracle?. This group is rumored to be responsible for the balance between good and evil in the world and stive to maintain that balance.

Magic dominates this world. Seldom will you meet anyone that doesn’t know some magic and more likely excels at it. The Arcane and Divine magic are pulled from the same source. Magic users are known as Mystics and can still have affinity towards arcane or divine. All magic is spontaneous. A common mystic can cast both divine spells and arcane spells of the same level as long has he knows that spell. An arcane Mystic can cast arcane spells of two levels higher than a common, but one level lower for divine spells.

Example:
A character level 5 Common Mystic can cast level 3 arcane and divine spells. A level 5 Arcane Mystic can cast arcane spells available to a character level 7 Common Mystic and a character level 4 Divine Mystic. This is opposite for a Divine Mystic who would cast as a character level 7 Common Mystic and a character level 4 Arcane Mystic.

Some countries are more adept or have better education for magic and thus tend to be more advanced. Spells such as limited wish, wish, and miracle do not exist or have not been discovered yet. There may be other spells that are subject to DM’s approval.

Unlike some other fantasy worlds, technology is a bit more advanced usually enhanced by magic somehow. Airships are common among the skies, and train like vehicles cross the countries. Like magic there are some countries that are more technologically advanced than others, but they are still some basic things that are present in all countries.

Large constructs are created in some countries for purposes ranging from manual labor to military applications. These constructs are more common in higher technology areas, but have been known to be mixed with Mysticism of positive and negative nature.

There are several religions throughout the world and no single religion dominates any one country. There is a tolerance in most places for people to worship what they wish as long as it doesn’t impede on others beliefs. Gods do not provide spells or at least not that it is know. Mystics have no need to pray to their God for spells or favor. Spells that may require divine intervention of some sort will still function within their specification though the source may differ. Most of the religions of the world have some relation to the moon and comet that orbit above.

Tariaus is an earth-like world with similar climates and makeup. However there are only two massive continents which all the countries of the world reside. The first continent takes the form of a four pointed star. The other continent forms a circle which sits around the outside of the star shaped continent. A low orbiting comet stays in geosynchronous orbit directly above the center of the star shaped continent. A moon also orbits the planet, partially destroyed from an unknown impact. Some believe the comet struck the moon tens of thousands of years ago, but little exists for proof.

• Essences of Tariaus?
• Countries of Tariaus?