It has been One Hundred and Seventy years since the Encapsulation Event which ended the centuries old blight of Tiamat upon the Belserian Continent. Countless stories and adventures have taken place since that time, but the hole punched in the material plane by Tiamat's destructive intrusion has drained much of the magic from Xioria. Adventurers and monsters alike find their growth and regeneration slower, weakened by the reduction of the once rich arcane field of Xioria.
But our story is separated from the Terror of Tiamat not only by time, but by the vast Leucian Ocean. The continent of Adversii, where ours tory takes place is vast, larger in scale, power, and cultural history by far than the continent of Belseria. Measuring approximately 5000 miles from the Encroaching Wraithlands to the Pass of Yttriva, Adverssi encompasses countless cultures, traditions, religions, cities, nations, and stories. Beginning in the South, the glacieres of the Encroaching Wraithlands creep ever Northward. Under these glaciers lay the great Dwarven Clans of Adversii. Few sights are as spectacular as the Cliffs of Caliph Dolar, expansive gates and ports which serve as the main guarded entrance to the tunnels beneath the Shield of Morndinsamman. Some say the great chiefs of old built the Shield, that enormous plateau, devoid of soil and plant, up to the Step of Druven Conquerors, which tower over the dark jungles of Zangamabil'yano. Deep within these unmapped folds of arboreal splendor are said to exist vast temples, hidden treasures, and complex jewelled cities. Skirting the northern edge of the jungles exists the shattered Jaws of Taniyn. As the Jaws rise, the Eversliding Sands are consumed forever by the depths of Xioria. North of these Jaws sprawls the graveyard of a bygone era, the Sea of Dunes have swallowed dozens of ancient civilizations. Bordering the Sea of Dunes to the North is the Coast of Dunes, home to some dozen or so tribes, surviving ancestors of the cities swallowed by the sand. Rising as a black, fertile jewel out of the sand stands the impressive Umbralind, which shifts to swamplands before connecting to the Macernian Continent by the rocky Pass of Yttriva.
So lies the land that is Adversii, but what of it's people? You have heard a little of the Dwarven Clans beneath the great Shield of Morndinsamman, and too of the tribesmen of the Coast of Dunes, but nought have you heard of it's terrestrial nations. Deep are the roots of civilization in the Umbralind. The scattered confederated city-states of Aitihad Al-Rahma dot the high, rolling hills of fertility. Herein, upon the Southwestern coast of the Sea of Three lies the Heart of Dawn, Xioria's Shining Pearl, Lulua. The first city of Xioria, so it claims, and home to the shining Pearl of the Dawnbearer, the city grows in wealth by the hour. Hospitable to the traveler and tradesman, yet brutal to those who would oppose their rule, the Court of the Blindly Righteous would expand their Dawnblades throughout the land.
A haven for those trodden down by the elite permanent population of the City of Pearls, Madhhab Almutea rests, nestled in a deep canyon, sheltered from the stinging sands of the Sea of Dunes by a thick forest atop their Southern Ridge. These trees, maintained by leaching energies from, and creatures native to, the Feywild, glitter with opalescent brilliance throughout the long Almutean nights, replacing the stars concealed by the thriving night life of the City of Fanciful Delights. Extravagant shows, gaudy dress, and universal gambling make up the economic heart of this bastion of debauchery jutting into the Coast of Dunes. Prideful of their sovereignty, being so close to the repressive society of Lulua, the Almuteans maintain only a skeleton crew of government. The mafiosos and pit bosses of the casinos maintain the order needed for their endeavors.
Over a thousand miles away, near the opposite coast of Adversii, floats the City of Djinn. Unparalleled in grandeur and beauty, Hadayiq Eayima floats amongst the clouds which fertilize the vast Umbralind. Ruled by a council of emissaries from the four prime elemental planes, the City of Djinn stands as an outpost of geniekind upon Xioria. The four djinn types, the djinni, dao, efreeti, and marid, live in the belief of their dominion over Xiorian life, though their actual political power is limited by the constant vying for power between the elements. From the lofty hights of Hadayiq Eayima, the djinn view their vast territory of outlying villages and hamlets, sending out tasked genies to enrich the lives of their "underling" mortals. In a political maneuver to limit their power, the City of the Djinn was invited into Aitihad Al-Rahma, an invitation which they deigned to accept.
The northernmost city of the confederation, Arwah Raqisa floats upon the swamplands of the Kilkros delta, which mix with the Gellion wetlands to the West. This City of Dancing Spirits serves as the nations most mystical nation, connecting through mediums to the spirits of the past. There, within the wide paved streets, with trams purchased from the neighboring Macernian Continent, the veil between this world and the spiritual plane is especially thin. Heroes live on, not only in the songs and stories celebrated in the cities myriad of festivals and parades, but in and throughout the land itself. Some benevolent, some with malicious intent, these spirits remind those born in Arwah Raqisa know that their families will always be with them.
Beyond the Accords of Al-Rahma, the Umbralind hosts two major cities. To the East, Eamaliqa. This superstructural city was built by the giants of the Sea of Three, which inhabited the area before tectonic shifts forced the sunken city above the surface. It is now home to terrestrial giants, settled goliath tribes, and thriving communities of tinkering gnomes. Amongst the enormous ruins of the Sea Giants, many coves and harbors serve as shelter to the pirate leagues which roam the Sea of Three. The refusal of Eamaliqa's Czar to deal with these pirates has lead to a growing suspicion within the Sea of Three and Lulua of some nefarious alliance between the Czar and the pirates, but as no hard evidence has yet been found, the strife has remained mostly peaceful.
To the Northwest, at the mouth of the Pass of Yttriva, stands Tijara, the City of Trade. With it's towering cities and extraordinary bazaars, thousands of merchants pass through the city on their journey to and from Macernia. This level of cultural exchange has made Tijara an interesting study in the combination of the technological advances of Macernia and the ancient magics of Adversii. Artificers across both lands flock to Tijara to study these combinations and hopefully discover the lost art of Permanent Enchantment. This quest has driven some to madness, and others to crime, as the search for the formulas and mechanisms by which items of old are said to have recharged their magical properties continues. Since shortly after the Encapsulation Event, but few of these items have been manufactured. When they are discovered, or manufactured, they often slip away from knowledge, carried off by thieves guilds hiding from the light of dawn.
But this story will start in the heart of the Aitihad Al-Rahma. Deep in the heart of the high fertile fields of the Umbralind, protected from the beasts of the wilderness by miles of outlying villages and farmlands stands the ivy covered city of Altaeim. This City of Scholars is home to many of the continents greatest colleges. Those who stay in the city are thought to inevitably grow to prestige and greatness, even if they never attended the schools therein. In this land, the power is held by the Sha'irs which study and grow their arcane power, as well as the bards which learn the lore of yesteryear. Within the dozen or so major universities of Altaeim, dozens rise from the city yearly, answering the call of adventure.