Teargarden Lore
Worlds
At one time the three worlds Agarath, Archonia, and Nolagarg were held together by the Sardocelles. Now separated, the worlds can only be traveled to through portals.
Agarath – World of the living
Made up of lush continents and vast oceans, the world of Agarath is home to many races, the most prominent of which are the Humans, the Murks, and the Gaelorians.
The bright energy of Archonia had once supplied the light needed for vegetation. It would move across the sky and once its shining rays descended into the west, it was replaced by the red world of Nolagarg in the night sky. After
the breaking of the Sardocelles, the artifact that held the worlds together, Archonia was replaced by the sun, where the moon took Nolagarg’s place.
Archonia – World of the Archons
Little is known about the Archons’ home, only that it is a place full of the energy of Sansolis and no one but an Archon is allowed to visit it. Not even the demons could penetrate its barrier during the wars.
The Archons maintain the city of Haven in Agarath, where the only portal between the two worlds can be found.
Nolagarg – Dark world of the demons
A dark sphere almost devoid of resources is all that’s left of the demon world. Most of the demon wars took place here, further devastating this world.
Unlike the bright energy of Archonia, a dark source of power lies deep within this world’s ruined lands. It is said the dark energy spawned the demons, who rose up from within its crust. Before the breaking of the Sardocelles,
a bridge called the Kristor allowed travel between Agarath and Nolagarg. Now, the Falnoce, a portal that never stays in one place, is the only means of traveling between the two worlds.
Races
Many intelligent species exist in the world of Agarath, but Humans, Gaelorians, Murks, Archons, and Demons are the most prevalent.
Humans – The first intelligent beings of Agarath
No one really knows how the first humans came into being. They started as tribes until forming Nations and are now spread out through the entire world.
Because they can be found all over the Agarath, they do not have a common tongue. Some human nations may contain a variety of different languages, while others may be unified under a single language. Human architecture
is quite diverse, a representation of the minds, whose differences sometimes lead them into war. Initially, the ability to use Sansolis was not a quality the humans shared but over the past five hundred years human Sanjerors
have begun popping up the world over. Previously only an ability gifted to the Gaelorians, no one really knows how or why the San ability began manifesting itself in humans.
Gaelorians – The offspring of the Archons
The Gaelorians’ roots date back to humans. This started when an Archon known as the Great Mother mated with humans on Agarath in a land once called Ferium. Since then, the Gaelorians have produced their own offspring
and thousands of years later, they became a race of their own.
Because of their Archonian roots, some Gaelorians have enough Archonian blood within them to use Sansolis. Also, their skin is golden much like an Archon’s, and their ears are pointy, another trait inherited from the ancestry.
They have several nations called Xordoms in Agarath, but the most prominent one, Gaeloria, is named after their race. Each Xordom is led by a Xor, who is chosen by the council upon the death of the previous Xor, and unless
deemed unworthy, usually the Xor’s offspring becomes the next in line. Ferium, their birth land, was turned to desert, when a corrupted Xor named Xormunster allied himself with demons. Most of the Gaelorians from
Ferium now reside in Gaeloria.
Murks – The cursed race of demon spawn
Murks began popping up all over the world of Agarath during the demon wars. It is said that certain species of demons found a way to mate with humans, and the Murks were brought into the world as a result. Their skin is
grey and their eyes are red. Instead of a nose, two slits reside above their mouth, making them resemble a skull with skin. Most Murks were bred to fight against the humans and Gaelorians during the wars.
Now that the threat of Agarath invasions is no longer prevalent, the Murks keep to themselves. This is more for their survival, as most humans consider them to be enemies. Preferring to live in areas of the world not
considered prosperous by the ever expanding humans, they live a sheltered life in moving tribes, building temporary dwellings in deserts, mountains, and other such undesirable places.
Archons – The benevolent protectors of the Agarath
Not much is known about the origins of the Archons, only that they are the protectors of Agarath. They guide the people of the world and guard them from danger.
A radiance shines over their golden skin, which is mimicked by their glowing eyes. All have wings with multi-colored feathers. Their bodies are imbued with Sansolis, giving them the ability to alter creation as they
see fit. Humans believe them to be benevolent creatures and their only means of communication with the Great One. Gaelorians regard them as part of their ancestry and pray to the Great Mother. Demons are their
natural enemy.
Demons – The dark spawn of Nolagarg
Story has it that demons spurned out of the dark crust of Nolagarg, created by the dark energy deep within that world.
It is said that there are as many species of demons as there are stars in the sky. They had once tried to overtake Agarath, but the Archons put a stop to their invasion by separating Agarath from Nolagarg. Now, the
threat of war is a distant memory, but they still come in through the Falnoce, the ever moving portal.
Human Nations
Listed below are the commonly known races known by Teargarden’s residents.
Kingdom of Chadaar – A marriage between two kingdoms
Chadaar was once two kingdoms, Chadaar in the west and Preskalar in the east. These two kingdoms were brought together generations ago through an arranged marriage.
Throughout its lands, Chadaar is made up of tiny governorships ruled by the High Blood. The fealty of Chadaar’s citizens goes to their governor, and each governor’s allegiance is pledged to the crown. King Nicholson
is the current king of Chadaar. Because of the war with the Theram Empire lasting decades, Chadaarans now see themselves more as a united people under one kingdom rather than their own governorship, but some of them still
believe in the old ways and keep their loyalty with their own province.
Theram Empire – Dynasty of a nation
The Theram Empire’s history dates back to the days of Ferium. After the Gaelorians left, the humans started their own nation called Ferum, which later became Theram and eventually turned into an empire.
In the days of Ferum, the people were disorganized and eventually fell into disarray. More than likely this was the result of no longer being able to rely on the Gaelorians for guidance. This eventually led to wars
among several groups, lasting years and sometime decades. The Thera, a strong nation whose economy concentrated on military, eventually brought the nations together and the fighting ceased. Ferum was changed to Theram
and the peace lasted for two hundred years, until some of the minor nations, desiring a separation from the ruling Thera, attempted rebellion. The attempted independence was quickly squelched. To ensure rebellion
could never happen again, the ruling leader of the Thera, Sharlek, established himself as emperor, absorbing all non-Thera nations into the empire, thus creating a dynasty that has lasted almost a thousand years. Today,
the Theram Empire is ruled by Charlamon III, who resides in the capitol Sharlekheim.
Teargarden, Land of Neutrality – The ancient land of Ferium
Where the proud land of Ferium once stood, became a desert after the corrupted Xorlaster and his demon allies destroyed the land. The Theram Empire can find its roots here, but their ownership over it was lost after the
war with Chadaar. To help ensure a war could never be started again between the two nations, the land of Teargarden was declared to be neutral ground. In order to help keep the peace, both nations sent one governor
each to rule the people in the Land of Neutrality.
Today, Teargarden’s means of survival comes from the wealth of income from Chadaaran and Theram merchants. Trade is strictly prohibited between the two nations, but not in the lands of neutrality. This has resulted
in the black market thriving in Teargarden, especially for those who know how to make a profit.
Religion
The Great One oversees the Seven, who once watched over the Archons, who in turn were responsible for the mortals.
The Great One – All things were made possible through the breath of the Great One
The Great One was the being who birthed the universe into existence. Most intelligent creatures worship the Great One in one form or another, but none are able to communicate directly with the creator.
The Seven – The vessels of the Great One
In order to better understand the Great One’s creation, the great being created the Seven to monitor the universe. Not as powerful as the creator itself, they watched creation for millennia. Still, with all their vast
knowledge and power, they could not understand the lower lifeforms. For that, they birthed the Archons into existence to communicate with the beings of the many worlds.
Soon after the Sardocelles was broken, the Seven disappeared. Not even the Archons know what became of them, thus the connection between mortals and the Great One is somewhat lost, as the Great One is too vast to recognize
the existence of the Archons.
Archons – The divine protectors
No one really knows exactly how the first Archons came into being, only that they were made to be the vessel between the mortals and the Seven. After the Seven disappeared, they repurposed themselves to become the protectors
and guides of the mortals. Today, most monasteries pray to a particular Archon rather than the Seven, believing that their prayers will eventually find their way to The Great One.