worlds

Athesea is widely considered the fulcrum of the Universe, the axis around which the
rest turns. She has the oldest civilization of any world in existence. Many of the
younger worlds in existence now can credit her with their own civilizations: Athesea
sees one of her greatest roles as showing sentient beings how to forge their own great
cities and cultures without destroying themselves in the process.

She is an empire, but not through colonization. The worlds under her aegis are
populated mostly by their native peoples, under their own governments, united into one
by choice.

Athesea appears pastoral at first glance. Most of her landmass is pristine wilderness,
vast prairies, mountain ranges and a few small deserts, with only a few large cities.
But don't let appearances fool you: she is the most advanced world in existence.

Xtalea can be considered among the most beautiful worlds in the Universe. Her
civilization is barely younger than Athesea's, her great cities far larger, and her
reputation far exceeds her size.

There are three main regions: the Northlands, which stretch from an Arctic north to a
more alpine south; the Midlands, which stretch through the tropics and resemble the
best parts of the South China Sea and Brazil; and the Southlands, a broad stretch of
small continents and island chains that evoke the Mediterranean.

Xtalea fields one of the most respected militaries in the Known Universe, exports some
of the most incredible textile art, and is a close sister to Athesea. She's a far more
insular world than gregarious Athesea, but no one who comes there ever leaves feeling
like a stranger.

(Pronounced By-kuh-TAR)

Here be dragons... and all manner of lizard folk. Bktar is a world that closely
resembles Earth in Pangea days, with enormous deserts and vast swamplands,
surrounded by a world ocean and bisected by shallow inland seas. Primative as she
might appear, though, she's as old as Athesea, and her civilization, while insular and
unwelcoming to outsiders, is ancient and sophisticated.

Bktar is an Athesean colony by choice, and has been since the War of a Thousand
Years. Her military is part of what makes the Athesean Empire so formidable. Her
other major exports are wisdom, philosophy, and some of the most intriguing
physical and mental games known.

Miraldo is the center of the largest empire in the Known Universe, and is
possibly the most paved world in existence. Far larger than Athesea or Xtalea
(which are roughly Earth-sized), she is one gargantuan metropolis. Miraldo's
people stopped their world's plate tectonics, paved over every square inch of
land, then paved the oceans. You won't see a natural coastline anywhere - it's
all angles. Her weather, climate, air, everything is artificial. And if you think
Tokyo is crowded... Try Teledar City (if you can figure out which bit of
metropolis it is).

Miraldo's existence revolves around technology. Her empire was created
mostly by terraforming and colonization. She exports technology of all sorts
to all corners of the Known Universe. Miraldian medical advances have meant
that if half your body gets blown off in combat, they can stick you in a vat
and regrow those bits. And her AI is so advanced that it has legal rights and
responsibilities, just like any other citizen.

Druensek was destroyed in the Seven Months War. Thankfully, Miraldo was
around then and created a new world for the Druens - Tahndruensek, which
roughly translates as New Druen Home.

Tahndruensek is part of the Athesean Empire. She has been recreated much in
the image of old Druensek - a world content to be itself, with vast downlands
and cool climes, sparsely populated or not populated at all outside of those
temperate belts. She is content to farm, raise her herd animals, and
incidentally take exquisite care of her World Spirit. Tahndruensek looks as
sleepy to the unknowing eye as Druensek did, but anyone who remembers the
Seven Months War knows that there is nothing more dangerous in a fight to
the death than a world with a World Spirit on its side...