TOTE:General Overview

The mortal lands have many cultures, but most people the player characters interact with will belong to one of the following six categories.

ANDINOC 

Among its many provinces are Deatuk, Hatakee, KarΌkun, Three Rivers, Tura Na Nan and Yuhtil. Three Rivers is the biggest city of the northern lands, and the capital of Andinoc. The country is led by a hereditary ruler advised by a powerful elected council. Most people are farmers, with hunters, traders and craftspeople well represented. Andinoc maintains some kind of relationship with the Sul Ante and most of the Free Lands and are staunch allies of the Sea Peoples. They bitterly oppose Noon and have warred with the Land of the High Sun before.

CLIFF DWELLERS 

The secretive peoples dwell in remote places and have strong magic. This defense did not prevent Noon from conquering Mezzatee, but Noppo and Tuzi are two lands that remain free. The Cliff Dwellers are farmers when their lands are not under threat, but retreat to their high places when threatened. There, they have war supplies and strong defensive magic to hold back invaders. Each of the Cliff Dwelling societies maintains minimal contact with each other and some of the Free Lands. They oppose Noon, but they desire to join neither Andinoc or Sul Ante, and would rather be left alone.

FREE LANDS 

As the name implies, this is a category of various lands, instead of a distinct political entity. Some example lands include: The Mawnee, miners of the Old Mountains and inheritors of ancient Sea People culture; the land of Menotil, where wily traders ply the Seven Swamps and face deadly beasts unarmed to become adults; Othilian, recently conquered by Noon, but once a land of farms and ancient burial mounds and barrows; Sicatun,a island kingdom ruled by a Queen and known for its fine handicrafts; the Torova, a nomadic people who follow the bison herds; and Yuhtil, once counted a Free Land but now a province of Andinoc.

NOON 

At the heart of burning empire of Noon is the Land of the High Sun. The head priests there believe they can make a new, fifth world, gaining great power in the process. To this end they have conquered nearby lands like Aukpan, Mezzatee and Othilian. Their dangerous magics tear holes between the Fourth World and Fifth, unleashing demons and other horrors into the mortal lands. Of late, Andinoc has opposed and made war upon Noon, but their king was killed in the last great war, and Andinoc now regroups, uncertain of the future. In Noon, the High Priests rule all, and the people are made to work according to the needs of the priests.

SEA PEOPLE 

Arriving from across the Great Sea many years ago, the Sea People have now made the land their home. Still they make ships to make trading voyages in, and have great skill with metal-working. While many of the Sea People have now become land-bound farmers, many of them still sail along the coast or provide Andinoc and the Free Lands with the products of their smithies. Their capital is Haptoria, and they can also be found in Lochen Bramble, Mawnee (of the Free Lands), Tor Loken and in Tura Na Nan (now a province of Andinoc). Each of the Sea People communities elects their own chief, and the chiefs elect a High Chief who normally resides in Haptoria.

SUL ANTE 

In the South great cities of stone rise up, housing millions of people. These are the great lands of the Sul Ante, who believe that their land was visited by the Sun, and that their rulers are his disciples. Once Aukpan, Axecitan and Quezo shared the leadership of the Sul Ante, but Aukpan has been conquered by Noon, and now Axecitan and Quezo consider the invasion of a former ally. Most people of the Sul Ante are farmers, but in the cities all walks of life from beggars and cutpurses to scholars and philosophers are represented. Sul Ante once maintained minimal relations with Noon, but now considers them only an enemy. Their ties to Andinoc have grown stronger, as the threat of Noon grows stronger still.