The Isle of Tiss contains only the capital city of Tiss and the associated farming districts. However, this city-state has great power despite its small size. The people of Tiss arrived here through a portal in the center of their Isle that connected to Victorian-era England on Earth. Since their arrival, they have learned the ways of magic and have assimilated others into their nation as farmers. They do not seek to expand or conquer off of their island, but are known to be

Sometimes known as hellspawn, sons or daughters of Asmodeus, or demon-blooded, these beings are not a singular culture but are usually outcasts that make their own way in the world. In most of the world it is seen as a curse to give birth to a tiefling; however; the exception to this lies in the lands of the Tiss, where it is seen as a celebrated occasion. In Tiss, Tieflings are offered lives of leadership, power, and riches, even if not deserved. Playing a Tiefling : The Tie

Long, long ago, gnomes traveled from the “First World” (also called the Never Never or the Faewild) to settle on this world. Nestled in the hills and forests of the south, they prefer to live peacefully, at one with nature. They have slowly built up a loose confederation of cities, towns, and villages, and like to trade with the Elves to their north and northwest. Many Fae creatures that come across the natural tranquility found here decide to live among these gentle folk.  A

Male Satyrs look like humanoids of stout build, with fur-covered lower bodies and legs and cloven hooves akin to those of a goat, or like creature. Female satyrs, often called “fauns,” are similar, but tend to be taller and quicker. Goat-like horns top the heads of both male and female satyrs; these come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from small nubs to big curling rams’ horns. Younger satyrs tend to keep their hair short, while older satyrs like to let it grow until it ha

The Remans made their way through the portal in the East of the continent around 1200 years ago from Earth in the year 9 AD. They quickly expanded to the east coast of the continent and built many towns and cities. They established trade with the dwarves in the west and the Humans in the south. The Remans have engaged in numerous conflicts and clashes against the Jotun in the north, consistently repelling their attacks, albeit with significant losses. They often refer to them

Three centuries ago, Orcs began flooding into the Dawn Lands, following the Catfolk through one of the few remaining active portals. While whispers persist of ancient Orc tribes in the eastern regions, no contact has been made. Orcish society is generally clan-based, with anointed chieftains leading their people. They commonly patrol and scout the continent, seeking locations to settle, fortify, and launch raids. However, after several generations on Shiandria, some Orcs have

The Norse made their way into Shiandria from a portal found in the far north of Earth, near the Arctic Circle. Here in the Dawn Lands, they have settled the central and eastern parts of the north end of the continent. They have had many skirmishes with the Emerald Folk, mostly over land, but the cultures have also managed to build trade networks with one another. The Dwarven Alliance has a long, mostly peaceful, history of trade with the Norse. The Jotuns in the northeast, ho

Arriving through a portal located on the continent of Africa on planet Earth, the peoples of the Manden Empire made their way slowly into Dawn Lands over the space of 1200 years. They came from many different tribes, cultures, locations, and nations from that continent. It is for this reason that many scholars believe that they may have arrived not from one portal, but from several. Whatever the case may be, the disparate languages and cultures of the new arrivals created gre

Less of a culture and more of an individual making their way in the world, the Kitsune have made themselves at home throughout the world of Shiandria. Since their first appearance in the world, they have become especially well established in the Dawn Lands, the Jade Lands, and the lands of the Red Sun. Males are rarely seen, but they do exist. It is claimed by several explorers that a handful of Kitsune communities exist, but if this is so, they are well-hidden. It is possibl

Those of the Jade culture can be found on the east of the Chering continent (which lies south and east of the Dawn Lands with many small islands in between). At one time this continent had several portals that once linked with ancient China, Japan, and southeast Asia on Earth. There is a large mountain range between the portals, so the settlers that came through these portals had little contact with one another at first. The peoples on the continent have since grown and expan

The Greeks traveled through their local gateway from Earth during the Earth calendar year 490 BC. Here in the Dawn Lands, they established several large city-states with many smaller, outlying villages and towns. Upon settlement, they soon came into contact with the Elves in the south and the Dwarves to the east. They have been established in the Dawn Lands for around 800 years.  Restricted Classes:  Samurai, Youxia, Archer, Crossbowman Religion:  The Greek culture still wors

No one knows the origins of the goblins or how they came to be. Some believe that the goblins made their way through a portal, while others think they could be native to this world. Either way, they have managed to carve out a living in the areas that no one else deemed worthy of claim. They can now be found in every nook and cranny of every continent, sometimes as part of other communities and sometimes making their own. Restricted Classes:  Samurai, Hoplite, Paladin, Youxia

The Fae crossed from the First World, also called the Never Never or the Faewyld. They are known to be capricious, unpredictable people. The Fae can be found throughout this world, but many have taken up homes in the South with the Smallfolk, whom they consider cousins and often have the sense of humor favored by the Fae.  Restricted Classes:  Samurai, Youxia, Necromancer, Hexenkrieger, Plague Doctor. You may be a Cavalier, but your mount should be some other, smaller animal

These peoples hail from Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, and north western Europe from Earth in the years 800 AD to 1400 AD. The Emerald Folk have been in the Dawn Lands for around 600 years. In that time they have managed trade with the Elves, Greeks, Norse, and Dwarves. Some areas of the Emerald Folk lands are more advanced than others, but all have started to dabble, to one degree or another, with various types of magic. The structure of the portal th

Elves were the second race to call the Dawn Lands home, arriving through the use of their own magic and portals, none of which exist today. The subset of Elves includes: Wood Elves, Gray Elves, and High Elves. For the last 300 years, the Elves have fought against the orcs invading through the still-active portal in the west. They have established extensive trade networks all throughout the continent as their goods and crafts are highly sought after and favored by many culture

Dwarves are the eldest, and possibly only native, culture of the Dawn Lands. They have built a strong trading nation in the Dwarven Mountains in the north of the continent and throughout the world. They actively trade with the Norse, the Emerald Folk, the Greeks, the Dawn Landers, and the Remans. They are not typically seen as sailors or seamen, but the occasional Dwarf on the high seas is not completely unheard of. They do occasionally send small groups to help the Elves of

This is the “standard” high fantasy human culture of most stories. It is unknown how they arrived to this world, but they have now settled the continent from the east coast to the Elvish woods of the west, the mountains of the north and the Fae Hills of the south. They have established a vast trading network around the whole of the continent and even into the continents of the east. Some of the largest cities on the continent belong to the Dawn Landers. Samurai are very rare,

After the fall of the Dark Elves from the ranks of the Elvish society, they established a vast underground and then extra planner empire. Some of the Dark Elves come to believe that the followers of the Dark Lady are on the wrong path, and that they should return to the surface world and the moonlight. These become the followers of the Silver Lady (also known as Eiliestrae the Silver Maiden). There are a few small settlements of the followers of the Silver Lady throughout the

The Dark Elves are connected to the world through caverns and tunnels dug millennia ago via the Elemental Plane of Earth. They have a small, but thriving empire in the underground regions of the planet. Rumors abound about how they have connected most of the planet through their tunnels and corridors. Their home region is unknown, heavily secreted, nor do any know what their agenda might be. There are two different factions of Dark Elves, the followers of the Dark Lady (aka L

The Comanche arrived from the south west of the Northern American continent of Earth. The portal they traveled through appeared in their lands without a gate during the year 1867. They have been on this land for nearly 800 years now. During the time the portal was open, many families and groups from several different tribes traveled through the portal. Once through, they found themselves on a large island south of the Smallfolk home island and the southwest of the Red Sun Emp