Dragons of Tirenia

The Church States are those states that are under the direct control of the High Ordinarch and the Church. The High Ordinarchs have declared that they are the rightful successor to the Auromian Empire, and therefore control a large amount of land in central Tirenia directly. At least, they do in theory. With the Church currently in disarray, some states pay little more than lip service to their lord, and some do not even pay that. Traditionally, the Church States were governed from Auromia. However, the High Ordinarch currently lives in Aterni as 'guests' of the green dragons. For this reason, Aterni is often called the new Eternal City (a name formerly applied to Auromia.) It is situated high in the central mountains, and powerful winds blow through it. It is surrounded by lush woodlands, which serves as a retreat for the church leaders and their draconic sponsors. The green dragons have had great success in subverting the power of the church. Rather than leading in person, ...

Monte Mamiliano is a tiny but beautiful island in the Tirenian Sea, located off the coast west of Fiumenze. For most of its history, it has been isolated and uninhabited. Following the collapse of the Auromian Empire, San Mamiliano founded a monastery on the island for those who wished to dwell in isolation from the world and contemplate the beauty of the world. Over time, the monastery and the island both took the saint's name. There the monks remained, with only the most fleeting of contact with the rest of the world. Occasionally, the island's caves would be used by smugglers, but they left the monks alone. Everything changed when the copper dragons moved in. Unlike the other metallic dragons, the copper dragons had no plans to fight the chromatic dragons who had taken over the world. Instead, they wanted to create a palatial home for themselves and their friends, cut off from the troubles of the world. Suddenly, the Conte of Monte Mamiliano and his family, friends, foll...

Names, like personal identity, are tied to culture instead of race. The vast majority of people in Tirenia have Italian names. Here are some common Tirenian names for men and women. Female: Ada, Adele, Adelina, Adriana, Agata, Agnese, Agostina, Alba, Alberta, Alessa, Alessandra, Alessia, Alfreda, Alina, Allegra, Amanda, Amara, Ambra, Amelia, Andreana, Angela, Angelica, Angelina, Anita, Anna, Annabella, Annamaria, Annunziata, Anonna, Antonia, Arabella, Arianna, Ariela, Artemisia, Asia, Augusta, Aurora, Azzurra, Barbara, Beata, Beatrice, Bella, Bellina, Benedetta, Benicia, Benigna, Berenice, Bernadetta, Berta, Bertina, Betta, Bia, Bianca, Bibiana, Bona, Brigida, Calida, Calista, Calliope, Callisto, Camilla, Capri, Cara, Carina, Carissa, Carla, Carlotta, Carmela, Carmen, Carolina, Catarina, Cecilia, Celestina, Celia, Celina, Chiara, Cinzia, Clara, Clarice, Clarissa, Claudia, Cloe, Colombina, Concetta, Constantina, Cornelia, Cosima, Cristiana, Cristina, Dafne, Damiana, Daniela, Daria, De...

A wide range of different coins are used across Tirenia. Every city mints its own coins, using a different mix of metals, each with their own different names: dragons, crowns, sovereigns, nobles, and more. The exchange rate between them is complicated, and some cities may not even honour particular currencies (in which case, visitors may need to see a money-changer.) There is one coin, however, which is accepted universally: the golden florin of Fiumenze, also known as the 'pezzo d'oro' (gold piece). It has an extremely high proportion of gold in it, making it a very trustworthy coin, and Fiumenze's role as the centre of banking means its coins are found everywhere. Other cities have begun minting their own florins, and so the pezzo d'oro has become an economic benchmark. The second coin that is also accepted universally is the Vanzenian ducat. Vanzenia has almost a monopoly on foreign trade, and so its ducat has immense purchasing power: typically, one ducat is wor...

There is a wide variety of different sentient life-forms in Tellaia. Scholars have divided them into several categories. The first category, natural humans ('gli uomini naturali'), are the creation of the Divine One at the beginning of time. The second category, bestial humans ('gli uomini bestiali'), were generally created by angels from humans and animals. A third group, the monstrous humans ('gli uomini mostrousi'), were created from humans as well by demons. To these three, we might add an unofficial fourth group of those who do not fit any category. Natural Humans: This category consists of humans, as engendered by the Creative One. They are the largest group worldwide. It also includes within it all humans who have the mark of a spiritual being upon them: angel-born (aasimar) have the mark of heaven, fey-born (elves) and fey-touched (half-elves) have the mark of fairies, and demon-born (tieflings) have the mark of hell. The elemental-born (genasi) have ...

Centaurs, like all of the so-called 'beast people', were created by the angels during the war among the Host at the beginning of time. The angels went to humans and gave them the gifts of the animals that they lived with, to help them defend themselves from the orcs and goblins created by the demons. More than any of the other 'beast people', centaurs are stereotyped as savage, crude, licentious and animalistic by the Tirenians - possibly because they are the rarest of all within its cities. This is because centaurs do not like urban life as a whole, generally preferring a more nomadic existence with their own kind. They are common in Tataria and Crescentia, and centaurs with the bodies of black and white striped horses have occasionally been encountered by those travelling deep into Sahelia. Art: 'Centaur Nessus Abducting Dejanira and Ercules Chasing Him.' Peter Paul Rubens, 1636