Dragons of Tirenia

All things in Tellaia are connected to the elements of reality. People believe that all living things are made up of the elements of air, earth, fire and water, and that this determines their personality. Aether is not included - it is the element that tethers the soul to the body, and it is what makes it possible for humans to use magic. Instead of having personality traits based on their background, a Tirenian character may instead wish to derive their personality from their elements (or 'humours'). Some people will have traits from different elements, while others will be strongly focussed on a single element. It is believed that a person's elemental nature also determines what sort of magic they will use, though there are no rules for this. Some character races and classes lend themselves to particular elements as well - many barbarians would have a strong connection to the element of Fire, which is related to anger, while an element-touched (genasi) character might...

In Tirenia, one's first loyalty is to their family. Many rural Tirenians live with their extended family, and in the cities families often meet for celebrations and festival, for the church, or just for a daily meal. While the typical Dungeons and Dragons adventurer is often isolated from their family, in Tirenia everyone knows that no one argues like family, but that family will always have their back. (Part of the success of the Benevoli crime syndicate is how it treats the organisation and its members as a family.) A Tirenian character can choose to have their bond be to their family, rather than a specific person or place. How does this work in practice? Once per adventure, a character with a family bond can call upon a member of their extended family for help. This family member will exist at the same social level as the player character, and may be able to help provide help. The PC and the DM should name the relative, define the relationship, and give a one-word personality...

Characters in Tirenia have ideals and flaws, just like in other worlds. Living up to their ideals, or giving in to their flaws, can be a source of Inspiration for them. In a Dragon Princes game, instead of using the standard lists of options, consider using the religious virtues or sins instead. This helps to tie your character more firmly into the setting. The seven virtues are: Charity (Caritas): The Church states that helping those in need is virtuous. Giving of oneself - whether time, money, or anything else - to aid others is its own reward, and should not be done with the thought of reward or recognition. This can also mean donating to the Church, which is capable of helping people on a larger scale. Chastity (Castitas): The moderation of sexual impulses. Tirenians generally do not believe in celibacy. They are also quite accepting of extramarital relationships, which are quite common for the upper classes. For them, chastity is about faithfulness to one's spouse or ...

No one in Tirenia knows what a character class is. Most people define themselves and others based on what their job is, rather than how they do that job. In game terms, this means that a person's Background can be more important for their identity than their class. A 'barbarian' might be a brawling sailor, a fierce mercenary, or an incensed farmer fighting in a rebellion. While mechanically, all three of these people are identical, they would not see themselves as having anything in common. A preacher who can delivery powerful speeches and a nun with the gift of divine healing, on the other hand, are considered the same. While the one may be a Rogue and the other a Cleric, both have the Acolyte background. Another thing to consider is that the typical person cannot tell the different types of magic apart. This is aided by the rhetoric of the Church. Divine magic is seen as miraculous, and a gift from the Sacred One or the Saints. It is considered to be good. Most other ...

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...

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 ...