Dragons of Tirenia

The unquestioned ruler of Vanzenia is Morignus the red dragon. Morignus treats the city as his own personal hoard, wanting to see it become richer and more powerful. Before the arrival of the dragons, Vanzenia was unique in Tirenia for being a republic. Morignus subverted the republic while still undercover by turning it into an oligarchy: only the richest should be allowed to vote. By disenfranchising the people of Vanzenia, he found it easier to take over. Members of the oligarchy formed the Great Council, and would elect one of their number to become Doge (duke) of Vanzenia. Morignus is not interested in day-to-day governance, so he has allowed the Great Council to maintain an administrative role. It amuses Morignus to let the members of the Great Council squabble among themselves, and so he habitually appoints officials, such as tax-collectors, at his own discretion. Usually, this will be someone who has given him a hefty bribe, or someone of whom he currently approves - usual...

Tellaia is a big place, and much of it is still unknown to the people of Tirenia. Trade is commonplace with Crescentia to the east and Sahelio to the south. Beyond these are lands that are known more distantly, save to the most daring of traders: frozen Tataria to the north-east, the silk-lands of Serica and Cataia and the spice islands of Baratio to the east. But there are more lands beyond these. It is a well-known fact that Tellaia is a globe, and the calculations of wizards and philosophers indicate that the whole known world takes up only a portion of its surface. The city-states of Tirenia are keen to find more lands, for more lands equals more money. In addition, new sea-routes to distant trading partners would mean Tirenian merchants would achieve a greater share of the profits. There are three continents in particular that Tirenian scholars are particularly interested in exploring. Firstly, explorers know very little of Sahelio. There are rumours of great empires in th...

This world map is actually "The Cottoniana", an ancient Anglo-Saxon world map. But it's extremely close to how I've always imagined Tellaia looking! It's arranged so that east is at the top, like many other medieval maps - because the Garden of Eden was supposed to be somewhere in Asia. It also has Jerusalem as the centre of the world, while Tellaian mapmakers tend to make Auromia be the centre of their maps. However, the 'real-world but not' look is correct. The enlarged Mediterranean, with the rest of the map curling around it, is absolutely what I've been imagining. And in this map, Italy is a massive subcontinent, which is absolutely true for Tellaia!  Art: 'The Cottoniana Map'. Artist unknown, c. 995.

Mezziano is a city in northern Tirenia, in fertile plains bordered by multiple rivers. It serves as the main trade route for goods travelling across the northern mountains. As a result, it is an extremely prosperous city, and was historically seen as a rival for the great city of Auromia itself. From the beginning, the silver dragons who live near Mezziano have been its protectors. They were curious about the humans, and kept a watchful eye on them. This is also why there is such a high proportion of silver dragonborn in the city. Mezziano was absorbed into the Auromian Empire after a brief war - the gold dragons thinking that the long-term benefits of unity would outweigh the short-term suffering, while the silver dragons believed that the ends could not justify the violent means. The silver dragons soon sued for peace, wishing an end to the destructive conflict. Mezziano entered the Empire on favourable terms, and those silver dragons that were willing (and later, other dragons a...

There is an inner magic in humanity. It is this magic that lets their souls mingle with those of other races, and which lets them access the magic of the world around them. There are a few, however, who have learned to turn their gaze inwards, and draw power from themselves.  Being a mystic is an inherently personal thing, requiring self-knowledge. Most mystics therefore are self-trained, or apprenticed to another mystic who guides them. There are a few gymnasia that can teach this, as many mystics promote self-knowledge and self-examination in the community around them. These philosophers are not always popular for doing so. Art: 'An Allegorical Figure of Calliope'. Cosimo Tura, c. 1460.

The world sees artificers as a type of wizard, who have focused on technology over magic. It is artificers who are responsible for the creation of the cannons that have become a standard part of the army, and artificers who are researching smaller hand-cannons now. Mechanical clocks and the press are also both new creations of artificers. While these devices are extremely rare at the moment, they will only become more common, and will transform the world.  Art: 'A Goldsmith In His Shop'. Petrus Christus, 1449.

Wizards are those who have learned to manipulate the magical forces of the earth through study and ritual. Much of their learning was pioneered by the legendary wizard-king Mercurio of the Eight Ways. He codified and mastered all eight of the paths of magic which wizards today now follow, and connected the study of magic with the study of chemistry, physics, biology, and astrology. Most wizards today need a patron, and so many serve guilds, nobles or dragons who are able to finance their studies. Many also learn their arts at one of the many universities in Tirenia. There are wizards there who identify likely students and take them under their wing. Many wizards keep in touch with their colleagues, to share information. The largest network of wizards is the Rememberers. This group is concerned about the censorship of knowledge and the rewriting of history by the dragons, and works to preserve knowledge from being lost. Art: 'Dante Alighieri'. Luca Signorelli, c. 1500. ...