Terranada
(One of the Alternate Alusias)
Terranada is a less magical and more technological world than Alusia Prime, with its history more heavily influenced by the Dwarves, Gnomes and other earth dwellers. Post the events detailed in Reflections and Visitations Terranada's nature and history have changed somewhat although few of its inhabitants realise or understand this; the new "version" of Terranada appears to have always been like this having a logical and complete "false" history, or as Magda has put it: "Last Duesdayism".
(GM Note: It is essentially a Steampunk world: Jules Verne, H G Wells, and elements of Bram Stoker plus some magic).
Steam powered brass aether vessels ply routes to the beleaguered colony on Thunor (Mars), the Imperial navy patrols the near aether (with jolly heroically named vessels like HMS Warspite and HMS Iron Duke), and put into dock at enormous orbital brick fortresses. The remaining faerie folk hide in woods that are disappearing into the furnaces of industry, while the humans, dwarves and halflings build victorian marvels.
Elves are not unknown, indeed on Terranada the old elven empire did not so much fall as collapse into decadence, and the vibrant ruler of the Imperium is, and has been for the last ten thousand years, Her Elvic Majesty, by the Grace of Varda, Gloriana.
Her Majesty rules from Kaydar, an analogue of the ancient dragon/elven capital in Terranova, which stylistically resembles the Crystal Palace with dirigible docking towers. Her Majesty and her Prime Minister are involved in reconstruction of the Empire in the wake of many centuries of mismanagement caused by Her Majesty's long convalescence, and the machinations of the former Prime Minister Abraxes, a rather reptilian looking fellow of draconic lineage.
(Dragons are said to be "few in polite society", and those that do associate with humans and elves appear to be from a semi-shapechanger lineage; their humanoid forms appear quite reptilian, not unlike Saurians).
The Terranadan Drow (also called the "First Born" as well as "Black Pirates") fled in ages past to Thunor where they have advanced their technology well beyond that of Terranada, but at the expense of their natural forms. They are now wizened and twisted beings who inhabit mechanical bodies (often of tripodal design) and bear fearsome weaponry. Only their low numbers prevent them being a much greater threat.
The Guild analogue on Terranada is the "Seagate Adventurers Club and Philanthropic Society", a sort of Royal Geographic Society with more swords, who do battle for Queen and country against "fuzzy wuzzies, bodgys and boojums", (although what exactly these may be is unrevealed at this time).
People
The Imperium
- Her Elvic Majesty Gloriana
- a previously extremely elderly and frail elf over 10,000 years old, now returned to youth and health through the grace of Varda by the hand of her agent Ithilmor. Her Majesty has recently come out of seclusion and virtual retirement to retake the reins of the Empire and resolve more than a few problems that arose during her convalescence.
- Prime Minister Abraxes [DECEASED]
- A rather reptilian looking fellow of draconic lineage, Abraxes was the Queen's first minister and closest councilor for several thousand years. As her Majesty aged Abraxes increasingly shouldered the weight of running the Empire, maneuvering himself into the position of virtual ruler. Involved in the nefarious plans of Apollyon to destabilize Terranada -- although it is doubtful that he understood the full consequences of the plan -- Abraxes was rewarded with equipment and information intended to help him transform into a true dragon (cf. Ruby Scourge). Something went very wrong with the process however and Abraxes became a near-mindless abomination and puppet of an unnamed extra-dimensional power before being slain by a Guild party in the Summer of 810 during the events of Reflections and Visitations.
- Prime Minister Sir Thomas Featherstonehaugh
- Retired Brigadier and former head of Her Majesty's Secret Service, Sir Thomas Featherstonehaugh (pron. Fanshaw) became Prime Minister after the death of Abraxes and is heavily involved in reconstruction of the Empire. A stern, slender, and quietly spoken man in his mid-50s, Sir Thomas is unflinchingly loyal to Her Majesty and intent on rooting out the corruption in the Empire that grew up during the latter years of Abraxes's rule. An ex-spymaster he retains many intelligence contacts and has information on many high-placed individuals. Sir Thomas is someone who, in the vernacular, knows where the bodies are buried.
- Captain Hollingbrooke
- Commander Collins
- Lt Rawlings
Her Majesty's Secret Service
- M
- New head of the Secret Service and successor to Sir Thomas Featherstonehaugh. Serious and tense with little apparent sense of humour, M favours severe black dresses and chain smokes hand rolled unfiltered cigarillos. She is one of the Magdalenae
- Captain Menzies
- (pron. Mingis)
The Seagate Adventurers Philanthropic Society
{aka "the Club")
- Lady Madeline Barkington
- A good keen boffin with her own recently built Aether Vessel 'The Retort'. She is a friendly lady with no pretensions of grandeur and a keen sense of the ridiculous. Known to her close friends as "Barking Mad". She is one of the Magdalenae, and as of recently a member of the Club's "Committee" (equivalent to the Guild's Council).
- Gunter
- A dwarven engineer of great skill who assists with the construction and smooth operation of Lady Madeline's Aether vessel.
- Reginald Cholmondeley Braithwaite
- (pron. Chumley). A hale and portly fine gentleman and keen Snark Hunter. Easily confused and perhaps not the sharpest spoon in the drawer.
- Caruthers
- Another keen Snark hunter and good friend of Reginald.
- Bongo
- Caruthers pugwala. A vicious looking native halfling guide (with filed teeth).
- Wilberforce Wilkins III
- A sailor and owner of a small Aether Yacht.
Magdalenae
The Magdalenae is a unique sorority whose members are seven incarnations of Lady Madeline Barkington, originally from different and alternate versions of Terranada, and rescued during the events of Reflections and Visitations by one of their number, Mechanitrix. Their appearance, interests, skills, and life histories are similar although not identical; in many ways they are like septuplets.
Besides "M" and the Lady Madelaine of the Seagate Club, the remaining Magdalenae are:
- Mechanitrix
- The Lady Madelaine of a "superhero" variant world, Mechanitrix has extremely strong innate abilities in the area of mechanical design and construction, and is able to create pseudo-magical devices of considerable power. She appears physically somewhat larger than the other Magdalenae due to her "titan-blood" (something common to the heroes of her world), and has a somewhat boisterous "jolly hockey sticks" manner. She often wears weird goggles and additional mechanical prosthetic limbs to assist in her laboratory in the Watchtower, a small aether fortress. Mechanitrix has been appointed Her Majesty's Minister for Science and Technology.
- Maddy
- Mechanitrix's assistant and a mechanician of considerable expertise in her own right. Maddy appears at least a decade younger than the other Magdalenae, this appears to be related to her having "faerie blood" (in the same way as some of the grande dames of Bowcourt.
- Magda
- A theoretical scientist and researcher rather than a practical inventor and tinkerer.
- Marlene
- Actress, Diplomat, (Spy)...
- Mina
- Vampire hunter...
Black Pirates
(Rumored & assumed) The Drow of Terranada live on Thunor and conflict with the Imperials, usually in the Aether between the planets.
Other Kingdoms
{Little is known of these areas at present)
- Celestial Kingdom
- Far to the East, believed to be ruled by dragons.
- Lupine Empire
- Centered in the area occupied by the Lunar Empire on Alusia. Aristocratic families are rumored to have were-blood.
- Moravian Confederacy
- Group of Principalities and Duchies occupying the west / north-west of the Alusian continent, ruled by Prince Strahd von Zarovich, and run by vampires and a variant of the Western Church.
Places
- Kaydar
- The Imperial capitol. Home of Her Elvic Majesty Gloriana.
- Vauxhall Castle
- Headquarters for Her Majesties Secret Service (Foreign Department)
- Mars
- Mars is one of the planets of the Aether above Eldamaar. Home of the Black Pirates who attack vessels passing by and sometimes raid other planets.
- The Ring of Fire
- The Ring of Fire is several miles across and represents a thinning between the 'worlds' of Terranada and Savage World. It is near the moon above Eldamaar and is a tourist attraction for the planet.
Devices
- Dirigibles
- Large cylinder like vehicles that appear to float without discernible magic. Beneath them is a sealed area with comfortable chairs and tables where passengers may relax while the vessel flies to its destination. Access is gained by large towers that the vessel is docked at.
- Aether Vessels
- The Terranadans do not appear to have the ability to cross planes, but within their own plane they travel to the other worlds around their sun in aether ships of various design.
- The largest and best armed of these are the ships of Her Imperial Majesty's Aether Navy, which bear the designation HMAS, and generally rather heroic names. Some of the vessels mentioned or encounted are: Broadsword, Fearless, Indefatigable, Invincible, Iron Duke, Vanguard, and Warspite. Some of the other navy vessels are: HMASs Audacious, Courageous, Dauntless, Defiance, Dreadnought, Formidable, Implacable, Inflexible, Repulse, Revenge, Thunderer, Valiant, and Vengeance.
- There are huge aether fortresses orbiting Terranada, the only one named was HMAF (Her Majesty's Aether Fortress) Pride of Eldarmar, others include HMAFs Impregnable, and Prince of Kaydar.
- (The vastness of Her Majesty's aether fleet strongly suggests the presence of some major enemy to the Empire -- more likely foreign than domestic -- but there is no current information available on this other than the references to the Black Pirates).
- Private or corporately owned aether vessels are quite common, and range from huge trading vessels that ply the shipping lanes between Terranada and the Out-Worlds, down to tiny yachts used for sightseeing and day trips.
Creatures
- Snark
- A beady eyed creature that is particularly rare. (Probably due to the keeness of the Snark Hunters). They are hunted with very large (and loud) 'guns' so it is presumed they are dangerous, although descriptions suggest them only the size of a weasel.
History
Spring 802
A guild party completed a Quest_for_Lost_Dragons.
- The party consisted of Braegon, Serendipity, Kin, Mary-M, Jade, Axis and Martin
Spring 806
The area around this thinning is under naval blockade and is considered highly dangerous. See Crisis_on_Alternate_Alusias for details. The party uncovered details of meddling by Apollyon and that some of the elder dragons were unable to be contacted.
- The party consisted of Dramus, Axis, Mary-M, Father Broc, Jade, Serena and Teeanna
Summer 810
A guild party undertook to right the wrongs as detailed in Reflections_and_Visitations. The result of this mission was the restoration of a rejuvinated Queen Gloriana to the elven throne on Terranada and a new age being issued in.
- The party consisted of Father Broc, Braegon, Serendipity, Ithilmor, Logan and Sabrina
