Welcome to the world of Esomua!

Where to start? If you're new to Esomua, I recommend that you start learning about the nations of the Terrestrial Realm, the many mortal races, and the pantheon of deities.


Welcome to the world of Esomua! I first created this setting back in high school for playing D&D. In the years since, the setting has evolved by a lot. I've used my interests in fantasy and real history to build a world that feels like one inhabited by real people, with the addition of wizards.

Like any high fantasy setting, Esomua has multiple different races of people. It has some of the standard fantasy races—Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, and Orcs—but also a lot of original ones. Some are similar to other races from other fantasy settings but that's just because of how inspiration works. See the table of contents below for a list of all the mortal races.

The history I've built for Esomua covers a long period of time. The most recent history of Esomua covers just under 200,000 years, divided up into 103 Ages. These Ages cover periods of time defined by major events that change the course of history as a whole. The most recent Age began with the fall of the Elven city of Sunder 834 years ago and the subsequent collapse of the Western Sunderian Empire.

The colonial efforts of the Sunderian Empire have shaped the world of Esomua in many ways. In the modern Sunderian Empire, the long lives of the Elves have made the old Empire a recent cultural memory, and nostalgia for the 'good old days' has reignited imperialist sentiments; in the arctic regions of the north, some colonial power structures remain in place, creating tensions between the indigenous populations and the descendants of foreign settlers; on the western continent of Manhonbad, the Dwarvish nation of Manhonbadia currently fights a war against the modern Sunderian Empire to stop them from reclaiming the city of Sunder, which has since been rechristened as Umen Erlen.

Just like in the real world, although the effects of colonialism are the cause of many problems, they are not the only issue in the world. There are countless stories to be told here: stories of love, of hate, of peace, of war. I hope you'll join me as I document the stories of this world I've created.

Thank you so much,

Asteri



Table of Contents

Art

  1. Cuisine
    Meals and the methods of obtaining them.
    1. Agriculture
      2. The techniques people use to farm their food.
    2. Beverages
      3. What people drink across Esomua.
    3. Cooking methods
      4. The many different ways cultures cook their food.
    4. Hunting
      5. The techniques people use to hunt their food.
    5. Meals
      6. The kinds of meals people eat.
  2. Movements
    Art movements across the millennia.

    Cosmology

    Deities

    History

    1. The Hundred Ages
      The 103 distinct Ages that make up modern Esomuan history.
      1. First Era
        2. Contains the First through Ninth Ages.
      2. Second Era
        3. Contains the Tenth through Seventeeth Ages.
      3. Third Era
        4. Contains the Eighteenth through Twenty-Sixth Ages.
      4. Fourth Era
        5. Contains the Twenty-Seventh through Thirtieth Ages.
      5. Fifth Era
        6. Contains the Thirty-First through Thirty-Eighth Ages.
      6. Sixth Era
        7. Contains the Thirty-Ninth through Forty-Eighth Ages.
      7. Seventh Era
        8. Contains the Forty-Ninth through Fifty-Sixth Ages.
      8. Eighth Era
        9. Contains the Fifty-Seventh through Sixty-Second Ages.
      9. Ninth Era
        10. Contains the Sixty-Third through Seventy-Third Ages.
      10. Tenth Era
        11. Contains the Seventy-Fourth through Eighty-Sixth Ages.
      11. Eleventh Era
        12. Contains the Eighty-Seventh through Ninety-Fourth Ages.
      12. Twelfth Era
        13. Contains the Ninety-Fifth through Hundredth Ages.
      13. Thirteenth Era
        14. Contains the Hundred-and-First through Hundred-and-Third Ages.

    Magic

      Politics

      1. Nations
        2. The many nations of Esomua.
        1. Sunderia
          An Elven empire run by a cruel dictator.

      Realms

      1. Central Realms
        The three Realms that make up the center of the Universe.
        1. The Terrestrial Realm
          A flat disc in the exact center of the Universe where most mortals live. It is the most like our own world.
        2. The Luminous Realm
          3. A mirror of the Terrestrial Realm and one of the homes of the Fae. The life and land here exudes magical light.
        3. The Shadowed Realm
          4. A mirror of the Terrestrial Realm. It is a dark and colourless world and the home of the deity Qahugzh.
      2. Elemental Realms
        The source Realms of the four elements, located in a ring just beyond the Central Realms.
        1. The Blazing Realm
          2. The source of fire magic and the home of the god Infernus. It is a varied landscape of deserts and lava fields with an ambient heat that could melt just about anything.
        2. The Mountainous Realm
          3. The source of earth magic and the home of the god Terras. It is a mountain range that extends higher than any natural mountain can reach with an extensive system of caverns below the surface.
        3. The Oceanic Realm
          4. The source of water magic and the home of the god Aquas. It is a vast and deep ocean interspersed with the occasional island.
        4. The Tempestuous Realm
          5. The source of air magic and the home of the god Auranus. It is a vast sky of clouds and the odd floating island.
      3. Hellish Realms
        Eight Realms commonly associated with evil.
        1. Alonek
          2. A field of asteroids ruled over by the Alonek, an octopodal demigod that is one of oldest beings in existence.
        2. Aventi
          3. The Ashen Desert, home of the god Thohs and the place where souls wait for their afterlives.
        3. Endall
          4. A labyrinthine network of Planes that imprisons the goddess Tesamet and houses the Corrupted, a type of daemon.
        4. Idyagim
          5. A realm of forests and grasslands that is the home of the goddess Larach.
        5. Mareq
          6. A Realm of eternal battle where the ground is made out of metal. It is also the home of the goddess Victora.
        6. The Ten Circles
          7. A Realm ruled over by the god Aavimas and inhabited by the Devils. Each of its ten Planes
        7. Tugharia
          8. A desolate Realm where veins of mirror-like stone snake throughout the landscape.
        8. Vohg
          9. The home of the goddess Zkesa and her servants, the Yatin. It is a sickly landscape that has been desecrated by the diseased auras of its inhabitants.
      4. Holy Realms
        Eight Realms commonly associated with goodness.
        1. Biblion
          2. The home of the goddess Owa. It is the largest library in the Universe, being built into the very landscapes of the Realm.
        2. Borean
          3. The home of the Masked Court. It is a tundra illuminated by the aurorae that cover its sky.
        3. Celestika
          4. The home of the god Draxan. It is a diamond-shaped rock with numerous tunnels and quarries within.
        4. Chaos
          5. It was once the Realm of Tekina, but is now a hole within the fabric of the Universe. It is chaotic and unpredictable, and even the gods avoid it.
        5. Feralus
          6. The home of the god Morian. It is an expansive and virtually untamed wilderness that constantly shifts and changes.
        6. Isguard
          7. The home of the god Dihn. Its central mountain range, Hisvkadzhan, is the Universe's source of vitite.
        7. Shenamra
          8. A grand tree that that processes dissolved soul energy back into the Lifeblood.
        8. Utopa
          9. A peaceful Realm of orchards, grasslands, and calm rivers.
      5. Transitive Realms
        6. Three Realms that are 'in between' the others.
        1. The Celestial Realm
          2. The outer space-like region in between the Realms.
        2. The Shimmering
          3. A physical manifestation of celestial energies.
        3. The Veil of Souls
          4. A reflection of all the soul energy moving through the Universe.

      Religions

        Mortal Races

        1. The Antecedents
          2. The first of the mortal races to be created by the gods.
          1. Dragons
            2. Giant lizard-like beings that wield powerful breath weapons.
          2. Fae
            3. Beings with an innate magical mastery over natural spirits.
          3. Giants
            4. Tall humanoid beings with a command over the elements.
        2. The First Spawn
          3. The mortal races that were created to repopulate the Terrestrial Realm following the Devastation.
          1. Dwarves
            2. Short humanoids originally created out of vitite by the god Dihn.
          2. Elves
            3. Long-lived humanoids with a talent for magical feats.
          3. Gnomes
            4. Short humanoids originally created by the goddess of technology that have lost their way after her death.
          4. Humans
            5. Created by the four elemental deities, they have a talent for elemental magic and for understanding the world around them.
        3. The Resurgents
          4. Races created by the soul energy of beings that died during the Devastation.
          1. Drakinban
            2. Originally created from the soul energy of dragons. They appear as humanoid lizards with elemental breath weapons.
          2. Gobyug
            3. Originally created from the soul energy of Fae. They appear as humanoids with moss for hair.
          3. Goliaths
            4. Originally created from the soul energy of Giants. They appear as tall, muscular humanoids with antlers.
        4. Fused Elementals
          5. Races created when elemental magic fused with animal spirits.
          1. Eurogan
            2. Humanoid birds that make their homes in elevated regions. Created from the element of air.
          2. Merfolk
            3. Humanoids with fish tails that live in the ocean. Created from the element of water.
          3. Miyuans
            4. Humanoid cats that have an innate sense of the land. Created from the element of earth.
          4. Volcanids
            5. Humanoid snails that consume rock and shield themselves with natural armoured plates. Created from the element of fire.
        5. Fae Borne
          6. Races created by the Fae using natural spirits.
          1. Cyclopes
            2. One-eyed humanoids created by the Fae to serve as artisans.
          2. Minotaurs
            3. Bovine humanoids created by the Fae as a military.
          3. Satyrs
            4. Goat-like humanoids created by the Fae to serve as mages and lorekeepers.
        6. Realm-Touched
          7. Mortals affected by the energies of various realms.
          1. Eroe
            2. Mortals touched by the energies of the holy realms.
          2. Iukeyo
            3. Humanoid elementals created by the Zhiini.
          3. Hellspawn
            4. Mortals touched by the energies of the hellish realms.
        7. Miscellaneous
          8. Races that do not fit within the other groups.
          1. Constructs
            2. Robotic entities created by trapping souls within a mechanical body.
          2. Ilri
            3. Psychic squid-like creatures that serve the Alonek's interests.
          3. Merrgan
            4. Lizard-like humanoids created out of vitite.
          4. Orcs
            5. Tusked humanoids originally created to serve as soldiers.
          5. Takothra
            6. Hairy beings with the mouthparts of spiders.
          6. Ziyona
            7. Travellers of the Celestial Realm aided by magical hands that can give them knowledge.

          Wildlife

          1. Flora
            2. The plants and fungi of Esomua.
            1. Alien Plants
              2. Plants and fungi that live outside of the Terrestrial Realm.
            2. Crops
              3. The type of crops people grow for food.
            3. Fungi
              4. Mushrooms and molds and the like.
            4. Magical Plants
              5. Plants with magical effects.
          2. Fauna
            3. The animals of Esomua.
            1. Alien Creatues
              2. Animals that live outside of the Terrestrial Realm.
            2. Aquatic Creatues
              3. Animals that live beneath the waves.
            3. Land Creatures
              4. Animals that live on land.
            4. Livestock
              5. Domesticated animals that are raised for practical purposes.
            5. Magical Creatures
              6. Animals with some manner of innate magical ability.
            6. Pets
              7. Domesticated animals kept as pets.