Welcome to the land of Tenebris. The world has changed quite a bit over the centuries since we last visited. Where once each province was ruled independently, now the local governments are uniformly ruled by a single chosen monarch, one of whom is elected and carries their position until they forfeit it voluntarily or by death. Once a Monarch falls, a new grand election is had to select a new one. Monarchs have been predominantly human men, but there is a great deal of unease among those of various races who feel as though they aren't being represented or their voices heard. The current monarch His Grace Walter Gale, who holds the title of Rex Tenebris (or The Rex).
The world is set in a fictional, fantastical land set in modern times with modern technology. If it exists in today's world, it likely exists in Tenebris. The population of the world is extremely diverse. Humans make up the majority of the known population while other creatures and species make up varying degrees of the minority. It is not entirely uncommon to see those infected with vampirism or lycanthropy, or those that have decided to devote their lives to the study of the arcane. Non-Humans also include the fae, elves and even orcs. While this is not the limit of the creatures that exist in Tenebris, these are the ones that people have reluctantly accepted as common. There will be more discussion of races and species further down in this post.
While the city of Duncaster is home to these diverse beings, that is not to say that they all get along. Just like in today's world, everyone has their prejudices and stereotypes. While pure humans are the most accepted in all castes, infected humans such as vampires and werewolves are often shunned or looked down upon as tainted. Fae, elves and orcs are also met with reluctance to the point that earning a wage can become difficult due to suspicious and sometimes hateful discrimination leading creatures of a certain species to often have to rely on members of their own race to help band together to create a living with one another.
It is for this reason that you'll often seen unofficial segregated areas and establishments within the city. There are bars predominately occupied by orcs because they met resistance when trying to go to human-run bars. There are restaurants that specialize in vampiric cuisine that the other species find nauseating. That's not to say that species are banned from intermingling, just that one should expect to be met with suspicion and possibly discrimination if they find themselves to be too unique in any given area.
Duncaster is a vast metropolis, a concrete jungle that has a little bit of everything. Inspired by the likes of London and New York, you'll see more streets and building than you will trees, though there are some parks sprinkled here any there with a wooded area around the city's borders.
Aside from Duncaster, which occupied the central portion of Tenebris, there are also other locations surrounding it that will likely be mentioned, but seldom visited within the game.
To the North:Chillwood As the name implies, this northern territory is the coldest of them all, given its location. Human population is scarce due to the frigid conditions, which means it a great place for the creatures of the night to hide away. There are known werewolf packs in the area, but because human occupation is so few and the land so vast, it's rare to hear of a human being attacked. Often snowy with massive trees scattering the land, the best living one can make is to be a hunter and trade furs. Hunters with an itch for adventure often trek up here hoping to snag them a WereTrophy.
Crimson Heights Some ways south of the Chillwood is Crimson Heights, a mountainous range that is beautiful during the day and terrifying at night. Many of the mountain summits cannot be reached by your average man, which makes it a natural haven for blood drinkers.
Central:Stathford This province is mostly made up of farmers and ranchers. They make up the majority of the agricultural background of Tenebris.
Sinstead Think of this as Tenebris' version of Las Vegas. Gambling, drinking, drugs, sex and shameless money spending... Nearly everything goes in Sinstead which makes it a haven for organized crime while also a favorite tourist destination.
To the south:Ironhaven War! Huh! Good God, y'all! This is what this province is known for. An industrial town and manufacturer or vehicles, gadgets and weapons galore. Since the fall of the Red Hoods, Ironhaven has been the home of Tenebris' military headquarters and training facilities. If you're not in the military, you're likely a factory worker, manufacturer or a miner. The Tenebris military has satellite installations all over the country, but this is where the recruits are stationed to be transformed into killing machines.
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While these are some of the major locales around Tenebris, they are not the only ones. If you have an idea in mind for a location that involves your character, please come up with a name, associated lore and how it fits into the story and present it to me for consideration.
