The world of Ancestral is built upon the dead body of Thera, the Eternal Mother.
The Body of the Mother
Mountains rise from her bones, rivers flow through her veins, and her voice, the Haze, pours from wounds inflicted during the ancient wars between the powers of creation and destruction. Across countless Spires, civilizations have risen and fallen upon her surface, leaving behind ruins, monuments, and challenges that still shape the world today.
At the heart of the known lands lies the continent of Therasya, cradle of most mortal civilizations and the stage upon which the greatest struggles of the current age have unfolded. From the frozen waters of the north to the tropical shores of SinBa, every kingdom bears the legacy of previous ages and the marks of powers far older than recorded history.
The Heartlands & the West
The centre of Therasya is dominated by the Thergen Empire, whose mountain fortresses and engineering marvels have long preserved the backbone of civilization. To the west lies the peninsula of Heraldon, land of knights, templars, and storm-swept coasts, while Cloudkeep, the floating city of angels, watches over the Lakedawn realms below.
The South
Southwards lie Dymarth, kingdom of eagle riders and seat of the magic guild of the Arcanum; Makinka, the winged messengers of the free nations; and Avaton, a militant state and home of fearless warriors. Between them stands Zargovia, followers of fallen angels, ringed by walls of the undead. Below the deserts stretch the Feyan lands of Everday, where ancient groves preserve some of the oldest traditions of the continent, and light always shines.
East of the Spine
East of the Spine, the valleys open onto the fertile kingdoms of Andor and Erenor, whose rivers and rich farmlands have long sustained the heartlands. Kinetika, home of industrious gnomes, hosts the Great Library. Along the southern coasts stands Lydoria, realm of the Amazons; on its border, Elemendia remains the foremost rival of magical study, while Starfall guards the approaches to the Haze and the eastern seas to the north. Beyond the southern waters lies SinBa, a distant island realm renowned for its druids, philosophers, and ancient traditions, its influence reaching far beyond its shores, its people keepers of deep knowledge of the past.
The North & the Demonlands
North of Cord’s Arm, civilization gives way to lands shaped by war and darkness. There stands Othmog, the great demonic region where Demon Lords wage endless conflict against one another while plotting incursions into the mortal realms. Beyond it lie the desolate territories of Helkor, with their dreaded corrupted humans, and Numahen, Dementia, Azmaarch, and the fractured kingdoms of the eastern continent, lands scarred by demon rule, ancient betrayals, and forgotten empires.
Between these northern realms and the civilized south stretch the colossal Haze Rifts — glowing wounds in Thera’s body whose energies feed magic, and which have protected the world from complete conquest even as they reshape it through the ages. Among them lies Cord’s Arm: the actual arm of a titan who once stood upon Thera’s body, whose remains now form a giant wall against the demon lands.
History Is Never Buried
Ancient ruins continue to emerge from forgotten ages, lost kingdoms are rediscovered every generation, and powers thought defeated stir once more in darkness. Every mountain may conceal a lost city, every ruin a forgotten truth, and every horizon the beginning of a new legend.
“Every horizon in Therasya hides another kingdom, and every kingdom another grave.”
Eolon of Oemon · Loremaster
