Once upon a time...This is how various stories begin, but in this particular case we are talking about an old adaic folk belief. This one says that Ada is a discworld. Carried by three spheres on strong chains, floating through space and orbiting the mighty Aton, these three "siblings" dominate the firmament of the world.
Aton, on the other hand, is not made out of stone, but it is the eternal bonfire of the Creator, affording light and warmth. It is said the three siblings were formed from Ada's womb. According to their appearance they got their names. Thus they are called: the Red, the Blue-Gray and the Green. In some areas of Ada they were given other names, such as Basho, Mari and Plutus. The three siblings keep the balance and prevent the other side of Ada, the so-called netherworld from taking power. This is where the old saying, "A disc always has two sides!" comes from.
Some scholars, however, including many mages, doubt this view and some incur the resentment of the common rabble.
In the beginning Ona D'rac was the source of all creation. But it had been alone and so it created the sphere and put the world ADA in its very center. Chaos reigned in the times of creation. But Ona D'rac formed the laws of order and burned them into the Gougenstone. This one it buried deeply in the heart of ADA.
Hereafter the Creator filled Ada with all kinds of life. But there was a lack of true intelligence and so it decided to fill the sphere with knots, which it simply called Sloops.
Henceforth, a wide variety of beings came through those portals and settled down on ADA. First came the dwarves who were mining the gold. They built great cities under the mountains. Then came the elves, who loved the life and protected the forests. They were followed by the humans, great warriors which chose the vast steppes and the sea as their homes.
To these three tribes the Creator gave three siblings, which have been watching over Ada ever since!
Ona D'rac saw that it was right and so peace reigned on ADA.
In the end came the mighty magicians who were in search for the Wand of power. Their eternal greed brought death and perdition! As soon as the Goguen Stone was found, a great war broke out. Each tribe wanted to claim the stone for themselves.
However, just before the world impeded to fall apart, the four tribal elders came to their senses - Diundriel the chieftain of the elves, Gordek the Dwarven King, Baba the leader of the barbarian tribes and Ama Aelrha the magicians prince of light - they divided the stone into four fragments and the era which went down in history only as "The Great Peace" began.
At first noticed by no one, but unnatural creatures gradually entered the world. And an old written tradition appeared again: "Whoever put together the Goguen stone shall be the ruler of ADA alone!"
None of the tribes recognized this evil Betrayal! Dividing the Goguenstein in four pieces conjured the chaos, which bit by bit leaked from it. As a result, the Devourer of Worlds awoke from his eternal sleep. In the course of time, he was given many names. Morgeroth the Doubter became one of them. And since that day Morgeroth has been feeding on ADA's chaos.
Diundriel spoke: "Stop! Don't you see that we are destroying it?". The chieftain of the elves stood prudently and calmly. Gordek slammed his fist on the table: "It's all the fault of these wretched staff-bearers! "Right!, That's how my brothers see it as well," Baba the leader of the barbarians answered. "Mutual recriminations won't help anyone here," Diundriel spoke up again. Ama smirked and at the same time he asked with a serious tone:" What do you have in mind Elf, we are not willing to retreat."
For the first time during the negotiations, the elf's face turned frowny and then he uttered:" None of you who is still clear-minded can make claims here. You are all aware that this world will perish, if we continue as we are doing! Look at what we have found and how we can ensure together the end of this misery."
The elf spread an old scroll Parchment on the table. Many Runes and an old script appeared. In the center, a stone was clearly revealed, which seemed to break at any moment.
So it came that on this day the elves clearly and firmly began to split the Goguen stone. Baba was the first one to receive a piece and he decided to have it placed in the pommel of his sword Ergosch. Ama was the next to take a fragment of the stone that had been battled over until now. He stowed it in the inner pocket of his light-colored robe away, without speaking a word.
As he handed it over, the dwarf's eyes twinkled at least as brightly as the precious piece itself. Gordek promised that the dwarves would hide this treasure deep in their hold so that it could not be easily found. Finally, Diundriel took the last gem and immediately ordered a henchman to set the piece in an amulet, which he called Rinowar.
And since this day the great peace reigned over Ada.
Adakadabrah, the largest city of Ada, lies northwest of the river Dardarad. It borders the lands of the Necromancers and the Earth Mages. Here in the peace-loving city, equal rights apply to all races and factions. This most advanced of all Ada's cities is ruled by the Council of Five. Every five summers, a new council is elected to ensure fair and forward-looking politics within the walls. The current population is difficult to estimate, as Adakadabrah is growing rapidly every year. One can imagine that many war-weary citizens of Ada seek refuge here and usually find it. There are indications that unimaginable 200,000 souls have found their home here by now!
The most striking architecture of the city is the numerous towers, most of which are inhabited by mages. In the center, on a hill, stands the marketplace with the government building, the headquarter of the Five, and the Great Library. All Five magical orders maintain schools in the city. A Barbarian Guild is on-site, the Elven Embassy, and even the Dwarves run a tavern here. Cultural life has many different and strange facets within the city walls.
More and more of these walls encircle this city, which is often popularly called the "Pearl of the North". With every expansion, the desire for security also grows. The river Dardarad divides Adakadabrah into two sections. Somewhat offshore from it is the harbor, which serves as a large trading point for all kinds of exotic goods and merchandise.
Last but not least, the mighty forge should be mentioned, for it is here that many of the gems from the Goguen fragments and their sockets are forged here. Equipped and used by most of the heroes on Ada. Only the dwarves in their mines are able to match this kind of production. Therefore, every self-respecting one of you should travel here and see the splendor of the pearl with his own eyes!
Come and visit the Pearl of the North today!
Biera, or the City of Pleasure, lies in the western part of Ada, far from the territories of the barbarians. But the place is no less barbaric and uncivilized, at least from the elves' point of view. Here you can also find the Silver Coast. Surrounded by the great thorn forest where the Rootfinders live, there you will find Biera.
The town - if one can even call it that - consists of merely seven villages that lie close to each other and in between countless fields for barley and hops stretch out. The center of Biera is a large arena called "the Temple". In this arena games and contests take place every day. Taverns, gambling booths, inns, theaters and pleasure houses have settled around the temple. The hustle and bustle in Biera's center, finds no equivalent in the whole of Ada!
Undoubtedly, Biera offers, besides its famous alcoholic city brew - Biera beer - ,
fun and distraction from everyday life. This place never sleeps, except the day before the Biera-Biera festival, which takes place once a year. There, the seven districts compete for the annual reign. The chosen aspirants for the throne of Biera have to slap each other. After each slap, a large stein of beer is drunk dry. The last one who can stand in "the Temple" has won and will rule the city as a nobleman for one year. After the enthronement, the thus appointed leader of Biera is carried through the city in a procession and the people cheer him.
The city can only be reached by water, because the thorn forest does allow only a few to pass. Thus Biera has no wall nor army to defend it. The only ones who keep up the order are the Biera guards. They watch over here and there to make sure that no adulterated beer is sold. Despite these anarchistic structures, there is not much chaos. It is believed that the brew in this area has ingredients that suppress the aggressive tendencies of any living creature.
One might think that the name of the Thorn Forest comes from plants embroidered with thorns. This is by no means the case. Rather, the name comes from mushrooms that look like thorns. On Ada this kind can only be found here. Countless numbers of them grow in this forest, and the closer you get to the center, the more and larger they become. One such fungus is almost two meters high! Long ago, the mushrooms and the forest's large old trees entered into a symbiotic relationship. Thus, many plants and roots have formed an organism that communicates with itself and the outside world.
The settled elves there are a part of this extraordinary community. It is therefore not surprising that the tribe of the Rootfinders has arisen here. With the help of the druids and tree shepherds, a huge tree has grown to serve as their hometown. Niches and caves have sprouted on the widely intertwined branches and in the thick trunk of the tree. Similar to small houses. Suspension bridges connect these dwellings. This village of Rootfinders - their home - is known as Isen'Duhr.
The Thorn Forest abuts the city of Biera to the west and the territory of the Stonebiter to the south. In the north you will find the Great Sea and in the east The Green Plain. Despite this central location, many races avoid this area because the probability of getting lost there and dying miserably is very high.
The south is probably the most populated part of this world. Here you will also find the territory of the humans. Along the southern coast from the Cap of the Great Freedom to the Diamond Bay, various coastal towns and villages have been established over the years. With its multitude of unexplored islands, this area is called the Wild Sea. The Stormbreaker tribe has found its home here. On Kumar stands the fortress of Skull's Crate. This is where the Stormbreaker crews embark to start their raids. At the same time, the mid-sized archipelago - with a total of 11 sister islands - offers the barbarians protection from unwelcome guests.
The second-largest island is called Shuka. In this place, over time, the cult of passion arose. The Shukara worship the Caretaker Adas. The foundation of this community is their unwavering belief in success & love.
Recently, reports have come to light from the largest and southernmost island that provide evidence of flying monsters. However, this part of the Wild Sea is still unexplored to believe the tales.
Further along the coast from the Cap of Great Freedom, you will encounter several city-states that differ from the typical barbarian tribes. The most famous city is Siegelheim. Its boastful harbor is always worth a visit. No other trans-shipment point for goods and trade is more famous in the south of Ada.
The fascinating waters of the Wild Sea end quite northeast at Demon's Gorge!
The first step is always the hardest! Many thousands of years have passed since the first settlement of Ada. Despite this long span of time, the world is still partly unexplored and wild.
While the elves retreated into the seclusion of their impenetrable forests and groves. The dwarf tribes carved their bingen deep into the mountains with great precision. At the same time, unnoticed, the humans spread all over Ada. They built villages, towns, transformed and farmed the land in their own way.
In the early years of the first and second age, the hierarchies of the people developed very hesitantly. This is how the wild barbarian tribes came into being. The city states and first small principalities followed later. History shows that this happened at the same time as the emergence of the mages.
Astonishingly, the nature of Ada changed the anatomy of the primeval elves. New life forms emerged, such as the Rootfinders. A genetic variation of dryads and wood elves.
The dwarves, on the other hand, did not adapt! Their proverbial stubbornness is common law on Ada. They remained loyal to their nature. Their fertility ensured increased growth over the decades. Besides the Stonebiters, three other large tribes of this race can be found today.
The term "race" - common among humans, dwarves and elves - however does not apply to the mages. For their tribes consist of the most diverse humanoid beings. Nevertheless, the mages act as if they were one species, created out of the fact that magic unites them in their blood.
One thing all the beings of Ada have in common is their belief in Gods. Each tribe brought its faith with it, but it did not last in this realm. Ona'drac the One who created the world had recognised this need of the beings who entered it. From his blood drop he bestowed them with Alkor, the god of dwarves and craftsmen. Out of his hair he created Fafnir, the goddess of elves and nature. He used the energy of diligence to spawn Hader the god of men and war.
While Ogma roamed along the night sky through the dark void, Ona'drac captured with his soul catcher the goddess of the elements and magic.
For those souls that passed into death, he created Nembus, also known as the Preserver.
In the beginning, the people did not seem to acknowledge the new gods and Ona'drac was very worried.
Even so, as Morgoroth, the God of Chaos, drove the world further and further into the doom, all the humanoid races found shelter and spiritual aid with Ona'drac's gods. They quickly realised the benefits of worshipping a higher form of existence.
One of the most dangerous areas of Ada is the Demon Trench. It stretches from the center of the continent to the eastern edge and the end of the world. This gigantic rift was formed only in the middle of the Second Age. The division of the Gougenstein is probably responsible for this, because immediately after that the ground of Ada gave way. For about ten years, and under some strong and less strong quakes, the trench dug itself so deep into the interior of the planet disk that no one who ever went down ever reached the bottom. Here, from the depths, the dark forces should be able to reach the surface. There is talk of orcs, goblins and goblins, as well as undead creatures driven by an even higher power, the demons who are said to have their wealth there. That is why this place is called Demon's Trench, although no man has ever brought proof of the existence of a demon.
In the first section of the trench, lies the Great Graveyard of Human Barbarians with the fortress of Armontel. Amazingly, this area remained intact and lies like an island surrounded by nothingness in the Demon Trench. It is said that the god of the dead himself placed his protection over this rocky island. The people appreciated this divine intervention and did not give up this land, so they built two mighty bridges connecting the sides of the moat. Henceforth, the Skull Tribe called it the Spirit Realm.
In the course of this gigantic gorge, bridges were built at two other bottlenecks to connect the sides. Here the two trade routes connecting the south and the north were created. The Great Trading Company of 1111 of the Second Age maintains these bridges.
In this region, they have the most power because they control the trade, since the sea route is excluded because the rift extends even through the great sea to the end of the world.
No ship on the high seas may come too close to the trench because the suction would inevitably pull it into the depths.
At the beginning of the Second Age, the first fire mages settled on an isolated mountain in the middle of Ada. From here they were to begin their triumphal march over the other races. Alonzo, the most intelligent of them, gathered twelve of his most powerful brothers. After they had performed a ritual, they merged with the mountain. Their magical essence formed the stone and ignited the first spark that caused the Ira'cu volcano to erupt. Within a few days, the once lush nature turned into a barren and hot area. Mighty lava flows crisscrossed the land and coalesced into lava lakes. The blue sky turned dark and was henceforth visible only in red-black colors. The air proved to be stuffy, hot and no plant or animal was seen anymore. The land thus created was called Gosch by the magicians.
Today only the fire mages feel comfortable in this hostile area.
Yes, you can say that the essence of the hot environment is their water and bread. So they built their academy on a hill and constructed an impressive building in the lava rock. Supported by thirteen pillars, where the silhouettes of the mages who once ignited the first flame were carved. There inside these halls, stands the shrine of the Primis Flammae with the eternal flame burning, for all time!
Over the decades, more and more different buildings have been cut into the volcano. Not every building resembles another. But they all have one thing in common, in front of each door is a bowl with ignited flame and burns in different colors as a symbol of eternity.
To understand the existence of the Koma desert, one must delve far into the past of Ada. About 600 years ago, the area was fertile. Green forests and lush meadows covered the land. A lush fauna of large herds of buffalo and other animals thrived in the flora.
There lived a tribe of mages known as the Timekeepers. They built the Pyramid, the largest building of its time. Through the Great War and the manipulation of the fabric of time, in a gigantic battle, this stretch of land, which we now call the Koma Desert, was created. All life almost abruptly gave way to drought and heat, and the Timekeepers were wiped out. But that is another story.
Only shortly after the division of the Gogenstein, Morgoroth, the god of chaos is said to have moved into the pyramid. The souls of the time mages are said to wander there in search of their selves. In the interior of the desert there are two oases around which the cities of Naos and Kang were built. In the far east, by the sea, lies the city of Surra with its large harbor and bazaars. In Surra the rare iron glass is forged. Iron glass weapons are among Ada's sharpest weapons.
Although the Koma is a rather hostile area, the Sandrunner tribe lives here.
