HJ-Dune Walker
Cadet
*deep impressive voice*
In the beginning...
*thunder cracks, lightning flares, hounds bay, and the world holds its breath*
...
Okay, actually, to be honest, we don't really know anything at all about the beginning.
In fact, we've got a ton of information on a ton of different aspects of Elanthian Lore, but it's like one giant jigsaw puzzle. We have a lot of pieces. We probably don't have all of them. Not all of the pieces are from the same puzzle. And we're trying to put them together properly and get some sort of a picture out of it all.
So! Let's get cracking.
1) What does the term "Elanthia" actually refer to? A planet? A dimension? A star system? A universe? An unending dream of the Wind Fish?
2) Three different games, DragonRealms, Gemstone, and Hero's Journey, all take place in "Elanthia", but each have different timelines. How do these timelines fit together? Do they fit together at all? And, just for fun, is time travel possible?
3) There are clearly other stars, planets, and dimensions. How are these categorized? How do they interact? What the heck is going on here, universally speaking?
4) The Gods. Should we even bother trying to figure them out, since they are so dang complex? If so, what are they? Immortal? Immutable? Transdimensional? Reproductive?
-------
Here's what I know from my efforts at research, broken down into categories. Let's start big.
Astronomy: The Moons - According to the lore of DragonRealms Moon Magi, Elanthia is indeed a planet. It has three moons in the time of DR, but four in the time of GS. This alone firmly sets Gemstone as coming before DragonRealms chronologically.
Astronomy: The Solar System - There is apparantly but one single sun, and around it orbit thirteen (known) planets. I don't know where amongst them Elanthia falls, but the other twelve fall in the following order of distance from the sun, least to greatest.
Astronomy: Stars - In GS, there are 22 named constellations commonly known throughout most areas and cultures. In DR there are 47. By contrast, in our world we have 88. This seems to indicate that Elanthia may be similar in size to Earth, but that GS and DR take place on radically opposed landmasses.
-------
Geography: We really can't tell too much about the geography of the differing games, because we can't directly compare them. We lack enough total information to figure out where they are in relation to each other or even intermediate areas. Official Lore places DR and GS on disparate continents, separated by one or more oceans, and this is further reinforced by the differences in visible Constellations.
However, there are discrepancies. Both game worlds prominently feature mountains ranges with the exact same name: The Dragon Spine Mountains. In DR, if I recall correctly, these mountains are said to be the home of the slumbering World Dragon, but clearly that can't be the case in GS as well, as they still have their fourth moon. Legends aside, however, what are the odds of two seperate mountain ranges, thousand of years and miles apart, both sharing the exact same name? Is it an oversight? A coincidence? Some other explanation?
-------
Races: Shared - The majority of the races between the two games are relatively unchanged. They are as follows, with a brief description when applicable.
Races: Unique or Disparate - Each game features a few races that the other game is lacking. Reasons for this may be geographical, evolutionary, magical, dimensional, or otherwise.
Races: Overview - Clearly the two game worlds aren't entirely isolated, because there is a huge number of overlapping races between them. However, with the oddballs like the Aelotoi, Rakash, etc, we're brought up short. Why are they in one place and time but not another?
-------
That's pretty much all I have for now, methinks. I know this is a fairly giant post, so if you read this far, then congratulations! You have above an average patience and attention span!
*silly grin*
Now then, let's build upon this! I'm trying to compile all the knowledge and lore of Elanthia I can into a single, basic overview with what resources I can find. All that is limiting me, aside from said resources, or lack thereof, is time and effort. I am particularly lacking in Gemstone Lore, so if you can give me simplified chunks of info to work with on that front, I would be very grateful!
Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed reading, and hope I gave you fine folks some food for thought!
~Dune Walker~
In the beginning...
*thunder cracks, lightning flares, hounds bay, and the world holds its breath*
...
Okay, actually, to be honest, we don't really know anything at all about the beginning.
In fact, we've got a ton of information on a ton of different aspects of Elanthian Lore, but it's like one giant jigsaw puzzle. We have a lot of pieces. We probably don't have all of them. Not all of the pieces are from the same puzzle. And we're trying to put them together properly and get some sort of a picture out of it all.
So! Let's get cracking.
1) What does the term "Elanthia" actually refer to? A planet? A dimension? A star system? A universe? An unending dream of the Wind Fish?
2) Three different games, DragonRealms, Gemstone, and Hero's Journey, all take place in "Elanthia", but each have different timelines. How do these timelines fit together? Do they fit together at all? And, just for fun, is time travel possible?
3) There are clearly other stars, planets, and dimensions. How are these categorized? How do they interact? What the heck is going on here, universally speaking?
4) The Gods. Should we even bother trying to figure them out, since they are so dang complex? If so, what are they? Immortal? Immutable? Transdimensional? Reproductive?
-------
Here's what I know from my efforts at research, broken down into categories. Let's start big.
Astronomy: The Moons - According to the lore of DragonRealms Moon Magi, Elanthia is indeed a planet. It has three moons in the time of DR, but four in the time of GS. This alone firmly sets Gemstone as coming before DragonRealms chronologically.
GS: Liabo / DR: Katamba - The largest of the moons of Elanthia, and also the most influential on tides. Noted as being Ivory colored in GS, at some point between the two times it is refered to as Gold (either literally or metaphorically), and is eventually scorched to Black. The main Simu lore databases for GS make a note in describing the later, dark appearance of Liabo/Katamba as being how "it will be viewed thousands of years into the future by adventurers on a continent far away", thus establishing a geographic isolation between the two games.
GS: Makiri / DR: Grazhir - The smallest of the moons, least influential of the tides. It did not orbit Elanthia, but rather orbited Liabo/Katamba. It was irregularly shaped in GS, and was dark and oddly smooth. It was observed to grow in size over time, but this was dismissed as orbital eccentricities and change. In DR, the Lore tells how the moon was known to be pearly white before its was destroyed. It's destruction is what scorched Liabo/Katamba black. Legends in DR claim that Grazhir was in actuality a great egg, from which the World Dragon hatched, and it was the dragon's fire that burnt the greater moon. The World Dragon is said to slumber inside the heart of Elanthia during the time of DR.
GS: Lornon / DR: Yavash - I'm treading now on somewhat shakier ground, but in the end it all seems to add up. Lornon is the farthest moon from Elanthia, and is very silvery and gray. This color seems to be caused by atmospheric gases, and the surface is not well known. In DR, it shifts to the red moon Yavash, though how I have not found. I do, however, know that they are the same moon. Quote, "Lornon... is a dark moon which once a year becomes washed in a sickly blood-red hue. Thousands of years from now the moon will be permanently stained crimson..."
GS: Tilaok / DR: Xibar - Tilaok starts out red and wild in its orbit, and is known as the Flamedancer. It is fairly small, and it garners its color from its atmosphere. In the age of DR, it becomes the blue Xibar somehow. Personally, I know little of Xibar (never having been a Moonie) and I've yet to get around to doing more research on it.
GS: Makiri / DR: Grazhir - The smallest of the moons, least influential of the tides. It did not orbit Elanthia, but rather orbited Liabo/Katamba. It was irregularly shaped in GS, and was dark and oddly smooth. It was observed to grow in size over time, but this was dismissed as orbital eccentricities and change. In DR, the Lore tells how the moon was known to be pearly white before its was destroyed. It's destruction is what scorched Liabo/Katamba black. Legends in DR claim that Grazhir was in actuality a great egg, from which the World Dragon hatched, and it was the dragon's fire that burnt the greater moon. The World Dragon is said to slumber inside the heart of Elanthia during the time of DR.
GS: Lornon / DR: Yavash - I'm treading now on somewhat shakier ground, but in the end it all seems to add up. Lornon is the farthest moon from Elanthia, and is very silvery and gray. This color seems to be caused by atmospheric gases, and the surface is not well known. In DR, it shifts to the red moon Yavash, though how I have not found. I do, however, know that they are the same moon. Quote, "Lornon... is a dark moon which once a year becomes washed in a sickly blood-red hue. Thousands of years from now the moon will be permanently stained crimson..."
GS: Tilaok / DR: Xibar - Tilaok starts out red and wild in its orbit, and is known as the Flamedancer. It is fairly small, and it garners its color from its atmosphere. In the age of DR, it becomes the blue Xibar somehow. Personally, I know little of Xibar (never having been a Moonie) and I've yet to get around to doing more research on it.
Astronomy: The Solar System - There is apparantly but one single sun, and around it orbit thirteen (known) planets. I don't know where amongst them Elanthia falls, but the other twelve fall in the following order of distance from the sun, least to greatest.
*Note! These names are DR names. I have no clue if they differ in GS or not!*
Verena, Estrilda, Durgaulda, Yoakena, Penhetia, Szeldia, Merewalda, Ismenia, Morleena, Amlothi, Dawgolesh, and Er'qutra. I have no information on any of them, except that Moonies can draw mana from them and make predictions based off of them, just like with Elanthia's moons.
Verena, Estrilda, Durgaulda, Yoakena, Penhetia, Szeldia, Merewalda, Ismenia, Morleena, Amlothi, Dawgolesh, and Er'qutra. I have no information on any of them, except that Moonies can draw mana from them and make predictions based off of them, just like with Elanthia's moons.
Astronomy: Stars - In GS, there are 22 named constellations commonly known throughout most areas and cultures. In DR there are 47. By contrast, in our world we have 88. This seems to indicate that Elanthia may be similar in size to Earth, but that GS and DR take place on radically opposed landmasses.
-------
Geography: We really can't tell too much about the geography of the differing games, because we can't directly compare them. We lack enough total information to figure out where they are in relation to each other or even intermediate areas. Official Lore places DR and GS on disparate continents, separated by one or more oceans, and this is further reinforced by the differences in visible Constellations.
However, there are discrepancies. Both game worlds prominently feature mountains ranges with the exact same name: The Dragon Spine Mountains. In DR, if I recall correctly, these mountains are said to be the home of the slumbering World Dragon, but clearly that can't be the case in GS as well, as they still have their fourth moon. Legends aside, however, what are the odds of two seperate mountain ranges, thousand of years and miles apart, both sharing the exact same name? Is it an oversight? A coincidence? Some other explanation?
-------
Races: Shared - The majority of the races between the two games are relatively unchanged. They are as follows, with a brief description when applicable.
Humans - Pretty much identical.
Elves - Largely identical, but Gemstone features more varieties of elves, ie, Dark Elves and Sylvankind. Interestingly, while Half-Elves exist as a Human/Elf hybrid in Gemstone, and while the DragonRealms lore does list the combination as being somewhat compatible for reproduction, DR itself did not have the mechanics for such a hybrid, and thus all Half-Elves were treated as either entirely human or entirely elven for purposes of gamplay. This meant Half-Elves could only exist through roleplay and backstory.
Dwarves - Pretty much identical.
Gnomes - Largely identical, but Gemstone splits them into two varieties, ie, Burghal Gnomes and Forest Gnomes.
Halflings - Ever-hungry, ever silly, ever agile. The lovable little scamps.
Giantmen / Kaldar (Gorbesh) - Seemingly genetically identical, but politically and culturally disparate. I lack more information at the moment.
Erithians / Elotheans - Pretty much identical.
Elves - Largely identical, but Gemstone features more varieties of elves, ie, Dark Elves and Sylvankind. Interestingly, while Half-Elves exist as a Human/Elf hybrid in Gemstone, and while the DragonRealms lore does list the combination as being somewhat compatible for reproduction, DR itself did not have the mechanics for such a hybrid, and thus all Half-Elves were treated as either entirely human or entirely elven for purposes of gamplay. This meant Half-Elves could only exist through roleplay and backstory.
Dwarves - Pretty much identical.
Gnomes - Largely identical, but Gemstone splits them into two varieties, ie, Burghal Gnomes and Forest Gnomes.
Halflings - Ever-hungry, ever silly, ever agile. The lovable little scamps.
Giantmen / Kaldar (Gorbesh) - Seemingly genetically identical, but politically and culturally disparate. I lack more information at the moment.
Erithians / Elotheans - Pretty much identical.
Races: Unique or Disparate - Each game features a few races that the other game is lacking. Reasons for this may be geographical, evolutionary, magical, dimensional, or otherwise.
GS: Aelotoi - A faction of Humanity that was translocated to another world in ancient Gemstone history by a member of the Arkati, an ancient powerful race I have little knowledge of (and which served as a lesser servant race to a species of dragonkind, which were even more powerful).
They lived on this world in peace, until in later millenia Elanthean Elves banished a Borg/Zerg-like race of insectoid hivemind creatures (known as the Kiramon in GS) to the planet on which the Aelotoi humans had settled. The Kiramon enslaved the Aetoloi humans for 15 millenia and genetically altered them to have insectoid attributes. Eventually a small group of refugees fled through an unexplained portal back to Elanthia and were accepted into Elven society after their origins were uncovered.
GS: Half-Krolvin - I don't know much about this race at all, as I've neither played Gemstone nor researched this particular race, and thus I can only supply a bit of information and speculation. They're humans bred with Krolvins, which I assume are a troll/orc/tog kind of race. Anything more I am not equipped to speculate on.
DR: S'Kra Mur - A race of lizardfolk, their origins are unclear and shrouded in divine legend.
DR: Gor'Togs - A race of very large, very strong, olive skinned humanoids. They were once a slave race to the S'Kra, but hold no grudge now.
DR: Prydaens - Catfolk. Pretty much what you might expect. Originally hail from "the west" of the DragonRealms.
DR: Rakash - Wolf-folk, somewhat akin to werewolves. They appear as rugged humans normally, but when the black moon Katamba (Liabo) is in the sky, they shift into their antropomorphic wolf form, known as their "moon skin". Also hail from "the west".
They lived on this world in peace, until in later millenia Elanthean Elves banished a Borg/Zerg-like race of insectoid hivemind creatures (known as the Kiramon in GS) to the planet on which the Aelotoi humans had settled. The Kiramon enslaved the Aetoloi humans for 15 millenia and genetically altered them to have insectoid attributes. Eventually a small group of refugees fled through an unexplained portal back to Elanthia and were accepted into Elven society after their origins were uncovered.
GS: Half-Krolvin - I don't know much about this race at all, as I've neither played Gemstone nor researched this particular race, and thus I can only supply a bit of information and speculation. They're humans bred with Krolvins, which I assume are a troll/orc/tog kind of race. Anything more I am not equipped to speculate on.
DR: S'Kra Mur - A race of lizardfolk, their origins are unclear and shrouded in divine legend.
DR: Gor'Togs - A race of very large, very strong, olive skinned humanoids. They were once a slave race to the S'Kra, but hold no grudge now.
DR: Prydaens - Catfolk. Pretty much what you might expect. Originally hail from "the west" of the DragonRealms.
DR: Rakash - Wolf-folk, somewhat akin to werewolves. They appear as rugged humans normally, but when the black moon Katamba (Liabo) is in the sky, they shift into their antropomorphic wolf form, known as their "moon skin". Also hail from "the west".
Races: Overview - Clearly the two game worlds aren't entirely isolated, because there is a huge number of overlapping races between them. However, with the oddballs like the Aelotoi, Rakash, etc, we're brought up short. Why are they in one place and time but not another?
-------
That's pretty much all I have for now, methinks. I know this is a fairly giant post, so if you read this far, then congratulations! You have above an average patience and attention span!
*silly grin*
Now then, let's build upon this! I'm trying to compile all the knowledge and lore of Elanthia I can into a single, basic overview with what resources I can find. All that is limiting me, aside from said resources, or lack thereof, is time and effort. I am particularly lacking in Gemstone Lore, so if you can give me simplified chunks of info to work with on that front, I would be very grateful!
Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed reading, and hope I gave you fine folks some food for thought!
~Dune Walker~
