1. Overview

Introduction¶

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Welcome to Ermis¶

Ermis is a world unlike any other - a hollow planet where all inhabitants live within its interior. Instead of stars and sky, Ermis is illuminated by the Strom, an electrically charged cloud layer that moves rapidly a few miles above the surface, providing the world’s primary source of light.

Dominating this unique landscape is the Spar, an enormous natural stone formation that stretches miles high, piercing through the Strom itself. At each end of this colossal structure sit the twin cities of Eryth and Astryth. Between them, suspended at the planet’s center, floats the marvel of Omerth - the floating capital city of the Dyarchy. The vital trade routes connecting the twin cities along the Spar form the economic backbone of the Dyarchy and the source of its considerable power throughout Ermis.

Many denizens of Ermis possess magical aptitude or psionic abilities. Technology and magic have evolved in tandem, giving rise to wonders like airships and autonomous mechanical servants. The invention of the difference engine has transformed production and commerce across the realm. Underpinning Ermis’s economy are the specialized magical disciplines of technomancy and orimancy - powerful arts without which Omerth, hovering majestically above the world, could not exist.

Adventuring in Ermis is not for the faint of heart. The great houses are in a permanent cold war with one another – held in check solely by the power of the Dyarchy and the forces of the Hegemonium that it commands. The twin cities of the Spar, Eryth and Astryth, are places of intrigue and opportunity. The wonders of Haem, to the north, are well-known, and the Fǣr Wildes to the west are as inviting as they are shrouded in mystery.

A Brief History of Ermis¶

Ermis has had a tumultuous history. The origins of the various peoples of Ermis are largely unknown to its populace, though there are rumors of a "great secret" held by the Dyad and members of the Fǣr council, concerning the nature of Ermis and its people. What is known from recorded history is that settlements near the ends of each part of the Spar became major powers, concentrated wealth and influence in the hands of the great families or houses of each city, and forming a kind of mercantilist oligarchy. However, this system was inherently unstable, as each house vied with the others for control of goods flowing through the Spar. There were also military incursions into Haem and the wilds of the Fǣr. This instability culminated in a war that raged over all of Ermis. From this war no clear victor emerged. Instead the house system itself partially collapsed, and with it the oligarchy it sustained. In its place the Dyarchy emerged. The Dyarchy is the result of the merger of bloodlines from the two greatest houses of the old Astrythian and Erythian orders, resulting in the "two-who-are-one" – two beings who are deeply mentally and spiritually linked. They and their descendants have kept the peace now for centuries.

The Fǣr have largely withdrawn into themselves and their wildes, while Haem maintains trade relations with the Dyarchy. Though Ermis has enjoyed several hundred years of relative peace and stability, recently things have taken a turn. Strange events and curious beings have started to appear throughout Ermis. There are rumors of terrifying beings that reside in the great trenches to the north of Eryth and in the wastes of the Kypar Desert

The Dyarchy has also become increasingly authoritarian. Its forces tightly regulate the use of magic and artifice. The forces of the Hegemonikon, ostensibly existing solely for the sake of order and security of the citizenry, have turned increasingly to the naked exercise of force for its own sake. The future of Ermis appears poised for great change. These are interesting times.

The dominant religion on Ermis is that of Eranism. This is a monotheistic religion in which the god Er manifests in different forms, but is understood to constitute all of reality. The priestly and clerical orders of Er are the "Erathoi." Clerics of Er are (at least typically) Lawful Neutral, reflecting Er's ordered but impersonal nature. The worshippers of Er interpret all references to gods other than Er as references to Er under some guise or attribute. Other groups, such as the Fǣr, find this very irritating.

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Eran Sigil
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Geographic Overview¶

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There are three major cities on Ermis. These are the cities of the Dyarchy (also known as the “cities of the Spar”) Eryth and Astryth (known also as the “twin cities”), and the capital city of Omerth (a floating city at the center of the world).

Other important cities or city states include Kavouri and Tehmérr (major seaports, independent of the Dyarchy), Thalassia in the Faer Wildes (the seat of the Faer Council), and Caer Mynydd (the northern center of the Haem Collective).

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The primary deity worshipped on Ermis is Er. The Dyarchy recognizes no other deity and contends that all other gods are simply aspects or appearances of Er.

There are many other smaller settlements, including agricultural and shipping centers near the twin cities, and nomadic groups such as the desert dwelling Sil or the wild Grimjaws of the northern forests.

While the Dyarchy’s grip on Ermis is extensive, several wild areas remain beyond their control.

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The eerie woods of the Dunwold in southern Vardoun persists largely untamed, despite incursions from woodcutters and resource-hungry settlers. Eastern Vardoun hosts the dense jungles of Ganaxora, which have attracted fortune seekers yet retained their mysterious character.

Beyond Vardoun, much of northern Ororos remains uncharted. The Xandoros Reach—named for a famed explorer—stretches as a vast, primeval wilderness. Similarly, Kra Chora remains largely unknown to humans, though the Haem maintain their impressive settlement of Caer Mynydd within the Kra’Aav mountains. Local legends speak of enigmatic ice monuments crafted by unknown hands scattered throughout this frigid region.

The island of Ignis stands apart as a blackened, otherworldly realm. Its landscape is dominated by obsidian-like glass formations that glint ominously in the stromlight. Maritime tales speak of massive reptilian creatures stalking the volcanic terrain, though such accounts are typically dismissed as sailors’ superstitions or tavern fabrications.

Few expeditions have returned with credible information about the island’s interior, and those that have describe an alien environment of steam vents, crystalline fields, and strange flora unlike anything found elsewhere on Ermis. The Dyarchy has made little effort to establish a presence here, whether from practical difficulties or some unspoken concern about what might truly dwell in this glassy wasteland.

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Emblem of the Dyarch

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