Tartarus

Tartarus by Siba Gasser

Located in the geographical center of Anesidora is the land of Tartarus. For most of Anesidora’s history, Tartarus was largely uninhabited by humanity due to the presence of the powerful and dangerous Titans; Pallas, Kronos, and Lelantos. It is only in the Third Age that people have become brave or desperate enough to try and settle in Tartarus, and their expeditions have been met with mixed success.

Each of the three Titans exert influence over roughly a third of Tartarus, though the exact boundaries between their realms vary substantially over time as their powers wax and wane. This continuous power struggle over territory means that the lands of Tartarus are never fully formed, especially along the boundaries of the Titan’s realms, and any attempt to produce an accurate map is short lived. The one exception to the constantly shifting landscape, and the only permanent landmark in Tartarus, is Mount Olympus, located in the center of Tartarus where the lands of Pallas, Kronos, and Lelantos converge.

Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus is located directly below the Black Star, a celestial object that blocks out the surrounding sky and serves as a consistent navigation point for travelers in the region. Little is known about the origins of Mount Olympus, but it is the tallest structure on Anesidora (predating the arrival of the Ancients) and is the starting point of the Bifrost Canyon, an unnaturally straight canyon that runs through Pallas and Midgard before reaching Oceanus. Whatever purpose Mount Olympus may have been designed for, it is currently home to Daedalus, an Ascended who has gone mad and turned against humanity after being betrayed by the people of Odin. He has converted Mount Olympus to an Unliving production facility and base of operations, and his army frequently conducts raids on human settlements.

Pallas

Located to the east of Mount Olympus is the domain of Pallas. Pallas is believed to be the first Titan to turn against humanity and begin corrupting his siblings. He is also the father of the vast majority of Unliving on Anesidora. His realm reflects his disdain for life, consisting of nothing but desert, with the occasional obsidian structure to break up the landscape. Even among the highly adaptable animals on Anesidora, very few have evolved to be able to survive in the lands of Pallas. Among his massive wasteland, the only structures of note are the deceased bodies of the Godcities Ares and Baldr, both of which crashed in the lands of Pallas during the Fall and were quickly destroyed by Palla’s Unliving forces. When the Ascended came to revive the dead Hearts of the Godcities, Ares and Baldr were too far gone to be recovered. Even as humanity has started to cautiously expand into Tartarus in the Third Age, there are no permanent communities in the lands of Pallas, and the only people who regularly travel through Pallas are desperate raiders hoping to steal Godshard and other valuable materials and escape before being noticed by the Unliving.

Kronos

South of Mount Olympus are the lands of Kronos. Kronos’ domain stands in stark contrast to that of Pallas. Kronos is covered in lush jungles, and has the greatest diversity of plant and animal species found anywhere on Anesidora. Kronos is believed to be the primary source of the Change, and new species appear there regularly. Kronos is also home to Lake Tritonis, the largest freshwater lake on Anesidora and the end point of both the Nile and Phlegethon rivers (the only rivers that remain warm during the winter). Kronos is much more conducive to human settlement than Pallas, but while Pallas lacks the water and food sources to sustain a permanent community, the parts of Kronos closer to the center of his domain bring the additional threat of Changed flora, fauna, and microorganisms. Another problem in the domain of Kronos is that the overgrown jungle can totally block the sky, and without the ability to use the Black Star to navigate, getting lost in Kronos can be deadly. It is for these reasons that most human settlements in Kronos are either along one of the major rivers, or along the border with Lelantos or Pallas – in which case the entire settlement is designed to move quickly if the need arises.

Lelantos

North and West of Mount Olympus are the lands of Lelantos, the final domain within Tartarus. Lelantos is a land of rolling hills, lush grasslands, and an abundance of animal life, including herds numbering in the millions. Few large trees are found in Lelantos, due to the ever-present winds. In many ways, Lelantos would be a paradise for humanity, if it were not for the permanent storm, hundreds of miles in diameter, that slowly moves through the region. The animal herds have learned to avoid this deadly storm, and most communities in Lelantos are nomadic and follow the herds.

However, a few attempts at permanent settlements have met with some success, by either using light, easy to rebuild structures, or building partially or entirely underground. The final landmark of note in Lelantos is the Godcity of Cliodhna, which crashed there during the Fall and is the only Godcity in Tartarus to not be destroyed. At some point, its Heart was reactivated, but Cliodhna was then overrun by Unliving, who continue to occupy the Godcity in the Third Age.

Next blog we will start our series on the major inhabited regions of Anesidora, beginning with Midgard, located to the northeast of Tartarus.