The World of Tena'aven

Overview
Tena'aven is a home-brew setting originally created for a D&D 5e campaign. As such, most D&D races and classes could be present in the world, though the known continent is ruled almost solely by Humans, and the other races are often considered second class citizens. Races from D&D realms like the Underdark are treated as avatars of the necessary evil and corruption for balance in the world, but they are barely tolerated in society.

Tena'aven is full of animism that is experienced empirically by it's inhabitants. It's not uncommon to meet the spirits of lakes, forests, and grand places in nature. The relationship between mortals and spirits is one of cooperation for the sake of balance, though mortals often take on worshipping roles to obtain various magical aid and blessings.

The guiding principle of Tena'aven is balance above all else, which is reflected in their creation myths, social attitudes, and religious beliefs. This philosophy has allowed for some strange applications - including a major gap between the rich and the poor, a semi-feudal theocratic society with limited democracy, the acceptance of evil actions as long as there are also grand works, and a general "either-or" mindset that makes nuance difficult to consider. People take on strong positions, and encourage others to balance them through opposition.

Geography
There is little known of the world beyond the ocean to the North and East, and Great Sands to the South and West. The known world can be traversed on horseback, and secure trade routes exist between most major cities and towns. There is ship travel around the continent, and just recently there has been attempts to travel along the coast to the West, but no one has returned to confirm that there is a world beyond the desert.

Climate
Tena'aven is a temperate climate, with great forests of both deciduous and coniferous tree growth. The northern territories get very cold in the winter, with heavy snowfall, blizzards, and temperatures reaching -40 degrees Celsius. The eastern territories are generally pleasant and good for agriculture, but are often hit by summer storms travelling up from the south on the ocean. The southern territories begin as rich forest land in the east, and the borders of a dry, arid desert in the west, broken up by marshes just west of The Great Citadel. The western territories are mountainous and often very hot in the summer, with winds blowing in nightly from the Great Sands.

Seasons
Tena'aven enjoys four seasons - winter, spring, summer, and autumn, all lasting equally around 5 months. In the northern territories, the winter and summer seasons are slightly longer compared to the southern territories.

Winter in Tena'aven is cold to freezing, with snowfall over most of the continent. There is permafrost in the northern most peninsula around Ipli'whela and Fousten'vena.

Spring is particularly beautiful in the Nisgarin, with blooming fruit trees and warm rains creating bountiful crops in the summer. In the west, early spring is very wet with heavy rainfall, with late spring bringing the first of the dry winds.

Summer ranges from pleasant and sunny in Ktunin'vena to stormy in Tswat'luena. The north west is hit by storms in late summer to autumn, when the south west begins a light rainy season. In the west, the summer is very dry and often dusty.

Autumn leads to brilliant colours in the south and north east, and a turn to cold, wet weather in the north west. The south west remains hot and dry until halfway through autumn, when there is usually a cold snap that signals the impending winter.

Major Cities

 * Kvutaxa'lin (The Great Citadel)
 * Nisgarin (City of Tides)
 * Tswat'luena (City of Storms)
 * Tyunetka'luena (City of Stone)

Towns

 * Ipli'whela (Coldwater)
 * Otke'whela (Greencoast)
 * Xai'whela (Snowdust)

Villages

 * Ktunin'vena (Stormgrove)
 * Orka'vena (Orc Town)
 * Fousten'vena (Frostvale)
 * Goldharvest Farms

Other locations

 * Yensi'vol (Willowkeep)
 * Rushwater Caves
 * Ktunin'vena Resistance Camp
 * The Twisted Tower
 * Wrenn's Hovel
 * Kestis'lin (Brightmoon Temple)
 * Olenalon (The Underdark)
 * Smouldering Rock

Religion
Tena'aven is an animistic, polytheistic society with a hierarchy of gods and lesser spirits. While the lesser spirits are conferred with regularly, the gods of The High Order are worshipped across the land in an organized religion.

The seat of the High Order is Kvutaxa'lin, otherwise known as the Great Citadel, located in the central south of the continent. There, the Citadel Council creates and enforces both the religious and civil laws of the land through a combination of democracy and theocracy. There is no separation between religion and government.

The citadel itself is dedicated to Qi'tena, the chief deity and creator, and houses the worshippers of Aaven'tun, Qi'tena's martial leader and right hand in the pantheon. The altar and house of worship for Qi'tena is at the top of the citadel, and only accessible to the sitting High Priestess of Aaven'tun and Grand High Priestesses who have retired from the position. While worship of Aaven'tun is widespread, it is considered taboo for common people to worship Qi'tena. Instead, he receives a quiet fear and reverence among the people, who often travel great distances to receive his blessings from the High Priestess during The Festival of Rebirth.

The High Order

 * Qi’tena - God of Life, Chief Deity
 * Aaven’tun - God the Sun and Justice, right hand to Qi'tena
 * Heolin - God of Birds and Wisdom, communication with the spirits
 * J’tulia - God of Lakes, Rivers, and Knowledge
 * Gadota - God of the Sea and Abundance
 * Kvenen - God of Storms and Violence
 * Tir - God of the Greenstride (nature, love, sex) and Healing
 * N’tunlin - God of the Swamps and Pestilence
 * Yetsulun - God of the Blue Moon and Intuition. The large moon in the sky is named Yetsulun as well.
 * Iptelan - God of the Yellow Moon and Mystery. The small moon in the sky is named Iptelan as well.
 * Opalon - God of the Desert and Trickery
 * Ipsun’tun - God of the Stars, Death, and Birth
 * Yetin’tola - God of Mountains and Dragons

Notable Lesser Spirits

 * The wood sprites of Ktunin Forest
 * The frost nymph of Fousten'vena
 * The myconids of Rushwater
 * The war spirits of Crimsonweed Valley

The Arcane
Magic is commonplace in Tena'aven and used for various purposes by sorcerers, wizards, warlocks, and witches, among others. Magic is considered a major life pursuit, and is not accessible to common people for mundane tasks.

Far from just a few words and hand gestures, the empirical study of magic has lead to the theory that it is created through a type of ordered energy in between the spaces of material existence, like a lattice that keeps the moving parts the universe together. When magic is employed by mortals, they cut, move, change,and reconnect this lattice in ways that reshape the universe itself. This has led to some people referring to magic users as weavers, and their actions as weaving or weaving the lattice. All matters of the Arcane are formally studied at Tyunetka University, in the City of Stone.

Notable Kinds of Weavers

 * Scholars (Wizards)
 * Witches
 * Sorcerers
 * Greenlings (Druids)
 * Cunningfolk (Clerics)
 * Justiciars (Paladins, in service to Aaven'tun for law and order)
 * Spellswords (Paladins)
 * Entertainers (Bards)
 * Wild Magic

Races, Ethnic Species, and Ancestry
Unfortunately, D&D still uses the concept of races and racial abilities, even though it's philosophy is anachronistic. However, because this world began as a D&D campaign, all basic 5e races are present in the world.

Beyond the mechanics of a tabletop game, however, the D&D "races" in Tena'aven could more accurately be described as sentient, ethnically diverse species. Humanoids (Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Halforcs) are a single species with different ethnicities, and can reproduce together to create mixed ancestries. Animaloids (Mogogols, Tieflings, Gnomes, and Dragonborn) are all different species and cannot reproduce together, nor with humanoids. The relationships between the species and ethnicity are complex, and have changed significantly over the course of history.

In the game setting, Humans currently rule within a belief of human-supremacy in governance. However, aristocracy, local government, religious orders, professions, and locations are all highly diverse, with the exception of Orka'vena, which is an settlement consisting mostly of Halforcs.

The Citadel Council

 * High Priestess Sinopha Lightkeeper
 * Grand High Priestess Aurora Duskwall
 * Honorable Lord Jadelon Mournflame
 * Honorable Professor Histidel Stonemouth
 * Honorable Yet'lin Smart

The Ktunin'vena Resistance

 * Elenna Dawnbringer
 * Professor Theoden Gilnor

The Cult of Uthsina

 * John Allen Dawnburst
 * Lelphane Teslinsa

The Outlaws of Ktunin'vena

 * Pheliara
 * Lemuel of Willowkeep
 * Wrenn
 * Fulrapo
 * Saruki
 * Oofier

Tir's Guardians

 * Talistobog

Otke'whela Aristocracy

 * Madame La Lune
 * Sir Bloom
 * City Council

Other

 * Vanre "Vava" of Goldharvest