Myaasia is a tortured world; its greatest flaw is the ready availability of too much power to those who know how to use it, in the shape of the Essaence.

The Essaence, and the fact that the whole world is an inter-dimensional gateway of sorts, has shaped the history of the world into a series of massive conflicts between would-be rulers of the globe: first between the original inhabitants, and then between these and something totally alien. The amount of raw power released in these battles has reshaped the geography many times, and has given the globe its volcanic and extremely unstable nature.

The world is larger than earth, but the scarcity of heavy elements has both slowed down technology and given it an earth-like surface gravity. Technology is also notably absent for another reason: the power offered by the ever-present Essaence makes the things possible with mere technology seem tiny and unimportant. Only the Northern Empire (aka The Evil Empire or The Cold Kingdom) and the Imperial Dwarves of the hidden lake have a much higher technological level than the rest of the planet, employing gunpowder and hydraulic power. The power of Essaence has tilted the “science” of the rest of Myaasia into a study of harnessing this immense power pool, with the different methods of usage forming two distinct “Realms” (Arcane and Divine) .

The peoples of Myaasia are generally quite aware of their place in the cosmos; even the poorest goat herder knows that the world is round, that it revolves around a huge ball of fire, and that there are five moons, which are smaller balls whirling around Myaasia. Things start to break down, however, when one asks more detailed questions. One thing in particular is a mystery to all: the Eastern Hemisphere. All known continents are on the (so-called) Western Hemisphere. There is absolutely no knowledge about the East. There are tales of a wildly beautiful but insanely shifting land and of an endless sea of chaotic colours, but no one knows. No one even wants to know, because one thing is constant: the supposition that to go East is to go insane. “He went East” is a common term for “He went mad”. It is said that the legendary Loremaster Andraax went East both physically and mentally some time in the ancient past.

Travel is generally very hazardous due to the wild geography, excessive volcanism in some places, the abundant evil and the unstable Essaence Flows. If one has (lots of) money, the easiest way to travel is to hire a Navigator, who will act as a reliable guide to almost anywhere (with notable exceptions!). There are exotic rumors of flying ships and even underwater vehicles, but these remain to be proven.