The planet of Aeco sits in a two-star solar system, its two suns, Gozo and Gira circle each other in a tumultuous dance. There are three other planets in the system, Mir, Vrul, and Firoso. Aeco has two moons: Lum and Verok
The planet called Aeco is a series of floating islands, separated into two sections, the archipelago of islands above the clouds, known as the Sanctuary Isles, and the islands below the clouds, a land shrouded in darkness called the Misthold. Legends are told of a surface below the Misthold, but anyone who has gone beneath the mist has never been seen again.
The largest city in Aeco is called Highnest. It reaches from the highest point of one of the Sanctuary Isles to the lowest stalactite, and extends to multiple smaller islands.
Long before the world began, there was the Wild Covenant. This Covenant was a collection of Great Beasts that once wandered the primordial plane who gathered together for a common purpose, to create beautiful things. They believed that life was not worth living if one could not bring joy, and so they set out to create that which they each believed would best bring joy. Ameon, the Great Eagle, found joy in freedom, and so he created a great expanse that he named the Sky in which he could spread his wings and choose his own path. Tarsus, the Great Bear, found joy in stability, and so created a sturdy foundation that she called the Land that would support the creations of her companions. Senwa, the Great Whale, found joy in peace, and so created a great blanket to settle on the land that he called the Sea, so that he could drift with the currents and find where his creation would take him. The Wild Covenant found their creation brought them joy and named it Aeco.
The Wild Covenant called to the other Great Beasts and said “look upon what we have created, and see how it brings joy”. And the Great Beasts agreed and began to form their own joys upon the canvas the Wild Covenant had made.
But Kiin, the Great Wolf, was angry, for she found joy only in strength. “Your creation should not bring joy” she muttered to herself, “for it serves only to comfort and coddle, not challenge. How can you sharpen your claws on that which is too soft?” And so, while the other Great Beasts made forests and flowers and clouds and rivers, Kiin dove beneath the earth of Aeco and there she created her den.
From her den she created many things, things she called monsters. The monsters sprang from her den and began to spread, destroying that which the Great Beasts had made. When they saw this, the Wild Covenant, unaware of Kiin’s treachery, called to the other Great beasts and said “Look upon Aeco and see that it is threatened, from where we do not know. We must create a new joy, one that can defend all others.” The Great Beasts worked hard, for many days and nights to create their most important joy: Protectors.
The Protectors were a new kind of joy, one that could walk on two legs, use tools and weapons, communicate in their own languages, and even create their own joys. They spread across the face of Aeco, creating settlements, exploring the Great Beast’s creation, and most importantly, pushing back Kiin’s monsters. And so, till this day, the Protectors continue to fight to keep joy safe, and Kiin continues to smile, for creation has grown strong.
Magic flows through everything, and coalesces in a substance called Hexanite. Traces of Hexanite can be found in all things, as it pervades the soil, the air, and the water, being absorbed into all living things. When Hexanite coalesces into ore, as it does deep underground, it can be refined into powerful metal alloys, used in the creation of staves, magic weapons, and Hexus devices.
In addition, everything has some amount of magic within them through the absorbed Hexanite. This most often is manifested in increased skills. A warrior will find their senses sharpened and their movements faster while a proficient healer may be able to heal wounds others might find impossible. In rare cases, larger concentrations of Hexanite within an individual can manifest in supernatural abilities, such as leaping great distances or vanishing into the shadows.