Adothria is the world which Brighter Shores is set on.[1]

Attributes

Geographically, Adothria reflects lead designer Andrew Gower's homeland of Britain and other traditional high fantasy worlds. It includes coastal regions dotted with ancient ruins, tangled forests crossed by narrow paths between clearings, mines inhabited by goblins and gnomes who delve greedily and deep, and sprawling metropolitan hubs of civilization and commerce.

It is worth noting that while the terrain and climates may be somewhat inspired by Great Britain, the ceaseless rainstorm that besets Hopeport and interferes with shipping as of Episode 4 is seen as an aberration and a noteworthy, portentous event.

History

Long before the events of Brighter Shores, the Cren civilization was a major power in Adothria. A Cren monument near the town of Hopeport, which stood over 100 feet high and purportedly served as a magical amplifier, was destroyed around 350 years prior to the events of the game during an incident known as the Freyeland revolution.

Peoples

There are a wide variety of sentient peoples to be found on and beneath the surface of Adothria.

  • Humans are largely clustered in the oceanside town of Hopeport and the city of Crenopolis, though they have also established a small village in the southwestern reaches of Hopeforest. These are by no means the only human settlements on Adothria, as sailors in Hopeport would indicate the presence of other significant settlements elsewhere in the world.
  • Goblins and gnomes inhabit the Mine of Mantuban, and are cloistered in the southwest and northwest of the mines respectively.
  • Cyclopes occupy the mountain pass between Hopeforest and Crenopolis, and seem to enjoy a nomadic or loosely settled lifestyle.
  • Dwarves make their home in Stonemaw Hill, a land of ruddy soil and—as one might imagine—semi-regular changes in elevation.

Note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of the settlements and civilizations of Adothria, and reflects only those that players will have encountered as of Episode 4.

Technology

The tech level of Adothria is chiefly Medieval, with a smattering of machinery which may or may not be magically powered. This includes various stations used in Profession training, as well as clockwork mechanisms.

Sailing is commonplace, and used for both travel and trade.

Magic

The realm of Adothria is deeply infused with magic, and these arcane energies tend to manifest in elemental forms that include, but are not limited to:

The denizens of Adothria have varying potential when it comes to wielding any form of magic. Some are Neutralae, or beings with barely any magical ability to speak of. Others are Mysticae, which have an aptitude for non-combat magic.

Certain beings, known as Receptacles, have the capacity to absorb a vast amount of a particular type of magic and thereby become attuned to it. The player characters demonstrate this ability in the Main Story quest Nullify the corruption, where they are presented with the option to attune with either Cryonae, Arborae, or Tempestae, becoming a Cryoknight, Guardian, or Hammermage respectively.

There is another magical force which manifests as Corruption, twisting the land and its inhabitants into dark and monstrous shapes, though it is not clear whether this represents a corruption of the extant elemental magics or an entirely novel form.

Outside of elemental damage dealt during combat, there are a number of commonplace and utilitarian spells which can be cast by the magically inclined, including:

References

  1. Adam Cook. Brighter Shores is a new MMORPG coming to PC and Mac. 13 March 2024. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. "Finding themselves in the peaceful coastal town of Hopeport, players initially take on the role of a town guard. Their role as protector, however, soon expands far beyond the town walls as they learn of a greater threat across the fantastical world of Adothria."