Guide to Tvenna
The Planar Traveler's Guidebook, vol. 1711
Introduction
Greetings again to you, planar traveler. You hold now a very special volume of the planar traveler's guide book series, as this is the very first world I reached upon my initial journey into the endless expanse of worlds. I've been given no indication of publication order, but I feel it is suiting to provide some special acknowledgement of this fact, for I am certain this particular world will always hold a special place in my primary operating core.
Tvenna is a world of striking duality, simultaneously dangerously untamed and home to monumental civilization beyond the scope of so many planes. In simple terms the world is artificially divided between the natural Wild and the engineered Cities. This provides for spectacular wonders to see and explore, but carries with it undeniable danger.
The Tvennan people, divided as they are, exhibit highly varied cultural traditions, with each city differing in various ways despite the shared technological root of their civilization. Opposite them, the Wild dominates the life experience of those living outside the cities, yet within this connected existence each group fits a unique ecological niche and expresses their experience in their own manner.
Some may be particularly fascinated with the Wild, but I caution you, potential traveler, to tread lightly in this place. There is a will within that untamed land and those who have it turned against them will find their time in Tvenna brief and unpleasant. Still, for the cautious and considerate there is a great deal that can be learned here.
The plane itself is quite each to reach, being neither particularly distant from the multiversal principal nor warded against common means of travel. I recall marveling at the time that Tvenna was not subject to more frequent visits from travelers akin to myself, but I suppose there are so many planes from which to choose that it is perhaps a greater wonder that we travelers meet at all.
So I hope, dear traveler, you find this plane as agreeable as I did. Perhaps in the centuries to come I will revisit Tvenna to see what has changed. Should we meet on this path, it would be my great honor to hear what stories you might share of your wanderings.
Until such a happy day arrives, I remain your servant, Laporan.
Geography
Arrival
Despite the overwhelming majority of Tvenna being consumed by the Wild, it prooved far easier to enter the plane within one of the Cities. While not impossible to arrive at any point of one's choosing, it will require a greater than average degree of control to do so with precision. It is my belief that this is an effect of the same force which disrupts transportation magic between Cities. Whether this is an intentional effort to block planar travel or simply an incidental effect of the disruption field, I cannot say. Regardless of cause, for your safety I cannot recommend any arrival at a point in the Wild.
The reaction you receive upon arrival will depend greatly on when and where you arrive. Most Cities are comfortable with casual magic and, barring travelers of particularly unusual bearing, will likely respond with mild interest at most. Skíðey, for example, utilizes teleportation magic in their daily travel, though if you arrive in a particularly inconvenient location you may receive a number of reprimands for teleporting outside the designated arrival points.
One notable exception to this is the city of Stórðey. Magic, particularly involving travel, is heavily restricted there, limited almost exclusively to the nobility. I was fortuante to learn of this restriction prior to visiting and recommend not selecting it as an arrival point.
Likewise, you will need to avoid arrival in the twilight, those areas directly within the shadow of a City. Travel into and out of the twilight is tightly controlled by those given governorship over it, which in every case I observed were groups of Skuggaálfar. While the Skuggaálfar were in every instance welcoming and peaceful, they are firm with the rules of the area they manage, likely owing to the vital role that leadership plays in their people's survival. As an outsider, it is a very good idea to foster positive relations within the twilight and with the Skuggaálfar in particular.
It is therefore my strong recommendation that you select one of the following cities as your point of arrival:
- Skíðey
- Mǫngarðr
- Færðey
- Svalðey
- Írmǫrk
Locations of Interest
Skíðey
I was most fortunate that this was my arrival point. Skíðey is a relatively small, but still bustling city with a strong focus on the arts, music, and history. Precisely the kind of location that I found most useful when first studying a new location. Its people, the Skír, are for the most part an easygoing kind, reveling in the benefits afforded them by citizenship. While Skíðey is primarily supported by a large working class who mostly serve the needs and desires of an elite upper class, there is a generally pervasive belief that to be Skír is a kind of privileged class in itself.
This is not to say the idyllic appearance cultivated there is without its dissenters, but such voices have yet to find any real traction with the wider populace, leaving such voices scattered and disorganized. This typically manifests as a countercultural movement, but rarely moves beyond self-expression.
Laws & Customs
Legally speaking there is little beyond the baseline expectations of a community, with prohibitions against violence, murder, and the like. Interestingly there is a cultural opposition to damaging works of art or interrupting performances which, while not a legal matter per se, can result in warnings or even sanction from the authorities.
In the upper levels the authorities will encourage anyone loitering, publicly sleeping, or causing other such nuisance to depart, and can take legal action if such encouragement is resisted. This is despite countless buskers performing throughout the public spaces of the city, who are typically tolerated or even protected so long as they do not become aggressive or belligerent toward passers by.
Accommodations
Skíðey does not have inns or other rented accommodations as you find in many other communities across the multiverse, but instead relies upon common houses and guest privileges to accommodate any who do not possess their own residence.
In the upper levels, many well-to-do Skír will impose upon the hospitality of others for accommodation, be they visitors from distant areas or simply disinterested in returning to their own estates at the moment. There are a complex series of rules and customs governing this interaction, largely centering around the host's interest in the guest's company and the duration of the guest's imposition on the host. In my time in the city I was made guest of numerous estates to which flocked others, often resulting in an almost celebratory gathering at the host's expense. This appeared to be a sign of standing that the host was able to provide for so many, though at times I noted strain on the household, particularly for the larger gatherings. I was never able to determine whether there was any sort of debt incurred by guests, but none was offered to me during my stay, a fact which I must attribute to my unique nature and ability to share stories of my wider travels.
The common houses of the lower levels are far less complex in implementation and typically utilized far more extensively. Such establishments are numerous and are treated as common property belonging to all within the community. They are maintained and operated largely through mutual obligation, with various individuals residing in the common house contributing to the needs of the whole. Guest privilege did seem to also exist in these lower levels, but it was generally an unspoken taboo to impose on the hospitality of others unless absolutely necessary. My contacts described the arrangement as a home where the whole of the community were both host and guest, effectively obligating everyone to provide for the good of each other. This concept, which in much of the multiverse would be considered radical, seems to have naturally grown out of necessity in Skíðey.
Food & Drink
Like most of the cities, Skíðey largely subsists on aeroponically grown produce and avian meat, supplemented with trade from the twilight. As with every other aspect of their society, the Skír treat the preparation of food and drink as an art and the consumption of such as an appreciation of such. While some food is prepared for pure nourishment in all areas, though more frequently in the lower levels, some meals are akin to exhibitions or performances and can last for hours. Before such events I noted an almost ritualistic fasting period among the attendees.
There are also a number of sculptural installations which function to distil a unique beverage using condensation from the morning air. This Döggöl is freely available for anyone to consume, when any is available, and is renowned for its intoxicating qualities which result in a euphoric delirium the locals call the döggdraumr. My analysis of this beverage indicates the substance can easily become dangerously toxic after only a moderate amount is consumed. Those who frequent such statuary are fortunate that the Döggöl is slow to produce and popular, but I was informed of some who imbibed with such regularity that they never fully recovered from the döggdraumr. The implication was that these individuals found their way back to the lower city and potentially out into the Wild, though I did not encounter any such person in my own exploration within Skíðey or the Wild.
Arts & Entertainment
The stability of Skíðey society likely owes to its cultural dedication to pursuit of the arts, with visual arts, music, and performance commonplace and accessible, in lesser degree, to virtually every citizen. Performance in grand halls and theaters, galleries of statuary and paintings, all live alongside street performance and public art.
Individual dissatisfaction and public dissent expressed in art is commonly regarded as a creative oddity to be mused over rather than a threat to the prevailing order, and this casual dismissal further limits the impact of such. Oddly however there is little in the way of graffiti or equivalent artistic defacement found in Skíðey.
Special Attractions
By nature, much of Skíðey is meant to be viewed and appreciated, from the architecture to the performances. There are a number of grand performance halls, including the seat of the city leadership which serves as the greatest stage and gallery in the entirety of Skíðey.
The skyrail port is of particular note, being one of the most visually stunning of all the stations in Tvenna. It is a wonder of stone, glass, and metalwork which took the combined skills of over 50 artisans, so the plaque claims in its primary entryway.
Even within the more utilitarian lower city one can find exceptional craftsmanship and impressive artitecture. In many ways this region impressed me even more than the soaring towers and statues of the upper city. In this place these beautiful forms were crafted to serve their function efficiently and enduringly in a way the upper city simply does not. Likewise the dinners prepared in the common houses can be surprising in their quality and beauty, despite their more humble origins, owing to the skill and creativity of the chef.
Færðey
Laws & Customs
Accommodations
Food & Drink
Arts & Entertainment
Special Attractions
Írmǫrk
A city of
Laws & Customs
Accommodations
Food & Drink
Arts & Entertainment
Special Attractions
Mǫngarðr
Distinct among the Cities, Mǫngarðr is a marvel of ecological engineering. While all of the cities feature some form of food cultivation, Mǫngarðr is a garden world floating above the world. Where the Wild features untamed growth, Mǫngarðr is carefully constructed to produce enough food for multiple Cities while creating a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Laws & Customs
Owing to the potentially devastating impact of any invasive species introduction, imports and exports are strictly controlled in Mǫngarðr, particularly anything passing through the twilight. This is somewhat understandable as there have been numerous instances of attempted sabotage, both from agents of other cities and those acting on the will of the Wild. Still, it has created a systemically-insulated owner group which hold exceptional power among the Mǫngatar.
Accommodations
By nature, Mǫngarðr has limited accommodations for outsiders. The Mǫngatar have residences which manage large sections of the garden, interspersed with housing for the laborers who work the land...
Food & Drink
Arts & Entertainment
Special Attractions
Stórðey
While all the Cities function as independent nations in theory, there is one which serves as first among equals.
Laws & Customs
Accommodations
Food & Drink
Arts & Entertainment
Special Attractions
Svalðey
More remote than any other, the city of Svalðey is
Laws & Customs
Accommodations
Food & Drink
Arts & Entertainment
Special Attractions
The Skyrails
One feature of particular note which I have mentioned but not yet addressed properly are the skyrails, or himinbraut as they are called by the locals. These marvels of engineering are magically powered suspension railways which link cities high above the Wild. Thanks to the interference which affects all transportation magic passing through the Wild, these trains are the only safe method for travel between cities.
Passenger travel along the skyrails routinely achieves speeds in excess of 500 KPH, making travel between cities far faster than one would expect, with most travel taking between one and three hours. Multiple lines run simultaneously through the larger cities, but all have at least two.
Riding the skyrails is a common practice for most citizens, though the cost does pose an impediment to low-earning laborers. Some cities take steps to make travel more affordable, but there is no unified system for ensuring such and many will never travel beyond the city in which they were born.
There are additionally dedicated cargo carriers which are the sole means for enabling intercity trade, making these rail lines vital to the economy of the city. The people's union of skyway workers is one of the few labor associations which holds a strong position in virtually every city, owing to the vital nature of the service they provide.
The Wild
Organizations & Factions
Mesðri
The Wild
Document Structure
Publication Status
Skuggaálfar
Lágkarlar
Villtálfar
Villtrfólk (though many in the cities call them villimenn or savages, a term also used for anyone who lives in the Wild)
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