Shards of Thaya

Erathia's moon shattered into millions of pieces at the beginning of the War Against the Far Realm. When the war ended, the pieces coalesced into the current Shattered Moon. Some of the shards magically defy gravity, sky islands floating above the new moon's surface. There are 7,641 of these "Shards of Thaya", each with their own unique biomes and properties.

Lunar Sky Islands

Even before it shattered, the moon was mostly desolate. It had a very thin atmosphere with weak pockets of life gathering around the few sources of water. Now, after the shattering, the surface is mostly uninhabitable. The atmosphere is too thin to support most life for more than a few minutes.

However, life now thrives on the sky islands floating thousands of feet, or even miles, above the lunar surface. The concentrated magic of the sky islands attract all of the moon's air and water to themselves. The sky islands cover a range of habitats, everything from dense jungles to arid deserts.

The islands remain generally locked in their place above the surface of the moon. They float inside the Driiathi-sphere, a region of breathable air above the Mairun-sphere, where the air is too thin to breathe. Creatures capable of winged flight can migrate from island to island via that layer of breathable atmosphere.

The islands can shift a few miles to and fro, but they are generally anchored to one spot through unknown means. They drift in that range with the tides of Erathia and the new moons that have recently appeared in the sky.

The Main Shards

The Barrow Shard is the largest shard on the moon and the final resting place of the moon goddess Thaya. The elves built their main base, Sarch na Thaya, over her tomb.

The Swarming Shard is a jungle full of insects that the elves farm for livestock.

The Unshard is the second largest shard and home to the largest concentration of aberrant forces.

The Lapin Shard is inhabited by the moon's native Rabbitfolk.

The Star Shard is full of biolumiscent life forms.

Cryzad's Sea is the largest flying "sea" on the moon. It is named after the leviathan that looms within it.

The Lycan Shard is where the shifters and werefolk live.

The Blood Shard is the domain of the vampires that live on the moon.

The Shard of Arrows is a contested shard that constantly switches possession between the Vindicators and the aberrations.

The Barker's Borough is a resource rich shard isolated by a zone of dead air. The forces on the moon covet the abundant life and water on it. However,something dwells there that causes those who stay too long to go mad.

Current Affairs on the Shards

The Shattered Moon is still a battleground where Thaya's Vindicators, elves and druids, fight the aberrant remnants of the Far Realm's armies. They battle from shard to shard, fighting for control of the moon's limited resources and with each attempting to exterminate the other.

With their exclusive control of Telperion Skyships, the elves have a monopoly on transport between the moon and Erathia. For 160 years, only members of the Vindicators have been allowed on the moon. The tight-lipped elves do not share news. Their activities, whether they are winning or losing against the aberrations, remain a closely held secret.

Nevertheless, the world's mages and scholars keep a close eye on Thayan activities with telescopes and divination magic. They know that the Vindicators have been in a stalemate with their enemies for decades. The Wardens of Lozar and the Zone see no need to upset their alliance with the prickly elves as long as they are keeping the moon safe.