It was almost a hundred years ago that the country of Teinar was taken over by Aedolis in a confrontation that was horribly brutal and embarrassingly short. Strong though Teinar was, it was simply no match for Aedolis which had strength in numbers, superior technology, and a frighteningly efficient and disciplined military. Teinar and its people were absorbed into Aedolis’ empire and that was that. So Aedolis thought.

The problem was that they didn’t capture everyone.

Some people managed to escape in personal starcraft, though most attempts at that ended in utter failure; even more managed to hide, a move that was far more successful. In response to the worsening conditions on Earth, Teinar had started construction on an underground city that had been in the planning stages for quite a few years. It was only in the beginning phases of construction but even so, it offered a refuge to those civilians who were close to the construction site. Fortunately, it wasn’t until some days later that Aedolis troops discovered the construction site that those Teinari had used for shelter—and by that time they had already fled. Those mages among the trapped Teinari had used what magic they had to shield the site from view, making the entrance blend in with the rest of the mountain that it was built into.

The remaining Teinari fled as far away from that area as they could and, in the end, they ended up in the one place that was relatively safe from Aedolis—because it was the one place Aedolis didn’t care to inhabit: the Western lands across the continent and on a small peninsula surrounded by the devastated Hivan ocean.

The area was always a popular dumping ground for Aedolis, remote and out of the way as it was, and Aedolis used it to dispose of all their toxic and radioactive wastes. Now the very land itself is toxic—the plants and trees of what remains of a once lush forest have adapted to the poisons and reacted to the radioactivity and, as a result, they are now as toxic as the stuff that was put in them, feeding off the poisons and releasing lethal spores into the air during the springtime. Even the very soil is dangerous from decades of waste materials soaking into it; when the wind blows in strong from the ocean and sends dust up into the air, going outside without a mask could prove fatal.

If that isn’t enough, frightening creatures prowl the land, the result of being exposed to far too much radiation, eating the tainted plants and fish, and drinking from the polluted lakes and rivers—and having adapted to it all in order to survive. However, there is also speculation that some of these creatures are the throwbacks of failed genetic engineering experiments conducted by Aedolis; it’s common knowledge that they were conducting such experiments since that is how they created the Dragons.

Thus, the city of Teinar (named after the country, of course) came into existence. In the beginning, it started out a little more than an underground refuge but, with time, effort, and perseverance (and a lot of magic and engineering) it was eventually developed into a full blown city. While not as advanced as the cities of their former home, considering their limited resources, it is still an impressive and rather beautiful place—which may seem surprising, considering it’s underground.

Yet unlike above ground, Teinar has clean, clear underground rivers (which are perfectly safe and kept purified by a number of elaborate systems), harmless plants and flowers, some of them edible, that have adapted to life underground and give off lovely scents, and some rather interesting animals, some of them blind from a life spent underground in darkness.

Or, at least, it was dark under there until Teinar developed it. The city is kept lit up by sources both natural and artificial. There are a few innocuous skylights here and there to draw in some natural light, but most of it is the work of magic and technology.

Teinar is a hidden city and as such, all entrances and exits are carefully hidden. If Aedolis were to ever discover Teinar, chances are the results would not be pretty. For the time being, however, Teinar is safe and concealed, its citizens taking the utmost precautions to ensure it remains hidden. For one, access to the outside is carefully monitored and restricted; the underground city is in contact with scouts posted above ground who are constantly monitoring both the conditions outside (how the air quality is, if there are any beasts prowling around) and whether or not there is any actual unaccounted for humanoid activity occurring outside. If the air quality is particularly bad or there are beasts or unfamiliar starcraft nearby, access to the outside is not permitted and the city is shut down, everyone who is above ground quickly moving underground. Other than that, access to the outside is permitted, so long as you have a mask. Even if the air is breathable at the time, the conditions can quickly change and it is not a good idea to be caught out there without a mask.

Some of these creatures have noticeable resemblances to the animals they once were—there are ones that can be identified (if barely) as wolves, felines, even dragons and unicorns, noble creatures that have been twisted and deformed (physically and mentally) by the effects of Aedolis’ waste. Even more beasts bear no resemblances at all to any known animals, either mutated beyond recognition or a new species altogether. These mutations are not limited to land animals; sea creatures have also been altered into monsters—even down to the mer tribes.

If that isn’t disturbing enough, there have been sightings of beasts that look just a bit too human in shape…

While many of these mutations were caused by the waste, there is also speculation that some creatures are also the result of Aedolis’ genetic experiments, the failures and throwbacks.

Beyond the city, there are a few smaller outposts and settlements, all gradually closer to Aedolis’ border, so that the Teinari can keep a close eye on the country and give an early warning in case any issues crop up.

So far, this has proven to be a successful system as Teinar has remained undetected by anyone it didn’t want to be detected by.

Want is the key word.

Teinar isn’t entirely secluded and, in fact, it does have some allies as it is in contact with Seruna, coordinating missions with Space Station Cancer to get people out of Aedolis.

After all, a number of Teinar’s own people are trapped in Aedolis…

Teinar has its own military as well, though it’s rather small. However, it’s just the organized military that is small; each citizen is required to serve two years in the military at the age of eighteen. This ensures that every citizen has training and combat experience in case the city ever falls under attack.