TERA’s Lore – Interview with Bluehole Studio 30.11.2011

TERA’s Lore – Interview with Bluehole Studio 30.11.2011

Roleplay fans rejoice! We would like to delve into TERA’s background today, as a developer from Bluehole Studio provided answers to some specific questions related to the game’s story during an interview with TERA’s Japanese community. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting questions asked by the fans.

Question: There seems to be a massive tension between the High Elves and the Poporis, and there is presently a High Elf ambassador in Pora Elinu. Can you tell us what the story behind that is?

Answer: Indeed, The High Elves do not get along very well with the Poporis. Actually, they do not get along with anyone aside from the Barakas because they are very proud and arrogant. However, they are aware of their antisocial tendencies and they are willing to become more open and cooperative towards other races since they joined the Valkyon Federation. At the moment, the relationship between the Poporis and the High Elves is a bit awkward, but they are working on their diplomatic skills to improve the situation.

Question: The Goddess Velik shows up in various cut-scenes in the game and is mentioned several times in the quest texts. Can you tell us more about the other gods?

Answer: After the Seal gods lost their access to the heavenly realm, their divine power was significantly reduced. This is the reason why mortal races can kill their divine fathers. After the ancient seal was broken, Velik returned to Velika and became the protector of the Human race. Of course, Humans were delighted to be set free of their wandering lives and to finally have a place to call their own. As for Kaia, Goddess of the Amani and protector of Kaiator, she is constantly fighting to free the Amani from the influence of the Devas. Thulsa and his allies, Akasha and Killian, are wandering around the world in order to reopen the Seal. As you can guess, all the gods want to reopen the Seal whether their deeds are good or evil in order to maintain their statuses as gods and goddesses.

Question: The Elins have two pairs of ears: one animal, one human. Which one do they use to hear?

Answer: The Elins can hear both human voices and the voice of nature. Their human ears are used for the former, the animal ears for the latter. Their four ears are useful depending on the situation, even if this is not usually depicted in the game!

Question: In game, some monsters appear to have the same appearance as the players, such as the Devan bandits and assassins. Are they related to the Castanics?

They do look like Castanics!

Answer: Actually, the Deva and the Castanics are the same race. They were both created by the goddess Zuras, but when she went missing, some of them became followers of Lok and became the race now known as Castanic, while the others who followed Lakan became Deva. Those who wander the Southern part of Arun think they were abandoned by Lakan and are now seeking for Lok. Both Castanics and Devas think they are not related in any way.

Question: Does the weather change? It seems that the weather changes depending on the zone. Can you tell us more about that?

Answer: Of course, the weather does change, even if this is not fully reflected in game. In most of the zones, the climate is mild and tempered, somewhat similar to Earth.

Question: We have seen a flying creature that looks like a whale. What is it, and how is it related to the game story?

Answer: The “Flying whale” has a special role in the story, which will be revealed in a later part of the storyline. To satisfy your curiosity, I can tell you that “it” is an emissary of the God which is wandering around the world.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding this creature…

Question: There seems to be a lot of slaves in the game. Are they all Humans? How did they end up slaves? Is it because they lost a war?

Answer: Most of the slaves are Human, but not all of them. The High Elves, Poporis and Elins live with their communities and almost never travel alone; as such they can’t be enslaved easily. The slave master Gula fears the Aman and the Baraka, which is why you cannot see any slaves of those races. The Castanics and the Humans are prone to be enslaved because they live scattered around the continent. Moreover, Gula love Humans in general, which is why you can see so many Human slaves in the game.

Question: The Kumas, in the Celestial Hills, work as sentinels near the Ethereal Forest. Do they play an important role in the game?

Answer: Kumas are elemental spirits. They were frequently seen during the age of the Sacred Empire, when gods had more interactions with the various races in the world. After the Seal was broken, their very existence was put into question. Recently, they were witnessed by many people, and since the Kumas are protecting the relics of the gods, they are often recognized as their guardians. They are the biggest known elemental spirits.

Do they look like mere elementals?

Question: Barakas have strange “tree marks” all over their bodies. Are they born from trees?

Answer: No, the Barakas are born from a stone. To be more precise, the stone grows up to become a Baraka. But this is not your regular, everyday stone - This “crystal stone” is called “Vita Gemma”. Usually, people believe that Barakas are entirely made out of stone, while it is only on the surface of their skin. The “tree rings” expand and harden as a Baraka becomes older.

Question: How does the Pegasus work? Is there someone summoning them? And why does it make so many detours to go from a destination to another?!

Answer: The Pegasus is actually a magic device, not a living creature. It’s worth noticing that this is a Castanics invention, which is surprising considering the low amount of devices created by them which are actually useful. In order to work properly, the Pegasus needs a departure and a destination point. As for the detours, they are obligatory in some regions due to political conflicts: for example, the High Elves insisted to have their capital city, Allemantheia, visible in the middle of the desert. The Aman objected, but the Humans took the High Elves side, which is why the road is slightly longer to some destinations.

Question: Where and when does the Amani practice the Humka?

Answer: The Humka is an Aman’s traditional competitive sports. It looks a lot like Sumo wrestling where you fight with bare hands and try to push your opponent out of the ring. In the past, it was a ritual ceremony to choose the leader of the tribe but it became very popular among the Amani, who transformed it into a sport. The Amani still use this method to determine their leader, as their character is very warlike and competitive. The Aman leader should be the vanguard during the wars, which is why the Humka is considered the best way to determine this position in the hierarchy.

Question: Why do the “Dying Ghilliedhus” look so healthy?

Answer: They are not healthy, even if they look like it. There is a reason they are called “Dying”!

Question: Why aren’t there any monsters around Velika? Is there an invisible force protecting the city?

Answer: As the protector of the Human race, Velik set up a powerful force field around the city, preventing any monster to enter the area. Thanks to that, the inhabitants of Velika can live in peace.

Question: What is the difference between the Poporis/Elins and the animals in the fields?

Answer: They have nothing to do with each other!

Question: On the Eldritch Academy Grounds, the 6 and the 12 are missing on the clock. Why is that?

Answer: That is a good question. The truth is… *runs away*

Question: The Poporis eat six meals per day, while the Amani only eat one. How many meals to the Elins have, and what do they eat?

Answer: They have six meals per day, just like the Poporis, and they eat the same thing.

I hope your curiosity has been satisfied! The Bluehole team is always delighted to answer the questions from the community. What about you? Do you have any question related to TERA’s lore and background? Let us know your opinion on the forum!

Source

 * https://web.archive.org/web/20120120104813/http://community.tera-europe.com/home/news/article/teras-lore-interview-with-bluehole-studio.html