In Hemera, there are two civilizations that are very well known throughout the continent of Aven: The Empire of Tavaria, and the Kingdoms of Ardoria.

Tavaria is the oldest known civilization in world history. They invented the idea of writing down history, and their language is an influential part of all other Human tongues. They are responsible for the development of the Imperial Calendar, the zodiac, astronomy, chronology, mathematics, and many other staples of society. Though they are completely walled off from the rest of the world, it is said that the people there have mastered the mystical arts and have developed a powerful nation with many magical marvels that are commonplace in the country such as carriages that pull themselves, fire that doesn't burn, and slabs of metal that function similarly to books. It is the hallmark of Human innovation and ambition and considered by many to be the birthplace of civilization, though currently it is isolated from the rest of the world.

On the other end of the land mass, Ardoria is seen as the cultural melting pot of the world, a free land where any seeking refuge from oppression can go in search of a new life. The Humans who live here are governed by 17 feudal kingdoms who are loosely unified under a single High King, who governs his own kingdom as well as oversees the 16 others. Humans are native to the land, but many immigrants who come to Ardoria include other humans fleeing the stringent society of the Empire, Elves who are against the isolationism of the Great Wood, down-on-their-luck Dwarves who have been banished to live above ground, nonreligious Halflings fleeing the Holy Land, and oppressed working-class Gnomes. Many ways of life are accepted here, as almost everyone who comes to Ardoria does so to escape big government and ethnocentrism, and had thus developed a culture centered around tolerance, respect, and shared cultural traditions.