Overview
Everland is the world in which Of Peaks and Tides takes place. Once a thriving civilization where mortals lived alongside divine forces, Everland was shattered by the war between heaven and man. The remnants of that conflict have left behind a fractured landscape where ancient ruins sit alongside wild, untamed terrain.
Geography and biomes
Everland is an expansive open world with varied terrain types. The environment ranges from lush green forests teeming with creatures to stony cold island sections, sandy beach areas, mountainsides, and valleys that can be flooded by weather events. Each biome presents distinct survival challenges, resource availability, and creature populations.
Named locations
Location | Description |
|---|---|
Lushland | The starting area, a relatively sheltered region of rolling green hills and scattered ruins. This is where the forebears of the Nolands forged their civilization. Lushland serves as the player's introduction to Everland's core mechanics before they venture into harsher regions. |
The Ascent | A mysterious remnant structure that silently watches over the fading embers of civilization. Its purpose and origins are tied to the pre-war era. |
Eastern-inspired design
Everland's architecture, flora, and creature design draw heavily from East Asian mythology and traditional aesthetics. Pagoda-style structures dot the ruins, and many of the creatures are reinterpretations of figures from Chinese folklore, including beasts like the Qiongqi and Zhuyan.
Environmental hazards
The land itself is a hazard. Everland experiences dynamic seasons and weather patterns, including flooding rivers, sandstorms, blizzards, and tidal surges that reshape coastal areas. Calamities, residual divine forces from the ancient war, also strike unpredictably, bringing wind storms, lightning barrages, firestorms, and water surges that can devastate player-built structures.
Traversal
Exploration in Everland is nonlinear. Players can travel on foot, ride tamed creatures (including flying mounts), and use crafted vehicles and gliders to traverse the terrain. Climbing is always available as a traversal option, and players can earn gliding by completing a flying trial minigame. Bouncy fauna and large bubbles scattered throughout the world serve as traversal aids, launching players to otherwise inaccessible areas. The physics system interacts with the environment: falling rocks can block paths, fire can clear dense brush, and rising tides can open or close water routes.
Post-war landscape
Before the war, Everland's mortal inhabitants built a civilization under the protection of four elemental deities. That civilization is now in ruins. The Nolands, the surviving human faction, scrape by in small settlements, scavenging ancient technology and materials. The player begins as one of the Nolands, working to reclaim and rebuild within this broken world.