The Beginning

Our journey began in the middle of the nienties, with the original creator Rasmus Thorup.

Maps have always inspired me, I have spent many hours studying them. My favourites were the large ones in the classrooms as they triggered my imagination: Who lived in those forests? Who had sailed the oceans? What secrets dwelled in the mountains?

At the age of 14, I spent many days drawing my own maps, while stories began to unfold in my mind. Beneath my pencils point, I saw strange creatures fighting people, heard the calls of lonely heroes and the sad songs of their loved ones.
The drawings became sketches of castles, definitions of entire civilizations and battlefields, and written stories of heroism, evil, longing, and magic.

But as days went by, and I grew older, I forgot all about the mysteries of a world beyond my drawing. Until one day, my brother found my old drawings and looked at the sketches and read the stories. He too saw beneath the lines of the maps. 
But he also saw new adventures, creatures, and characters; The story would never end, the maps continued to be explored, and we in this world, were only travelers in the world beyond, trembling through darkness.

Under New Rule

In 2009 the world of Xantosia found its new writer, Nikolaj Thorup Jensen

I came upon the maps that my brother had created, and I was immediately consumed by the idea of a world hidden beneath the maps. In the months after my discovery, I delved further and further into the many pages that my brother had written and drawn.
At this point, I had already been playing Pen and Paper, such as Dungeon and Dragons, for about 5 years. and I always knew that I was a creator, not a player. I could see things, where others couldn't.
In many ways, that which my brother had created, were indeed a world. But as he grew older, he forgot the mysteries of a world beyond, and so Xantosia was left to gather dust. I wanted to revitialize Xantosia, and so I gathered my group of players, and brought them the world of Xantosia, and we talked about what it could become if given enough care.

Over the years, Xantosia grew from being a continent to becoming a part of Essera. The core ideas and framework of Xantosia was kept intact, but new ones came as Xantosia was given a new life and purpose.

In the early 2014, I brought my brother back onboard, for I, and my group of players, wanted to let the public see what we had created. And for that, we needed permission, as he was the original creator. I was given full control over that which we had created and more, I was given a seed and I was its caretaker.

The seed grew into a beautiful plane of dreams.

Sponsor Found

In late 2015, we found a sponsor with a goal that was almost identical to that of the seed. Unknown Borders, wished to become our sponsor.

And now almost 2 years later, we have arrived at our destination, a new website with dozens of articles await those that wish to delve into the world of Essera.

The Future

We will not rest here, for there are many corners of Essera that have yet to be discovered. We invite you to join us. Your ideas is the energy of the seed.

And so begins the mighty history of Essera, and it is now calling for you: Arm yourself with sword and shield, bow and arrow, quill and magic, trust your friends and you shall know your enemy, for you are about to enter the world of Essera where the song of the orcs has been heard in north.

Credits

There is a range of people that we wish to thank for their support and inspiration that they have given us.

The people behind Essera

• Rasmus Thorup, Original Creator of Xantosia
• Nikolaj Thorup Jensen, Founder of Essera
• Martin Yildirim Berthelsen, Core Knowledge of Dungeon and Dragons
• Kim Mondrup Kristensen
• Mark Kætbak
• Henrik Vejlø Kaastrup
• Mads Humlum

And special shoutout to the people behind Unknown Borders.
Thank you for supporting us through the years.