Eternia
Encyclopedia
Eternia is the name of the fictional planet
Planets in science fiction
Planets in science fiction are fictional planets that appear in various media, especially those of the science fiction genre, as story-settings or depicted locations.-History:...

 that serves as a setting for the Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....

 toy collection and animated series.

Origins

According to the 36th produced episode of the 1980s series, "The Search", and the 1987 motion picture, Eternia is at the center of the universe. Although little mentioned in the franchise, at the planet's center lies the Star Seed, a spark left over from the creation of the universe. Possessing it would grant infinite power to its holder. Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...

, upon discovering this information, tries to obtain it, but He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...

 is able to get it first. After resisting its corrupting influence, he then gives it to Zodac, who disposes of it. In another episode it is noted that Eternia exists at the juncture of alternate universes, which is an explanation for why the laws governing both magic and science work on Eternia.

Prehistory

Eternia's prehistoric era is known as "Preternia." It seems to have featured dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...

-like monsters, including some bionic
Bionics
Bionics is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.The word bionic was coined by Jack E...

 variations of unknown origin, giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...

s, and cavemen
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...

. Some of these dinosaurs are preserved within Eternia's Tar Swamp.

According to the Filmation series bible, Eternia used to be an incredibly advanced civilization that evolved through centuries of barbarism, enlightenment and scientific technology.

Some of Eternia's ancient civilizations possessed very advanced technology, and left many ruins and artifacts behind. One such race is the Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

-like Osirians, who used to live in the Sands of Time.

The oldest being still alive on Eternia is an enormous sentient tree named Skytree. The second oldest is Granamyr, ruler of the Dragons of Darksmoke, who has always envied the tree's status.

Earlier drafts of the 1987 live-action film's script (great portions of which take place on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

) reveal that the Eternians in this version are descendants of Earthlings
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

, and feature a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

 space probe
Space probe
A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make scientific research measurements is often called a space probe. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to...

 and US flag being found in the vaults of Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe, and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation....

, prompting the explanation that human life arrived on Eternia when it was colonized by a space exploration team from Earth's future. This scene appears in the comic adaptation of the movie.

Castle Grayskull

In the original series, Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe, and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation....

 was a fortress of mystery and power, and to control it was to control the universe. At least once, it was described as a storehouse for the Ancients' knowledge and power. Beyond that, not much was revealed about the castle's origins in the original series.

In keeping with the notion detailed above, the 2002 series explained that Castle Grayskull held the Orb of Power, in which dwelled the knowledge and power of the Council of Elders. It was also the place where King Grayskull
King Grayskull
King Grayskull is a fictional character from the 2002 version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. -Fictional character biography:...

's Sword of Power was stored until the day it was claimed by Prince Adam. This sword contained the very essence of King Grayskull's noble attributes and strengths, and allows its wielder to call upon those same gifts.

According to both series, Castle Grayskull is protected by a powerful guardian. Typically, this person is a woman who calls herself the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as The Goddess and Teela Na, is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise.-Original MOTU mini-comics:...

, who will occasionally adopt a falcon-like guise known as Zoar in order to travel the planes of Eternia.

Modern Eternia

The original concept of Eternia is as a world with a barbaric
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...

 civilization, recovering from an ambiguous Great War, that has wiped out advanced civilizations, but has left behind advanced technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...

, vehicles and machinery, as well as powerful magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...

.

In the animated series, the concept of a Great War was abandoned, instead focusing on a stable society and its constant battle against the forces of evil, led by Skeletor.
Eternia features an incredible variety of lifeforms, from monsters to sentient races, including non-humanoids, and hidden civilizations.

In both series depictions, Eternia also appears to be a comparatively small planet; as characters are often seen traversing between locations in far-flung regions of the planet, in short amounts of time. This is also supported by the fact that nearly all Eternian creatures seem capable of jumping extraordinary heights and distances, relative to their own size—as a smaller planet would also have comparatively weak gravity.

Frequently visited locations in the modern age of Eternia include Castle Grayskull, the Evergreen Forest, the Vine Jungle, the Palace of Eternia, the Mystic Mountains, and Snake Mountain
Snake Mountain
Snake Mountain may refer to:In geography:* Snake Mountain , USA* Snake Mountain , USA* Snake Mountains of Nevada, USA...

. It should be noted that there seem to be very few "modern" or contemporary locations in Eternia. Many, if not most, of the cities, castles, and regions are very ancient.

In the 2002 cartoon series, the planet is seen to have two very distinctive regions—the Dark Hemisphere and the Light Hemisphere (something that was mentioned in some earlier incarnations but seldom played upon). In the episode Separation the Sorceress
Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as The Goddess and Teela Na, is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise.-Original MOTU mini-comics:...

 tells He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...

 that long ago Hordak
Hordak
Hordak is a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe franchise, as a villain who opposes She-Ra, He-Man, and villain Skeletor. In the She-Ra cartoon, he is the leader of the segment of the fictional Evil Horde on the planet Etheria, an army of savage warriors, most of whom wear a red...

 and his minions used the Triad of Discidium to create the Dark Hemisphere in an effort to give his army a place to grow and thrive. Unfortunately, the magic he unleashed was beyond his ability to control, and the spell nearly destroyed all of Eternia. In more recent times, the dark half of the planet has served as Skeletor's domain, and a place to be avoided at all costs.

Buildings of significance

  • The Royal Palace of Eternia - Home to King Randor
    King Randor
    King Randor is a fictional character who appears in the popular 1980s Masters of the Universe franchise. In early material, the character is called King Miro, this was later given in the Filmation cartoon series as King Randor's long-lost father's name....

    , Queen Marlena
    Queen Marlena
    Queen Marlena is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. She first appears in the toys' minicomics as a typical medieval-style queen. Later, the Filmation cartoon series states that she is actually a space pilot from Earth who had crash-landed on Eternia some years before...

    , Prince Adam, Man-At-Arms
    Man-At-Arms
    Man-At-Arms is the primary title of Duncan, a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe franchise. The figure's tag-line is "Heroic Master of Weapons".-He-Man and the Masters of the Universe :...

    , Orko
    Orko
    Orko is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. He was not part of the original toy collection on which the show is based but, when he was created by the show's writers as comic relief, a toy figure of him was then manufactured. Orko appears in the 1980s Filmation series...

    , Cringer, Teela
    Teela
    Teela "Warrior Goddess!" is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. She is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the palace of Eternos and thus responsible for training and protecting Prince Adam of Eternia. While Adam is He-Man, Teela often assists him in his battles, but...

    , and numerous others.
  • Castle Grayskull
    Castle Grayskull
    Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe, and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation....

     - The most mysterious and powerful location in all of Eternia. The castle is the prime source of the magical power that is so prevalent in Eternia. It is surrounded by a bottomless abyss. The fortress resembles an ancient, primitive castle, with a huge skull
    Skull
    The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...

     carved in front of it. Despite the name, it is often portrayed as green, rather than gray. In the 2002 series it is presumed the castle is named after King Grayskull.
  • Snake Mountain
    Snake Mountain
    Snake Mountain may refer to:In geography:* Snake Mountain , USA* Snake Mountain , USA* Snake Mountains of Nevada, USA...

     - Snake Mountain was originally home to the Snake Men, before being taken over by the forces of Skeletor
    Skeletor
    Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...

    . The mountain is a large, steep, rock spire with a massive, stone snake twisted around it. In the 1980s series Snake Mountain was also a Horde
    Horde
    Horde may refer to:* Ordo * a clan or army of steppe nomads . See Orda * the Blue and White Horde, formed 1226, 1227* the Golden Horde, a Turkic-Mongol state established in the 1240s...

     citadel. Meanwhile, the 2002 series revealed that the giant snake encircling it was actually the entombed body of Serpos, the Snake Men's god.
  • The Widget Fortress- Home of the Widgets, a race of small, midget
    Midget
    A midget is a short person with relatively average bodily proportions in comparison with other human beings. The term is often improperly used to describe a person with the medical condition dwarfism. The two terms are often used synonymously because both terms originate as words defining small...

    -like people who mine Corodite, the most powerful mineral in Eternia.
  • Temple of Shokoti- Formerly hidden ancient temple, home to the evil goddess Shokoti.
  • Temple of the Sun- An ancient temple in the Sands of Time, which houses many ancient treasures and secrets. Surrounded by continuity discrepancies, as its purpose and design has varied between its episode appearances.
  • Temple of the Cats- An ancient, Egyptian
    Ancient Egyptian architecture
    The Nile valley has been the site of one of the most influential civilizations which developed a vast array of diverse structures encompassing ancient Egyptian architecture...

    -like temple that is home to a race of Cat People, thought to be extinct until recently.
  • Castle Star- an apparently ancient castle, for a while owned by the alien, Lord Todd, who turns the castle into a complex of life-size games.
  • Eternian Weather Station- a weather station in Eternia's northernmost regions, owned by King Randor
    King Randor
    King Randor is a fictional character who appears in the popular 1980s Masters of the Universe franchise. In early material, the character is called King Miro, this was later given in the Filmation cartoon series as King Randor's long-lost father's name....

     and run by his guardsmen. It monitors weather as well as allowing control over weather conditions on Eternia.
  • Station Sata- scientific research center.

Cities and other settlements

  • Eternos City- The ruling capital of Eternia and location of the Royal Palace, and the place where most of He-Man's adventures begin. Home to many of Eternia's richer citizens.
  • Avion- an airbone kingdom located in the highest peaks of the Mystic Mountains. Home of Stratos and the Avions.
  • Andreenos- a settlement in the lower regions of the Mystic Mountains, home to Buzz-Off and the bee-like Andreenids.
  • Drisdos- one of the major cities within Randor's kingdom.
  • Abherron- a jungle city, home to the Princess Raya.
  • Aquatica- an undersea kingdom inhabited by a race of sea-dwelling people.
  • Arcadia- a secret city ruled by Queen Sumana. Formerly rife with slavery, dominated by female warriors who forces men to work in the underground mines before the gender inequality is put right by Prince Adam and Teela
    Teela
    Teela "Warrior Goddess!" is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. She is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the palace of Eternos and thus responsible for training and protecting Prince Adam of Eternia. While Adam is He-Man, Teela often assists him in his battles, but...

    .
  • Cathenay- a small village, which hails He-Man as a hero after he saves its people from giant Sand Crawlers.
  • Malarkah- home to a race of insect-like creatures.
  • Morainia- ice kingdom ruled by King Moraius, a close friend of King Randor.
  • Morragor- a dark, desolate kingdom ruled by the Monster of Morragor, a demon in thrall to Skeletor, who is noble and dignified despite his appearance. After being kissed by Teela, Skeletor's spell is broken and he is restored to his original form: a handsome prince, and his kingdom returns to its original beautiful state.
  • Shandor- a small village once attacked by the Gryphon.
  • Stone City- an ancient city in the depths of the Vine Jungle, filled with statues, which are revealed to really be ancient warriors who encased themselves in stone, thus freezing themselves in time to re-emerge when Eternia next needed them.
  • Targa- a jungle city, neighboring Abherron. Formerly rife with slavery and at war with Abherron when ruled by the evil Queen Valena, but after Valena's defeat, the arena
    Arena
    An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...

     gladiator
    Gladiator
    A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...

     Garn is crowned King. Home to many great fighters.
  • Tauren- an elegant city, ruled over by Prime Minister
    Prime minister
    A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

     Pangus, which formerly lived with the terrible threat of being destroyed by the sleeping beast Yog, who dwelt beneath the city, until he is defeated by He-Man with the help of Pangus' daughter, the singer Celice.
  • Ruckstown- a small snow village within an icy mountainous region. Its residents are friendly and well-meaning but notoriously superstitious.
  • Zak- a small peasant village briefly enslaved by Skeletor.

Regions and landmarks

  • The Evergreen Forest - A large forest that is the planet's main source of oxygen.
  • The Sands of Time - The largest expanse of sand on Eternia.
  • Anwat Gar - A deserted island, formerly inhabited by a culture similar to the ancient Japanese
    Japanese people
    The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

    , which excelled in samurai
    Samurai
    is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

     skills. Believed by many fans to be the former home of Sy-Klone's race, the Guar. This area only appeared in the 2002 series.
  • Subternia - The collective name for subterranean areas of the planet.
  • Isles of Darksmoke - The mountainous islands, home of Granamyr and the more advanced races of dragons on Eternia. Also inhabited by Ice Trolls, allies of the dragons.
  • The Tar Swamp- location of numerous battles and adventures throughout both cartoon series. Also notable for being the place where Orko
    Orko
    Orko is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. He was not part of the original toy collection on which the show is based but, when he was created by the show's writers as comic relief, a toy figure of him was then manufactured. Orko appears in the 1980s Filmation series...

     arrived on Eternia.
  • The Vine Jungle - Another major source of oxygen on the planet. In some media the home of Beast Man
    Beast Man
    Beast Man is a fictional character in the popular toy line and cartoon series Masters of the Universe; the savage right-hand man of Skeletor, he has control over many wild creatures and has brute strength.-Figure:...

    .
  • The Mystic Mountains - The mountain range where the Sea of Eternity is located, as well as the home to a tribe of intelligent, slightly humanoid insects. Also home to the Bird Avions of Avion and the Bee People of Andreenos.
  • The Ice Mountains- cold and icy mountain range.
  • Zagraz Mountain- home of Zagraz, the comet keeper, who possesses magical power over comet
    Comet
    A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...

    s.
  • The Slime Swamp
  • Stardica
  • The Banshee Jungle- treacherous overgrowth, home to vicious wolf-bats
  • Mount Kro'na- the largest active volcano
    Volcano
    2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

     on Eternia
  • Mount V'ranthrum- large multi-vent volcano in the Dark Hemisphere, which Skeletor once used to block sunlight from reaching Eternia's surface.
  • Stone Mountain- the home of Malik, a young but immensely powerful wizard who once possessed an insane lust for Teela
    Teela
    Teela "Warrior Goddess!" is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. She is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the palace of Eternos and thus responsible for training and protecting Prince Adam of Eternia. While Adam is He-Man, Teela often assists him in his battles, but...

    .
  • Darklands- a dark region home to the powerful wizard Kor.
  • Isle of Tears- ruled by King Danton, who is briefly ousted from his position by the monstrous Gorgon.
  • This Forest- amusingly named forest on the edge of the city of Drisdos. So named as an inside joke by the animation artists.
  • The Province of Bracilia
  • Selkie Island- a small, uninhabited island full of many ancient ruins and historic monuments, having once been home to a great civilization in Eternia's ancient past. Nowadays inhabited only by various species of wild animal
    Animal
    Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

    s.
  • The Valley of Power- a magical valley, the streams of which contain mystical waters with great power.
  • Ancient Ruins- a region of ancient historical ruins guarded by the Zaktons, a race of centuries-old robots.
  • Mount Eternia- Eternia's largest mountain, within which the Elders imprisoned the Energy Beast, a demonic entity which once ruled over Eternia. Surrounded by continuity discrepancies, as it appeared in two episodes and is in a different place in both of them.
  • Demon Zone- a dark, dangerous underworld, home to Whiplash and many species of evil demons. Ruled by Kraal, its demonic overlord.
  • Caves of the Singing Crystal- a complex of caves filled with the singing crystal, a substance which emits a beautiful 'singing' sound whenever anyone touches it.
  • Rose Mountain- a large mountain on which grows The Bitter Rose, a flower formed from the tears of a grieving goddess.
  • Mount Fear- a large, dark mountain overlooking the village of Ruckstown. Home to a giant named Herman, who was formerly known as 'The Tingler', mistakenly believed to be a monster by the superstitious people of Ruckstown.
  • Avathar- lost island continent full of many ancient ruins and historical relics. Formerly home to a great civilization which ruled over all Eternia before collapsing centuries ago.
  • The Repton Kingdom- a dark, underground kingdom located beneath a stone pyramid. Home of the Reptons, a peaceful race of snake-like people from which Kobra Khan hails, now regarded as a traitor since joining the ranks of Skeletor. Ruled by King Pythos. Many fans believe the Reptons are descendants of the Snake Men.
  • The Plains of Perpitua- a dark, dangerous rocky plain full of many traps and evil species. The Labyrinth of Perpitua was built centuries ago to imprison the most dangerous monsters of Eternia below ground.
  • Mount Titan- in the 2002 series, it is the largest mountain in ancient Eternia
  • Point Dread- is an extinct volcano which rises up from the Eternian Ocean. Beneath the volcano is a hidden ruined city. Point Dread is the storage place of all of Skeletor
    Skeletor
    Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...

    's treasure.

Oceans and seas

  • The Sea of Eternity - A large sea atop the Mystic Mountains that provides water to the Vine Jungle and the Evergreen Forest.
  • The Sea of Rakash
  • Ocean of Gnarl
  • The Crystal Sea - A sea flanked by large growths of crystal, referred to by Skeletor as Merman's home territory. It is also home to a large monster known as The Bakull.
  • Harmony Sea
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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