Eternia

Eternia is a central planet in the Masters of the Universe franchise. Its capital city is Eternos where Prince Adam and the Royal Family reside, and the planet is notably the location of Castle Grayskull.

Its sister planet is Etheria which is ruled by Hordak, a leader and member of the Horde of Evil, who is opposed by Princess Adora, Adam's twin sister.

Origins
According to the "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, upon discovering this information, tries to obtain it, but He-Man 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's noted that Eternia exists at the juncture of alternate universes, which is an explanation for why the laws governing both magic and technology work on Eternia.

Eternia is a tidally locked planet, divided into a Light Hemisphere, where it is always day, and a Dark Hemisphere, where it is always night.

About 300 years ago, Eternia and Etheria had a world war against two demons, former enemies of the guardians of Grayskull and Light Hope. Both planets had large advanced cities, but powerful sections like Castle Grayskull and the Crystal Castle were preserved in the war. Ancient archaeological cities in medieval style have been used and refined with new technologies, as in the case of the royal palace of King Randor.

Prehistory

 * Main article: Preternia

In most continuities, Eternian civilization is founded upon the remnants of an older society that possessed advanced technology and powerful sorcery. Details about "the Ancients" are intentionally vague, and are often unknown to the main characters due to the history being lost in a planetwide crisis such as the Great Wars. Legend and myth notwithstanding, the recorded history of Eternia usually dates back no further than the creation of Castle Grayskull.

The Powers of Grayskull: The Legend Begins! reveals that prehistoric Eternia featured dinosaur-like monsters, giants, and cavemen. Some of these dinosaurs are preserved within Eternia's Tar Swamp. Some of Eternia's ancient civilizations, such as the Osirians, possessed very advanced technology, and left many ruins and artifacts behind. Preternia was menaced by King Hiss and the Snake Men until the Ancients imprisoned them in another dimension.

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 reveal that the Eternians in this version are descendants of Earthmen, and feature a NASA space probe and United States flag being found in the vaults of Castle Grayskull, 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.

See also Timeline of Eternia.

Castle Grayskull
Main article: Castle Grayskull

In Donald F. Glut's minicomics, Castle Grayskull is a mysterious fortress believed to store the lost secrets from before the Great Wars. The Masters of the Universe Bible expands upon this premise, explaining that, at the recommendation of the Sorceress, the Council of Elders concentrated their power in the Hall of Wisdom and reshaped it into a terrifying castle, to deter anyone from plundering it until a champion arose to defend the forces of good.

The 2002 Masters of the Universe relaunch depicted Castle Grayskull as containing the Orb of Power, in which dwelled the knowledge and power of the Council of Elders. It was also the place where King Grayskull'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.

Modern Eternia
In all versions of the story, Eternia features a wide array of races and civilizations with varying degrees of technological and magical skill. Even the most advanced beings on Eternia demonstrate many archaic characteristics, such as wearing fur loincloths and fighting battles with melee weapons instead of firearms.

In both versions of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Eternia has a Light Hemisphere where the forces of good live freely, and a Dark Hemisphere dominated by the forces of evil. Although the whole of the planet is officially governed (see government of Eternia) from the city of Eternos by King Randor and Queen Marlena, their influence is limited to the Light Hemisphere, and several client states (such as Morainia) enjoy considerable autonomy. The dark side of Eternia is under the thumb of Skeletor. Eternia's two moons, Bright Moon and Dark Moon (Phantos) are each influenced by their respective sides of the planet - the Bright Moon's colony is prosperous and advanced, while the Dark Moon's colony is bleak and barbaric, although Phantos does supply the metal Photanium.

Legal System
The legal system of Eternia is like Earth's. Criminals are caught, tried (sometimes attained without trial), and convicted, but unlike some places on Earth, Eternia doesn't have the death penalty, favoring hard labor in the prison mine. In the He-Man episode "Mistaken Identity", hard labor was replaced with life in prison.

Races
The planet of Eternia is home to variety of flora and fauna which have evolved over millions of years. The planet is also home to a variety of sentient races evolving from a variety of phenotypes.
 * Humans of Eternia
 * Gar
 * Qadians
 * Avionians
 * Speleans
 * Caligars
 * Pelleezeans
 * Andreenids
 * Arachnas
 * Kulataks
 * Aquaticans
 * Karikoni
 * Giants
 * Snow Dwarves
 * Reptons
 * Snake Men

Non-Natives
 * Trollans
 * Humans of Earth

Notable locations
Some of Eternia's features include:



Buildings of significance

 * The Royal Palace - Home to King Randor, Queen Marlena, Prince Adam, Man-At-Arms, Orko, Cringer, Teela, and numerous others.


 * Castle Grayskull - 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.


 * Snake Mountain - Snake Mountain was originally home to the Snake Men, before being taken over by the forces of Skeletor.


 * The Three Towers - Grayskull Tower, Viper Tower and Eternia Tower, constructed by the Elders of Eternia to balance the powers of good and evil, thus containing the ultimate power.


 * Widget Fortress - Home of the Widgets, a race of small people who mine Coridite, 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.


 * Temple of the Cat - An ancient temple that is home to a race of Cat Folk, thought to be extinct until recently.


 * Castle Starg - 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 and run by his guardsmen. It monitors weather as well as allowing control over weather conditions on Eternia.


 * Station Zeta - A scientific research center.

Cities

 * Eternos - 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.


 * Andreenos - A settlement in the lower regions of the Mystic Mountains, home to Buzz-Off and the bee-like Andreenids.


 * 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 force men to work in the underground mines before the gender inequality is put right by Prince Adam and Teela.


 * Avion - An airborne kingdom located in the highest peaks of the Mystic Mountains. Home of Stratos and the Bird People.


 * Cathenay - A small village, which hails He-Man as a hero after he saves its people from giant Sand Crawlers.


 * Drisdos - One of the major cities within Randor's kingdom.


 * 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.


 * Operon - A jungle city, home to King Thaos and Princess Rhea.


 * Ruckstown - A small snow village within an icy mountainous region. Its residents are friendly and well-meaning but notoriously superstitious.


 * 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 Operon. Formerly rife with slavery and at war with Operon when ruled by the evil Queen Balina, but after Balina's defeat, the arena gladiator Garn is crowned king. Home to many great fighters.


 * Tahryn - An elegant city, ruled over by Prime Minister Pangas, which formerly lived with the terrible threat of being destroyed by the sleeping beast Yog, who dwelt beneath the city, until it was defeated by He-Man with the help of Pangas' daughter, the singer Celice.


 * 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 samurai culture.


 * 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.


 * Tar Swamp - Location of numerous battles and adventures throughout both cartoon series. Also notable for being the place where Orko arrived on Eternia.


 * Vine Jungle - Another major source of oxygen on the planet. In some media the home of Beast Man.


 * 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 People of Avion and the Bee People of Andreenos.


 * Ice Mountains - A cold and icy mountain range.


 * Zagraz Mountain- home of Zagraz, the comet keeper, who possesses magical power over comets.


 * The Slime Swamp


 * Stardica


 * Banshee Jungle - Full of treacherous overgrowth, home to vicious wolfbats.


 * Mount Kro'na - The largest active volcano 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 Mallek, a young but immensely powerful wizard.


 * 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 animals.


 * 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.


 * 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.


 * The Plains of Perpetua - A dark, dangerous rocky plain full of many traps and evil species. The Labyrinth of Perpetua 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 - 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'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 Mer-Man's home territory. It is also home to a large monster known as Bakull.


 * Harmony Sea
 * Eternia map.gifMap-of-Eternia.jpg