In the caverns of Wuordon, veins of every ore imaginable line the cavern walls. North of the caverns are the Living Mines, where the living metal elementals dwell. To the west are the Broken Tunnels, the most unstable part of the Hypogaeum. To the southwest lies Ottuk Sea, a massive lava sea, and to the east is Utch-Schaul Lake, a freshwater lake that is the source of life for the tierin people. Their country is split into six sections: Dileion, the city of the mines, a massive urban area south of the Living Mines, where the mining industry is located; Dizhenon, near the Broken Tunnels, the unstable caverns where criminals and outcasts are sent; Reon, near the Ottuk Sea, where the most fertile grounds and the farms are; Shion, near Utch-Schaul Lake, also called Xoxe, or the swamp; Xonyanon, the central caverns, where most tierin live in small cities and towns; and Yincanon, the southeastern caverns where the artisans live in beautifully crafted cities.

Each city is ruled by a council called a yihuon, which is elected from select occupations in the city. In Dileion area, they are miners. In Dizhenon, they are the guards. In Reon, they are farmers. In Shion, they are mystics. In Xonyanon, they are builders. In Yincanon, they are artisans. These councils each appoint a small group to lead the local military forces, which are recruited from young adults. Every city also has a group of nobles who come from the first families to found Wuordon. These nobles have their own private armed guards, mystics, and farms, as well as their own leaders (based on a system of patriarchal eldership) called gongue. The gongue own the mines and farming land, even those run by the councils, and keep most of the profits from them. The gongue all answer to a wanon, or king, who is descended of the first of the founders. The noble families each try to keep their blood as pure as possible in literal and metaphorical ways. They breed only with those of the same metal, and they inhale special metal dusts associated with their metallic natures. A gold noble will inhale gold dust and only marry other gold nobles, etc. There are 40 such families: eight gold, nine silver, six platinum, four iron, four tin, three titanium, four dalim, and two zuinande.

The struggle between the workers and nobles is mediated by a merchant class called the fenfuon. The fenfuon control most of the businesses in every sector save the mines and farms, which they greatly covet. They ostensibly answer to both the yihuon and the gongue and wanon, but in reality, their wealth has allowed them to control major sectors of both. Though no one likes the fenfuon, most see them as necessary. One may never become a noble if not born one (though one's children might if one marries into a noble family), but one can become fenfuon, though it is very difficult.

Many generations live in one home together, usually upwards of five generations at a time. Children are raised by any available family, while the rest work, if they are not nobles. Noble families rely on servants to raise the children. Until the age of seven, children are kept at home, taught basics, and mostly allowed to play. At age seven, they begin going to school, going until they are 14, at which time they join a worker council, start studying specific things for their noble family, or go off to a specialized school if they seek further educated or are a mystic. By the age of 25, they are considered adults.

A wide diversity of genders is accepted in their society, but always considered secondary (or less) to the metallic qualities of an individual tierin. Courtship rituals have no specific gender, but marriage is a major event in the life of a tierin, based on their metallic character. If they marry outside of their metallic character, there are complex social consequences. Noble families never marry outside their metallic character unless they are ready to renounce their nobility. Usually, the richer and more powerful the family, the more likely they are to mimic the noble attitudes.

Metals have special meanings in tierin society. Some of the most notable ones:

• Iron: Strength
• Steel: Unity
• Gold: Pride
• Silver: Health
• Tin: Resourcefulness
• Aluminum: Flexibility
• Zinc: Family
• Copper: Law
• Brass: Education
• Bronze: Happiness
• Platinum: Hope
• Lead: Cleanliness
• Tungsten: Determination
• Nickel: Bravery
• Zuinande: Belligerence
• Living Iron: Insightfulness
• Bailaohu (also called tiaowonden): Prowess
• Dalim: Greatness
• Recorium: Faith

These symbols are always taken very seriously, considered to be guiding qualities for those with these metallic characters. A tierin whose personality does not match their metallic character is thought to have a hidden metallic character. The more mystical metals are very rare, and many have social roles they are required to fill. Dalim tierin are always expected to be mystics or religious leaders, for instance. Tiaowonden or zuinande tierin are often recruited to be warriors. Living iron tierin (who are distinguished from iron tierin by a certain hue) are recruited to education work. And recorium tierin, who are the rarest, are always priests. See tierin metal guide for more.

Of special note in tierin culture is their blood, specifically the hejin alloy within it. It is considered taboo to use the alloy in anything other than objects to be traded to outsiders, as using it for a tierin is seen as something like cannibalism. Trading it to outsiders is considered showing them honor and requiring honor of them. Only one metallic piece within Wuordon is made with hejin: the wanon's crown.