¶ History of the World
Herein lies the world and all we know of it.
You will find things both glorious and terrible here.
You have been warned
¶ Map
¶ Era 1 - Creation
This era is the beginning of things, in which the land heaves and swells.
This forms most of what we know of as the structure of the continent today.
¶ Year Zero
In the first days, the continent was just the shape. Void.
The Southeastern Rain Forest was the first thing to spring up on the land.
Shortly thereafter, Heart Island and Circle Island sprung forth from the Southwestern Sea.
Then sprung forth the Central Lake, or, as you probably know it now, the Cursed Lake.
The Crescent Isles emerged shortly thereafter, in the Northwestern Sea,
and the Northern Desert began to form and spread.
¶ Year 500
As the land heaved, the northern end of the South Bay heaved skyward, creating spectacular cliffs, hundreds of feet above the surface of the water. The Bay Cliffs.
As the upheaval moved along, it formed the Central Mountain Range, pushing up and around the eastern side of Central Lake
As this was happening, the Volcano Island, burst from under the frothy waters of the Eastern Ocean, spewing fire and ash into the sky.
All this upheaval cracked the land in the south of the continent, creating a massive river system. This later would settle into the Great Southern Delta; a verdant and fertile area from which sprung trees and grassland.
¶ Year 1000
As the volcano of Volcano Island continues to spray ash and flame into the sky, it begins to whip up what would become a perpetual storm.
The Central Mountain Range finished its steady march northward, curving around to the top of the Central Lake. This upheaval, along with the flow from mountain runoff, caused the lake to buck its shores, expanding down to the southwest.
And through all this, the Northern Desert continued to expand, reaching the Eastern Ocean. But, as it expanded, an unexpected and hidden Desert Oasis sprung up in its western reaches.
As the Central Mountains settled in, their tops became deeply snow-capped. Perpetually frozen in blazing white glory.
While this part of the land settled, chunks of the eastern seaboard were doing the opposite. Huge pieces of earth broke off and rose up into the sky, coalescing into the Twin Floating Islands orbiting around one another, half a mile above the ground below. One island was covered in steep mountains, while the other was verdant, with a small lake in the center that ran over the side in a perpetual waterfall.
The stresses of the Central Mountain Range forming then caused a great rent in the land to the west, forming the Chasm.
This upheaval once again disturbed the lake, causing a great amount of run-off, forming the Western Rapids System.
At the same time, a Dark Swamp began to form north of the Southeastern Rain Forest.
¶ Year 1500
As time has moved forward, the Circle Island has turned into a tropical paradise.
And at the same time, another island has formed, this one in middle of the Central Lake. You know this island as the Divine Island in the Lake.
As climates began to coalesce, the north of the continent slowly cooled, becoming a frozen hellscape.
And as the storm above Volcano Island grows, it sucks up the flames issuing from the volcano itself, becoming a storm of fire and lightning, lashing the land with scorching flames.
The Chasm slowly dries out, becoming arid and barren, devoid of all life.
In the area between Heart Island and Circle Island, an archipelago springs up. And in the area between the Chasm and the Central Mountains, a forest springs up. The Western Wood.
Currents from the fire storm above Volcano Island whip the air into a frenzy, spawning a lightning storm reaching from the Eastern Ocean all the way to the Dark Swamp. The beginnings of The Great Stormwall
As the climate north of the Western Wood settles, it enters a state of endless sleet, pouring over a grassland of hearty grass, thick as wire. This is the area you now know as the Slüshee Marches.
¶ Year 2000
It is at this time that the Central Lake is first corrupted. A mist springs up around it, and the island is shrouded from view, but not before the island in the center is purified by the gods, guarding it from the influences of the corruption.
A ways north of the Swamp, a forest begins to grow. This is the beginning of what we now know as the Great Eastern Forest.
The Great Southern Delta expands, creating fertile grasslands, perfect for farming.
Surrounded by the tundra to the north and the Slüshee Marches to the south, the Desert begins to freeze over. The Oasis becomes a hot spring, continuing to support the lesser lifeforms who have come to call it home.
In the middle of the frozen tundra north of the Desert, an enormous Lava Field forms, burning back some of the north's freezing winds.
And through it all the Great Eastern Forest continues to grow.
The fertility of the Southern Delta draws the attention of the gods, and it finds divine favor. It becomes blessed land, protected against disease and drought. And through it all it continues to grow.
Towards the end of the first era, we see something incredible. Out of the lava of Volcano Isle emerges a civilization. A race of Magmen, beings of pure molten rock, and equally fire-y disposition.
To the north east of the Lava Fields, the Northern Hot Springs spring up, offering respite from the cold that those who cannot handle the pure magma of the Lava Fields can take advantage of.
As the seasons turn, the permanent snow caps of the Central Mountain Range begin to pour run-off in earnest. Flowing from a mysterious network of Mountain Caves, it creates a massive waterfall falling into the Central Lake below. The flow of water carves an entire network of caves, with an entrance at the base of the waterfall.
The Heart Island is purified by the gods in preparation of some great work.
And as glaciers move across the northern reaches of the continent, a huge range of mountains are carved. The Arctic Mountains.
The storms of the east grow ever stronger, and The Great Stormwall cuts across the Swamp and reaches all the way to the Central Mountains, bisecting the continent.
Through the increased rains from the new storm, the Great Eastern Forest expands ever on.
The Volcano of Volcano Island is purified by the gods, in recognition of it's place as the origin of life on the continent.
As the glaciers finish their work in carving the Northern Mountain Range, they naturally gather along the northern coast, forming the Northern Glacier Field.
And at the end of the first era, an earthquake creates some hill country to the west of the Great Eastern Forest, with a valley run straight through the center. The area now known as the Holy Valley.
¶ Era 2 - Civilization
In this era, we begin to see the various races of our world form.
Raised up together, and divided and recombined into the magnificent world we know.
Here we will learn about the origin of species.
¶ Year 3000
The first city is founded. Lavapolis. Capital city of the Magmen.
And as the Magmen begin to spread out, a splinter group marches across the ocean floor to the mainland. When they emerge, they are no longer lava, but some sort of kelp/earth hybrid. These Sedimen form a settlement just south of the Great Stormwall in the east.
In addition to the Sedimen, another sub-race of the Magmen appeared. The Rockfellers.
They sprung up on the volcanic island itself as certain Magmen naturally cooled off, forming beings, not of magma, but of solid rock.
At the mouth of the Southern Bay, another race began. This time, beneath the ocean waves.
The Zunkans. Amphibious beings and fiercely territorial, they wasted no time in settling into the waters around the Southeast Ocean.
In the Mysterious Caves of the Central Mountains, bursting forth from geodes imbued with the divine will of the gods, the first Gemlin burst forth. Small, goblin-like creatures with gemstones for eyes, they wasted no time in founding the city of Chalcedony, a sprawling metropolis centered around their god, an enormous geode that they believe will someday birth the biggest gemlin of all.
The caves prove a fertile breeding ground for new races, as shortly thereafter a race of dwarf-like Goldites and kobold-like Geobolds emerge from their shadowy depths.
The Goldites quickly send out an expeditionary force to the outside world, which after much wandering end up on the Crescent Isles in the Northeastern Ocean.
At the foot of the Northern Mountain Range, emerging from the snow itself, a race of Frost Goliaths rise up. Good people, they aim to aid those lost souls who find themselves in the tundras of the north.
At the same time, a much darker race emerges. From the depths of the Dark Swamp, the Swamplings form. Formless, they discover by taking up the bones of others, they can imitate the structure and behavior of other creatures. They use this to hunt prey and hide from those that would hunt them.
¶ Year 3100
As the Sedimen explore the area around their settlement, they encounter a group of young Swamplings. This leads to the religion of the Sedimen, The Cult of the Flame, to spread to the Swamplings, where a new church is founded.
The Magmen, in the worship of the flame that birthed them, advance their civilization's understanding of metallurgy to heretofore unknown heights.
In the expanse of water between the Crescent Isles and the mainland in the Northeastern Ocean, another aquatic race emerges. The Schwimbos. A race of... unintelligent... but very kind humanoid shark people.
As the Schwimbos are just coming into being, the Zunkans are hard at work building the magnificent underwater city of Zatlanta.
In the Southeastern Rain Forest, a race of avian humanoids springs up. Communistic, and worshiping the collective "Flock", they settle into the canopy of the giant trees of the rain forest to build their society.
And from the fertile soil of the delta, humans find their first foothold on the continent.
Emerging from the Lava Fields, a tiefling like race, the Demonborne, emerge and begin to settle amongst the flames.
Just to their north, the Frost Goliaths establish their capital city at the foot of the mountains. Frost City.
And in the shifting sands of the Desert, a humanoid race of sand people emerge, with the ability to dissolve their body into sand and reform it at will.
¶ Year 3200
As the century turns, we see a new race appear in the peaks of the Central Mountains. The Eyeree, a race of mountainous gnomes that advance to tame the giant eagles that have settled in the peaks.
And at the base of the Central Mountains, in the Western Wood, another race is born. The Pine Elves, who settle into the woods and claiming them as their own.
Further to the south, the Zunkans have been studying the arcane arts, advancing the study of magic far beyond that any race before or since.
A short way to the east, the People of the Delta build their first major settlement. The city of Riverside.
The Goldites also begin the process of constructing a city, which we now know as The Bunker. A sprawling network of tunnels that connect most of the land masses of the Crescent Isles archipelago.
On the Floating Isles, the ambient magic gives birth to a great race of Dragons, who settle into the caves and valleys of the mountainous isle.
And far below, the Swamplings found their capital city of The Hollow.
¶ Year 3300
The Eyeree begin to spread out and explore the world, discovering the Floating Isles. They settle in there and begin to use it as a base of operations.
The Zunkans, meanwhile, have begun to expand their magical research onto a more scientific track, advancing their understanding of magic, and how it can be integrated with technology of all types.
While the Zunkans were expanding their understanding of technology, the Pine Elves were furthering their understanding of magic. Healing magic to be precise. They advanced the practice of healing magic leaps and bounds, leading to most of the incredible healing techniques we still employ today.
The leader of this movement amongst the Pine Elves was Mother Leaf, an avatar of the power of the gods, who guided the Pine Elves in many of their most incredible discoveries.
Not to be outdone, the Gemlins greatly advanced our understanding of subterranean architecture, the halls of Chalcedony becoming one of the wonders of the ancient world.
And the People of the Delta began the process of shipbuilding and sailing, becoming the most advanced seafaring people of the continent.
In the depths of the Eastern Forest, a new conduit of the gods appears. An avatar. A city. The Forge. An awakened city churning forth robotic beings known as The Forged, it begins expanding, eating large swaths of the Eastern Forest.
And the Demonborne, in the fires of the Lava Fields, begin perfecting the dark arts, advancing their evil magics and abilities.
In the hills of the area now known as the Holy Valley, the power of the gods coalesces on one particular peak. Known as The Nameless Mountain, it is awakened into an avatar, and acts as the guardian of this holy place.
While the gods were blessing the Holy Valley, something quite different was happening in the Dark Swamp. The gods' ire was focused upon it, and the very ground became cursed, becoming dangerous to even walk upon.
¶ Year 3400
The Eyeree, seeing the works of other races, decide to establish their own cities. In the peaks of the Central Mountains, they build The Overwatch, and near the lake on the Floating Isles, they break ground on The Crow's Nest. Cities on high to keep watch over the world below.
Being so close to the gods, and being in such a high magic area, The Crow's Nest becomes a blessed city, favored by the gods and given great prosperity.
The Sedimen, not to be outdone, establish the city of Balta, just to the south of the eastern end of the Great Stormwall.
The Pine Elves, likewise, established the city of Pinewood on the southern edge of the Western Wood, and the Rockfellers begin the secretive process of building The Cleft, a hidden city in the crags of the Volcano Island, hidden away from the watchful eyes of the Magmen.
In the process of building The Cleft, the Rockfellers developed many techniques for remaining hidden, finding many advancements in camouflage and subterfuge.
As this was unfolding on the Volcano Island, an intrepid group of humans leave the delta and settle in the Eastern Forest, forming a small tribe living amongst The Forged.
Their presence leads to an oddity. Some of The Forged are reclaimed by the nature of the Eastern Forest, and are changed. Becoming one with the wood, and calling themselves The Cultivated, these "natural automatons" begin to push back the progress of "The Forge", reclaiming some of the leveled forest for nature, forming their own rival city, The Grove, which blended seamlessly into the trees and canopies of the great forest it called home.
Meanwhile, up in the Lava Fields, called forth by their practice of evil magic, the Demonborne bring forth some of the divine power of the gods, and channel it into a new leader. An avatar, known simply as "The Hunger". He immediately drives the Demonborne to work building a great city. The seat of his power, The Pit became the capital city of the Demonborne, and the launching point for their many campaigns in the future.
As a counterpoint, to the south, the gods' influence on the area now known as the Holy Valley began to work through the avatar of The Nameless Mountain. A holy wind poured off it's peaks, purifying the area, and making it repellent to all evil, and giving it its name. The Holy Valley.
And at the end of this century, two new races emerged.
First, in the Dark Swamp, a group of Swamplings were caught up in a squall that splintered off from the Great Stormwall unexpectedly. Lifted up into the air and atomized by powerful magical lightning, they were reformed into Stormlings, beings of pure energy that feed off of the energy of those foolish enough to wander too near the storm.
And second, the Frost Giants. Thought to be a splinter off of their southern neighbors the Frost Goliaths, the Frost Giants are much less hospitable, and a good twenty feet taller. They haunt the far reaches of the Northern Mountain Range, and woe to you explorers who happens upon one in the midst of a blizzard.
¶ Year 3500
The Eyeree, tired of passively observing the world below them, form The Wardens, and order dedicated to peacekeeping across the continent. As a result, the Eyeree earn the gods favor, and are blessed with divine assistance in their pursuits to vanquish evil.
Off the southwest coast of the continent, on Heart Island, a particular group of long lived tortoises were invested with the power of the gods and awakened. Rising upright and taking on humanoid traits, the Tortles formed a society of peace and love, largely unmolested by the strifes of the mainland.
At the same time, a cultural quaker movement was seizing the Rockfellers, and a strong cultural bias for purity was formed.
In the Southeastern Rain Forest, the leadership of The Colony is struck with a change. The divine favor of the gods rests on their head of state, turning their plumage bright pink, and investing them with the power of an avatar. This power is passed down to the most worthy young bird when the old leader passes away, making The Colony a divine meritocracy. The Flamingo Dynasty
It is at this time we begin to see the machinations of the Demonborne begin to bear fruit. They send an envoy to the Dark Swamp and form alliances with the Swamplings. From there, they hire Swampling spies to devour certain Eyeree, and infiltrate The Wardens. This group of Swamplings, calling themselves The Jailors, are able to earn positions of trust in The Wardens and steer policy in such a way as to turn a blind eye to certain Demonborne activity on the continent.
With this newfound immunity, the Demonborne begin work on plans to dominate the rest of the continent, and the corruption of The Pit deepens further.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Forest, The Forge is being pushed back by The Cultivated, and begins work to achieve some semblance of balance. With the purifying essence of the gods, it is able to convert its internal mechanisms to clean energy, allowing for an uneasy balance of power with The Cultivated. While both still destroy and rebuild one anothers land, there is an uneasy peace in the Eastern Forest for now.
Seeing the corruption of The Pit grow ever worse, a group of Frost Goliaths believe that the world is going to need protection against the Demonborne someday. Rejected from Frost Goliath society for their warlike attitudes, they are forced south, where they settle in the sleet heavy grasslands north of the Western Wood. As their bodies adapted to the wetter climate, they changed, becoming Slüshees, which is why we now call that area the Slüshee Marches
They then established the fortress stronghold of The Mōt, a city dedicated to war, and advanced in weapon smithing. Blessed with the protection of the gods for their holy mission, they began to hire themselves out as mercenaries to the highest bidder, sharpening their skills and preparing for the war they knew would someday come.
¶ Era 3 - Settlement
And now we are in the modern era.
Here we will learn about recent history. The movements and actions of our neighbors and the world that is around us now.
We will see how we got to where we are now, in a geopolitical sense, and where we may be headed in the future!
¶ Year 3600
As we enter the modern age, climate change begins to show its toll. The ocean levels swing more wildly, and there is now a land bridge that will often appear at low tide, connecting Volcano Island with the mainland. This could be less the influence of tidal forces though, and in fact be causally linked to the emergence of The Great Flame, a Magman of enormous size, who seems to be blessed with the powers of an avatar, though not much is known about this reclusive figure.
What we do know though is that the Rockfellers wasted no time using the land bridge to send people in droves off the island, fleeing Magmen oppression. In gaining access to better rocks on the mainland, their natural strength was advanced far beyond the natural strength of any but the largest creatures on the continent.
Meanwhile, in the Southwestern Sea, the Zunkans have become aware of the Tortles of Heart Island, and are keeping close watch over them. Soldiers have been poised at the shoreline, and spies have been deployed onto the island itself to quash any potential incursion into Zunkan waters.
And deep underground, the Gemlins are hard at work to discover the nature of how the continent came to be. They have pushed forth many advancements across scholarship writ large, and have been blessed with a proclivity to share that knowledge with the world. All the greatest universities on the continent are located in Chalcedony, and I'm sure all of my readers have been visited by one of their travelling Knowledge Keepers.
The Demonborne continued to expand their influence this decade in several ways.
First, out of the dark laboratories of The Pit emerged a snake like race of beings known as just The Brood. The Hunger wasted no time in deploying a contingent of them to the Dark Swamp, both to further alliances with the Swamplings and to act as agents of the Demonborne in the one viable pass through the Great Stormwall at that time.
Second, they sent emissaries to the Floating Isles to broker alliances with the Dragons there, providing meat and gold in exchange for the promise of future services.
And finally, they implemented the "Big Stick Doctrine," raising a large standing army as a threat to any who would oppose them.
All this lead to the further corruption of The Pit, which was becoming visibly darker, even in broad daylight, and with a palpable feel of malice to those who would walk its streets.
As a result of this, the Slüshees began to fortify, building a massive ice wall around the Slüshee Marches, hoping to hold off any potential Demonborne invasion.
And as the Dragon population grew under the gifts from the Demonborne, tensions over space rose, and no few were forced off the Floating Isles, wings torn off and sent tumbling towards the earth. Many of those found residence underground, and began to burrow tunnels. These Wyrms became the terror of the region between the Great Stormwall and the Eastern Forest, leading to the devouring of many an unwary traveler.
¶ Year 3610
In the Year of Creation 3612, a cave in at The Bunker left several hundred Goldites stranded in a tunnel that was slowly filling with water. As luck would have it though, there was a Schwimbo patrol passing by at the time that heard the screams and was able to get everyone to safety. This was the beginning of the alliance between the Goldites and Schwimbos, and lead to many advancements in amphibious technologies or "amphibitech," allowing the Schwimbos to live and work on land alongside their Goldite allies.
And in the Year of Creation 3614, an expedition from Pinewood set forth to explore the Cursed Lake. Many were devoured by the maneating mist surrounding the lake, but the expedition eventually were able to push through, discovering for the first time in millennia the Divine Island in the Lake. There they found an oracle, a left over piece of divine power with the ability to answer any question. Only one elf made it back from that expedition, and wouldn't speak of what questions he got answered.
The Rockfellers remaining on Volcano Island began a great work in secret. A plan to overthrow the Magmen empire and take the island as their own. Claim ownership of their ancestral homeland. To that end, they began to raise an army in secret, tucked away in the crags of the great volcano.
It's in this time frame that humans really and truly begin exploring the world. They reconnect with their brethren in the Eastern Forest, and begin to send out traders and explorers to the far reaches of the continent.
One of these groups of traders would go on to found the city of Bayview on the coast of the Southern Bay. There they formed the Mercantile Traders Union, and dug a canal between Bayview and Riverside to facilitate trade. Both cities became a hub for goods flowing throughout the continent, and a melting pot of culture and cuisine.
But as this economic boom was going on, a different sort of boom was happening in the Lava Fields as The Hunger ordered ever growing numbers of The Brood created, standing up a massive army of the snake like creatures.
To the south, the Wyrms system of tunnels continues to grow, eventually cutting across the Great Stormwall from the Holy Valley to the north end of the Great Southern Delta. As people discover these entrances, it becomes another way to make it to the north of the continent without braving the storm or swamp. But the Wyrms patrol their lairs fiercely. Eventually, they began a system of trade, whereby you can purchase passage with a sufficient amount of meat as payment. But be warned. Extended dealings with humans has advanced their ability to detect falsehoods and cheats to a preternatural level. They will always know the intent behind your words, and won't hesitate to eat the one who would double cross them.
¶ Year 3620
As tensions rise across the continent, The Wardens begin work to expand their influence. They enter alliances with the Slüshees to join forces in the face of great need, and expand enrollment into The Wardens to allow non-Eyeree to become members. That said, most non-Eyeree will be subject to "reduction" to fit on the patrol eagles.
The Schwimbos manage to domesticate the local shark population and, via amphibitech and selective breeding, get them into a form that is not unlike the dogs we have here on the mainland. Useful for all manner of work as well as great companions, they are all the rage across Schwimbo society.
Sensing their time to strike, the Rockfeller army launches their assault on the city of Lavapolis. While the attack was eventually repelled, heavy losses were sustained on either side, and tensions between the two races escalated to an all time high.
In the Year of Creation 3625 we have our youngest race on the continent emerge, the Mycellia. They appeared in the area just south of the river system running off the Cursed Lake, and mostly likely formed due to the magical runoff from those cursed waters. Mushroom people who grow from tiny to extremely large over the course of their lives, they have no innate spoken language, instead communicating via spores and electrical impulses.
Shortly after the first Mycellia walked the face of the continent, The Forge having reached a comfortable balance with The Cultivated began to send some of The Forged out into the world to share the technology of the city, and to bring back what they could learn from the world itself. These Apostles of Advancement are nomads, going place to place trying to modernize all the peoples of the continent. They have... better success in some places than others.
3628 is when The Rift opened. It was hugely lucky the Demonborne armies were nearby. Whatever their original purpose, they were able to hold back the... entities that were trying to pour through, though not before a terrible toll was enacted. Most of the western part of the Northern Desert and some of the northernmost parts of the Eastern Forest are uninhabitable now. Covered in poisonous gasses and magical radiation.
The armies are still positioned there to this day. Keeping whatever is out there at bay.
¶ Year 3630
Early in the decade we have the founding of Little Rock, the Rockfeller community just outside Riverside. Living in such close proximity to the Mercantile Traders Union, the Rockfellers made great advancements in their trading ability, and began to enlist in the union in droves.
The great storm of '31 tossed a Zunkan survey vessel up on top of the cliffs on the north end of the Southern Bay. Loaded down with tech, it landed directly in the midst of Mycellia country.
The Zunkans wasted no time in heading up to recover their ship, but it was crushed up pretty good, and there were no few pieces that failed to turn up in the recovery effort.
Recovering what the Zunkans missed, the Mycellia quickly realized that their electronic communications abilities gave them an advanced level of control over electronics and various forms of technology.
This was put to its most extreme use when, in the middle part of the decade, the first Apostle of Advancement came across a group of Mycellia. It's body was quickly... co-opted by a Mycellium, which took up residence in its chest cavity and took control over its motor functions. Thus was born the first Mycor, the defenders of the Mycellia region.
Speaking of The Forged. By late in the century, they had acquired so much knowledge from their travels, that the engineering prowess of The Forge surpassed even the Zunkans. While limited, as The Forged don't care for magical integrations in their technology, the advanced engineering marvels they are able to produce would make you believe there must be some magic to it. Truly a wonder to behold.
As the Demonborne continue to hold back the creatures in The Rift, but have begun to leverage that position to their advantage. By positioning themselves as the heroes of the realm, they are able to advance their political and diplomatic efforts under the guise of altruism. They have managed at this point to indebt nearly every world government to them in some way, and their claws only burrow deeper with each passing year.
A subset of the Dragons, displeased with the way their race has begun to bow before the Demonborne move to the Circle Island in the Southwestern Sea. There, the tropical paradise cools their natural breath weapons. Now tamed, the magic in the breath is shown to have distinct healing properties that have become widely sought after throughout the continent. These beings came to be known as the Droctors.
The Slüshees meanwhile have established the first major library outside of Chalcedony. Their belief in maintaining an educated populous in the face of Demonborne misinformation leads them on a campaign for literacy throughout the realm.
¶ Year 3640
In the past decade we've seen the Great Northern Desert continue to expand.
The Gemlins formed the Knowledge Keepers to go out and share the learnings of Chalcedony with the world.
In response to the success of the Apostles of Advancement, a group formed among The Cultivated called The Conclave. This circle of druids is dedicated to preserving the old ways and maintaining our links to the natural world.
In response to their dedicated focus on nature, some last vestiges of the gods power were coalesced into a new avatar. Gathering around a large, ancient oak, the power grew it into the massive forest giant we now know as The Great Tree.
As tensions rise across the continent, The Colony has raised an army under the leadership of their new Head Flamingo.
The Demonborne have redoubled their efforts to infiltrate all levels of government, and have begun sending exploratory parties into The Rift. To what end, no one truly knows.
There are reports of A Meteor landing somewhere to the east of the Slüshee Marches, though no party who has gone out to seek it has returned. Though there have been rumors of one such adventurer being found, seemingly eaten away by some otherworldly force or disease, though such rumors are wildly unsubstantiated.
The Sandmen have reportedly formed a new order. The Shifting Sand. And order dedicated to keeping an eye on Demonborne activity around The Rift. They have greatly advanced their intelligence gathering posture, and have reportedly become part of the Slüshee reporting wing, working to keep them informed of troop movements and magical anomalies.
¶ Now
And hear we our now, in the Year of Creation 3650.
We've come such an enormously long way, but we still have such an enormously long way to go.
What will you do to shape this world we live in. I can't wait to see it.
Good luck. And gods' speed!