Acarah

Acarah is a world of fantasy and adventure. Kingdoms and empires vie for political control, nobles and bureaucrats engage in intricate machinations, monsters and bandits roam the untamed wilderness, criminal organisations exert unseen influence, new technologies and arcane developments revolutionise the balance of power, and, across the world, long-dormant artifacts of unknown purpose begin to awaken once again...   In the beginning, Elhal created all things. At first, he left the planes of the multiverse unfinished. He then created the lesser gods, and gave them each a piece of his creation to shape as they saw fit. For a time, the children of Elhal, and their children, lived in harmony, shepherding their creations. However, some of the gods grew jealous of their siblings. They desired power, and felt they had the right to rule planes beyond their own realms. This jealousy grew into open conflict, and the Divine War raged across the multiverse, threatening the very existence of all things.   In order to save the worlds of his creation, Elhal intervened in the war, but the conflict had grown too great. In the final confrontation of the war, Elhal sacrificed himself to secure a balance among his children. He locked the gods, good and evil alike, away from the Material Plane, its echoes, and the Elemental Planes. They are barred from passing into the Elemental Chaos and the Inner Planes. An fragment of Elhal remains present in the Inner Planes, and it is from this fragment that all magic comes. Through their connection to the remains of their father, the lesser gods are able to exert their influence on the Inner Planes, though their power is a mere shadow of what it was.   Thousands of years ago, a civilisation arose on Acarah like no other. The races were united in their pursuit of magic and science, and many great wonders were created. However, their hubris blinded them, and they reached too far. It is not known exactly what befell them, but speculation abounds. Perhaps they attempted to breach the Divine Barrier and allow the gods free reign again. Perhaps their power angered the great beings of the other Inner Planes. Perhaps an experiment simply went badly awry. What is known is that something they did triggered the Cataclysm. This great civilisation was destroyed, nearly all of their records and creations lost. Only the greatest of their artifacts remain, dormant.   Now, almost two thousand years later, the races have largely rebuilt their world. New kingdoms and empires have arisen and vie for dominance. Arcane scholars seek to recover the mysteries that were lost long ago. Gnomish tinkerers develop new technology, powered by magic and science alike. Much of the world is still untamed, despite the reach of empires. Who knows what secrets still wait to be discovered? One thing is certain, however: the world holds many opportunities for band of adventurers looking to make their mark...