The Past
For centuries, Ailar was home to a fantastic variety of cultures and civilizations. Yet one stood above them all: the Sarath Empire. The Sarathi were more technologically and magically advanced than their contemporaries. Despite their imperial styling, they were not interested in domination, expansion, or colonization. Instead, they pursued ever greater mastery of the arts and sciences with an almost religious fervor.
All that changed 500 years ago. In a span of a few decades, a series of natural and magical disasters swept across Ailar. Fires, floods, earthquakes, and storms were among the least of the horrors suffered by the people of Ailar. Vast stretches of land vanished into the ocean, while in other places mountains rose up from the sea with ferocious speed. Some say that even the stars in the sky were tossed into chaos, changing the patterns and poles that had guided travelers for thousands of years. Millions perished, and millions more were displaced from their homes.
The Present
When the upheaval finally ended, the people of Ailar began to pick themselves from the rubble. Much had changed. Once-vast kingdoms were reduced to a handful of city-states. Entire civilizations were scattered across the globe. But perhaps most notable of all, the Sarathi were gone - their cities destroyed, their famous tower-outposts abandoned, and their people vanished into thin air.
Now, five centuries after the scourging of the world and the disappearance of Sarath, the world is once again a vibrant place. New cultures have emerged from old customs. Trade once again flourishes over land, sea, and even air. Leaders and peoples maintain relationships with each other, friendly, hostile, or indifferent. For all but the longest-lived peoples, the cataclysm of the past is a distant tale, and for most life has long since returned to normality. But the scars of the past remain, and the powers that once changed the world and wiped out its most advanced civilization will not stay dormant forever...
