Atarea

"And so it passed that in a blaze of violet fury magic ripped the world asunder, and in so doing sealed its fate." -Antonine Motin, The Fall of Arideia   For nearly five hundred years, magic has been nothing but a whisper from the past. For generations, the emperors of Räsgard have enforced a strict ban against magic, using the power of the mysterious Kaltarohn Obelisk and the Eloqui Order to keep mystical abilities suppressed throughout the land. Now, their hold is slipping.   The continent of Eigentica is no stranger to war and turmoil, but for the past century the lands have seen relative peace. Despite territorial losses and a slow decline in power, the Empire of Räsgard remained a mighty force in the world, and used that power to retain dominance over the continent. But Räsgard exists now in name only, split between the squabbling heirs of the last queen. As the crumbling empire stands on the brink of civil war, many nearby powers turn their hungry eyes towards their lands.   Moreover, there are those who oppose the ban on magic. For centuries they laid dormant, biding their time to make their move. Now some move in the open, and seek to restore magic and wonder to the world.   All the while, dark forces have begun to stir at the edges of the world. On the southern continent of Ar-Jan'ai, the deathless denizens of the Undying Sands have begun a dark march as an ancient power begins to awaken. Meanwhile in the north, an invasion by the mysterious Ajokai horde has left the ancient and shining elven kingdom of Déon in ruins, crushed beneath the remnants of the shattered moon of Elar.