Creating your Ashandrian hero

Creating a character for the world of Ashandri is a bit different than usual. The world you were born in doesn't exist anymore. You survived the apocalypse, and the world you live in now has changed. New creatures and races came into existence, new dangers and enemies appeared. But it's also a new beginning, and with it comes hope for a better future.
This also reflects the underlying theme of Braythe: From surviving to thriving. People have suffered through hardships, many are struggling to survive - but they aren't settling for it. Think about how this theme affects your character, what it would mean for them to thrive and prosper - and what challenges your character has to overcome to get there.
All this means that your character basically had two lives: One before the apocalypse, and one after it. You survived the past, and your future lies ahead of you. As a native of Ashandri, you grew up in the world of Virthys. That old world from which Ashandri was born isn't very fleshed out, so you can get creative about where you were born and how you grew up. If in doubt, consult with your game master. Your new life takes place in Ashandri, and you will find lots of information you can use for your background story in the campaign setting descriptions.
After the apocalypse, the first five days were exceptional: Powerful magic swept over the land and changed both terrain and living creatures, while the connection to gods and other planes was entirely cut off. Ask yourself where your character was during these days, what they experienced and what impact that had on them. Maybe you even decide to play a character that was changed by the transformational magic, like an Ashfolk.
The western regions of Ashandri were also subject to the invasions from the neighboring world of Va'Laeth. Where was your character when this happened? How did it influence their life? It's even possible to play a Ravager Elf that deserted from the Laethian army (which, of course, poses entirely new questions for your character).
It's a pretty common theme that adventurers have tragic background stories. Living in a world that suffered through an apocalypse, these stories are true for pretty much everyone who survived. How did this influence the people that your character knows, possibly even lived with? How did this change your own character's perspective on life? Is your hero still grieving, or looking forward into a bright future? Maybe even a combination of both?
All these are questions that you can use to find inspiration for your background story. Beyond that, there are lots of new character options, from new races and subraces to new backgrounds and warlock patrons.
Last but not least, speak with your game master about where their campaign will begin. The region of Delvaroth is a good place to start a new game, but maybe your GM prefers a different location. Maybe you need an explanation about how your character got there, and what their next goals are.
Braythe also allows for a variety of campaign types. Some of them are detailed in the article Campaigns in Ashandri. Discuss with your game master how to best weave in your character into the type of campaign they are planning.
Once you are ready, make Ashandri and the dimension of Braythe your new home!

Diverse cultures and characters

The world of Ashandri offers the opportunity to play highly diverse characters. Cultures that were continents apart in the old world are suddenly close to each other. Both during the wars in the old world and the events in Ashandri, refugees and adventurers journeyed from country to country. Magic flooded over the new world in the first days and changed its inhabitants. This allows to include almost any character concept, as long as your game master agrees.
Most cultures of Virthys were already diverse even before the apocalypse. There are gods with two genders, or none at all, and famous heroes that magically switched their gender. The wars of Virthys left more people permanently injured or disabled than the healers could care for. Most places are inhabited by a variety of races that learned to live together peacefully.
All this doesn't mean there is no discrimination or intolerance in Ashandri, but it has little space in a world as diverse as Ashandri. Both Shadowblood Elves and Ravager Elves are most likely to become victims of racism - simply because their cultures of origin are responsible for a lot of suffering, and most people don't trust them. But even members of these races can usually enter a city unharmed if they are accompanied by more "credible" friends.
The use of safety tools is strongly suggested if your group features this kind of topics. If in doubt, discuss this with your game master!

Summary of events: The apocalypse and the birth of Ashandri

If you want to read in detail what lead to the apocalypse, and what happened during and after the birth of the new world of Ashandri, you can find all that in the following two timelines. If you prefer a short summary, you'll find that right below the timeline links.
The final history of Virthys
Ashandri: History of a young world

What happened before the apocalypse?

About two decades ago, a holy war broke out on the continent of Rhavun. War and bloodshed reigned, and entire nations were wiped out. A battle in the sky between an archangel and an archdemon tore reality itself apart, creating a rift into the realms of the afterlife and killing half of the population of the continent of Rhavun. Many people already hoped for an end of the war before that. The shock of these events eventually led to a peace treaty - but it also opened the gates for the return of long-forgotten gods. One of them was the dragon god Zathruax.

How did the world of Virthys end?

The rift created a lot of new trouble in Virthys. After some time, a council of gods decided to close the reality breach. But they were betrayed, and the connection to the realms of the gods was entirely shut off. Only two deities remained: The two dragon gods Zathruax and Myrzakliaz.
With the other gods banished, they fought for domination over the world. Zathruax gained more and more power, and eventually even merged with another deity: Narac, a god of madness. With their combined force, they became almost invincible - and Zathruax lost his mind. Even when the other gods returned, the dragon deity was unstoppable. He ripped the world into pieces, destroying it with his own claws.

The creation of Ashandri

As billions died, and the shattered pieces of Virthys were flung into space, the mysterious powers of Braythe chose a champion: Marisha Veilbreaker, a famous halfling hero. She was granted the magic to save at least some fragments of the old world, and merge them into a new one. The newly created world-island Ashandri shifted into a different dimension: Braythe.

What happened in the first five days of Ashandri?

In the first five days, Ashandri was cut off from all other planes. Clerics couldn't reach their deities or cast spells, and planar magic failed. Anyone who died during this time turned into an Unbound Spirit: A spectral version of their former self, forever bound to the dimension of Braythe, cursed to never pass on to the afterlife.
The living were still in shock, many of them so agitated and confused that bloody battles broke out. The world-creating magic shaped the land and spawned new races, like the Ashfolk and hybrid species.

What events shaped the first four years in Ashandri?

The survivors of the apocalypse tried their best to adjust to the new world. Marisha Veilbreaker stated she didn't want to rule the world, only to protect it. With the old governments mostly destroyed, battles for power ensued - sometimes subtle, sometimes with open bloodshed.
But that was not the only danger: From the neighboring world of Va'Laeth, an army invaded Ashandri. Led by the fearsome Ravager Elves, they took over Delvaroth and other areas. And with them came the Perishing: Nightmarish creatures that seem to be native to Braythe, seeking nothing less than the destruction of all world-islands.
It took months until the Ashandrians drove them back. A smaller invasion force returned later, but retreated once more. Almost everyone is sure they will return again, and some agents of Va'Laeth still roam the lands of Ashandri.