Crucible

Crucible is the first world created by the Gods together as a place to show off their imagination, power and artistry. Aeons have passed since those edenic times. The Gods fought, the Races warred, the Crucible was marred by ugliness.   Crucible is a divided world in the current Age. Most of the Gods live apart from each other, stewing in their past resentments and present animosities. Their favoured Races cluster around them to seek miracles or beseach relief from calamity. The mountains dominate the centre of the world's landmass, inhabited by primordial Dragons and the crumbling civilisation of the Giants. South lie swamps and steaming jungles filled with Lizardfolk and Dinosaurs. West is the ravaged Plains of Eternal War, where Greenskin tribes of Orc and Goblin multiply endlessly. Beyond the plains the Nightlands, where the sun never shines and terrified nocturnal creatures scratch a meager living while avoiding the prowling ever hungry Undead. North lies the Blasted Land, the Glass, beneath which the mighty Dwarven kingdoms hunker down under the ever increasing threat from the always expanding Empire of the Elves. To the East, the Cradle, a tiny fragile civilised region protected by the Mother Goddess and inhabited by her smallfolk children.   During an Ancient Age, the Sun God fled the Crucible chased by his many enemies, eventually finding refuge within a hidden pocket of Divine Order secreted in the chaos of the Abyss. Their he created his own Little World and his own Race of soldiers to take back his place of honour as the Overking of the Gods. This Race is Humanity. Their world has many names, in many languages. It has never known peace. Empires and kingdoms alike have risen and fallen for the glory of the Overking and his ArchAngels.   However, all is not well in the Little World, as the Abyss which surrounds it has been permeating and devouring the elemental barriers protecting the contents from unbridled Chaos and Demonic Evil! Patrols of Angelic guardians are meeting with lethal raids from outside the protected area, and suffering ultimate death at the claws of Demonic foes. All is threatened with destruction. With the failing of his Little World, the Overking must bring forwards his master plan for the reconquest of the Cradle! His Human armies will stride forth in glory to grind the lesser Races beneath their boots, and, standing upon mounds formed from the corpses of their enemies, raise the standard of the Overking once more into the skies of ghe Cradle...