Season 2 Plot Introduction

Seventy years after the "Awakening of the Gods," where the powerful Manticorps mercenary guild assisted in destroying the Titans and healing the memories of the gods, the planet has healed from its wounds and changed in many ways. Due to the aftereffects of the release of the orbs' power and the stabilization of magic, the deserts of Smiltis have been partially rejuvenated in what used to be the Shattered Expanse and the Eastern Dunes. Mountain ranges and jungles now grow where there used to be only sand, and an oceans the size of all of the Graylakes combined glisten in the sun. It is still a mystery as to exactly how the release of the orbs' magic created such a drastic change in the environment, but most believe it used techniques seen on the Karezine Disk to recreate parts of the landscape. The new waterways have opened up trade routes, and have even lead to the discovery of entire civilizations, such as the ancient and powerful kingdoms in Arheim. These civilizations had been cut off from the rest of the world due to their inability to travel, but now they seek to learn about, share culture with, or conquer the new world. These new peoples brought their gods with them as well, who cared for them while the more powerful deities were blinded by the after effects of the Gold War. Elves and the yuan have also spread from the Disk to the rest of Smiltis, teaching magic and survival skills to any who have something to trade in return. These two factors have brought friction to the golden age of scientific advancement, as people flock to the new magics and old religions of other cultures.
Though technological advancements have slowed since the discovery of steam power, many cities now sport power grids for the upper class citizens, producing jobs in steam-works for mages. Lamps, clocks, rail-lines, and other industrial feats can be seen mostly in dwarven cities, and it has spread to other affluent lands as well such as Marq'hoj and Remnant. The Duneway, once only connecting three major cities, is now a large network of people movers and freight trams that travel remarkable speeds over vast distances, though travel is still strictly monitored. Skimmers are still wildly expensive due to the complicated fusing of magic and machine, with only a handful used around the entire world. Golems are becoming more viable as time moves on, as the elves figured out how to correctly animate them once the dwarves let them become involved with their research, though the research is slowed by their similarities to the Titans. Most recently, rumors of the Maso Technical College developing a flying machine have been circulating, but the tight lipped college will neither confirm nor deny the truth of these claims.
Meanwhile, in Arheim, the Three Kingdoms of the land are being forced to adapt to the knowledge of the much larger area north of them. Hazra has positioned itself to be a cautious host to the people of Smiltis, and is trying to negotiate trade deals while also subtly preparing to defend from an attack from the outside. Cirris has closed their borders to almost everyone, hoarding the contents inside of their magical libraries that they have collected over millennia and inviting only the most prestigious spell casters and scholars to take a look at any of the knowledge that lies therein. Lastly, Zetia has used the discovery as inspiration, creating artworks that portray the details of the new peoples and cultures almost as soon as they are revealed, including fanciful dances, paintings, and poetry (though they do not always have accurate information, leading some to create a caricature of life in Greater Smiltis).
The tumultuous addition of new magics, resources, cultures, religions, and technologies on both sides has created tension among the world leaders, who all vie for power over now verdant land. This has led to small skirmishes and conflicts in the southeast, and many leaders of Smiltis now covet the vastly rich and monumental city of Stormhaven.