The world is rapidly changing.
Since the world stepped back from the edge of apocalypse several decades ago, the landscape of the continents has warped. New technology is being discovered; old technology is being unearthed. The way the common man views his surroundings is changing. Truly, and Awakening is underway.
Four ancient cities form the crux of these radical changes. In the south of the world, the development of firearms is rapidly revolutionizing warfare; the applications of blasting powder in war and peace continue to be explored. In the west of the world, nonmagical air travel is causing an economic boom unlike any known previously, as ships now sail the clouds. In the north, the development of basic medicines has added years to the expected lifespans of many. And in the east…
Silence.
No wind blows. No rain falls. None lay claims to the ruins stretching for hundreds of miles. And none dare approach. For when the silence breaks, evil lives.