Hallowtide Eldritch Fantasy in a World on the Brink

45 years ago the continent of Korvast was experiencing a golden age, a movement away from the superstitions of the past to walk boldly into a new world of science and reason. Most of the continent was united under the banner of the Republic and it seemed that the book was finally closing on a long and bloody history. However, often the past is not so easily forgotten and sometimes superstitions are the only things keeping the wolves from the door.   It happened suddenly, a rip between this world and the afterlife that caused the dead to rise in one horrible night. Before anyone knew what was happening, and any kind of resistance could be mounted, the major cities had already been overrun and the only hope was to run to the wilds...and right into the waiting teeth of the forgotten dead.   Most people think that the shambling draughr were the worst of it, but they were only the most obvious symptom. The weakening of the veil also caused innumerable spirits to return to the living world. While most were doomed to bare mute witness, unable to connect with their lost lives and loved ones, others had enough spiritual strength to change the world around them, often times warping it to suit their own fractured world view.   In a matter of months, Korvast was no longer a land for the living but a desolate world haunted by the ever-present dead. Most of the continent is now ruled by the Barrow Lords- the most powerful souls to return from beyond, who have carved the lands into a patchwork of fiefdoms. Humanity has been pushed to the periphery and forced to take desperate measures in order to earn just one more day.   Still, even in humanity’s twilight there is still some hope. There exists a small group of individuals whose souls fought their way back from the grip of death and unlocked powerful spiritual abilities in their journey. Called Haunted, these individuals possess a burning essence that allows them to push beyond normal limits, shake off injuries that would cripple or kill others, and call upon the assistance of phantoms.