Before the Collapse, Ianua (ya-new-uh) was a continent like any other. It had towns, villages and cities that existed in relative harmony under the rule of the Ethar Empire. But, as often is the case when one bloodline holds the power for too long, it slowly corrupted and caved in on itself. When King Alvar Ethar died and was replaced by his daughter, Queen Isidora Ethar, the change became more apparent. Suddenly, it seemed, the government was being influenced by factions that had no business meddling in the rule of an empire. It seemed as though the Empire Guard were running the continent under their own command. Stricter laws were enforced, the Empire Guards started arresting and assaulting citizens more liberally, and the economy was at an all time low. The class divide had never been wider, as the elite continued their lives of socializing and masquerades, and the ever growing lower class starved and lived in filth.
Eventually people grew tired of this, and discreetly started meeting in their respective towns and discussing plans of revolt. These brave rebels called themselves The Citizens' Defiance, or the Defiance. Small riots were planned, executed and shut down. The Empire Guard cracked down on any seemingly rebellious goings on, in what came to be called the Days of Silence, as the Citizens' Defiance's different correspondents in the different towns were unable to communicate, and the movement stagnated.
But then suddenly, in one night, the Queen and the Commander of the Guard were killed, and several influential elite members of society were captured by a group within the Defiance known as Spirit. They claimed the power, and vowed to restore Ianua to its former glory. During their rule, nothing major was accomplished, other than the executing of many more corrupted politicians and political influencers.
However, the poor remained poor and starving, and the group of Defiants quickly realized they were better suited for work behind the scenes than in the ruling of a large Empire. So, they stepped down from power and called it quits. They disbanded the Empire and disappeared, leaving everyone else with no leader, no one to uphold any laws and no idea of what was going on. What followed is specifically what is referred to as the Collapse. 5 cycles of lawless misery and anarchy. Most cities fell to the riots and millions of people died. The few cities that survived the Collapse are Suncall, Ko'varos, Ienora, _____, and _____.