Judain

Thirty-five years have passed since the devistating four-flags war that consumed all of south Judain. It is 1031 of the fourth age now, a time of recovery and growth. The souther kingdoms have entered tenuous pacts and peace, agreeing to trade and exchange goods once more. In that short time, piracy and banditry took hold across the sprawling network of the land, the Great Trade Route, or the GTR. Traveling across Judain, or around it, is a perilous task. During that time, the fascinations of history and magic have dwindled. Folk have become more isolated and distrustful of their neighbors, especially those who are from lands beyond. The populace of Julios swells with a repressed anger from the masses while their nobility gorges themselves. Noomlinian wrath seeps into the hearts of the ancient elves, and they quietly ponder their next actions. The Quintrion people hold onto grudges and demand their sluggish king to act on their behalf. The Daedites of the hot sands pray to their god and Khite, their holy leader, to deliver them justice.   Yet not all in Judain comes in a time of animosity. The city-kingdoms to the north grow and flourish. The Yngvost, ruled by the families of Icegrasp, proudly sail the frigid northern waters, trading pelts and training mighty warriors. The Verdant Collective, ruled by Ladyvale, ever a force of majesty and the arts, trades with the most northern of cities: the ice-locked twin cities of Intori and Intoru. The Guildland, watched over by Benrice, the trade capital of the north, holds the uneasy peace between the city-kingdoms and the neighboring Withersin Alliance, a collective of violent families and tribes who all bow to the powerful Withersin family.   What was once an assuredly southern-dominated continent has begun to shift. Between north and south lies Filost, an up-and-coming land of magic and education, where free-thinking is encouraged. These students wield magic and knowledge alike, and have begun to dig into the lost histories of the Age of Blood and the Age of Shadow. What was once lost be be found once more.   Stirring in the hearts and minds of many is an unease. Something odd plucks at the hearts and minds of the magically sensitive. Some go mad with bizarre visions, leaving them stricken and bedridden. With gods being unseen for the past millennia, what could be causing this odd phenomenon?