The Outbreak of Sand

Disaster / Destruction

A magical catastrophe which destroyed the Aurean Empire.

In the heart of the Aurean Empire, a tsunami of magic poured into the material plane and scoured the landscape. Immense magical energies uplifted the land by scores of feet, boiled away the water, and turned the soil into salt. The once fertile and agricultural heart of the empire was instantly turned into a barren desert. Those who survived the cataclysm (mainly those in rural areas, as most of the buildings in urban centers collapsed) had to flee the new hellscape around them. Many died, but many also escaped the desert and, eventually, made their ways to new lands.   No one knows what caused the cataclysm. Some say it was the plan of an evil minister who sought revenge for an unknown offense. Others say that it was an inevitable result of mages trying to harness forces they can never comprehend. More recently, there are some who see similarities with the magic wielded by the tritons, and who cannot fail to notice that the underwater realm of Tritonis lies perfectly under the sand-swept desert ...