The Amaranthea Dominion

As the sun fades, so too does the land.   The Warlords of Asharan are no more. The legacy of the Yahdun-Lim dynasty is faltering. The impact of the Age of the Wraith Kings is still severe and the Stoyan Crusades seem without end. The rule of Archduke Cotibalt has reinvigorated dissidence while Bandit-Queen Melanie has incentivised anarchy. King Briareos, the Thorn of the West, is dead; his lineage murdered. The glory of Jayerian culture is not enough to deal with the challenges they face and the Lagonballese Heresy continues to spark conflict. Yet, the mythic Kingdom of Amaranthir prevails, as it has for the past ten thousand years...   Every age of peace and prosperity has been tainted by two factors; firstly, the bloodshed that has achieved and maintained such an age, and secondly, the bloodshed that marks its inevitable end. Currently, civilisation hangs in the balance, and the balance of power is a delicate thing. While the Dominion has ensured the resilience of alliances across the lands, rulers are beginning to bicker, factions are beginning to stir, and religions are beginning to denounce. What will come to pass as political machinations grow in intensity is unknown, but there is good reason to be cautious.  

A World Scarred by War

While there have been many ages of peace, and not all nations are entirely prone to war, by-and-large, the Dominion is a realm marked by conflict. While nations or provinces in the Dominion are often hostile with each other, large-scale, or even continental wars are rarer now, but were comparatively commonplace in past ages, shaping life across the realm. Now, under the Dominion, only the Wars of Concordant Opposition have scarred the lands at such scale. But many know this peace to be an illusion, for if there are gods, they have turned their back on humanity. Life is not sacred, and blood runs cheap. The primordial monstrosities continue to evade extinction. The flickering of the sun may plunge more of the world into darkness. And now, a fateful curse appears to be incurable, and spreads with no end in sight.  

An Empire of Undeath

Life across the realms of the Dominion varies greatly, but one factor unites them all. All mankind, no matter their modus vivendi, will become undead. The prevalence of undeath is a driving force behind the development of societies, and encompasses many barriers that the smallest of hamlets, to the grandest of kingdoms must overcome. While not all undead are hostile, societies must have the strength to deal with hordes that are, or they will perish. In the larger cities, where undead are swiftly dealt with by specialist guard forces, they have evolved into a logistical issue, as transport and storing of undead remains a rife priority, which, if disrupted, can prove cataclysmic — as it has countless times before.  

The Light of Man

The power of the divine is fuelled by faith, and mankind will never have faith in gods. It was not any deity that saved and elevated mankind from their depraved origins in time primordial, but rather the courage and determination of the great lords of olde. Now, mankind is weak no more, and their worship and dedication are devoted to great rulers. With this faith comes great prowess over the divine, which can be awarded to the most faithful.