CHAPTER 1: A LESSON IN HISTORY
In the dawn of time, before Cainoria became the world we know, a cataclysm known as The Awakening tore through reality. An otherworldly, eldritch sound echoed across the void, heralding the arrival of a massive crystalline pillar of light. This Spire of Awakening descended from the heavens, bathing the world in a radiant, almost unbearable glow.
The Spire's arrival marked the beginning of the Day of Awakening, an era when select individuals began to manifest extraordinary abilities—becoming the Awakened. These gifted souls bore crests attuned to the Spire's energy, granting them powers that would shape history itself.
But the Spire's gift was double-edged. Its eldritch energy corrupted many, twisting body and mind into grotesque abominations. Cast into the Wastelands—a land forged from corrupted earth and the remnants of a fallen age—these monstrosities became both a warning and a scourge.
Within the Wastelands, only the strongest-willed survive. Those who venture too far risk becoming the very monsters they hunt. Yet brave—or foolish—adventurers descend into this cursed realm, harvesting corrupted creatures for their body parts and dark energies. These materials power Spelltech, the magic-infused technologies that have become the backbone of Cainoria's modern civilization.
The Wastelands are a living testament to the Spire's double-edged gift: a place where power and corruption walk hand in hand, and where the unwary are swallowed whole by shadow.
Ancient lore whispers that the Wastelands were forged as a testing ground for the gods themselves. The unworthy are cast aside; the strong are forged in adversity's crucible. Twisted creatures, dark magic, and ancient ruins hiding forbidden knowledge populate the land, mutating those who dare tread too far. Few return unchanged; even fewer survive.
Despite the dangers, some venture into the Wastelands seeking fortune, forbidden knowledge, or redemption. Tales of their deeds become legend, but legend often comes wrapped in blood, loss, and madness.
The four kingdoms of Cainoria long abandoned any hope of claiming the Wastelands. Instead, they fortify borders and warn citizens of the lurking horrors, leaving the Wastelands as a grim, ever-present reminder: civilization is fragile, and darkness waits patiently at its edge.