WORLD Timeline
Humanity once lived alongside the gods. Thousands of years ago, all people were cast out of paradise and banished across the sea. The true reason was obscured by time, only present in myths and legends. Robbed of the memory of their time with the gods, humankind was left to forge their own destiny in a strange new land– one cut off from the world by constant massive tidal waves that pummeled every outer coast. Most historians agree that the giant crater in the center of the Mainlands is the origin point of all humanity on this world; it eventually filled with water and formed the internal sea known today.
From this central point, humankind spread out across the continent and established their own unique cultures and traditions. Though humans were separated from the realm of the gods, the gods were still undoubtedly present in this land. History was largely unrecorded during this time, but every culture has legends of human interactions with the gods– of how these powerful beings communicated with their creation through visions, miracles, or apparitions incomprehensible to the human mind. Artifacts and ruins that survived from this time period show signs of magical competency far beyond modern spellwork; these could only have been accomplished by the guidance of the gods.
3000 Years Ago - Before the Death of the Gods
2000 Years Ago - The Death of the Gods Event
Around 2000 years ago, the gods ceased all interaction with humanity. This has become known as the Death of the Gods event, though the cause of such silence is still unknown.
Shortly following this silence, concentrated mana rained from the sky across the whole world. Over the span of 5 years the storms faded away. Since then, there has never been a similar event to this. Immediate impact of the rain left behind quick images of otherworld hands, gnashing teeth, and blinking eyes that have since faded. Puddles of mana eventually seeped into the ground, shaped into various physical forms of magic that humans have access to today.
Areas that received high concentrations of mana rain remain permanently changed into the modern day. Expansive magical forests, lakes with waters that produce magical properties, rich mines of mana crystals, and even magically levitating plateaus are only some examples of the changed geography.
ADG - After the Death of the Gods
The Death of the Gods was not the end of humanity’s story. Over the course of the following centuries, humans adapted to their changed world. Groups of people established unique cultures that populated the land. Each culture experienced their own trials on living in a world without the divine to guide them. Governments and lifestyles were very regional until a catastrophic disaster known as the Shattered Storm Event forced the world to unite. This provided an opportunity for leadership to join together and create a unified government known as the Council.
150 Years Ago - The Shattered Storm Event
The Shattered Storm event occurred 150 years ago. It began with intense earthquakes throughout the entire continent. Various regional disasters resulted from these earthquakes. Floods, tornadoes, collapsing mountains, and more caused destruction that had been unseen since the Death of the Gods. Each region attempted to deal with the storm with varying levels of success. One thing was certain: this storm was magical in nature. The origin of such magic is still a mystery to this day.
In response to this arcane disaster, a magical task force was formed. The best and brightest minds from each region came together to find a way to end the storm and save their homes. Their solution was to magically trap each regional storm within a crystal ball, thus ending the destruction.
The first Council resulted from this task force: the Heroes of the Shattered Storm. These heroes’ collaboration and comradery solidified the Council as the Mainland’s central government. These crystal balls were promptly stored at the Spire, where the Council oversees them and the rest of the continent. However, to this day there are still regional consequences of the Shattered Storm.
50 Years Ago - The Great Sleep, the Torpor & the Awakenings
Fifty years ago, a curse called the Torpor struck the world and caused an event coined "The Great Sleep." Nearly one in three people was afflicted by a deep and supernatural sleep, unable to be roused from their unconsciousness. Those who were struck by this curse became known as Dreamers, each trapped in their own unique Nightmare. Dreamers enter a magical stasis that pauses any survival needs; they cannot die from natural causes such as aging, sickness or starvation. Their sleeping bodies are still vulnerable to outside harm, however; many cultures have established places specifically to protect Dreamers from the elements and outside world. The Torpor is an ongoing problem that all of society faces; the curse afflicts more people each day, with no discernible pattern or resolution in sight.
The Torpor is far from a peaceful sleep. Every Dreamer is enveloped within a unique Nightmare, presenting trials that must be overcome. Those that were able to overcome the trials from their Nightmare awoke irrevocably transformed in a physical way– they are known as the Awakened. Since the Great Sleep, much of society has changed to adapt to the new needs of their Awakened citizens, varying widely across each culture.
30 Years Ago - Disappearance of the 2nd Moon, the Tides Calm
For the majority of human existence, the people of the mainland lived beneath a single sun and two moons. When the second moon was in the sky, tidal waves were constant on the periphery of all known land masses. These powerful waves made the mainland's outer coasts uninhabitable and ocean travel impossible– ships were only used to traverse the continent's endorheic ocean, the "internal sea."
30 years ago, the second moon disappeared. When it left the sky, the waves calmed. For the first time in human history, the coasts of the outer ocean were suddenly habitable and civilization has sprung up quickly there. Ports & shipbuilding enterprises developed just as swiftly, with many eager to explore uncharted waters– especially the Eternal Lands. But any that crossed the horizon line never returned– claimed by the fog of the Eternal Lands, dashed upon hidden rocks and reefs or perished by storms far more intense than ever experienced on the internal sea. In the present day, sailing is strictly regulated to the coasts. But after years of research and preparation, the Council has sanctioned the first extensive excursion in a decade– the voyage to the Eternal Lands thanks to information provided by the first successful vessel to return, manned by Awakened sailors.
0 Years Ago - First Expedition to the External Lands
Today, the world shifts once more. One year ago, an expedition returned from the Eternal Lands revealing that they are real and that the island holds challenges that only the Awakened are prepared to face– monsters known as "Nightmares" that only the Awakened can see and fight, invisible to the eyes of those who have never experienced and overcome the Torpor. The Council formed and instated the three Factions to voyage across the sea and explore the Eternal Lands with the various missions as unique as those who sail under their banners.