“In the deepest forges, on the highest mountains,

In the bleakest lands, in the greatest empires,

One thing and only one thing is forever,

Hunger.”

It has been 200 years since the most significant human empire ever was founded. Fighting tooth and claw, they clawed out space for themselves through newfound powers. Raiding warbands and attacks from Other races, once feared as the end of entire cities, now fueled the growth of ever-greater warriors. The first powers appeared in a myriad of forms. They were undocumented, unheard of and above all, rare. In those dark times, they were a beacon of hope around which Humanity rallied. Through valiant sacrifices, those progenitors brought back bought knowledge and land, securing the first human stronghold of Vyrmheld. That brave spirit was upheld by continuing generations, as they increased the area held by humankind.

As time went by, survival was not the most pressing need at all times, and knowledge and experimentation began to bloom. Naturally, the cities on the outskirts of human territory were continually strengthened through trials of fire and iron. Towns near the centre were able to grow in relative peace, and focus on knowledge and through that outmanoeuvre enemies. At some point, however, cooperation was no longer necessary for survival, with specific territories excelling at their specialities to the extent that they could handle entire hordes with ease, turning them into resources to feed themselves. Now that people no longer hungered for necessities, they hungered for success and victory over those they saw, and so began Humanity’s Fracturing.

Thus began the warring ages, a dark age reforged in Humanity’s greed. Much knowledge and honour were lost, with allies betraying each other and clans fracturing over the allocation of resources. The conflict was an opportunity for the Other races, like the Myrmic empire of the Naga, the Blood Horde of the Orc alliance, and the Silverleaf coalition of the Elves. Along with those, were countless smaller tribes and groups that sought to use the fracturing of the human territories to their benefit. It appeared for a while that Humanity’s star had fallen, with only enclaves of humans surviving were the major pre-Fracturing clans and families had made their homes.

When Humanity’s torch flickered, with only the barest wisp of flame visible, an opportunity appeared. Where any other race would have lamented their misfortune, Humanity instead got some breathing space. What changed was the advent of Rifts, portals of extradimensional energy that connected nearby realities to this one. Dungeons and Remnants began appearing, attacking all races equally. Humanity had one thing going for it. The energies, released when Dungeons and Remnants were killed, boosted their racial affinity to gain powers.

Amidst this resurgence in powers, one man stood out through his valour and leadership. Known as Emperor Morningstar now, he was the man first to every battle and last to leave. Through entire hordes of enemies, he would wade, fighting as a man possessed towards a reality he envisioned. It all culminated with the utter decimation of the greater Kreugerian kings and their clans, liberating the humans and lands that they had taken over. It was upon that foundation, sculpted from the flesh of Humanity’s enemies that he founded the first and only Human Empire.

Any dissenting human factions were either coerced through rewards or military might and eventually, Human territory was unified once again, this time both in purpose and in command. However, unlike before, territories weren’t allowed to gain strength in an isolated manner. Instead, through the foresight of the Emperor and his revered advisors, each territory’s unique strengths were leveraged to boost the Empire.

Knowledge of powers grew, and both military might and academic research were pushed to never before heights. The Empire’s light looked like it would shine forevermore. Indeed, for the next 190 years, the Emperor and his successors each led Humanity to success, growing land and increasing the living standards of all its citizens. However, recent times have gotten far more tumultuous with many humans forgetting the utter savagery of times before, and growing complacent and even covetous. Times are no longer as golden, and both the armies of the Other races and the Remnants have grown. The Empire has already suffered a few defeats, ceding ocean ports to the Myrmic empire and losing the northernmost districts of the city of Northfall to the growing Remnant threat.

This tumultuous, uncertain world is the world that Kyrios Brand lives in. Hailing from the Brand household, it once was a respectable family with governance over one of the better-run southern cities. Recently the city had been taken over by a new clan after an ambush took both of Krios’s parents away and defanged the Brand family. Orphaned after that, Kyrios had only one living relative willing to care for him. In this world where might made right, he was also unlucky enough to have inherited none of the ability his parents had. What had once been hope that both his parent’s powers would combine into something magnificent, had dwindled into a dream of any power, into the wish for the slightest bit of strength to survive on the streets, into the cold acceptance that fate could be a cruel mistress.