Introduction to the world you will be playing in...

[Rukellian]

General World History
During the times of swords and sorcery, there lived a powerful kingdom by the name of Dathan. One of the oldest and longest lasting of human settlements on the continent of Kinra, Dathan stood as a beacon of man’s superiority over nature and the harsh denizens of its homeland. For centuries, powerful human kings would reign over Kinra’s borders, building cities of masterful craftsmanship and strength. The trading empire also flourished under Dathan’s control, opening up trading routes to faraway lands; the humans encountered many civilizations of old and welcomed their markets thusly, though relations between the many races were not always mutual.

Just as there were many good kings during the age of man, there was also a fair share of corrupt ones as well. The Elven kingdoms, already weary of humans in first place, took notice of the slow deterioration of Dathan over time, and thus ceased relations with them some time ago. The Orcish tribes, isolated that they were, generally did not show any concern towards the problems of others, but when the slave industry started up in the provinces of man, the orcs bared the brunt of its effects. This, as many could imagine, destroyed any friendly relations that was once held between humans and orcs. Even other races of the time took notice of this practice, and further looked down upon the human race, or even started to, if they did not do so already.

The humans of this day and age were ignorant and self-centered. Though they opened their arms to trade of fine materials and natural resources, the same attitude rarely applied to culture and knowledge. The humans preferred to stick to what they knew and did not want to bother with other races and what they had to say, superiority complex that rivaled that of the Elven people. This naturally put some distance between man and other races. Because of this divide in cultures, humans became fearful of anyone not human, and showed general disgust/distrust in strangers from different lands as of recently.

Magic was of great abundance in the early years of Kinra’s history. The Elven kingdoms in particular showed great adeptness at its control and usage of the arcane and mystical arts. Almost everyone at the time was capable of using magic, some better than others. The elves were not the only ones to know of magic and how to use it, other races too shared in the fruits of the magical era. It was only until the coming of man that magic, for some strange reason, lost some of its hold on Kinra. Fewer beings were born with its gifts, and even fewer still were capable of learning it now. Some say it was a curse brought on by man himself, with its focus of technological advancement and faith in fictional gods, so many elves believed. Others say that it is more of natural occurrence, that there was only so much magic in the world to begin with, and that everyone simply just used up most of it.

This is not to say that magic and sorcery has completely disappeared from the world of Kinra, it’s just very scarce now and only a select few still know of its secrets and practices it. When humans first learned of the magic of Kinra, something that was completely foreign to them, they regarded it with fear and hatred of its destructive and twisted potential. No good could come from wielding the power of the gods themselves. And that was the mantra for many of men during the centuries of Dathan’s rule, a direct result of the ignorance displayed towards other races and kingdoms in the past century. Again, only a select few saw the true significance of magic and its ability to do so much more than destroy and remain a special privilege of deities.

The Present
Though the kingdom of Dathan has struggled to live up to its former glory in the early years of Kinra, its state as of right now is stable to say the least. Benagal, a warrior of great renown, sits upon the throne of the human kingdom. He is the kind of ruler that is fair and considerate of his people. Not overly corrupt and not quite a saint either, he is what you would call a good older brother of the people. Under his reign, which has been short thus far, the slave industry has been torn apart and made illegal throughout the lands of Dathan. Old relations were slowly, yet steadily patched back together with neighboring kingdoms, the elves, surprisingly enough, showing interest in this young, charismatic, and yet inexperienced king. Truly, many believed that a new age was dawning, and that Benagal would lead man into a new age of prosperity and healthy growth, and it certainly seemed that way for a few years, but like with every new hero that would emerge in history, a dark malevolent force would rise up as well. You see, Benagal had a brother, Fenrin.

As with every king before him, Benagal could not lead an entire kingdom all by himself, he needed a personal council. Fenrin, was his most trusted advisor in all things related to Dathan; in other words, Fenrin had the king’s ear at all times. Given his important role within the kingdom, Fenrin’s practice of the arcane arts went generally unnoticed, that or everyone looked away from such displays when possible. Fenrin had a very dark manner about him, always veiled in a hooded robe, pale in complexion, from those who were close enough to see as such. It is no wonder that whenever he would pass people through hallways or even dark alleyways, they would shudder and keep their distance, being oh so careful as to not make eye contact. “A brother he may be to the king, tis the only reason for our tolerance of him,” said a noble of Benagal’s court, and that was the opinion that was generally shared of the rest of the people of Dathan.

Now, this dark persona, this image of a dark user of magics is but a facade for Fenrin, is it not? Nay, it’s the real deal. He has ambitions alright, and Benagal will not be on the throne for long if they go through. Something sinister was brewing in the near future, and even Benagal, trusting as he is of his council, also could not help but feel some sort of uneasiness….

The Story Begins…A band of heroes have been called forth to the capital city of Dathan, New Dathan, a personal invitation from the king himself. These unlikely individuals, though not at first glance, has been foreseen by oracles that they will serve a greater purpose in the near future, and that they are the keys to a Dathan’s future. With letters in hand, they make their way to the nearest Inn, Red Rock Inn. And so their adventure begins, and the fate of Dathan itself, maybe even all of Kinra, now rests in their hands. (no pressure)