Just over 300 years ago, Tessanis was a bountiful, magical world. Its two massive continents were dotted with many powerful, highly cultured empires. War and peace were equally common, and magical advancement outpaced science by a far cry. Every empire and city-state had battalions of battle-mages, academies for the more scholarly types, and even simple working mages. Magic was a daily part of nearly every person's life.
Then one day, it all simply stopped. Magic had completely ceased to exist. This caused utter chaos for the many people that had come to rely upon it for even the simplest of tasks. Empires began scrambling for the most base of resources, entire cities starved to death, and death became the replacement for magic.
After a century of struggling, only one of the original empires survived. This was the grand city of Ebonfort. Before magic left the world, it was known for its especially brutal tactics and inhumane treatment of any outsider, which coupled with their darker hued stone and armor, making it oft called the Dark Castle. 'Might makes right' was a common saying in Ebonfort, and still is to this day. The city has remained under the rule of the Order of the Ebon Knights, led by four Grand Generals. And under this rule, the empire has maintained its prosperity of days past, through sheer force of will.
When Ebonfort was starving, their armies, who relied the least upon magic, conquered farming and fishing villages. When their people were under attack by magical creatures, that seemed totally unaffected by the banishment of magic, the Ebon Knights stood strong. When the nearby empire of Vircastoria attempted to invade them under a banner of justice and righteousness, the Ebonfort stood strong.
Being the only surviving empire hasn't softened the nation's resolve either; it simply provides less enemies to face. The biggest threats now are the rampant magical creatures that attack the surrounding villages, the aggressive raids by the wild horsemen known as The Screamers, and natural disasters.
However, there are two rumors that have been coming in with the very few travelers that survive making the journey to Ebonfort. The first is that a few new cities have risen up from the ruins of the old. This wasn't particularly distressing to the Ebon Knights, for most of the ruins were too far away to warrant much attention, save perhaps Vircastoria.
The most startling rumor was that magic was beginning to return. That there were individuals, even within the empire, that had begun discovering their magic. The rumors had always existed, but now, they had increased in frequency and reliability since the 300th anniversary of the departure.
This gave the Ebon Knights two new goals, to inspire those within their ranks. Discover these new civilizations, to learn if they are worth conquering or pose a threat is the first. But the most important is to round up as many of these supposed magic users, by any means necessary, and move from a never-dying legacy, to a world dominating power.
Then one day, it all simply stopped. Magic had completely ceased to exist. This caused utter chaos for the many people that had come to rely upon it for even the simplest of tasks. Empires began scrambling for the most base of resources, entire cities starved to death, and death became the replacement for magic.
After a century of struggling, only one of the original empires survived. This was the grand city of Ebonfort. Before magic left the world, it was known for its especially brutal tactics and inhumane treatment of any outsider, which coupled with their darker hued stone and armor, making it oft called the Dark Castle. 'Might makes right' was a common saying in Ebonfort, and still is to this day. The city has remained under the rule of the Order of the Ebon Knights, led by four Grand Generals. And under this rule, the empire has maintained its prosperity of days past, through sheer force of will.
When Ebonfort was starving, their armies, who relied the least upon magic, conquered farming and fishing villages. When their people were under attack by magical creatures, that seemed totally unaffected by the banishment of magic, the Ebon Knights stood strong. When the nearby empire of Vircastoria attempted to invade them under a banner of justice and righteousness, the Ebonfort stood strong.
Being the only surviving empire hasn't softened the nation's resolve either; it simply provides less enemies to face. The biggest threats now are the rampant magical creatures that attack the surrounding villages, the aggressive raids by the wild horsemen known as The Screamers, and natural disasters.
However, there are two rumors that have been coming in with the very few travelers that survive making the journey to Ebonfort. The first is that a few new cities have risen up from the ruins of the old. This wasn't particularly distressing to the Ebon Knights, for most of the ruins were too far away to warrant much attention, save perhaps Vircastoria.
The most startling rumor was that magic was beginning to return. That there were individuals, even within the empire, that had begun discovering their magic. The rumors had always existed, but now, they had increased in frequency and reliability since the 300th anniversary of the departure.
This gave the Ebon Knights two new goals, to inspire those within their ranks. Discover these new civilizations, to learn if they are worth conquering or pose a threat is the first. But the most important is to round up as many of these supposed magic users, by any means necessary, and move from a never-dying legacy, to a world dominating power.
