After the Undoing
Ryne was once a prosperous world filled with magic. Magic infused the blood of every man, woman, and child, and many great mages came about through the years. Society began to use magical ability to judge social standing, and the best mage of the realm would become king.
The lands prospered under the rule of the Magi Kings and Queens, but the people started to become lazy, arrogant, and foolish with their overuse of the arcane. Slowly, the force known as Mana started to unravel as the people of the world overworked Mana with their constant use of magic for even mundane tasks. Sages recognized that the world was heading to disaster years before, but no one listened. Sure, underground shelters called Havens were built, but no one really believed anything would happen.
Then one day life was undone. No one remembers why, but the nations of the world went to war. The war didn't last long, it didn't have to. Mortals were throwing around powers rivaling those of the gods, the ground shook, the skies darkened. Even if they had realized what happened, with their near infinite power, there would have been nothing they could have done to stop it.
The universe burned with fury, and a mysterious force known as Wild Mana swept through the lands. It spread out from the battlefields like a wave of corruption. Those at the centers were killed outright as this strange new Wild Mana wracked their bodies. But as it moved out, it made the land barren and warped and mutated anything it touched. Some people became horrible disfigured, some people found great power, some people were hardly affected at all, but everyone was touched.
That is, everyone except for people like you. Your ancestors were among the lucky few to have been inside a Haven when the Undoing began. You were born in Haven Epsilon, and it's all you've ever known. The library has taught you about the old world, and the stories about the world above, gathered from the few times your Haven has sent out scouts, either fascinated or frightened you as a child. You've always had enough food to eat, water to drink, a place to sleep, and feral mutants were the last thing on your mind.
But it won't last. Haven Epsilon will not be able to feed everyone if the population keeps expanding, and the wards that have kept out Wild Mana and outside threats are beginning to fail. You have to go out there, away from the comfort of your Haven, if you want your home to find a way to thrive.
