The Rage of Valjirak

The world is plagued by Rage: the terrible dementia of the land caused by the unconstrained dark magic that has leaked out from the "factory" of the dread necromancer, Valjirak. Within his factory he performs heinous experiments upon creatures of all kinds...dead or alive. Whether his experiments fail or succeed, he releases them into the already suffering world. Rage grips the very land, causing some parts of it to wither and die, becoming utterly desolate, while other parts come to twisted, malice filled life. Surviving trees turn into monsters, and the flowers feed off of other living creatures. But even worse are the Enraged.

People and creatures of Aster also become infected with the Rage. They are called the Enraged, for they can no longer be called anything close to what they once were. They have become deranged and vicious, losing all sense of sanity and logic. They turn on others of their kind, tearing and rending, as if they were angry at all that lived. Their appearances become sallow and deformed, and they seem unable to care for themselves or use caution. They are known to eat raw flesh, even that of what once was their own kind. The lands of Aster are now too hostile to dwell within.

But there are other ways to live.

The few remaining peoples of Aster fled to the skies and the seas. With their craftsmanship and magics they created new cities and kingdoms for themselves. And although there are perils in these realms as well, it is a far better way to live than the alternative.

Life has gone on like this now for the past one thousand years. Just as the language of Aster has become nearly lost, so are the hopes of returning to the land. But now there are some who have decided upon making a stand and fighting against the necromancer and retaking their world of the past. A scattered remnant of hope, passed down through generations.