Devorn

The world of Devorn has changed greatly in the near millennia following the Great Unshackling . The very fabric of reality was torn asunder, the Gods themselves changed and no longer could they interact so directly with Devorn. Entire races of beings went into decline, some vanishing almost completely within a century or two; others becoming more devilish, bestial or even monstrous. The seas and oceans calmed, the great storms that once covered Devorn dissipated and the Lost Isles of the West reappeared from beyond the mists.   Of all that changed the Magic of Devorn had arguably the greatest changes. It began with bursts of wild, natural magic appearing across the world. Forests of trees that people would swear were whispering to them, river currents that seemed to almost have a mind of their own and mountain ranges grinding new paths between them of their own volition. Then the practitioners of magic across Devorn felt their magic begin to fluctuate wildly, the majority felt their power wane over the years until nothing was left, they were the lucky ones. The unlucky ones felt their power grow, the feeling exhilarating for a time as they began to perform pieces of magic that would've been considered miracles in ages past, but their power did not stop growing.   Some Mages used their strengthened magic to take control of towns, cities or even nations, becoming benevolent rulers or tyrants, while others created horrifying plagues and curses or healed the rarest maladies and afflictions. Regardless of what they had done with this new found power, the majority of the remaining practitioners began suffering from horrifying and gruesome deaths, some exploding in a fireball large enough to flatten a castle, others changing themselves and everyone within 20 miles into chickens and all manner of farmyard animals, and a few who seemingly disappeared without a trace. Though rumours have long persisted of a select few who survived, and were able to contain their power and even harness it before these accidents could befall them. Magic however, had been changed forever, and slowly new practitioners of magic began to develop new techniques that could harness this new, wilder power. The attitudes towards these new Mages vary wildly from country to country, some worshipped, others reviled, no matter the case they are treated with caution and there is always a healthy dose of respect, or fear, or both.   The Great Unshackling signalled the start of an era of great strife and turmoil, where nations rose and fell rapidly, warlords and bandits ran rampant and time itself flowed strangely. During this era, that came to be known as the Darkened Years, rumours began to spread of new and horrifying monsters lurking the darkest parts of the world terrorising villages and devouring those unfortunate enough to travel alone. As new nations rose they attempted to combat these monsters, sending constables and sheriffs to slay the creatures, unfortunately, apart from the rare few who became the subject of famous ballads most were slaughtered. Something had to be done, and so it was a Mage from Natharis, Harran Ezoratt, who developed the process for mutating individuals into something that went beyond natural. Once mutated these individuals were trained to fight the things that went bump in the night, with steel and silver swords; all kinds of alchemical solutions; and basic magic. These individuals came to be known as Witchers and reinforced the forces of Devorn against the monsters.