The Mourning

First and foremost, every nation wants to unravel the mystery of the Mourning; a nation that could learn how to use this power would be unstoppable.

Once, Cyre shone more brightly than any of its sibling nations in the kingdom of Galifar. It was the center of the kingdom’s wealth, a monument to its artistic and arcane achievements, and the site of great centers of learning where preeminent masters of magic, architecture, and artifice taught at the forefront of their craft. It was also the home of House Cannith and its massive foundries: some of them built on mountains or in mountains, some gracefully spanning canyons, and others erected in vast labyrinths deep underground. Today, this region is a festering wound across Khorvaire. A wall of mist surrounds a land twisted into strange and terrible shapes. Cyre was once called the Jewel of Galifar. Now it is the Mournland.
The Mourning
No one knows the reason for what happened on 20 Olarune 994 YK. Though it had been battered, Cyre stood defiant; Cyran soldiers had recently driven deep into Karrnathi territory and were holding their lines against the combined forces of Breland and Thrane.
And then it all came to an end.
Some say that the dead-gray mist began in Metrol, initially flowing out of the royal palaces of Vermishard. Others swear that the disaster began in the Cannith stronghold of Making. All that is known is that the mist swiftly spread across the kingdom, transforming the lands and creatures caught within it. Over a million people died in the Mourning, including nearly all of the inhabitants of central Cyre. The mist slowed its advance as it spread, and some of those in the borderlands heard of the disaster in time to flee. Others survived because they were already beyond the borders of Cyre; the mist stopped mere feet away from the camps of Cyran soldiers holding sections of the Brelish front. And though the vast majority of people caught in the Mourning died, thousands did survive. Most have no clear memory of the event, and there’s no explanation for why they were spared. The superstitious say that these people are cursed, that anyone touched by the Mourning is now an agent of darkness.
In the days immediately following the Mourning, many assumed that the mist would continue to spread. Intense panic slowly turned to curiosity as it became clear that the border had stabilized. Over the last four years, people have ventured into the mist for many reasons. Some sought to plunder the abandoned treasures of the richest nation in Galifar. Others hoped to find lost loved ones, or some explanation for the disaster. Few of these explorers have returned, and those survivors all tell tales of a land twisted in unpredictable and inexplicable ways.

No one knows what caused the Mourning, and the fear of repeating this cataclysm — not the Treaty of Thronehold — is what keeps potential combatants at bay. No one is happy with the outcome of the war, but no one dares to continue fighting, since all believe that renewed full-scale conflict could result in utter destruction. That said, the general belief is that the mystery of the Mourning will eventually be solved. Either someone will learn how to control the power that caused the Mournland, or the precise cause will be determined and people will be able to tell if it still poses a threat.
Many people truly hope that the Last War will live up to its name forever. But others prepare for more war even as they pursue peace. First and foremost, every nation wants to unravel the mystery of the Mourning; a nation that could learn how to use this power would be unstoppable. Other forces are searching for weapons or forgotten powers that could turn the tide if another war breaks out.