Gaia

Gaia is home to many unique countries and landmasses across the globe, with features and landmarks doting across the earth. In eras bygone, primitive mortals walked across the plains of the world with bows and spears, hunting their food across frozen continents and spreading their reaches to every corner of the globe. The people had no concept of history or magic, living for the sole purpose of survival.   That is until a great being from the heavens fell upon the earth. This colossal thing burned through the atmosphere, and upon reaching the surface of the planet, unleashed immense energy throughout, melting the ice and creating vast oceans. it was quickly enveloped and buried into the earth, burrowing deep, never to be seen again. However, that energy never ceased, and magic begun to spring forth from the ground.   This magic affected all walks of life, from the simplist plants to the ever developing mortals. Elves, humans, orcs, dwarves, and others, all one in ancient times, became seperate races and defined themselves. Goblins sprung from the crags of the earth, and Lizardfolks evolved from primitive reptiles. All due to the chaotic and unpredictable nature of magic.   As time and civilizations rose and fell, so did mortals abuse of magic. Ancient powerful sorcerers could reshape the world, summon gigantic beings from other realms, bring forth pestilence and death from life, and call down nation ending destruction from the heavens themselves. This abuse and destruction to the planet is theorized to have disturbed the ancient being slumbering deep at its core, who then withdrew all magic from the world back into its own body. Those who did not inherate magic into their blood would never see it again, and what sorcerers retained their magic became a shadow of their former selves.   A millenia without magic or any truly inventive technology passes. Empires and nations rise and fall, borders expanding and retracting as wars rage. The search for ancient magical artifacts far beyond the power of any man becomes a priority for any country that wants to remain intact, while scholars and priests try to find ways to bring forth the magic their ancestors once had. Some found ways to draw forth the magic the dwelled within the earth by aligning themselves with nature itself, becoming the first Druids and Rangers. Some would bargain for power from beings beyond the material world, whose reaches could not be severed when the magic of mortals faded.   Some turned to the Gods, beings whose influence grew tremendously during the Absence of Magic. Looking for something to believe in when the influence of world changing magic was lost, whispers from unseen figures reached the ears of those who would dedicate themselves to the various aspects of the world, whether that be to the forge, life, death- any number of things. Though their influence was weak at first, and their followers could only perform minor miracles in their honor, their sway over mortals grew as the centuries passed. As more mortals heard of these gods, the more their power grew- as so did the Clerics who worked in their name.   In the last century of the Absence of Magic, some mortals found magic in the power of the place of powerful promises- Paladins emerged as capable emissaries and soldiers for nations big and small, and their magic originating from their very own will was a sign that the Absence of Magic was nearing its end.   The first sign of the new age of magic did not come from the research of wizards. Instead, Bards exhibited the first signs of natural magic reemerging in mortals, their hymes of tales past and songs woven with emotions from deep within having supernatural influence to the world that surrounded them. It was only later that the modern wizards learned to influence the very fabric of magic, studying the bards themselves and applying their methods in a way that could more effectively control the magic returning to the world.   200 years had past since then. Although the magic that mortals could control was nowhere near as powerful as the original sorcerers from over 1000 years ago, the ever growing numbers of people who could weild such a force was expanding quickly, much to the dismay of those who had built their empires through the art of war and secrecy. Many countries would outright ban the practice of magic, citing it as dangerous to the country and governments in power.   Independent groups of merceneries and guilds began to make their rise during this time, seeking to work outside the confines of the governments and countries. Most of these groups are frowned upon by most in positions of power, and thought to exist solely for the purpose of undermining the current powers in place. Their existence is tolerated, however, as they often take care of 'minor' problems within the world, and often clear out cursed crypts and recover ancient magical artifacts that the average soldier could not.   This is where you come into play, as new adventurers to work under the safety of a guild. Although casting magic and initiating in combat and espionage is still technically illegal for you, you are given more oppurtunities to bend the law to solve the problems you encounter. Jobs come in all forms, whether that be taking care of violent bandits on the outskirts of a small town, exploring an ancient dungeon deep in the desert, or protecting a valueble target as they travel across borders.