The Land of the Crimson Sun

The calamity   The world as you know it, is nothing but a dead husk of its former self. Nothing but wasteland and desert as far as the eye can see. You remember stories of the old world. Perhaps you had a family member or close old friend describe a world full of color, life, peace, and magic. that is until the great calamity. Over 500 years ago a series of catastrophic magical events plagued the world, the ending being a great sandstorm that washed over all of the known land and buried almost everything in miles of sand and rubble, petrifying all living things in a shell of clay and rock, killing almost everything.   Civilization   only a few survived the storm, setting up towns and settlements on the peaks of mountains and the tops of plateaus, anywhere that wasn’t completely buried in sand and could possibly be habitable, making family’s, clans, and eventually community’s. One of these community’s grew so large, it became an empire called the Sunkingdom. The capital is named Centrum, a massive city built upon an enormous mountain that is home to a large clan of dwarves known as the Saviors, for it was through their mercy and the leadership of one man that saved the lives of the ancestors of The now “royal blood” or “nobility” of Centrum. These ancestors where lead by a man, known as The Dawn. He was the one who made the deal with the Dwarves of the mountain and lead 1,000 of his followers to safety. Over the years the city had gathered so many devout followers and desperate calamity survivors to his slowly growing city of stone and light. eventually, the Dawn had become the Sun, and the Shepard of 1,000 disciples had become the king of 500,000 survivors. Many of which regard this sun king as a god, savior, and protector. They blindly and devoutly worship him.   Present day, year 599 P.C. (Post calamity)   Over the span of 500 years the children of the first 1,000 disciples were regarded as the ‘chosen of light’ and therefore divinely superior to all others, as their god hand pick their ancestors (and by extension them) to live on. They live in only the highest points of the city in beautiful marble mansions and towers with fountains of pure water, while the rest of the population of centrum are forced to live at the bottom, in poverty, disease, and an extreme lack of water, keeping those who desperately need it under the kings thumb. Many die daily within centrums walls, yet for some it’s the only mercy they have from the dangers outside of the city. Many are forced to become slaves, doing the kingdoms bidding, so long as they can hold onto the little amount of life they have, working tirelessly to have enough water to survive the next day. Some become gladiators to fight for the entertainment of others, some become bounty hunters so they may sell artifacts and knowledge to get their next meal or a roof over their heads. But most are devoted followers of what they assume to be the only good thing in this world, the only thing keeping them alive. Oh how wrong they are. The general population is kept illiterate, to help control the masses and keep them easy to manipulate. Writings, maps, books, and any kind of literature is banned within the outer rim of the city, including any kind of organized education.   Although not all are as hopelessly blinded by the kings light. There are a few who hold onto the memories of their ancestors. Keeping ancient tomes that describe an ancient past of peace, benevolent gods, and pure magic used for good. Or even just stories told at bedtime that may seem like a fairy tale yet you know are true. Even fewer are those who have lived long enough to survive centuries of hardship and the oppression of the king to one day bring back those long forgotten times.   Our story begins with you, and your constant struggle to survive in such a miserable world, surrounded by hopelessness and ever bearing despair. Will you be the true herald of righteousness and bring down those who stole power to abuse it? Or will you be yet another forgotten memory buried in the sands. The choice is yours.