In the beginning, there was Czar and there were Fae. Fae were higher beings who acted as a collective, selectively evolving to enable themselves to harness more flux, the energy that enables magic use. Czar was the only God. He spoke and created the Czarian Coterie, a group of Gods tasked with overseeing the universe in his place. This included Cynthia, Nebula, Porcine, and Xeron. After this, Czar went silent. From these four, many other gods were created to rule the different aspects of the universe. Xeron was given the ability to create inhabitable paintings, the first of which were Y’vera, the Oscuarry, and The Sky to protect his paintings from the void. The goddess of nature, Elk, took favor with the world of Y’vera and gave it life. The flux of the void was too strong for mortal life on Y’vera, so Elk created the Crystal of Balance to keep most of it at bay. Life thrived on Y’vera, but was unable to develop advanced consciousness. Czar saw this, and in combination with his displeasure of his Coterie in ruling the void, killed Cynthia, Porcine, and Nebula, forcing them to be reborn as mortals in each of the paintings: Cynthia to Y’vera, Porcine to The Oscuarry, and Nebula to The Sky.

With the advent of mortals, Xeron took pity on their souls and designated the Oscuarry as their final resting place. Nebula took advantage of the empty painting of The Sky and fractured himself into thousands of shining beings with which he could observe all other paintings. Elk willingly killed herself to be with Cynthia and rule over nature on Y’vera. She seeded Cynthia with the first human, and they became progenitors of humanity.

Those beyond the first generation aged and died. It was at this time that the new Czarian Coterie began to take interest in the affairs of the mortal world. They began exercising their will over humans like pawns in a game of chess. Religions formed, but it wasn’t enough for some Gods. Some radicals decided to join their followers in Y’vera by killing themselves to be reborn as mortals, sometimes creating new races of their own. Tension in Y’vera rose, until Coyote, father to a race of beasts disguised as humans, usurped Cynthia as ruler of the the human continent Ephesus. He attempted to rule from the capital city Delteria, but was met with the resistance of the an army led by two human brothers, Storxx and Rolark. Together they drove Coyote and his followers off the mainland of Ephesus, to The Venison, a desolate desert wasteland off the coast, where Elk’s touch hadn’t yet reached.

Storxx and Rolark established themselves as leaders of the new world, creating two cities on the island ithica, the home to the Crystal of Balance. Odium was Storxx’s city to the north, and Lucre was Rolark’s city to the south.

Around this time the first 100 year cycle was completed and a star fell from the sky marking its passing. This star was the Nebula Vulcure, who chose to fall into Y’vera. His physical form was torn from him during his descent to Delteria. He crashed into the stonework and rebuilt his body using the materials around him. Some called him a golem, but the reality was he was very much living with a crystal core containing his spiritual self. Vulcure became an influential figure in Delterian politics, working closely with Storxx and Rolark.

100 years have passed since Vulcure’s arrival, and the turning of the Era is just a few days away. The city of Delteria is anticipating another Nebula’s arrival, and as such has prepared a large festival for everyone to celebrate in. The world is largely at peace and has been since Storxx and Rolark’s victory, except there are a few more races in Delteria than there were at this time 100 years ago. There are even a few Fae in attendance who have evolved mortality. Storxx and Rolark have grown old, but are not dead yet, as second generation humans still live remarkably long lives. Leadership of Ephesus has passed to Falen Kaltai, who rules alongside Cynthia II. Politics have become complicated due to the involvement of a powerful Delterian guild called Veracity.

Our characters meet in a Delterian district, Lower Bethany, at the Church of Midway. They are there to watch special performances by the mages of the Arcane Heights, who reenact the Cynthian Wars and arrival of Vulcure, their guest of honor.