Imperial Hero, version 1.0: The Era of Chaos
More than two thousand years people believed in an illusion - that Ayarr Empire's greatness can last forever.
More than two thousand years people were born and were dying with the thought of devoting their lives to this greatness, to be part of it.
Alas, this dream died.
It didn’t happen at once though.
Generations after generations, the strenght that was uniting the people around this dream, was getting weaker. And that happened because people let it happen - they didn't believe this dream could ever expire, they didn't think that some of them would want to turn their backs on it, to wish to destroy it, this for which their ancestors had fought for more than two thousand years.
For several generations already, civilization silently watched how - one by one, the bastion of light and knowledge, strenght and spirit - collapsed, dimmed by the darkness.
Blackness, forgetfulness and emptyness slowly but certainly were paralyzing the souls of the Imperial citizen.
Fear started taking over the people.
And where fear reigns,the appearance of grudge, envy, malice, rage and hate begin to haunt.
And so, people started suffering.
Foul cults, bandit gatherings, fetid sacrifitial pits, black shrines and many other dark human organizations began to form on the Ayarr land's face, staining it like ever-bleeding rotting wounds.
The imperial authority, this bright symbol of the land's greatness, faded away, it turned itself in as a child, frail, weak and unable to challenge the evil forces and to stand against them.
The emperor didn't dare to equip the famiy blade and to go out and fight. Nobody from the great royal families supported him - they have long ago decayed as well.
The state has collapsed.
One by one - the most distant, wild and savage provinces ( Falar, Eternia,Dark Tree Province,The Endless Forest,Cliff Spires Province,Desert of Despair,Prairie Sea and Karaganda Island), separated from the central state authority and started living by their own laws, looking forward their own future.
And, by this time, when despair was dominating, and hope - was dying, the helpless citizens turned to their heroes - those savage and strong men and women, who were crossing the lands, doing wonderfull deeds. They were the last hope of the Impire, before it goes down into eternal darkness and oblivion.
They had to save this dream.
They had to...
But instead, heroes wished to rule this same Land, that begged for their help. They wanted to be the new Sovereigns, to be the ones to distribute the goods between people. They to decide who will rise, or who will fall.. who will live, and who - will die.
They wanted everything. They allied into powerful guilds and reached for the absolute authority in the Imperia.
Mighty fortresses started to erect in the border No Man's Provinces. Flags and war standards, with heroes' emblems started flapping under the winds' forces, stuck high on fortresses' towers. Few dared even to come close to the provinces, where the castles of heroic guilds were placed.
Wonderful workshops, foundries, carpentry camps, shops, treasuries, posts and observation towers surfaced everywhere, demonstrating the military, financial and economical power of the new Ayarr Empire’s Caesars .
It was rumored there was a crystal, discovered on Karaganda Island after the last strong earthquake there. And, as much as this rumor was growing, people were talking that this crystal could be found anywhere, that it could be processed and be used for crafting relics, artifacts, weapons, armor and many other mighty items, possessing power, never seen or heard of.
Was it fate that the places where these crystals could be obtained in No Man's Lands only, undertaken by the heroes, or not - this question would hardly be ever answered.
Whoever owned this crystal, possessed an immense power.
The war between heroes has started - a total, merciless, bloody war.
A war for control over the most precious thing in the Ayarr land - the crystal.
And so, the most black period in the history of the State blessed by the Father has began - The Era of Chaos.