A primer on Cyorion
Almost 100 years after the defeat of Buroz the Corruptor, in the year 151 LB, and Cyorion is flourishing. Various peoples and kingdoms are lifting themselves up, trade is prospering throughout the world, and inventors have been creating improvements for exploration and life, rather than machines of war. Something creeps through the cracks, however, and dark rumors of evil powers, both ancient and new, permeate conversations in seedy taverns and side streets.
...And the Corruptor held aloft The Aethermirror, a conduit of his horrendous power. From the great beyond, his power smote Gweyir, and all wept.Conquerors may not all hate, but those that hate do so with great zeal. Buroz held such animosity for Elves, particularly the High Elves of Gweyir, that his primary motivation for conquering the entire world was to destroy as many Elves as he could. While Wood-Elves were able to survive the devastation, the Elven capital of Gweyir was attacked by surprise and completely destroyed. Many hundreds of thousands fell in the aftermath and ensuing campaign against the rest of the world. However, High Elves continue to be a rare sight, some resigned to a life of homelessness, and many take pity on those left begging in the streets of cities. Eternal, devastated, and broken. The sun sets in many places, but never in Cyorion, which is a tidally locked world. Aside from the two moons Vakiter and Iovis and the cracks in the sky, Cyorion boasts another celestial anomaly. Known as The Veil, night washes across the landscape as the sun is blocked every 12 hours, followed by 12 hours of daylight. The Veil grows and recedes slowly, allowing for a dawn and dusk cycle.
Those that were captured were placed into the ranks of the Corruptor, his army of Faceless. Their minds blank, they existed only to serve.
50 Years of Tyranny
The War of the Faceless was a devastating conquest led by the Orc Buroz. It is rumored that he achieved great power through sacrifices made in the The Arid Expanse. He rallied other Orc clans to his side, then began to march against the world. Buroz continued to grow his ranks by enslaving the minds of conquered enemies.The Shattered Sky
A group of Faceless were cleansed of the magic that enslaved them. Unfortunately, the group of wizards that freed them gave their lives casting the powerful counter-spells and were only partially successful. The newly freed individuals had severe amnesia and couldn't remember who they were. They traveled far to solve the mystery of how they came to be and started an uprising against their oppressor. Eventually, they began to earn the people's trust, gained artifacts and power, then marched on Buroz himself. Legends tell of a great battle that resulted in the destruction of The Aethermirror, a celestial mirror that served as a conduit for Buroz's power. The heroes told how the blinding explosion almost killed them, and the Aethermirror flew up, shattering the sky itself.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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Author's Notes
Cyorion is an ongoing project, with contributions from player characters in three D&D 5e groups GM'd by the creator of Cyorion, Ben Mackrill. If you are interested in contributing to this project, or would like to play in the setting and help collectively develop the world, please contact me via message on World Anvil or on twitter @BMtheDM.