1 - Welcome to Nether

Step into the dark side of Nether and the hostile world that these people call home. Become familiar with your role as a Lightseeker.

Enter Nether

Nether is a world split in half by a barrier called The Horizon Line, with one side experiencing constant nightfall and the other, everlasting daylight. You've lived your entire lives on the dark side of the planet, known as Immennox, only hearing rumours and stories of what sunlight might be like on the other side - but every tale describes a veritable paradise; Lush greenery bathed in rays of gold, land untouched by the corruption of the Darkrot, and havens of beauty and abundance. For how could anything be worse than home?

The land is a frontier of cold woodlands and icy peaks, contrasted only by the heavy air of swamps and stormy coasts. Terrifying monstrosities roam these wilds, actively antagonizing settlements and cities alike. Yet worse still is the Darkrot, an all-consumptive haze that threatens to swallow civilization itself.

The Darkrot

The most dangerous foe you'll face this side of The Horizon Line, The Darkrot is a fatal sickness that manifests from a mysterious haze that encompasses everything in the known world - and is responsible for any unnatural levels of darkness that permeate this side of Nether. Like the name suggests, those who contract Darkrot do so from prolonged exposure to the dark and slowly begin to wither away as the sickness takes hold. The body weakens before literally withering away, piece by piece, usually sparing the brain for last. Despite this, the cruelest thing comes after the body is completely overtaken - for while the body rots away, the spirit and mind are preserved; manifesting what is called an Echo. To this day, there is no cure to the Darkrot, but the people of Nether have developed a way to stave off the sickness. A special form of light, created from the same ethereal connection used for Affinities.

Affinities

Affinities are an innate attunement creatures have to the prime elements of Nether; Ocean, Nature, Tempest, Flame, Light and Dark. It's generally understood that every living thing has an affinities, though some go their entire lives without it manifesting tangibly. Those fortunate enough to see their innate connection to the world often change in some way to reflect their Affinity physically - though the severity of these changes is varied heavily from person to person. As such, Flame and Light affinities are heavily sought after, as they have a natural resistance to the Darkrot. While those with the Dark affinity are immune to the sickness all together, but have been known to have shorter lifespans. Because of this, many believe that those of the Dark affinity spread the sickness, and are ill-omens all.

The Lightseekers

The Lightseekers are a privately funded guild that accepts people from all walks of life, and retains political neutrality throughout Immennox . They aim to find a way through The Horizon Line and bring sunlight to their people freely. Five years ago, a group set out and was said to have succeeded, only to disappear without a trace. For this, some have begun to lose faith in your organization, believing that Lightseekers aim only to help themselves. That's where you come in, to prove to the world that we aim to save this land from the blighted Darkrot, and to grant a life of prosperity to all. Restore their faith in us, grant us light.