The Great Cataclysm
The exact final trigger of the Great Cataclysm may never be known. However, many believe that the large temporal rifts in western Chuulonia were somehow involved. Some casting of magic, inconsequential all by itself, may have been the final action that tipped the scales and triggered a run-away cascade of magical energies that led to a great annihilation and forever changed the face of Raios. With the veils of the world ripped wide open, monstrous beasts from other planes were suddenly free to enter the realm of Raios through temporal rifts. At the same time, shattering earthquakes of monumental proportions rocked the land, bringing widespread destruction. And as the earth shook, devastating tsunamis swept in from the sea and mercilessly decimated the land far inland. While shattering earthquakes rocked the landscape, enormous areas of coastal land began to sink. This sudden submergence surprised everyone, and thousands drowned in the first days. As all this took place, deadly Chaos Storms, with their blazing blue and red lightning, swept out of newly opened temporal rifts and razed the landscape, killing and corrupting all in their path.
The Kishari Empire suffered a similar fate, with most of its population perishing. The armies that were still battling in northern Aklon suffered a similar fate with few survivors. However, many of the refugees fleeing the advancing Movorian army managed to survive the catastrophic events by continuing their flight northward towards Neblek and into Alvalariel. Over time these survivors went on to create the city states of Soreilia and found the city-state of Khu. While the devastation actively raged, large parts of the Kishari Empire began sinking beneath the sea while raging chaos storms claimed countless lives in the interior. Of the survivors who remained within the empire, most who survived the chaos storms found themselves horribly corrupted with aberration-like mutations.
The Chuulonian Empire faced similar devastation to its landscape, with most of its coastal areas sinking, while many of its cities became nearly uninhabitable due to damage by earthquakes. Meanwhile, many dangerous outsiders and a Terrasque freely roamed the countryside and forced the total abandonment of a very large area of the country.
In a tragedy of epic proportions, the large northernmost half of the continent of Nhulokkarnum disappeared beneath the sea in its entirety, taking the Anbari Federation and the realms of Adar, Arndor, Cearr, Densharr, Kor, Pelendor, Shin’ar, and Utlan Tor’va, with it. Some small number of fortunate survivors who had access to boats managed to flee westward, seeking refuge in the wilderness of eastern Aorlan. Today these survivors are the majority population in the lands of Arnheim, Torheim, Denos, Pelarr, and Venn. Farther to the south, the lands were ravaged to the point that the complete collapse of civilization occurred. Ansharr found itself scourged by great red dragons who once gated into the world, destroyed all life that they encountered. Today a few of these dragons still survive and continue to destroy anything they find. Farther south the lands of Dalor, Xul’tarnu, and Yxtan collapsed into lawless areas. Today Dalor is a desolate land that has only three remaining cities, and these are each ruled by a demon lord. Meanwhile Xul’tarnu’s and Yxtan’s populations mostly died, and the few survivors were horribly mutated to the point that humans refer to them as monsters. The lands of Xul’tarnu and Yxtan today are mostly a savanna wilderness with a few scattered ruins to remind visitors of their storied pasts. The lands of Tekul suffered less than the lands farther north but the damage caused a complete collapse of their society. Today Tekul is a land of primitive warring tribes who have no comprehension of their past or what the large stone ruins were. Finally, the land of Merrapi suffered the least. Still the combination of earthquakes, tsunamis, and the sinking of coastal lands led to the downfall of their civilization. Today, Merrapi is a simple agrarian society that remembers little of their past.
The Great Cataclysm also affected more remote areas. The once advanced kingdom of Mu Xian’va found itself utterly destroyed when most of its landmass sank suddenly into the sea. Today, the survivors are a simple people living off the sea with almost no comprehension of their past.
Conversely, the Valmyrrian Empire only suffered a minor amount of damage compared to the lands of the other combatants. Valmyrrian mages managed to shield much of their lands from the worst of the cataclysms effects and since battle never took place within their lands, their casualties were few. This left the Valmyrrian Empire as the sole advanced society left on Raios following the cataclysm.
The entire world of Raios felt the impact of the Great Cataclysm, with significant damage extending far beyond the epicenter and the war zones. Only the northernmost continent of Aorlan remained relatively unaffected. Much of the southern population which survived the initial onslaught of events, succumbed in the ensuing years, leaving the survivors and the land scarred and in need of healing.
The Aftermath
The aftermath of the Great Cataclysm was catastrophic for most of Raios. The powerful Movorian Empire's lands lay utterly lifeless, with once grand cities reduced to rubble, and frequent chaos storms rendering the region inhospitable to life. At the height of these events, a vast area of land that had once been beneath the Sea of Beledor, rose out of the sea reshaping the northern part of the continent of Centakus. Now known as the Movorian White Desert, Sahurasuud, the land still appears under a formidable curse as rainfall appears to have been permanently banished leaving the land a desolate desert.The Kishari Empire suffered a similar fate, with most of its population perishing. The armies that were still battling in northern Aklon suffered a similar fate with few survivors. However, many of the refugees fleeing the advancing Movorian army managed to survive the catastrophic events by continuing their flight northward towards Neblek and into Alvalariel. Over time these survivors went on to create the city states of Soreilia and found the city-state of Khu. While the devastation actively raged, large parts of the Kishari Empire began sinking beneath the sea while raging chaos storms claimed countless lives in the interior. Of the survivors who remained within the empire, most who survived the chaos storms found themselves horribly corrupted with aberration-like mutations.
The Chuulonian Empire faced similar devastation to its landscape, with most of its coastal areas sinking, while many of its cities became nearly uninhabitable due to damage by earthquakes. Meanwhile, many dangerous outsiders and a Terrasque freely roamed the countryside and forced the total abandonment of a very large area of the country.
In a tragedy of epic proportions, the large northernmost half of the continent of Nhulokkarnum disappeared beneath the sea in its entirety, taking the Anbari Federation and the realms of Adar, Arndor, Cearr, Densharr, Kor, Pelendor, Shin’ar, and Utlan Tor’va, with it. Some small number of fortunate survivors who had access to boats managed to flee westward, seeking refuge in the wilderness of eastern Aorlan. Today these survivors are the majority population in the lands of Arnheim, Torheim, Denos, Pelarr, and Venn. Farther to the south, the lands were ravaged to the point that the complete collapse of civilization occurred. Ansharr found itself scourged by great red dragons who once gated into the world, destroyed all life that they encountered. Today a few of these dragons still survive and continue to destroy anything they find. Farther south the lands of Dalor, Xul’tarnu, and Yxtan collapsed into lawless areas. Today Dalor is a desolate land that has only three remaining cities, and these are each ruled by a demon lord. Meanwhile Xul’tarnu’s and Yxtan’s populations mostly died, and the few survivors were horribly mutated to the point that humans refer to them as monsters. The lands of Xul’tarnu and Yxtan today are mostly a savanna wilderness with a few scattered ruins to remind visitors of their storied pasts. The lands of Tekul suffered less than the lands farther north but the damage caused a complete collapse of their society. Today Tekul is a land of primitive warring tribes who have no comprehension of their past or what the large stone ruins were. Finally, the land of Merrapi suffered the least. Still the combination of earthquakes, tsunamis, and the sinking of coastal lands led to the downfall of their civilization. Today, Merrapi is a simple agrarian society that remembers little of their past.
The Great Cataclysm also affected more remote areas. The once advanced kingdom of Mu Xian’va found itself utterly destroyed when most of its landmass sank suddenly into the sea. Today, the survivors are a simple people living off the sea with almost no comprehension of their past.
Conversely, the Valmyrrian Empire only suffered a minor amount of damage compared to the lands of the other combatants. Valmyrrian mages managed to shield much of their lands from the worst of the cataclysms effects and since battle never took place within their lands, their casualties were few. This left the Valmyrrian Empire as the sole advanced society left on Raios following the cataclysm.
The entire world of Raios felt the impact of the Great Cataclysm, with significant damage extending far beyond the epicenter and the war zones. Only the northernmost continent of Aorlan remained relatively unaffected. Much of the southern population which survived the initial onslaught of events, succumbed in the ensuing years, leaving the survivors and the land scarred and in need of healing.