Xorathis

A world once teeming with wondrous science and technology, now laid to ruin by the very fruits of its own labors. Xorathis is full of people, of every race, that are genetically modified using advanced biotechnology from an age past. That same technology created devices known as "Modules", which could reproduce a vast array of profound effects, intended to emulate the magicks used by ancient denizens of the world, as the arcane arts were lost to modern people ages before the fall of structured civilization. The power of these Modules was constantly being improved and compounded, as new combinations of materials and elements were discovered. Ambitious citizens with deep pockets flocked to the craze, with the highest bidders becoming the first Lords to heed the impending fall of the modernized world. Prior to the modules, an all-encompassing constitutional government spanned the globe, but quickly started to break down into a rudimentary feudal society as Lords amassed more power and influence.   These Lords went on to wage localized wars and claim territories for themselves, employing pseudo-serfs who were their muscle on the battlefield, and in negotiations with other Lords. After several decades, they had all sanctioned off regions of the settled continents, and established townships - ruled by their underlings - which dotted their territories. Trade was common between Lords but, just as common were heated conflicts over the last remaining bits of land and the borders of their Lordships. A few such conflicts would change the course of the known world, a prime contributor being the rise of the Lord Xorathis as the most powerful individual on the planet. She possessed modules with powers that could not be quantified by any known scientific scales, one of which had never been tested for fear of the unequivocal devastation it could potentially produce. Other such modules had been tested before, and resulted in otherworldly happenings, ranging from temporary quantum imbalances to opening permanent tears in the fabric of the known reality, eventually known as "Meridians".   Amidst the chaos, a faction known as "Futurae", rose to popularity among the oppressed people of the no-longer-free world. Futurae's one and only goal was to repossess and destroy these devastating modules, that allowed so few individuals to oppress the peoples of their world. Society had regressed so far that the course had to be shifted, if any hope were to be had for the future; and Futurae nearly saw their goal to fruition.   Near the end of the conflict referred to as the "Cyber War", Futurae developed a module that would successfully integrate the minds of their most skilled tactician and most seasoned soldier, into one fluid consciousness. They had essentially created the most effective operative known to the last millennia of recorded history, and their sights were set upon Lord Xorathis; taking down the most obscenely powerful Lord in the world would surely send a message to the rest. However, they gravely underestimated her wit and willingness to make nonchalant use of her immensely destructive modules.   After successfully infiltrating Xorathis' ranks for several months, the duo confronted the Lord, only to learn that their cover had been compromised some time ago by an inside source. The ensuing battle was the most devastating confrontation in recorded history, the ferocious powers of both combatants shaking the world to its core as they unleashed them. As the conflict raged on through the night and the following morning, it became apparent to the Lord that the might of her known and understood powers was not enough to bring down the super soldier. Desperate to end the conflict and rid herself of their presence, she brandished the Module which every great mind at her disposal had so fervently warned against. Upon discharging it's power, the Module seemingly misfired and collapsed on itself. In an instant, everything for hundreds of miles was atomized, the soldier and Lord Xorathis included. The resulting shock wave could be felt on every continent across the entire planet, and as quickly as it came, Modules and biotech enhancements alike began to fail and misfire in catastrophic fashion. Alongside the malfunctions of their technology, the Meridians were ripped open, spilling nightmarish creatures from other realms into the world of now-dead technology and divided people. The world was subsequently forced behind walls and cast into a dark age of primitive technology, where a handful of Lords still clung to power to keep their empires strong, but it was everyone for themselves in this new wasteland.