Ythrannil

Two thousand years ago, the God-King who once ruled the world was overthrown by a coalition of the five most formidable dragons. In his final moments, Exode cursed their entire race. Over the ensuing centuries, these once-proud and intelligent creatures gradually lost their sentience, devolving into nothing more than dangerous, feral beasts.   During the God-King’s oppressive reign, a valiant hero and his allies carved massive sections of the continent and magically imbued them to float, thus creating the Behemot Islands. With the malevolent ruler’s downfall, those who dwelled on these newly formed islands were finally free to forge a culture of their own.   Meanwhile, for the races living on the mainland, the God-King’s defeat simply paved the way for five dragon masters to fill the power vacuum. Human slavery persisted, and rather than uniting against a single tyrant, the remaining races were forced to compete for resources and territory in service of their respective dragon overlords.   On the Behemot Islands, imposing walls were raised and defenses reinforced to guard against incursions from below. Mages discovered the remarkable properties of the crystals that kept the land afloat, pioneering a unique form of magic. This new art, practiced by artists, artisans, engineers, and inventors alike, significantly enriched and strengthened the islands’ society.   Today, the Below and the Behemot Islands stand at a critical crossroads. Dwarven experts have revealed that the islands’ crystal reserves will be fully exhausted within fifty years. In response, the rulers of the Behemot Islands have begun sending expeditions to the Below in search of new crystals—or alternatives. Envious of the islands’ magical advancements and angered by these ventures into their domains, the Dragonlords continually scheme to bring down the floating realms. Now, they have uncovered a way to do it.