Auranthia is a mostly forest-covered kingdom ruled by an elven mage council from the capitol city of Auranth. Magic is the most prized and desired power of the land. This has put the kingdom on top culturally, militarily, and economically. They have long been the object of envy for most of the known world. However, the balance of power is changing. A spell plague has struck the world. Wizards attempting to cast simple light spells have summoned demons, or wizards attempting shield themselves from harm have been launched 500 ft in the air. It has all but crippled trade and infrastructure throughout the kingdom. It has also left their military and borders incredibly vulnerable due to their dependency on magic. This isn't the worst problem to strike at the height of their hubris.
The forested countryside is being destroyed. An orc warlord named Wrask, who the kingdom has long hunted, has taken this opportunity to rally the orc tribes in the desert to the south and his forces now number in the tens of thousands. The mage council's reaction was to send the main army of twenty thousand to strike him before he entered the forest - only a few hundred elven warriors returned. Now, the council has withdrawn all forces to protect the capitol and Wrask has set the countryside aflame, burning and pillaging towns as he goes. He goes as far as to destroy the arcane prison of Vannis-Tethis, unleashing all sorts of powerful dark wizards set on revenge against Auranthia, including a cabal of necromancers that have begun raising the dead. To top it off, the dark creatures summoned from wizard miscasts are terrorizing the elves still trying to survive outside of the capitol. Bandits and goblins have also taken this opportunity to take and loot everything in sight.
The culmination of these problems all seem to share one commonality: rape and cross-breeding.
The demons created by miscasts seem to be sexually charged in ways the mage council has never seen before. Wrask is taking elven women for his warriors and killing the men. The bandits have been doing the same and selling the women across the sea into slavery once they've had their fun. Most frightening of all, the undead and fiendish plants being corrupted by the necromancers seem to be able to cross-breed with the living and create even more dangerous hybrids.
Main Character (Kuragari)
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Analura
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Introduction
Your search for the source of the spell plague leads you to a town called Velmira near the border of Wrask's Orc Warhost, but it's a necessary risk. You heard the wizard who first reported the spell plague, who is also the mage commissioned to solve the problem, had returned to his family after giving up. Whatever leads were to be followed, you think he might have had some before abandoning his duty. You figure you might run into some scouts and hopefully with Analura's help, you could handle it. She is a sorceress and her light-hearted, eager, and upbeat attitude is refreshing for the long journey at hand. Even though her magic doesn't usually work right, she takes the risk for the both of you and still ends up being at least a little bit helpful in a fight as she has some skill with a bow, but not nearly as accurate as you.
The town seems to still be in one piece as you approach it. The houses are built into hollowed out trees in normal elven fashion and most of the greenery still seems intact, untouched by the torches of the Orcs or the decay of the infamous necromancers. However, as you get closer, something seems off. It's the middle of the day and you don't see anyone moving around or working in the town. The silence is a bit nerve wracking as well. You notice almost two-dozen tree-dwellings and some empty stalls erected in the center, and even though their wares have been put out, you see no vendors. You see some signs of possibly a struggle, but none of battle, and surely a whole town couldn't be... kidnapped? without a battle.
"There is a strange aura in this town. I can't quite identify what it is, but it is magical in nature, Elaina. Some powerful magic has been used here recently."
She puts her hand on the ground, running her fingers through the dirt, looking at the nearby tree-dwellings with an intense gaze.
"Nope. I have no idea what kind of magic it could be, nothing seen at the academy. You still want to look for that wizard... what's his name... Alugen?"
