The Sin of the First Breath

A century has passed since the Waste, a plague of historic proportion that wiped out four-fifths of any in the Known World, and sent the countries across the mainland continent of Arula into the dark ages, typically called the Dark Years, a span of time covering six decades following the Waste where a scattered and broken populace spread across the continent clamored to keep their sense of dignity and culture, trying to piece together the old way of life in the midst of large swaths of the remaining men turning to raping, looting, and slavery; previously outlawed by most countries. Magic, which was uncommon, but still present within every society, fell to the Waste, just as any other, and by the end of the Dark Years, magic was a rarity. The exploitation of the weak became commonplace amidst this period of chaos, and men lost their sense of dignity, their pride, and adapted their hearts and minds to meet the cruel circumstances that Arula found itself in. Slavery gained popularity in the absence of any solid governance by the previous ruling nobility, who were either wiped out, or lacked the necessary centralization of government to maintain order.