The world previously wreathed in constant warfare finds itself at the tipping edge. After the rage of the gods, disappointed in the fighting and primitive behavior of humans, is manifested in storms, tsunamis and earthquakes, three major powers begin to take shape: the Kingdom of Norelva, the Campir Empire and the Matriarchy of Igell. The first forms at the heart of a river in a temperate part of the world, looking over a bay. The second establishes itself south, on a vast field fit for agriculture and protected by deserts near the equator and a mountain belt to the east and south. The third settles in a different continent, on a patch of desert near the ocean. While this was agreed upon as a temporary peace, all three nations persevered in this pursuit and prospered as the years went by. Sort of.

On Year 0, the beginning of Modern Age, the Arbiter, judge of balance in the cosmos, entrusts King Elias Noret with protection of the world and supervision of the arcane following the years of chaos and destruction. Its purpose is preserving the equilibrium of the world by assigning King Noret power so that further chaos may be prevented. Descending from its plane in the form of an indescribable triangular being made of untouchable steel, the Arbiter approached Norelva, still an infantile nation made up of small towns lead by the Houses, and the King faced him with no fear, drawing his spear and raising his shield.

"I know not your origins," the king is recorded to have spoken to the god, "but if your infinite power which is clear is aimed at my people, let me be the only to suffer." The protective behavior of King Noret proved a worthy response to the Arbiter's. As displayed in countless paintings, the Arbiter lowered itself and shaped its steel form into a hand, and blessed Elias with godlike magical power with a single touch. "The day your shield lowers is when I will reclaim this blessing" were the words of warning uttered by it before returning to its throne.

The Flame of Chaos, the representation of entropy and chaos, suddenly sprang to life spurred by the stagnancy of the world. The fabric of magic across the Planes, a mystical veil that covered the universe, is tinged by flame and catches fire, burning away and leaving only strands across the world. Norelva, having integrated magic in day-to-day life, suffered the most. Medical care, research and academia were hit the hardest: previously eradicated illnesses spread, hospitals staffed by clerics were forced to resort to herbal remedies and traditional medicine which dropped survival rates for injuries drastically. Studies had to be put aside to focus on survival, technological progress halted and some species suffered massive losses if not complete extinction. Chaos spread throughout the nation, with Houses attempting to maintain the peace. Without magic, communications were utterly inexistent: the Royal Army found itself in complete disarray, and records mention incidents of friendly fire.

Such a sudden spur of magic deletion caused the passing of the king and the severing of his connection to the Arbiter. It is due to Evander Noret's intervention, the young son of Elias, that the kingdom survived. Devastated from the loss of his father, he convened with the Dragon Lord: empathizing with Evander's loss and sharing his goal of preserving the world's state, he granted the young king temporary avatar status. Emboldened by this power, and with the dragons at his back, he rallied the Great Houses, enacted martial law, and forced peace upon the kingdom. Four Houses were destroyed as a result, either having rebelled or having fizzled out due to the lack of magic. Following such display of might, and with assistance by the dragons, the new king set out to stabilize the kingdom and ensure public security, a plan that would take years and would only be successful due to the Gardener's restoration of the arcane fabric of reality.