World of Therys
A world shaped by loss, memory, and hope.
An ancient world scarred by the Breaking, where forgotten gods, lost kingdoms, and fragile hope still endure.
A World Forever Changed
Long before the kingdoms of today, Therys was a very different world. Magic was not rare, feared, or mysterious—it was a natural part of everyday life. From the greatest cities to the smallest villages, people relied upon it much as they relied upon roads, trade, or the changing seasons. It powered civilizations, connected distant lands, healed the wounded, and shaped a world far greater than anything known today.
Then came the Breaking.
Even after a thousand years, no one can say with certainty what truly happened. Ancient records contradict one another, religions tell different stories, and scholars still search forgotten ruins for fragments of the truth. What is known is that the world changed forever. Great kingdoms fell, mighty cities vanished, and countless wonders of a lost age were reduced to ruins. Entire libraries of knowledge disappeared, leaving only scattered remnants of a civilization that once stood at the height of its power.
The scars of the Breaking can still be found across Therys. Crumbling towers rise above empty valleys, forgotten roads lead to places no map remembers, and ancient ruins stand as silent reminders of a world that was never fully rebuilt. Travelers continue to uncover relics of the old age, discovering glimpses of a past that seems almost impossible by modern standards.
Yet the greatest change was not to the land itself, but to magic. What was once abundant became different, less understood, and far more difficult to master. Much of the old knowledge was lost, forcing new generations to rebuild their world from the ashes of the old. Most people believe the Breaking is nothing more than a distant chapter of history—a tragedy whose time has long passed.
But there are those who believe the story is not over.
They whisper that the wounds left by the Breaking have never truly healed, and that the fate of Therys may still depend on choices yet to be made.
Magic in Therys
Before the Breaking, magic was as natural a part of life as roads, trade, or the changing seasons. It illuminated cities, carried messages across vast distances, healed the sick, and made possible wonders that modern people can scarcely imagine. Magic itself was neither good nor evil. Like fire, steel, or knowledge, its value depended entirely upon those who chose to wield it.
The world that emerged after the Breaking inherited only fragments of that legacy. Entire schools of magical study vanished, ancient teachings were lost, and countless relics disappeared into the chaos of history. Some were destroyed. Others were hidden away beneath ruined cities, forgotten temples, and the wilderness that reclaimed much of the old world. A few survived, passing into the hands of rulers, scholars, wanderers, and those who sought power for their own purposes.
Over the centuries, new magical traditions and doctrines appeared across Therys. Some preserved small pieces of ancient knowledge. Others followed paths distorted by time, misunderstanding, or ambition. Most people today know only a fraction of what magic once was. A village healer may spend a lifetime mastering a handful of protective blessings, while a bard might learn little more than subtle tricks woven into songs and stories. Yet even the smallest spark of power comes from the same force that once shaped empires.
What separates magic from every other force in the world is its cost.
Every spell demands something in return. Sometimes the price is barely noticeable. Sometimes it requires strength, time, memories, health, or years of a person's life. The greater the power, the greater the sacrifice. Whether one seeks to heal, protect, create, or destroy, the price must always be paid.
Yet legends persist of individuals who possess knowledge older than the kingdoms of today. Forgotten secrets from an age before the Breaking. Powers that should no longer exist. Most dismiss such tales as myths told around campfires and tavern tables.
But in a world built upon the ruins of a forgotten age, not every legend is as dead as it seems.
The Old Gods
Before the Breaking, the gods were far more than distant figures of faith. Their temples stood at the heart of great cities, their names were spoken by kings and commoners alike, and their influence could be felt across the world. Whether through miracles, visions, sacred relics, or the power granted to their followers, the presence of the gods was woven into everyday life.
Then came the Breaking.
While kingdoms fell and entire civilizations vanished, something changed among the gods as well. Ancient records describe temples abandoned overnight, sacred relics losing their power, and once-famous cults fading into obscurity. Some divine orders survived, but many disappeared without explanation.
No one knows with certainty what became of the old gods. Scholars, priests, and philosophers have argued for centuries. Some believe the gods perished during the catastrophe. Others claim they withdrew from the world, unwilling or unable to intervene. There are even those who insist that the gods still walk unseen among mortals, guiding events from the shadows.
What remains is uncertainty.
Across Therys, ruined sanctuaries and forgotten shrines still stand as silent witnesses to a lost age. Their statues weather beneath sun and rain, their halls lie empty, and their names grow fainter with each passing generation. Yet strange occurrences continue to surround many of these places. Pilgrims speak of visions. Travelers tell stories of voices heard in abandoned temples. Relics long thought powerless sometimes awaken without warning.
Whatever happened during the Breaking, the gods left their mark upon the world.
And perhaps not all of them are truly gone.
Among all the names whispered across Therys, none inspire more fear than Veyrath.
Unlike the old gods, whose histories can still be traced through ancient records and forgotten temples, Veyrath exists mostly in warnings, legends, and uneasy silence. His name appears rarely in surviving texts, and when it does, the accounts often contradict one another.
Some claim he was born from the Breaking itself. Others believe he existed long before it, waiting patiently for the world to crack.
Wherever greed overcomes wisdom, ambition eclipses honor, or betrayal poisons loyalty, stories speak of Veyrath's shadow. His followers rarely gather openly, yet tales of hidden cults and forbidden rites continue to surface across the world.
Whether he is truly a god, a force born from the world's wounds, or something far older remains unknown.
Even after a thousand years, many questions surrounding Veyrath remain unanswered.
