The year is 11,336, commonly known as just 1336.
The planet has been in a fast decay over the course of several millennia, near the edge of death. All that remains of it is a small, tired continent. The soil is desolate and refuses the seed more than it receives, and the cold knife of hunger strikes the bellies of all but the most privileged. The worst of the desolation lies in a vast, lawless wasteland called the Verges, where the wind never stops blowing.
Mankind has been struggling to survive for centuries under these hopeless conditions, and now teeters on the brink of extinction. It is not expected to outlast another century. In 1322 humanity would come to know the worst of it.
In 1322, the Curella virus, nicknamed the Black Sam, emerged and unleashed a reign of destruction, claiming more than 60% of the population over the course of just a few years. The epidemic plunged the world further into chaos; many of the ruling dynasties were whittled down to splinters of their former glory. They responded to the chaos with desperation, ruling with heavy hands, trying to maintain what little control they had over the people. Revolutions swelled and some of the monarchies found extinction, replaced by new forms of government. In the midst of the turmoil, a new empire arose under the ruthless command of General Vralius, who embarked on a massive campaign to conquer nations while they were weakest.
Slavery, famine, plague, war. All commonplace, haunting and dashing hope with little resistance. Yet through the darkness shone the glimmering light of hope that was the Turmocet vaccine. Three years into the Curella epidemic, a scientist named Altinus Turmo released his creation, which was distributed to the masses in hopes of eradicating the deadly Black Sam. It was the last time all nation-states were to come together in pursuit of a common goal. But miracle soon turned to nightmare as more and more people fell prey to the vaccine’s unknown side effects, the most devastating being widespread infertility. The few who can still produce offspring are hunted, sought after commodities more precious than gold. These are the Carriers and Seeders. Children are nothing more than memories for most people. The youngest children are around 8 years old, though, because of Carriers and Seeders, some younger children do exist, but many of these are the product of human breeding by slavers, such as the Crimson.
Through all of this, the Clavic Empire, led by the self-proclaimed High Emperor Vralius, continued to expand its sphere of influence until it had conquered several nations. Vralius acquired the Verges territory without a fight and suddenly halted his expansion campaign in 1332 (about 3.5 years ago) for reasons unknown.None of the remaining nations have the power to resist should he resume his conquest. Yet humanity trudges onward, facing an uncertain future of hunger and violence, slowly dwindling in numbers as the infertility takes its toll. There is very little to live for.