Okay, so to revive interest in this thread (which I deem to have a good amount of merit) let's review the established “facts” so far mentioned (I will try to include as many consistent ideas as possible, & add a few more of my own):
  • About 100 years ago, a vast empire dominated a large continent.
  • This empire was an advanced magocracy, with an absurd amount of powerful magic.
  • They had extremely widespread use of magic items, & even artifacts would only be somewhat uncommon.
  • This empire had rival nations on all borders; these enemy states where also high-magic lands.
  • The empire defended its borders with large obelisks, which projected permanent antimagic fields (1d10×500’ in diameter).
  • The empire used these obelisks in many other areas, as well, such as near prisons, tombs, vaults, & other remote areas where protection from magic may have been desirable.
  • The other nation may have used these obelisks as well.
  • About 50 years ago, the Cataclysm occurred, killing over 95% of all sentient life (Intelligence 3+) on the continent.
  • Those people that were not killed by the Cataclysm (1%-5%) were twisted, becoming evil or insane (template required); these fiends still plague the land to this day.
  • The Cataclysm was a deadly wave of hurricane-like storms, composed of pure magical energy.
  • These spell-storms left inanimate objects mostly untouched, although 50 years of decay have taken their toll.
  • The cause of the Cataclysm is still unknown to this day, but various theories abound, mostly involving hostilities between the magical nation-states or some sort of epic magical accident.
  • Anyone within the antimagic field of an obelisk was protected from the Cataclysm, which struck without warning.
  • Some of the obelisks were damaged by the Cataclysm, while others appear to have been unharmed.
  • Each area protected by the obelisks held a number of creatures from each PC race, although most safe zones are dominated by one particular race.
  • Now, 50 years later, some of the survivors wish to leave the sanctuary of the obelisks & travel the wilds of the former empire.
  • Magic is still widely feared & distrusted by the survivors, as is most religion (as it is commonly thought that the gods let the Cataclysm destroy the empire), leaving most safe zones bleak, gritty places filled with descendents of the “Lucky Ones.”
  • Dangers in the wild include monsters, twisted creatures, mage-storms (weak remnants of the Cataclysm, which can still be deadly), & survivors from other safe zones.
  • Possible incentives to travel through the wilds include riches left behind by those killed in the Cataclysm, libraries where the cause of the Cataclysm can be found, other safe zones with allies, aid or information, & of course many magical items & artifacts.
  • Some magical colleges have been recently founded outside the protection of the obelisks, but they are viewed warily by most survivors as foolish & dangerous, & must be defended constantly from fiends & monsters.
  • The general themes should be grim & dark: the struggle to survive, the no-win choices, & the ever-present threat of the unknown.
  • Exploration, cartography, retrieval, diplomacy, & discovery would make common mission motivations.
  • Other, distant lands, untouched by the Cataclysm, may exist, but they are remote at best.

That’s all we’ve got so far. Anybody wish to add something? Any issues with the “established facts”? Any consequences of the events in the setting so far that have not been addressed? PEACH away.