The Breaking

Within the last year, strange rifts started to open in the fabric of the world, allowing influences from outside to enter the material realm. Even the most accomplished magicians and scholars were caught unawares, and the spirits seemed equally surprised.

At first it was hoped that the phenomenon would end as quickly as it had begun. But days turned to weeks and then to months, and the chaos went on unabated. The people of Arginet have had to adapt quickly and defend themselves against this incomprehensible threat. The effects of the Breaking have been varied, but the most prominent ones are as follows:

• Ancestors have begun to return to their bodies as wights. This has caused concern at all levels of society, but is particularly a problem for members of the Noble Houses due to inheritance issues and uncertainty over where they fit into the legal system.
• Spirits have become easier to contact and have physically manifested in Arginet. This is a problem for anyone who deals with them, as breaking (or fulfilling) a pact can now have dire and immediate consequences.
• Rifts linking to other worlds have opened all over Arginet, bringing with them human offworlders and monsters from beyond. The monsters have caused problems for everyone and rendered sea travel a dangerous undertaking, but are stretching the Royal Armies particularly thinly after decades of only having to protect people from the bandits and wild animals of the interior.

Part of a series about the Breaking.

Other worlds - Offworlders - Revenants

See also: Spirits - Society