Sekkai Fractures

Once prosperous, Sekkai grew up out of the dust and conflict of a savage land to become the most powerful country on the planet Thiaran. The united continent, at the peak of it’s power, seemed to live and breathe with pride and success while the population exploded. Soon, the wars of the past drew to a close as both dragon and man bound themselves together in alliance with a knotting force that would intertwine their species’ lives forever. However, as with all beginnings of bright hope too good to be true, there came a dark fall. The shadow of war like no one had known crept into the soul of the country like a chill.



In just a few years, villages along the western border of Sekkai began to disappear along with riders and their dragons. Very few survivors lived to tell their tale, but those who would speak, told of their once-proud saviors turning upon them and slaughtering them likes lambs. They called it The Taint. And it was spreading. Soon, the Tainted dragons and riders began to gather as their former companions wondered how this plague had come about, and how it so easily seemed to twist and turn their comrades from keepers of peace to terrifying monsters. However, without answer, they quickly came in united force to fuel the one thing they wanted: Destruction.



The battles were long and bloody. Even the academy, the main engine of the Sekkian government and military, was destroyed in an attempt to secure the Taint’s grip on the country, and, though the sanctuary was eventually rebuilt, true safety was a luxury no longer felt. Onward, the Tainted forces began to gain ground to steadily spread their influence until it began to eat away at the lands of Sekkai. Little could be done to stop their growing force, and, blow after blow, the war swiftly turned in the favor of the Taint. However, a new hope rose in the guise of strange, ancient creatures begrudgingly offering a hand for an unlikely alliance.



Appearing as a fusion of human and dragon, the Qih-nzak lent their powerful magic to the forces of good. However, relations with the reawakened species were tense. Some aided the war effort and, after a tortuous struggle, helped to finally capture the Tainted Lord, Nidhogg and seal him within a cage that blocks his abilities to control the tainted hoard. With the loss of their leader, some enemy scattered into the shadows. Some held together like marauders to continue violent rampages, but, some sought out what healing they could be allowed from those they had so recently fought, leaving Sekkians with a choice. Dare they let their bitter enemy closer?



The war was won, but the conflict is far from over. While the Sekkians rebuilt, a shadowy force tore the tainted lord free from his magical bindings and, after only a few years of captivity, the dark nightmare seemed free to take his throne once again. However, things were not what they seemed. The evil Dream dragon had been released only to be immutably bound and enslaved to a rogue Qih-nzak, a creature mad in his own right. Toxic Augari, who had taken command after the lord’s fall, had reached a contract with the hybrid for dominion of the nightmare’s power. Now, as before, the sickness is free to warp and change the minds of wounded allies. While these destructive powers regroup and gather strength, civil war still looms on the horizon. As well, relations with the Qih-nzak, unimproved despite their mutual victory, grow more heated with every passing day.



The Tainted leaders saw fit to strike the Sekkain population while they were distracted by their own internal conflicts. In secret, a devastating diseases was concocted by a team of vile Influenzas and released upon a small population of captured civilians. Their timely escape and subsequent rush to safety only succeeded in spreading the quietly incubating virus. It seeped into the annual agricultural festival in the very heart of Lihn, the Sekkain capitol, and spread out across the continent as thousands gathered for the occasion.



By the time that authorities realized something was amiss, the damage had already been done. Less than a week after the festival, livestock of all sorts began to drop dead. Efforts made to staunch the advancement of the disease came too late, the fast-moving, contagious, and highly-fatal virus hopping across humankind, dragons, and Qih-nzak alike. Brave few Infirmary staff, volunteers, and Shadowguarde struggled and fought for answers, but they were unsuccessful until an unlikely ally stepped forward. Mara, the aloof Lightning Qih-nzak, discovered the source and nature of the virus. This second onslaught of Influenzas would not be tolerated by the neutral race of magic-wielders, and, after some experimentation, Mara offered a chance for the Rosemary breed to level the playing field. New powers were granted to those who stepped forward for their marks, including the ability to generate the antithesis of Influenza magic: the world's first vaccines.



Meanwhile, dragons have begun to starve, the military is fiercely crippled, and those few Tainted defects to join the Academy are met with increasingly violent displays of prejudice. When nothing can be done, everybody turns to find a scapegoat. How long can this last last? What will become of the impending hatchlings? Will the ingenious efforts of the Academy's finest be able to utilize alternative food source? What will the Tainted do in this time of uncertainty?



And what will you do? Will you help rebuild a broken country and seek good in the dark hearted? Or will you rip the whole of the continent from end to end in order to glean a name for yourself in history?