Third Era – The Great Cataclysm and The Great Sickness
- The Great Cataclysm: Natural disasters or magical cataclysms fracture the world, breaking apart landmasses and altering ecosystems. Tectonic shifts result in massive upheavals, sinking ancient cities and creating new islands. In the aftermath, dormant magical forces are awakened, setting the stage for greater chaos.
- The Great Sickness: A mysterious plague spreads across the lands during this unstable period, decimating entire populations. Thought at first to be just a biological illness, it becomes clear that something darker is at work. The dead start to rise, their souls trapped in their decaying bodies, unable to move on. This begins the Age of the Undead.
- Origins: Some say the sickness was caused by exposure to ancient magical ruins, disturbed after the Great Cataclysm. Others believe it was an experiment gone wrong by powerful sorcerers. There are whispers that the sickness is a curse from the gods, a punishment for hubris.
- Undead Empires: As the sickness spreads, entire regions fall into chaos. Necromancers, once rare and feared, begin to harness the power of the undead, building terrifying armies. These undead lords rise to power, carving out kingdoms of the dead and terrifying the living.
- Survivors and Resistance: Some regions manage to stave off the sickness, either by isolating themselves or discovering rare magical cures. These areas become havens for refugees, and many of the survivors form strong, militarized kingdoms that dedicate their resources to fighting the undead threat.
- Cure or Containment: There are rumors of a cure, hidden away in the far reaches of the frozen southern lands or deep within the central mountain ranges. Scholars and adventurers set out to find it, knowing that the future of Viscentia depends on stopping the spread of the undead.