in the ancient times, there was not magic or anything like that, until five children were born. The children bore mysterious symbols on their pale, almost bluish skin. As these children got older, the symbols began to expand through out their body until they were visable on their skin. It was at that time that they began to show signs of casting strange words that would make impossible things happen. They were named gods, and thus did the Genesis religion begin.
As they began to mature more and more, they disovered that they too were mortal and would eventually die, so they took it upon themselves to call five strong minded youths and teach them what there was to teach. It happened gradually, but eventually their skin began to become a pale blue, and they too began to have symbols showing on their skin. It was at that time that they "Ascended"
Shortly after their students had ascended, it was decided to build a city on an area of forested land. Near its completion, one student in particular showed a grand amount of potential. His name ????????. Unfortunately...he was not as pure as they had thought. On the night of the city's completion he snuck into his mastered quarters and slashed his throat, and then proceeded to absorb his powers, and his runes(the markings on their bodies)
He remained among the ascended, never suspected of commiting the crime..that is until he tried to kill the wrong High Sage...
he was trying to become more powerful than the others so he would be "Deified" to the highest level of Paradise, but he was locked away in the lowest levels of paradise by the surviving sages, and the other students. The original sages then ascended themselves to Paradise leaving the students in charge of the safety of the world, but not before creating a race of magi, that they named the Nostalai, immortal beings made of magic, however they weren't so immortal. They were able to be killed, and if they strayed too far from the city they would die. The new high magi, then proceeded to expel all Terrans from the city, and encrusted the city deep within a large of group of mountains(created by magical means.) This area was not passable by Terrans, or anything created by them. It was later called "The Nether" an area thriving in magical energy. 2750 years later, a Terran army from the north invaded a Nostgalai village that lay just beyond the Nether. They forced them to tell them the secrets of magic. Those that resisted died, and those that spoke the secrets were taken back to the terran city, and tortured, and beaten like they were no better than animals.
150 years after that, a war raged between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The north, being more technologically advanced than the south, used their magic powered cannons and airships, came out victorious leaving the south a barren, and inhospitable wasteland which is later known as the wastes.
you play a respected captain in the Brahman army(the most powerful country in the north) who discovers that he's fighting for the wrong side, and so he leaves the North and moves to the destroyed southern city of Nadaaros.