The world of Ga’leah had long been a world born of conflict. Wars were hard fought and peace hard won. It began when the gods themselves battled over powers and continued when their first creation rebelled against them. After the Fae were seemingly banished from the land, humanity was crafted and the conflict continued. The humans banded together first in tribes, then villages which became cities, and finally kingdoms each pitted against each other for valuable resources. Many sought to unite the kingdoms under one banner, but none succeeded until the mighty Uther Pendragon brought the kingdoms to knee through sheer force. He declared himself High King of Ga’leah and ruled for some time before his untimely demise seemingly left the land to war once more.
But a new leader arose, a young man who was heralded by prophecy, a young man who plucked a sword from a stone and became the true High King of Ga’leah. Under his leadership the kingdoms began to compromise, to trade, to aid each other. The nobility was held to higher standard and the common folk were treated with more respect and fairness than ever thought possible.
It was not to last, however. When the Queen’s affair with the High King’s champion was brought to light, the foundation of peace and justice was shaken. When she was sentenced to be burned for treason, the kingdoms were divided between those who thought the punishment severe and those who thought it warranted. All expected the High King’s champion to ride to her rescue…and he did, but not as anyone could have expected.
Justice. Chivalry. Equality. Honor. These were the foundations of the court of Pendragon. He had laid a feast before the darkness in the land, a darkness that had been waiting patiently for just such a banquet. And so, the High King’s champion came at the helm of an infected undead horde. The High King, too grief stricken and horrified to act stood idly by as knight and guard and common folk fell to their violence until the Queen broke free of her bondage, took up his enchanted sword, and removed the head from his former champion. The horde was driven back, but the damage had been done. The High King was broken and looked to drink to ease his troubled mind. Ga’leah lacked a leader at the time when it was needed most…and so the Queen crowned herself the High Queen of Ga’leah and attempted to take over for her wayward husband.
Now, the Kingdoms have once more fallen to conflict. They swore no fealty to the High Queen, and as the darkness moves through the land spreading the Walking Starvation, most are too concerned fearing for themselves to send aid to the capital or pay heed to the High Queen. The Kingdom of Dokrayth has fallen to the hordes, decimated and left naught but a barren waste land. Calladahn has locked down its city walls, offering shelter only to the rich, privileged, and useful. Xehacora has instituted magical martial law with a barrier that is said to hold the Walking Starvation at bay…but at what cost? Solhara finds itself cut off from the trade routes that it once depended on for food and supplies, something that has led to widespread rioting. Even the sea kingdom of Martanis has not been spared.
As the world of Ga’leah seems to fall to darkness piece by gruesome piece, god and faery, human and magical creature are all united by their struggle simply to survive.