Long before the portal catastrophe, corruption from Vel’s buried Heart seeped into Rhuna. Where Threads tangled and the world’s wounded patterns failed, isolated Wither pockets formed. The portal catastrophe did not begin that corruption; the destruction of countless arrivals fed it on a new scale, turning scattered wounds into the great Witherlands. As endless conflict feeds the lingering strength of Vel, the Call for Balance awakens an ancient resonance across distant worlds. The Nuhlrin who answer already possess generations of family and history. Their own gods open portals upon their planets, and through them come people hoping to help a wounded world—not people created for that task.
The promise of safe passage proves a deception. Vel's corruption twists the portals, destroying countless arrivals and feeding the vast Witherlands from corruption that had previously gathered in scattered pockets.
Around the portals of Eredal, corruption spreads across the heart of Erevath. The dead refuse to rest, and darkness takes root where hope once entered the world.
As countless mortals perish in the spreading corruption, Wurms of Wither emerge throughout the Witherlands. Drawn to death and decay, they burrow through the wastelands, feasting upon the fallen and growing ever larger with each passing age.
The survivors unite from the ashes of shattered civilizations and forge Meridia. Determined to trust neither gods nor fate, they place their faith in one another.
The Meridians learn to harness the power hidden within Luck. Through dangerous rituals, ordinary mortals briefly ascend toward the power once reserved for gods.
While many fear the Threadless Expanse, the Meridians see possibility where others see ruin. Venturing deep into the Nuhlveldt, they discover vast deposits of thread-resistant ore and establish fortified settlements across the windswept plains. In time, the contested frontier becomes the foundation of Meridian industry, ambition, and independence from the powers of gods and Threads alike.
Empowered by Luck, protected by Nuhl-armor, the Meridians wage war against Vathian kingdoms and Orvah tribes alike. For the first time, mortal ambition challenges the ancient powers of the world.
These wars cause a new kind of darkness to emerge. The Veldraken arise wherever chaos takes root, spawning from the sapped and sealed power of Xal’Zhira. From the Witherlands, from ancient betrayals, and from the wreckage of great wars, they emerge as living embodiments of hatred and division. Their presence marks places where the struggle between Order and Chaos has left its deepest scars.