In an earlier age, the peninsula of Tas'mar had been united. Five factions rose above the petty squabbling that engulfed the rest of the world, and allied as one. To the north, guarding against invasion from the warring tribes, were the Northlanders. Fierce warriors of unmatched caliber, these masters of war used superior tactics and cunning and repeatedly threw off wave after wave of attackers, keeping the land of Tas'mar safe. But they were not alone, beside them, to the west, were the Necrophytes.

The Necrophytes had mastered the arcane energies that ran through and around everything. And it was rumored that the greatest of the Necrophytes, the necromancers, were even able to raise the dead. Their sciences were also very advanced, and the tribes that attempted to invade found themselves pitted against massive war machines, and destructive forces they could never hope to match.

But there never any shortage of interior threats. And to quell these were the Brak'thor, an insectile race of nomads. Hailing from the jungles in the east, the Brak'thor traveled in small groups of twenty to fifty, hunting down raiders, thieves, and the occasional war party that infiltrated through the northern border.

In the center of Tas'mar were the Velten, the largest of any faction. Velten cities were the largest and proudest ever built. Massive building of stone rose hundreds of feet into the air. Their markets and outlaying towns bustled with all manner of people. It was the Velten who organized the Council of Tas'mar, where representatives came to bring the problems of their own people.

And dwelling in the marshes and swamps that dotted the south, were the Drak. Massive reptiles born for war and bred for combat. The Drak were masters of the sea and rivers, they were powerful swimmers and masters of shipwright. The Drak repelled all sea born threats with extreme efficiency, and their nimble destroyers and large cruisers ensured peace on all waterways.

But ages have passed from that time of peace and prosperity. The Northlanders still defend against the warring tribes of the mainland, but they isolate themselves in the rugged home of mountains and steppes. The Necrophytes have withdrawn to their city-states, and know no ally or friend. The Drak have been broken into hundreds of clans and tribes who war with each other, and all who they find. Only the Velten and Brak'thor retain a shred of their former glory, although the Velten have fallen from honor, and the Brak'thor are a mere shadow of their former selves, more myth than anything else.