CAMPAIGN 1: AD ASTRA

Astra: A crystallized magical power source. Distilled Thought. The primary conduit of converting ideas into reality.

The round glass-like crystals of Astra make dreams come true - from powering immense machines, to conjuring fireballs, to opening portals, to healing wounds & curing the sick. All it takes is a simple matrix—a device designed to contain and direct the flow of energy—and the power to enact your wildest fantasies is at your command!

For generations, Astra deposits were viciously guarded by hordes of large beasts – the Balverox. At first, they simply lashed out at those who might attempt to harvest the Astra. But the beasts were territorial, haughty, and brutal. Eventually, they struck at innocent populations, destroying everything in their path and leaving chaos in their wake.

The forces of society attempted to organize and mount a defense, but before long, they were driven to the brink. They retreated under the protection of a flying fortress, from which they could mount one last, desperate stand. After clearing away the beasts from a massive Astra deposit, they mined as much as they could muster and turned it on their enemies. They created the most brilliant and terrible display of magical might the world had ever seen. In one move, they wiped the Balverox scourge from the face of the planet.

Its task completed and its people at peace, the mining settlement grew underneath the fortress, forming the City of New Prosper - a shining beacon of hope and progress. Technology & magic grew in leaps and bounds, and the city developed into a thriving metropolis!

Almost 60 years later, the city has filled to bursting, sprawling up the hillside and down the plain. Many people from the outlying regions now flock to New Prosper looking to bask in the comforts of modern living, to find purpose in this new world, to improve their station, or to give a better life to their children. The promise of Astra provides… though not always in equal measure.