The Age of Fracture and Industry
The dawn of the Second Age was not marked by discovery or triumph, but by loss.
The holy city of Dagresh held against infernal corruption for years, but the death of its Arch Paladin—alongside the disappearance of the Church’s most promising High Priestess—proved catastrophic. Without their leadership, the corruption took root within the city and its people. The Church struggled to contain it, overwhelmed by the impossible task of saving the afflicted while purging those beyond hope.
Doctrine fractured under pressure.
Some believed the corruption to be a disease—treatable, curable, a trial sent by God.
Others believed it an absolute stain, one that demanded fire, steel, and merciless eradication—even if it meant destroying those it had claimed.
These divisions widened into schism. Within decades, the Church of the Almighty splintered beyond repair.
Abandoned by its protectors, Dagresh fell silent. Most of its people fled. What remains is a hollowed city—its great temple still divinely warded, sheltering those who refused to leave, surrounded by streets claimed by corruption.
Among the survivors of the disaster at the Gates of Hell was Ignacio Valve, a lowborn inventor who witnessed the inner workings of infernal machinery—and, more importantly, understood them.
With a handful of fellow tinkerers and engineers from Dagresh’s lower districts, Ignacio pursued a dangerous truth: Hell’s power was not divine—it was engineered. Together, they refined what would become known as Steam Technology, a fusion of mechanical ingenuity and volatile energy.
Fleeing Dagresh, they settled in the heart of Raphtspire, where they founded a small industrial enclave. Factories rose quickly. Innovation outpaced fear. Refugees followed.
That settlement would grow into the city of Altros, soon to become the beating industrial heart of the continent.
Elsewhere, grief gave birth to resolve.
Ernest Rookshaw, heir to a long line of Templars, recognized a brutal truth: should Hell strike again, humanity would not survive unprepared. Gathering what remained of the Templar Orders and loyal priests, he established a fortress on the edge of demonic territory—where civilization ended and corruption began.
It was named Fort Rookshaw, in honor of his family’s legacy.
There, they fought constantly—learning how demons bled, how corruption spread, and how both could be destroyed. Their methods were ruthless, their faith forged through combat rather than scripture. From this crucible emerged a new kind of holy warrior.
Ernest named them Exorcists.
Across Raphtspire, the remnants of the Church evolved in different directions:
A sect of healer-priests followed a white-cloaked prophet, dedicating themselves to curing sickness and corruption alike. They became known as The Pale Brotherhood.
Scholars and bishops in Altros embraced innovation, learning from artificers and engineers. By binding holy energy into machinery, they created mechanical miracles and became known as the Priests of Mechanum.
The Exorcists of Fort Rookshaw, their prayers igniting into radiant flame, adopted the title Knights of the Sun, infamous for their uncompromising purges.
Though divided by doctrine, these factions eventually answered a call from Altros. Under the mediation of the Priests of Mechanum, they agreed to cooperation—for the survival of the continent.
Thus, the United Churches of Raphtspire were born.
With ecclesiastical support, Steam Technology spread rapidly from Altros. New cities rose. Old settlements were reinforced. Industry reshaped daily life.
Yet the fear of corruption never faded.
Among Altros’s elite, a radical solution gained traction: if flesh was vulnerable, then it must be replaced. Through mechanical augmentation, the first Automatons and augmented humans were created—initially as protection, later as status symbols.
Humanity endured. Changed—but alive.
As the Second Age drew to a close, discoveries accelerated across Raphtspire. But none rivaled the find made by miners near Mount Salco.
There, embedded deep within the stone, they uncovered a strange substance, pulsing with unrealized potential.
They named it Axio Resin....