"Three were spared: Ascelia, Arx, and Maelthrazra. One the mists could not reach. One the mists could not defeat. One the mists embraced."
—Chronicle of the Black Sword, Chapter One
From the flourishing civilization of the Old World, wielding such technology that Ascelia's power seems only a pale imitation, only three cities survived. Arx and Maelthrazra contest the uncorrupted earth while Ascelia rules from the distant skies.
Once the Brakenrock Tribe and the Eladrin were hated enemies. Arx's warriors would have fought to purge the foul masters of Maelthrazra from the earth even if the ghostly fey themselves had not sought to conquer Urzik and Dagkor. They considered the Eladrin little better than the monsters spawned by Mourclesis.
Now, more than a thousand years have passed since Man's reawakening, and while the old enemies remain suspicious toward one another, their constant war has gone cold. They stand united with Ascelia in effect, if not openly, for while their people may despise one another, many of their leaders have realized that the only chance they have of lasting against the mists is to work together. But the old prejudices remain, fueled by Eladrin depravity, Brakenrock pride, and the Guardians' unflinching zeal. None can say how long this tenuous peace will last.
