The Old World

Long before the Age of Pirates, before the banners of the Five Great Factions flew above the Abyssal Seas, and before men learned to call ships their homes, there was another world. It was a world of vast continents and endless horizons, where mighty kingdoms rose from fertile lands and empires stretched farther than any sailor today could imagine. Great cities of marble and stone stood proudly beneath the sun, their towers reaching toward the heavens, while roads and trade routes connected nations separated by mountains, deserts, and seas. To the people of that age, it seemed that civilization itself had conquered nature. They believed their greatness eternal and their dominion over the world absolute.

The kingdoms of the Old World prospered beyond measure. Magnificent ports welcomed ships from distant lands carrying spices, gold, silk, and wonders unknown to neighboring realms. Vast libraries held the knowledge of countless generations. Temples adorned with priceless treasures stood as monuments to faith and devotion. Universities gathered scholars whose minds unraveled the mysteries of the heavens and the earth. Inventors crafted marvels that astonished kings and commoners alike. Everywhere there was life, wealth, and ambition. Though the nations often competed with one another, few doubted that the future would be brighter still.

Yet prosperity gave birth to pride, and pride gave rise to endless conflict. Kings sought to expand their borders, emperors dreamed of immortality through conquest, and mighty fleets battled for control of the seas. Generations were born knowing only war, and rulers became consumed by dreams of glory and power. Still, despite their struggles, the people of the Old World believed themselves invincible. Their monuments were carved from stone meant to endure forever, and their names were inscribed into history with the certainty that future ages would remember them.

Then, slowly at first, strange things began to happen.

The seasons no longer behaved as they once had. Winters came too early in some lands and too late in others. Crops failed where they had flourished for centuries. Earthquakes shook regions that had never known such violence. Storms appeared without warning and raged with impossible fury. Sailors returned from long voyages speaking of strange lights beneath the sea and waters that glowed unnaturally in the darkness. Some claimed to hear songs carried upon the waves where no land existed. Others swore that monstrous shapes could be seen far beneath the surface, following their ships before vanishing into the abyss.

Most dismissed such tales as superstition.

Yet scholars and astronomers grew uneasy. They charted changes among the stars and recorded disturbances that defied explanation. Some believed the world itself had become unbalanced. Others warned that distant ice beyond the known world had begun to melt. Priests and prophets spoke of ancient powers stirring beneath the oceans, while sailors whispered that something older than mankind had awakened in the depths. There were countless theories, but no answers. And because no answer could be proven, most chose to ignore the warnings.

Life continued as it always had.

Markets remained crowded. Children played in the streets. Armies marched beneath glorious banners. Kings celebrated victories and merchants counted their fortunes. Great festivals were held, and the people of the Old World planned futures that would never come. Few understood that while they lived their ordinary lives, the fate of their civilization had already been sealed.

No one knows precisely when the final years began. There is no single date upon which historians agree. Some ancient records suggest the signs appeared decades before disaster struck. Others claim the end came suddenly. The truth has been lost beneath the waves. What is certain is that the people of the Old World never truly understood the danger they faced. Even as strange omens multiplied and the natural world grew increasingly unstable, mankind continued to believe itself master of creation.

Perhaps that arrogance was their greatest mistake.

Even now, centuries later, no one knows why the world drowned.

Some believe nature itself turned against humanity. Others blame the melting of distant polar ice. There are tales of stars falling from the heavens and striking the seas. Ancient scrolls recovered from drowned ruins speak of powers buried beneath the abyss, powers that mankind was never meant to disturb. Sailors and treasure hunters tell stories of impossible structures resting on the ocean floor, older than any kingdom recorded in history. Yet no two stories agree, and the truth remains hidden beneath leagues of dark water.

The sea keeps its secrets.

And so the Old World passed into legend.

Its kingdoms became ruins. Its roads disappeared beneath the waves. Its temples and libraries were swallowed by the depths. Entire civilizations vanished, leaving behind only broken relics and fragments of forgotten songs. Where mighty empires once stood, reefs and coral now flourish. Where kings once ruled, only the endless sea remains.

But though the Old World perished, its memory did not.

The treasures of forgotten kingdoms still lie buried beneath the ocean. Sunken cities wait in silence below the waves. Ancient mysteries remain unsolved. And among sailors, captains, and treasure hunters, stories of the Old World are still whispered by lantern light, passed from one generation to the next.

For the sea remembers.

And somewhere beneath the Abyssal Seas, the truth still waits.