The Present Age

Many centuries have passed since the Great Drowning brought an end to the Old World, and though the world that exists today would be unrecognizable to those who lived before the flood, mankind has endured. From the scattered survivors who once fought merely to stay alive arose new civilizations born upon the sea. What began as isolated islands and wandering fleets has grown into thriving ports, mighty navies, and vast trade routes that span the Abyssal Seas. Entire generations have lived and died without ever setting foot upon a continent, and to most people alive today, life upon the water is simply the way things have always been.

The Five Great Factions now stand as the dominant powers of the known world. Their banners fly above countless ships and settlements, and their influence reaches nearly every corner of the seas. Trade, diplomacy, and rivalry bind them together as much as conflict and ambition drive them apart. Though wars are still fought and alliances are forever changing, a measure of stability has returned to civilization, and many believe that mankind has finally recovered from the wounds left by the Great Drowning.

Yet the scars of the past have never truly faded. Beneath the waves lie the remains of the Old World, resting silently beneath coral and stone. Countless cities, temples, and forgotten kingdoms remain hidden in the depths, and every year brave souls venture into dangerous waters seeking the treasures and knowledge buried within those ruins. Some return carrying artifacts worth fortunes beyond imagination, while others vanish without explanation, their ships and crews never seen again. Many captains have devoted their lives to searching for the lost wonders of the world that came before, believing that answers to ancient mysteries still wait beneath the sea.

Even now, strange tales continue to spread from port to port. Sailors speak of impossible lights moving beneath the waves and strange songs carried across calm waters on moonless nights. Fishermen tell stories of enormous creatures glimpsed beneath their ships, while treasure hunters return with accounts of ruins untouched by time and relics bearing symbols no scholar can understand. Some dismiss such tales as superstition, while others believe that many secrets remain hidden in the darkness below. Whatever the truth may be, few would deny that the Abyssal Seas still hold mysteries that mankind has yet to uncover.

Despite these dangers, the spirit of adventure remains alive. New captains set sail each year seeking fortune, glory, and a place in history. Merchants dream of wealth, explorers search for lands unknown, and treasure hunters pursue legends that many believe exist only in stories. Every port has its share of dreamers who gaze beyond the horizon and wonder what lies in waters no map has ever charted. It is this spirit, perhaps more than anything else, that has allowed mankind to endure through every hardship it has faced.

No one knows what the future holds. Perhaps new kingdoms will rise from the seas, or perhaps forgotten truths buried beneath the depths will one day be revealed. It may be that the mystery of the Great Drowning will remain unsolved forever, known only to the sea itself. There are those who believe that stranger things still wait beyond the edge of the known world, watching and waiting as they have since before mankind first took to the waves.

Whatever may come, history is far from finished. New captains are born with every generation, and new stories are written with every voyage. Great battles will still be fought, treasures will still be discovered, and legends will continue to grow. The Age of Legends did not end with the heroes of old, for the sea has never ceased creating new tales. Somewhere upon the endless waters of the Abyssal Seas, another story has already begun, and perhaps the greatest legends have yet to be written.

Thus ends the Chronicle of the Abyssal Seas, though the story itself continues. For so long as ships sail, lanterns burn, and brave souls dare to venture beyond the horizon, there shall always be new tales to tell. And as sailors have said for generations, the sea remembers, and the sea keeps its secrets.

“The sea remembers the past, but it belongs to those brave enough to claim the future.”

— Inscribed upon the Gates of Port Providence, Year 817 After Drowning