The Collapse

The Collapse was an event on the 18th of Rort, 874 where the flow of all Magic was abruptly halted. None could draw upon it as a resource any more. The Collapse led to a collapse of multiple large societies that were dependent upon Magic in their every day lives, such as The Enphunian Empire and Urushee. The event is also attributed to radical changes in the genetic makeup and evolution of animal species, and the introduction of the Arcana Species.

The cause of The Collapse is a subject that is much speculated upon to this day, but as of yet no plausible explanations have been offered as a notable number of Arcane scholars perished either during or in the days following the event. As such, most individuals able to offer their knowledge or research into the matter are significantly less versed in the matters of the Arcane than would be required to accumulate a substantial effort into the matter.

Effects Upon Individuals

Individuals that were frequent users of Magic arts, such as Archmagi and Arcane Soldiers, would potentially fall victim to disintegration if they were actively utilizing their magic at the time of The Collapse's occurrence. These deaths appeared to be instantaneous and painless.

Those that were not killed during this initial event fell victim to outbreaks of intense sickness similar to individuals suffering from Arcane Irradiation Poisoning. While these illnesses are usually treatable by trained professionals, the combination of major disruption to infrastructures, the deaths of a significant proportion of skilled healers, and the inability to use healing magic prevented these individuals from receiving the proper care. As a result, the majority of the surviving Archmagi perished soon after.

Survivors with experience using the Arcane were typically less knowledgeable on the matter, and did not use their arts on a frequent basis. Unable to access the flow of Magic, however, most of their surviving information was lost to either memory or time, leaving written records as the most prominent source of education on the topic of Magic.

Effects Upon Societies

Urushee suffered catastrophically in the days following The Collapse, with a series of escalating incidents in its predominantly Arcane-founded society causing catastrophic losses of civilian life and several major areas of the nation to become territory inaccessible and uninhabitable. Small sections of Urushee were able to recover due to their outspoken rejection of Arcane technologies, following a traditionalist movement some decades prior, and were since converted to refugee settlements for survivors of The Collapse that were unwilling to leave their former home behind. For a detailed timeline of the incident, refer to the dedicated Chronicle page.

Ionin was completely eradicated by a Class 7 Cascading Arcane Rift event, minutes after the initial effects of The Collapse were observed. Surrounding areas are still deemed inhospitable to any life to this day, with the region experiencing heavy fallout and Arcane Irradiation. For further speculation, refer to the dedicated Chronicle page for Ionin.

Enphune would collapse due to internal strife and panic following The Collapse. Significant portions of the populace were trapped or otherwise cut off due to failures in Arcane mechanisms, while other parts of the empire fell victim to widespread looting and banditry in the hours following the incident. An attempt by the Enphunian Regime to restore order was mounted, with limited success in the following weeks, before internal coups and rebellions amongst its military led to its ruling Emperor Charles Estiefort fleeing the country.

"We have all suffered greatly. We have all known tragic loss, across the world. What matters now is the people's will to continue their great work, and rise from the ashes of this event, that we may look to the future." - Emperor Charles Estiefort, Mir-3, 874