The Breaking of the World
The world knew peace until the Breaking of the World. Though kingdoms and empires fought, and dark things still dwelt in dark places, there was a peace that those alive today can only dream of. No one knows what caused the Breaking, though blame has been placed at the feet of many. The Rifts, strange portals to some other place, somewhere alien and inscrutable, opened and horrifying creatures began to come through.
These Rifts were initially small, isolated incidents across the world and they were dealt with by adventurers; heroes who saved villages, towns and entire countries from these terrifying creatures. But the portals kept opening, more often, and larger, and even more terrible things came through. Soon areas became overwhelmed and refugees began to flock to the largest and most well defended towns and cities.
Wielders of powerful arcane and divine magic tried to close the portals, but the more magic was expended upon them, the greater the threat from beyond, as if these creatures were drawn to the magic like moths to a flame. As these attempts grew more and more desperate, eventually into the world came the beings now known as Greater Evils. These creatures were unlike anything the people of the world had seen. They led vast, gibbering hordes across the world that consumed or destroyed everything in their path.
The coming of the Greater Evils broke what was left of the world as it was, and the free people fled in terror. It was in this darkest hour that the strongest heroes led the fight against the forces that assailed the world in a time now known as the Age of Resistance.
The Age of Resistance & The Rise of High Haven
With the world under attack from the Greater Evils and their armies, the fight to save everyone fell to the greatest heroes of the time. These came from all walks of life, representing the people they sought to save. They were given every support possible from the survivors of the Breaking, and so were crafted the finest arms and armour, enchanted by the most powerful mages and blessed by the servants of the Gods. With these tools at their disposal, and their own incredible skill and courage, these heroes faced the hordes and destroyed the Evils that led them. The Rifts remained however, for they could not be closed without risk of drawing more monstrosities through. The smallest were sealed within stone tombs, the largest were guarded by forts and keeps.
In the respite that followed, those who remained were invited to found a new city that would be safe from any further incursions from beyond the Rifts. Led by the heroes of the Age, the city was founded to be a haven for all, and thus it was named, Haven. Tall walls were built surrounding it, and great wonders built within: the Spire, the Glasshouse, the Oracle, the Crucible and the Arkanforge. Through collaboration and selflessness which had never been seen before, nor since, the peoples of Haven were able to achieve many things, both great and small, and there was equality, prosperity and a vastly improved quality of life for all citizens.
The peace was short-lived. Whatever malice lies beyond the Rifts merely waited, for within a generation of the founding of Haven, vast multitudes of screaming and gibbering creatures poured through the Rifts, overwhelming the guard-keeps. Striding amongst them were titanic Evils that caused terror, blindness and madness with their very presence. As these uncountable hordes approached Haven the population readied itself for annihilation.
The mages of the Spire had one final gambit, and they petitioned the ruling Senate, who desperately agreed to their plan. With a huge expenditure of arcane power, the very ground on which Haven stood was raised from the fertile plains. The earth shook and the buildings rattled until Haven came to rest three thousand feet above where it once was. The people of the city cheered as they watched the futile hordes break around the base of this new mesa, and covered their ears as the Evils screamed unintelligible curses. But they also watched in horror as the sea beside which the city was founded drained before their very eyes, and realised that they were now trapped within the city forever. Safe, alive, but trapped within the newly raised High Haven.