After countless years of the terrible Sovereign wars, peace was finally known across Harn. King Dorvin reigned over the entire land for half a generation, the land and people prospered, peace was known amongst the various races. Trade, technology, music,art, all thrived under the King and all was good. Eventually, King Dorvin died and the Empire was passed to his son Prince Briel, a noble and just knight. Prince Briel spent his youth training in the way of arms and honor under the tutelage of the Knights of Heironeous, a monastic clan of holy warriors that held the rules of honor and justice above all else. By the time Briel ascended to the throne, he'd become a renowned Paladin and pledged to rule in humility, modesty, and in poverty. He spent his family fortune in it's entirity to better his kingdom and his subjects. A great renaissance ensued and the Empire knew strength, prosperity, and happiness that had never been rivaled before or since.

Many years into this great age, King Briel's brother Kahl grew tired of this self-imposed poverty and sought to regain the family's wealth and prestige. He was a devious man and planned to assassinate of his brother the King and seize power for himself and a small cadre of tratiorous lords. When the day of betrayal finally arrived a great battle ensued, a but Kahl failed to kill Briel and he and his cohorts were driven out of the Empire. Beaten but not destroyed they established to their own strongholds from which they waged a terrible Civil War that split the Empire at it's very core. Time after time Kahl was defeated on the field of battle. Finally driven back to the edge of his own territory, Kahl, desperate, made an unholy pact with the Lords of the underworld for the power to defeat his righteous brother. A climactic battle ensued and defeat The Paladin King he did, but the cost of his very mortal soul. With the King Briel dead, his army of honorable Knights were left without a leige, but they still fought ferociously, breaking the back of Kahl's army sacrificing most of their own numbers in the process, and leaving no effective force to maintain order throughout the land.

As the great civil war between the armies of Briel and Kahl drew to an end, the two halves Empire broke into many separate city states and fiefdoms, each walling up their borders and towns against the lawlessness and evil that lurked throughout the countryside. The various humanoid races drew back their own borders to protect their own interests and a dark age followed, one of suspicion, mistrust, and hatred, The Burning Times. The former territory of the evil Lord Kahl remained in the clutches of chaos, it became a land of the cursed and walking dead. Some people still live within the land of the dead, but they had been tainted by the evil that permeates the very soil itself. Death cultists, they are worshipers of demons and chaos they feed on the flesh of their own, holding dark rituals on a barren ground that cannot bear life.

The burning times were a time of great fear and mistrust. Brother accused brother of being in liege with the forces of evil, there were lynchings and the purging of entire towns by roving bands of fanatics. Only established and well defended keeps and monastic strongholds escaped the insanity and slaughter. It has been a score of years since the end of the burning times and relative peace has descended upon the land. Many can remember the horror of the burning times but there are still those who can remember the greatness that was once the Empire.

The once great Empire is now merely a memory and scattered across the wild countryside are cities and territories governed by various rulers, from corrupt despots and ambitious politicians to great mages and righteous holy men. There are many different factions now at work trying to seize power for themselves whether they are trying to restore the holy reign set forth by the Paladin King Briel or pervert the land for the evil forces within the Deadlands. Even the foul races of Underdark such as Orcs, Goblins, and countless others now are trying to expand into the territories of humans.

And for now only the gods know what the future will hold for this once great land.