Editing Magipunk:Setting (section)

=== A Fantasy Despoiled ===

Approximately 75 years ago, the world of Magipunk was much different: a typical feudal swords and sorcery world. That world, now gone, is much of what you'd expect from Tolkienesque fantasy. There were large human kingdoms ruled by nobles that oversaw peasants who mostly farmed. Small cities with tradesman and artisans, and what little power those commoners had was collected into trade guilds. There was a well-developed religion worshiping six gods, and the Churches were the major check on Noble power. 

Magic existed in that world: Sorcerers were able to do wondrous feats, but they required mana to power their magic, and mana could be generated only be rigorous ascetic training, or sincere religious belief. Sorcerers tended to be either devout holy men, or hermits living in seclusion from society. 

In the deep forests, ancient and wise Elves lived a life much removed from humans, their lives revolving around husbanding the forest, changing and altering their still-living environment for their own use, and for aesthetic enjoyment. Meanwhile, mercantile Dwarves were the most technologically advanced race, enjoying plentiful trade with the more numerous humans. Finally, at the edges of the civilized worlds, brutal Orcs skulked and raided, and occasionally even sent armies against the nobler species. Occasionally, a dragon would wake from decades-long slumbers and terrorize the land until it either again vanished into sleep, or was found and killed, generally at great cost. 

This fantasy world had been stable, changing in the specifics but not the broad generalities, for hundreds of years. But it changed practically overnight.