Forged in Rot

The wind howls a mournful dirge across the blasted plains, whistling through the skeletal remains of what were once towering cities. Above, a perpetual twilight reigns, choking the world in a hazy, ochre-tinged gloom. This is Aethelgard, a world ravaged not by war, but by the Slow Rot. You awaken, not with a gasp of life, but with a groan of… something else. Your limbs are stiff, your mind clouded, and the metallic tang of rust fills your senses. You are one of the Forged, beings animated by the remnants of souls, trapped within bodies crafted from scrap and salvaged machinery. The original Forged were guardians, protectors against the encroaching Rot. But time, or perhaps the Rot itself, has twisted their purpose. Now, the Forged scavenge, they struggle, they kill. The spark of their former selves is flickering, threatened by the encroaching numbness of the Rot. Some cling to fragmented memories of a world before, haunted by glimpses of faces and feelings they can no longer fully comprehend. Others embrace the brutal reality, becoming monstrous parodies of their intended function. You are… different. A flicker of awareness remains, brighter than most. A seed of purpose, buried deep beneath layers of rust and regret, begins to sprout. Perhaps you remember the beauty that once existed, or perhaps you are simply driven by a primal urge to survive. Whatever the reason, you know you cannot simply drift with the tide of decay. Around you, the remnants of civilization crumble. Twisted, metallic creatures roam the wasteland, remnants of failed experiments and desperate attempts to combat the Rot. Scrappers, driven mad by hunger and despair, prey on the weak. And in the shadowed valleys, whispers speak of the Rot Lords, monstrous beings who have embraced the decay, promising power to those who pledge themselves to its inevitable spread. Your journey begins now. You are a Forged, adrift in a dying world. Will you succumb to the Rot, becoming another mindless automaton in its army? Or will you find a way to rekindle the spark of humanity, to fight for a future that seems increasingly impossible? Your choices will determine not only your own fate, but perhaps the fate of Aethelgard itself. The gears grind, the rust settles, and the Rot whispers… listen closely. Your time has come.