The Riven Realms have a grim reputation for the many wastelands, deserts, and cursed locations inside their confines. However, even in such inhospitable environments, life has found a way to cling on. In some cases, new life has thrived, demonstrating an almost uncanny resilience and adaptability. This, however, is not a unique trait of the Riven Realms. Quite the contrary.

Incidentally, the 22nd of May marks the International Day of Biological Diversity, which is an occasion to take note of – and celebrate – just how greatly varied and amazing life on our Earth has evolved. This has made us think about the Riven Realms in the context of diverse life and how even such a ruined place might have a chance for a revival. While the Empire has not made outstanding efforts to heal the continent after it was devastated by the mad Elder Gods, plant and animal life has found ways to persist in the new, changed world on its own. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the greatly varied creatures that dwell in the Riven Realms.

At first glance, the beasts that now roam Xeryn are abominable, or at the very least, dangerous monsters. The Taint and the Calamity’s arcane fallout have vastly accelerated evolution, mutating living things into many odd forms to conform or adapt to the almost otherworldly conditions on the post-Calamity continent. Arguably, there seems to be an almost conscious design behind the corrupting, twisting powers of the thaumaturgical cataclysm, one that was observed time and again by scholars over the ages, with no conclusive finding. In the end, this hastened, magical process produced the oddest, most dangerous survivors, many of which you can encounter or read about in-game.

Undead, on the other hand, are not a part of nature’s design. They are an entirely thaumaturgical creation, hailing back to the discovery of Necromancy in ancient times. The Elder Gods shunned them in general, but the Triumvirate embraced them, albeit under strict supervision – the domain of Ahskul, God of Death. The enemies of the Empire, however, consider even controlled and conscious Undead an abomination. The Sacred League has declared time and again that they will not rest until they vanquish the Twelve and eliminate all Undead.

Despite all the curses, unnatural phenomena, and inhospitable wastelands in the wake of the Calamity, some groups and individuals have made great strides in healing the land and its inhabitants, not unlike conservationists and natural scientists in our own world. The most famous of these was the Imperial Saint called Laviena, as well as her students, and the Dragonlords, who famously cast a ritual spell that reinvigorated the very land they settled, allowing forests and fertile fields to return. Regrettably, these cases are more the exception rather than the rule in Xeryn.

Which brings us to our conclusion. Far be it from us to preach to anyone, but on the International Day of Biological Diversity, we felt that it was appropriate to not only wish you to stay awesome and to stay safe, but to perhaps also a moment to admire the magnificent diversity and beauty of life on our planet.

– The Lost Pilgrims Team

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