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It's 998 YK, 2 years after The Last War, and the matriarch of House Lyrandar, Esravash d'Lyrandar, has called for a company-wide meeting at the family's ancestral home island of Stormhome, for all members of the immediate family & upper management to attend. To everyone's surprise, this included the suspicious Caylenden d'Lyrandar, who was exiled a few of years ago at rumours of extortion, and attempts at stealing magical secrets from the gnomes of Zilargo. Esravash has extended the invite to the party, due to their various skills and connections. With their travel & accommodation being sorted by the house, they arrive at the main airship port of Stormhome.

In 998YK, Breland approaches a precipice. The Last War, a fleeting thought for many Brelish, left the republic largely unscarred and yet its lands are rife with corruption, plagued by inequalities and torn between two visions of the future. The beloved King Boronal ir'Wynarn ages with each passing day. For a land whose head of state bears a direct bloodline to the destined Wynarn lineage, a land that has been guided by a steady and adored hand for the past 37 years, a land that values liberty, cherishes peace and emancipated the Warforged, its future remains remarkably cloudy. Boronal's reign has been an experiment with democracy. With the King having no clear and suitable successor, many whispers are heard throughout the walls of parliament that the time is nigh for the monarchy to be resigned to the history books, and for Breland to move towards a full parliamentary democracy. These opinions and more are echoed in the famed City of Towers, Sharn. Prominent figures actively promote Breland's parliamentary movement while others take a radical step further and call for the succession of Sharn itself, believing the city should be the master of its own fate.

Set against the backdrop of an escalating Cold War between the four major nations of Khorvaire, characterised by the Race to Siberys, the story begins with the journey of three seemingly unremarkable adventurers, brought together by their own self-interest and goals, and tasked with a simple quest: enter The Mournland and locate the missing Lightning Rail Station in the ruins of Metrol. Little are they aware, their fates are more intertwined than first realised. After stumbling upon a remarkable discovery deep within Metrol, the party returns to a Breland mired in chaos, wielding a newfound claim to fame and fortune. The story follows Benji, Ivy and Mia as they take to the streets of Sharn, rife with crime, poverty, political plots and intrigues, and factions looking to gain the upper edge, before inevitably being drawn into the Brelish Civil War. The choices they make, the actions they take and who they support will determine the very fate of Sharn itself, the future of Breland and to an extent, the future of the Five Nations. In a world filled with ambiguity, blackmail, corruption and marked by the pursuit of power, one thing is certain: in order to survive, the only ones they can trust are each other.

3 Years ago, the first veins of Khyber & Siberys dragonshards were found in Tharashk mines in the Shadow Marches. Prospectors from the mines confirmed that more permanent deposits were nearby, and work started in expanding the mines.

The next year, after much discussion & planning between House Orien & King Boronel, an agreement was reached, and work began on The Great Western Railway, planned to extend from Breland's capital, Wroat, to The Shadow Marches' "capital", Zarash'ak. A statement from House Orien claimed that this railway would "bridge the physical & cultural gap between the new nation of Droaam & Greater Khorvaire". Many Droaamites praised Orien for this, especially since Orien employs many of them working on the railway, but a slight majority of the rest of Khorvaire are at least uneasy about the railway line. Boronel promised proper & harsh restrictions on Droaamites coming into Breland, but many people still condemn him for this action, claiming that his age is affecting his will & judgement, and more people are calling for his resignation than ever before.

Within 2 years, the section between Wroat & The Great Crag was complete, and The Great Crag station held its grand opening on the 22nd of Vult, 997YK, less than a month ago.

Other dragonmarked houses have also recently found growing business in the western swamps of Khorvaire. Lyrandar has sent out expeditions to survey for sailable rivers in the marches, and is building a small number of airship stations. Kundarak & Deneith are more employed than ever in the marches, more valuables need more security & protection, and Merrix d'Cannith of Sharn is building a new workshop in Zarash'ak - Merrix's Machines.

On the 3rd of Zarantyr, a week & a half ago, the House Tharashk External Affairs Manager, Rennik Velderan, send out the word for assistance on a concern raised by the Gatekeepers of The Shadow Marches, and the Gaash'kala Orc tribes, about a "supernatural disturbance". With the world in turmoil over the recent war, the Mournland, and House Tharashk's other business, no-one paid attention to the call, except for the Flamekeep church of the Silver Flame, and Morrikan d'Kundarak, sending 2 representatives of his house to maintain good relations with the Gatekeepers.

Their travel expenses being paid by House Orien, they meet in Greywall, and their adventure starts in the mid-morning of the 13th of Zarantyr, 998YK, on a lightning rail carriage speeding towards The Great Crag Station…