Lemme give a shot to a knock-off setting pitch,
@Gradine. See what y'all think.
Under the Shattered Sun
In the blighted wastelands of the once-azure world of Harad, thirteen warlords known as the Sorcerer Kings reign over what shredded remnants of civilization remain. The world burns underneath a darkened sun which covers half the sky and threatens to consume all. Those damned to live out their lives in this world toil and thirst, starve and die, to deliver tithes to the Sorcerer Kings to buy another day's water, another's days life.
In the vast wastelands beyond, horrors lurk within foreboding caves, rocky crags, and across the endless sands. What water may be found beyond the reach of the Sorcerer Kings is tainted, vile, and deadly to all who try to consume it. What plantlife is stunted, twisted, and swift to perish upon thirsty sands that drink deeply of the pitiful rains that fall.
Yet all is not lost. There are those who scrounge and gather, who prepare for the day when the reign of sorcerous tyrants comes to a bloody end. Who seek to restore what was lost, and to heal a shattered world. And in the darkest of times, a fire in the night can be seen for miles in every direction.
In this world there were gods who were not merciful or kind to the populace during the Age of Azure. They were not benevolent deities who offered mercy, but tyrants unto themselves who treated mortals as instruments, tools. And they were stingy with what magic they shared.
Warlocks, Wizards, and Sorcerers were all hounded, hunted, and killed. Because the gods knew what mortals did not: Magic is life itself.
Yet still there were dark wizards and cults and sorcerous bloodlines drawing on the powers of life, unwittingly. For thousands of years this is how the world was, until the rise of the 13. They who sought to unleash magic upon the world. To become so powerful as to become gods, themselves. They hoarded magic, gathered all that they could. In some cases even stole magic from the gods...
And when they were ready, they called upon terrible magics to fight back against the gods. And slew them in stride. So much magic was lost in that war, so much life... and after their fall, the world began the withering.
Now, centuries after the Godsfall, few live who remember the Age of Azure beyond stories they were told as children. All that remains are the tyrants and their hoarded magics, meted out only when needed... and gathered from any source they can find. Still seeking apotheosis, centuries after the death of the gods.
Those who live, do so under the tolerance of the Sorcerer Kings and their baleful armies. Knights and Cultists devoted to worshiping these 13 'godlings' and being gifted some small pittance of their power in return. They scour the deadlands to seek what relics of the bygone age might yet be recovered, and torment the populace to keep them in line.
Origins
The following heritages are a part of the world of the Shattered Sun in order of rarity.
1) Humans
The most common heritage of Harad, humans make up the majority of the survivors of the Godsfall. Adaptable to drastic change, many humans capitulated to the vast mystical power of the Sorcerer Kings and accepted their new place in life. Many have also tried, and failed, to overthrow the godlings.
2) Elementaari
The chaotic energies unleashed by the wars the Sorcerer Kings unleashed upon the world resulted in desolation and chaos, but also gave a strange life to the world. Touched by elemental magic, Elementaari were once humans changed by these forces. Some were born elementaari, others became elementaari. But now wherever you find humans, you will find them.
3) Gnolls
In the world that was, gnolls were scavengers and threats who haunted grasslands and forests. As the war began, they were among the creatures pressed hardest into the Sorcerer Kings armies to fight against the gods. But gnolls are cunning and capable. And while most died in the battles of the Godsfall, gnolls escaped that fate and now prowl the deserts and the streets.
4) Kobold
Easily overlooked by all but dragons, kobolds hid beneath the earth before the gods fell. Their picks dug into the stone and tore free what metals and precious gems could be found in the Age of Azure. But now, in the Crimson, the flee the ruins of their once grand underground kingdoms to scavenge and strive with everyone else.
5) Zevite
While the other heritages of Harad are native to this world, Zevites stand alone as foreigners trapped in a burning pit. Once members of a proud planes-faring race, the Zevites of Harad have been cut off from the planes when the gods fell. Now they, too, seek to survive in a harshworld. Largely hidden in monasteries and clades of warriors, their ancient feud burns as embers amid ashes.
6) Elves
When the Azure Age was coming to an end, the majority of elvenkind fled through portals to other worlds, for they foresaw what was to come. Some few supposedly stayed behind to try and save the world, or restore it. Most that live on Harad are those who were left behind. Unable to reach the portals in time to evacuate, or abandoned for their crimes, they largely seclude themselves in hidden enclaves and patiently wait to see the end of the Sorcerer Kings... or perish under a dark star.
7) Constructed
The world that was held strange magics, and shocking technologies now long lost. Burned away, or buried under ash and sand. Yet there are remnants of those ancient designs in the last of the ticking constructs. Constructed beings capable of walking, fighting, speech, each possessing a soul of its own. Most have ceased to function, leaving metal heaps soon to be buried under sand dunes. But some few scavenge the parts they need to continue to tick along.
8) The Unique
There are, yet, other heritages under the shattered sun. Lost in the sands, or time. Occasionally one will surface, an oddity, and live out their life under the yoke of the Sorcerer Kings, or be slain for their strangeness. All other heritages fall under this category.
Class Identity
Adept: The Zevites hold a handful of monasteries scattered among the ruins of Harad, and from them issue forth rare souls who seek enlightenment and incredible control over their physical form. Most adepts, however, are petty back alley thugs and taproom brawlers. Some are even gladiators who battle unarmed in fighting pits and on rare occasions within grand arenas.
Artificer: While magic is forbidden to those who do not serve the Sorcerer Kings, there are those who craft tools which mimic magic in many ways and, in some cases, even produce it. But in a world where metal is scarce and wood is twisted and bowed, most artificers are forced to rely on chitin and bone for the bulk of their machines with only small amounts of metal for critical components.
Bard: While musicians of most worlds are lauded and embraced for their abilities, bards of Harad must be careful to hide what magic they weild. For the Sorcerer Kings are jealous, and their Templars are zealous. But music... music soothes the spirit. And a performer on a street corner might find succor. Play too well, too boldly, however, and you may find yourself playing before a King whose temperment is mercurial in the best of times.
Berserker: There are traditional berserkers in the world of Harad, as there are on any world. But there are also those who rage not from primaly fury, but alchemical admixture. Fitted with tubes and cannisters, the Templars keep twisted and abused minions under tight control until their wildness is needed. Others take the same chemical mixtures to drink for themselves creating vivid hallucinations with their rage.
Cleric: The gods are dead. Yet there are those devoted to their memory. Cults of priests and warriors speak of days when the gods will, again, return to their rightful place in the heavens. Most call them fools and avoid associations for when the Templars hunt them. But rarely, one of true faith will be born, and reach out, and find the embers of a dead god to draw forth power. Can they be restored? Time, alone, will tell.
Druid: The world is dead. And yet the world lives. Life and death are cycles, and from death comes life. With the seasons as shattered as the sun, those who once held the world's cycles closest now find themselves adrift. Still connected to the world, still living, but trapped and waiting. Waiting for life, waiting for death. For some few there is hope in the cities, for most there is only madness in the wastes.
Esper: Not all that changes the world is magic. Few know this so keenly as the Esper. Their powers of the mind are not unique on Harad, as many monsters and even random individuals possess wild talents, but none hold the power with such skill and finesse. Most espers are carefully trained in Zevite monasteries or hidden schools in sands, but some are simply possessed from birth with the gift to walk the path of the mind.
Fighter: From Arenas to armies, peasant revolts to petty tyrants, fighters are a common sight in the world of the shattered sun. While steel, iron, and even bronze are in short supply, warriors have learned to be incredibly creative in doling out death with whatever is on hand. And a greataxe and a massive femur will both kill you just as dead when swung with enough force.
Herald: There are many who swear oaths in Harad. But those who swear oaths of power are almost invariably sworn to the Sorcerer Kings. Most heralds are servants of the dark godlings in their fetid palaces, Templars in service to twisted kings over their empires of rot. Those few who draw power from other sources are as hunted as any wizard.
Marshal: Much as the fighter, marshals exist as soldiers and guards, leaders of communities, and threats to the powers that be. But unlike fighters, their inherent ability to lead others makes them far more dangerous than any is allowed to be. Like wizards and heralds, marshals are hunted down for public execution as soon as their revolts begin.
Ranger: Wastewalkers are rare and strange people. They seek out relics, people, and information to make detailed maps or sell names and places to those who have desire. Some are even bounty hunters, tracking down those who flee the templars into places even the templars refuse to tread.
Rogue: Thieves are common in every world. Liars and cheats, knaves and cowards, abound on Harad, but some few are more than petty crooks. These rogues are skilled, often trained, and work as spies, informants, assassins, and soldiers in a pinch. Capable of blending with any crowd, entering any building, and finding any trap, they are essential to those who delve ancient ruins.
Sorceror: Born to power few should possess, Sorcerers are born under strange stars and known omens. The Templars scour the lands for them when the signs are seen and newborn children are ripped from their mother's embrace. Some evade capture, for a time. But once their powers become manifest it's only a matter of time before they are hunted.
Warlock: The gods are dead. The gods are long dead. But there is, yet, power in the world. Each of the 13 Sorcerer Kings offers power to their templars, and there are many warlocks in their orders. But even beyond them, hidden in the wastelands, are vestiges of power. Ghosts and remnants of what glory once was, monsters left trapped from bygone eras, and if the legends are true a 14th King who fell to the Gods and seeks vengeance on his brethren...
Wizard: Rare is the sorcerer who reaches adulthood, but rarer still is a Wizard at all. Learning from ancient words carved into stone, hidden on scrolls, or furrowed into sands, what magic yet exists outside the hands of the Sorcerer Kings is eagerly sought. Where wizards meet the lands wither, and the Templars come. Those who are wise, flee before the marching boots can be heard.
Who came up with it and why?
