Roots of Corruption Storybook — Download the set’s lore
Lore
May 19th, 2026
Reading time
Discover the story of Roots of Corruption in our Storybook, featuring every novella written for the set. Rather than waiting for weekly lore articles on our website, you can now find them all gathered in the PDF available for download below.
As appearances begin to crack and facades crumble, revelations unfold one after another in a cataclysmic finale. One thing is certain: after these events, the world of Altered will never be the same again.
It begins with a dull vibration spreading throughout the entire city, until it swells into a rumble. Some celebrate victory or console themselves in defeat in lively bars. Others go about their business, quickening their pace so as not to miss their connections, or keep watch over their children as they drift gently to sleep in their beds… And yet, all of them feel it. It is like a veil settling over everything, a shadow accompanied by an inexplicable anxiety, a sudden sense of dread. A few scuffles break out between supporters. A boy wakes and cries, gripped by a night terror. Elsewhere, a man is shaken by sobs, crushed by grief, while another recalls, with guilt and remorse, a wrong long left unspoken, an injustice he committed. The night now seems darker than it has ever been, and strangely conducive to bitterness, to sorrow, to regret… The darkness, harsh and viscous, appears to come alive, to emerge from the cracks, seep into them, then flow like unspeakable rivers from each person’s soul, gathering into a single current. They feel it, that unyielding gaze; that inner, inquisitorial eye from which nothing can be hidden, which sees everything, even what one would rather bury deep within oneself. The lid lifts, revealing the rot that had until then remained concealed…
“Twenty-seven years ago, I spoke to you of a dream—a dream that was also a promise: that humanity was ready to leave the comfort of Asgartha and set out to rediscover the world. We defeated the Kraken and reclaimed Caer Oorun. We crossed the Storhvit and reached the City of Scholars. We flew over a sea of clouds and Tumult before celebrating reunions with lost children of humanity. We have accomplished much—and yet, not enough. Now, as we look back, I am fully aware of the commitments that were not upheld. I am aware of the disappointment and the disillusionment. We had placed great hopes in this endeavor, every one of us. Our Argonauts faced countless trials, innumerable obstacles. They overcame many of them. But we also made mistakes along the way, to the point that we must now pause, take stock, and assess where we stand. I come out of retirement to assume full responsibility for this setback, which comes after so much investment and sacrifice. You believed in this dream, and I acknowledge the frustration that followed. It is often said that what matters most is the journey, the path traveled. That is not what I will say today. At this moment, I wish above all to pay tribute to all those who believed in this dream: those who maybe feel betrayed today, those who continue to hope, those who are simply grateful, those who supported this project—whether for a time or without cease. To all of you, I simply want to say thank you for coming aboard this vessel, even if the journey was not an easy one. Because of you, the Rediscovery Endeavor has existed—and for that alone, we can be proud. We have forged our path and paved the way for those who may follow us, those who will take up the torch and the pilgrim’s staff. May they succeed where we have failed.”
Avkan ruun-Heshkari, during the Solstice Trials 395 AC