To be a magician in the Imperial Age is to know without a shadow of doubt that you command the most powerful, world-changing magic that can ever be harnessed by mortals. The Empire of Wyrm's Friends embodies the glorious, decadent rise of world-altering magic in the Second Age. Likewise, its eventual destruction is one of the most significant peals of thunder in the cataclysmic storm that ends the era and opens the way for the Hero Wars. The rot is already beginning to set in as the Third Age nears, for despite grand designs, great lore and new boundaries of magic, the energies required for creating the Great Dragon To Come leech the empire and its people of necessary resources. Though they will not discover the truth until it is too late, in building the Great Dragon the Wyrm Friends are killing their empire. The flaws in their plan are beginning to show and those with the power to do anything about it are the ones least likely to surrender the magical might they have amassed. It is this state that we find the empire and its Dragonlord leaders "“ also called the Wyrm's Eye Ascendants "“ at the apex of their power in the Second Age. Opposing the Empire of Wyrm's Friends is a kingdom equally blinded by a glorious rise to ascension. The Middle Sea Empire, called 'God Learners' by their allies and enemies alike, share the guilt that will come when the Second Age finally ends in chaos. The misguided conceit of the EWF is internal: they seek to transform what is theirs into the Great Dragon, altering themselves to fit an otherworldly ideal. The hubris of the Gods Learners is external: they manipulate the faiths of other cultures in order to increase their own power, altering the world around them rather than themselves. The Dragonlords will fall because they are parasites over their people, leeching belief and resources to fuel a doomed dream. It will be a grand failure but will seem as nothing compared to the toppling of the God Learners, who will fall because they are parasites over the faith of others, leeching power from the legends of myth and history, siphoning strength from the world itself. Players choosing to portray characters tied to the Dragonspeaker cults of the empire stand on the stage of a culture in its glorious twilight. They will be the magic-wielding imperial nobility, following their cult of choice towards the Great Work, or they will be among the legion of mercenaries who sign on for a taste of draconic power. Players allied with the God Learners are trained and equipped to venture into the Hero Planes, violating the legends of immortal deities and plundering them of wealth. The stage is set for the death of empires.