Do you want to know more about the story behind Rift? Follow along with Staff Writer Paul "LockeColeMA" Cleveland as he explores the game's lore.

The Mathosian Civil War and the Founding of the Factions

A civil war erupted in the Mathosian kingdom between Zareph Mathos and his twin brother Aedraxis 20 years before the start of Rift. What began as a typical tale of succession and attempted fratricide also became the end of Telara when Aedraxis used ancient Ethian technology to destroy the Vigil's ward.

Regulos entered Telara and swept the Plane of Death over the world in an event known as The Shade. At this point the races of the world split in half—the Mathosians blamed the Eth's machines for destroying the ward, and the Eth blamed the Mathosians for having a king insane enough to use the technology in the most evil way possible. The dwarves and high elves put their faith in the Vigil and their fallen heroes returned as Ascended, beings able to hold multiple souls and masteries.

Shunned by the Vigil, the Eth were visited by the last survivors of a future where the Guardians were destroyed and Regulos ruled the world. Calling themselves the Defiant, these future warriors were Ascended created by technology, and they united the Eth, Bahmi and Kelari to use technology to change the fate of the world. While Regulos was eventually stopped with Aedraxis's death 20 years ago, the ward protecting Telara has fallen, allowing all the dragons and elemental planes a chance to enter and control the world.

Am I Ascended, or Just Schizophrenic?

So, who are the players? In both factions they are nameless fallen heroes. The Guardians have been blessed with the Vigil's power and returned to life, while the Defiant succeeded in perfecting their own Ascended, functionally identical to those blessed by the gods. Ascended are different than regular mortals in that they can house the souls of several famous heroes who perished over the course of history. While the player himself might be a warrior by nature, by taking in the soul of Bahmi Vachir Altan they gain the prowess of a Champion. This does lead to the disturbing conclusion that all the players are undead with multiple personality disorder, but it's a small price to pay for powers several times stronger than those of regular mortals.

In Conclusion

There are six elemental planes and six dragons, all attempting to enter and take over Telara through tears in the fabric of reality called rifts. The Guardians and Defiant blame each other for the state of affairs, building off a history of prejudice and zealotry. They have powerful resurrected heroes called Ascended who are used to stop the elemental invasions as well as knock out the other faction. Failing to close the rifts means that all of Telara will be destroyed, but failing to destroy the rival faction means that even if the ward is somehow replaced and Telara is saved, your people will likely be slaughtered. Pick a side, save the world, and leave comments below!