Act II - Spread of Corruption

Spread of Corruption

Despite following different ideals, the Tribes face a common enemy in the form of decay.

At first, the change was subtle. Crops sprouted misshapen roots. Rivers ran warm at dawn, cold at dusk. Animals stopped fleeing Pawtatos and instead watched them - still, unblinking, as if listening to something deeper than instinct.

Supay’s power seeped through fractures in the land like poison through veins. It twisted living essence into something hostile. The soil, once nurturing, began to reject balance. Areas closest to the Great Divide became unstable: plants fed on decay instead of light, and roots strangled one another in endless competition. What grew there no longer followed a sustainable cycle of renewal. Without the goddess’s will to steady it, Axoma lost the quiet force that had always kept life in balance.

A Land That No Longer Heals

Nature became unstable - life pushed forward without restraint, feeding on whatever energy it could claim. Plants grew aggressive, choking soil and stone alike. Insects multiplied beyond reason and animals became territorial to the point of madness, driven by distorted hunger and warped survival instincts.

These tainted forms now roam the Wildlands, not as guardians of nature, but as living obstacles to renewal. Left unchecked, they spread ruin through overgrowth and predation, making fertile land unusable and travel impossible.

Invaders from beyond the Realm

While the corruption might already be enough to eradicate Axoma before the goddess regains her strength, Supay can also exert part of his presence through the crack in the Barrier.

His power does not create - it consumes and commands. Through the thinning veil between worlds, manifestations of decay gathered into an organized force. These entities move with intent, spreading desolation and reinforcing the Great Divide’s slow advance. Wherever they linger, life weakens, structures crumble, and hope erodes.

They are not mindless beasts. They are the frontier of the invasion which has shifted from breach to conquest. If allowed to expand freely, these forces will turn Axoma into just another silent wasteland.

The Turning of Kin

But not all corruption comes from outside. The fall of the barrier removed more than divine protection - it removed accountability. In the chaos, some Pawtatoes revealed truths they had long buried. Old grudges became violence. Scarcity became justification. Banditry, raiding, and exploitation spread across weakened settlements and trade paths.

Others fell deeper still. Supay’s magic, subtle and persuasive, offers strength, riches, and control in exchange for loyalty. These Pawtatoes do not see themselves as traitors. They believe they are adapting - choosing power over extinction. In doing so, they became instruments of decay, spreading fear from within. Yet corruption never advances without resistance. The Architects, drawn in by Axomamma’s fading call, are destined to become the counterweight to decay. Where the land falters, they rebuild. Where chaos creeps in, they carve order. Their established Provinces and Estates act as strongholds to support supply lines and prepare needed structures for both conflict and growth.

By shaping Axoma to endure the storm, the Architects are laying the foundation for forces long dormant - forces that could no longer remain silent as the world teetered on the edge.