Before the World of Darkness, there was a World of Light. This is the Mythic Age, 20 millennia in the past. The world is kept in balance through perpetual turmoil. Here we can examine the origins of the World of Darkness. Here we can understand how things will go wrong, for the world is not gothic punk (yet).
There exist seven Patrons that Choose. First was Akeru of Oblivion, then was Kokoro of Spirit, Hee of Fire, Sora of Air, Mizu of Water, Jimen of Earth, and last was Uchu the Omni. They made the world. They are the world. Thrust into this world are the Chosen. It is the task of these special people to keep the world in balance by pouring the Patrons’ power onto the World.
Long before the beginning of The Sundering, a war raged between all Chosen. The reasons for this war are lost. On one side was Uchu’s Chosen and the Chosen of the Five Elements; on the other was Akeru’s Chosen, called Karano. And thus this war became known as the Karano war. The Karano lost and were slaughtered. Akeru was so enraged by lose of all its Chosen, that it swore vengeance on the World. The World, as Akeru saw it, must be returned to the nothingness of Oblivion from whence it came.
Centuries would pass before another Karano walked the earth. Akeru had tried many tactics to bring back the Karano, including the rise of vampires and demons, but all were less than successful. Finally, Akeru went to Uchu and wept in sorrow and mourning. Akeru begged Uchu for the right to Choose again. Uchu, seeing Akeru’s loneliness, agreed, but on the condition that the Karano would not defile the world. How could Akeru say no to that?
Turn the world to misery, and all will beg for Oblivion’s embrace. Start with one Karano, soon many will follow. For every one Karano that dies, two more will be Chosen. Set the other Patrons against each other, and they will do Akeru’s work without Akeru lifting a finger. Divide and conquer. Perhaps when all is done, the world may be remade, but Akeru will not make the same mistakes twice. And Akeru can wait for a very long time for the end of the World.
The process has begun. Soon, the Sundering will happen, and no Chosen can stop it. No mystic Chosen yet realizes the danger of Akeru’s masterstroke. What greater miseries could come than from removing Spirit from all things? Let the Chosen be hunted by their own people, as they once hunted the Karano. The Sundering will send the Patrons into hiding, and stop the Choosing. Even Akeru will have to hide and relinquish its beloved Karano, but that is a small price to pay if the next world will exalt them. The Sundering will darken the World. The World will cry for mercy, and Akeru will give it.
Oblivion magic is forbidden to all. Karano are to be slaughtered on sight. There are many powerful Parties that spend their existence doing so. The Karano, for their part, are insane enough to see the World destroyed for their Patron’s pleasure. Like the other Patrons, Akeru has the three Aspects of Ascending, Zenith, and Descending. But, Akeru is not well, and this is reflected in the Karano. They each, through Aspect, show a facet of Akeru’s illness. This is known as the Pain. The Karano, for their part, are always willing to teach Oblivion magic to any Chosen, though they usually do so quietly and cautiously. Anyone who learns Oblivion magic begins, around their third level in the Sphere, to show signs of an illness know as the "Wasting". This is a progressive ailment that will eventually render the Chosen little more than skin and bones around level five.
Blessed by the Patrons, given their power, the Chosen exist to keep the World in balance. Their struggles against each other reflect the interactions of the Patrons. Indeed, were it not for the Chosen, the Patrons would not be. Oddly, the Chosen are rarely aware of the time of their Choosing. Indeed, years may go by before they realize what they are, for the changes are subtle. The Patrons do not require a Chosen to use magic, as the simple existence of the Chosen is enough for their needs. There is no guessing who will be Chosen. The Patrons heed no predictability. One in ten are Chosen from all walks of life and social classes. To be Chosen is sacred to most, and a means to an end for others.