Many thousand years ago, Merdelain there was an ancient elven kingdom that had numerous towers that protected it from threats beyond their own plane. Using one of those towers a mage called Thalivar was able to retrieve a powerful artifact he named the Ruinstone that could change reality according to the users will. However before it could be used the kingdoms were attacked, apparently instigated by  an Archfey called Selephra, so Merdelain conducted a ritual that transported the whole kingdom into the Shadowfell to save itself. This caused the creation of the Mere Of Dead Men, a tearing wound in reality that has slowly grown over the millennia.

Only a hundred years ago the god's of Death died. As time is passing death itself destabilizes resulting in souls unable to move on. A cult that worships Talos has been able to take advantage of this and make their leaders immortal, gaining power quickly because of this. Ularan Mortus has gathered shards of divinity and is attempting to put Merdelain to rest, using that energy to reinstate a god of death before it is too late. All three factions, Dead Hand, Cult of Talos and Selephra are present in the mere, fighting to accomplish their aims - or prevent their enemies from accomplish theirs.

Factions Known:

Cult of Talos

A cult that worships the god Talos, they have recently been extremely successful spreading across the sword coast like wildfire due to their new leader. Their aims, except just destruction, are unknown.

Fheralai Stormsworn (Leader)
Gadrille The Reef-Reaver
Sovendahl Erkinze 

Dead Hand

An organization headed by Ularan, it seeks to uncover Merdelain, put it to rest and use that energy to restore or create a god(s) of Death.
Ularan Mortus (Leader)
Viantha Crex

The End Of Everything

Ularan Mortus claimed that Jergal, the original god of death, kept making new gods of Death as a way of empowering his domain. His goal was to accumulate enough power and then end all life everywhere. The reason he kept divesting his divinity was to do so in secret, away from the other god's eyes.

The Bramble Queen's Court

A mysterious Archfey that is involved in the whole issue. Apparently behind the destruction of the Enclave Of The Evergreen. 

• Selephra, the Bramble Queen
• Chosen Daughters.

Lords' Alliance

An alliance of towns and states that seeks to promote and protect civilization. Unlike the other factions they seem uninterested in the Mere Of Dead Men and simply wish to eliminate the threats the other factions pose to their existence.

• Dagult Neverember
• The Doryu family
• Leilon Council

Enclave Of The Evergreen

A coalition of four elven kingdoms, they all suddenly were attacked and apparently destroyed. The details of what attacked them are shrouded in mystery but it seems Selephra, The Bramble Queen was involved.
Aeogwathen evacuated it's city and fled to the woods, the survivors now being known as The Guided Path 
Merdelain conducted a grand ritual that transported their whole kingdom into the Shadowfell as a means of saving themselves from certain destruction. Ularan Mortus claims they are in a state between life and death that is abhorrent.
The fate of the other two kingdoms, Nauranor and Geberist is unknown.

The Dead Three

The Dead Three were the most recent God's of Death until they were killed during the "Time of Troubles". Their death scattered shards of their domains across the world, where one was found by Pine. Ularan Mortus has collected many of them and is trying to use them to create a new God of Death, or even bring the Three back as they were. To do so he requires a great amount of energy which could be given by putting Merdelain to rest, a kingdom caught between life and death. The reason why he is trying to do so is twofold. According to him the longer the domain of Death was empty the more the natural way of things would destabilize, preventing souls from passing on to the afterlife.