The reckless use of arcane magic during ancient wars
reduced Athas to a wasteland. To cast an arcane spell,
one must gather power from the living world nearby.
Plants wither to black ash, crippling pain wracks animals
and people, and the soil is sterilized; nothing can grow
in that spot again. It is possible to cast spells with care,
preserving the world and avoiding any more damage to it,
but defiling offers more power than preserving. As a result,
sorcerers, wizards, and other wielders of arcane magic are
reviled and persecuted across Athas regardless of whether
they preserve or defile. Only the most powerful spellcasters
can wield arcane might without fear of reprisal.