Blessed Turned Judged

There once was a continent that went by the name Artemisia. It divided into the Capital and the Three Regions; Gelu, Ignis, and Caelum. Each region represents Ice, Fire and Air respectively. The Capital was the only place where the three extremes melded in perfect harmony. Yet it was the only place in the entire continent where permanent inhabitation was a sin. For it was a blessed land, where the sacred gods had once tread foot.

Every year, the Three Regions would each send two of their most promising youths to the Capital to participate in a fierce competition for a chance to earn the blessing of the Last Goddess. The winner would be given a key to enter the sacred temple and would come before the Goddess to receive her teachings. This person would be given the opportunity to ascend to the higher plane if his or her comprehension allows. If not, they would be the Goddess' anointed prophet until it was time to pass the mantle down to the next one.

However, not every soul who enters the temple would receive the Goddess' recognition.

Most of the champions have been incinerated by the anointing fire for dishonesty and impurity. The Goddess peered at their souls and found them to be revolting in her sight. And so, she thoroughly cleansed them with heavenly fire before sending them to the underworld. In Artemisia's 145,056 years of history, only one man and woman had managed to ascend to the higher plane and only four young girls had been anointed as prophets.

Around 140,000 years after the Goddess' descent to Artemisia, the continent experienced a drought of talents and a torrent of sin that lasted until the end of its time. The Goddess had lost all hope for the Artemisians in the last 5,000 or so years. It had gotten so bad that the Lord God himself descended to cast judgment.

And so, the once most blessed land in existence sank under the waves forever.