The Everwar

A perpetual cycle of conflict between the Races of Man and Monsters that has defined much of Gaea's history, the Everwar has ebbed and flowed throughout each of the Ages of Man, beginning with the Golden Age and carrying on into the current Iron Age. Often simply referred to as "The Cycle," it is a powerful motif in Gaean culture across all races, though a full understanding of it and the forces that drive it is rare, even among the wisest of sages and scholars.
It is commonly understood among the Races of Man to be the result of some terrible sin mankind committed against nature or the gods in primeval history, and that impiety, sin, dishonorable actions, or other socially unacceptable behavior perpetuate it. Commoners, especially in isolated communities, often view it in extremely personal and local terms, attaching the concept to local Monsters and other threats, while more educated, traveled, or cosmopolitan folk recognize that such local manifestations of the conflict are just tiny pieces of a larger whole that has the potential to engulf the whole of Gaea and beyond. In recent centuries, the nature of this conflict has changed drastically, as the Monsters that had historically been violent threats to life, limb, and civilization have since changed to become more human-like and less destructive due to the ascent of the current Overlord. However, recent decades have seen something of a return to the old Everwar with the appearance of violent creatures known as Beasts.