A brief insight into your world and its history

"You have all grown up in a time of certain surroundings. It has been 30 years since the the great battle of Surma. This battle took place in the once proud city of Monk's Silvertol. It is well known now that a lich had risen a army of undead, and had taken over the city, and its surrounding lands. This was a dark time for the lands of Surma, as nothing seemed able to stop the lich and his evil minions from taking over all the lands of the releams. A year after the lich had secured his "seat of power" in Silvertol, a army lead by a mysterious human named Arathus Lighthem, marched from the south and fought the undead armies back into the city itself. The siege of Monk's Silvertol lasted five long years, but the army of Lighthem was able to defeat the lich and his scourge. Much of the city was destroyed in the long war, and to this day it is still in ruin. Arathus, installed him self as high steward of Surma after the battle, and installed a system of barons and other lords through out Surma to marshal in peace and civility. Arathus was a hero to all, and his sudden rise to power over all in the lands was not seen as anything but good for all. This is how its has been now for the past 30 years. Arathus himself has not been seen outside his stronghold in the ruins of Surma in 25 years. His "protective" army has become a totalitarian government, calling itself "The Red Guard". Rumors of brutality and crimes against common folk are rampant in the realm, but no one forgets that it was the Red Guard that saved this land from the dread lich.
The small town of WinterHaven is many miles to the far south of the ruins of Silvertol, but the power of the Red Guard is felt even in this far off corner of Surma."
This has been a quick history of Surma, for you to get a feeling of what the world around you is like now, I will throw up more tid'bits of history and such as we go along through the game. Much has changed in this world since the last game of 3.5, much has not.