Athas is a world of unrelenting danger and threats. It is a place where magic robs the soil and plants of its very life. A world where evil sorcerer kings rule with an iron fist, because they have the power of a god! A world where there is more desert than vegetated lands, because defilers (those who use magic and destroy the land when they do) use their art for selfish ends and think not of the consequences. However, in a land of such horror and death heroes are still born, and so it continues...
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://www.athas.org/articles/secrets-of-the-dark