Once Aysle was a noble, shining world. The honorable were exalted by the very nature of reality, made fair and given power by their good deeds. The corrupt were likewise lowered, made hideous so that their corruption was visible to the most casual observer.
This all changed when Uthorion became ruler of Aysle. He changed the rules, giving the corrupt powers to match those of the honorable, including the power to hide their corruption. Unfortunately, their corruption can only be hidden by transferring it into the land, which becomes barren where it was once fertile.
These effects are marked by the existence of two Spirit-based skills, Honor and Corruption. With each add in one of these skills, a character gains powers related to their nature. Doing honorable things will cause a character to lose Corruption adds or, if they have none, give them Honor adds. Likewise, corrupt acts will cause the loss of Honor adds or the gain of Corruption adds.
The question arises: What exactly is an honorable act, and what is a corrupt one? In general, the code of Honor is a very restrictive one. Any selfish act can be sufficient to lose Honor. Any deception can gain Corruption. Any act of treachery, of attacking the unarmed or from behind is Corrupt. Choosing to side with a lesser evil to prevent a greater evil is Corrupt. Self-sacrifice is Honorable.