In Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn; a two-player expandable card game; players take on the roles of Phoenixborns; demi-gods and protectors of this world. These characters are the great saviors of their civilizations. Before they came into existence; the humans were plagued by monsters like chimeras that took away their lands and forced them to live in walled-off cities. When the Phoenixborns came; they fought off the chimeras and freed the lands for humans to take over once again.

But the time of peace was short-lived. A prophecy arose that if one Phoenixborn was able to absorb enough Ashes of others; they would ascend into full gods and take mastery over this world. This; as well as humans' greed for land; fueled the War of Ashes. The great cities now fight among each other; each one of them with a Phoenixborn at its helm; and you will decide who will rise and who will fall to ashes.