SephirothSage
Eldritch Abomination
You Might have Called it Hell
But those who live there, still yet call it Earth. A Twisted, broken and breaking, Earth. An Earth, tormented by wars for just over a century, of a scope we can hardly fathom today. But it is still, Earth. The seas, have changed- the nations flags turn color and alliance, and are soaked in oceans of Blood. But still it is Earth, for which they wage their war's. And War- well... War Never Changes.
Except, of course- that on the surface, it does. It's fought in new ways, against new foes, with new weapons- but all these things, mean little. People still die. Suffering still spreads. Until, perhaps, we wipe ourselves out- but that has not yet happened, and it may never. It is pointless to dwell on such possibilities, when Earth, and its children, yet endure. We breathe, and we bleed. We wage our war, against the screaming nothings, and the howling madness. We Wage our War, against ourselves, and our brothers and sisters scream with us, as we stab each other and shoot each other and burn each other. And still, we Endure- but, this is getting far, far ahead of myself. I am The Scholar. The Chronicler. I was there when it began- and I may well endure long past it's end. But let me tell you, of the beginning, of this series of events. Let me plumb my old memories... it is only to go back a hundred years or so, for me- not so much time, not much at all- and yet, all the time that seems to matter anymore, in this mad chaos.
To my mind, the important start of this story- the beginning of our end, if you care to be poetic- began, in America, in the year 2020. Economic pressure, combined with public unrest, to provide an environment similar to that of Germany, after WW1, before the Nazi's came to power- with predictable results. An Charismatic- Horribly, horribly Charismatic- man, by the name of Rowan Fallazzarus, rose to rapid power in a series of rallies- he was running for the office of president, and promising many, many things to the people. Things they wanted. Things they thought they needed. He played their minds and hearts, with that horrible, horrible grin on his face taking in so many with it's wicked lie- and soon, he was in office as president, along with the Political party he had founded- the Imperialists. Rowan dismantled the American democratic system, to thunderous applause and roaring approval, and began to restructure America, into an militarily focused imperial system- with himself, as the Emperor. In the Year 2037, he felt ready to move. He had been extending diplomatic negotiations, to radical factions in India, and Russia. The year before, these factions had quietly begun taking power. To this day, I am convinced that Rowan is living proof that I was not the only vestige of the old magic, to survive the period without Mana, that the Earth was going through in these times- that Rowan himself, was an Entity of Darkness- I myself am a mere Chronicler, so I must have missed the Entity of Light, that no doubt survived as well to preserve Cosmic balance- but that is of no matter.
What is, is that in that year of 2037, Rowan made his move. He launched an attack on China, in conjunction with his allies- further worrying an already terrified globe. The Nato pact nations, had already been worried- and this decided them in favor of the punitive military action they had been preparing for- except, that China had also withdrawn membership for it's own reasons- it's own troubles. Russia, and America, the two world Superpowers, where united, in their war upon China. The NATO Pact began to fall apart, but in it's wake, as the war raged there- other nations radical groups sized control- and formed their own organization. Germany and England banded together, as Japan expanded rapidly through the Philippines and then absorbed Korea Peacefully.
The War's broke out- for some time, the details are not necessary. Technology advanced at the frightening pace it always does, in the throes of war- pushed forward by the bloodlust of the human race, and the terror at being defeated. There where pauses between the wars of some nations, as a few powers retreated to lick their wounds- but never a full cessation. Another war broke out, another Chaotic event occurred. Rowan never aged, through it- claiming the miracle of Anti-Athagic treatments was responsible.. Till the year 2112, when everything changed.
I mentioned Mana earlier- because this is a world, that has always had some link, to the magical forces. For the past thousand years or so, we had been in a phase of very low Mana, almost none- the thousand before that, of merely low Mana... but now, as so much death and suffering occurred- the time was right. The stars aligned properly- and the world began to change rapidly. I know not the full truth's of what govern the cycles of magic- I am an entity born of them, yet I do not understand them- but I know what happened. We entered into a period of the cycle, where the level of Mana surged high- I believe, it was induced by the mysteriously coincidental locations, of deaths, in the blitzkrieg campaign recently launched by Rowan's American Empire- he attacked numerous sites of very specific importance, and caused massive death at all of them- destabilizing the at the time nigh-dormant ley lines, causing a massive surge of energies, somehow- I know not what he did, only that he did it...
And that was the start of the Rifts- rips, in reality. From them came Magic. From them came wonders. From them came nightmares- and with the magic, nightmares where awoken from Earth's ancient Nightmares. With the Wonders, men used them. With the nightmares, came wondrous creatures as well. The world changed.
And Rowan emerged to his full power. Understand what I am telling you- the Darkness, the Chaos, the Madness- it was him. He is the source of this nightmare, I swear it.
It is the year 2146, and these Phenomenon are not yet fully understood- but Mankind is starting to Try. I observe, as ever- I know not why I have published this document. You may not believe it. Certainly, my theories may sound mad. But I know I have spoken the truth- I lived it.
--Bizzare Document, found in the ruins of Dai-Sho, Japan, an Ancient Shinto shrone.
Signed: "Deus Pluribus"
The World Burning Bright
In Japan, a man calling himself the God Emperor is born. In the Germanic-British Conglomerate of the EU, the Black forest comes to life, and the druids of stonehenge return. In America, a man(?) named Rowan rules an empire that has conquered all the America's. In China, dragons return to rule as god kings. The World burns with the return of magic, and the old wars burn brighter than ever before with this new fuel. What will you do about it?
Methinks the Setting Doth Burn Too Much
This is a story, about a world detailed above, undergoing those traumatic changes- the question is, will it destroy itself in the growth pains, or evolve on into some new form of life? We don't- can't- know the answer, ahead of time.
So it's up to you, the players, to find out, now isn't it?
The Setting is roughly TL9, TL10 in the field of weapons- we'd be out of the Solar System real soon, if it wherent for all our concerns inside it- still might be, too.
The Average Mana Level on the Earth at this time, is High- which indicates that /anyone/ can be taught to use magic, but Wizard's do it better. Some areas are Very High, but those are extremely rare and dangerous.
Psionics emerged during the period of wars, and are among the mutations that have skyrocketed since the Rifts opened.
But those who live there, still yet call it Earth. A Twisted, broken and breaking, Earth. An Earth, tormented by wars for just over a century, of a scope we can hardly fathom today. But it is still, Earth. The seas, have changed- the nations flags turn color and alliance, and are soaked in oceans of Blood. But still it is Earth, for which they wage their war's. And War- well... War Never Changes.
Except, of course- that on the surface, it does. It's fought in new ways, against new foes, with new weapons- but all these things, mean little. People still die. Suffering still spreads. Until, perhaps, we wipe ourselves out- but that has not yet happened, and it may never. It is pointless to dwell on such possibilities, when Earth, and its children, yet endure. We breathe, and we bleed. We wage our war, against the screaming nothings, and the howling madness. We Wage our War, against ourselves, and our brothers and sisters scream with us, as we stab each other and shoot each other and burn each other. And still, we Endure- but, this is getting far, far ahead of myself. I am The Scholar. The Chronicler. I was there when it began- and I may well endure long past it's end. But let me tell you, of the beginning, of this series of events. Let me plumb my old memories... it is only to go back a hundred years or so, for me- not so much time, not much at all- and yet, all the time that seems to matter anymore, in this mad chaos.
To my mind, the important start of this story- the beginning of our end, if you care to be poetic- began, in America, in the year 2020. Economic pressure, combined with public unrest, to provide an environment similar to that of Germany, after WW1, before the Nazi's came to power- with predictable results. An Charismatic- Horribly, horribly Charismatic- man, by the name of Rowan Fallazzarus, rose to rapid power in a series of rallies- he was running for the office of president, and promising many, many things to the people. Things they wanted. Things they thought they needed. He played their minds and hearts, with that horrible, horrible grin on his face taking in so many with it's wicked lie- and soon, he was in office as president, along with the Political party he had founded- the Imperialists. Rowan dismantled the American democratic system, to thunderous applause and roaring approval, and began to restructure America, into an militarily focused imperial system- with himself, as the Emperor. In the Year 2037, he felt ready to move. He had been extending diplomatic negotiations, to radical factions in India, and Russia. The year before, these factions had quietly begun taking power. To this day, I am convinced that Rowan is living proof that I was not the only vestige of the old magic, to survive the period without Mana, that the Earth was going through in these times- that Rowan himself, was an Entity of Darkness- I myself am a mere Chronicler, so I must have missed the Entity of Light, that no doubt survived as well to preserve Cosmic balance- but that is of no matter.
What is, is that in that year of 2037, Rowan made his move. He launched an attack on China, in conjunction with his allies- further worrying an already terrified globe. The Nato pact nations, had already been worried- and this decided them in favor of the punitive military action they had been preparing for- except, that China had also withdrawn membership for it's own reasons- it's own troubles. Russia, and America, the two world Superpowers, where united, in their war upon China. The NATO Pact began to fall apart, but in it's wake, as the war raged there- other nations radical groups sized control- and formed their own organization. Germany and England banded together, as Japan expanded rapidly through the Philippines and then absorbed Korea Peacefully.
The War's broke out- for some time, the details are not necessary. Technology advanced at the frightening pace it always does, in the throes of war- pushed forward by the bloodlust of the human race, and the terror at being defeated. There where pauses between the wars of some nations, as a few powers retreated to lick their wounds- but never a full cessation. Another war broke out, another Chaotic event occurred. Rowan never aged, through it- claiming the miracle of Anti-Athagic treatments was responsible.. Till the year 2112, when everything changed.
I mentioned Mana earlier- because this is a world, that has always had some link, to the magical forces. For the past thousand years or so, we had been in a phase of very low Mana, almost none- the thousand before that, of merely low Mana... but now, as so much death and suffering occurred- the time was right. The stars aligned properly- and the world began to change rapidly. I know not the full truth's of what govern the cycles of magic- I am an entity born of them, yet I do not understand them- but I know what happened. We entered into a period of the cycle, where the level of Mana surged high- I believe, it was induced by the mysteriously coincidental locations, of deaths, in the blitzkrieg campaign recently launched by Rowan's American Empire- he attacked numerous sites of very specific importance, and caused massive death at all of them- destabilizing the at the time nigh-dormant ley lines, causing a massive surge of energies, somehow- I know not what he did, only that he did it...
And that was the start of the Rifts- rips, in reality. From them came Magic. From them came wonders. From them came nightmares- and with the magic, nightmares where awoken from Earth's ancient Nightmares. With the Wonders, men used them. With the nightmares, came wondrous creatures as well. The world changed.
And Rowan emerged to his full power. Understand what I am telling you- the Darkness, the Chaos, the Madness- it was him. He is the source of this nightmare, I swear it.
It is the year 2146, and these Phenomenon are not yet fully understood- but Mankind is starting to Try. I observe, as ever- I know not why I have published this document. You may not believe it. Certainly, my theories may sound mad. But I know I have spoken the truth- I lived it.
--Bizzare Document, found in the ruins of Dai-Sho, Japan, an Ancient Shinto shrone.
Signed: "Deus Pluribus"
The World Burning Bright
In Japan, a man calling himself the God Emperor is born. In the Germanic-British Conglomerate of the EU, the Black forest comes to life, and the druids of stonehenge return. In America, a man(?) named Rowan rules an empire that has conquered all the America's. In China, dragons return to rule as god kings. The World burns with the return of magic, and the old wars burn brighter than ever before with this new fuel. What will you do about it?
Methinks the Setting Doth Burn Too Much
This is a story, about a world detailed above, undergoing those traumatic changes- the question is, will it destroy itself in the growth pains, or evolve on into some new form of life? We don't- can't- know the answer, ahead of time.
So it's up to you, the players, to find out, now isn't it?
The Setting is roughly TL9, TL10 in the field of weapons- we'd be out of the Solar System real soon, if it wherent for all our concerns inside it- still might be, too.
The Average Mana Level on the Earth at this time, is High- which indicates that /anyone/ can be taught to use magic, but Wizard's do it better. Some areas are Very High, but those are extremely rare and dangerous.
Psionics emerged during the period of wars, and are among the mutations that have skyrocketed since the Rifts opened.