This age, known as the Schism or the Null is not well documented due to its turbulent nature. Billions of lifeforms, thousands of species, would awake suddenly on a world they could not remember, displaced and alone, scattered across the world. Many would instantly fall into panic and despair, sinking into the void of empty thought where they sought the answers to their questions, but there were none to find. Some would wake in the middle of vast deserts and succumb to the elements, others in deep tunnels from where no clear exit could be found.
Those that survived found an alien world littered with super cities, empty architecture and advanced technology. Surviving the planets perils was only the beginning as species, vastly different in appearance and nature, came face to face leading to bloody conflicts, murder and exploitation. No species spoke a common tongue and many fed upon the vulnerable to survive.
Slowly, members of the same species found one another, understandings formed between species and conflicts raged against those that devoured the isolated and could not be negotiated with. Groups sprang up all over the planet as civilizations took ownership of many of the silent mega structures and began to utilize the technology within. With the planet saturated with abandoned technology, many sought out the riches available. Others laid claim to mines, quarries and factories still in working order to gain power and influence.
It was a chaotic time when bestial species attacked settlements at will, early friendships were formed and the acceptance of never knowing their origins swept away all curiosity.
The planet itself was littered with an eclectic mixture of different environments, architecture, technology and remnants of civilizations. Below the southern mountains of what is now known as Icinir a great mega structure stood. Sin Cern was an unusual structure, even by this alien planets standards. Most accounts of Sin Cern speak of its form being more similar to rock than of technology, with bold symbols and carvings covering its walls and floors. It was as if it had been carved out of a mountain rather than built but its function seemed to have been one of power. It produced a massive amount of energy that was siphoned by any in the vicinity. Whether this was its intended purpose was unclear but what is known is that at sometime it began to behave erratically. Reports of those within the structure are also strange, visions and phantoms are commonly referred to in the stories that remain. Sin Cern would suddenly vibrate, shifting reality as it warped and strained before erupting in a white light. The explosion was so violent, everyone on the planet felt it as it tore a massive canyon in the planet now known as the Greater Scarr. Nothing of Sin Cern survived but folklore states that the only surviving fragment was thrown far across the world taking all the secrets of Sin Cern with it.
News of a cult like civilization rapidly taking over various structures spreads throughout Anoria. Appearing from nowhere and spreading within communities, they begin to take control of facilities and homesteads across the eastern stretch. Soon they are able to protect themselves with technology far beyond that of anyone else as they horde and guard their secrets with extreme ferocity.
The various Underan tribes unite under one Chief, Valstern Hacoran, and swiftly deal with other factions that have threatened them for centuries. They settle in the vast plains to the south of modern day Icinir. Most other established civilisations leave them to their lands focussed more on the massive cities and resource centres.
The first world wide war breaks out as the western lands face off against the rising threat from the Atreus colonies. The war unites long-standing enemies on both sides as they fight over the Anomweild, structures that can seemingly create abundant resources from nothing. Several are destroyed in the conflict as both sides clash until the western alliance accidentally strikes a Guardian settlement. In response, the Guardians unleash weaponry and attack both sides. The Atreus seat of power collapses beneath a rain of fire, leaving only a mass of shattered mountains. Western facilities take massive losses, many by their own systems now under the command of the Guardians. In the aftermath, the survivors band together to form the first Coalition using their mutual hatred of the Guardians as a foundation.
The Guardians transform a vast swathe of their lands into habitats encompassing all manner of life gathered from the world. Although they use these domes for study, many believe they are Arcs for an unknown apocalypse.
The Anoria domes are a sight to behold. Gigantic transparent and white ceramic webbed structures that rise high into the sky. Entire cities could be swallowed by the smaller domes that connect the larger, centralised megastructures. The abundance of life, scenic bliss and complex systems are visible to all for hundreds of miles around but only those of Guardian allegience can hope to step foot inside.
With the Coalitions united people, it manages to close the technology gap with the Guardians. In retaliation for their part in the Coalition war and the conquest for territory, the Coalition begin targetting Guardian facilities to deny them access to the remaining Anomweld. The resulting conflict costs millions of lives on both sides and lasts almost a decade.
It had taken an age for the Coalition to unite it’s people and together it had become stronger than it’s individual parts. Entire cultures merged and worked together, sharing knowledge and resources on both technology from the time of the awakening and new. It was around this time that many older technologies began to be phased out. As weapons and defensive technology advanced, obsolete tech like power armour and projectile weapons were replaced by Force tech. Far more advanced than Force Fields that had many downfalls, they would utilise and manipulate the very nature of physics to pluck incoming fire from the air, deflecting and absorbing, punching and cleaving matter apart by interacting directly with the subatomic and quantum world. Hulking machines and hydraulic frames quickly became a thing of the past as new science permitted even the smallest frame to lift the greatest mass.
The Guardians unleash an unknown weapon which removes any target in its sights. The Coalition, unable to counter the new threat, continues to fight while taking catastrophic losses. When the Coalition announces its surrender, all of its Anomweld facilities and much of its infrastructure is lost. The Coalition prepares for the worst but watches on as the Guardians seal off their lands behind unbreachable walls and force tech. The Coalition is left to rebuild on the smoking ash of its former glory.
This defeat sends shockwaves across the Coalition. For generations the fear, disdain and hatred stoked towards the Guardians had ignited an inextinguishable conquest to rid the planet of their kind but now all was lost. The defeated began to look within for a place to lay blame and infighting quickly erupts between different castes and creeds looking to place the cause of the loss squarely at each other’s feet. It is a dark time for the Coalition as grabs for control spring up all across its lands. From the ashes, a new power begins to consolidate as names of legend begin to meet face to face after an eternity of solitude. Taking advantage of the chaos, this new Coalition rises slowly and with unwavering drive they begin to reform old allegiances and crush disorder. The Primarshals rise.
The Awakening and subsequent age were chaotic and dangerous. Millenia had passed since these days of struggle but now, more than ever, times seemed bleak. The defeat of the Coalition had shattered its people’s will and with the infrastructure in tatters it seemed that a return to the times of turmoil were at hand. During the Schism many lifeforms had been wiped out, entire bloodlines extinguished and races of all shapes and sizes expunged from the world never to be seen again. Generations had come and gone as the age faded from memory and into stories, but not all had been lost.
Some that awoke at the beginning were not like the others. For every million sentient beings considered typical there was one that was not. These anomalies had wandered the world for millennia, timeless and evading death wherever it came for them. They had remained silent, choosing to hide amidst history but now they felt an inescapable pull. Slowly these mythological figures came together and formed a power base that would rebuild the Coalition and harness the differences between its people. The Primarshals had lived through it all and now, their knowledge and power would be used to take control and began their mission to reform the alliances lost in defeat.
The Guardians establish a settlement on Sythopia’s Moon. Their prowess grows at such speed that many in the Coalition begin to suspect another war. Rumours begin to circulate of a doomsday weapon designed to wipe out the Coalition. When reports seem to validate the stories, the Coalition prepares for battle once more and summon the Primarshals.
A massive explosion shakes the planet as a swathe of Guardian territory is erased in an instant. Millions perish as the shockwave tears across the surface of the planet opening canyons and erupting volcanoes. A phenomenon known as the Void Storm begins to emanate from the blast site unleashing a torrent of anomalous destruction.
The Guardians evacuate all survivors to the moon and the Coalition retreat into their underground fortresses.
An unknown shockwave sends the Atreus mountain settlements into disarray. As the mountains shudder Rhea and Faust are separated from their tribe. As the Void storm crashes in, Rhea finds shelter within a ruin. As Faust charges in after her the ruin seals behind them, and they disappear into the darkness.
Others try their best to survive, including the Underan who make their way into their mountain refuge. On route, their high chief is mortally wounded as the mountain tops come crashing down. Underan are both sealed within and trapped outside to face the incoming storm.
The Voidstorms engulf the planet.
During the chaos of the evacuation, a vast black shard appears in the mountain range the Underan shelter within. It emerges suddenly without causing an impact despite being far larger than any of the mountains. A mortally wounded Rothe imbues himself with the Shard by using the Underans natural ability. His wounds close and fill with an indestructible black mass. This Void matter also allows him to manipulate Remna, a powerful, unstoppable force. He leads the remaining Underan deeper into the mountains where they build new underground cities and await the end to the storms.
The Voidstorms remain constant, bringing massive cities crashing down into piles of scrap.
The Coalition links their sub-fortress cities and makes ready for the day the storms retreat.
The Guardians continue to expand upon the moon.
Rhea and Faust find themselves within the Inner, another world or plane of existence that bends to their will and makes them into gods.
Any other survivors struggle beneath the storms as the land is torn asunder.
Refusing to follow the Primarshals rule, City 17 attempts to seal itself off from the underground network. The Primarshals send their forces to eradicate rebellion but in the chaos damage critical systems. Millions attempt to flee the city to escape but the poorly made reactor breaches and floods the city in radiation. The Primarshals place the blame with the rebellion.
Survivors within Anoria begin to experience strange events with odd manifestations appearing throughout the Bio domes. Many try to unravel the mystery of the strange sights and hallucinations they are having but soon many survivors start to disappear.
The residents of the Anoria biodomes disappear as all records cease. The last record mentions a creature the survivors named the Weld, alien forms that appear as an omen to the coming anomalies.
A new clan, the Vomaran (Kin of the Sky), forms within the mountains breaking from the traditions of the Underan. Following in the footsteps of Rothe they imbue themselves with the Drakka and learn to wield its power. The two clans remain aligned as the Drakkaran, Kin of the Dark Blade.
The storms calm and the Coalition re-emerge from their sub-cities to find their lands in ruins.
The Underan leave the mountains and head out across the new grounds attempting to rekindle traditions of the past.
Those who managed to survive below the surface retake the cities above. They transform the ruins into a haven for survivors.
The Guardians begin to revisit and observe the planet. On the moon, their capabilities with Ziron, a mysterious force that allows them to manipulate reality, grow.
The Coalition link up with the survivors within the Asylum cities. Both come together peacefully, and the Asylum cities retain their autonomy in exchange for providing weapons and vehicles to the growing coalition war machine.
Rhea emerges from the ruins within a construct made in her previous image. She descends the mountains to find small tribes struggling to survive. With her help, they begin the road to recovery. Astounded by her new powers, they see her as a living god, a claim she constantly refutes. Unknown to her, Faust has also left the Inner but watches from afar as he makes his plans.
The Coalition and Drakkaran exchange blows with many war tribes within the Drakkaran refusing to live peacefully with the Coalition, attacking settlements and convoys at will.
Those outside the Anoria Biodomes record more anomalies as the domes warp and move like living tissue. In an unexplainable event, the domes disappear, and massive eruptions send particles of an unknown substance hurtling across the landscape.
The ongoing tensions between the Coalition and the Drakkaran cause a rift between them and the Asylum cities. Unwilling to aid the Coalition in the Drakkaran extermination, the Asylum cities begin to withhold supplies. The Primarshals react with anger, and preparation begins to take control of the Asylum cities.
An emergency broadcast reaches the gathering Coalition forces preparing to attack the Asylum cities. At first, it is dismissed as a rouse perpetrated by the Guardians but soon after all calls for help cease, their forces meet the incoming wave of a new threat.
The creatures known as the Asylumists pour across the surface of the planet smashing all aside. Military blunders and disbelief result in unrecoverable losses for the Coalition. Behind the scenes, a shadowy organisation sees their chance to seize power, and as the Asylumists reach the capitol of Magmanon, the Council unleash the Tin Men.
With the Horde spilling over the planet the Drakkaran also find themselves under constant attack. As the Drakkaran unleash the power of the Vomaran, they form a temporary truce with the Coalition, and together they push back the tide with Asylum 3 in sight.
Faust creates vast arenas scattered throughout the lands occupied by his subjects. Using the civilisations that hold the areas around the Atreus teeth, he forms The Order. Acting as their God he rules over them, picking from their number and taking masses of subjects for his arenas, each specialised in leeching a specific emotion or experience to feed the Inner. Only those proven worthy within the spheres are allowed to join him inside the Inner as lower-ranked gods and subjugate those beyond. Rhea disappears.
The Council demand rule over the Coalition. When the Primarshals refuse the civil war erupts. As sides are chosen, the mechanised units turn on those who fight for the Primarshals. The civil war is short but bloody resulting in the destruction of the Primarshals and the Councils rule. The Coalition becomes the Confederation.
With the sudden withdrawal of Coalition forces, the Drakkaran face the full force of the Asylumists. Losing ground, they gather their forces beside the Scar and prepare for battle. As the warriors wait, a Void storm of unusual size and ferocity lashes across the planet. After it passes a strange new affliction begins to emerge as dead tissue seems to reanimate and combine into ferocious organisms. The Asylumist waves cease but this new threat, the Host begins to threaten all on Sythopia.
As the Drakkaran battle against the Host, a new clan emerges. The Sytheran (Kin of Blood) take their Void matter augmentations to the very limit. They infuse themselves with other forms and creatures blessed with the void giving themselves almost bestial appearance. With their mastery of Void matter, they hold off the Host masses bursting from the Greater Scar and create ta void temple overlooking its edge.
The vast death and torture plains within Order lands erupt with Host creatures. At first, the Order use the ensuing chaos to leech terror, pain and fear from their subjects but as the Host mass grows the Order is forced to intervene. Faust uses the Host as a new means of control over his subjects, claiming them to be demonic entities that can only be repelled by those loyal to him and his Order.
As the Demonic war rages, Foust learns of a Host that walks among the sprawling mass. It refers to itself as Necris and shows its ability to communicate as well as control the mass Host numbers. Foust strikes a bargain to ensure his kingdom remains untouched while feeding the Host below in the prisons. Necris adopts the roll of warden in exchange for a constant supply of new subjects.
The Drakkaran learn the Guardians have begun their return to Sythopia. Scouts report witnessing an unbelievable power that they now wield called the Psyhaos Autoface which gives them a godlike ability to manipulate reality. The twin citadels Argoneth and Ceroneths construction will house the means to use this power on the planet and ensure they cannot be opposed. Rothe gathers his forces to attack the citadels before they are completed. While he focusses on Ceroneth, he lures a wave of Asylumists towards the Argoneth site. The Drakkaran suffer massive losses, even when faced with a few hundred Guardians but for a brief moment, it appears they might be able to push the Guardians back off the planet. All hope evaporates when the Psyhaos Spheres are brought to life, and Rothe falls at the hands of a Guardian Sentry. The remaining Drakkaran retreat as those not fast enough are simply erased from existence. For thousands of years, no force would oppose citadels.
As the Host clash with the Biosite the interaction seemingly warping reality. A vast area east of the Red Desert becomes unstable as Biosite forms shift in and out of existence and Host environments grow and recede with violent speed.
With the death of Rothe a Sytheran chief leads a coup and takes control over the mantle of high chieftain. For the first time in millennia, the Drakkaran are divided. The Sytheran begin to spread the Void throughout the planet.
Within the Expanse, a massive explosion, from a Biosite volcano, sends shards raining down across Sythopia. A piece lands within the Confederation fortress city of Scornfel. Within hours Biosite manifestations claim swathes of the city. The Confederation is pushed to the city outskirts before the Weld responsible is located. Attack squads manage to destroy the Weld’s physical form as the Expanse collapses around them, leaving twisted ruins in its wake.
The Guardians create Orbiscion, a ring that circles the entire planet. Using the Autoface it is able to change the very fabric of reality on the planets surface cementing their claim as rulers of Sythopia. They prevent the use of powerful weaponry, deny any ability to reach orbit and remove any threat that comes within range of the twin citadels. Orbiscion also seems to shift in and out of view as it enters and leaves reality, preventing any attempt to attack it. For now, the Guardians lord over the world.
Using Orbiscion, a Guardian wipes away part of the planet containing Drakkaran tribes. The reason remains unknown, but the massive crevice that remains becomes known as the Greater Scar as it lies close to the now lesser Scar. For their actions, the lone Guardian is severed from the Psyhaos Autoface and exiled on the planet.
Vast forces, surrounded by existential threats, begin to move.
