Lore

Pinnacle

It was the pinnacle of Human civilization on Terra. Shining grey-silver cities dotted the land as if it were a huge mushroom. We cared for no one but ourselves, and nothing besides us interested us. For us, the Earth and all its treasures were just resources to be harvested for our pleasure. In our own eyes, we were invincible… In our own eyes, we were gods…

The Invasion

And then they came… They came from beyond our sun… an alien race, or so we thought. An alien race bent on conquering and pillaging… bent on our destruction and demise.

We fought them! We fought them with all our might. And we lost… Our weapons did not penetrate their shields and armor. Our armor and shields seemed no more than air for their weapons. They hurled bolts of pure energy. They controlled beasts that spat acid and bile. They were protected by invisible barriers, protected by magic.

But we fought onward, relentless. We fought when our dead were raised and fought us. We fought with weapons forged from steel against armor forged from darkness. We fought with fists against acid and venom. We fought with the fury and might of heroes. We fought not for our survival, but for that of all of Terra combined. We fought, and we lost…

Bit by bit, they took more and more of our land. Bit by bit, they took more and more of us. After 10 long years, they controlled most of the old Earth. And we, who once were the proud rulers of Earth… of Terra… We cowered in fear, hiding from them… the Eversor.

The Nine

It was the time of the spring equinox, the tenth to the year of their arrival. The remains of our scattered forces stood in what they thought would be their last stand. The legions of the Eversor arrived as was expected, disfigured and horrid. With a mixture of alien beasts and weapons at their disposal, they marched relentlessly but with deliberate slowness; their sight alone struck fear in the hearts of the defenders, yet they stood firm. They marched toward what remained of our armies, toward our last defenders. The thundering sound of gunfire was heard as volley after volley was released at the invaders, only to be scattered harmlessly around them. The defenders readied makeshift close-combat weapons and prepared for their inevitable deaths. But for some reason, their feeling was not of impending doom; something else was in the air. It was as if something had changed. The land itself felt awake, and for some reason, hope seemed to envelop them in a thick blanket. For some reason, they felt invigorated.

And so came forth the Nine… From the shadows of the surrounding forest came forward nine humans. They wore no visible armor, only robes. They had no weapons, only uncut wooden walking staffs. Their faces seemed both old and young—a contradiction, an impossibility—but there they were. They seemed to walk slowly, yet in the blink of an eye, they stood between the defenders and the advancing hordes of the Eversor.

The aliens hurled bolts of energy at the intruders, but they didn’t flinch. As the bolts approached, they exploded in midair, hitting an invisible barrier—a magic barrier, magic that humans didn’t have before. The leader of the Nine turned his head toward the human defenders. He smiled at them, and his smile filled them with both warmth and hope, making them feel like children whose mother had just come back to protect them. He then turned his attention back toward the approaching Eversor invaders. His smile turned into scorn, and his hands were raised in the air… For a moment, his hands seemed to be teeming with energy… and the air itself was stirring with power. When the leader of the Nine lowered his hands back, his form seemed to be bent. It seemed that he was exhausted… spent. He then lowered himself to one knee while using his staff as leverage, but he was smiling—a big, grinning, large smile—and the Eversor seemed to flinch.

At that moment, the other members pointed their staffs toward the Eversor army, hurtling bolts of power, lightning, and magic toward the unsuspecting invaders. The bolts ignored armor, shattering invisible shields as they exploded time and time again amid the midst of the Eversor army. Confused and hurt, the Eversor charged forward. The leader of the Nine rose to his feet. He was still smiling, and the air around him burst with activity. From the forest, from the earth, from the air… the beasts of Terra came out to attack the invaders' army. These were not animals that charged; it was the Gaian beasts—different in size, stronger, faster, and armed with claws that were charged with lightning, and teeth that shone like steel. The Eversor forces were decimated in minutes. Those that survived fled to the four winds, back into the safety of their occupied lands.

Gaia’s Decree

The leader of the Nine turned toward the Defenders of Terra and spoke. His voice was soft and soothing, yet laced with power. His words were heard; his message, undeniable.

“Hear me out, all, and help spread this message onward for others to know… Gaia has awoken. The ancient power of the Guardian has been released back to the world. Once again, as was before, magic has been restored. But more importantly, you are no longer alone…”

“I have a message for you from our mother… from Gaia.”

He bowed in respect, and a glowing visage of a beautiful woman appeared — her features ever-shifting, soothing, motherly. When she spoke, it was as if the wind spoke. When her hair moved, it was a thousand rainbows.

“Children… I have studied the invaders, these… Eversors. I have given you the power to beat them! I have awakened your Guardians. I have restored magic. But it is not enough.”

“In order for you to win, in order for you to find your purpose… in order for you to reach toward the stars and free them back… You must learn how to meld Magic with Science.”

“Only then will you get the edge over our enemies; only then will the stars be in your reach.”

Light blazed from her clasped hands — then she was gone, and only the Nine remained.

The leader spoke again: “Know this: the Eversor have almost no knowledge of science. What you see as technology, they perceive as magic. In ancient times, humans had possessed the power to wield magic. But we didn’t understand the world around us… We could create explosions, but we didn’t understand the mechanics behind them. You must understand that the ‘why’ is more important than the ‘how’… If we can understand how things work, then magic can be so much more powerful. That is why Gaia took the magic away… so we could learn, so we could understand… so you could be prepared. Now magic has returned, and we understand better. Go forth, my brethren, and win Terra back…”

Aftermath

And the world moved on… And as it did, everything changed…

257 years have passed since the Eversor invaded Terra. They still hold control over a fifth of the Earth. 247 years have passed since Gaia restored magic to Terra.

The long years of Eversor onslaught had left their mark on Terra. Cities have crumbled under their feet, leaving only wreckage in their wake. The borders were erased, and nations and religions were lost and forgotten.

Out of the ruins of the old world, three new super nations had risen, Battling both the Eversor and sometimes each other.

Only 5 percent of the human population survived. 1 of every 1000 humans has developed a magical aptitude of various skills and strengths. These people are known as the Guardians. After the rise of the Guardians came the rise of the Orders. The Orders' primary goal is the liberation of Terra and the destruction of the Eversor. There are many Orders spread throughout Terra. They offer both sanctuary and knowledge.

And the world kept moving forward…