In the last days of what some remember as the "Old Earth", the skies had been scorched a deep grey from the pollution caused by war, irresponsible industry, and general neglect. Smog, irradiation, and climate change had dwindled the natural vegetation to almost nothing, forcing the worlds population into near anarchy in the face of hunger, sickness, and scarcity. War-torn societies fought to adapt and rebuild, only to be thrust back into conflicts over resources and political structure. After so many years of the downward spiral of society, humanity had finally fallen to its own vices.

After decades of struggling through earth's tumultuous trial by fire, a portion of its inhabitants opted for withdrawal. They gathered what resources they could find, steal, or buy and migrated to large underground bunkers or orbital stations, leaving the many to fight for what was left on the surface...

For the massively wealthy inhabitants of Alpha Colony, an orbital society, technological advancement became necessary to sustain life indefinitely in what was designed to be a temporary situation. Over the years, it's technology had advanced to such a degree that the elders were able to sleep most of the years away in cryo-suspension so as not to drain resources or have to deal with the strain of seclusion. This allowed them to serve as the memory of the human race for generations to come, being awakened at critical moments in their colony's development in order to lend wisdom before returning to their near immortal existence in cryo.

Beta Colony, being comprised of those that were well enough connected to the more fore-ward thinking "preppers" of the old earth, situated itself deep underground and focused attention on more-or-less basic survival. They would send each new generation topside for their rite of passage. To prove their strength, their cunning, and their worth to the colony and its well-being. Rather than their wisdoms being static, coming from the same sources each generation, their wisdoms had to adapt to the environment that encased their society. New flora and fauna on the surface meant new dangers and opportunities below. Changes in atmospheric conditions meant changes in protocol down below. "Adapt, survive, repeat, until..." Those words kept them alive and helped Beta-Colony to thrive in a seemingly impossible situation.

Gamma Colony came to be out of what some have called sheer luck. Others explain the occurrence as divine. Whatever the reality, this colony is truly unique. While the world fell to shit around them, groups of religious communities came together from many different faiths around the globe, putting aside their difference for the first time in history. They prayed and scavenged and built and fought when necessary for a common goal. Not for survival but for salvation in whatever form it would take. After many years, they had carved out a portion of fertile land from the torn world, securing it from bandits and military groups with their own militia and improving it to sustain their numbers and their needs. The prayers and practices continued but eventually changed and melded into a singular belief of the "Unknown", a singular all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present being that supersedes all sciences, logics, and abilities of the human race and has a purpose for every man, woman, and child that is unfathomable and therefore unknown to the human mind. The mediation and focus of these people evolved with the world around them and they developed..."abilities" and..."senses" that would have been described as unnatural to those of the old earth, but it is Gamma Colony's inhabitant's abilities to interact in an entirely new way with the ever-changing world around them that has sustained their way of life through the worst of The Fall...

A few thousand years later, parts of the world have begun to recover. The vegetation has returned. The air is again fresh and clean. The sky is blue and radiant. The water is clear and filled with life. The animals are larger, healthier, smarter. The foliage is...different. There are new species. It is a different world now. But some things never change...
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:06, Sun 23 Oct 2022.