[MS] Non-Linear Worldbuilding: The Long Winter

[Captain Cap]

"The shattering of the moon and the long winter after its fall"

TIMELINE
START
The Dark Comet collides with the Moon

Astronomers of the Temple of the Shrouded Mistress discover a strange almost-invisible comet that's coming rapidly closer and that they call The Dark Wanderer.

With the aim of diverting a direct impact, the Order of the Moon Druids, the mighty Seraph Haimagen and the enigmatic Spellteller cooperate to alter the Moon's orbit via magic and have it intercept the Dark Wanderer when the time comes; the angel is destroyed in the process and the success costs the druids their sanity, while the Spellteller disappears.

Enraged that his plan to have the comet crash into the planet undetected was foiled, the archdemon Thralaxis uses all his power to broadcast a planetwide telepathic message, showing the cataclysm to come in horrific detail; overnight, riots and suicides sweep the world as many are driven insane. The effort reduces him to a common Dredge, and he is slain shortly after.

As the world is thrown into chaos, an alliance of men and dwarves ruled by angels, known as the Kingdom of the White Wing, builds a vast network of bunkers to ride out the inevitable storm.

The Dark Comet collides with the Moon and a huge portion of the satellite is scattered in space; thanks to a preemptive ritual performed by the Moon Druids before their sacrifice, the Spirit of the Moon escapes the destruction and safely reaches Artemis Nightborn, the human vessel chosen among their children.

From the fractured remains of the Moon, a dark light begins to shine upon the world below.

The Light of the Fractured Moon affects all it touches

Some of the so called Night-Touched develop a desire for the blood of living beings.

Others develop strange mutations of the body or the mind. As the cause is unknown at first, panic spreads - especially among those not showing any visible changes - as people believe in a highly contagious disease.

Rumours of strange animals stalking the night begin to spread. Some, quite like known ones, others bearing new, unfamiliar forms.

Every night, the Light of the Fractured Moon inflicts more changes upon those who have, by choice, force or necessity, remained outside the deepening fortresses of men and dwarves. Before long, new races begin to emerge.

As the lands are plagued by fear and disarray, the archdemon Apollyon seizes the opportunity to lead his armies in a campaign of conquest over the surface, left by many angels and thus more vulnerable than ever.

To the surprise of many it's first and foremost the alliance of the mutated - the Orcs, the Hobgoblins, the Goblins and whatever else they are called in the Kingdom of the White Wing - that oppose the Archdemon.

While the mutated hordes struggle against the demons and the other populations try to stay out of the conflict (either in the hope the two armies would destroy each other or because too disorganized to intervene), the Spellteller spiritually travels through the Tartarus and frees the bellicose archangel Heylel from his prison, so that he can join the battle against his mortal enemies.

Heylel and his soldiers fight alongside the mutated, but the demons still have the upper hand: one night, finding himself in difficulty against Apollyon, the Archangel drops his defences and lets the Dark Light flow through his body; Heylel gains greater power and manages to slay the Archdemon, while his essence gets inevitably corrupted.

The Dark Light is banished

Artemis Nightborn manages to fulfill his destiny and engages in a fight with the corrupted angel Heylel. The fight can have no winner, but it allows the Spirit of the Moon and her dark counterpart (the Dark Light, possessing Heylel's body) to merge back together in a neverending cycle. As the two ascend from Earth in brilliance, the balance is restored.

>>> Most of the mutant kin begin to lose their excessive savagery and bloodthirstiness, while the particularly tainted ones, like Gorgons and other monsters, don't survive the severance from the Dark Light.

The Unrelenting Blizzard rages

33 years after the destruction of the Moon, one of the biggest shards (orbiting around the planet so far) finally falls on Earth. The shard falls into the ocean and only fish die in the impact, but the consequences are cataclysmic nonetheless, as climate changes on planetary scale, and the world is covered in clouds.

As the cold creeps deeper underground and the Dwarves dig deeper towards the mantle to escape it, the Humans begin to master the Firmament. All survivors of subterranean eruptions, awakening seemly at random, these Human Seismimagi learn how to channel moving earth and magma, creating small, controlled volcanic eruptions to warm the caves - and beyond. Against all common wisdom, they dare to build up, towards the surface, for the first time in generations.

After much fighting against demons, the combined forces of Humans, Dwarves, and elementals recruited from the Paraelemental Plane of Magma break through to the surface. Combining their techniques, they invent the Skytorch, a powerful generator that repels the fierce cold and provides warmth to the settlement. Welcoming as many refugees as possible of all races, they prepare a campaign to resettle the surface, even during the blizzard that never ends.

The response from the new races was mixed. Even from those that accepted the offer there was much resentment towards the humans and dwarves, who they felt had abandoned them to run and hide into the mountain. And many rejected the offer still, either having changed enough to be able to be able to embrace the cold, in the time before the light of the sun and that of the Fractured Moon had disappeared completely, or else they had found their own, new ways to survive.

The Return of the Sun
END

DESCRIPTIONS
The Unrelenting Blizzard is just as harsh as it sounds: a global snowfall that may oscillate in intensity but never really stops. Men and dwarves are left alone to face it, as many Angels either left this broken world or depleted their essece in the attempt to save it, and the old wisdom (that could litterally influence the movement of the firmament) is already an almost lost secret. The only weapons left to mortals are perhaps their best: their ingenious mind and their desperate survival instinct; simply too stubborn to quietly fade away in the cold night.

The Netherrealm Network is the result of the Kingdom's efforts before the cataclysm - an advanced system of bunkers, tunnels, warehouses, steam-powered trains and underground fortifications connecting an ever-growing network of underground cities. Powered by Dwarven steam-powered geothermal taps, protected by angelic wards and fed largely by Human Moon Druids growing fungi and fish in vast caves, this superstructure allows millions to live relatively normal lives. Connected by layered near-vacuum tubes used to send messages in Morse Code and an emergency government formed by the leaders of each city and fort, this is the first attempt at a nation in the post-apocalyptic world. But it's no utopia either - waves of refugees threaten to overwhelm resources, earthquakes and eruptions are a constant threat, and rumors of demons, monsters and cultists in the deep threaten to undermine all they have built.

The Races of The world: it is said that three brothers were once picking up potatoes in the field, when a shooting star fell in it. The first brother went to explore where the star fell, the second one looked up to the sky, to see if more would fall, and the third one ignored everything and just tried to save the potatoes from the fire. The first brother gave birth to angel-kin, the second one to human race, and the third one to the dwarves. Legends aside, it is true that since the first angels came from outside of the world, mankind couldn't help casting their gaze towards the stars and their mysteries, understanding how the movement of the firmament influences life on earth and (to some extent) how to influence it back. Dwarves are (generally) more "down to earth" in a literal sense, more concentrated on the ground they live on and what it has to offer, and more interested in technology. There are exceptions, of course. Angels love both other races deeply, but they are somehow ethereal, they appear detached and difficult to understand; their own purpose and agenda is a mystery to most.

[Wasp]

Sorry, I won't be able to post much during the next two weeks, but you can continue without me of course.

Happy holidays!

[Chas Kramer]

"The shattering of the moon and the long winter after its fall"

TIMELINE
START
The Dark Comet collides with the Moon

Astronomers of the Temple of the Shrouded Mistress discover a strange almost-invisible comet that's coming rapidly closer and that they call The Dark Wanderer.

With the aim of diverting a direct impact, the Order of the Moon Druids, the mighty Seraph Haimagen and the enigmatic Spellteller cooperate to alter the Moon's orbit via magic and have it intercept the Dark Wanderer when the time comes; the angel is destroyed in the process and the success costs the druids their sanity, while the Spellteller disappears.

Enraged that his plan to have the comet crash into the planet undetected was foiled, the archdemon Thralaxis uses all his power to broadcast a planetwide telepathic message, showing the cataclysm to come in horrific detail; overnight, riots and suicides sweep the world as many are driven insane. The effort reduces him to a common Dredge, and he is slain shortly after.

As the world is thrown into chaos, an alliance of men and dwarves ruled by angels, known as the Kingdom of the White Wing, builds a vast network of bunkers to ride out the inevitable storm.

The Dark Comet collides with the Moon and a huge portion of the satellite is scattered in space; thanks to a preemptive ritual performed by the Moon Druids before their sacrifice, the Spirit of the Moon escapes the destruction and safely reaches Artemis Nightborn, the human vessel chosen among their children.

From the fractured remains of the Moon, a dark light begins to shine upon the world below.

The Light of the Fractured Moon affects all it touches

Some of the so called Night-Touched develop a desire for the blood of living beings.

Others develop strange mutations of the body or the mind. As the cause is unknown at first, panic spreads - especially among those not showing any visible changes - as people believe in a highly contagious disease.

Rumours of strange animals stalking the night begin to spread. Some, quite like known ones, others bearing new, unfamiliar forms.

Every night, the Light of the Fractured Moon inflicts more changes upon those who have, by choice, force or necessity, remained outside the deepening fortresses of men and dwarves. Before long, new races begin to emerge.

As the lands are plagued by fear and disarray, the archdemon Apollyon seizes the opportunity to lead his armies in a campaign of conquest over the surface, left by many angels and thus more vulnerable than ever.

To the surprise of many it's first and foremost the alliance of the mutated - the Orcs, the Hobgoblins, the Goblins and whatever else they are called in the Kingdom of the White Wing - that oppose the Archdemon.

While the mutated hordes struggle against the demons and the other populations try to stay out of the conflict (either in the hope the two armies would destroy each other or because too disorganized to intervene), the Spellteller spiritually travels through the Tartarus and frees the bellicose archangel Heylel from his prison, so that he can join the battle against his mortal enemies.

Heylel and his soldiers fight alongside the mutated, but the demons still have the upper hand: one night, finding himself in difficulty against Apollyon, the Archangel drops his defences and lets the Dark Light flow through his body; Heylel gains greater power and manages to slay the Archdemon, while his essence gets inevitably corrupted.

The Dark Light is banished

Artemis Nightborn manages to fulfill his destiny and engages in a fight with the corrupted angel Heylel. The fight can have no winner, but it allows the Spirit of the Moon and her dark counterpart (the Dark Light, possessing Heylel's body) to merge back together in a neverending cycle. As the two ascend from Earth in brilliance, the balance is restored.

Most of the mutant kin begin to lose their excessive savagery and bloodthirstiness, while the particularly tainted ones, like Gorgons and other monsters, don't survive the severance from the Dark Light.

The Unrelenting Blizzard rages

33 years after the destruction of the Moon, one of the biggest shards (orbiting around the planet so far) finally falls on Earth. The shard falls into the ocean and only fish die in the impact, but the consequences are cataclysmic nonetheless, as climate changes on planetary scale, and the world is covered in clouds.

>> As Men and Dwarves, driven by their survival instinct, expand the bunkers network at a crazy pace, into what will become The Netherrealm Network, crowds of the most desperate beings (mostly mutant kin, but not exclusively) start to gather at the gates, in desperate hope to escape a frost and starvation.

As the cold creeps deeper underground and the Dwarves dig deeper towards the mantle to escape it, the Humans begin to master the Firmament. All survivors of subterranean eruptions, awakening seemly at random, these Human Seismimagi learn how to channel moving earth and magma, creating small, controlled volcanic eruptions to warm the caves - and beyond. Against all common wisdom, they dare to build up, towards the surface, for the first time in generations.

After much fighting against demons, the combined forces of Humans, Dwarves, and elementals recruited from the Paraelemental Plane of Magma break through to the surface. Combining their techniques, they invent the Skytorch, a powerful generator that repels the fierce cold and provides warmth to the settlement. Welcoming as many refugees as possible of all races, they prepare a campaign to resettle the surface, even during the blizzard that never ends.

The response from the new races was mixed. Even from those that accepted the offer there was much resentment towards the humans and dwarves, who they felt had abandoned them to run and hide into the mountain. And many rejected the offer still, either having changed enough to be able to be able to embrace the cold, in the time before the light of the sun and that of the Fractured Moon had disappeared completely, or else they had found their own, new ways to survive.

The Return of the Sun
END

DESCRIPTIONS
The Unrelenting Blizzard is just as harsh as it sounds: a global snowfall that may oscillate in intensity but never really stops. Men and dwarves are left alone to face it, as many Angels either left this broken world or depleted their essence in the attempt to save it, and the old wisdom (that could litterally influence the movement of the firmament) is already an almost lost secret. The only weapons left to mortals are perhaps their best: their ingenious mind and their desperate survival instinct; simply too stubborn to quietly fade away in the cold night.

The Netherrealm Network is the result of the Kingdom's efforts before the cataclysm - an advanced system of bunkers, tunnels, warehouses, steam-powered trains and underground fortifications connecting an ever-growing network of underground cities. Powered by Dwarven steam-powered geothermal taps, protected by angelic wards and fed largely by Human Moon Druids growing fungi and fish in vast caves, this superstructure allows millions to live relatively normal lives. Connected by layered near-vacuum tubes used to send messages in Morse Code and an emergency government formed by the leaders of each city and fort, this is the first attempt at a nation in the post-apocalyptic world. But it's no utopia either - waves of refugees threaten to overwhelm resources, earthquakes and eruptions are a constant threat, and rumors of demons, monsters and cultists in the deep threaten to undermine all they have built.

The Races of The world: it is said that three brothers were once picking up potatoes in the field, when a shooting star fell in it. The first brother went to explore where the star fell, the second one looked up to the sky, to see if more would fall, and the third one ignored everything and just tried to save the potatoes from the fire. The first brother gave birth to angel-kin, the second one to human race, and the third one to the dwarves. Legends aside, it is true that since the first angels came from outside of the world, mankind couldn't help casting their gaze towards the stars and their mysteries, understanding how the movement of the firmament influences life on earth and (to some extent) how to influence it back. Dwarves are (generally) more "down to earth" in a literal sense, more concentrated on the ground they live on and what it has to offer, and more interested in technology. There are exceptions, of course. Angels love both other races deeply, but they are somehow ethereal, they appear detached and difficult to understand; their own purpose and agenda is a mystery to most.

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

"The shattering of the moon and the long winter after its fall"

TIMELINE
START
The Dark Comet collides with the Moon

Astronomers of the Temple of the Shrouded Mistress discover a strange almost-invisible comet that's coming rapidly closer and that they call The Dark Wanderer.

With the aim of diverting a direct impact, the Order of the Moon Druids, the mighty Seraph Haimagen and the enigmatic Spellteller cooperate to alter the Moon's orbit via magic and have it intercept the Dark Wanderer when the time comes; the angel is destroyed in the process and the success costs the druids their sanity, while the Spellteller disappears.

Enraged that his plan to have the comet crash into the planet undetected was foiled, the archdemon Thralaxis uses all his power to broadcast a planetwide telepathic message, showing the cataclysm to come in horrific detail; overnight, riots and suicides sweep the world as many are driven insane. The effort reduces him to a common Dredge, and he is slain shortly after.

As the world is thrown into chaos, an alliance of men and dwarves ruled by angels, known as the Kingdom of the White Wing, builds a vast network of bunkers to ride out the inevitable storm.

The Dark Comet collides with the Moon and a huge portion of the satellite is scattered in space; thanks to a preemptive ritual performed by the Moon Druids before their sacrifice, the Spirit of the Moon escapes the destruction and safely reaches Artemis Nightborn, the human vessel chosen among their children.

From the fractured remains of the Moon, a dark light begins to shine upon the world below.

The Light of the Fractured Moon affects all it touches

Some of the so called Night-Touched develop a desire for the blood of living beings.

Others develop strange mutations of the body or the mind. As the cause is unknown at first, panic spreads - especially among those not showing any visible changes - as people believe in a highly contagious disease.

Rumours of strange animals stalking the night begin to spread. Some, quite like known ones, others bearing new, unfamiliar forms.

Every night, the Light of the Fractured Moon inflicts more changes upon those who have, by choice, force or necessity, remained outside the deepening fortresses of men and dwarves. Before long, new races begin to emerge.

As the lands are plagued by fear and disarray, the archdemon Apollyon seizes the opportunity to lead his armies in a campaign of conquest over the surface, left by many angels and thus more vulnerable than ever.

To the surprise of many it's first and foremost the alliance of the mutated - the Orcs, the Hobgoblins, the Goblins and whatever else they are called in the Kingdom of the White Wing - that oppose the Archdemon.

While the mutated hordes struggle against the demons and the other populations try to stay out of the conflict (either in the hope the two armies would destroy each other or because too disorganized to intervene), the Spellteller spiritually travels through the Tartarus and frees the bellicose archangel Heylel from his prison, so that he can join the battle against his mortal enemies.

Heylel and his soldiers fight alongside the mutated, but the demons still have the upper hand: one night, finding himself in difficulty against Apollyon, the Archangel drops his defences and lets the Dark Light flow through his body; Heylel gains greater power and manages to slay the Archdemon, while his essence gets inevitably corrupted.

The Dark Light is banished

Artemis Nightborn manages to fulfill his destiny and engages in a fight with the corrupted angel Heylel. The fight can have no winner, but it allows the Spirit of the Moon and her dark counterpart (the Dark Light, possessing Heylel's body) to merge back together in a neverending cycle. As the two ascend from Earth in brilliance, the balance is restored.

Most of the mutant kin begin to lose their excessive savagery and bloodthirstiness, while the particularly tainted ones, like Gorgons and other monsters, don't survive the severance from the Dark Light.

The Unrelenting Blizzard rages

33 years after the destruction of the Moon, one of the biggest shards (orbiting around the planet so far) finally falls on Earth. The shard falls into the ocean and only fish die in the impact, but the consequences are cataclysmic nonetheless, as climate changes on planetary scale, and the world is covered in clouds.

As Men and Dwarves, driven by their survival instinct, expand the bunkers network at a crazy pace, into what will become The Netherrealm Network, crowds of the most desperate beings (mostly mutant kin, but not exclusively) start to gather at the gates, in desperate hope to escape a frost and starvation.

>>> The opinions between the cities and races are conflicted, in fear of demons, resource shortages and concerns over mutations, but after fierce debating the Angels' teachings win out - help as many as they can. They open the Network to the surface, favoring children and intact families first. Focusing on producing food and other essential goods, their supply lines are stretched to their limit as they prepare for the storm to come.

As the cold creeps deeper underground and the Dwarves dig deeper towards the mantle to escape it, the Humans begin to master the Firmament. All survivors of subterranean eruptions, awakening seemly at random, these Human Seismimagi learn how to channel moving earth and magma, creating small, controlled volcanic eruptions to warm the caves - and beyond. Against all common wisdom, they dare to build up, towards the surface, for the first time in generations.

After much fighting against demons, the combined forces of Humans, Dwarves, and elementals recruited from the Paraelemental Plane of Magma break through to the surface. Combining their techniques, they invent the Skytorch, a powerful generator that repels the fierce cold and provides warmth to the settlement. Welcoming as many refugees as possible of all races, they prepare a campaign to resettle the surface, even during the blizzard that never ends.

The response from the new races was mixed. Even from those that accepted the offer there was much resentment towards the humans and dwarves, who they felt had abandoned them to run and hide into the mountain. And many rejected the offer still, either having changed enough to be able to be able to embrace the cold, in the time before the light of the sun and that of the Fractured Moon had disappeared completely, or else they had found their own, new ways to survive.

The Return of the Sun
END

DESCRIPTIONS
The Unrelenting Blizzard is just as harsh as it sounds: a global snowfall that may oscillate in intensity but never really stops. Men and dwarves are left alone to face it, as many Angels either left this broken world or depleted their essence in the attempt to save it, and the old wisdom (that could litterally influence the movement of the firmament) is already an almost lost secret. The only weapons left to mortals are perhaps their best: their ingenious mind and their desperate survival instinct; simply too stubborn to quietly fade away in the cold night.

The Netherrealm Network is the result of the Kingdom's efforts before the cataclysm - an advanced system of bunkers, tunnels, warehouses, steam-powered trains and underground fortifications connecting an ever-growing network of underground cities. Powered by Dwarven steam-powered geothermal taps, protected by angelic wards and fed largely by Human Moon Druids growing fungi and fish in vast caves, this superstructure allows millions to live relatively normal lives. Connected by layered near-vacuum tubes used to send messages in Morse Code and an emergency government formed by the leaders of each city and fort, this is the first attempt at a nation in the post-apocalyptic world. But it's no utopia either - waves of refugees threaten to overwhelm resources, earthquakes and eruptions are a constant threat, and rumors of demons, monsters and cultists in the deep threaten to undermine all they have built.

The Races of The world: it is said that three brothers were once picking up potatoes in the field, when a shooting star fell in it. The first brother went to explore where the star fell, the second one looked up to the sky, to see if more would fall, and the third one ignored everything and just tried to save the potatoes from the fire. The first brother gave birth to angel-kin, the second one to human race, and the third one to the dwarves. Legends aside, it is true that since the first angels came from outside of the world, mankind couldn't help casting their gaze towards the stars and their mysteries, understanding how the movement of the firmament influences life on earth and (to some extent) how to influence it back. Dwarves are (generally) more "down to earth" in a literal sense, more concentrated on the ground they live on and what it has to offer, and more interested in technology. There are exceptions, of course. Angels love both other races deeply, but they are somehow ethereal, they appear detached and difficult to understand; their own purpose and agenda is a mystery to most.

[Kinro]

"The shattering of the moon and the long winter after its fall"

TIMELINE
START
The Dark Comet collides with the Moon

Astronomers of the Temple of the Shrouded Mistress discover a strange almost-invisible comet that's coming rapidly closer and that they call The Dark Wanderer.

With the aim of diverting a direct impact, the Order of the Moon Druids, the mighty Seraph Haimagen and the enigmatic Spellteller cooperate to alter the Moon's orbit via magic and have it intercept the Dark Wanderer when the time comes; the angel is destroyed in the process and the success costs the druids their sanity, while the Spellteller disappears.

Enraged that his plan to have the comet crash into the planet undetected was foiled, the archdemon Thralaxis uses all his power to broadcast a planetwide telepathic message, showing the cataclysm to come in horrific detail; overnight, riots and suicides sweep the world as many are driven insane. The effort reduces him to a common Dredge, and he is slain shortly after.

As the world is thrown into chaos, an alliance of men and dwarves ruled by angels, known as the Kingdom of the White Wing, builds a vast network of bunkers to ride out the inevitable storm.

The Dark Comet collides with the Moon and a huge portion of the satellite is scattered in space; thanks to a preemptive ritual performed by the Moon Druids before their sacrifice, the Spirit of the Moon escapes the destruction and safely reaches Artemis Nightborn, the human vessel chosen among their children.

From the fractured remains of the Moon, a dark light begins to shine upon the world below.

The Light of the Fractured Moon affects all it touches

Some of the so called Night-Touched develop a desire for the blood of living beings.

Others develop strange mutations of the body or the mind. As the cause is unknown at first, panic spreads - especially among those not showing any visible changes - as people believe in a highly contagious disease.

Rumours of strange animals stalking the night begin to spread. Some, quite like known ones, others bearing new, unfamiliar forms.

Every night, the Light of the Fractured Moon inflicts more changes upon those who have, by choice, force or necessity, remained outside the deepening fortresses of men and dwarves. Before long, new races begin to emerge.

As the lands are plagued by fear and disarray, the archdemon Apollyon seizes the opportunity to lead his armies in a campaign of conquest over the surface, left by many angels and thus more vulnerable than ever.

To the surprise of many it's first and foremost the alliance of the mutated - the Orcs, the Hobgoblins, the Goblins and whatever else they are called in the Kingdom of the White Wing - that oppose the Archdemon.

While the mutated hordes struggle against the demons and the other populations try to stay out of the conflict (either in the hope the two armies would destroy each other or because too disorganized to intervene), the Spellteller spiritually travels through the Tartarus and frees the bellicose archangel Heylel from his prison, so that he can join the battle against his mortal enemies.

Heylel and his soldiers fight alongside the mutated, but the demons still have the upper hand: one night, finding himself in difficulty against Apollyon, the Archangel drops his defences and lets the Dark Light flow through his body; Heylel gains greater power and manages to slay the Archdemon, while his essence gets inevitably corrupted.

The Dark Light is banished

Artemis Nightborn manages to fulfill his destiny and engages in a fight with the corrupted angel Heylel. The fight can have no winner, but it allows the Spirit of the Moon and her dark counterpart (the Dark Light, possessing Heylel's body) to merge back together in a neverending cycle. As the two ascend from Earth in brilliance, the balance is restored.

Most of the mutant kin begin to lose their excessive savagery and bloodthirstiness, while the particularly tainted ones, like Gorgons and other monsters, don't survive the severance from the Dark Light.

Of the remaining Night-Touched, some surviving ones were yet too tainted to last long without the Light of the Fractured Moon sustaining them. These began to turn to dark magics instead, both to feed and to replicate its effects.

The Unrelenting Blizzard rages

33 years after the destruction of the Moon, one of the biggest shards (orbiting around the planet so far) finally falls on Earth. The shard falls into the ocean and only fish die in the impact, but the consequences are cataclysmic nonetheless, as climate changes on planetary scale, and the world is covered in clouds.

As Men and Dwarves, driven by their survival instinct, expand the bunkers network at a crazy pace, into what will become The Netherrealm Network, crowds of the most desperate beings (mostly mutant kin, but not exclusively) start to gather at the gates, in desperate hope to escape a frost and starvation.

The opinions between the cities and races are conflicted, in fear of demons, resource shortages and concerns over mutations, but after fierce debating the Angels' teachings win out - help as many as they can. They open the Network to the surface, favoring children and intact families first. Focusing on producing food and other essential goods, their supply lines are stretched to their limit as they prepare for the storm to come.

As the cold creeps deeper underground and the Dwarves dig deeper towards the mantle to escape it, the Humans begin to master the Firmament. All survivors of subterranean eruptions, awakening seemly at random, these Human Seismimagi learn how to channel moving earth and magma, creating small, controlled volcanic eruptions to warm the caves - and beyond. Against all common wisdom, they dare to build up, towards the surface, for the first time in generations.

After much fighting against demons, the combined forces of Humans, Dwarves, and elementals recruited from the Paraelemental Plane of Magma break through to the surface. Combining their techniques, they invent the Skytorch, a powerful generator that repels the fierce cold and provides warmth to the settlement. Welcoming as many refugees as possible of all races, they prepare a campaign to resettle the surface, even during the blizzard that never ends.

The response from the new races was mixed. Even from those that accepted the offer there was much resentment towards the humans and dwarves, who they felt had abandoned them to run and hide into the mountain. And many rejected the offer still, either having changed enough to be able to be able to embrace the cold, in the time before the light of the sun and that of the Fractured Moon had disappeared completely, or else they had found their own, new ways to survive.

The Return of the Sun
END

DESCRIPTIONS
The Unrelenting Blizzard is just as harsh as it sounds: a global snowfall that may oscillate in intensity but never really stops. Men and dwarves are left alone to face it, as many Angels either left this broken world or depleted their essence in the attempt to save it, and the old wisdom (that could litterally influence the movement of the firmament) is already an almost lost secret. The only weapons left to mortals are perhaps their best: their ingenious mind and their desperate survival instinct; simply too stubborn to quietly fade away in the cold night.

The Netherrealm Network is the result of the Kingdom's efforts before the cataclysm - an advanced system of bunkers, tunnels, warehouses, steam-powered trains and underground fortifications connecting an ever-growing network of underground cities. Powered by Dwarven steam-powered geothermal taps, protected by angelic wards and fed largely by Human Moon Druids growing fungi and fish in vast caves, this superstructure allows millions to live relatively normal lives. Connected by layered near-vacuum tubes used to send messages in Morse Code and an emergency government formed by the leaders of each city and fort, this is the first attempt at a nation in the post-apocalyptic world. But it's no utopia either - waves of refugees threaten to overwhelm resources, earthquakes and eruptions are a constant threat, and rumors of demons, monsters and cultists in the deep threaten to undermine all they have built.

The Races of The world: it is said that three brothers were once picking up potatoes in the field, when a shooting star fell in it. The first brother went to explore where the star fell, the second one looked up to the sky, to see if more would fall, and the third one ignored everything and just tried to save the potatoes from the fire. The first brother gave birth to angel-kin, the second one to human race, and the third one to the dwarves. Legends aside, it is true that since the first angels came from outside of the world, mankind couldn't help casting their gaze towards the stars and their mysteries, understanding how the movement of the firmament influences life on earth and (to some extent) how to influence it back. Dwarves are (generally) more "down to earth" in a literal sense, more concentrated on the ground they live on and what it has to offer, and more interested in technology. There are exceptions, of course. Angels love both other races deeply, but they are somehow ethereal, they appear detached and difficult to understand; their own purpose and agenda is a mystery to most.

[Wasp]

I am back now. Let's see...

"The shattering of the moon and the long winter after its fall"

TIMELINE
START
The Dark Comet collides with the Moon

Astronomers of the Temple of the Shrouded Mistress discover a strange almost-invisible comet that's coming rapidly closer and that they call The Dark Wanderer.

With the aim of diverting a direct impact, the Order of the Moon Druids, the mighty Seraph Haimagen and the enigmatic Spellteller cooperate to alter the Moon's orbit via magic and have it intercept the Dark Wanderer when the time comes; the angel is destroyed in the process and the success costs the druids their sanity, while the Spellteller disappears.

Enraged that his plan to have the comet crash into the planet undetected was foiled, the archdemon Thralaxis uses all his power to broadcast a planetwide telepathic message, showing the cataclysm to come in horrific detail; overnight, riots and suicides sweep the world as many are driven insane. The effort reduces him to a common Dredge, and he is slain shortly after.

As the world is thrown into chaos, an alliance of men and dwarves ruled by angels, known as the Kingdom of the White Wing, builds a vast network of bunkers to ride out the inevitable storm.

The Dark Comet collides with the Moon and a huge portion of the satellite is scattered in space; thanks to a preemptive ritual performed by the Moon Druids before their sacrifice, the Spirit of the Moon escapes the destruction and safely reaches Artemis Nightborn, the human vessel chosen among their children.

>>> Due to the change in gravitational pull the tides are changing and with tidal forces almost ceasing the big warm ocean currents stop as well affecting the global climate as well as the life below the waves.

From the fractured remains of the Moon, a dark light begins to shine upon the world below.

The Light of the Fractured Moon affects all it touches

Some of the so called Night-Touched develop a desire for the blood of living beings.

Others develop strange mutations of the body or the mind. As the cause is unknown at first, panic spreads - especially among those not showing any visible changes - as people believe in a highly contagious disease.

Rumours of strange animals stalking the night begin to spread. Some, quite like known ones, others bearing new, unfamiliar forms.

Every night, the Light of the Fractured Moon inflicts more changes upon those who have, by choice, force or necessity, remained outside the deepening fortresses of men and dwarves. Before long, new races begin to emerge.

As the lands are plagued by fear and disarray, the archdemon Apollyon seizes the opportunity to lead his armies in a campaign of conquest over the surface, left by many angels and thus more vulnerable than ever.

To the surprise of many it's first and foremost the alliance of the mutated - the Orcs, the Hobgoblins, the Goblins and whatever else they are called in the Kingdom of the White Wing - that oppose the Archdemon.

While the mutated hordes struggle against the demons and the other populations try to stay out of the conflict (either in the hope the two armies would destroy each other or because too disorganized to intervene), the Spellteller spiritually travels through the Tartarus and frees the bellicose archangel Heylel from his prison, so that he can join the battle against his mortal enemies.

Heylel and his soldiers fight alongside the mutated, but the demons still have the upper hand: one night, finding himself in difficulty against Apollyon, the Archangel drops his defences and lets the Dark Light flow through his body; Heylel gains greater power and manages to slay the Archdemon, while his essence gets inevitably corrupted.

The Dark Light is banished

Artemis Nightborn manages to fulfill his destiny and engages in a fight with the corrupted angel Heylel. The fight can have no winner, but it allows the Spirit of the Moon and her dark counterpart (the Dark Light, possessing Heylel's body) to merge back together in a neverending cycle. As the two ascend from Earth in brilliance, the balance is restored.

Most of the mutant kin begin to lose their excessive savagery and bloodthirstiness, while the particularly tainted ones, like Gorgons and other monsters, don't survive the severance from the Dark Light.

Of the remaining Night-Touched, some surviving ones were yet too tainted to last long without the Light of the Fractured Moon sustaining them. These began to turn to dark magics instead, both to feed and to replicate its effects.

The Unrelenting Blizzard rages

33 years after the destruction of the Moon, one of the biggest shards (orbiting around the planet so far) finally falls on Earth. The shard falls into the ocean and only fish die in the impact, but the consequences are cataclysmic nonetheless, as climate changes on planetary scale, and the world is covered in clouds.

As Men and Dwarves, driven by their survival instinct, expand the bunkers network at a crazy pace, into what will become The Netherrealm Network, crowds of the most desperate beings (mostly mutant kin, but not exclusively) start to gather at the gates, in desperate hope to escape a frost and starvation.

The opinions between the cities and races are conflicted, in fear of demons, resource shortages and concerns over mutations, but after fierce debating the Angels' teachings win out - help as many as they can. They open the Network to the surface, favoring children and intact families first. Focusing on producing food and other essential goods, their supply lines are stretched to their limit as they prepare for the storm to come.

As the cold creeps deeper underground and the Dwarves dig deeper towards the mantle to escape it, the Humans begin to master the Firmament. All survivors of subterranean eruptions, awakening seemly at random, these Human Seismimagi learn how to channel moving earth and magma, creating small, controlled volcanic eruptions to warm the caves - and beyond. Against all common wisdom, they dare to build up, towards the surface, for the first time in generations.

After much fighting against demons, the combined forces of Humans, Dwarves, and elementals recruited from the Paraelemental Plane of Magma break through to the surface. Combining their techniques, they invent the Skytorch, a powerful generator that repels the fierce cold and provides warmth to the settlement. Welcoming as many refugees as possible of all races, they prepare a campaign to resettle the surface, even during the blizzard that never ends.

The response from the new races was mixed. Even from those that accepted the offer there was much resentment towards the humans and dwarves, who they felt had abandoned them to run and hide into the mountain. And many rejected the offer still, either having changed enough to be able to be able to embrace the cold, in the time before the light of the sun and that of the Fractured Moon had disappeared completely, or else they had found their own, new ways to survive.

The Return of the Sun
END

DESCRIPTIONS
The Unrelenting Blizzard is just as harsh as it sounds: a global snowfall that may oscillate in intensity but never really stops. Men and dwarves are left alone to face it, as many Angels either left this broken world or depleted their essence in the attempt to save it, and the old wisdom (that could litterally influence the movement of the firmament) is already an almost lost secret. The only weapons left to mortals are perhaps their best: their ingenious mind and their desperate survival instinct; simply too stubborn to quietly fade away in the cold night.

The Netherrealm Network is the result of the Kingdom's efforts before the cataclysm - an advanced system of bunkers, tunnels, warehouses, steam-powered trains and underground fortifications connecting an ever-growing network of underground cities. Powered by Dwarven steam-powered geothermal taps, protected by angelic wards and fed largely by Human Moon Druids growing fungi and fish in vast caves, this superstructure allows millions to live relatively normal lives. Connected by layered near-vacuum tubes used to send messages in Morse Code and an emergency government formed by the leaders of each city and fort, this is the first attempt at a nation in the post-apocalyptic world. But it's no utopia either - waves of refugees threaten to overwhelm resources, earthquakes and eruptions are a constant threat, and rumors of demons, monsters and cultists in the deep threaten to undermine all they have built.

The Races of The world: it is said that three brothers were once picking up potatoes in the field, when a shooting star fell in it. The first brother went to explore where the star fell, the second one looked up to the sky, to see if more would fall, and the third one ignored everything and just tried to save the potatoes from the fire. The first brother gave birth to angel-kin, the second one to human race, and the third one to the dwarves. Legends aside, it is true that since the first angels came from outside of the world, mankind couldn't help casting their gaze towards the stars and their mysteries, understanding how the movement of the firmament influences life on earth and (to some extent) how to influence it back. Dwarves are (generally) more "down to earth" in a literal sense, more concentrated on the ground they live on and what it has to offer, and more interested in technology. There are exceptions, of course. Angels love both other races deeply, but they are somehow ethereal, they appear detached and difficult to understand; their own purpose and agenda is a mystery to most.

[Chas Kramer]

"The shattering of the moon and the long winter after its fall"

TIMELINE
START
The Dark Comet collides with the Moon

Astronomers of the Temple of the Shrouded Mistress discover a strange almost-invisible comet that's coming rapidly closer and that they call The Dark Wanderer.

With the aim of diverting a direct impact, the Order of the Moon Druids, the mighty Seraph Haimagen and the enigmatic Spellteller cooperate to alter the Moon's orbit via magic and have it intercept the Dark Wanderer when the time comes; the angel is destroyed in the process and the success costs the druids their sanity, while the Spellteller disappears.

Enraged that his plan to have the comet crash into the planet undetected was foiled, the archdemon Thralaxis uses all his power to broadcast a planetwide telepathic message, showing the cataclysm to come in horrific detail; overnight, riots and suicides sweep the world as many are driven insane. The effort reduces him to a common Dredge, and he is slain shortly after.

As the world is thrown into chaos, an alliance of men and dwarves ruled by angels, known as the Kingdom of the White Wing, builds a vast network of bunkers to ride out the inevitable storm.

The Dark Comet collides with the Moon and a huge portion of the satellite is scattered in space; thanks to a preemptive ritual performed by the Moon Druids before their sacrifice, the Spirit of the Moon escapes the destruction and safely reaches Artemis Nightborn, the human vessel chosen among their children.

Due to the change in gravitational pull the tides are changing and with tidal forces almost ceasing the big warm ocean currents stop as well affecting the global climate as well as the life below the waves.

From the fractured remains of the Moon, a dark light begins to shine upon the world below.

The Light of the Fractured Moon affects all it touches

Some of the so called Night-Touched develop a desire for the blood of living beings.

Others develop strange mutations of the body or the mind. As the cause is unknown at first, panic spreads - especially among those not showing any visible changes - as people believe in a highly contagious disease.

Rumours of strange animals stalking the night begin to spread. Some, quite like known ones, others bearing new, unfamiliar forms.

Every night, the Light of the Fractured Moon inflicts more changes upon those who have, by choice, force or necessity, remained outside the deepening fortresses of men and dwarves. Before long, new races begin to emerge.

As the lands are plagued by fear and disarray, the archdemon Apollyon seizes the opportunity to lead his armies in a campaign of conquest over the surface, left by many angels and thus more vulnerable than ever.

To the surprise of many it's first and foremost the alliance of the mutated - the Orcs, the Hobgoblins, the Goblins and whatever else they are called in the Kingdom of the White Wing - that oppose the Archdemon.

While the mutated hordes struggle against the demons and the other populations try to stay out of the conflict (either in the hope the two armies would destroy each other or because too disorganized to intervene), the Spellteller spiritually travels through the Tartarus and frees the bellicose archangel Heylel from his prison, so that he can join the battle against his mortal enemies.

Heylel and his soldiers fight alongside the mutated, but the demons still have the upper hand: one night, finding himself in difficulty against Apollyon, the Archangel drops his defences and lets the Dark Light flow through his body; Heylel gains greater power and manages to slay the Archdemon, while his essence gets inevitably corrupted.

The Dark Light is banished

Artemis Nightborn manages to fulfill his destiny and engages in a fight with the corrupted angel Heylel. The fight can have no winner, but it allows the Spirit of the Moon and her dark counterpart (the Dark Light, possessing Heylel's body) to merge back together in a neverending cycle. As the two ascend from Earth in brilliance, the balance is restored.

Most of the mutant kin begin to lose their excessive savagery and bloodthirstiness, while the particularly tainted ones, like Gorgons and other monsters, don't survive the severance from the Dark Light.

Of the remaining Night-Touched, some surviving ones were yet too tainted to last long without the Light of the Fractured Moon sustaining them. These began to turn to dark magics instead, both to feed and to replicate its effects.

The Unrelenting Blizzard rages

33 years after the destruction of the Moon, one of the biggest shards (orbiting around the planet so far) finally falls on Earth. The shard falls into the ocean and only fish die in the impact, but the consequences are cataclysmic nonetheless, as climate changes on planetary scale, and the world is covered in clouds.

As Men and Dwarves, driven by their survival instinct, expand the bunkers network at a crazy pace, into what will become The Netherrealm Network, crowds of the most desperate beings (mostly mutant kin, but not exclusively) start to gather at the gates, in desperate hope to escape a frost and starvation.

The opinions between the cities and races are conflicted, in fear of demons, resource shortages and concerns over mutations, but after fierce debating the Angels' teachings win out - help as many as they can. They open the Network to the surface, favoring children and intact families first. Focusing on producing food and other essential goods, their supply lines are stretched to their limit as they prepare for the storm to come.

As the cold creeps deeper underground and the Dwarves dig deeper towards the mantle to escape it, the Humans begin to master the Firmament. All survivors of subterranean eruptions, awakening seemly at random, these Human Seismimagi learn how to channel moving earth and magma, creating small, controlled volcanic eruptions to warm the caves - and beyond. Against all common wisdom, they dare to build up, towards the surface, for the first time in generations.

After much fighting against demons, the combined forces of Humans, Dwarves, and elementals recruited from the Paraelemental Plane of Magma break through to the surface. Combining their techniques, they invent the Skytorch, a powerful generator that repels the fierce cold and provides warmth to the settlement. Welcoming as many refugees as possible of all races, they prepare a campaign to resettle the surface, even during the blizzard that never ends.

The response from the new races was mixed. Even from those that accepted the offer there was much resentment towards the humans and dwarves, who they felt had abandoned them to run and hide into the mountain. And many rejected the offer still, either having changed enough to be able to be able to embrace the cold, in the time before the light of the sun and that of the Fractured Moon had disappeared completely, or else they had found their own, new ways to survive.

>>>Build around the Skytorch, the city of Solaria starts to expand, its population growing rapidly thanks to the refugee intake. Internal politics celebrate it rhetorically as a bastion of tolerance and safety, but the truth is not so shiny, especially in the peripheral areas further away from the Skytorch

The Return of the Sun
END

DESCRIPTIONS
The Unrelenting Blizzard is just as harsh as it sounds: a global snowfall that may oscillate in intensity but never really stops. Men and dwarves are left alone to face it, as many Angels either left this broken world or depleted their essence in the attempt to save it, and the old wisdom (that could litterally influence the movement of the firmament) is already an almost lost secret. The only weapons left to mortals are perhaps their best: their ingenious mind and their desperate survival instinct; simply too stubborn to quietly fade away in the cold night.

The Netherrealm Network is the result of the Kingdom's efforts before the cataclysm - an advanced system of bunkers, tunnels, warehouses, steam-powered trains and underground fortifications connecting an ever-growing network of underground cities. Powered by Dwarven steam-powered geothermal taps, protected by angelic wards and fed largely by Human Moon Druids growing fungi and fish in vast caves, this superstructure allows millions to live relatively normal lives. Connected by layered near-vacuum tubes used to send messages in Morse Code and an emergency government formed by the leaders of each city and fort, this is the first attempt at a nation in the post-apocalyptic world. But it's no utopia either - waves of refugees threaten to overwhelm resources, earthquakes and eruptions are a constant threat, and rumors of demons, monsters and cultists in the deep threaten to undermine all they have built.

The Races of The world: it is said that three brothers were once picking up potatoes in the field, when a shooting star fell in it. The first brother went to explore where the star fell, the second one looked up to the sky, to see if more would fall, and the third one ignored everything and just tried to save the potatoes from the fire. The first brother gave birth to angel-kin, the second one to human race, and the third one to the dwarves. Legends aside, it is true that since the first angels came from outside of the world, mankind couldn't help casting their gaze towards the stars and their mysteries, understanding how the movement of the firmament influences life on earth and (to some extent) how to influence it back. Dwarves are (generally) more "down to earth" in a literal sense, more concentrated on the ground they live on and what it has to offer, and more interested in technology. There are exceptions, of course. Angels love both other races deeply, but they are somehow ethereal, they appear detached and difficult to understand; their own purpose and agenda is a mystery to most.

[Wasp]

Do we want to contiunue? (Sorry for the break)

[Captain Cap]

I admit I kind of lost focus on the game.

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

Yeah and its main themes were played out I think; want to call it and start something new? Or perhaps another MtG roleplay game?

[Wasp]

Yeah, maybe switching it up and doing another Magic The Gathering Game could fun (a past game can be checked out here: MTG5)

I'll create a new recruitment thread after the weekend.

[Chas Kramer]

Alright then.

Pity, I was liking the way it was evolving, but...you are right in that the main themes were covered.

It's been a pleasure playing with you. If you ever would do another world-building game like this, you can always count me in :D

[Kinro]

I'll chalk it up to bad timing. but yeah, this was fun. Lots of stuff I didn't expect, as usual.