THE CATACLYSM

The meteor shower of 1942 is the beginning of a new ice age. After that, and for the next three or four years, there are many continuous earthquakes, tsunamis and huge snow storms all along the continent, formed in an unpredictable and abrupt way. Storms and low temperatures bury the continent under a huge layer of snow and ice. So begins the new ice age. After this time of climate change follows a period of stability that lasts at least until 1971, although the weather is characterized by very low temperatures and strong storms.

THE FULGOR

The multiple impacts of the meteor shower lead to a big glaciation, and the later impacts endanger those who survive the cataclysm. In the struggle for survival, they find a warm and shiny substance inside every rock fragment that fell. Over the years after the meteor shower, various human factions investigate its properties and potential uses for survival. Years later, it has become the base of human life, and everyone calls it by the same name: Fulgor.

There are people that develop certain mental skills after ingesting Fulgor, known as Sensitives. This has only happened to people from Scavenger villages and inhabitants of the Free Cities, because the Wintersöhne and Kaphirites consume Fulgor in a different way. Most of the Sensitives end up living in Delphos, where they learn how to manage their mental skills.

THE WAR

While the Wintersöhne army counts on great technical advances and a large army, the Kaphirites are tireless and resist the cold, and also have a large number of Sensitives in their ranks. That makes both factions, feeling threatened by each other, start a fight for conquest each other’s territory and destroy their army.

In recent years, temperatures have inexorably decreased, storms have become more frequent, and the few resources have become even more difficult to find. Finally in 1971, a large scale conflict starts: while Kaphirites have dramatically increased their raids in search of prisoners, the Wintersöhne army (helped by scavenger mercenaries from Thebes) starts the siege of Nova and manages to enter in some of its facilities, focusing their attack in the laboratory.

THE SALVATION

The two competitors in the scientific development are the Wintersöhne and the Free City of Nova. Wintersöhne’s Fulgor refining allows human consumption with no risk. But beyond minimal survival, its development focuses exclusively on military development. As for the Nova rebels, their investigations are focused on different objectives. Those have an application in warfare, but they are more focused in improving the quality of human life and studying the possibility of repopulating the earth with wildlife and vegetation.

The project which leads this line of research is known as Project Helios, entirely under Dr. Blythe’s control. She seems to be obtaining very interesting results in in-vitro creation, and artificial care of plants. The rebels are convinced that, if they succeed, it could be the key to the salvation of humanity.

Wintersöhne

In 1942, after the meteor shower, the remains of the WWII armies and the intelligence services maintain their military hierarchy, uniting to survive, and creating a new society in the Western area of the continent. They call themselves Wintersöhne, or sons of the winter.
When they find the Fulgor, it brings them a huge power. They restart some vehicles, manufacture weapons with a semi-industrialized process, and the lack of food is not big problem anymore. So they start to spread their territory, either conquering or slaughtering adjacent areas.

Kaphirites

In the North, some villages manage to survive to the meteor shower and the storms. The Fulgor is taken as a divine sign. They find out that huge amounts of it may lead to two ends: A painful and irremediable death, or a transformation into a malleable person. So the Kaphirite Cult begins, expanding their territory, either destroying their enemies or converting them to their cause.

Scavengers

All small societies formed in the centre of the continent are known as Scavengers. They live in the area known as No-Man’s Land. They don’t share any rules, behaviour or management of resources. While some of them are nomads, mercenaries or Fulgor collectors, others settle in villages, or hide and try to survive in a precarious way. Three of this societies grow, being known as the Free Cities:
- Thebes, the city of the mercenaries.
- Nova, the most technically advanced city, home of the Rebel Militia.
- Delphos, a place for those who develop mental abilities by consuming Fulgor.