2000 YEARS AGO
On Gamilon, the fire-worshipping religion of Kabriil Minoxas Gamilaa took hold. Clan warfare raged across the grassy plains. For the next two millennia, feudalism and barbarism alternated on the planet.
On Earth, the Christian religion began to spread.
On New Bolar, a vigorous young feudal culture arose.
300 YEARS AGO/AD 1900
THE AGE OF REDISCOVERY
Steam technology lead an Industrial Revolution on New Bolar.
After a series of strong seismic events, a perfectly-preserved ancient city was discovered by the seaside on Iscandar. The discoverer of the city was a young woman named Starsha. Within the city, Starsha found a great disembodied intelligence that claimed to be the Spirit of Iscandar. Starsha willingly offered to join herself with the Spirit, which accepted. Instantly, Starsha was transformed into the living embodiment of the ancient collective intelligence of the planet itself. At her command, the ancient city rose from the sea bed, gleaming and crystalline. From the city, named Mother Town, Starsha began a peaceful revolution that once again awakened the curiosity and creative spirit of the Iscandarian people. Soon, a full-scale renaissance began, and in time more and more of the Ancients’ fantastic technology was revealed. The cities of Iscandar flourished as knowledge once again spread across the planet. Starsha, now immensely wise, was crowned Queen Starsha I by a worshipping populace. Space travel began again as Iscandarium and Wave-Motion technology was rediscovered. Exploratory probes were sent to many solar systems, including that of Earth.
On Gamilon, Clan Desslar began consolidating the other clans into one centralized culture, based on the two recently-discovered Galman Codexes. Clan Talan swore eternal fealty to Clan Desslar.
On Telezart, a woman named Trelaina discovered the Heart of Telezart, and joined her spirit to it in order to gain its wisdom and power.
Telezart
AD 1923
Queen Starsha gave birth to a daughter named Sasha.
AD 1924
Sasha reached adulthood. As a side-effect of her mother’s power, Sasha, too was one with the life-energy of the planet.
AD 1950
On Iscandar, the House of Starsha united all of Iscandar under one government. Technology reached pre-collapse levels. Genetic research began. The final secrets of the Ancients began to be revealed. The Cosmo DNA was discovered beneath the central tower. Sasha had a daughter named Astra, who also matured in one year.
An Iscandarian space probe was captured by the forces of Clan Desslar. Desslar technicians began reverse-engineering its fantastic technology. Using this new knowledge to their advantage, the Desslar Clan led a rebellion against the planetwide religious dictatorship. A century of Gamilon Holy Wars began, wars which would lead the Gamilon people from swords and axes to nuclear bombs.
On Shalbart, the Vaults of Yesterday were discovered. Study of the Ancients and their technology began.
On Dezarium, an exploratory party reached the central core of the artificial planet and discovered the Crystal City. The Spirit of Dezarium possessed the leader of the expedition, a man named Skaldart, and drove him to conquer the world in a few years’ time. Under Leader Skaldart, an Industrial Revolution began.
Bolar scientists developed an original space drive based upon artificially-created black holes. Soon, a Bolar Federation began to gather the scattered worlds of the Galactic Core into a single political entity.
AD 2000
World War III all but destroys Earth civilization. A painful recovery begins.
On Iscandar, Queen Starsha I dies. Sasha I assumes the Crystal Throne.
The House of Lugal Dezahl discovers the ancient Lugal Space Fortress on Denguil. An Industrial Revolution began as its neutrino-based technologies were deciphered.
AD 2001
Starsha II born to Queen Sasha I.
AD 2020
The Gamilon Holy Wars ended, and a Hegemony War began between the Holy Gamilon Army and the Clans.
Desslar, leader of Clan Desslar attacked and, with the aid of Clan Talan, defeated the Holy Gamilon Army. Seeking to consolidate his power, he declared himself Emperor, but was assassinated by religious fanatics. To prevent more civil war, his ten-year-old son Desslar II declared his alliance with the Holy Army and created a joint government with them. In return for their support, Desslar II proclaimed his devotion to the dogma of the Holy Church (including its prophesies). The first Gamilon spacefleets were launched.
AD 2025
Gamilum and the Gamilum-based “Desslar” drive were discovered, named for the new leader. The first Gamilon space probes visited Earth. Gamilon probes reached Beemera, Balan, Berth, and other worlds. Desslar III was born and named successor to the leadership of Clan Desslar.
AD 2033
Gamilon began a period of violent seismic activity. The outer crust became dangerously unstable. The inner crust was quickly colonized despite its unsuitable climate. The first Hanging Cities were built. The upheavals created panic among the populace, and the Church used this as an excuse to whip the people into a frenzy. The belief in the coming end of the world began to spread, and soon most Gamilons were convinced that their world was to be destroyed by the Army of the Dark Star, as foretold in ancient prophesies.
AD 2040
Gamilon’s seismic activity worsened. The High Priests announced that the prophesies were being fulfilled and that Gamilon would be destroyed if the Dark Star was not rendered lifeless. Capitalizing on chaos, Desslar II agreed to support the Church’s pronouncements if the High Priests would anoint him King. They agreed, and the Holy Kingdom of Gamilon was created. Desslar was crowned, and, as his first official act, he declared a Holy War on the Dark Star, a small planet on the fringe of the Sky Spiral known to its inhabitants as Earth.
Beemera
Royal Gamilon forces attacked and occupied the planet Balan. A major logistics base, including an orbiting artificial sun, was constructed. In protest, Iscandar established an impenetrable barrier around itself and broke all ties to Gamilon. Shocked by this withdrawal by the inhabitants of the Holy Planet, the High Priests ordered the acceleration of the Dark Star War.
Royal Gamilon forces also occupied Beemera.
AD 2041
Royal Gamilon forces began occupation of Earth’s Solar System. An advance base on Pluto was built. Other bases on Titan and in Jupiter’s cloud belts were established. Probes sent from Earth were destroyed. Alarmed at the activity on the frontier of the Solar System, Earth began full-scale research into space travel.
THE FIRST SPACE WAR
In a surprise attack, missiles from Pluto base smashed Earth’s space installations. No declaration of war or other contact between Gamilon and Earth was made. Earth’s spacelift capability was destroyed. Gamilon ground forces occupied Titan and all planetary bodies outside Mars’ orbit. Human populations were ruthlessly exterminated. Asteroid bombardments reduced Earth’s civilization to late 20th Century levels.
On Gamilon, King Desslar II announced the “defeat” of the Dark Star. Gamilon abandoned its bases in the Solar System.
AD 2045
Hardliners took over Earth’s United Nations, establishing a worldwide military dictatorship. All of Earth was militarized. Alexander Wildstar moved his family to Great Island, Okinawa, and took work in the new shipyards there. A 50-year struggle to rebuild the planet began.
On Gamilon, Desslar II died, and Desslar III ascended to the throne. Gamilon began a hundred-year program of empire-building.
AD 2069
On Earth, spaceflight resumed.
AD 2075
On Earth, the Underground City Program began. Earth scientists discovered abandoned Gamilon technology on Titan. Using this new technology, Earth rebuilt its shattered cities and spacefleets, and soon a strong Earth Defense Force was in place. Earth fortified the Moon and Mars.
On Iscandar, Queen Sasha I died. Astra became the new Queen.