Runner-Up

• Formation Of The Universe

13.8-13.9 Billion Years BTC

The world was created in a big bang event 13.8-13.9 billion years ago, resulting in the Autonolas universe.

• Homeworld Born

4.5 Billion Years BTC

Home world, the birthplace of humanity, was created 4.5 Billion years before The Collapse during the formation of

a solar system.

1015-833 BTC

Alter Orbis Discovered, Humans Leave The Home world, Creation Of Genetic Modifications, Home world Solar

System Completely Colonized.

• Alter Orbis Discovered

1015 BTC

While looking through the night sky, the planet Alter Orbis and its solar system are discovered by a space telescope

on the home world. Its existence is documented and Alter Orbis is given the name “Planet J8K29”.

• Humans Leave The Home world

917 BTC

Almost 1000 years before The Collapse humans first leave their home world planet, and begin their conquest of the galaxy by settling their home planet's moon and a nearby terrestrial planet soon after. This is not a time of peace however, and many stellar wars are fought between nations as resources are collected on asteroids and from other celestial bodies.

• Creation Of Genetic Modifications

894

Due to advances in practically every field of science, humanity's understanding of life reaches a state higher than ever before. Utilizing new technologies humanity can now edit its own genome and DNA. So far the technology and data available doesn’t allow for any drastic changes, however it does allow for the eradication of practically every

known genetic disease. 

An international law is put in place to prevent the change of anything in a human's body during development outside of diseases and other health reasons, as too many parents were changing their children's appearance, gender, etc drastically, oftentimes to the detriment of the child.

• Home world Solar System Completely Colonized

833 BTC

Humans have completely colonized their solar system, with settlements on every available planet and many moons as well. Around this time humanities population nearly doubles to around 19 Billion people, and for the first time in human history more people exist off of the home world than on it.

While the colonies are self-sustaining, this is entirely within their bases and constructions. As of yet terraforming technologies are not available, and thus although more people live off of the home world, only those on the home world

are able to walk outside and breathe their planet's air. This restricting lifestyle creates general unrest mentally

for many colonists.

To supply the Homeworld and Solar Colonies with enough energy, construction of a Dyson Swarm begins.

Materials extracted from several planets and asteroids are used to create an extremely large amount of reflective

satellites around the Homeworlds sun, in an effort to provide essentially unlimited energy to the solar system.

This colonization of the solar system would lead into a new age, one of the bloodiest in mankind's history;

the Age Of Unrest.

833-641 BTC

Dyson Swarm Completion, Founding Of Aubade, First Stellar War, First Stellar Nations Discovery Of FTL Travel, First Interstellar Colonies, Second Stellar War, First Interstellar Nations.

• Dyson Swarm Completed, Founding Of Aubade, And First Stellar War

775 BTC

Shortly before the Dyson Swarm is completed many planetary colonies revolt against their leaders on the Homeworld and declare independence, seeing as they are now self-sufficient enough to exist without the support of the Homeworld. This causes a myriad of revolutionary wars and an estimated billion people are killed in the fighting that follows.

The colonial worlds band together into the Solas Alliance, working together to fight against the Homeworlds nations. When it is clear to the Homeworld that they cannot succeed a truce is signed giving Solas Alliance members their independence.

Recognizing the weakness of having numerous political bodies on one planet, the Homeworlds nations combine into one single planetary country simply called the Democratic Peoples Of The Homeworld, though most just call it the Homeworld. This unification was not an entirely peaceful process.

The Dyson Swarm is shared between stellar nations, and is run by the company Aubade. Aubade quickly becomes the most profitable enterprise in human history, and acts almost as its own nation.

• Discovery Of FTL Travel, And First Interstellar Colonies

711 BTC

Faster Than Light technology was theorized and created by the Homeworld scientist Anatol Rolinski. This allows for spacecraft to move at unprecedented speeds across the galaxy. However, it still takes many weeks and sometimes months to reach other solar systems, as FTL travel is not instantaneous.

To supplement this, cryogenic sleep is researched and developed as well, to ease the process of interstellar travel.

Still angry over their defeat and loss of stellar colonies, the Homeworld keeps FTL engine details a tight secret as they begin colonizing planets in other solar systems. The other stellar nations are enraged by this, but there is little they can do.

• Second Stellar War, First Interstellar Nations

682-641 BTC

Eventually with the aid of their interstellar colonies, the Homeworld begins the Second Stellar War and begins reclaiming its lost Stellar colonies. This time the tables are turned, and the Homeworld eventually manages to retake the solar system. Almost three billion lives are lost in the fighting.

This victory was due to the fact that the previous members of the Solas Alliance were no longer allies, and in fact fought each other alone with the Homeworld. This infighting allowed the Homeworld to take over.

While most of the stellar nations are crushed, three manage to escape with millions of people to other solar systems many light years away. They had been provided FTL engine blueprints by Anatol Rolinski, who never supported the Homeworlds decision to keep FTL travel a secret.

Constructing massive colony ships, the stellar nations of Lumini, Chang’E and Selric manage to evacuate most of their population. There is some controversy over Selric’s evacuation however, as they only transported the rich and powerful.

The colony ships of Selric and Chang’E go on to found the first nations with no ties to the homeworld solar system. The colony ship of Lumini was never seen or heard from in over four hundred years however.

Aubade survives the Second Stellar War, and continues to provide the Homeworld and its colonies with energy. Despite many attempts to turn Aubade into a governmental company, Aubade remains privately run and outside of politics. 

Anatol Rolinski is protected by Aubade in one of their sun satellites, and quickly becomes a leading member of Aubade.

This separation of humanity ended the Age Of Unrest, and birthed one in which humans grew distant and alone; the Age Of Isolation.

641-463 BTC

Interstellar Enterprises, Discovery Of Alien Life, First Non-Human Races, Creation Of Cybernetics, First Planetary Fertilization Efforts, Reuniting Of Humanity, Further Interstellar Nations, First Interstellar War

​

• Interstellar Enterprises, Discovery Of Alien Life, And First Non-Human Race

622-543 BTC

Tired of their government being extremely corrupt and colonialist, Homeworlds politics are drastically changed by voters into something more democratic. Colonial efforts are no longer controlled by the government, and the first Interstellar Enterprises are formed; companies that settle alien worlds and solar systems for profit and resources.

Aubade quickly becomes the greatest of these Interstellar Enterprises, and the best to work for; it treats employees

and colonists fairly, and provides the best income. 

Meanwhile, the Chang’E colony is now fully set up and operational, with terraforming projects underway. One of Chang’E’s planets is discovered to have complex life underneath its icy oceans. Up until now only simple cellular organisms had ever been found in the universe, so this is seen as a revolutionary moment for Chang’E’s people. Unfortunately the Homeworld and Selric are not told this, as Chang’E remains in hiding out of fear of the Homeworld.

In Selric genetic modification is researched and developed to the extreme, as the nation is still afraid of an interstellar

war with the Homeworld and wish to develop advanced super soldiers. 

 

This develops into the creation of the first non-human race, the soldier race Calamitans. Shortly after a race of higher intellect are born, the “Nobles”.

Despite these genetic developments and their original population of rich individuals, Selric drops behind Homeworld and Chang’E in development, population, and economy. Its government grows corrupt, and oppresses its citizens greatly.

​​

• Creation Of Cybernetics

525 BTC

Not long after the first non-human races, Cybernetics are developed in the Homeworld. Within a few short decades, the entirety of the home world population has at least some basic cybernetics to allow easier technological interface.

​​

• First Planetary Fertilization Efforts

513 BTC

At this time the Homeworld first began to reshape planets so that they would be fit for human use, transforming the atmosphere into something breathable, reshaping the landscape, spreading wildlife, etc. 

However this endeavor was extremely, extremely slow and expensive, relying on massive machines and structures that had to be built upon the planet, and vast amounts of resources.

​​

• “Reuniting” Of Humanity, Even More Interstellar Nations

493-478 BTC

Homeworld and Chang’E discover each other when a colonial scouting ship of an Interstellar Enterprise found a Chang’E colony. At first relations are tense as both sides freak out over a possible interstellar war, however diplomacy prevails and peace is brokered between the nations. Travel between them is soon available, allowing both nations to discover and experience the wonders of the other. Cybernetics are shared with the Chang’E, while the Chang’E inform Homeworld of alien life. The two nations quickly become strong allies.

A fourth interstellar nation is born, when a Homeworld colony wishes for independence. The colony in question, Carradine, was already extremely far off from the Homeworld and practically ran itself, and hated the Interstellar Enterprise running the colony. Though initially uncompromising, the Homeworld eventually gives in and grants Carradine independence. It does increase benefits and care over its other colonies however, to deter more requests for independence.

Shortly after, Selric makes a re-appearance, though in far less peaceful terms. Selric notices the presence of a Homeworld colony, and prepares its armies for an invasion. After taking the colony, Selric discovers that not only are Homeworld, Chang’E, and Carradine all in an alliance, but that they are far superior to Selric militarily, economically, and colonially. Moreover they are far more politically stable, and many in Selric begin to envy those in the opposing nations.

Now terrified of their opponents, Selric attempts to restore peace and apologizes, but fails.

 

• First Interstellar War

478-463 BTC

From the beginning it was known that Selric would fail, and this is exactly what occurs. United, Homeworld, Chang’E, and Carradine all manage to defeat Selric.

During the war Selric suffers three separate revolutions, as its people try to free itself from their corrupt rulers. Millions defect to the opposing nations, and soon enough the Interstellar War isn’t just in defense of the attacked worlds, but for the freedom of those trapped in Selric rule.

The war was thankfully less bloodier than the previous Stellar wars, seeing as Sleric had a lower population. Only an estimated 300-400 million died. Still, that is a monstrous amount.

Selrics Calamitan soldiers were useful in the war it is true, but eventually even they turned against Selric, seeing as within its borders they were forced to become soldiers and nothing else In the other nations, they would have the freedom to become who they wanted.

Few of the Nobles defected however, and continued to lead Selric through the war torn times. The Nobles had always been portrayed by Selric as “Higher” than the common man, far more intelligent and useful, and yet during the war they could do nothing to stop the allied nations. This disillusioned many of Selrics citizens from the Noble propaganda Selric and previously created.

In the end, Selric lost. It kept its independence however, and its government was changed to allow its people more freedoms and rights.

The rest of the world was fascinated by Selrics biological developments however. The new races were something that the other nations had only dreamed of, and yet here they were, a reality. Combined with cybernetics, the creation of even more races would follow, leading into a new age; the Age Of Rebirth.

463-258 BTC

The Great Conception, Creation Of Ola, The Conquest Of Life, The Great Peace, The Stagnation Of Mankind, The Beginning Of Alter Orbis’s Fertilization

 

• The Great Conception

435 BTC- Onward

At the beginning of the Age Of Rebirth, a multitude of races were created in a very short amount of time. These races varied greatly, but all were derived from humanity and shared a resemblance to them. From then to now, no race has ever been found or created that has not been descended from humans. Even the Meks can be seen as human born, given that they were created by man.

These races had a fundamental impact on human society. Although it was made illegal to create and develop races meant for a specific purpose, they still had wide social impacts and unfortunately stereotypes. Each race had to have been approved by every government before being created, to prevent the creation of something terrible, miserable, or simply monstrous. Thankfully the technology required to create a new race was rare, incredibly expensive, and well protected by the governments of the world.

The races include: the Wout, the Chang’E, and Cyberhumans.

​

• The Creation Of Ola

421 BTC

While humanity had come far, with numerous races and advanced technology, however one issue continued to plague them; the fertilization of planets. Very very few of any planets discovered were safe to human life, and many were inhospitable. A planet could be terraformed and made habitable, turning its barren lifeless ground into a blooming paradise covered in forests, wildlife, etc, but this was incredibly expensive and slow. In fact the first planets that began undertaking the fertilization process in the Age Of Isolation had barely made a dent in their planet's reconstruction. Current technology was simply too slow.

The discovery of Ola changed all of this however. Ola allowed planets to be fertilized extrodrinarily quickly, though they were quite costly and required a large amount of energy. But still, they were far cheaper and faster than the alternative.

​

• The Conquest Of Life

419 BTC

From 419 BTC onward, the conquest of life spread across the solar systems humanity controlled. Life bloomed throughout space, as for the first time in many individuals lives they could walk outside and breathe fresh air, and enjoy the beauty of forests, weather, and nature. After all, only one planet, Homeworld, had all of these things before the Conquest Of Life, and yet only around 3% of humanity's population lived there.

Unsurprisingly there was a noticeable increase in happiness and artistic expression at this time, a pseudo-renaissance of sorts.

 

• The Great Peace

410-258 BTC

For over 150 years peace reigns over all human controlled lands. Industry, technology, and economy all flourish under this peace as more and more planets become colonized and fertilized.

​

• The Stagnation Of Mankind

400-258 BTC

In many great works of literature and philosophy, a common belief is held that times of peace are prosperous and inventive, with science, art, and culture unrestricted by the limitations of war and battle. This is not true. One need only look back upon mankind's history to see that it is war,  that brings forth times of great invention. This is for obvious reasons of course; the nation that could develop the best weaponry, supplies, and tactics would always win, and thus these three things were developed and created in earnest.

This is not to say revolutionary ideas and technologies were never created in peacetime of course; the many many races are a clear contradiction to this point. What is being said is that a nation's government and populace are much more willing to fund and support something (Such as newer technology) if it can stave off a clear and dangerous threat. During the Great Peace, such a threat was non-existent.

Moreover, entities such as businesses and corporations are often responsible for developments seeing as they face an always present threat, that being competitors and bankruptcy, but even then the Great Peace lacked such a source of progress. The reason for this was Aubade; over the centuries it continued to grow and grow, until eventually it held a monopoly over basically everything. Aubade became and acted almost like its own strange nation, in between and connecting all of the others. Without competition, and with extraordinary amounts of profit, they had no reason to develop new products or means of production. 

Because of this, developments of any kind in any field were slow and uncommon. While the Age Of Rebirth should be of course celebrated for its mighty achievement of peace and prosperity, it cannot be denied that, in terms of technological and social development, little changed during its nearly 200 year reign.

​

• The Beginning Of Alter Orbis’s Fertilization

274 BTC

As the interstellar nations continued to expand across the galaxy, spreading life and wealth, the planet J8K29 was finally reached by interstellar exploration efforts of Homeworld.

Due to J8K29’s wonderful location within its solar system, being directly at the center of its goldilocks zone, and J8K29’s physical make up, it was elected and approved by Homeworld officials to be properly fertilized using Ola and settled by colonists.

J8K29 would be unique amongst the hospitable worlds however. Because of Homeworlds excess wealth, and J8K29 being untainted by any outside forces, the planet would become one of beauty and relaxation; in essence, a resort spanning the entirety of a planet.

It was then that J8K29 received an official name; Alter Orbis, the shining paradise world.

An extraordinary amount of work and effort was put into the seeding of Alter Orbis, and the planet was on track to become completely and fully prepared at a record time. 

But Alter Orbis was left forever unfinished. To this day it is mostly wide swathes of desert and rugged terrain, a harsh yet hapîtable world. This is unsurprising, really; there's no time or point to creating a pleasure world during the greatest war ever known, especially when that world is located on the frontlines.

258-0 BTC

The Last Interstellar War, The Collapse

​

• The Last Interstellar War

258-0 BTC

Few survived the Last Interstellar War. The vast VAST majority of humanity was wiped out, leaving only a few billion spread out across the galaxy, alone and separated from one another. This may seem like a mighty sum, but when you consider the fact that at its hight humanity reached a population of nearly 150 Billion, across over 2000 different planets, one can see the effects of the Last Interstellar War.

The war began on June 17th, 258 BTC. Before this date, many noticed that numerous expedition and exploration vessels leaving Alter Orbis into the unclaimed darkness beyond rarely returned. This was unusual, as ships and vessels rarely ever disappeared without explanation. Many grew uneasy and curious, though it was of small concern at the time; most were too focused on other things, and a few ships disappearing at the edge of settled space wasn’t particularly worrying.

That is, until one ship, the Resilience, returned.

Battered and broken, its crew dead, the Resilience only returned via its auto-pilot’s emergency retreat back into explored space. Nearly crashing into Alter Orbis’s Space Station, the Beanstalk, its data stores and video feed were recovered with difficulty, as much was lost or damaged.

Within was found the last moments of Resilience's crew, and their encounter with a long forgotten and vengeful

force; Lumini.

That it was them was undistinguishable; their ships carried the blue and white colors of Lumini, emblazoned with a shining crescent. And yet they were so different from the rest of the interstellar nations. Their design and make up was bizarre, completely separate from anything Homeworld and its allies had developed, and more importantly, they seemed

to be more advanced. 

Their aggression, too, was clear. The Resilience had been attacked on sight, and brutally, the Lumini forces offered no chance to communicate at all, despite the Resilience’s attempts to do so. Moreover it would seem the Lumini ships were uninterested with capturing or detaining the Resilience in any way; their attacks suggested that they wanted the

Resilience destroyed completely before it could escape.

Mere hours after the Resilience returned to Homeworld space, the great calamity that would be known as the

Last Interstellar War would begin, and The Collapse would soon follow.

Lumini attacked unprovoked and quickly, immediately taking Alter Orbis and many other solar systems easily,

as the Allied Nations were unprepared and surprised.

The beginning of the Last Interstellar War was filled with immense panic and chaos; the Allied Nations had not fought a war in centuries, and their military forces were caught off guard and under supplied. Meanwhile, Lumini was organized

and vicious. For the first few years of the war, Lumini won the vast majority of battles and invasions.

Still, much of the Allied Worlds were unafraid. They believed the war would be fought similarly to the First Interstellar War; that much like before, they held the advantage in numbers and supplies, while the enemy was small and weak.

Although the war might be brutal, eventually it could be won.

They were wrong.

​

A Brief Intermission, To Explain Lumini History

For nearly four hundred years Lumini had been left alone, untouched by any outside opposition. And during that time, it flourished. Not from peace, but from war; to those in Lumini, the Second Stellar War had never ended. They had spent the entirety of their centuries alone in preparation, expanding their territory, producing weapons, ships, energy, and new technology, fueled by the fear that they could be slaughtered at any moment.

But as it has happened so many times across history, that fear turned into hate. A hatred that only continued to grow as time progressed.

Their society was organized under a spartan lifestyle and order, always ready for battle, always paranoid and spiteful. Everything was controlled by the Lumini’s Septarchy, and kept in peak efficiency. No time, resources, or energy was wasted on matters and objects deemed useless or pointless, as all efforts focused on arming Lumini’s  military.

Because of their constant warmongering and fear, Lumini as a democracy also began to weaken. In time, ideals such as human rights and representation were forgotten and left beyond; a person was nothing more than a piece within the great machine of Lumini, and if that piece became defective or unnecessary, it was removed and replaced. 

And in a way, this cold mental state was extremely beneficial from a practical point of view. Who cares about the individual, when the wider population is at stake? Why worry over a single piece of the puzzle, if it's so small the image can already be seen?

These beliefs, alongside their crippling paranoia, allowed Lumini to reach an unprecedented level of innovation and development. Within one hundred years Lumini was as strong as the then Homeworld, and by the year 258 BTC, the entirety of the Allied Nations.

But of course, Lumini’s population was still human. And humans are extremely difficult to control and order. Many resisted the cold and mechanical world they now lived in, having the foresight to see that they likely had nothing to fear, and as Lumini grew, the Septarchy found it increasingly difficult to govern. So the Septarchy, always monstrously practical and efficient, turned to means outside of human emotion to continue their rule.

And thus were born Lumini’s most powerful weapons, their means of controlling Lumini itself, and the greatest crime upon man in all of history; the Meks.

Meks are extremely high-tech automatons that can take a variety of forms and serve numerous purposes. In the days of the Last Interstellar War, when not paired with a human they usually resembled a drone-like machine, and would travel in large groups. Meks seem to have some kind of sentience, or at the very least extremely high quality coding. When in a group a Meks intelligence would “stack” with other Meks, effectively creating a sort of hive mind. A Meks intelligence and sentience level increases with the amount of Meks in a swarm. In general, it takes roughly 25-30 Meks to form anything close to a human mind. Meks are also very flexible, and can easily change their form to fit their environment. 

A Meks main function was to “bond” with a human individual, though subdue would be a more accurate term. Once bonded, the pair would form a “Humek”, a race resembling in some aspects a Cyberhuman. A Humek is extraordinarily easy to control and command via a communications link, and are well coordinated with any other Humeks or Meks within their hivemind.

Within a few years every human within Lumini’s population had become a Humek. This allowed the Septarchy to gain total, unwavering control of the entire population. 

To the Septarchy, a Humek hivemind was the perfect fighting force, the manifestation of what ideals and beliefs they held; working in complete unison, durable, strong, versatile, deadly, and obedient.

The Septarchy itself became a form of Humek as well; a Septon, a completely emotionless, pragmatic, and cold being, more metal than human, and wielding godlike powers and intellect. With this change, in a sense there was nothing “human” left in Lumini at all.

This is not to say all of Lumini became a Humek willingly. Many fought back or attempted to flee, but any resistance was crushed, and no escape attempts from Lumini bore fruit; the Septarchy refused to allow any sign of their existence reach the Allied Nations.

A few, a precious few, did survive Lumini’s enslavement though. Hiding in the vast tunnels and pipes of Lumini stations and colonies, they lived in secrecy, becoming a race of human flesh and scrap electronics; Ruste.

Now moving as one entity, Lumini’s scientific development and expansion exploded. Humeks have far less requirements than most races, needing only energy to survive. Lumini colonies often lacked any form of gravity or oxygen generation at all, along with sustenance and color. All a Humek needed to keep going was energy, something that was obviously bountiful for a society like Lumini.

The Septarchy also created many forms of Humek as well; some were well suited for spacial exploration, others strong and skilled at manual labor. All carried at least some effectiveness in combat however, and any Humek in a hivemind with a military Humek immediately gained all of their knowledge and experience.

The greatest of all the Humeks however, were the Executioners. Only a small handful existed at the start of the Last Interstellar War, and all went missing or were destroyed after it. Executioners wielded godlike strength, on par with the Septons, but entirely devoted to combat. Entire legions would often retreat immediately at the sight of an Executioner, fearing complete annihilation. 

And so Lumini became a force to be feared; Lumini may have had less numbers then the Allied Worlds, but only by a small margin, and their forces were far far more dangerous and powerful. Combined with their greater technology, which was easily gained through their shared efficient mind, the Last Interstellar War became the greatest, and most terrible, in humanities history.

​

• The Collapse

0

Little is known about the Last Interstellar War, or The Collapse, sadly. It was a chaotic time, in which hundreds of billions were massacred, and entire planets were left irradiated, charred, and in ruins.

What is known is this; no nations survived the Last Interstellar War. Both Lumini and the Allied Worlds were completely destroyed, with almost nothing left. Hundreds of billions died, and humanity as a whole seemed to have suffered a kind of reset; not completely mind you, humanity wasn’t just going to somehow forget everything they knew about technology and civilization, but a good deal nonetheless.

Most inhabitable planets were destroyed, one way or another. Some were covered in atomic weapons, drowning the planet in radiation and a nuclear winter. Others had most of their structures destroyed with gravitational weapons, and others still literally burst into flames as dyson swarms aimed the majority of a star's sunlight at the planet in question.

The Septons were destroyed, and without their guidance, most Meks entered into a strange, docile state, or became glitched and mad. The docile Meks roamed the planetary wastelands and in some cases space itself, completely mindless without any objective other than “stay alive”.

Glitched Meks went arguably insane, if they are capable of such a thing. Constantly changing and diversifying, Glitched Meks became creatures resembling in many ways actual life forms and animals, as evolution weeded out the weakest of their kind and allowed for only the strong to survive. This naturally caused Glitched Meks to resemble fauna in many ways, to the extent that most now believe they are simply a strange form of life.

Meks were also changed during the war. All Humeks and Meks are capable of taking energy from Ola, allowing a Mek/Humek not only to survive for a much longer period, but also to damage the enemy's terrain.

Any worlds still inhabited by the races underwent a sort of apocalyptic existence, one that lasted thousands of years. In that time, most forgot about their celestial past. Humanity forgot that it once ruled the stars, forgot their great legacy of conquest and expansion. Space stations layed cold and empty, dyson swarms collected monstrous amounts of energy no one would ever use, and the Homeworld faded into memory.

​

• The Fate Of Alter Orbis

Alter Orbis during the Last Interstellar War was located upon the frontlines, and thus suffered immensely throughout the war. Its positioning was ideal both for defense and offense, and who controlled the planet changed hands multiple times during the Last Interstellar War’s 258 year long period.

Because of this, Alter Orbis is now covered in ruins and wrecks of both Lumini and the Allied Nations. Moreover, every known race now inhabits Alter Orbis, though some more successfully than others. 

Alter Orbis in a way became the culmination of humanity; much of its greatest achievements and all of its peoples came to rest there, and Alter Orbis is humanity's greatest hope for revitalisation, and a return to the old ways of life.

But perhaps that isn’t a good thing, really. After all, the old ways of life ended in pain and suffering, with countless dead and untold suffering. The galaxy, or at least humanity's small corner of it, is full of ruins now. Ruins that show to all the folly of a bygone generation.

Maybe it would be better if the past remained forgotten.

While writing the timeline I became kind of distracted for a bit, coming up with a large multitude for races that inhabit Alter Orbis. Thankfully I didn’t get too distracted, I only made…9…jeez I go overboard too much…anyway yeah here is my take on the races of Alter Orbis!!!

​

• Humans

Population Percentage:

Max. Lifespan: 120 Years

Average Height: 1.6-1.7 Meters

Abilities: A Simple Down-To-Earth Human

Description: Look Down At Yourself Please. Wow, That's A Human! 

​

• Cyberhuman

Population Percentage:

Max. Lifespan: 70 Years

Average Height: Varies Widely Depending On Race And Cybernetics

Abilities: Varies Greatly, But Some Common Ones Are: Increased Senses, Strength, Speed, Interface With Technology, Etc. Many Cyberhumans Are Sterile

Description: Cyberhumans are a Humanity Race who have become more cybernetic then biological. Seeing as what cybernetics the individual has is up to them, Cyberhumans vary drastically from one another. Due to large amounts of genetic meddling they have a shorter lifespan however, and can only live up to 70-ish years.

Cyberhumans resemble Humans almost completely, and don’t stay very far from the Human form.

​

• Nobles

Population Percentage:

Max. Lifespan: 420 Years

Average Height: 2.3 Meters

Abilities: Ability To Think Multiple Thoughts At Once, Mild Telekinesis, But Weaker Body.

Description: Created by the Selrics centuries ago, Nobles were designed to be smarter than the average Human, and by a wide degree. They were once the rulers of all of Selric, hence their name, and have not forgotten this. Even though all Nobles from this time are long dead, due to a Nobles expanded lifespan all Noles are told stories about their great past. Indeed, Nobles remember the most about the old world, more than anyone else. Unfortunately much of the history passed down is wrong or changed, as Nobles think highly of themselves and look down upon the other races, seeing them as inferior.

Nobles resemble a tall human, with pale gray skin, long hair, and a beautiful appearance. Across their body in numerous places are feathers, such as the sides of the face, wirsts, spine, and covering the ears. They have two pupils in their eyes, and, for some reason, lack pinky fingers and toes.

 

• Calamitans

Population Percentage:

Max. Lifespan: 50 Years

Average Height: 1.6 Meters

Abilities: Increased Strength, Thick Skin, Duller Senses

Description: Born for the purpose of war and menial labor, most Calamitans on Alter Orbis have chosen a different path. Once freed from Selric servitude, most Calamitans found other means of work and living, a trend that has continued to this day. Gentle giants of the world, one might say.

A Calamitan is usually fairly short, with thick skin and strong muscles. They have brick red skin, no hair of any kind, small pupils, and four arms. They have an extra finger and toe.

​

• Wout

Population Percentage:

Max. Lifespan: 300 Years

Average Height: 1.5 Meters

Abilities: Do Not Differ From Humans At All, Really

Description: Wout vary the most from Humans, more than any other trace. Their origins are almost entirely unknown, as are the reasons for their existence. Even their name hints at this; Wout is believed to have derived from “What”, seeing as so many pondered over what they actually were meant to be.

A Wout is short, and somewhat stubby. They are hairless, have long sharp horns, pointed ears, and dark eyes. Most of the time a Wout is covered in cloth, and usually wear a dark brown mask with numerous holes in it.

 

• Chang’E

Population Percentage:

Max. Lifespan: 170 Years

Average Height: 1.9 Meters

Abilities: Stronger Bones And Muscles, Resistance To Higher Gravity (Not Very Useful On Alter Orbis Though)

Description: One of the first races, Chang’E thus resembles humans closely, with only a few key differences. These differences are largely based around an ability to withstand a higher amount of gravity, as the Chang’E homeworld was a super earth with very strong gravity.

A Chang’E has much stronger bones than a human and are somewhat bulkier, but not by much. No Chang’E need to wear glasses due to genetic modifications, and are very resistant to disease. 

​

• Golems

Population Percentage: 1%

Max. Lifespan: 3000 Years Exactly

Average Height: 2 Meters 

Abilities: Extremely Durable, Metal “Hide”, Somewhat Higher Intelligence, Higher Strength, But Slow Movement

Description: For most of Alter Orbis’s history Humeks have been mostly extinct, only regaining their numbers recently because of the Unifists. Those that survived the Last Interstellar War changed greatly; as their Mek side weakened, the human within them slowly began to return. 

These Humeks, widely known as Golems, are completely emotionless beings, however they do have higher intelligence and sentience then the average Humek. They are very small in number and are incapable of reproducing, though most leave Golems alone seeing as they are usually pacifists and extremely durable.

They resemble a Humek, only taller, stronger, and usually rusted/cracked from their age. While Golems can feed off of Ola, most prefer to instead use solar energy, seeing as it is more viable and plentiful.

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• Ruste

Population Percentage:

Max. Lifespan: 90 Years

Average Height: 1.5 Meters

Abilities: Technological Interface, Mostly Mechanical Limbs, Strengthened Lungs, Need Less Sustenance, Can Eat/Drink Highly Contaminated Sustenance/Water, Require Less Sleep, Much Weaker Body, Incapable Of Becoming Humeks, Increased Dark Vision, But Difficulty Seeing During The Day

Description: Born in the wet, cramped pipes and tunnels of the Lumini stations and colonies, Ruste are an extremely timid and fearful people. They unconditionally hate and avoid anything related to Meks, though most have forgotten why. They have a knack for climbing, and lack a fear of enclosed spaces. Most feel uncomfortable in the open, and in sunlight.

Sustenance was scarce in their birthplace, and the air was mostly contaminated with poisonous gasses. Because of this, Ruste needs less food and water, while also being able to stomach substances of low quality. Their lungs are strong, but this is a mostly useless benefit as they are two heavy to swim. Moreover, Ruste sleep lightly, as they were always on the move and in fear of being discovered. Because of their mechanical limbs and enhancements, they are incapable of becoming Humeks.

Ruste are usually pale or tan, with rust red/brown hair and eyes. Their arms and legs are replaced with mechanical counterparts; I say mechanical as they are not as high-tech as cybernetics, and rather rusted and heavy, and tend to break every once in a while. Some also have extra mechanical limbs sprouting from their back, or secondary arms from the same shoulder, but this is uncommon.

Ruste have their legs and arms carefully removed at birth, and replaced with their mechanical ones. These limbs are removed and replaced with larger and higher quality ones as the Ruste grows.

Ruste are a bit of a glass cannon in combat; thanks to their mechanical arms and legs they can pack quite a punch, but their body is weak, as are their limbs. It is not completely uncommon for a Rustes arm to break upon dealing a punch.

 

• Transistors

Population Percentage: Few Hundred

Max. Lifespan: Unknown, Most Likely Immortal

Average Height: 3 Meters

Abilities: High Intelligence, Completely Made Of Cybernetics, Strong Telekinesis, Can Control Technology, Do Not Need To Eat, Drink, Or Sleep

Description: Transistors are a fairly new race, surprisingly, though Alter Orbis folklore says that they have been around longer than most of the races. A Transistor is similar to a Cyberhuman in some aspects, but have much more advanced and powerful Cybernetics and are almost entirely machine. 

Transistors are kind of like the mages or necromancers of Alter Orbis, I suppose. They are “wizards” (I’m not sorry for that pun) with technology, understanding it better than anyone else. Indeed, it was they who first rediscovered the true purpose and ability of Meks.

Transistors control vast legions of Meks and Humeks, wielding much power in Alter Orbis. They usually inhabit strong fortresses, but have a preference for towers. Using their Mek servants, they usually exist independently from anyone else, collecting rare technology and researching new sciences. Transistors wield the best weapons in all of Alter Orbis, even more so than the Unifists. 

Transistors are mostly disliked by the wider population, as they usually kidnap individuals to use in experimentation and kill anyone who enters their territory. 

Transistors are tall, towering over almost every other race. Though they have a humanoid shape, their heads are usually replaced with a helmet of some kind. Transistors have at least four arms but can have up to eight, finding them useful during their research and studies. Each arm usually can reshape itself, providing a variety of different tools for the Transistor. Their voices are blurred and misshapen, emerging from speakers around the head.

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• Humek Abominations

Population Percentage: Almost Nothing, They Usually Exist In The Single Digits

Max. Lifespan: Unknown, Most Likely Immortal

Average Height: Varies Extremely, But Usually Very Very Tall

Abilities: Flexibility, Armed With Weapons, Strength, Speed, Heightened Senses, Extremely Durable And Hard Body, Basically A One Man Army. They All Have Crippling Insanity.

Description: Humek Abominations are amongst the greatest dangers in Alter Orbis. A Humek Abomination is very rare, and are only born every few decades. They are created when a Mek bonds with a Race, and something goes…wrong. What exactly this is is unknown, but it only occurs about 0.1% of the time. 

Humek Abominations are always in extreme pain, and are extremely aggressive. Their appearance is of a giant monstrous entity, usually some kind of metal deformed human. Their form drastically differs depending on the Abomination, and no two Abominations are alike. They are terribly difficult to kill, usually requiring a small army. They leave entire towns and settlements dead and destroyed, sometimes even major cities. They also constantly absorb Ola, even though they usually don’t need it, and thus leave anywhere they go as a dead wasteland. Unsurprisingly, they are seen as demons and monsters by the other races, and putting them out of their misery is a mercy.

Humek Abominations are generally agreed upon to be the most powerful entities in all of Alter Orbis.

Transistors have no control over them, but occasionally an alliance of some kind can be struck. These pairings are rare, but tremendously feared in the wasteland.

The Rings Of Orbis

Amongst the living worlds of mankind's bygone empire, Alter Orbis is fairly unique in many ways, the most obvious of which being its rings. Unusual for a small terrestrial planet, Alter Orbis’s rings are momentous in size, shining a beautiful iridescent white as they slowly arch around the world. 

How the rings appear varies depending on one's location. Seeing as the most stable location for rings in any planet is around their equator, in the center areas of Alter Orbis the rings appear incredibly thin, almost like a great beacon emerging far off in the distance, carving through the night until it crashes down in the opposite horizon. Because of this the rings are most difficult to spot here, and create the least amount of light.

Meanwhile in the poles, far far to the south and north, the rings can barely be seen. They appear as bumps along the horizon, as if far in the distance are great round mountains made of light.

But finally, in between these two regions in more temperate climates, the great rings of Alter Orbis assume their most glorious form. Here they are clear and distinct, gargantuan giants taking up vast amounts of the sky, and reflecting so much light that when the darkness of night falls it's as if nothing had ever changed. The people of these climates fear the dark above all others, for the great rings bathe them in ringlight constantly.

These rings are not just beautiful, but useful. There are specific shapes within Alter Orbis’s rings,and these shapes have predictable orbits, only appearing at certain times of day, and thus the rings function as one massive time keeping device. Anything like a clock is only useful in doors; outside, all one needs to tell the time is look up.

Even celestial wonders akin to solar eclipses occur within the rings. Every now and then, when the sun and earth are positioned just right, earth's shadow is cast upon the rings, creating a dark oval shape within them. These shadows happen regularly depending on the season, with around one Ring Shadow occurring in the middle of spring and fall, parallel to the summer and winter equinoxes. 

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Northern Wastes, Southern Tropics:

Because of Alter Orbis’s higher temperature, the northern and southern parts of the world are far warmer than they are on other planets. The south pole is so much warmer in fact, that it is the main center of rainforest and jungles in all of Alter Orbis. Its beaches are sandy and beautiful, covered in palm trees, and the ocean's waters are pleasantly cool. A tropical paradise, really. These tropics are where the Olas Tribe are mainly based, and are where most of their operations (Save aggressive actions against the Unifists) covertly take place. They hide within the trees and the forests, and despite Unifist attempts very few of their bases and settlements have ever been. Unifists even lack a basic map of the area.

The north differs drastically from the south however, and though it is mildly warmer than most worlds poles, the north is still covered in an icy layer of snow, frost, and ice. It is very monotone in color, and surprisingly low in population of…anything really, including the Unifists: the Northern Wastes never had much Ola to begin with, at least none easily reachable, and thus have been largely ignored. Many tribes and settlements do exist here though, and it is a somewhat more peaceful place. I will go over these groups in detail in the, well, groups part of this submission.

Interestingly due to Alter Orbis’s higher temperature, despite being in what should be antarctic climates, it isn’t incredibly cold. On average its weather is akin to that of Russias or Northern Canada; harsh, but not inhospitable.

Both the north and south share one thing in common however; both suffer from polar days and nights. Due to the rotation of Alter Orbis around the sun, the north and south poles are subject to extreme levels of day and night. Basically, the entire year for the north and south pole are one long day and night: it is CONSTANTLY day during the entire summer, the sun slowly moving across the sky as the year progresses, before it is CONSTANTLY night during the winter. In between this is a twilight period during Spring and Autumn. 

Each pole is opposite to each other in terms of then these long nights and days occur; when it is winter for the north it is summer for the south, and vice versa.

Because of these long nights and days, each pole is subject to extreme temperature and weather changes, along with environmental ones. In both regions life has evolved to spring into action during the summer, before falling into a deep slumber during the winter. Plantlife soaks up as much energy as possible during the summer, to sustain itself during the constant night of winter. Animals build dens to rest in and protect themselves from the cold, and store food and fat so they don’t starve.

But the night is not all desolate however. Extremely large bioluminescent fungi grows in the darkness, both in the south and north, and some forms of plant life only exist during this long night, as they subsist off of light from Alter Orbis’s rings and form Aurora Borealis in the north, and Aurora Australis in the south.

Some animals continue to exist too, prowling the shadows nocturnally, ambushing their prey. This is more common in the tropics however, seeing as the cold of the north is far more overpowering.

Culture wise this radical change in time takes much adjusting to get used to for humans and the other races. Sleeping can be especially difficult during the long summers, as is keeping a regular sleeping schedule during the night.

The Beanstalk

Long ago, back before The Collapse the Beanstalk was bustling with activity, the hub of Alter Orbis. It was a space elevator, transporting goods and resources from space down to the ground. Not much came up from Alter Orbis though.

After the apocalypse however, the Beanstalk grew dormant and quiet. Its elevator remained unused for centuries, its halls desolate and empty. All the while it remained functional however, its solar panels providing the elevator station with plenty of energy, allowing for the station's automatons to continue their work of cleaning and repairing the elevator.

And so the Beanstalk could be seen from thousands of miles, a great tower stretching far beyond the ground and into the dark of space, its lights always shining in the distance. Many thought it was a paradise, and several of the new faiths attributed the Beanstalk as the pathway to heaven, the road that all good souls take to enter the afterlife. More practical and knowledgeable people knew of its true use, and that it could very well house wondrous weaponry and technology, along with riches, food, maps, data, blueprints, and maybe more.

It should come as no surprise then that the Beanstalk was fought over relentlessly throughout the twilight eras of Alter Orbis’s existence. Countless factions, groups, and peoples land claim and warred over the Beanstalk, their names now having been forgotten and lost to time. None could hold the Beanstalk for long, as some challenger or opponent always appeared, trying to take it for themselves.

That is, until the Unifists were born.

The Unifists are peculiar in that they most resemble some kind of nation or company from the past world, in ways that no others had yet achieved. But this resemblance included military might.

They may not have had access to atomics or any of the planet destroying weapons of time past, but they did have vast legions and powerful armies, well equipped with uniforms and weaponry, disciplined and led by well learned generals and tacticians.

When they took the Beanstalk, they did something no others in Alter Orbis had achieved since the time of Lumini and the Allied Nations; they kept it. Any who tried to take it from them were completely crushed, and eventually no attempts were made again, as the people of Alter Orbis learned to fear the Beanstalk's shining glory.

But for all the Unifists achievements, the inner sanctums of the Beanstalk remained closed to them. For whatever reason the entrance to the Beanstalks elevator was closed off and inaccessible, and thus none of the Unifists could reach the Beanstalks space station far above the ground. This fact continues to enrage the Unifists, as although the Beanstalks ground station is well armed, defended, and supplied, its space station is three times as large and likely carries far more useful equipment and weaponry, along with data and maps of all the world.

Moreover it is believed that the Beanstalks space station is the last location in all of Alter Orbis with any form of spacecraft; all others were destroyed long ago, and their blueprints lost. If the Unifists could reach the top of the Beanstalk, they would obtain completely unrivaled control over Alter Orbis’s spacial regions, and this alone would likely allow them to completely dominate Alter Orbis, unopposed and incapable of being defeated.

But though they are powerful, the Unifists are not wise, blinded by the here and now, ignoring the future or what could be. They have no interests in any of the spacecrafts, not realizing their potential, and are instead focused on the Beanstalks maps. Being so high up it is capable of observing most of Alter Orbis, and it contains within its data stores the plans for the fertilization of Alter Orbis. With these plans and maps, the Unifists could pinpoint every location of high Ola content in Alter Orbis, allowing them to gain an incredible amount of energy, killing Alter Orbis off even faster.

And so, although warring against the Olas Tribe appears to be their main endeavor, in actuality opening the Beanstalks inner doors are their true goal. But as of yet nothing has been achieved; in order to support the space station and the elevator itself the Beanstalks construction is mostly indestructible, and the Unifists haven’t even made a dent in the doors barring the Unifists from the Beanstalks elevator.

Recently the Unifists have been trying a far more dangerous approach; sending experienced climbers up the Beanstalks tower itself, in the hopes of eventually reaching the top and opening the elevator doors from above. But the climb is monstrously dangerous due to powerful winds, freezing temperatures, and low oxygen content. Eventually climbers would reach space, and be incapable of breathing entirely, and though climbing would grow easier there, the threat of drifting off into space or falling back down is still present.

As of yet none have been successful in reaching the Beanstalks top. And the Unifists rarely get to attempt the climb as well, since in order for their climbers to survive they must be equipped with valuable space suits and rebreathers, and when the climbers fall back down to Alter Orbis their bodies are either burnt to a crisp upon re-entering orbit, or smashed to pieces on the ground.

Either way, the Beanstalk has become the main base of all Unifist operations, their impenetrable stronghold.

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Hiemal Town

Located in the far north, Hiemal Town is a sizable settlement of dark buildings, nestled in the frigid cold. Population wise it's not very large, with only around ten thousand people calling it home, but it is still more than most places in Alter Orbis.

Heimal Town is unique in that it was built out of the fallen corpse of a space station that fell down to Alter Orbis long ago. Thus the town's buildings are made mostly out of metal and electronics, however most people live within the old space station itself, clinging together for warmth. 

Given its origins and resources, Heimal Town has attracted many technically savvy individuals from across the north. Because of this, Heimal Town has access to some of the best technology in the world and has quickly grown to a powerful city state. Heimal Town's Meks are far more advanced and useful then anywhere else, and the town has armed itself with powerful old and new technology.

How Heimal Town acquires energy with such low amounts of Ola around it is quite interesting; within the crashed space station, Heimal’s inhabitants discovered a mostly intact fusion reactor that they were able to repair. The fusion reactor on its own was fairly useless, if not dangerous, however when provided with the right amount and type of fuel it creates more than enough energy to power all of Heimal Town and beyond. And this right type of fuel just so happens to be so ridiculously common to Heimal Town that it's seen as useless; fusion reactors use hydrogen to create energy, and snow just so happens to have plenty of water in it. So, in effect, Heimal Town has unlimited energy and no need for the Unifists in any way.

This fusion reactor is kept secret however, seeing as the Unifists would likely perceive it as a threat to their commercial interests of Ola. This secret is guarded well, and thus the Unifists largely ignore Heimal Town, seeing as its region is low in Ola and the Unifists have their own weapons and technology at hand.

The Olas Tribe has attempted to recruit Heimal Town into their offensive against the Unifists, but nothing has come of this as of yet, seeing as Heimal Town is far away and prefers to keep to itself.

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Dust

A small settlement, Dust is located near the equator, in the dusty and dangerous deserts of Alter Orbis. Surrounded by massive thick stone walls, eight meters tall and five thick, Dust has managed to keep itself safe from the outside world for decades, whether it be from the Unifists, invaders, beasts, or a storm.

Dust itself is a poor town, its buildings made of weathered wood and metal, barely clinging to life. The entire town is built around a large well, one of the few sources of water throughout the deserts. For food Dust relies mostly on various kinds of fruit grown from Sweet Vines, which are an old world crop genetically modified to create as much fruit as possible with the least amount of water necessary. The fruit is colorful and sweet, and provides plenty of nutrients for Dust to sustain itself on.

For meat, inhabitants must look outside their protective walls, and hunt any game they can find in the area. However, given the desert's harsh environment, most animals are quite dangerous and best to be avoided. An example of this would be the creatures referred to as Vultures; giant flying beasts that can easily pull a man off the ground and carry them back to its nest. 

Dust's main form of income is out of trade. It is located not only around one of the few wells in the desert, but atop the most commonly used road as well. Traders, caravans, and travelers commonly stop at Dust to restock on supplies and water, as well as to rest within the safety of its walls.

Dust is also well known for its weapons industry. Not as high tech or powerful as anything from Heimal Town or used by the Unifists, but where Dust lacks quality, it makes up for quantity; mountains of bullets, firearms, energy cores, explosives, and more. All of it is either gathered through trade or from excavation efforts of nearby ruins.

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Soggy Sands

Soggy Sands is the smallest settlement on this list, and is basically unheard of anywhere a few miles from it. The reason I have included it on this list is to showcase what a basic small village is in Alter Orbis.

With a population of only a few hundred, Soggy Sands was built on the shores of a large freshwater lake, using the lake as a source of drinking water and sustenance. Most of Soggy Sands residents are fishermen, spending all day out of the calm waters catching what they can to feed their families. There are a few farmers though, tending to fields of crops such as Netherstalk and Sandoats.

Due to Soggy Sands small size it is almost entirely ignored by most groups, although they fear the Unifists greatly as they have heard many stories of Unifists destroying and ransacking settlements that oppose their rule, transforming the inhabitants into Humeks.

As of late Soggy Sands has had a raider problem though, with a small band of thieves regularly trying to steal their food and supplies. No one has been harmed yet, but the thieves have been growing increasingly daring…