This month we continue to investigate the history
of all the worlds in the galaxy, as envisioned by the collective
minds of "The Iscandar Project."
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.
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Telezart |
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.
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
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Beemera
|
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.
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.
CONTINUED...
