Keep in mind: This is heavily under construction. Comments and critique encouraged, flaming will be met with the absolute fury of Maltese.
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The year? Nobody knows anymore, the old calendar has been removed long ago. Though some say it is the year 2,549 “Anno Dominiâ€, whatever that means... In any case, the year is year 147 of the New World. Though, to be honest, the counting only started from the founding of the Children of the Earth...
Well... In any case. Ah, yes. The destruction of the Old World, the Apocalypse, as those who lived the Old World called it. We prefer to think of it as a fresh start. Maybe this time, we will not do the mistakes that our ancestors did. One can only hope.
To be honest, nobody knows how it all started. I tell you, it was nature itself. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. All of them joined up to destroy humanity. Few people believe that it was humanity that directly caused its extinction, oddly enough... But I will be one to believe them. The cities are oddly whole, the ruins clearly not caused by a human hand.
But, whatever happened happened. And the world fell in chaos. People, afraid of what happened to them, started to keep to themselves, trusting more in their guns than their friends. Communications were destroyed, both with the destruction of most of what they called “Power Stationsâ€, and with the rise of magnetism brought about by the one asteroid. And so, everything returned to solitude. This went on for way too long, a life by the gun.
Until the Children came.
The Children, inspired by Old World literature, was founded in a small country that arose that fateful day. The faith quickly spread, though, unfortunately, the country was destroyed by a nearby colony of raiders. However, this did not stop the faith from spreading, and soon, it reached great distances.
The Children of the Earth believe that all the Earth, humans included, is one thing, and the actions of one determines their fortune. As such, it also came to another conclusion. The advances of humanity had made it what it was: Too powerful. And with power came arrogance, the thought that it could change the world to its will. And it was thus that it was almost destroyed. Beyond a point, thus, technology is a threat to us all.
And with the spread, came the destruction. Those who converted followed it up with the destruction of their weapons and other items, and others were forced, or gave in to the flow. While the beginnings were not exactly peaceful, the Children gave us a new hope, and who would rather hold on to a weapon than to hope itself?
In the end, however, the Children held back, allowing the use of technology, as long as it is approved by it. Most of the time, it is the weaponry that the Children do not approve of. But we are content with living a simple life, with a technology the Old Worlders would call "Renaissance", as long as we know it is what the teachings want, and what our punishment for transgressing these will be.
Still, the world is far from restored. Animals have supposedly become far fiercer and stronger than they were. Most guess it is an effect of the Destruction of the Old World, and the situation it left us in. Animals are few, but the few are strong. And even humanity has not regenerated yet. The Machinists are still present, those who defy the teachings, and continue to dabble in things perhaps bigger than themselves. And our countries are not safe. Countries, under both the machinist and Earthite banners, still arise by the sword (or gun), and cause trouble to the surrounding countries, being led by Warlords.
Even inside, things aren’t perfect. Already, petty issues have caused skirmishes between countries, but no wars have yet been fought. Maybe because there are still too little people...
In fact, armies are trained in a different way than one might imagine. One becomes a soldier like any other job, and is trained day and night in a specialized school called the “Academyâ€. It is an honourable thing to be a soldier, and respect is expected out of people. Sadly, ethics aren’t always what they are meant to be. Maybe our heads are in the clouds, but most of the times, ethical teachings aren’t followed by the letter.
In the end, though, it is hope. Democracy, as evidenced by our country, still exists in this world, though not every country yet holds it dear. The world is free of human grasp once more, but slowly we will get it in our hands again. Hopefully, this time, it will be a better world, thanks to the Children’s teachings. One can only hope.
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