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"And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and [[ye shall be as gods]], knowing good and evil." - [[Genesis]] 3: 4-5 (KJV)

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Half a million years ago, [[human]]ity learned the secret of fire. Setting themselves apart from the animals that surrounded them, mankind took its first step out from under the oppressive thumb of Nature.

Seventy thousand years ago, humanity learned to speak. Though they were able to communicate before, no longer were they limited to nasal grunts and clicks of the tongue. From Africa, they conquered the [[Earth]].

Twelve thousand years ago, humanity learned to harvest. Where once there were thousands, in time, there would be billions.

Six thousand years ago, humanity learned to write. Where once the knowledge of previous generations had to be endlessly repeated, it could now be seen for all eternity.

Not so many decades past, humanity unlocked the power within the atom. For good, and for ill, even the most ignorant amongst the masses could not help but respect the smallest of things.

In the dawning decades of the [[21st century]], humanity laid bare the secrets of aging, and Science found for mankind the [[Fountain of Youth]].  The secrets of [[fusion]] were finally unlocked, and the first artificial [[sapience]]s were created.

During the [[22nd century]], humanity began to leave [[Earth]], and conquered the [[Solar System]].  [[Mars]] was [[terraform]]ed, the process begun for [[Venus]] and the Jovian moons.  Probes visited nearby [[star]]s, and [[mission]]s were launched to colonize those [[terrestrial]] worlds found orbiting them.

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The developments of the [[23rd century]] are difficult to so curtly summarize. [[Tachyon]]s and new, [[exotic]] forms of matter were discovered, enabling [[mankind]] in ways only theorized before.

But some things went beyond theory.

During their unceasing quest to conquer the [[light barrier]], humanity cheated. The [[mobius pattern]]s seemed to defy the second law of thermodynamics, offering no explanation for their capabilities. Most were small, and fragile, but they were something else.

They were life.

It was decades before humans became aware of just what they had done. Before their intervention, the [[multiverse]]s... [[megaverse]]s... whatever, were happily colliding away, self-immolating, only to be reborn anew, with no such thing as a memory of their previous state.

But then humans brought a piece of this immolation, this rebirth, into their own realm, and began to bend it to their will.

This delicate flicker threatened to become an inferno that would sweep the [[Galaxy]], and beyond, in a massive storm.

Such presumption of divinity did not go unnoticed in the infinite expanse.  Forces numerous, ancient and mighty arrayed themselves against the nascent power, seeking to end the people of [[Sol]] and claim humanity's unique discoveries for their own.

Though their [[sun]] no longer adds its light to the [[Milky Way]], many humans have survived the [[Purge]], scattering across the Galaxy in a great [[diaspora]].

Millennia later, though there are many ashes, some glowing embers of the human spirit remain.

Time passes, and even the seemingly immortal descendants of humanity flow from one generation to the next.  Wars are forgotten, records are lost, people - and their species - change.

In the Void, a few remember, and continue the ancient search for their dark star.  Should they find it, and lift the shroud that surrounds it, Sol's light will grace the [[Universe]] once more.

Should this happen, the embers will once more alight in flames, and none are so certain that the [[Solar Storms]] can be stopped a second time.

There are others who remember.

== The Game ==
[http://ss.anenris.com Solar Storms] is a science-fantasy setting and role-playing game, with largely [[transhuman]] and [[gnostic]] elements, using a custom role-playing system that I plan to design in the near future.

I hope you enjoy your time here.

It's been nearly two years since I began this project, and I think I have the shell ready.  What I need now is criticism, so, if that's your thing, please contact me ([[Xeriar]]), through the forums or other means, and fire away.  The [[Solar Storms Overview|Overview]] is a good place to start, it functions as a less structured timeline (which isn't complete).  See [[Solar Storms Questions|Questions]] for a list of answers to common game questions.  Right now, though, this is a setting, so I'm focusing on fleshing that out first.

{{SS}}