In January 2405, Earth was a planet where men and women lived in peace. Mutual aid and harmony were the mantras of this prosperous civilisation. However, mass consumption and greed got the better of Humanity, slowly but surely those behaviors led to a breaking point. What once looked like a haven of peace quickly turned into ruins and desolation. Essential resources were becoming increasingly scarce, and climatic conditions were getting worse with each passing day .

Over the decades, advanced technology developed considerably, forcing technicians to tap further and further into Earth’s resources, specifically  alorinium. This highly coveted mineral was the cornerstone of Humankind technology, and just like every other rare and coveted resource, it was very expensive and at the center of many conflicts across the globe. More and more boreholes were being drilled, vast tracts of forest flattened in the name of  alorinium. Over the years, new companies emerged and tried their luck extracting this mineral. A vicious circle of destruction was in motion, humankind was spiraling out and kept going leaving no rock and mineral unturned until the consequences could no longer be ignored.

Summer of 2425, temperatures were at an all-time high and weather experts feared the worst, their predictions were nothing but grim forecasts. Both poles were dangerously shrinking, wildlife disappearing from the surface of the globe. Earth’s atmosphere became unbearable to live in, the air was getting thick and polluted, oppressive heat paired with high humidity levels on the surface made everything harsh on the body, the wind could scorch one’s skin. Despite the situation, the many boreholes dug deeper and deeper, and the amount of mineral extraction reached staggering records, but it was nothing compared to the number of lives sacrificed to reach this result.

The point of no return was reached in January 2426, the drilling sites reached their endpoints. A heavy thud resounded all over the planet, followed by a flow of molten magma rising and flowing to the surface. The earth’s core had been hit and its seal was breached. This attack on the earth’s core caused unprecedented and irreversible climatic disturbances.

It took only a few months to see the degradation of life on Earth. The weather became so erratic that the seasons completely vanished. Human beings were becoming individualistic and greedy, fighting each other for a piece of land that could still be farmed. Those were the dark times, the decline and final hours of humanity…

A wealthy and eccentric billionaire, who had inherited from his ancestors an agency specialized in space travel and expeditions, the  Space Ten Agency, decided to act, seeing that planet Earth didn’t have a leg to stand on. Being a keen astronomer and member of the space confederation, he remembered that a project for the survival of humanity had been launched in the 2000s: Project Zero. In all those years, only a few countries were involved and knew of such a project.  Project Zero had one goal: To find a hospitable planet ideal for emigration and to find the means of construction for the necessary transport ships.

Back to 2435, a few months after Project Zero’s launch, one of the Space Ten Agency’s monitoring screens began to flash, a space exploration probe made first contact with an unknown astral object. Y-11-4Rkh-05 had found something and feedback data was traveling its way back to the scientists.

After several years of data analysis, the reports showed that the planet was in every way comparable to Earth. At last, a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Humankind now invested with a renewed faith, named the newfound alien planet ‘Menulosk’.

Should the mission successful, the survivors would be named the Yllarkhos, honoring the probe that gave humanity its second wind.

After a year-long selection process based on volunteers, 100,000 young adults, randomly chosen (at least officially), were included in the  MY0S mission. It was not until July 2445, on a foggy morning, that the mission assigned shuttles started warming up their engines. Each person was placed in an individual capsule to be put into a deep sleeping state, only to be awakened once they reached Menulosk.

The countdown resounded throughout the land and the shuttles flew off into space on an epic journey. A three years long, and billions of kilometers journey to be precise. A few minutes after takeoff, only five points of light were visible in the sky. The MY0S mission was launched, carrying the hope of a civilisation on the verge of collapse.

One July morning of 2448, the majority of the shuttles entered the atmosphere of Menulosk. Only a few ships remained, a handful of survivors of this long intergalactic voyage had barely survived until now. The other ships had not been able to reach their destination and went MIA. The men and women aboard those lost shuttles were condemned to wander in space for eternity. They had given their lives for the mission, in vain.

The spacecraft schedule program began to wake up the survivors during the landing phase and after several hours of adjustment, the shuttle doors opened. The men and women rushed in to discover this new planet. The landscape was immaculate: untouched by war, no drilling sites, no pollution, or any kind of desecration. The air was so pure that most of the survivors felt their lungs inflating, like a burning sensation whenever they inhaled in this unaltered atmosphere. Vegetation was dense and diverse, every plant, every tree and flower looked otherworldly. Some of the survivors were trained botanisted, they were in total awe, mesmerized by the unknown flora. The water was clear and pure, scientists were already planning to conduct analyses and some explorers were already planning a route across this magical, almost enchanting place.

Other travelers could see that the wildlife lived in harmony and played a very specific role in this ecosystem. Given the context, they wondered whether there were animals that could be tamed and domesticated, perhaps they would be able to make them breed in order to feed themselves and survive. A few days later, the survivors gathered, motivated with a common desire: The desire to not repeat the same mistakes as they did back on Earth.

 Together, they would form a single, united and cohesive group, however after careful consideration amongst everyone, they decided to elect three leaders.

Each leader had their own conviction regarding which path would lead the people of Menulosk to prosperity . The first one placed his faith in Mother Gaia and wished to take advantage of the natural elements, the second one, particularly determined pictured robotics and weapons workshops, while the third one remained on the sidelines, questioning the turmoil of his emotions. The latter felt the presence of lost and battered souls, thus confirming that this star had some stories to tell, and that many living creatures had once lost their lives here…

Five years have passed on Menulosk and life seemed peaceful. The landscapes were gradually transformed, indicating humankind’s presence on the planet. This time, the atmosphere, the oceans and wildlife were preserved, they were still left untouched. Harmony reigned supreme, no tension, no rebellion seemed possible. A brand new human civilization was seeing the light of day.

Early March 2453, the inhabitants of Menulosk were awakened by the sound of a jet engine, similar to the MY0S shuttles. A mysterious ship had crashed not far from them, leaving a thick trail of fire in the sky. Questions quickly sprang up about it: was it a MY0S shuttle? Could it be the rest of the crew? One thing was certain..they wouldn’t have to wait for long to get answers.

As the men and women made their way towards the crash site, they noticed that the ship was radically different. They saw no similarity, no resemblance whatsoever to their MY0S ships, this one was evidently from elsewhere! Determined to come to their aid, the inhabitants approached to help them unsuspectingly. They were immediately cut off by the exit of the ship’s crew, the first contact with an alien species had just been made.

This mysterious crew slowly advanced step by step towards the humans, there were too many to count. They were in every way different from a human: taller, uglier, with a rough and rugged dry skin, sharp talons at the end of their limbs…

The three leaders, quickly informed of this alien arrival, decided to go and meet them to try and make contact with them, choosing kindness over animosity towards these people who seemed so devastated and lost. The first exchanges were calm and courteous, with the locals offering to share some of their resources with the aliens so that they could rebuild their lives before resuming their journey. But soon the atmosphere turned stormy. The generously shared resources were not enough for them, and human diplomacy gradually gave way to a warlike atmosphere. A war broke out!

Battles ensued, with many casualties on both sides. The invaders showed no mercy to human civilization, but the latter fought back with honor and resolve. They had survived a three-year journey into the depths of the universe and did not intend to give up their new civilization. As the aliens’ ranks fell, so did the humans.

September 2453, after 6 months of fierce battles, The unquestionable victory for the humans was evident. The threat from the outsiders had been eliminated. The toll was heavy and the war left some scars on the survivors. The leaders gathered and focused their efforts on fighter training by creating a militia, to protect themselves and be ready to fight back, should a new threat come to rise.

After several weeks of discussions and differences of opinion, the leaders agreed upon training and education programs to create and equip the fighting militia. This program announced four specializations:  Guardian, Phantom , Splitter and   Wise.

During the year 2454, military training and education around the four specializations were running at full capacity. The new fighters, experts in their discipline, took their new role to heart. Harmony returned among the humans and civilization as a whole felt safer.

Despite this, an atmosphere of conflict was in the air, fuelled by an increasingly prevalent discord between the three leaders. The Six Months’ War had left more scars than one might think, and what the leaders had in store for their people, their respective vision led to immovable disagreements.

The first leader was convinced that the future of civilization rested on Mother Gaïa’s Blessings, and argued that forces should be directed on the basis of these gifts. In return, Mother Gaia would offer strength and courage to her followers.

The second leader, who was less superstitious, insisted that technology would be their only hope for salvation. According to , more resources should be devoted to new technologies, artificial intelligence, machinery and weapon development. 

The third and final leader was completely different from his two counterparts. He advised them to abandon their ideas and to fully concentrate on the strength of the destroyed lives during the battles of Menulosk, and thus to call upon the damned souls who had lived there. 

Faced with so much discord and polarized opinions, a schism among the population occurred which is now referred to as the Great Split.

This split led to each leader taking with them part of the name of their common civilisation Yllarkhos, in honor of the first union of an entire civilisation, which they had managed to preserve for so many years.

The first leader decided to go to the western part of the planet, where he formed an elemental civilization, taking the first part of the name,  Yll: thus he founded the Ylldrasia  civilization.

The second settled over the entire central zone of the planet, where they devoted themselves to technological inventions. These people of science, taking the second part of the name,  Ark, became known as the Ark-IA .

The third retreated to the plains on ancestral quests for the wandering souls of Menulosk, taking with him the last part of the name,  Hos. This is how the Damnathos  civilization came to life.

[End of analysis of the fragment ù£ ]