An Alternate Future
How different would the future be if the past was changed? Very different in this case with a world of Magic users and immortals. How will the Council take this alternative version of Earth that takes no shit and can easily run rings around virtually every race in Council Space.
Alright, this is my first attempt at an alternate first contact story. Its not really a crossover, although it will have elements of it. I should warn you fine readers that this story is moving away from science and more into fantasy with some of the concepts, at least to begin with. This first chapter is meant to set the scean and provide an insight into the alternate earth and its inhabitants. Enjoy!
History of Earth
Our story begins on the planet Earth. Although it looks very similar to the one that we know, that is only on the surface for you see, this is an alternate world. This version of Earth is inhabited by beings usually only found in fantasy novels, from the elves of the woods to the dwarves beneath the mountains and magic was commonplace. What is it that caused such a radical split from the world we know? The answer is external.
A being of immense power, wisdom and age came to a newly formed Earth and, for reasons unknown, began to shape the planet according to its desires. The being, known as Deus, took the young earth and began to shape it, transforming the still red hot ball of rock into a diverse paradise, with tundra, deserts, forests, plains, mountains and great oceans. Once he was happy with how the world looked, Deus turned his attention to populating the planet. First, he created the animals, big, small, winged, furred and scaled, before moving on to the intelligent races, Elves, Dwarves, Dragons, Beastkin, Humans, Goblins, Orcs and all of the other races you'd expect from a decent fantasy world. Then, he left, leaving behind the following words:
"My children, those to whom I gave life and form, I have done all I can for you. Now it is up to you to grow and find your place in the world. One day, you two shall walk among the stars and it is my hope that you shall right the wrongs my Kin have committed with their creations."
The next few millennia was filled with conflict like one would expect from a fantasy story, with Dark Lords, heroes, prophecies and more wars than you can shake a stick at, but at the end of it all three races had clawed their way to the top of the food chain, becoming the dominant superpowers in the world and bringing an uneasy peace to the world. The three superpowers were the Elven Republic in the north, the Kingdom of Humanity in the west and the Beastkin Empire in the east.
The Elves favored diplomacy to war and conflict and their republic was a center of culture, beauty and magic. Powerful, elegant, long lived and wise, the elves lead through wisdom and democracy, headed by a counsel of the oldest and wisest amongst their kind. However, their long lifespans have resulted in them looking down on the shorter lived races as children and a certain amount of stagnation within the Republic due to a case of racial Prosophobia.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Kingdom of Humanity. Humans tend to avoid conflict altogether, preferring to focus their efforts on scientific advancement. The race is short lived and is among the weakest of the Races that inhabit Earth, with little to no magical talents, however they more than make up for it with their intelligence, cunning and ingenuity. When forced into war, they roll out their technologically advanced war machines. The humans put a lot of emphasis on chivalry and honour and are ruled by a constitutional monarchy.
Due to the Beastkins more instinctual nature, they were the last to band together into a superpower, however that does not make them any weaker than their counterparts. Originally split into hundreds of clans and tribes wandering the vast content that makes up their home, the Beastkin are a physically strong race with highly advanced senses and a natural immunity to magic. For many years they were locked into a constant cycle of civil war and uneasy peace, before one clan rose above the others and began to conquer the others, bringing them under one banner and ushering in a new age for the Beastkin. Now they have a feudal system, with large areas of land ruled over by the nobility, all swearing allegiance to the Emperor. Due to their past and their natural gifts, the Beastkin make incredible warriors, while still having a rich culture. Their homeland is also extremely rich in resources that were highly sort after by the Empire and Republic.
For centuries the three nations lived together in an uneasy peace, with the occasional squabble over land or resources breaking out, that is until a great threat emerged. To this day no one is sure exactly where it came from, but the entity known simply as the Leviathan emerged from the depths of the oceans and began attempting to take control of the planet. Its first conquest was over the Orcs, transforming the formerly peaceful race of farmers into a horde of bloodthirsty killers that swept over the Kingdom of Humanity, claiming many lives and forcing the army's back, despite their technological advantage held by the Kingdom. At first the other Lands simply watched, intending to step in at the last minute and claim Humanity's land and technology for themselves, only for them to come under attack as the Leviathan turned its attention on the lesser races in their lands as well. It mainly focused on those races that were physically strong but mentally weak, races like the Trolls, giants and Ogres, creating large armies of powerful and tough soldiers that followed the creatures orders without question. The Three Kingdoms found themselves on the retreat, made even worse as several of their own revealed themselves to be under the creature's control and stabbed their allies in the back.
At first the Big Three focused on looking after their own, but it quickly became clear that they would soon be completely overwhelmed if they continued along those lines and so the leaders met and came to an agreement, forging an alliance and putting out feelers to the races that were hidden away in the shadows of the world. Suddenly, the battlefields around the world changed completely. Beastskin warriors fought alongside Human Knights and Elven battlemages, pushing back the encroaching hordes as the other powerful races joined the fray. The skys were filled with Dragons and Flugel, raining fiery death down from on high as the earth opened and allowed the Dwarven legions to march from the depths of the earth, bringing with them their powerful Golems and earthen magic. The Goblins cackled as they unleashed their powerful explosives and ramshackle machines of war on their foes, decimating them. Even the Elementals joined the fray, striding from the depths of their forests, lakes and mountains and unleashing the power of nature itself on the Leviathans forces.
In the space of a year, the now united people of Earth had decimated the Indoctrinated armies and, with a spell created from the combined efforts of some of the greatest scholars from all races, forced their true enemy to show himself. It appeared as a gigantic squid like being with heavy armoured plating and an attitude worse than even the most condescending of the Elves. When summoned, it attempted to use its witchcraft on those before it, only to find itself unable to control the ancient and powerful beings that had been charged with its summoning. With the monster revealed and trapped, the newly formed council quickly decided its fate, to be destroyed utterly with Dragonfire, one of the most destructive substances in the world.
With the war over, many of the races returned to their homes, but the Big Three remained. They determined that they were stronger as a whole as opposed to apart and so forged a true alliance that would last until the end of time, signed with blood and magic making it truly binding. They formed a council to deal with issues that would affect all while each of the three remained their own autonomous states for the most part. Over time, the other races sent representatives until almost all of the races were represented on the newly formed Senate, with the exceptions of the Dragons, who were mostly solitary beings, the Orcs, who were still largely affected by the Leviathans meddling and extremely violent, the Giants, Ogres and Trolls who were largely extinct thanks to the war and the Elementals who couldn't care less about what was happening outside of their homes so long as the planet was safe.
As time past, the technology and Technomancy began to advance rapidly, leading to an Industrial revolution and the advancement of science. Due to the fact that many of the races were strongly connected to nature, environmental problems caused by the advancements were quickly found and fixed, although they were few in number due to the fact most machines used magic as a power source.
Eventually, the races of Earth turned their attention to the stars, just as their creator had foretold and, with the help of the various races contributions, took their first steps into the great unknown by landing on the moon. With the help of magic and the few Elementals, the moon was soon Terraformed and colonized. With the first steps taken into the Great Black, the People of Earth turned their gaze outwards and took their first steps into the future.
And I'm going to leave this chapter here. I always intended this to be short and just an introduction to this alternate Earth. However, I also need to introduce the Races of Earth, so heres the Codex entry.
Codex: United People of Earth
Homeworld: Earth
The Planet Earth is a garden world, mostly covered in water with three large landmasses where most of the inhabitants live. It also has some unusual constructs, including floating trees and rocks that traverse the lands and serve as homes for some of the Races that call the planet home. The three continents are:
Elvengard in the north, home of the Elves. It is a content covered in a large amount of forests and mountains that serve as a home for the vereous subspices. This land is home to Yggdrasil, the world tree which acts as an anchor to the largest of the floating land masses, Alfheim.
The land to the east is called Garoh and is home to the Beastkin. It is the largest content on the planet and is also the most diverse, with environments from Tundra to Deserts, providing a home for the many clans of Beastkin that call it home. The land is badly scarred from past battles from before the unification under the Lion Clan and is extremely rich in valuable resources that both the Elves and the Humans need, leading to an extremely rich nation. Due to the feudal nature of Beastkin society battles and skirmishes between Lords occasionally break out, but are quickly quelled if they become too large.
The land to the west is called Lordaeron and is home to the Kingdom of Humanity. Once home to numerous squabbling nations, the land is now united under the House of Pendragon and is considered to be the center of scientific advancement. Its cities are vast and gleaming and bursting at the seems with advanced technology. Even the Elves accept that the humans are incredible inventors and it is considered to be a great honour to study at one of the many universities that dot the land.
All three lands are inhabited by more than just the Big Three races, but they still accept the leading races as the rulers.
Government
Ever since the Leviathan Wars, the UPE have been mostly united. While the Three Nations still act as autonomous states with their own ruling parties and the other races that self govern also maintain their own leaders, the issues of the Earth and colonies that affect the People as a whole are discussed and dealt with in the Senate, who make their home on the island of Asgard that sits in the center of the three continents. The Senate is made up of representatives from most races, with the exceptions of the Dragons, Elementals and the Orks. The Senate is lead by the Council, made up of the representatives of the Beastkin, Humans and Elves who see to it that the decisions made are carried out and hold the authority to veto any decisions that will have a negative impact on the People as a whole. The Senate also acts as a Judicial body for high profile or serious crimes, mostly war criminals or political criminals as the minor crimes are dealt with internally.
Corruption in the Senate is dealt with swiftly as it is almost impossible to lie to a Beastkin or an Elf and humans are known to be extremely attentive, meaning that they can pick up on corruption very quickly. Those found guilty of corruption are tried, dishonorably discharged and have a black mark on them forever as all the races hold honesty and honour in extremely high regard.
Races
There are many races that call Earth home, all with their own quirks, strengths, histories and culture.
Elves
Native to Elvengard, the Elves are a varied race with a large number of subspecies that live in various areas of the content, although they are not as varied as the Beastkin. All Elves, regardless of species, share a few traits, most notably their magical strength, grace, pointed ears and long lifespan. The average lifespan of an Elf is about 7000 years, beaten only by the Dragons and Flugel. Elves, especially the elder ones, look down on the younger races as children, although they do respect them for their strengths. The Elves are ruled by a council made up of the eldest and wisest of their kind and have a caste system, although the differentiation between the castes is fairly small. At one time the Elves practiced slavery, but that has long since vanished.
Subspecies:
Wood Elf: The most common of the Elven people, these are the elves that make the forests their home. Hunters and gatherers, they are fairly short of stature and often dress in forest colours. Their skin is dark and their hair comes in forest shades. They make for excellent scouts and rangers and have the ability to tame almost any animal.
Dark Elf: These Elves make their homes in the cave systems that snake under the entirety of the planet alongside the Dwarves. They don't often emerge from the depths of the earth as the light hurts their eyes and skin. They are powerful sorcerers and make for incredible assassins. They have black skin, white hair and glowing, red eyes that can see in the infrared spectrum.
Fairy: Also known as the Flying Elves, these Elves make the floating island of Alfheim their home and are often considered to be a separate race altogether. They are split up into nine different kinds that are ruled over by Oberon and are often found fighting amongst themselves. Not much is known about them as they rarely leave their home. (AN If you want to know more than look up the races from ALO)
Snow Elf: Making their homes in the mountains, these Elves are extremely spiritual . Often priests or philosophers, these Elves specialize in Holy and Ice magics. They have pale skin, blue eyes and white hair.
High Elf: Technically not a subspecies, these are the Elves that have reached the last 1500 years of life. Revered and respected, these Elves are among the most powerful of their kind. Able to wield the pure essence of Magic, it is said that they can see the future and listen to the song of the cosmos. All High Elves are surrounded by a faint glow and give off a calming aura that can calm a Beastkin in a Bloodrage. They make excellent diplomats and can talk circles around almost any other diplomat with ease.
Beastkin
The beastal race of the East, the Beastkin clans are many, covering virtually every single animal species in existence, with the exception of insects and primates. Every one of them is strong, tough and has extremely acute senses, although some clans have more talent in one than the other. They mostly appear human, but with animal ears, tails, fangs and claws, trates that many humans find adorable, especially in children and females (Thats both races). Originally made up of many roving and warring clans, the Beastkin were united under the banner of the Lion Clan and use a feudal system. While unable to use magic in the same way as the Elves, the Beastkin instead use it instinctively to strengthen themselves and are capable of using magic to enhance their senses to the point of being able to perceive time extremely slowly to the point of being able to dodge bullets. This ability comes with a price however and can only be used in short bursts to avoid permanent damage to the body.
Some Beastkin also suffer from a condition called Bloodrage where they enter a berserker state when enraged. While in this state, their strength and speed is drastically increased, but they go completely out of control. Symptoms include red staining of fur and hair, black markings appearing on the skin, enlarging of teeth and claws and a lot of property damage. The only ways to stop an enraged Beastkin is to let the Bloodrage run its course, which can be fatal for the Beastkin as their body tears itself apart, have a close loved one call them out or get an High Elf to calm them with their aura. Many Beastkin who suffer from this affliction carry recordings of their mates or children in order to bring them out of the rage.
Beastkin can also possess an ability similar to the Bloodrage in its affects only without the loss of control. The ability is called Blood Devastation and has similar affects to the Bloodrage, only the Beastkin remains in control. Due to the damage and risk posed by this ability, it is usually saved as a last resort or used in small bursts.
Both of the above are usually found in predatory or territorial Beastkin, with Blood Devastation being most common in Canine and Feline types. The average lifespan of a Beastkin is around 200 years.
Human
By far the most curious race on the planet, Humanity has come a long way from their time as a race of warring countries. They were the first to unite under a single flag and are the most technologically advanced of the Races of Earth. Virtually all technological advancements come out of Humans. While not capable of using magic like the Elves, Humans are able to enchant items and cast spells, although Battlemages are rare due to the amount of time it takes to cast a spell for them. Most of their magical powers come from their Technomancy or enchanted weapons. They also developed the practice of Alchemy, the art of transmuting one thing into another which has many practical applications. As a rule, Humans are a carefree race, with a burning curiosity that has landed them in trouble more than a few times, but their unending tenacity and perseverance has always pulled them back out. Although considered immature and annoying by the Elves and Beastkin respectively, the other Races still have a large amount of respect for Humanity and their unending optimism. The average lifespan of a human is about 120 years
Dragon
These are considered to be one of the oldest and most dangerous race on Earth. Massive, fire breathing lizards that are made up of pure primordial energy given form and sentence, these beasts are feared and respected in equal measure. Largely solitary beasts, they reside in mountain ranges, deep, ancient forests or even below the seas. Extreme caution is recommended when approaching a Dragon as you never know whether one is hungry and you are crunchy and good with ketchup. The oldest of the Dragons are known to be able to grow to the size of mountains and even fly through the vacuum of space.
Flugel
Also known as Angels, these are the only race on Earth that are feared and respected as much as the Dragons. Essentially immortal, with huge magical reserves and the ability to rain down fire and brimstone, it is a very good thing that they are more interesting in gaining and preserving knowledge than fighting. They are usually found in library's all over the world and are employed as librarians due to their diligence and love of knowledge. It also prevents to many late fines as no one wants to annoy a Flugel. That said, should their cache of knowledge damaged or, god forbid, destroyed, they won't stop until the perpetrator has been reduced to ashes.
Goblins
Small, mad, annoying and pyromaniacs to the last, the Goblins make their home in the Human lands, although they are usually kept well away from the city's. They are every bit as intelligent, inventive and ingenious as the Humans. Just one problem. Everything they build inevitably explodes. Its a good thing that these little critters are as hard to kill as cockroaches or they would have blasted themselves into oblivion centuries ago.
Dwarves
Short, stocky humanoids that live below the earth, mining jewels, gold and metals with little regard for the surface world, only coming up to trade with the surface dwellers. They possess powerful earth magics, but they are largely focused on finding and mining resources. They have the ability to create animate Golems with their magic, but the methods of creation are a closely guarded secret. They greatly revere their ancestors and sometimes name exceptional Dwarves Paragons, living Ancestors. They have an extremely rigid caste system, with the Casteless being at the lowest rung in the hierarchy, to the point of having next to no rights and being slaves in everything but name. They have the distinction of being the only race with a complete immunity to external magic, as well as being a favorite snack for Dragons.
Orcs
Originally a race of farmers that lived on the plains of Lordaeron, their minds were twisted by the Leviathan, transforming them into a race of bloodthirst monsters that swept over the land in a massive hoard and nearly succeeded in taking the capital of Camelot. Now they are splintered into roving bands that attack anything they find. They are one of the few races with no magic in them whatsoever, but their brute strength and numbers still make them a significant threat.
Machina
A synthetic race built by humans as a means of cheap labour, the Machina evolved far more quickly than the humans were expecting, becoming true AIs within 50 years of being first built. However, instead of panicking, the Humans rejoiced and accepted their children into their lives. Originally designed as typical robots by Dr Light, they have long since evolved and been given a far more human appearance, although evidence of their cybernetic nature is still obvious in places. The Machina despise conflict, even more than their creators and strongly object to any form of conflict. That said, they are far from helpless. They are able to analyse and replicate any magical attack sent at them within seconds and many have a large number of armaments hidden inside their shells for self defence. They can also network with other Machina in the area, creating a hivemind and increasing their processing speed exponentially. While most Machina are humanoid, some have other bodies they can use, including the ships used by the UPE, although they usually do have a humanoid body as well.
Elementals
The living embodiment of nature, Elementals are found all over the world. Largely solitary, the Elementals rarely leave their homes, although many will aid travelers who stumble across them, so long as they don't harm the natural areas they protect. While Elementals are very dangerous if provoked, it is extremely rare for it to happen as all of the Race of Earth have a strong respect for nature. Usually the only ones to run afoul with an Elemental are the Orcs who simply destroy without thought.
As a side note, all species with magic flowing through them have a strong resistance to Indoctrination, which is why the Leviathan attacked rather than just Indoctrinated everyone. However, resistance does not mean immunity and they can be affected from prolonged exposure, although the Flugel and Dragons are fully immune.
And thats it, all of the races that inhabit the Earth. I am well aware that this version of Earth is OP and that was the idea. I know their OP and that is exactly what I intended. I want to do a story where the Council has no chance whatsoever. I took a few ideas from other fandoms, like the country names from WoW, Golden Sun and No Game No Life and more than a few of the races are based on the ones from No Game No Life as well. The Dwarves are taken from Dragon Age and, as mentioned, the Fairies are taken directly from SAO.
Now, I'm awful at coming up with ships so I'm willing to accept suggestions for designs. Just remember that they won't be using Eezo because Magic plus Eezo equals BOOM! I'm also welcoming suggestions for what races I should make the ME characters. Please leave me a review!