Cocoon had fallen. Its people displaced.
Gran Pulse lie waiting, its bounty of resources and excess of dangerous fauna testing the once sheltered humans of the floating continent.
The people struggled. Separated from the false embrace of the duplicitous Santcum fal'Cie, their technology no longer sheltering the poor souls, it was a time of trial and error for the humans that usually resulted in fatal consequences and severe in-fighting between fellow man.
Yet the humans persevered and eventually prospered, building up settlements across the vast plains of the Archylte Steppe until settlements grew into towns, and towns into functioning cities.
Although the days of higher technology were long gone, the humans adapted their own ingenuity and re-harnessed the power of electricity, complex running water systems, and basic forms of convenient transportation. In time, monuments in the form of towering buildings were erected, celebrating the determination of the human will and newfound from fal'Cie dependence.
400 years.
The crystalline magnificence of the towering spherical wonder, overlooking a beautiful watery vista stood for all that time, undisturbed for fear of possible collapse. In time and with successive generations, the story of how Cocoon came to fall and become encased in crystal was forgotten. Myth replaced fact, telling of the great womb from the Almighty Maker that was birthed onto this world, spilling forth Her children, mankind, upon this great earth.
Religions were created following this belief. Those who had faith joined with other like-minded individuals and swore loyalty to the "truth" and would readily die in its name.
On the other side remained those who possessed documents and literature proving the religion a fallacy and they were attacked, labeled as heretics and demons.
500 years.
War between two sides: those for the combined religion of Faith and those for the side of the Truth. Their numbers rapidly diminishing from an already low and unseemly pool, the side of Truth sought the ancient "God Machines" that had long since disappeared in a desperate attempt to harness the power that they were claimed to grant humans.
The Machines were found and the humans appealed to them, invoking the Truth to convince the reclusive Machines to back their cause.
Their resolve was rewarded and the God Machines granted them power. The humans sided with Truth returned to battle and strings of victories ensued. Yet it was short lived because even with the power of the God Machines at their behest, the forces of the Faith were far stronger and more resilient.
And on one fateful dawn, the last of the Truth was extinguished in flames. Those who had fought for Truth along with their evidence were caught in the inferno and rend to dust.
Riding high on the success of its crusade, the soldiers of Faith turned their attention upon the God Machines that dared to assist the infidels that touted fallacies and heresy.
One by one, the mighty Machines were challenged and eventually felled, their magnificent crystals, source of all life and holy energies, harvested and used in further campaigns.
800 years.
Faith is the common denominator of all humans upon this world. They are born into Faith's embrace, live by Faith's precepts, and they die by Faith's blessings.
The God Machines no more, the Known World has become heavily populated and is stagnant to the point of rot.
Corruption exists within the Faith and the ruling governments.
Well to do individuals never hazard a second thought to those living in squalor.
Violent crime is reality of life, not an exception.
Fortunately there are those, however rare they may be, within each institution of Faith and Government that realize the dire situation the Known World is facing. So they search their literature for clues from the past, they search their surroundings for keys toward progression, and they search the massive Crystal Sphere for visions of hope.
The Crystal Sphere; it is here where this story shall begin anew…