All That is Terrible, All That is Grand
Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, that belongs to Bioware. I don't own Thunderscape, that belongs to Kyoudai Games. D&D does not belong to me, it belongs to Wizards of the Coast. And I don't own Pathfinder, either the stuff published by Paizo or the Third-Party Materials; I will attempt to name any and all content that appears in this story by publisher and product at the end of each chapter in which it appears.
Chapter One: Where Destiny Begins
"Captain Irrian! Unauthorized vessels are attempting to activate the Relay; they don't match any model on our know registries but they appear to be a freighter and corvette escort. Orders?"
Turian captain Naslen Irrian of the New Venture walked behind the officer who had just informed him of the development. Leaning over his shoulder the captain twitched his mandibles in agitation as he read over the data himself. He hated privateers; they acted liked they owned the galaxy. "Status? Have they noticed us yet?"
"Negative, as far as we can tell sir. They appear to be preparing to transit out of system"
"I see," Irrian nodded. "Move to engage. Target the freighter first."
A turian on a communications spoke out at the order. "Sir, the ship designs don't match anything in our database- what if they are piloted by a race that hasn't contacted the Citadel yet?" The officer's voice was weak as he knew dangers of speaking against a superior's orders. Luckily for him Irrian was a patient leader.
"A valid concern but one I doubt. We are close enough to the Terminus Systems that this could easily be a illegal operation supplying some pirate outpost- happens all the time. Besides it is our duty to ensure Relays out of Citadel space remain inactive, no matter what. Now, bring us within firing range quietly and take that freighter out."
Aye captain!" the bridge responded as they carried out the order, unknowingly starting a series of events that would forever change the galaxy.
0o0
In the atmosphere over Shanxi, a shuttle was descending. It had descended a hundred times before and was expected to descend a thousand times again before to would cease to be used. Those on board really didn't have time to think about that though. In the hold twelve marines, fresh from Basic, where ready to make a name for themselves. Many would go on to lay their lives down in the name of their Alliance, and in return would be honored by the nations that made it up. However amongst the group only one would go on to be legend, one that would be instrumental in saving the galaxy and beyond. The one called Shepard.
He sat alone, amber-cut eyes staring at a window at the city of Bardro below him. The sight below him made him feel admiration for the Shanxi colonists. In twelve short years it had gone from a collection of prefab-buildings to a mini-metropolis after the first veins of manite had been found. 'Amazing how fast miners can fix a place up,' he mused to himself.
"So, who did you piss off to get shipped to the edge of space ironborn? Or does High Command really hate you when you are made from brass?" Shepard turned to face the newcomer, a tall woman with green skin and pointed fangs, her black hair shaved short except for a tight bun in the back. She was flesh and blood, unlike himself, who had a similar frame but alchemical organs housed inside a bare, brass frame. A jurak and a ironborn respectively, just two of the races that composed the Aden Alliance. Although only one had recently been officially allowed to join.
"I actually requested this posting; and my name is Shepard," the construct noted.
"Whatever you say clank," the woman noted with amusement. "Can't imagine why you'd request a posting on Shaxi though; so far away from all of the action. Looking for a safe tour of duty, eh?"
Shepard just shook his head at the jurak, his mechanical mouth pulling up into a smirk. "Apparently you never heard of the acid hounds native to the planet."
Her eyes went wide with the comment as her smile turned into a frown. "Acid hounds?! What the Hell is a acid hou-!"
"ATTENTION:" came the pilot's voice over the intercom. "The shuttle is making its final approach and will be landing in the next five minutes. Prepare for departure." The two marines' eyes meet following the announcement as Shepard stood up.
"You got a name?" he asked her.
"Yeah," she grunted. "It's Jack; pleasure to meet your shiny-ass."
0o0
Time-Line of the Unified Age of Aden
Year 1154: Urbana miners uncover a series of caverns that stretch for untold miles in all directions. While believes to be a natural occurrence at first, it is at closer inspection that the tunnels are determined to not only have been dug out, but that they are fairly new.
Year 1156: A elf wizard by the name of Guillian claims to have found ruins on Older Brother, the larger of Aden's two moons. I the name of exploration and discovery he mounts a extended expedition to the celestial body,taking a handful of followers and volunteers with him. The expedition is met with some curiosity as it departs but is overlooked by many nations as they focus on the threat that is the Darkfall.
Year 1168: The origin of the tunnels is discovered as countless numbers of illithix and other foul creatures pour out of the ground, laying siege to nearly every major settlement west of the Sundered Desert. They are lead by a entomancer named Weis, who aligns himself with the foul forces of the Darkfall. The strife Aden suffered before is soon considered just a prelude to a great war that nearly ended with with the Darkfall's conquest of civilization on Aden.
It is also around this time a alchemist in Guillian's expedition crafts the first ironborn to help excavate the ruins they have been living in. All though a simple construct at first it gains sapience after accidental exposure to a spell. Despite what many fear the ironborn wants peace but asks to be apprenticed by its creator. Learning rapidly, the ironborn dubs itself the First and sets out to prefect the creation of others like it. The ironborn come into their own, aiding with exploring the ruin on Older Brother.
Year 1190: Weis is killed after twenty-two years singeing half of Aden by the arrival of an army of ironborn wielding very advanced technologies. After some time routing the remaining hordes, the people of Aden learn that Guillian and his team did in fact uncover ruins on the moon, and that those ruins once played host to alien race called the Protheans. Although they are gone, Guillian and his team had already made great progress in learning from what the Protheans left behind. Aden now has spaceflight.
Year 2002: In order to be strong when the Darkfall rallied its forces again, the nations of Aden, from Arasteen to Yzeem, from the Aden Alliance, commonly called the Alliance. On top of building up a combined military force and industrial complex, the Alliance is also directed towards space exploration, colonizing worlds for more resources and means to defeat the Darkfall once and for all.
It is also at this time that several illithix hives show themselves before the new Alliance and pledge their allegiance to it. They claim that the Darkfall is corrupting the illithix people into something terrible and destroying the hives that resist it. By joining the Alliance they hope to not only protect themselves but repent for their previous actions as agents of Weis.
Year 2039: The Aden Alliance has spread throughout the solar system, setting up military fortresses and mining operations on the Twins and the Regent. Advances in technology and magic are made in droves as new fields seemed to be opened daily. Electrotech, akashic mysteries, digital studies, psioncis, binding, lifeshaping, occult studies, element zero- in less than a century these new fields and more lead to the greatest era sine the Age of Thunder. It is this year specifically though that the Mass Relay is found at the edge of the solar system. The people of Aden can now touch other stars.
Year 2080: The colony of Shanxi is founded at the edge of explored space and begins to expand rapidly as it is found to be rich in manite veins while it's lone moon is full of element zero. It is soon called the Prospector's Paradise.
This year also ends with great controversy. It is this year that the ironborn, after years of petitioning for full rights as living beings and not just constructs, are granted just that. Many take this as a joke but go along with ruling in any event; others still refuse the ironborn as tools acting out of place. It is made illegal for anyone but ironborn to create more ironborn but some overlook this law, making the constructs for cheap labor or war machines.
Year 2087: The Present Day