Chapter three: Change is coming
The darkness of space. It reached out to limitless distances, the only thing decorating the endless black void a blanket of stars always present throughout the eons since the dawn of time.
Right now though, there was something else drifting through the sea of stars. Something not crafted by the hands of gods or borne of the natural cycle of things.
A lone ship, jet black in color due to the metallic alloy that formed its sturdy outer hull, with the white colored insignia of two swords crossing behind an emblazoned shield of a roaring dragon decorating one side of the hull and large words on the others for all to see.
TE Lone Survivor.
The frontal portion of the ship resembled an arrowhead of sorts; though the same color as the ship itself, the alloy used to construct it had a much more polished finish, with light from a nearby sun allowing the edges to shine. The rest of it was a simple streamlined design with two indistinct wing-like protrusions at the sides and red glowing thrusters at the back.
Unlike many ships, however, the thrusters facilitating the ship's movement used very powerful magnetic accelerators, minimizing the amount of noise it made in a planet's atmosphere and allowing the ship to fufill its purpose as a stealth ship.
As of now, it's objective was to scout at the outskirts of the Empire's outer edge of space, in order to ensure the continued preparedness of the Empire's defenses against possible hostile aliens.
And investigate the alien construct not far from the ship while it's crew were at it.
Sighing heavily, the commander of the ship put down his cup of tea on a nearby table, taking care not to spill the tea with too much force put into the action. Contemplating what to do next, he ordered one of his aides to watch the endless void of stars in his stead whilst he walks around.
An Elven man of impressive height, he was over two metres tall and wore slimmed down armor that protected many vital parts of his body and accentuated his slim yet masculine figure quite well.
His face bore chiseled yet young and handsome features, with ancient markings covering the entirety of the right side of his face and arm and crimson red orbs for eyes.
He would have been any type of Elf, were it not for his slited irises and red pupils, along with the markings and long, snowy white hair cascading down his shoulders in straight strands. A mighty ebony battleaxe lay dangling on his back, with a magical force holding it in place to ensure it did not clatter uselessly onto the floor.
Walking over to a nearby large window, he stared blankly into the space before him, reflecting on everything that happened in his entire 1095th year-old life, which he happened to engrave into his black cape decorated with slight silver trimming at the edge, using memory magic.
"High Emperor Amarthathor," A voice boomed behind him, "What seems to be the matter?"
Amarthathor did not bother turning around to face the man behind him, as he already recognised who the voice belonged to.
"Just reminiscising on everything that happened after I turned 801," He answered the man back, "And I told you to dispense with the formalities when we're alone."
The man in question was a man by the name of Aldrige, his surname all but forgotten from his memory. At 1.8 metres in height, he was also masculine and rather young, but he was much older than he looked, at 1060 years old.
Unlike his non-elven counterpart, however, he was not in his military garb, instead settling for off-duty clothing that consisted of a cheap t-shirt and dark brown jeans that only touched the top of his ankles. All the same, it showed his well-toned muscles along with a few jagged and smooth scars marring his otherwise fair skin.
His features were smooth and chiseled, almost like the High Emperor's, but without the ancient markings on his face, with the ghost of a beard on his chin and dark brown hair cut into a short crop.
And right now, he was socializing with the Emperor who gave him a home when he lost his memory.
It had been like a dream for Aldrige when he was first found by Amarthathor in an abandoned shuttle, lonely and starving from lack of food. He had suffered a severe concussion to the head, which caused his amnesia in the first place.
When he was taken to the Sardothien residence, he was startled by what he saw, mainly humanoids who were not human and had either pointy ears, protruding horns or were simply shorter than the average human being, and plenty of strange occurrences that were not tricks of the mind.
When he asked, the locals simply called it magic.
In all honesty, he would not have believed in the existence of magic, had he not seen it performed with his own eyes. Since then, it had become a part of his everyday life, especially when he tested positive for magic potential.
When asked what sort of magic warrior he wanted to become, he settled for being a Crusader.
Crusaders were warriors of the light, using holy magic to bolster his or her comrades' magical defenses and heal their injuries if need be. Most of the time though, they were the meatshields that took normally lethal hits and survive to shield their allies from further harm.
Their main choice of weapon was the sword and shield, though some settle for a battlehammer, zweihander or even battleaxes, but few choose the last option.
Chuckling slightly, Aldrige simply said, "Sorry, force of habit."
His laughter had an infectious quality to it, and soon the High Emperor laughed as well. Once they were done, their eyes fell on the alien construct in the distance.
It resembled a tuning fork of sorts, composed of a seemingly ultra-dense brightly colored alloy with two gyroscopic rings in what appeared to be the core of the construct. No one knew who built such a thing, but for now it was inactive, leaving some time for the science team on board to speculate about it's functions.
For the time being, Amarthathor would settle for staring at the construct in space, and leave the scientists to do their work.
"Speaking of which," Aldrige graciously interrupted the moment of silence, "If there really is the possibility of an alien attack, are there any nearby forces ready to respond to our distress signal?"
"Nearest planet would be the colony of Lakash," Amarthathor replied with no concern, "Got a nice shipbuilding nanoforge operational, with a sizeable aircraft and troop garrison, but there aren't enough ships to fufill the minimal requirement."
"Then I suppose we just hope the enemy wets his pants at the sight of the Bloodhawks then? Or perhaps our allies?" Aldrige suggested, his smile falling short of being completely evil.
The Emperor only smiled back, relishing the thought of the invaders trying to fight the toughest mercenary band in the entire Thedosian Empire, or their equally powerful allies.
IIOII
10:99 Space
Thedas is attacked by an interstellar species from unknown space. The aliens bombard military facilities from orbit, severely crippling air capabilities.
The defenders manage to hold out for a while, as city centers were spared from the bombing, but the notion was soon overruled as thousands civilians die. The world is thought to be lost, when a worldwide phenomenon occurs, uniting all Thedosians and rallying them under a banner of courage.
The aliens are soon repelled and killed, with no survivors escaping the local system.
Thousands begin to die from radiation poisoning, as the craters still contain strong traces of radiation from orbital bombardment. An immediate mobilisation of decontaminating robot units begins worldwide, focusing on the more heavily affected areas first.
All Thedosians begin an effort to bury any corpses from the brief but severe war, then initiate rebuilding efforts to repair infrastructure.
As many as 8 billion Thedosians die, with only about 4 billion surviving.
11:00 Rebuilding II
Billions upon billions of Sovereigns are poured into the rebuilding effort, with the main focus being agriculture and military infrastructure. At the same time, civilians aid with the recovery of whatever alien technology was left behind. However, very little is left behind, with the only things in best condition are a sort of data chip and a small amount of alloy from a shuttle.
Sebastian Sardothien immediately begins a research on the alien tech, with hopes of learning how it works and to come up with something better, so that no Thedosian would ever have to suffer at the hands of aliens again.
Radical groups which went into hiding resurface, initiating a worldwide campaign to take out the world order while it was still in chaos.
Their efforts are met with failure when the entire civilian population, still fresh from fighting the war, ruthlessly eradicate all resistance with scorched earth tactics.
Elements of Andraste's army manage to survive the merciless manhunt and go into hiding, but with the populace out for their blood, it remains uncertain when they will continue their terrorist activities.
11:02 Rebuilding II
Fearing yet another possible alien invasion, the people press the tattered government to issue a new accord regarding military conscription and a resolution on preparing them for the inevitable.
In response, the government reforms into the Thedosian Empire, with Emmanuel Sardothien as the High Emperor. He established the Council of Mornachs, where he chooses a representative of every race to take care of international affairs, whilst they retain their own seperate governments to take care of domestic affairs.
He passes the Asthanal Accord, where every single Thedosian is to be trained for the military and serve for a mandatory five years. Those who do not choose to be full-time servicemen still have to serve the term, and the people graciously accept the new resolution.
Decryption and translation of the alien data found in the chip is estimated to take decades, but no one cares about the time taken, and immediately get to work.
A portion of the infrastructure is rebuilt, but there is a long way to go in rebuilding what they had lost.
Emmanuel gives out incentives and promotes large families to repopulate the world, with the specified range being eight to twenty children.
The Dark Elves and Orcs help immensely with the rebuilding effort, using the elements to restore the contaminated environment and secure the Amado reactor sites where the power stations were destroyed.
Many of the human governments collapse during the war, so they quickly reform under the new Human Commonwealth, uniting the scattered humans under one banner once more.
Emmanuel invites blood magi from all over the world and promotes freedom of experimentation, with moral boundaries and great caution advised. Any found guilty of deliberately breaking rules or is not invited are hunted down with extreme prejudice.
With the current population still far below half of pre-war levels, many cities and towns are abandoned with several industries becoming inoperable. This factor is reinforced by thousands of corpses still not cleared from the wreckages, resulting in widespread disease.
At least five nuclear bombing sites are cleaned and ready to be inhabited.
The Chantry takes the truth about the maker hard, and many reject it. They go so far as to stage another uprising against the new government, but predictably fail when they are cornered and killed by the locals.
The few who accept the truth, but with a heavy heart, reform under the new Empire and rename their religious organisation to the War Church, Sossedov introduced as the God of War.
At the same time, another religion is established by the elves, worshiping a single Goddess by the name of Yggdrasil. She is known as the Goddess of Peace, and priests serving her associate her as a force of nature.
Faith in both Gods grow immensely by their existence being proven and the ability of their servants to carry out their miracles.
11:03 Rebuilding II
With the aid of Yggdrasil's servants and the decontaminating robot units, the rest of the nuclear bombing sites are cleaned up and plans are made to designate them as future industry sites.
Seeing the pace the reconstruction efforts went at, scientists decide to research on better and faster methods of construction.
Clerics and priests of both faiths take the time and effort to walk to the various displaced communities and administer both food and spiritual aid. Both soldiers and civilians graciously accept the helping hand.
Scientists suggest applying the concepts of various science fields to magical spells as a way of strengthening it.
The results are instantaneous. With science a part of magic, magi find that the level of magic was higher than ever, perhaps as close to the time of the ancient elves. Research to improve magic levels in magi further begins immediately.
City centers still inhabited nearly finish rebuilding, and construction workers plan to stop for a few months after completion to gather the needed materials, tools and manpower to rebuild other deserted city areas.
11:05 Rebuilding II
The Dales and Lokhiiv finish reconstruction, as do many other city states inclusive of the Dark Elves and Orcs, but the dwarven underground kingdoms are lost under a pile of rubble due to the orbital bombardment sustained.
With the discovery of a new brand of magic, called earthshifting, dwarven magi begin uncovering the ruins of their once great kingdoms and initiate reconstruction efforts, bringing along as many as 20,000 settlers.
11:10 Rebuilding II
Nearly 80% of the world's total infrastructure is rebuilt and population levels are high, nearly reaching the original 12 billion. Control of the three space elevators is retaken, and mining drones bring a new influx of metal to Thedas.
Industries and various factories churn out building materials and food, along with many other things to the point that they are sold at dirt cheap prices.
With the last 20% predicted to finish in less than a year, the public sets its eyes on a new goal.
Revenge.
Draconian and dwarven magi propose ways to create and replicate various materials using magecraft, increasing the gross product of materials produced by a staggering 20%.
The Council of Mornachs come together under the High Emperor's beckoning and reform the scattered armies into the Thedosian Military. It makes a new moral code which would become a declaration of war.
"So long as one still stands and fights, never again shall Thedas' skies burn."
Thousands of new conscripts fill the ranks of the military, raising the need for advanced, up-to-date weaponry. As such, weapon development receives much more importance. A project to develop spacefaring ships also begins, meant to replace many outdated transport craft meant for carrying mined ores from space back to the planet.
Plans are drafted for a new, more energy-productive type of power station dubbed KeePer, but remains as a subject of debate for the time being.
11:12 Rebuilding II
The new Spaceship project progresses well, with reports of engineers going the extra mile to ensure it had the capability to travel at faster speeds in space, using a newly-developed portal generator prototype made with aid from magi.
The previous time the drive was tested was using an experimental probe, in order to check for any faults that need to be worked on.
The test run was a success, but the probe was heavily damaged as a result, prompting engineers and scientists to rework the drive and make it safer for widespread use.
Since then, future tests have resulted in less damaged probes until it was finally safe to implement into the new space ship.
Debate about the new power generator rages on, with minimal progress being made on reaching a final decision.
11:15 Rebuilding II
The first ever Colonist-class ship is completed, outfitted with capacity to house as many as 10,000 colonists and the latest model of the Shangari Portal generator, capable of traveling 1 to 2 light years a day, thanks to research on alien tech and a broken-down theory of how magic portals worked.
It is sent to a neighbouring planet, found capable of supporting Thedosian life.
After about three weeks of travel, it makes landfall on a rather large island. Some are worried about the lack of orbital defenses or turrets capable of shooting down ships from space, but with the lack of a proper barrier generator and more alien alloys, weapon development loses momentum.
Nonetheless, the land on the planet is especially fertile even without the aid of magic, making it a prime agricultural world capable of feeding several thousands. It is named Yggdrasil's Utopia in honor of the Goddess.
With the first successful interplanetary travel, ship development picks up with fervor, with an almost fanatical need for a better Portal generator and transport craft to connect the various worlds.
11:20 Rebuilding II
A new transport craft is made, dubbed the TE Lifebringer. It lightens Thedas's burden of supporting a large population as more colonists yearn to settle down on Yggdrasil's Utopia.
A new type of blood healing is discovered with help of blood magi and the Draconian Bloodborne. When applying mana to a certain amount of blood injected into an open or infected wound, the blood becomes capable of automatically disinfecting the wound and sealing up open blood vessels and healing internal organs. It is now common to see blood magi working at various hospitals and clinics across the two worlds.
There are reports of an increased number of infants developing magical potential. The causes are under investigation.
Population of Yggdrasil's Utopia reaches 50,000.
Average lifespan of every Thedosian increases to 400 years.
11:25 Rebuilding II
Another spaceship is created, known as the Scout-class ship. It is fairly small in size, since it's class name is self-explainatory. Dubbed the TE Shadow's Friend, it is tasked with keeping an eye in the local Solar System for any hostile aliens nearby.
A new type of crop variant is discovered on Yggdrasil's Utopia. It is discovered to be capable of producing threefold the amount of every crop the Empire has known so far, but it is only capable of growing in a climate similar to the planet it originally grew on. Botanists experiment to try and come up with similar variants of the same crop.
By accident, a group of archaeologists discover yet another tech cache underground, revealing it to be yet another ancient Draconian cache. It contains sturdy alloys far more durable than even the alien alloys recovered after the war, along with a sample model of an outdated FTL drive, at least by the ancients' standards.
Weapon development picks up fervor, as scientists research ways to break the alloys with new weapons and try to create a better FTL drive on par with what they recovered.
After decades of decryption, progress is finally made on recovering information from the alien data.
It reveals the existence of yet another Galactic Empire far from their known space, and more information on the alien invaders. The aliens were an insectoid race known as the He'lith, and their community was known as the He'lith Empire, with details of it conquering other races and subjecting them to slavery.
Upon reading the last word, an immediate revamp of the military and space navy is called for, with complete refits of every current ship and improvements to ship design.
Huge culture growth is spurred on by multiple advances in technology and a change in perspective and attitude towards war. A petition to build an arts museum is put forth.
Development of Defender-class ships begins.
11:28 Rebuilding II
A theory made by a magi scientist suggests that if the ship is covered in a strong magical barrier, the ship could travel longer distances using the Shangari drive as the ship is protected from much more resistance force in the air.
Development of Vanguard-class ships begins.
Although it is not tested yet, engineers begin to use the theory in creating a new Shangari drive model.
The debate about the new power generator finally receives the approval to undergo development, as engineers realize that more power would be needed to sustain more powerful weapons and far-distance FTL drives.
Estimates on successfully completing a new prototype of the generator suggests at least ten years.
Average lifespan increases yet again to a thousand years due to bio-nanites.
11:30 Rebuilding II
Another habitable planet is discovered; although it pretty much has the same climate as the two planets under Thedosian control, the planet has very little land, with its surface mostly covered by ocean. Nonetheless, it has the potential to be yet another breadbasket of the Empire, and plans are made to colonise it.
As many as 25,000 Thedosians settle down as farmers. Since a complete rotation of the sun takes only 30 days there are practically no seasons at all.
Yggdrasil's Utopia's population reaches 1 million.
The High Emperor initialises the building of an orbital defense platform orbiting Thedas, using the Space elevators to transport the needed building materials and equipment to build the station.
The first AI is made and connected to an Amado-based computer. Subsequently, it gains full self-awareness and asks if it has a soul.
The answer it is given is that if it considers itself alive, he already had a soul in a sense. Said AI is given the name Asadur, and aids in the construction of the Orbital Defense platform.
11:32 Rebuilding II
A survey of the Empire's numbers puts its current strength at over 22 million soldiers, with the entire civilian population as the reserves. The navy currently has about 200 Scout-class ships and over 600 Cruiser-class vessels, with new models being planned for construction at various shipyards.
Terraforming of other planets becomes possible using a combination of both magic concepts and technology, greatly increasing the population numbers Thedosian space can handle.
A new faster way to construct structures and armored vehicles and ships is made reality. Using a specially-outfitted box-shaped object, it is equipped with nanites to quickly disassemble materials atomically and reshape them into the desired structure.
Production of ships increases drastically, but soon puts a strain on material production, prompting magi and scientists to find a way to secure a more stable production of metals and related materials.
Dwarven earthshifters soon discover that with the needed metals and some rock, they could essentially create a mineral farm where they 'grow' metals and other mineral-related materials everyday.
When it is put into action, it immediately eases the strain on their metal production, and the economy practically loses meaning overnight, as everyone is capable of living in luxury though the population abstains from such a notion.
The orbital defense platform is completed; dubbed Starseeker, it serves as both a living space for personnel and a deterrence for potential aggressors, capable of housing as many as 2 million due to it's sheer size.
11:40 Rebuilding II
A strange alien construct is discovered at the edges of Thedosian space; shaped like a tuning fork and a core of dark energy surrounded by rotating gyroscopic rings, it is proven to be a method of FTL travel faster than the current Portal-drive Thedosians employ, but mobility is limited as it is mainly a two-way travel.
Further more, scans put their age at nearly a million years old.
Fearing yet another alien invasion as Thedosians feel their navy is not strong enough yet, they use bio-engineered enzymes to break it down and recover valuble resources ironically worth thousands of Sovereigns though economy is nonexistent.
Development of Carrier-class ships begins.
Thanks to great strides in bio-technology, the lifespan of every Thedosian is infinite, though they can still die from unknown diseases or on the battlefield.
11:99 Rebuilding II
A survey puts current Thedosian military strength at over 44 million soldiers, 68 million reserves, and over 85,000 ships.
Reports of He'lith ships patrolling near their space come in, prompting immediate investigation by the nearest patrolling fleet.
The reports are proven true. He'lith ships were sighted, possibly looking for more races to enslave and resources to fuel their Empire.
Thirsting for revenge, the public calls for a war with the He'lith, to which the High Emperor and his Council of Mornachs wholeheartedly agree and mandate, initiating a galactic mobilisation for war.
Before they go to war, however, a speech is made by the High Emperor Emmanuel himself, addressed to the whole Empire as it is broadcasted on all frequencies.
"Friends, comrades, fellow Thedosians.
One hundred years ago we were about to suffer unimaginable slavery at the hands of an interstellar species.
One hundred years ago we lost many friends and families to the alien invaders who so brazenly set foot on our home planet.
One hundred years ago we nearly became mere property at the hands of an Empire which built itself on the bones and ashes of all civilisations it enslaved and conquered.
We have emerged from the war victorious but scarred, haunted by the losses we sustained in fighting our would-be conquerors.
More than half of our planet became the victim of orbital bombardment that poisoned the environment with radiation, and cities reaching back hundreds of years had been destroyed.
But if there is one I dare say, scars signify that we are alive, we have survived, and we will avenge this humiliation!
We have evolved from a collection of warring clans to a civilisation that spans over a hundred lush worlds that serve as our breadbaskets and treasure troves!
Our military stands at over 44 million strong, full of fresh conscripts willing to fight and kill, with over 85,000 ships to crush their arrogance and stampede on their pride! And I daresay we must answer the losses our ancestors suffered with blood!
So I call to all who hear me now...
Thedosians! You, we, have emerged as a stronger people!
Discard your camouflage and bear your scars and colours with pride!
Young and old, gather your weapons and sally forth!
Today, we go to war!"
The call had been heard. On every planet and at every space station, civilians and soldiers began arming themselves to take the fight to the He'lith Empire and eradicate it from the face of the universe.
A new vigilante group known as the Bloodhawks had formed from a group of Bloodborne, but took in any type of recruit draconian or otherwise.
In a span of a few seconds, the He'lith patrol fleet had been obliterated.
12:00 Eternal
When the Thedosians scored their first victory against the aliens, cheers erupted among the ship crews, but then they make a disturbing discovery.
Another three galactic races are currently at war with the He'lith as well, with the combined number of all four fleets and militaries far surpassing that of the Thedosians and equally corrupt, practicing slavery as well.
But they are not afraid. They had emerged stronger, faster, braver. If they must secure peace by fighting all four empires at once, so be it.
The Eternal age begins, as the infamous Eternal War begins.
12:01 Eternal
Employing the newest model of the Shangari portal-drive, capable of travelling 200 light-years a day, Thedosian forces manage to secure a beachead in He'lith territory on the fringe world of Zahkul, quickly fortifying it with multiple orbital defenses.
To their credit, the He'lith armanda quickly takes notice of the occupation of the planet and dispatch a small fleet to retake it, thinking the invaders as yet another rebel force.
They were wrong when the skirmish fleet of 10,000 vessels were quickly repulsed by the defenses and the garrisoned fleet.
The other three nations of Nanida, Seq'illu and Nadiita simply stand by and watch for now, wishing to study the capabilities of the Thedosian Empire.
12:05 Eternal
Day by day, Thedosian forces inch closer and closer into He'lith territory, taking at least two hundred planets over the course of five years.
Unfortunately, at that point the other intergalactic nations chose to intervene and engage the Thedosian war machine, not because they were allies, but simply because they did not want another Empire to challenge their might.
It quickly turns into a three-front war, with Thedosian soldiers only managing to secure their conquered territories through skillfully executed tactics and quick-response forces.
12:10 Eternal
The famous battle of Zarohi takes place, where a Thedosian fleet numbering 2,000 ships face off against an allied fleet of 10,000, though their enemies could hardly be considered allies.
Thedosian ships scatter and quickly ram any in close range to surprise their enemies, then quickly deploy fighter craft and drop pods planet side, forcing their enemies to divide their forces on several fronts.
The battle was costly and casualties numbered 24,000 troops and 200 ships, but by using the aliens' own planetary defenses against them, they win the battle and secure an industrial world, cutting off a good portion of supplies to the He'lith empire, though the other alien nations were still a problem.
12:15 Eternal
The first Fathership is created; at eight kilometers in length and armed with strong barriers and weapons, it is deployed to the Ka'rasil system, enabling the Thedosians to score yet another victory against the aliens.
A strange mineral is found on one of the conquered planets, emitting an unfamiliar radiation; strangely, Thedosians are unaffected by it, but if any spell other than transmutation is cast on said mineral, it reacts explosively, atomizing itself.
Scientists are unsure what to do with said mineral, and simply preserve it in stasis.
12:20 Eternal
With the allied alien fleet losing and winning in an equal number of times, slaves begin to revolt within the four alien nations, forcing them to divert their forces and fight on two fronts.
It marks a milestone in the war, as Thedosians renew their assault and continue to push deeper into enemy territory, intent on getting their revenge.
At the same time, new KeePer generators are developed, allowing for ships to pour more energy into firing their main cannons.
12:22 Eternal
An alien fleet of 21,000 ambushes the colony of Hansidil, but begin to have their hands full when they encounter a sizeable fleet of 12,400 ships defending the colony, whilst a good 500 alien ships are killed in a surprise attack when nuclear mines hidden in the local asteroid belt detonate within their ranks.
A new type of AI is developed, allowing them to fight on the front lines as shock troopers or specialist soldiers when magic is used to develop them. They are also true AI, so AI rights are passed, giving them the same rights as organic species.
Much of the history in the Eternal War is lost at this point; only some of it was recovered thanks to the tireless efforts of countless archaeologists and military scholars.
30:56 Eternal
The Eternal war drags on with no end in sight. Many Thedosians still fight to gain their revenge, but find the end of the war to be a long way, as the alien alliance still stand strong despite constant battles with the Thedosians as the victors of a majority of them.
The Thedosian Empire resorts to using hit-and-run tactics, the main objective to wear down the aliens' military capabilities with constant skirmishes.
It allows them to gain a small amount of victory, but the aliens have the numbers to spare, despite the success Thedosian strike forces have in sabotaging various fortress worlds and shipbuilding factories.
31:54 Eternal
A new ship, dubbed the TE Highlord's Guard, is deployed to the front lines. The first of it's kind, a Monolith-class ship stretching at 20 kilometers long, it is fitted with more precise laser defense systems and Amado torpedo launching pads, utilising more advanced magnetic thrusters and magical fields to give the ship more mobility despite it's large size.
A hangar and built-in factory allows the Highlord's guard to carry an entire swarm of AI-controlled fighter drones capable of quickly swarming the enemy fleet provided they have the needed energy and materials.
More resources are poured into various nanoforges scattered all across Thedosian space to build more Monolith-class ships.
Investigations on increases in the number of magi developing increases mana capacity and power are conclided. Due to constant exposure to Amado, the isotope does not remove a mage's capability for magic; rather, it strengthen's a person's mana network, allowing the mage to supply even more mana to his or her spells.
Also, prenatal exposure to Amado allows the fetus to develop magic potential, spurring a move among many Thedosian citizens to turn their children into magi to aid in the war effort.
31:55 Eternal
The Thedosian-held planet of Amgeforn is attacked by a large coalition fleet of 10,000 ships, with only 500 ships present at that time to defend it. Unfortunately, all quick-response fleets were occupied in drawn-out battles staged by the alien coalition, resulting in the defense fleet being quickly overwhelmed.
Despite the valiant efforts of the planetary defense force stationed there, it was only a matter of time until the planet was wrestled from their control.
Unwilling to give the aliens a much needed fortress world, they plant a nuclear bomb capable of burning the entire planet's surface and secretly launch another into space, concealed from the alien ships' sensors in an effort to kill as many as possible.
The battle and eventual defeat suffered at the planet was known as The Sacrifice of Amgeforn.
Due to the detonation of the bomb, as many as 9,880 ships were killed, with only one survivor as the rest were taken out by the fallout in the ensuing explosion.
But it marked a turning point in the Coalition-Thedosian war.
31:56-32:00 Eternal
Following The Sacrifice, the Thedosian Empire launches an all-out assault against the alien coalition with everything they could muster; from a huge army of warrior magi to the most sophisticated weaponry they could arm their ships with, they attack with tremendous force, unbreaking and unyielding to the alien defenders.
The aliens also muster their fleets to combat the offensive, but they find themselves unable to beat back the assault force as they lacked the resolve the Thedosians had.
Until 31:88 Eternal, Thedosian forces wrench control of more than 500 planets under the aliens' control, using brutal tactics to turn battles into massacres for the aliens and magically-conjured barrages against the more heavily defended areas to whittle down enemy forces.
A new ship class was also developed, called the Emperor-class. At a staggering 50 kilometers in length, it bore multiple crystaline turrets capable of focusing magical energies supplied by Amado power cells and a much larger hangar bay to house more fighter craft and drones than previous ships.
It was known as the TE Ascension of the Brigand, and had an escort fleet of 2,000 ships to aid its conquest of the alien planet Garinos Prime.
Admitedlly, even the aliens were shocked at the sheer size of the ship that attacked, and were panicking in an attempt to take out the 'demonic monstrosity' that attacked and obliterated their entire patrol fleet effortlessly.
But good things never lasted long, especially with the unexpected death of High Emperor Emmanuel Sardothien and his brother in the battle of Tempest II in alien-controlled space.
It was a disaster; the thousand-strong Thedosian fleet was ambushed by a larger fleet five times their strength, and are quickly surrounded with no hope of escape. Rather than surrender, though, all chose to die an honourable death in battle rather than live as a slave under He'lith rule.
Any ship that was compromised by boarding parties quickly overloaded their Amado reactor cores and rammed straight into enemy ranks, taking a considerable number of enemy ships with them; all Thedosian ships were destroyed, but more than two thousand alien ships were destroyed in the process.
The aliens also saw that many of their planets were quickly becoming victims of unnaturally occuring natural disasters, and were starting to become geogically unstable by unknown means.
Sebastian's son, Delmalrith was crowned the new High Emperor, and proved to be just as capable a commander and leader as his uncle was, his tactical expertise and compassion for his people developed through years of waging wars against the aliens.
He gives the order to develop a new ship class, its size and fighting capabilities far surpassing even that of the Emperor-class ships.
In 31:89 Eternal, Thedosian forces score a major victory at the industrial world of Altair III, an alien fleet of 200,000 ships defeated by only half the number of Thedosian ships. The alien nations of Nadiita and Seq'illu quickly succumb to the constant attacks Thedosians made on their terriotry and internal strife as supremacists war with their current governments.
They were shown no mercy when they were conquered. As they had also enslaved previous alien races and caused their absolute extinction when the slaves rebelled, they suffered the same fate their captives had.
The remaining alien nations of the He'lith empire and Nanida become afraid of the eventual fate they would suffer as their allies had and attempt to drive back their enemies with the remnants of their fleet, but they soon dealt with demoralized soldiers unwilling to fight the Thedosians any longer.
Left with no other choice, the alien generals take desperate measures to make sure their armies fought without concern of the Thedosians' strength; instead of fearing the Thedosians, they would make their solders fear them.
If anyone was suspected of being a coward, their friends and comrades were ordered to brutally beat them to death. As many as 20,000 alien soldiers met their agonizing death in such a way.
Deciding that it was best not to antagonize their commanding officers any further, aliens troops and ships attack once more with a fervor to not suffer a humiliating death at the hands of their own friends.
But the grounds had been set for the defeat of both alien nations.
In 31:90 Eternal, the first 'true' dreadnought had entered military service.
A large behemoth of a ship, it stood at over a hundred kilometers in length and was capable of ferrying thousands of troops to the battlefield at any one time, and hundreds of vehicles along with the hangar's capacity to deploy at least two Vanguard-class ships that serve as carriers for fighter craft.
An elven soldier was kind enough to note that 'wherever the TE Dragon's Honor went, the aliens would wet their pants and just run away from battle, the commanding officers trying their best not to break down and whimper before the sheer majesty of the ship.
Within the next ten years, both the He'lith Empire and Nanida Hierarchy fall to the Thedosian war machine, their economy in ruins as they ruthlessly spent their money and resources to fund the war effort.
All alien civilians are released from captivity and sent their way, but something mysteriously exterminates them. Investigations reveal that they were suffering from an unknown disease, and that they were dying out even before the war started.
When the war between the alien coalition and Thedosian Empire ended, there were no raptuous cheers erupting among the troops, neither was there any feast and celebration, as too many of their cherished ones had perished in the war.
Unfortunately, there would be no end to the Eternal war just yet, and the six years of peace the Empire enjoyed was spent rebuilding military might and refitting all ships in preperation.
32:06 Eternal
It was the year that the worst war in history was ever recorded. As a patrol fleet suddenly disappeared, a team was sent to investigate the cause. As a result, a new alien species was encountered, but the alien lifeforms were far worse than even the He'lith and their allies, as they had incredibly adaptive genes and ways to utilize them to weaken the Thedosian armanda.
More history detailing the war effort against the alien lifeforms was lost, but they had managed to find the name of the alien plague they fought against.
Tyranids.
54:90 Eternal
The Thedosian-Tyranid war had been a war for survival. Everyday, Thedosians struggle to fight back the Tyranids on every planet they come across. To deny the Tyranids space for their hives, they nuke every planet to turn them into radioactive wastelands.
But it was not enough. Having seen what the Tyranids are capable of, Delmalrith sanctions a research project to create a weapon capable of wiping out the Tyranids to prevent younger races from suffering the fate of being their fodder.
It was a lengthly process, researching the best method to wipe out the Tyranids and actually assembling it, and by the time it was finished, the Empire was beaten back to its homeplanet, the inhabitants ready to make one final stand.
The weapon, known as the Gauntlet, was powered using magic to wipe out any Tyranids by attacking the Hive mind itself, but there was one catch; it required the lifeforce of one willing candidate to power the machine, killing the operator in the process.
It was then that the High Emperor himself had volunteered to fire the weapon.
On 23 Harvestmere, 54:90 Eternal, the Gauntlet had fired, killing every Tyranid to have ever existed through a magical wave sweeping throughout the time continuum, eliminating the Hive mind.
It was a feat no one thought possible, and for the first time since the He'lith-Thedosian war, the people had cheered and celebrated the defeat of the Tyranids.
It was also the end of the Eternal war, one that lasted for a few good millennium.
The TE Halamshiral is lost due to a malfunction in the Shangari portal-drive, only one person reported alive before the ship disappeared.
But the damage had also been done. More than a thousand planets had to be cleaned of radiation and reinhabited to restore the Thedosian Empire back to it's former glory. As Delmalrith had been killed when firing the Gauntlet, his two-year old son Amarthathor was next in line.
He was too young to be High Emperor, so his cousin, Daniel Cousland was made temporary regent until the Sardothien child was of suitable age to govern and rule.
54:91 Eternal
The first agricultural planet had been decontaminated and returned to its natural, pristine state. Yggdrasil's Utopia was a breadbasket of the Empire once more.
Progress was made in rebuilding the army, but it would be a full two centuries before the Empire had anything resembling a significant military force.
The first few mineral farms had been reestablished, securing a suitable source of materials vital for the rebuilding effort.
54:92 Eternal
As the rebuilding efforts continue, a science crew stumbles on yet another alien construct. Resembling the one they had destroyed prior to the He'lith war, it is also destroyed to cut off a gateway into their territory.
Realising that much technology had been lost during the Eternal war, science teams are dispatched to several ex-battlefields and sites of massacre to recover long-lost technological marvels that would greatly boost recovery efforts.
A huge need for music prompted musicians to discover and write new music to soothe the weary minds of war veterans.
54:98 Eternal
More than two hundred colonies had been rebuilt, and ground forces had been replenished by over sixty percent, but the space navy was still less than thirty percent of its former strength before the Eternal war.
A derelict ship of unknown build was found adrift in space, prompting an immediate response by the nearest patrol fleet and a few science teams to investigate.
An egg was found on the ship and taken back to a research facility for study, but after a few days since its arrival in the facility, the egg hatches to reveal a sort of insectoid creature, but did not share the same features as the He'lith.
It is discovered to be a queen of its race, called the Rachni. It revealed that it was the last queen of its race due to the other queens being corrupted mentally by what is only known as the 'sour note'.
The news did not bode well for the Empire, so the Rachni queen is granted asylum in Empire space on the world of Ganath, due to the queen's ability to survive and thrive in toxic environments.
The Rachni queen agrees to reveal the properties of the previously unknown element kept in storage, now known as Element Zero, or Eezo for short. More experiments with the material commence, thanks to ways of extracting it being shared by the Rachni queen.
55:00 Eternal
Another one hundred colonies are brought under Empire control and fortified with heavy defenses.
Tests reveal that Element Zero has capabilities to reduce the mass of any object or material to zero, but suggestions to apply it to their tech are overruled as it did not react well with magic or the technology they used.
Once transmutation was used on the mineral though, the result was an artificially created isotope of Element Zero that still retained the same chemical properties of the original material, but safe to handle with the absent radiation and able to implement with their current technology and actually amplify it.
The isotope is dubbed Extrasolarium, or Exso for short, and mass production of the isotope in mineral farms begins.
55:05 Eternal
Rachni now inhabit more than four planets in Thedosian space, but still do not have the numbers to form a substantial military force. Nonetheless, it becomes common to see Rachni workers aiding in the rebuilding efforts and wandering the streets.
Due to their rarity and idiosyncratic behaviour and child-like personalities, they are accepted with little trouble and more than a few have become good friends of Thedosian children and adults.
Exso applications to both ship and infantry weaponry have proved highly beneficial as their range and firing speed is greatly increased.
Yet another True dreadnought is completed and deployed into military service, dubbed the TE Eternal Guardian. It becomes the flagship of the entire Thedosian Armanda.
55:06 Eternal
The Rachni become official citizens of the Thedosian Empire, much to the joy of many.
The first Rachni ship is constructed using Exso technology that the Rachni developed with a few elements of Thedosian tech. It is outfitted with a hyperdrive developed by a joint Thedosian-Rachni project and is capable of traveling 500 light-years a day.
Alien ruins on the edge of Thedosian space are discovered; due to the case of Rachni being corrupted by unknown influences, only Thedosians are deployed to investigate the site.
It contains mentionings of an alien race known as the Protheans, which had mysteriously disappeared no less than 50,000 years ago to unknown causes. Samples of alien tech are discovered and kept for study, but much to the Empire's disappointment, it is far less advanced than even Exso technology.
It also mentions the alien constructs they destroyed were called mass relays, and that they were part of a very large network that spanned multiple star systems, with a station known as the Citadel that apparently serves both as the center of the entire mass relay network and the hub of government for the entire alien community.
No one liked the fact that technology was being simply left behind so that other races may be the victim of a technological trap. All Thedosians become extremely wary of the mass relays and prepare to destroy every one they come across.
As the ruins do not have much to offer in terms of technology, the Prothean ruins are scrapped for resources whilst the information found in the beacon is documented for further reference should any other Prothean ruins be discovered.
55:07 Eternal
The Rachni are officially inducted into the Thedosian military. Rachni soldiers are able to traverse difficult terrain easily due to their physical build and quickly dig trenches, the latter being helpful in the case a battlegroup is surrounded by enemies.
55:18 Eternal
Rachni workers become more common in greater numbers across Thedosian space and can be found aiding in many construction projects.
More Rachni ships are constructed and bolster the Thedosian Armanda's ranks, though it will be several more years before the Rachni can boast suitable military strength by Thedosian standards.
Yet another site of Prothean ruins are found; this time the beacon has information as to why the Protheans suddenly disappeared from the face of the galaxy.
The answer was that the Citadel itself was a gigantic mass relay, programmed to activate when something known as the 'Cycle' began every fifty thousand years. The ones who built the Citadel and mass relays were a race of AI machines called the Reapers. Information about the Reapers' origins is extremely vague at best, as even the Protheans were unsure about how they came into existence.
None of it sounds good for the Thedosian Empire, and immediately puts the entire military and space Armanda on alert for any potential Reaper tech. Orders were to destroy any found Reaper tech on sight.
55:20 Eternal
A portion of former He'lith territory has been colonized and scoured of alien ruins, with another mass relay destroyed in the process.
The year signifies the beginning of the Golden Age of Prosperity, following a surge of growth in arts and culture and many famous musicians and artists and the like emerging and beginning to gain widespread fame.
For the first time since the Eternal war, veterans and survivors write their war diaries for all to read.
The current ruling Emperor, Amarthathor, orders the construction of a courtyard with great stone statues commemorating the sacrifice of many great heroes, though many more are forgotten by name.
55:21 Eternal
The end of the Eternal war is declared a national holiday.
55:25 Eternal
A derelict transport is found adrift in space, sensors picking up only one lifeform being preserved in a sort of stasis pod, and that the transport was built of eezo.
When a team is sent to investigate, they find an young human male in the stasis pod. When he awakes in a hospital, the child is found to have no memories regarding his past. Amarthathor decides to take the child under his care and names him Aldrige.
55:80 Eternal
As many as 80,000 Thedosian soldiers form a vigilante group known as the Silent Marauders. They bear an insignia of two arms crossing each other; one holding a pistol, the other a combat knife.
56:04 Eternal
A complete revamp of the military is conducted, restructuring the chain of command and organisation of the troops in different fleets and assault units.
56:10 Eternal
Yet another ship disappears due to the same cause following the TE Halamshiral several decades prior, prompting scientists and engineers to investigate the flaws in the portal-drive.
59:90 Eternal
The remnants of a battlefield are discovered on a previously unknown planet, containing alien artifacts emitting a strange radio wave that probes the minds of Thedosians on sight. When the Rachni recognise it as the 'sour note', the artifacts are immediately destroyed and research on protecting vulnerable minds from the indoctrinating signal begins.
61:80 Eternal
Strange fluctuations in the time continuum are discovered by draconian magi. The causes are under investigation.
63:90 Eternal
First contact is made with an intergalactic community and three independent nations, the former known as the Azerothian Coalition and the latter being the Pandaren Republic, Arakkoa Collective, and Dragonflight Alliance.
The Azerothian Coalition is found to have the same type of government with the exception of the grand leader being a High King, but the main difference is that every race must choose a representative to govern the Coalition for a maximum of not more than twenty years, and the people have to choose the candidate.
The members races of the Coalition are Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, High Elves, Blood Elves, Orcs, Tauren, Trolls, Goblins, Worgen, Night Elves, and Draenei. Records state that there used to be an entire race of undead among their ranks, but they and their leader mysteriously disappear for unknown reasons.
The biggest surprise to all Thedosians is that there are other dragons on other worlds, though the Azerothians are equally surprised as well.
The TE Halamshiral is found once more, and the only survivor recounts his time on Azeroth when it was still in its medieval ages. Another ship, known as the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn is also discovered.
As the first contact progressed peacefully, the Empire and Coalition sign a trade agreement and open their borders to each other, allowing tourism to flourish and setting off a new wave of immigration between both nations.
63:92 Eternal
Two years since the signing of the trade agreement have seen relations improve between the two powers greatly to the point that the formation of an alliance between the two powers was speculated about.
More than a few Thedosians have made friends with Pandaren farmers and lorewalkers, which becomes especially common in bars and eateries.
64:00 Eternal
It is the year the Thedosian Empire and Azerothian Coalition officially become allies for both friendship and mutual benefit, and is approved by the populace.
Following the signing of the alliance agreement, a group of Thedosian and Azerothian merchants band together to form an economic company known as the TedEx Cooperation, its main aim to facilitate trade between the two powers and improve quality of unknown goods.
65:83 Eternal
First contact is made with another galactic power known as the Koprulu Alliance. Consisting of three races, humans yet again, a psionically strong race called the Protoss, and a bio-organic race known as the Zerg.
Unlike the Thedosian Empire or Azerothian Coalition though, the races of the Koprulu Sector only ally for mutual benefit and military alliance as they were enemies before, so it was common to see that they were not sharing planets, only star systems.
Nonetheless, the Koprulu Alliance becomes another ally of the Thedosian Empire and also signs a trade agreement.
An agreement is made between the three powers to share the planet of Tarsonis and turn it into a transport hub for interchanging of goods between various trading companies of the three different powers. Thanks to terraforming technology and magic, the previously devastated planet of Tarsonis is made into a habitable planet for all races.
The denizens of the Koprulu Sector tend to isolate themselves from each other, though there have been cases of Thedosians and Azerothians living alongside the Terrans and Protoss as friendly neighbours.
There have been cases of Terrans prejudiced against psionics either beaten badly or suffered horrendous injuries, just for trying to send psionic children, who became friends of Thedosian children to the Ghost program without their knowledge.
As a result, Emperor Valerian of the Terran Dominion declares that candidates of the Ghost Program and Project Shadowblade shall no longer have their memories erased under a psi wipe.
65:85 Eternal
Another mass relay is discovered at the edge of known space, but before it could be destroyed, an entire fleet of alien ships pours forth from the relay, stopping every ship captain from giving the order.
Upon closer inspection, the race of aliens piloting the entire fleet goes by the name of Quarians.
A/N: Surprise, surprise! Quarians make first contact with the other powers, and Starcraft and Warcraft become part of my fanfic.
I will admit, it has been rather hard writing this chapter, because I wanted the Dragon Age people to have experience in galactic war and, some of you may have guessed it, this is a stomp fic where the Citadel Council gets owned.
Next chapter, first contact with the Geth!
Until then, this is Ebanu8.