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The History of the Fifth World
HISTORY LESSONS
SOME NOTES ON THE WORLD OF WAKING THE DEAD 2.0, AMONG OTHER THINGS
This is a timeline that covers the years between the end of Waking the Dead 1.0 and Waking the Dead 2.0, and a few relevant events from the first campaign. Expect additions in the future.
THE YEARS 1999 TO 2012: THE DECADE (AND THEN SOME) OF GIFTS
Psychics and other sensitives have, since 1999, constantly told anyone who would listen that “awakenings” were on the rise – that is, more and more mortals were realizing their real potential as supernatural beings, or being turned over, occasionally against their will, to the World of Darkness. Let it be known that Hunters – mortals who, after getting a taste of what lay beyond the Veil, decided to fight – have always attempted, as best as they can, to prevent the rest of the world from knowing the truth. Furthermore, many supernatural communities were fully aware of the dangers that would come from a full exposure of their activities, and have attempted to police themselves. What set the period of 1999 to 2012 apart was the fact that there were far too many awakenings and turnings for the respective efforts of the Keepers of the Vigil and supernatural communities to hide.
By 2012, members of some of the less radical conspiracies – namely the Methuselah, Zangyaku and Network Zero – began to debate among themselves. Many began to wonder if the sharp increase in awakenings and their subsequent containment problem was some sort of sign; perhaps it was time to be rid of the Veil, and lead the world into a new chapter of its history. These people were, however, a noisy minority, and the leaders of these conspiracies remained silent on the matter.
By 2012, members of some of the less radical conspiracies – namely the Methuselah, Zangyaku and Network Zero – began to debate among themselves. Many began to wonder if the sharp increase in awakenings and their subsequent containment problem was some sort of sign; perhaps it was time to be rid of the Veil, and lead the world into a new chapter of its history. These people were, however, a noisy minority, and the leaders of these conspiracies remained silent on the matter.
AUGUST 2012 • AUGUST 17, 2012: COMMITTEE CONVERGENCE NO. 5,236 • AUGUST 18, 2012: THE TREE AND THE DRAGON • AUGUST 19, 2012: THE RISE OF NETSACH • AUGUST 24, 2012: DEATH’S AWAKENING • AUGUST 25, 2012: NETSACH-ZANGYAKU JOINT OPERATION 001, HOKKAIDO OCTOBER 2012-JANUARY 2013 • OCTOBER 1 TO NOVEMBER 30, 2012: THE ILUMINATI & THE LUMINOUS APOCRYPHA • NOVEMBER 30, 2012: THE FIRST SUMMIT AT FALNER ESTATE • DECEMBER 2-3, 2012: OPERATION NYX • DECEMBER 5, 2012: THE END OF THE AGE OF THE DRAGON • DECEMBER 7, 2012: THE SECOND SUMMIT AT FALNER ESTATE • DECEMBER 21, 2012: THE DEATH NOT OF THE WORLD, BUT OF IGNORANCE • DECEMBER 22 TO DECEMBER 31, 2012: THE BREAKING OF THE VEIL • JANUARY 1 TO JANUARY 7, 2013: PAX DEORUM MEETING 001, THE PHILIPPINE SUMMIT |
THE YEARS 2013 TO 2022: THE FIRST REFORMS
The next decade was perhaps one of the busiest periods in Earth’s history. It is best characterized by four movements initiated by Pax Deorum: the One Earth Policy, the Tabula Rasa Reforms, the Pigafetta Expeditions, and the Gemeinschaftsgefuhl Program. The gist of all four has been listed below, for reference.
THE FIRST REFORMS • THE ONE EARTH POLICY • THE TABULA RASA REFORMS • THE PIGAFETTA EXPEDITIONS • THE GEMEINSCHAFTSGEFUHL PROGRAM • THE SHIELD INITIATIVE • THE NEW DAWN OF THE METHUSELAH |
DECEMBER 22, 2022: PAX DEORUM FIFTH CHAPTER SUMMIT OF 2022
Between the years 2020 and 2022, Pax Deorum saw the largest breakdowns in command and in policy. World support of their actions had dwindled to an all-time low, and violence from all camps – supernatural against supernatural, human against human, human against supernatural – was reaching its peak. As such, an emergency meeting between the members of Pax Deorum was called at Blaece, the first Fifth Chapter Summit in his history: the congregation was only scheduled to meet four times every twelve months, to match the respective four quarters of a year.
The meeting melted down with alarming speed, in spite of Netsach and Zangyaku’s efforts to control the situation. The leaders of both conspiracies together with their allies then looked on, in horror, as the United Nations voted in favor of removing supernatural and conspiracy representatives from the congregation. Then, after the “restoration” of the United Nations “in light of greater human interests”, UN leaders were then forced to declare the allegiance of their countries: they needed to specify whether they were anti-supernatural, pro-supernatural, or neutral. An astounding majority declared, that day, that they were anti-supernatural. This naturally angered the representatives of the supernatural political groups that were still in the room, and caused a mass walkout. Once they were gone, the United Nations requested that the leaders of the conspiracies leave, so that they might be left to discuss “human matters” properly without any “interference”.
THE DARKEST VIGIL (2022-2060)
The Darkest Vigil, as it is now called in Waking the Dead’s history books, was not one single event, but several that espoused many other conflicts, which, in turn, caused several more, in a completely destructive domino effect. As it is impossible to list down everything that occurred within this fifty year period, a chronology of the more “significant” events has been outlined below.
THE ONSET OF THE WAR • DECEMBER 24-30, 2022: THE BLACK CHRISTMAS • THE YEARS 2022 TO 2042: THE PHOENIX WAR • JANUARY 5, 2023: THE LOCKDOWN OF THE NORTH AMERICAN BORDER • JANUARY 7-14, 2023: YGGDRASIL’S ROOTS • JUNE 27, 2023: THE ASSASSINATION OF THE DALAI LAMA • JUNE 28 TO JULY 3, 2023: THE CHINA-TIBET WAR • FEBRUARY 8, 2024: TIANANMEN SQUARE II THE BIG DARKNESS • FEBRUARY 9 TO 28, 2024: THE SECOND SINO-JAPANESE WAR • MARCH 15, 2027: THE IDES OF MARCH • THE YEARS 2028 TO 2030: THE WAR BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN • THE YEARS 2032 TO 2035: THE SECOND INDO-PAKISTAN WAR • THE YEARS 2035 TO 2060: THE HOURS OF GRENDAL • SEPTEMBER 13, 2042: THE RISE OF THE NEW AEGIS KAI DORU • AUGUST 15, 2051 TO AUGUST 15, 2053: THE SECOND KOREAN WAR THE END OF THE WAR • OCTOBER 17, 2059: PAX DEORUM FOURTH QUARTER SUMMIT OF 2059 • OCTOBER 31, 2059 TO FEBRUARY 12, 2060: OPERATION NAUTICAL DAWN • FEBRUARY 14, 2060: THE ARMISTICE AT BLAECE • FEBRUARY 15, 2060 |
2060-2063: THREE YEARS LATER…
New world orders were established the moment the dust settled, all in the hopes of getting everyone back on their feet. The Methuselah effectively became the “United Nations” of the supernatural community, and positioned itself in solidarity with the United Nations of the mundane community. Everyone, mundane and supernatural alike, had learned some hard lessons from the Darkest Vigil. No single group could say that they were blameless, that they had not suffered their own losses, their own tragedies…
…Nevertheless, the ghosts of war don’t rest easily, and hard decisions made in order to solve an immediate problem don’t always hold well, nor do they always turn out to be the right ones in the end. Tensions still run high, both between individuals and between countries. Many mundanes still view supernaturals with fear and suspicion; some of them use this to fuel their actions, small or otherwise, against the supernatural community as a whole. Many supernaturals, on the other hand, feel that “those fucking Deadwalkers” don’t deserve to live after everything that they’ve done – some even believe themselves to be better than the mundanes, because of the abilities they have at their disposal.
Just about everyone was tired of war by this point, and scared of what might happen if something like the Darkest Vigil were to occur again. But that didn’t stopping certain interest groups from trying to rile things up again, for better or for worse.
MARCH 2063-JUNE 2064: THE SECOND RISE OF GRENDAL
This is a timeline made for the purposes of the Waking the Dead universe established in Welcome to the New Age, the online version of the Waking the Dead campaign.
PUT ON YOUR WAR PAINT • MARCH 13, 2063: GRADUATION DAY, BALAMB BATCH 2063 • MARCH 18-19, 2063: AN INTERESTING FLIGHT TO FALNER • MARCH 22, 2063: THE BEGINNINGS OF A BLADE • MARCH 30, 2063: THE FOURTH? • APRIL 1, 2063: NSC-FAL-206304-001 ENGAGEMENT 001 – “HAWKE’S NEST” • APRIL 2, 2063: NSC-FAL-206304-001 ENGAGEMENT 002 – “BLACKOUT” • APRIL 3, 2063: THE DAYWALKER’S RETURN • APRIL 4-5, 2063: WAR HOUNDS ENGAGEMENT 003 – “THE GREEN” • APRIL 6, 2063: FROSTRIVER VISITS THE FALNER ESTATE • APRIL 7, 2063: INQUISITOR LINCOLN HAWKE RETURNS • APRIL 8, 2063: ENGAGEMENT PDVGL-20630408-001: “OPERATION BIG TRACKS” • APRIL 12, 2063: SETSUNA SHINTA’S SECOND RETURN • APRIL 19, 2063: THE VIGIL GOES TO WAR AGAINST TASKFORCE VALKYRIE • MAY 4, 2063: THE LIVING LAND IS CHALLENGED • MAY 13, 2063: THE ASSASSIN RETURNS TO THE SEARING WIND • MAY 31, 2063 TO JUNE 1, 2063: BROTHER DEATH’S FIRST “SHIFT” • JUNE 4, 2063: JESSIAH VICE’S SURVEY BRING HOME THE BOYS, PART 1 • JUNE 12, 2063: THE UNVEILING OF ARCIS • JUNE 17, 2063: THE WINGS OF THERION RETURN TO FALNER • JUNE 25, 2063: PAX DEORUM SUMMIT 2063-001 & OPERATION HECATON • JUNE 27, 2063: KARLO ANTONIO ZOBEL DE AYALA’S INITIATION • JUNE 29, 2063: ENEMIES WITHIN • JULY 4 TO JULY 9, 2063: OPERATION HECATON PHASE 001 • JULY 4 TO JULY 12 2063: ENGAGEMENT PDVGL-20630704-001, “OPERATION GOD SAVE THE KING” • JULY 16, 2063: JESSIAH VICE’S DEBRIEFING ON THE OTHER WORLD • JULY 22, 2063: THE ANGEL LANDS BRING HOME THE BOYS, PART 2 • JULY 27, 2063: OPERATION HECATON PHASE 002, “SHUTDOWN” • AUGUST 1 TO AUGUST 5 2063: OPERATION HECATON PHASE 003, “BRIDGES” • AUGUST 9, 2063: KARMIC RETRIBUTION STARTS SLOW • AUGUST 12, 2063: THE INITIAL APPEARANCE OF THE JUSTICE LEAGUE • AUGUST 19, 2063: THE FIRST JLA-MALICE KINGS SUMMIT & WAR HOUNDS ENGAGEMENT 004, “RED MARK” • AUGUST 20, 2063: DEATH’S SECOND “SHIFT” • AUGUST 21, 2063 TO AUGUST 22, 2063: WAR HOUNDS ENGAGEMENT 005, “STILL WATER” • AUGUST 22, 2063 TO AUGUST 24, 2063: ANGELS UP ON HIGH • AUGUST 25, 2063: BROTHER DEATH’S HOUR • AUGUST 27, 2063: AMADEUS’ REAWAKENING THE DARK IS COMING • AUGUST 28, 2063: THE VIGIL LIGHTS ANOTHER CANDLE • AUGUST 28, 2063: THE RITE OF THE WOLF • AUGUST 28, 2063 TO SEPTEMBER 2, 2063: OPERATION NYX II • SEPTEMBER 3, 2063: OPERATION HECATON FINAL PHASE “MARCO POLO” • SEPTEMBER 10, 2063: A NOT-SO-NEW TREND IN AWAKENINGS • SEPTEMBER 14, 2063: PDZAN2063-1409001: OPERATION STEELSINGER • SEPTEMBER 19, 2063 TO OCTOBER 2, 2063: PDVGL2063-1909001: THE SOUTH AMERICA INITIATIVE • SEPTEMBER 23, 2063: THE FIFTH WORLD ESTABLISHES OFFICIAL TIES WITH TERRA • OCTOBER 10, 2063 TO OCTOBER 23, 2063: WAR HOUNDS ENGAGEMENT 006, “ELA” • OCTOBER 24, 2063 TO OCTOBER 30, 2063: WAR HOUNDS ENGAGEMENT 007, “THIRTEEN TALENTS” • NOVEMBER 2, 2063 TO DECEMBER 4, 2063: PDZAN2063-0211001, THE ARCADIA INITIATIVE (ACTUAL TIME PERIOD: APPROXIMATELY ONE ARCADIAN YEAR) • DECEMBER 7, 2063 TO DECEMBER 23, 2063: PDVGL2063-0712005, “CELESTIAL LADDER” THE WITCHING HOURS • DECEMBER 2063 TO FEBRUARY 2064: ANOTHER APOCALYPSE? • FEBRUARY 14 TO FEBRUARY 16, 2064: THE ARMISTICE TRAGEDY • FEBRUARY 18, 2064: PAX DEORUM EMERGENCY SUMMIT 002 • FEBRUARY 19, 2064 TO MAY 13, 2064: PDVGL2064-0219001, “ZHONG YUAN JIE” • MAY 14, 2064 TO MAY 29, 2064: PDVGL2064-0514001, “IN UMBRA, IGITUR, PUGNABIMUS” • MAY 31, 2063 TO JUNE 6, 2064: PDVGL2064-0531001, “GEHENNA BOUND” • JUNE 12, 2064: THE OPENING OF ARCIS FORTRESS CITY |
THERE'S NO PATH TO FOLLOW
BATTLESCARRED CONQUISTADORS • JUNE 13, 2064 TO PRESENT: THE SECOND REFORMS • JUNE 15, 2064: THE BLADE KING RETURNS TO THE CYCLE • JULY 4, 2064: GETTYSBERG ACADEMY OPENS • OCTOBER 14, 2064: STORMWATCH EXPEDITION 001, “THE COLUMBUS EXPEDITION” • JANUARY 20, 2065: THE WORLD WELCOMES A NEW REAPER • FEBRUARY 20, 2066: BREAKING THE BACK OF THE TAINT • FEBRUARY 21, 2066 TO THE PRESENT |
no subject
A movement that was both a propaganda program and a massive revision of government policy, centered on the belief that supernaturals needed supernatural rights and representation, and that Earth was an Earth for everyone regardless of who or what they were.
Ironically, analysts have pointed out that the presence of One Earth proponents gave many conservatives a new target, thus aiding in the increased tolerance and acceptance of LGBT communities and other minority groups across the world.
A United Nations-funded program directed towards taking the best and brightest human and supernatural scholars, and having them systematically rewrite the entire body of human knowledge to match the “truth” of the existence of the World of Darkness. Their findings determined the base of a new educational curriculum, geared towards awareness, sensitivity, and protection. This curriculum was then implemented in educational institutions of all levels around the globe.
The Pigafetta Expeditions were a series of human exploration and survey teams into the realms beyond the Prime Material Plane. Agents from Netsach, the Methuselah, Aegis Kai Doru and Zangyaku personally guided the teams during the course of their research, ensuring, to the best of their abilities, that their discoveries were recorded, and that the groups made it out alive.
A Pax Deorum-funded program that involved the restoration, rehabilitation and reconstruction of settlements ravaged during the Breaking of the Veil, and the re-planning and development of cities geared towards promoting co-existence between human beings and supernaturals. Three of the biggest projects of this program was the construction of Blaece, the Headquarters of Pax Deorum in Antarctica, the construction of Shin Yamatai, the Necropolis of Earth, and New Atlantis, the Mage City-State of Earth.
Two important shifts also occurred within the Vigil itself. Both have been listed below as well, for reference.
Interestingly enough, more people know this movement by its pet name: “Vigil Keepers Anonymous”, which is a fallback to the Alcoholics Anonymous support group. The similarities are undeniable, as the program was an attempt at changing the ways of Hunters. Prior to the First Reforms, the majority of the world’s conspiracies still believed in destroying the World of Darkness with impunity. After the hard lessons that were learned during the Breaking of the Veil, however, Pax Deorum – guided by Netsach and Zangyaku – attempted to enforce its policy of cooperation upon hunters through a program of discipline and re-education. Hunters who still believed that all supernatural kind was their enemy were taken in; cells, compacts, and conspiracies that did the same were heavily sanctioned. Formal hunting academies were established, with strict psychological evaluations and a training program that emphasized preserving the Balance.
Although the Shield Initiative was massively criticized during its implementation, it is said that it ended up preventing more of the potential damage that could have occurred during the Darkest Vigil.
Prior to the schism that occurred in August 18, 2012, the Methuselah had been the single most powerful conspiracy in the world, with a 4,000-year-old legacy under its belt. Internal squabbling and the departure of their best and brightest for Netsach left the conspiracy in shambles.
Where most believed that it would be best to consign the Methuselah to a quiet death, one individual thought otherwise. Elias Tagabigay, then a dual-licensed hunter of Netsach and Zangyaku, approached Wiseman’s Committee member Maeniel Gemini directly after Operation Nyx. It is not known what was discussed between the pair, only that Elias walked out of Maeniel’s office as a triple-licensed hunter, and proceeded to focus all of his efforts on restoring the conspiracy.
Elias’ quick rise within the Methuselah’s ranks was attributed to the significant amount of support that he received from some of the conspiracy’s more progressive-minded individuals. He worked towards changing the conspiracy within, making it re-realize its original cause. His approach, however, was different from the one established by the Methuselah’s founders: he wanted to make the Methuselah a reactive conspiracy, geared towards shutting down problems the moment they occurred with the most minimal use of force as possible. He envisioned the Methuselah’s members less as hunters, and more like watchmen that had enough power and influence to keep the Vigil without the loss of life and property.
By 2015, Elias reached the rank of Inquisitor, both within the Methuselah and within Netsach, his home conspiracy. By 2018, he was voted into the Wiseman’s Committee, the leaders of the Methuselah. His first move as a member of the Committee was to initiate a total reform of the Committee itself.
At the beginning of this decade, it appeared as though things were going to work out: Pax Deorum’s numbers were slowly increasing, and more individuals – supernatural and human alike – were beginning to see the importance of focusing on change and healing rather than going back to the old ways. Dissent, dissatisfaction, paranoia and greed, however, were at an all-time high, and began to color the interests of people both within and outside of Pax Deorum. It also became painfully evident how helpless the United Nations was with regard to controlling the human populace, and how many conspiracies did not actually support Netsach, Zangyaku and the Methuselah regardless of how much clout they had and what they could offer to the rest of the world. The fact that political and ethnic differences continued to come into play did not help; neither did the fact that many had been led into the false belief that the presence of supernaturals was going to solve the world’s problems in an instant by destroying inequality.