>>> Europe <<<
>>> North America <<<
>>> South America <<<
>>> Asia <<<
>>> Africa <<<
>>> Australia and Pacific <<<
>>> Space <<<
The Aberrants' strikes have left the former major powers in ruins. New powers have risen in turn: first China, then Brazil, followed by the new coalition of the United African Nations.
Humanity has also resumed its migration into space, but the sudden disparition of an entire order of Psions five yearsd ago, the teleporters of Upeo wa Macho, left entire colonies stranded. However, newly perfected jumpships are now returning to these distant outposts.
[From the Aeon Trinity rulebook.]
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #8672362539609
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE TRANSCRIPTION
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
After nearly a century of devastation and reconstruction, Europe remains a continent of ruined cities and fragmented nations. Although reforming the European Commonwealth is a step toward restoring the continent, the root of Europe's problems is not political but cultural. Despite Zurich-Geneva's best efforts in leading the EC into a new era, European nations have trouble accepting that they are no longer the world center of culture and commerce. The remnants of old nations bicker for concessions in the EC, while the young turn away from tradition entirely in favor of new ways of life.
Ironically, these new ways are often the oldest. Religion has filled the void created by the collapse of national power. With the loss of French rationalism, the European mind turns increasingly to mysticism and the continent's ritual heritage. An indeterminate number of cults and agrarian-socialist splinter groups have sprung up. This new mysticism is accompanied by a flood of stories about psi "saints" and "angelic visitations."
The French would have found the irony amusing. The Dark Ages have returned to Europe in an era anticipated otherwise as the most hopeful for humanity. Modern Europeans dwell in a ruined urban forest, a world haunted by ghosts and angels. The youth of Europe look above the forest, to the stars, while the superpowers' orbital stations loom bright in the firmament. The Urban Schism continues in Europe, with thousands of European slummers retreating to small villages.
- London Circle © 9.19.2119 Rafat, Inc.
FRENCH PERMANENT REFUGEE ZONE - Mourners from as far away as Titan came to Tours today to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Esperanza disaster. In a holotaped statement, Otha Herzog offered his prayers and sympathy on behalf of ISRA for the survivors of France and the people of Europe. "The tragedy of the Esperanza affects us all profoundly. In time, the true meaning of the disaster will become known and the bereaved may gain some comfort from the martyrdom of the dead. For now, ISRA joins in the mourning, both for the lost French spirit and for the great paralysis visited upon the larger European community."
The orbital station Esperanza, launched by the EC in 2112, was recognized as Europe's last hope for establishing a space presence. The Aberrant attack on the station two years later sent it back to Earth, where it disintegrated and rained over western Europe. Hundreds of pieces of debris detonated the French power grid and hit in destructive shock waves as far away as Genoa, Sardinia and Algiers. An estimated 11 million people were killed outright by the power grid explosions; deaths due to radiation poisoning and other complications may eventually raise the final toll to twice that. Without the continued support of the psi orders, it is unlikely that France will ever recover as a habitable center. As a Permanent Refugee Zone, France is co-administered by the EC and the Ęsculapian Order.
[From the Aeon Trinity rulebook.]
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #8672362539609
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE TRANSCRIPTION
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
The once-proud United States of America, including Canada and portions of Mexico in the 22nd century, has become a loose confederation since the Aberrant War. The old United States' economic might was one of the biggest obstacles to the Aberrants' victory, and their strategies, disorganized though they were, hinged on destroying the superpower.
Although Aberrants seemed to have no specific geographic tendencies, the majority flocked to North America in the early 21st century. The United States was a primary target for their aggression when the war broke out. The impact of such horrendous circumstances cannot be described adequately. Yet, as severe as the war's effects were on the United States, two key events proved to be the nation's ultimate downfall.
Calvert Wycoff was raised a fundamentalist Christian. After his Aberrant powers manifested, he gathered a circle of followers called the Prophets of Jehovah. From an armed camp in Hastings, Nebraska, they preached the "word of God" as spoken through "His new Son," Wycoff.
The Prophets blared their apocalyptic message across local OpNet, radio and TV frequencies, foretelling the destruction of the world, the death of this "Gomorrah nation at the hands of the Son," and his triumphant return a century afterward, "leading the very hosts of Heaven." Citing egregious violations of FCC regulations as well as suspected weapons violations, the FBI moved into the Prophets' compound only a few weeks later.
Minutes into the raid, Wycoff literally exploded in a blaze of glory that swept the heart of North America for two hundred kilometers in every direction. The burst itself was recorded as some sort of plasma energy. Reports asserted that an another wave of unidentified energy washed over roughly another thousand kilometers. However, since the secondary effect caused no immediate death or property damage, it was disregarded.
The instantaneous deaths of those in the blast zone, and the loss of hundreds of millions of American dollars in resources shocked the world. However, the long-term effects of the Hastings explosion didn't become apparent until months afterward. Despite calls for an investigation into the government's role in the disaster, the FBI insisted that its field agents acted independently when they raided the Prophets' compound.
By early 2055 it was obvious that the Hastings blast had a more sinister effect - what became known as the blight. Crops wouldn't grow in ground exposed to Wycoff's strange secondary wave. Even worse, major strains of contemporary high-yield soy and wheat would not germinate in any North American soil. Questions remain even today: Was this some secret plot of Wycoff's? Was it the work of other Aberrants who channeled his death throes? Was it simply an unforeseen side effect of his death? Whatever the answers, the blight's effects were horrific. Fear and starvation swept the land as the nation scrambled to replenish its depleted food reserves. Meanwhile, other Aberrants continued laying waste to urban centers and the countryside.
TRITON DIVISION INTERNAL ARCHIVES: FILE #EF4IU93240Y289EE
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE >>>> TITLE : Analysis: Post-War Recovery Update 2096: The FSA
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
Confidential · Triton Division · Confidential
While the country gives the impression of a land on the rebound, statistics and evidence give our economists fits. There's more work to be had in the fertile lands than there are reliable farm workers. Heavy industry is seeing its fourth consecutive rise in output. And yet the FSA's official GNP continues to slide; the dollar buys less each year, and thousands starve in the ring-towns of the arcologies. If production is so high, where is the food and money going? Our contacts in the metanational corporations indicate that a fair amount of resources go to the corps and the FSM - but not enough to account for this discrepancy. North America should be in much better financial shape than is evident. So again, the question must be asked: Where is it all going?
[From the Aeon Trinity rulebook.]
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #8442985948
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE TRANSCRIPTION
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
Not even the Spanish conquistadors with their visions of El Dorado could have predicted the fortune to be had in the South America of the 22nd century. When America's fertile farmland was decimated by Calvert Wycoff's dramatic suicide, South America closed its continental borders and its governments exiled most foreigners in a great exodus. Only minimal international trade and communication was maintained. The "Necessary Wall" spawned discontent with governments' policies, but martial law silenced all dissension.
When South America re-established economic contact in 2073, it opened like an oyster with pearls of agricultural produce, bulk natural resources and surplus power. As foreign money flooded into the continent, tourist havens on the verge of ruin blossomed like never before, desolate city-states began construction of the most lavish spaceports on Earth, and new megalopolises became centers for international business and pleasure. South America came into its own with fine tailored suits en Brazilia, hand-rolled cigars, and a white-toothed smile that gleamed like orbital steel.
Nature is power in the 22nd century. South America delights in being the leading nation on the commodities market. Brazil has its finger on the pulse of the UAN, China and Nippon, while tightening its grip on the FSA, Russia and Italy, and saving special "trade tariffs" for Portugal and Spain, its former masters.
Yet South America struggled with second-class international status well into the 21st century. The Aberrant War did not enable the continent to join the rest of the world as much as the war brought other countries down to South America's level. However, the foreign catastrophies of the Aberrant War made South America's natural resources a vital commodity, even something worth fighting over.
Furthermore, before the Aberrants left Earth, Bandeirante-led "hunters" swarmed the South American jungles, purging those Aberrants who hid from radar and satellite scans, and making the fertile lands safe. These turns of events redefined the world's concept of progress, began the "environmentally anxious" era, and made South America a green gem to be coveted.
[From the Aeon Trinity rulebook.]
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #854874763
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE TRANSCRIPTION
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
Welcome to the Asian Century. The ancient civilizations of Asia are putting new technologies to use throughout human space, fueling a dramatic synthesis of new culture and a rich sense of opportunity and expansionism. Not only have the Asian powers paved the Pacific and transformed the world economy, they are now terraforming Mars and colonizing the outer reaches of the solar system - and beyond. In particular, China, having conquered space, turns inward to conquer the intricacies of the psi universe itself, and the mysteries of human consciousness. Asia is on the move.
The problem facing Asia is an ancient one: overpopulation. China has overextended itself, growing too quickly for resources to compensate. The enormous demands of the Asian population tax modern land and water agricultural methods.
Just as ominously, social structures and cultural norms that safeguarded Asian civilization for thousands of years are now breaking down faster than new traditions can be proposed. Nippon, in particular, has suffered irreparable cultural damage.
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #854874763
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE TRANSCRIPTION
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
While other nations challenge China's claims to cultural superiority, it's difficult to dispute the popular belief that China is the focal point of the 22nd century. Since tipping their hand with the 2061 Ultimatum, the Chinese have been the dominant power not only in Asia, but in space.
The best way to explore the political character of China today is to examine how the country achieved orbital ascendancy. When the state council ordered the move into space exploration, it diverted enormous national reserves from education and domestic development. The Chinese people went without medicines, safety measures, agricultural machinery and, eventually, even indoor heating. Public resources (like vehicles and communications systems) were confiscated and sold to other nations to provide additional funds. Despite Beijing's claims to the contrary, an estimated 14 million people died from disease, hunger and accidents as a direct result of the Great Leap.
It was an unpleasant chapter in Chinese history, but it was successful. Yet even today, Beijing works to maintain the appearance that China is orderly and prosperous, even if the people must suffer at times. Witness the burnout of the Yunnan fusion dome. Outsiders can only speculate at the full scope of the tragedy. The dome is still absent from official Ministry of Energy reports today.
- Warren Shaw, Retrospective © 2113 OBC
China literally held the power of life and death over everyone on Earth. The example of Bahrain demonstrated China's ability to destroy any nation, and the political will to do so. Moreover, it seemed that China was largely undamaged by the Aberrant War.
So why didn't China conquer the world? Perhaps its government was as tired of war as everyone else was. Perhaps the country was in worse shape than it let on; there's still a lot we don't know about Chinese internal affairs during this period. Perhaps the Politburo wasn't completely behind the Ultimatum and another faction ordered the fusion platforms to stand down.
Perhaps it was a simple, momentary act of human fellowship. We know that China fared better during the Crash than any other country (in fact, by leading the switch to a platinum trade standard, it led the way toward international recovery). Maybe stability was a more practical advantage to work with than ruling a destroyed planet.
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #5494984
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
When the Japanese islands reopened in 2103, after sequestering themselves since before the Aberrant War, those privileged foreigners allowed to visit Nippon described it as "a futuristic wonderland." Now that the Quarantine is a dim memory, old assumptions of this important but reclusive nation must be re-evaluated.
Nippon, as Japan is now known, is the undisputed world leader in technological research. Hardtech is integrated into all aspects of local culture and is the foundation of the nation's economy. The state trades licenses to inventions (such as the UAN vocoder and the gill-breather apparatus vital to activity in undersea cities) in exchange for diplomatic favors or credit in biomass and heavy metals. Other, more complicated patents are manufactured by the Nihonjin themselves and sold to an eager world that (by and large) can no longer keep up with the technologies involved.
- broadcast continuously over Radio Japan, 5.7 - 12.31.2047
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #09925589
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
It is with great regret that the Japanese people must inform the community of nations that the Home Islands will be closed to all unnecessary traffic for an indeterminate duration, effective at 10 A.M. GMT on May 8, 2047. This decision is motivated by a desire to fortify Japan's sovereign borders against the growing epidemic of worldwide terrorism and should not be considered an attack on any national government or its policies. Trade will continue as normal. All terrestrial and orbital cargos bound for Japan will now be routed through the Okinawa facility for inspection and eventual transport to the Home Islands.
Those with diplomatic business in Japan should address their concerns with Japan's arm in the global sphere, the lower chamber of the United Nations. Aum Soto.
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #54645323
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
Russia is a land trying desperately to make up for missed opportunities. With a wealth of resources and millions of able bodies from Petrograd into the Chinese Co- Development Zone, by all rights Russia should be shoulder-to-shoulder with China, Brazil and the UAN. A selfish and short-sighted Russian government held the great nation back in the 21st century, and Russia hasn't caught up yet.
When Borsov assumed the presidency in 2050, Russia's space exploration showed marked but still minor progress. Russia's long-term extraterrestrial efforts looked promising, but Borsov and his staff saw greater political glory in directing their efforts against the Aberrants.
Russia became one of the strongest aggressors against Aberrants. Ironically, the nation wasn't a hot spot of Aberrant activity until Borsov threw down the gauntlet. Strong enough to weather the Aberrant War better than Europe or North America, Russia came through it strained and battered nonetheless. Russia's Crash involved deposing Borsov and working toward space development once again. Unfortunately, the Russian economy was in a shambles, restricting feasible development of any kind. The government looked for options, and found them in the nation's natural resources.
Even with the destruction caused by the Chernobyl dome's partial collapse, the vast Russian steppe is the largest agricultural zone ever cultivated. Russia's grain buys her friends, notably India and the orbital stations. Russia also holds the second-largest platinum deposits on Earth. Such wealth inspires North and South American political relations, as well.
[From the Aeon Trinity rulebook.]
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #854874763
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE TRANSCRIPTION
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
A continent of many nations, Africa was once crippled by colonization and war. In the 22nd century, African countries have found their power in solidarity. Africa has achieved a sense of "diversity unified in purpose" that far surpasses old ideals of the American melting pot or of the European commonwealth of nations. In Africa, technology melds with tradition, creating advanced interstellar markets against a backdrop of tribal culture. Africa is a flawless grav-crystal wrapped in tanned leathers and sinew cord: a thing both powerful and pure.
During the Crash, Africa's relatively plentiful resources were trapped in capitalistic and nationalistic struggles; infighting denied resources and stability to all. To become strong in both economy and spirit, African leaders realized that they had to rediscover the continent's roots and re-establish the old ways. The United African Nations (UAN) reinstated the intertribal forum and instilled the belief that Africa's hope rested in the hand of every African. Under the UAN's banner, Africa soared into space commerce and jump ship technology, and presently sets world standards in multicultural affairs. The continent was also home to the now missing Upeo wa Macho, and their abandoned base awaits the order's return.
The UAN is a strong rope woven in shades of brown: from the fair Creole islanders of Cape Verde to the midnight-blue-black of the liberated Senegalese. Pride, tradition and prosperity have breathed new life into an old world once ravished by white uitlanders. The ancestral lands have been reclaimed by the Bararzaa Kila Kabila Mzee - the Elder Council of Tribal Peoples, commonly called the "B'razaa" - and transformed into a futuristic nirvana by the young warrior classes. The governmental seat embodied in the Nyerere Kusanyiko, in the historic "Conscience of Black Africa" of Tanzania, hosts not only the tribal elects, but also the best and brightest minds of the international political arena. Joining them are visiting dignitaries, public speakers, and Earth-bound spokespeople from offworld colonies and orbital stations.
- engraved plaque outside the Nyerere Kusanyiko, the UAN's governmental seat, in Tanzania
UAN ARCHIVES: FILE #000001
FILE TYPE: AUDIOFILE : TEXTFILE TRANSCRIPTION
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
We, the appointed representatives of the United African Nations, will continually strive for the benefit of Africa - our People, our Land and in the Spirit of our ancestral vision. We will be both teacher to and student of our Africa, we will be both our own People and a unified People of our Africa, and Africa will achieve awe with one foot firmly planted on our home soil and the other stepping toward the outstretched horizon.
UAN ARCHIVES: FILE #54747239
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
According to the latest round of ISRAn scans, the levels of Aberrant taint remaining in the bombed-out deserts of the Arabian Peninsula are even higher than previously thought. The Damascus region, Abu Dhabi and the corridor from Mecca to Bahrain are generally considered environmentally "unsalvageable."
Old news for the Middle East, which bore the longest and most painful brunt of the Aberrant War. Not only did the war ruin OPEC's attempt to rebuild itself in the wake of the oil crash, but the destruction of Jerusalem by Aberrants provoked a wave of sectarian wars and social upheaval. By the time the religious tumult and infighting died down only Israel-Judah, Oman, Persia and the Turkic Federation remained viable as nation-states. And while these countries have sustained themselves into the new century, they have yet to be a force in modern society.
[From the Aeon Trinity rulebook.]
AEON TRINITY ARCHIVES: FILE #158526420058
FILE TYPE: TEXTFILE TRANSCRIPTION
>>>> AUTHOR: UNKNOWN >>>> [END HEADER]
The United States of America are united no longer. Europe is an economic wreck best characterized by the smoking crater that dominates the French landscape. Asia is a troubled land ruled by China's iron fist. South America's governments bow to the wishes of crime. Where is the common man to go to escape these titanic forces? Where is there room for the common man to realize his dreams? Australia.
In the wake of global changes, Australia has stepped into those places vacated by the superpowers of yesteryear. Let China and Brazil have all the power. Let America and Europe scramble to regain their bygone glory. Australia will take in all the souls who are squeezed out by such power plays. Australia took a gamble after the Aberrant War, reversing a formerly isolationist stance to market itself aggressively to the world. The gamble paid off; the land down under is known as both the last refuge of the middle class and as the entertainment empire of the 22nd century.
When the Aberrant War broke out, fate spared Australia. The continent wasn't enough of a player in the war to interest many Aberrants. Australia was neither a superpower nor a nation with any particular military might.
The Aberrant War came and went, leaving Australia largely untouched. With the middle class of the world bereft of a home, Australia presented itself as the land of opportunity. Anywhere from 50 to 500 settlers would combine their funds and purchase a small fusion reactor. Once energy was on hand, all that remained was effort - and the dispossessed had that in surplus. Before long, new communities dotted the Outback.
- Warren Shaw, Retrospective © 2116 OBC
Now a national monument, New Paris was the first of Australia's new settlements. Settled by French fleeing the chaos of wartime Europe, it was to be a shining example of the power of hope and of the strength of ambition. New Paris was built in 13 days and served as a tribute to the human spirit for 17 more.
Exactly one month after construction of New Paris began, things went wrong. The settlers had bought a second-hand reactor, one with a microscopic crack in the core. The reactor explosion killed 60% of the town's population instantly. Bandits, raiders and wild animals descended upon the settlement in the days that followed. New Paris was no more.
To settlers, New Paris is a two-fold reminder. The human spirit is a powerful thing. The Outback is tougher.
[From the Aeon Trinity rulebook.]
Return to Aeon Trinity: Pearl City Index page.
Credits: This site copyright Sophie Lagacé, 2002-2004. Aeon Trinity copyright White Wolf Publishing, Inc., 1997.