Rifts®: Megaversal Highway™
Rifts Earth
Rifts Earth Dimension Statistics
Type: Infinite Dimension.
Size: Infinite.
Primary Dimensional Medium: Space/Vacuum.
Secondary Dimensional Medium: Multiple Planetary Land Masses.
Density of Dimensional Fabric: Permeable.
Magic Level: Super High.
Dimensional Energy Matrix: Negative. Only technology with a universal or negative energy flow will work in this dimension. Technology from either a neutral or positive universe won’t function at all.
Flow of Time: Normal.
Dimensional Quirks: Dimensional Triangles and Permanent Rifts.
The Golden Age
The “Golden Age of Mankind” refers to a time, before the Rifts, before the “Dark Age”, when there were no such things as D-Bees, Mutants, Juicers, Crazies, Cyberknights, Vampires nor Magic.
In this time, science, technology and medicine began to combine to create cybernetics, bionics and human augmentation. This new development in human augmentation excited all the nations, and everybody began pouring resources into this new field. As the nations worked on these, trade of information and technology increased, making nations wealthy and peace reigned as each focused on themselves.
Once they had achieved great bounds in human augmentation, they began looking at what other nations were doing, and they noticed that not all nations had achieved equally. While everyone had succeeded, some had overshadowed others with what was created.
This led to discontent among the nations, then discontent led to suspicion. After all, what were these super-men good for, other than war? The fear and suspicion led to slowing of trade between nations, weakening the nation’s infrastructure. This was seen as pre-emptive actions, as a weak nation is easier to conquer.
After some skirmishes, smaller nations joined the larger ones, creating more definite lines of power. Once these super-nations were formed, the governments started developing machines of war, creating; Glitter Boys, Juicers, Borgs, Bots and Crazies.
Chaos Earth
The end of the Golden Age of man was marked by massive world war. A war larger and more destructive than any that had come before. With the use of super-men, machines of war, giant robots, laser weapons, particle cannons, millions upon millions were killed.
With the killing of a living creature, it’s P.P.E. is released to the environment. Normally, this energy will dissipate and maybe have minor lingering effects (poltergeist, ghosts, strange feelings when in a location), or typically no lingering effects at all.
When humans were killed in massive numbers all across the world, all their P.P.E. released to the environment would coalesce in Ley Lines. When enough P.P.E. was released, the Ley Lines tore open Rifts, letting loose monstrous horrors from the beyond. These Dimensional Beings (commonly referred to as D-Bees) entered a world at war, and had no qualms about killing these violent creatures infesting this wonderous mystical place.
The Return of Order
After a time uncounted, mankind secures some footholds in the world…
In the Americas, the military government that emerged was the Coalition States. Based in a giant city fortress built on the bones of old Chicago, Chi-Town (pronounced Shy-Town, after the nickname of the old city of Chicago) became the safe haven of humans in old United States. The Coalition is Pro-human and anti-magic.
Also in the old United States is the Federation of Magic. In the Ohio valley sits a city that embraces magic, and is filled with Necromancers which puts it at odds with the neighboring Coalition States.
Free Quebec is the Coalition States refuge for humans in old Canada.
In old Toronto, Canada lies New Lazlo, a free city that embraces magic and non-humans and is the birthplace of Techno-Wizardry.
England, Wales and Scotland have had their cities destroyed as well, to be replaced by societies of magic and Druidism.
China is a land besieged by mystical energies and demons. The human population is shattered and losing ground every day.
Japan was hit by tidal waves, monsoons, volcanoes and demons. Today it is a land of tiny islands.
Egypt is a place of great magic, with Ley Lines and Nexus Points often marked by pyramids from ancient times. It is said there is a major Nexus Point in Egypt.
Africa is a continent of darkness, tribal living and shamans fighting demons and monsters from the Rifts.
South America has been reshaped by rising ocean levels and the engorging of the Amazon river. It is a land of islands, with Argentina being the notable city of mankind and high technology, such as Glitter boys, Juicers, Crazies and older pre-rifts military technology.
“Copyright © 1990, 2005 and 2013 Palladium Books Inc. & Kevin Siembieda; all rights reserved world wide. No part of this work may be sold, distributed or reproduced in part or whole, in any form or by any means, without written permission from the publisher. All incidents, situations, institutions, governments and people are fictional and any similarity to characters or persons living or dead is strictly coincidental."
by:
Giant2005
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