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History

This is not our world. It's a lot like it, but there are some important differences. There is no clear inflection point--this isn't an alternate history, but an alternate reality. But history wasn't all that different until recently, so we divide history into a few eras:

  • The Age of Wild Magic (-∞ to 5000 BCE)
  • The Age of Inanna (5000 BCE to 1100 BCE)
  • The Age of Abraham (1100 BCE to 1650 CE)
  • The Age of Enlightenment (1650 CE to 1850 CE)
  • The Age of Industry (1850 CE to 1950 CE)
  • The Age of Paradox (1950 CE to 2016 CE)
  • The Age of the Meta (2016 CE to present)

Beats:

  • Age of Wild Magic: humans are aware of magic, shamans and witches are common, magic is a part of everyday life, the world is full of monsters and demihumans, the Earth is alive and responsive to human care and neglect, the gods are active and present in the world.
  • Age of Inanna: the first great civilization arises in Mesopotamia, centered around the worship of the goddess Inanna. The first great cities are built, and the first great empires rise and fall. The gods are still active, but they become more distant and unknowable, as the world of Man and Gods diverges.
  • Age of Abraham: the rise of monotheism, with the worship of a single, all-powerful God. The world becomes more orderly and predictable, as the influence of the gods wanes. The first great religions arise, and the first great philosophical systems are developed. The world becomes more materialistic and less magical.
  • Age of Enlightenment: the rise of science and reason, with the rejection of superstition and dogma. The world becomes more mechanistic and deterministic, as the influence of magic and religion wanes further. An semi-unified global order of wizards takes over from the old gods as principle defenders of Earth and humanity from the supernatural, swearing to uphold Laws of Magic including a Great Masquerade to hide the supernatural from the public eye.
  • Age of Industry: the rise of industrialization and capitalism, with the exploitation of natural resources and the growth of cities. The world becomes more polluted and chaotic, as the influence of magic and nature wanes. The Technocracy, a secret organization of powerful wizards, takes control of the world, using their knowledge of magic and technology to maintain a hyper-reality known as The Meta, which keeps humanity in ignorance and servitude.
  • Age of Paradox: the rise of Paradox, a metaphysical law of the Universe that holds that sentient beings have the power to shape reality through their beliefs. The Meta becomes more and more unstable, as the corruption and greed of the ruling class threatens to tear it apart. The forces of darkness that control the world become more and more desperate to maintain their grip on power, and the world becomes more and more dangerous for those who know the truth.
  • Age of the Meta: the world is a simulation, a hyper-reality known as The Meta, created and maintained by powerful corporations and politicians to keep humanity in ignorance and servitude. The forces of darkness that control the world are desperate to maintain their grip on power, and the world becomes more and more dangerous for those who know the truth.