RIFTS: Dimension Book - World Tree MUSH-1

An Earth where the appearance of portals to offworld changed everything. It is working to rebuild itself as it comes to terms with a universe much larger than itself, magic, and new races. Many factions vie for influence and power in the new world.

Type: Blossom

Active Characters

Valerian Railton

Overview

    By the year 2100 on Earth, humanity had entered a Golden Age. Peace reigned and scientific advancement had eliminated all disease, aging, and conquered the human genome. It looked as if humanity had no threat left towards its prosperity and most people believed that this would never come to an end.

    This was completely blown to pieces when the world made contact with the Rifts, as they came to be called. In actuality, this was the world beginning to integrate with the World Tree. Unlike some worlds, this process was not smooth and it was not painless. It was, in fact, quite the opposite. Destruction, chaos, and panic run through the world that had become complacent with peace and prosperity.

    Vines appeared all over the planet, hundreds of worlds connecting to the planet at the same time. From these vines come new, alien life forms. Some of them appear almost human, lost and confused as the residents. Others are hostile and violent, looking as if they were demons from Hell itself. Still at other places, the landscape itself becomes infected and changes drastically to that of the world connected to it. Earth had integrated to the World Tree as a Thorn.

    It was then that the Gardeners stepped in. Over the course of 300 years, they attempted to assist in stabilizing the global situation and resolving its status as a Thorn. They took a large number of measures to attempt to establish and restore balance to the world, or at least keep it at a stable equilibrium so that it is not actively damaging the Tree. Finally, in recent history, it has reached a state where the world is still very hostile and divided, but is no longer at risk of destroying itself or rotting away. Most of its problems are sufficiently self-contained and localized.

    There are parts of the world that are still hostile to outside interference. The largest of which is the Coalition, a human supremacist empire operating out of the former United States of America. They aggressively reject most off-world help, and are only barely tolerant of off-world Humans who are willing to support their goals of remaining a human-only nation and taking North America back.

    Other places, like Lazlo (and formerly Tolkeen), are bastions of inter-dimensional commerce and acceptance. These locations reap benefits from their connection to the Tree, but also earn the ire of those who believe that off-worlders are dangerous.

    Most places are somewhere in between, just trying to live their lives and prosper now that contact with the worlds outside of theirs are a bit less restrictive.

    This theme takes place shortly after the fall of Tolkeen, one of the biggest and most acceptant cities of outsiders. The events of Tolkeen are explained as a separate info file.

The Rifts

The Rifts are Vines.

When the Earth first integrated with the tree, too many connections happened too fast and it destabilized the reality of the planet. This is a rare case known as a 'Collision'.

Most of the things Erin Tarn has written about are the after-effects of other worlds and Vines. Most of the Dimension books are from where other worlds were connected by a Vine and some part of it leaked through.

Dimensional Beings or "DBs" are beings from off the Earth, though many have been on the planet so long as to consider themself native species by this point.

Due to its pliable nature and destabilized global leadership, the world of RIFTS is an easy target for many beings wanting to stake claim, set up empires, or exploit it for resources.

Coalition War: Siege of Tolkeen

For years, The Coalition had been skirmishing with Tolkeen over territory. Honestly, the war was less a matter of 'If', and more a matter of 'When'.

    The Human Supremecist faction known as the Coalition launched a war on the free territory of Tolkeen, home to extraplanar beings and normal humans alike. Both nations had grown to the limits of their borders and it was simply the Coalition States striking first to attempt to seize the territory through a war of attrition and take the land. It was a slow strangling that was meant to play out over months, years, essentially isolating the nation from the world and choking them out with sheer numbers.

    And yet a cornered animal only fights more ferociously. While it seemed Tolkeen was on its heels and losing, they did the unimaginable: They fielded an army of Shadow Dragons and terrifying monsters in prior-unseen numbers. This was used as the opening play of a Blitzkrieg known as the 'Sorcerer's Revenge', a brutal plan played out in multiple stages meant to cripple and extract a bloody revenge against the coalition.

    The sheer losses on both sides brought the war to a seeming stalemate. However, the images of monsters devouring their soldiers became Coalition propaganda, turning public opinion against Tolkeen and isolating them further for their use of 'Dark and Brutal Magic' that summoned such fearsome monsters. This both drove Coalition conscription and divided North America against Tolkeen.

    It allowed the Coalition enough time to reorganize their army and launch a final, brutal attack on Tolkeen. This time, their soldiers did not take prisoners and showed no mercy to their enemies. It was a brutal slog that eventually led to the collapse of the nation. Almost the entire military, and a large number of civilians, are dead. Those who are not dead, have fled to the magical city of Lazlo. Some still live in the ruined cities and lawless wastes of their former nation.

    The entire area is wildly destabilized and considered to be a lawless No Man's Land, though the Coalition States are slowly attempting to lay claim to it as they can exert force and establish some semblance of order.

(OOC: This is a great place for Scavengers and scenes about looking through ruins for magic artifacts and valuables)