December 21, 2012: As many throughout history had predicted and even more had dismissed 2012 did, indeed, bring an apocalypse to the Earth. A planetary alignment that only happens every 25,800 years coincided with a peak in solar activity that happens every seven years. The adverse gravity from the alignment affected the solar flares and a number of abnormally large ones, of a size we never imagined, rocketed toward Earth faster than they could really even react. While they knew that there may be a chance of larger-than-normal solar flares, this was simply far outside anything they could have taken seriously. They quickly found out how serious it could be. The accompanying EMPs from the solar flares short circuited any electronic device that was plugged in or contained batteries. But that was only the beginning...

The solar flares also disrupted Earth's atmosphere in a major way. At first there was warming. North America barely even experienced Winter in early 2012. In April and May things should have begun warming for Summer. However the temperatures started dropping. By June the snows that the north had missed in January and February were returning off schedule. Most of the population that hadn't done so already began to migrate south. With no mass communication to speak of it was anyone's guess as to whether it would really be warmer in the south, but no one had any better ideas.

As they traveled small groups began to join together. This allowed them to add more diversity, more skill-sets, and greater numbers to help ward off the marauding raiders who would steal their supplies...or worse.

As this continued the many, many large groups melded into two large ones. The first to reach the warmer regions of Central America had been hardened by the constant attacks of raiders and heathens. By the time they found an area they wanted to settle in their leaders had already established the framework on which they would build their new civilization. They would model their society after the mighty Roman Empire, embracing organization, strong military and political systems, and a focus on arts and sciences. In the interest of securing the region and ensuring their success they were ready to trample and eliminate the savage, the lawless, and the defiant. The would call themselves "The New Empire".

In contrast the other major group, who arrived shortly after the first, adopted an entirely different outlook. They felt that man needed to get closer to the Earth if they were going to survive this and not make the same mistakes. Mankind's dependence on technology and fossil fuels has made this disaster a huge shock. Most people have no idea how to grow food or live off of the land. So their plan was to teach everyone in their group to learn ways to be a part of the community, and that everyone would take care of each other. They were sure this was the keys to mankind's survival. "The New Empire" saw them as backward savages and began to refer to them as "The Horde", a label they chose to embrace out of shear defiance.

However, this left the two communities in direct conflict with each other, and each of them came to believe that elimination of the other was imperative to their own survival and success. And so we find ourselves in mankind's future...a future that bears an uncanny resemblance to our past. Welcome to "The Dark Age".