Reflections – 0.

To this day, nobody knows what triggered the Cataclysm.

That’s what it came to be known, a word synonymous with both the massive trans-space shockwave, and the wholesale destruction that it caused.

That shockwave hit the mass shadows of planets, stars, and a host of other celestial bodies as raced at superluminal speed through an area of densely populated worlds.

Anything with a substantial mass shadow that dimpled into the realm of trans-space was smashed to pieces.

If you were on a planet, there was nowhere to run as the shockwave would shatter the world like a ball made of soft earth.

Even large starships weren’t spared. Many of the super-liners and super-sized military fortresses perished when the trans-light shockwave struck their presence within trans-space.

Racing out from an epicenter near the center of humanity’s galactic civilization, the shockwave wiped out billions in the span of a day. Millions more died in the days that followed, as the intersystem civilization was brought to an end.

The Cataclysm brought humanity’s First Golden Age to a finale.

It set the stage for the survivors to lay the foundations for the Second Golden Age, and the remains of those scores of shattered worlds, moons and stars became the material that fueled the expansion of the Hurakan Nebula.

Nobody noticed when the Aventis appeared.

Everybody was too busy rebuilding their fallen worlds, but by the time they did notice it was already too late.

The Aventis were everywhere and anywhere.

From the very beginning they had infiltrated the newly founded United Systems Alliance and the neighboring Coalition of System States.

The problem was that the Aventis looked just like a regular human because they were human, but they were also something more. They were hosts to the Symbiote, and it was the Symbiote that made them strong, fast, and hard to kill. So despite their lack of numbers, they quickly made grounds on humanity, those without the Symbiote, until humanity fought back.

The War of Supremacy would last two decades between humanity against the Aventis – who fell into eight distinct clans known as Prides. In the end, humanity gave up and raised the white flag. Those that didn’t packed their bags and left this region of the galaxy forever.

Unchallenged, the Aventis ruled supreme and yet they ruled well such that more than two centuries after the Cataclysm and the war, people had all but forgotten the point of fighting against these superior humans. And the truth was, the Prides only went to war to ensure their own survival, but afterwards they managed – dare we say ruled – humanity with a deft and steady hand.

No wars. No conflicts. On the whole, a fairly stable economic and political environment.

Of course, the Aventis remained at the top of the food chain, and Regulars remained one step below. They had preferential treatment in business, education, sports, and pretty much everything else. But it wasn’t all bad for the rest of humanity, just not as good as it was for those that belonged to the Prides.

However, the door to joining a Pride wasn’t closed.

During their teenage years, a Regular human was tested for compatibility with one of the eight strains of Symbiote that uniquely characterized the eight Prides. If they scored higher than seventy percent they were bonded with a Symbiote and admitted into a Pride. Those that failed to score above the minimum threshold were relegated to mediocrity and remained Regulars.

Then there were those that demonstrated they were different from the rest, and they were chosen to serve the Aventis in a different capacity. They were known as Familiars, neither Regular nor Aventis, and they were gifted with a handful of unique talents, foremost of which was the ability to wield the Remnants – artifacts from an unknown time and place discovered after the Cataclysm. It was because of this ability and others that Familiars found themselves one step above the Regulars on the social pyramid.

Had things been fair, they would have found themselves ruling the Aventis.

After all, if not for the hundreds of Familiars who wielded the Remnants in battle against humanity, the Aventis would never have won the War of Supremacy, and history would have been quite different to what it is today.

Terminology

Symbiote – an organism of unknown origin that infected humanity following the Cataclysm. Described as thread-like it spreads throughout the human host, embedding itself into muscles, organs, tendons, and the brain, gifting the host with improved strength and health. Presently there are eight known strains of the Symbiote.

Prides – clans of humans that are host to the eight known strains of the Symbiote. The eight Prides are: Avenir, Raynar, Sora, Sanreal, Irulan, Fenrir, Lorian, and Lanfear.

Aventis – humans host to the Symbiote. They gain superior strength, stamina, and healing abilities including resilience against numerous of the most harmful organisms in the colonized systems. Falling into two categories of Purebloods, those born with the Symbiote, and non-Purebloods who gain the Symbiote at an early stage in their lives, usually their teenage years.

Regulars – humans incompatible with any of the eight different strains of the Symbiote. They hold lower positions in society and depend on advanced science to live healthy lifestyles across the various colonized systems.

Familiars – modern day equivalent of the mythical Vampires; humans with the ability to ingest Aventis blood. The Symbiote grows within them at a hyper-accelerated rate, gifting them with physical abilities superior to the Aventis. These abilities last for several days, usually a week, after which the Symbiote is consumed by the Familiar’s body. A Familiar is usually Awakened during their teenage years when tested with the various strains of the Symbiote. This Awakening usually comes in the form of a systemic shock that brings the Familiar to the brink of death before recovering. They say that a Familiar’s Awakening is a painful experience akin to a rebirth.

Remnants – ancient artifacts of unknown origin discovered after the Cataclysm. Valued for their immense power when wielded by Familiars, they range from weapons of destruction to devices with near magical abilities. Remnants that are not fully unlocked are commonly referred to as Fragments. The use of Remnants is strictly monitored, and they are allocated by individual Prides to their affiliated Familiars. Familiars bonded to a Remnant are required to wear a restraining collar and are supervised by a Guardian, either an Aventis or qualified Familiar, appointed by their affiliated Pride.

– Excerpts from the Preston Galactic Encyclopedia, 198th Edition.