Before the rise of magic, Human society
and culture were already on the edge. For hundreds of years
overcrowding, poverty, starvation, social abuses, and more took their
toll on society. It was only through military force that order was
maintained. Magic was the final straw that sent human civilization
spiraling out of control for.
Rampant greed and inequality spurred a
desire to have what one percent of the population had. Waves of
wishes caused the collapse of economies during the chaotic days of
magic. When things were stabilized and rules were in place, the
economies settled, but the damage was done. The poor and
impoverished realized this new force allowed them to have power.
Much like firearms, magic made people
equal. No longer could the force of arms keep those at the bottom
down. They had their own power now, and they used it. One by one
planets started to burn with revolt. The poor used magic to strike
back at those they saw as keeping them hungry, poor, and sick.
Earth tried to reign in the violence to
no avail. Within a year eighty three percent of the human sphere
was embroiled in civil war. The economy failed soon after. Trade
between planets stopped, the government was bankrupt, and the
military fractured. If this alone was not enough, greater tragedy
followed soon after.
Without trade, the technologies that
were used to support the populations of many worlds that had been
terraformed started to fail. Civil war after civil war gripped these
worlds until the end as those that fought for equality then fought
for the last gasps of air on their dying world. After fifty years,
only eight worlds remained inhabited by humans out of ninety three.
Hundreds of billions died as man made ecosystems collapsed or faded
away entirely.
As the human empire fell, in a secluded
area on Earth, an eccentric philosopher and experimental physicist
was working on a new spell. Originally she intended to use it as a
way to prove theories she had concerning the universe. But as time
passed and once inhabited planets were lost, her goals changed.
In her mind, Humanity needed to be
saved, as soon it would be reduced to a single planet species again.
So she found a way to move humans to another plane of existence where
thought and magic would be more relevant than the frail human form.
With this she spent the last years of her life creating and
perfecting the Ascension Spell.
Using her Golemite assistants as
sacrifices to give her the mana she needed, she became the very first
to use the spell. Through it her body and mind were shifted into
another realm of existence. Shortly after she appeared to many
people giving them the formula as well, this began the final days of
humanities time on this plane of existence.
Machines were built that could gather
the energy needed to activate the complex spell. One by one Humanity
became a legend. All that would remain were the ruins of their past
and the five child races they had a hand in making.
