FOUNDATION LORE
DAWN OF TIME
Since the dawn of time, the world of 5th Dimension has evolved along a pathway defined by the control and mastery of the Pra-nah; a fundamental force of power from which all things in the known universe arise - space, time, matter… even life itself. The art of controlling and manipulating this energetic construct is known as psionics, and those that practice this art - Scions. But as the many cultures and nations of 5th Dimension expanded and evolved over the preceding millennia, the development of technology and computer systems, used to enhance intelligence, longevity and power grew to supersede pSionics as the primary archetype by which society measured its advancement and potential. The integration of computer systems into the human body and mind, a branch of science known as bionics, promised to unlock the limitless potential of humanity like nothing that had come before.
RISE OF THE SAH VII
The unchecked evolution of technological and computer systems was lead by an elite class of futurists - the Sah Vii, who's mastery of brain powered computing allowed them to establish control over much of 5th Dimension's society. Without warning, an elite, technocratic movement emerged within the Sah Vii's ranks, dedicated to a mission to stamp out the ancient order of the Scions once and for all. To the Sah Vii ruling class, psionics was a sickness of the mind that hindered its development. A diseased and feeble form of art that needed to be wiped out before the people of 5th Dimension could harness the true power and glory of technological advancement. Their propaganda and persecution of the practice of psionics quickly spread throughout the universe. Pogroms, punishment and imprisonment of the Scions soon followed. But there were some who resisted… Despite the practice of psionics being founded in peace, love and harmony, a group of rogue Scions created, in secret, a new, combative psionic art form designed to harness the unbridled energetic power of the Pra-nah to attack and fight back against the Sah Vii. These revolutionary wielders of the Pranic power took the name Nirvay, and they bound themselves together in a blood pact that swore defeat and domination of the Sah Vii, and death before dishonor. The exotic psionic systems they created imbued within them new and supernatural power to remake space, time and matter and bend the very fabric of reality to their will.
THE CONFLAGRATION
An order of advanced practitioners of psionics known as the Aj Nah claimed to have developed the means to foretell the future and for centuries had prophesized the coming of a great conflagration that would engulf the peoples of 5th Dimension in war and anarchy. The Nirvay, driven by their thirst for revenge, took this prophecy as a sign of their divine right to annihilate the Sah Vii in retribution for their persecution of the Scions. The Nirvay’s attack exploded like a blinding flash and broke like a thunderclap that was heard across 5th Dimension. Nirvay assault teams, lead by psionically enhanced warriors known as Magi, easily destroyed the fortifications surrounding the Sa Vii’s prison camps to free their imprisoned brethren, slaughtering hundreds of Sa Vii in the chaos that followed. The war that ignited from this flash point became known simply as 'The Conflagration' and it would set 5th Dimension ablaze, creating battle lines defined by those that supported the Sah Vii and those that stood against them, in cities and villages across the known universe. War raged for the next 90 years, extinguishing millions of lives in a senseless slaughter that seemed without end. Outnumbered and facing defeat, the Nirvay turned to the Sah Vii’s own technology as a way to level the score.
PEACE DECLARED
Advanced software engineers, aligned with the Nirvay, created radical new technology that combined computer systems with the power of the Pra-nah, transforming the Sah Vii’s bionic technology and computer implants in new and remarkable ways, melding the power of psychic energy with advanced technology. But these new weapons distorted the natural beauty and harmony of the Pra-nah, turning it back upon itself while warping and mutating those that were exposed to it for too long. In the dying days of battle, a last alliance of Magi warriors wielding advanced, psionically augmented weapons and that spewed forth waves of destructive psi-kinetic power cut a path of death and ruination through the Sah Vii stronghold city of Jotun crushing buildings and vaporizing all who stood before them in a maelstrom of burning destruction. All but 3 of the Nirvay who mounted the attack died from the mutating effects of the weapons they wielded before reaching the gates of the Sah Vii headquarters. Standing before the Sah Vii’s seat of power, the 3 surviving Magi gave the Sah Vii leaders a choice, agree to peace or die in a vortex of psionic fury.
REVIFICATION
Thus, the great war between the Sah Vii and the Nirvay was finally ended. In the 20 years that followed, a fragile peace has persisted, allowing the peoples of 5th Dimension to once again live in harmony and freedom. But just below the surface of the calm waters of peace, a cold war between the Sah Vii and the Nirvay continues, fueled by an arms race with the 2 sides locked in competition to build ever more powerful technology to stabilize their positions and assure their victory in the event that war breaks out once more. Since the war’s end, both sides have expanded the development of sentient robotic warriors known as Mechs, enhanced by the superior technology of the Sah Vii on one side, and by the psi-kinetic power of the Nirvay on the other, fuelling the arms race at an alarming rate. As part of the peace process between the Sah Vii and Nirvay, the public display of support for either faction was outlawed, along with the use of psi-kinetic weapons, forcing both factions into the shadows, driving their operations back underground. A central law enforcement unit and military force known as the Visudha was established to enforce this ban and maintain peace between the 2 factions, lest war ignite once more. Today the Visudha are distrusted and feared by the citizens of 5th Dimension, with many seeing them as yet another violent, repressive, autocratic force, not unlike the Nirvay or the Sah Vii. The practice of bionic enhancement pioneered by the Sah Vii continues to evolve and the order of the Scions has been restored, once again practicing the art of psionics in public without fear of persecution or reprise. Despite the uneasy peace, the scars of the war still mark society and the lingering competition between the 2 factions can be felt across 5th Dimension, with enclaves of each faction still existing in cities and towns across the universe where support for one faction or the other runs strong. This competitive fervor spills out into the open in 5th Dimension’s legendary battle arenas where gladiatorial robotic blood-sport is enjoyed by millions of fans, revelling in armed combat between robotic warriors, controlled by human operators. These gladiatorial spectacles are the best-loved cultural experiences in all of 5th Dimension, and the sport of Mech Running, as it is known, has grown to become an important social remedy for the pain of war-torn sorrow that still lingers in the hearts of 5th Dimension’s citizens. The Mech Running arenas provide a space for 5th Dimension’s citizens to release their emotion and exhort their anger without it boiling over into war and social unrest. But the Mech Running business has become a highly lucrative way for society's elite to earn a profit while also controlling the social narrative. Mech Running champions are the superstars of 5th Dimension’s society and their political influence and sway with the common people is highly prized by the Sah Vii and Nirvay, with both factions seeking to bewitch the top Mech Runners with nefarious offers of wealth and power.
PRESENT DAY
Against this setting you must choose a path to victory and make your mark on 5th Dimension’s legacy. Will you join the Nirvay as they experiment with the exotic arts of psi-kinetics to bring about the final evolution of the human consciousness or embrace the might of high technology to restore the Sah Vii to their former power and glory?
