The Phoenix Universe Setting

[Nina]

The Phoenix Universe Setting

 

500,000 -200,000 years ago –  First Humans evolve on earth, arrival of the Titans, Super Powerful Beings from another dimension. They assumed human like forms when they settled on earth and are the forbears of the later myths of the various gods. Civilization’s flourish, Humans and Titans co-exist, mingle and interbreed. The Rise of Atlantis, the pinnacle of Sorcery and Science this civilization flourishes for 10,000 years. The a war with the titans occurs , which leads to the Destruction of Atlantis  and The great cataclysm which reshapes the world. The surviving Titans flee the moon of Saturn which will one day bear their name, they have not been heard from since then. The Humans that survive the cataclysm degenerate to a primitive stone age existence all technology and science is lost but the memory remains to resurface in a coming ages as myth.

 

100,000 years ago – Alien visitors from the Extra-galactic Numean Empire discover Earth and the degenerate primitive humans. Experimentation on the human species to create a new weapon produces poor results but does put humans on a resurgent path and also introduces the X-Factor gene into the species. Numean’s lose interest in this experiment which they percieve as a failure and put earth in the data base and leave.  A few thousand specimens are taken off world with the Numean’s when they depart.

History Proceeds…

 

Turn of the 20^th Century the first ‘Modern’ Paragon is born. James Albert Phillips is a superman. His super Strength and near invulnerability make him a war hero during World War One. His exploits lead to many would be adventurers to take of the mantel of costumed hero, even though he did not wear a costume then, during the 20’s and 30’s. By the late forties more super powered humans come into existence usually through some sort of chemical or industrial accident though a few are from purposeful experimentation or mystical origin.

 

World War Two sees James Phillips suiting up as The Paragon to fight the Axis. He is joined by many other costumed heroes, and they are opposed by the other sides versions of the costumed hero. While their contributions  are no small thing they do not significantly impact or alter the war which proceeds as in our history ending with the dropping of the atomic bombs.

 

Mutants – after the war atomic testing ramped up as the west and the soviets entered the cold war the first Mutant births occur in the early fifties. Atomic testing is blamed for these mutations, thus a stigma was attached to them which would last into the future decades and create a lasting aura of mistrust of those who were outwardly noticeable as Mutants.

 

The Modern Soviet Union. In the Phoenix Universe the USSR did not collapse and is still in existence and still the primary political adversary of the west. They have their own cadre of Paragons but unlike the free west the majority of the Soviet Paragons are tools of the state. Those European nations that fell to the USSR after world war two are still Soviet satellite. Germany is still divided. Due the the USSRs continued existance China has not risen to the prominence as it has in the real world and is still a fully communist nation heavily influenced by the USSR. Their is still a Cold War between the east and west but it is much cooler than it was in the real world.

 

Atlantis -  the existence of Atlantis even in the modern age is still a myth though there are more numerous strange happenings  in the worlds oceans than can be explained including supposed sightings of water breathing humans but even to this day nothing has been proven and Atlantis is still hidden.

 

In fact the underwater kingdom of Atlantis is well hidden and protected by the super science of the ancient Atlanteans. It is only a matter of time before the Atlanteans angered by the surface worlds environmental crimes make themselves know for a fact.

 

 

 

[Nina]

I will add to the above document as I go.

[Nina]

San Francisco and the Bay Area

 

This will be the main setting for our game. I will post relevant setting info in this post.

 

The Paragon Historical Society

 

The Paragon Historical Society had its beginnings as the Paranormal Studies Association which was established in 1888 as the first nonacademic group on the Jesuit Campus of St Ignatius College. The late 1800’s through the early 20th century saw a heightened interest in the supernatural with the rise of Spiritualism. The PSA was established to investigate and debunk the Medium and Ghost sightings but over time grew into something more.

 

After WWI and the revelation of the man that would become known as Paragon became a known celebrity with the spreading of his war time exploits and the rise of the costumed mystery-men of the twenties and thirties The PSA expanded their investigations to include sighting and stories of these personages.

 

After a particularly exhaustive investigation which left two Association members deceased and created more questions than answers the study of these superpowered men and women, many with semi-supernatural origins be came the emphasis of the PSA. During the height of WWII when the popular media began to refer to any superpowered person regardless of origin as a Paragon the PSA decided to change its name to the Paragon Studies Association and again, after the end of the war and after several other schools opened branches on their campuses to the Paragon Historical Society.

 

The second name change also produced an shift in emphasis on the types of research its members would begin to carry out.  

 

During the second world war, many new Paragons joined the ranks of those who came before. Many of these new heroes and villains were created via accident or by purposeful experimentation. But not all of them. Several claimed that their powers where linked to the ancient god and heroes of myth, or were granted by mysterious talismans from some ancient heritage. This led to the theories that perhaps these superhuman persons these Paragons weren’t a new phenomenon and were in fact always around and were even the source of those ancient myths. This then became the emphases of investigation for the Society. To track down and prove that Paragons existed in the past and to find historical records and evidence that todays myths were yesterday’s reality.

 

 

Today the Paragon Historical Society has branches on university campuses around the globe, is completely non-profit and funded solely by Alumni donations. The University of San Francisco branch is the mother branch and while it doesn’t micro-manage the others, it does serve as a clearing house and nexus of information.

 

The current Director of the San Francisco branch is Dr. Winston C. Crane, Professor of Paragon Studies and Parapsychology. Dr Crane is an ordained Priest (retired) who served as an historian and was a sanctioned Exorcist before his retirement. He has been a member of the PHS since his own days as a student at the university. He has extensive knowledge of the occult and Paragon studies. He is listed in records as having been the Guardian of Coraline Dreamer and is one of only four people who knows and keeps it secret, that Coraline is in fact an ancient Alien Paragon known today as Atalanta. He is also privy to the knowledge that Triess Elrich is a powerful Occultist with a unique power and helps keep that knowledge secret due to the danger the knowledge of her abilities might prove to her and her family. He does not know that the mystical Paragon, Hex, is in fact Triessa.

[Nina]

edited the first entry above adding a some stuff

[Nina]

Added the PHS to the SF entry