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Post by Insano-Man on Sept 23, 2018 7:05:20 GMT -5
This topic is a child of the Sorassan article directory.UH, WHOOPSEarly sorassan history is a matter of limited interest and scarce records. The sorassan themselves maintained only limited archaeological study on their homeworld. What little they had was destroyed in near-entirety when they were forced to relocate to Set. Complications from adjustment to Set, the Splinter Wars, the Big Split, and the ongoing state of disunity on the planet have left virtually nothing of significance. Today, little more than legend and conjecture remains. CHAPTERS- 1. Before Set- 2. After Set- 3. On Set- 4. The Splinter Wars- 5. Present Day
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Post by Insano-Man on Sept 23, 2018 7:06:06 GMT -5
BEFORE SET
The sorassan were born to the high-gravity world of Xask an estimated 20,000-30,000 years ago. To this day, there are no hard facts on their evolutionary history. A recurring legend claims that the sorassan descended from a high-flying creature on their homeworld that used sustained magnetic fields to hover in the upper atmosphere. At some time in the far past, a handful of these creatures fell and survived their landing, but could not return to the sky. Over time, they adapted to the high gravity of Xask and evolved into the modern-day sorassan. Though the legend is common and such creatures did exist on Xask, there are no facts to support the story.
Prior to Set's arrival in Xask's home system, the sorassan were split into several dozen nations clustered around a thin belt of temperate land near Xask's northern pole. Of these nations, there were five dominant powers; the Usero League, Hassax, Rahnne'Essax, Wesrirris, and the Union of Esirih. Each of these powers had only just achieved industrial revolution, and many exploited their newfound manufacturing capabilities to overwhelm their neighbors. Limited room to expand and the rise of nationalism set the stage for a score of resource wars and genocides.
By the time of Set's arrival somewhere between 380-550 OSC, the sorassan were struggling through a bitter aftermath. Much of the temperate belt was teetering on the brink of ecological collapse and most nations were in ruin. Food shortages and political dissent left many of the wounded countries paralyzed. Even before Set's appearance, many claimed the sorassan species was on the brink of armageddon. When Set arrived - and destroyed Xask's only moon Harra in the process - it was the affirmation none had expected.
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Post by Insano-Man on Sept 23, 2018 7:06:40 GMT -5
AFTER SET
Conditions on Xask worsened rapidly. Gravitational disturbances from Set ravaged its weather patterns. Geological activity skyrocketed in parallel. Entire cities were destroyed outright or left as abandoned husks in just several months. At least half of the nations on Xask collapsed entirely and a third of its population either died or went missing. All the while, the Pioneer Network was oblivious; attempts to contact the sorassan went unanswered and Xask was, for a short time, considered uninhabited.
Tentative reconnaissance efforts quickly set this assumption on its head. Months after Set's arrival, automated scout drones returned reports of the planet's surface; a ruin-crowned wasteland still doggedly inhabited by an intelligent species. Further, the effects of Set's appearance became clear. In just a few years, Xask would spiral out of its orbit and crash into its parent star Mirra, dragging along two other planets with it and potentially ejecting a third from the system. The sorassan had yet to invent air travel, let alone spaceflight. Without the Pioneer Network's involvement, they were doomed to extinction.
Unfortunately for the sorassan, the Pioneer Network was slow to react. Arguments over the safety of any extraction effort went on for months. Few were ready to commit the ships needed to save an entire species when Set could vanish at any time. How the Pioneer Network reached an agreement is a detail that has yet to surface. Likewise, hard facts on the evacuation effort itself are scarce. Of the limited information on the effort, there is one fact of pointed interest; the first to arrive on Xask were redworlders, backed significantly by the Zaschia. Humans maintained a negligible footprint throughout the evacuation.
It is estimated that between 9 - 13 million sorassan were evacuated from Xask over the course of six years. Efforts to evacuate additional survivors ended as a result of mixed pressures from riots at evacuation centers, severe weather, and Xask's accelerating orbital decay. It is unknown how many sorassan were alive at the time. Population figures of their homeworld range from anywhere between 130 million to 1 billion. To date, there is no exact figure on the losses suffered by the sorassan species. By and large, they are assumed to be extinct off Set.
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Post by Insano-Man on Sept 23, 2018 7:06:52 GMT -5
ON SET
The sorassan arrived on Set still divided by national rivalry and ethnic prejudice. Further rifts appeared as religious movements slowly took form. Some painted Xask's destruction as the wrath of the gods, others heralded the Pioneer Network as angels or even outright demigods. By the time settlement negotiations had begun, there were already power blocs forming to take advantage of the opportunity. Initially, it appeared that the sorassan were ready to finish the annihilation the Pioneer Network had only narrowly spared them from.
Efforts to contain dissent and factionalization were employed soon after the first sorassan settlement was established. Poignantly, the Pioneer Network's efforts spun sorassan history to its advantage. Through selective uplifting and technological incentives, contentious factions were eroded, divided, and absorbed by more passive peers. Slowly, but peacefully, the fight was taken out of the sorassan, and they soon took to Set as their adoptive homeworld. In the years following, the sorassan expanded significantly and maintained close ties with the Pioneer Network.
When the blackworlders arrived at the end of the Collection Era, the sorassan were one of many species to be visited by the enigmatic creatures. Their interactions with the blackworlders were much the same as most others; confused, startled, and abortive on both sides. Ultimately, the blackworlders had only a minor impact on sorassan society, leaving them with the rarely-used title of "Scattered". Most sorassan quickly learned to ignore them despite their invasive presence across the planet.
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Post by Insano-Man on Sept 23, 2018 7:07:06 GMT -5
THE SPLINTER WARSThe arrival of the Third Invaders, however, did not slink by as easily. When war broke out, the sorassan were one of Set's most populous species. Their influence stretched across the planet in everything from militia garrisons to agricultural centers. Even the lurking Cult of Meat bore many sorassan cultists at the time, embedded all across Set in secrecy. The sorassan's one saving grace was the state of their settlements; most had limited infrastructure, thinly-spread populations, and negligible military value. While they were vulnerable, they were rarely worth the effort to attack or bombard. Just as with all others, however, the sorassan suffered significantly. Cultist uprisings left many cities as blood-drenched ruins. Scorched earth bombardment left many others in perilous conditions, forcing their residents to evacuate en masse. Continuous fighting bled all members of Set's loose defense force at every turn until the planet finally disappeared. The chaos continued throughout the aftermath as supply lines broke down, Cult attacks stepped up, and support from orbit disappeared overnight. The Big Split followed soon after. It was during these two events that the sorassan suffered the most; unable to relocate to orbit with other species, their populations were forced into continuous exile by vindictive Loonies and raging cultist warbands. Most moved to the antarctic regions of Set and eventually made permanent settlements there. Others were left scattered across the planet, forced to hide themselves away in isolated towns or low-lying scavenger bands. Many became resentful of the Loonies for their role in the Big Split, and that hatred was soon spread across humanity as a whole.
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Post by Insano-Man on Sept 23, 2018 7:07:25 GMT -5
PRESENT DAY
Though the Splinter Wars and Big Split were the most catastrophic blow to the sorassan since the loss of their homeworld, they have persisted since. Today, they remain one of the most populous species planetside, and it is believed that their numbers are steadily on the rise. Despite being orphans of a lost world, barred from higher technology by their own bodies, and hated by humans across the planet, the sorassan have stubbornly clung to survival. While there is no unified goal for their species, their future is hardly one to be feared.
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