The Book of Ages

The Age of Choice (also known as “The Age Of Science”, or “The Dark Age”)

In the first age, there was the creation, the age in which all of the Altra Star System was created. The star was formed, the planets set in their courses, and all that was to come was ordained. It was the time of the Architect, the creator, the one through which all life in the system would exist, and through which all would eventually pass. The Age was the the dawning of civilization, and with the creation of the world came the ability to choose.

In this time, all who would exist, all who must exist, with their names and dates, came into being, both outside of time, but bound by it. This binding, known only as “The Book Of Time”, would be the word by which the Architect would organize his world. In the beginning, only he could read of the book, but it was written that one from the world would become his equal; that he would invest his will into an individual, and that individual would be him, become him, but would have always been him. This one would be alone in the world for a time, yearning for someone to share his creation with, but long would be the age, and only through "The Stryfe" would the other cone into her understanding. Ordained to meet, these two would search the world for purpose, and when all seemed most bleak, they would find the Architects Will; The Book.

With the opening of the pages, the two would see all of time; their fates, the fates of their siblings, friends, and enemies. In the pages, the world would be laid bare, and the future come to its thundering end; for within those pages lay the power to rewrite all of time.
The two would have the choice to rewrite wrongs, wipe away pains, and make the world as the Architect had first imagined, but with this choice will come a terrible burden. All that is, was, and will be, would be made over, and time would cease to exist. With the reading of "The Book", the two would be joined as one with the world, able to see into the hearts of all, and rewrite what was wrong. What is not written, is whether the two will make this choice, for if they do, the book will cease to exist, and they would be bound by its power, forever bound to its fate.

In this age in which the races are born, and in which the technological era reaches its peak; comes the Age of Enlightenment, and with this enlightenment, comes "The Choice". "The Choice" will be open to all, but only some will make it, for from "The Choice" is birthed both Good, and Evil, and from Good and Evil stems the ability to manifest change, and creation. In this age, shall all the great books be created, and all who wish to, will be offered the chance to quest for them, learn from them, and through their power, make change happen.

In this age shall the first "Protector" be born, a man unlike all before him, with the power, the knowledge, to see a glimpse of the Architects plan, and through it enact his will. This “Protector” will be chosen for his heart, to watch the progress of the races, and this man shall be caught up in the Age of Enlightenment, and shall write “The Book of the Races", and through it record time's most desperate hours. Through his will, and his hand, shall the will of the Architect be done, and change come upon the world.

The Age of Enlightenment (The Age of the Dragon Wars)

The second age shall begin when the "Protector" creates the species forevermore known as “Dragons”, for it is told that the Dragons are the architects of change. These creatures, destined to exist at both extremes of Good and Evil, shall unleash the forces of the world, and give unto the world a new understanding of power, for they shall herald both the Age of Change, and then the Age of Gates. The Age of Enlightenment shall be short, but its ripples will be seen until the End Age, and so also never end.
The Dragons will be a force unlike anything the world has seen before, and forever will they alter the history from that which could have been, to that which must be. Continents will break, and the peoples be scattered to the edges of existence, but the world will survive, and the so the Age of Change will begin.
In this age shall people discover the strengths within each of them, for as the world struggles to destroy all that they are, so shall they change to meet its challenges.  The Dragons shall wreak havoc among the cities of of the world, and shall drive the peoples into the crevasses of survival, but from this adversity shall strength be born.
The forces of the world, unleashed by the wrath of Dragons, will clash with the people, and so change them forever. Strengths will be made known, and weaknesses be unbound, and the people will be forced to decide between Good and Evil. The presence of the Elements shall be felt, and all will be able to touch, guide, and manipulate the forces of the world.
And so the world will name these forces "Magic", and it shall be forever released from its bonds. The "Technology" of old shall be broken, and the ways of the Elements embraced.

The Age Of Change (The Age Of Magic)

“The Age Of Enlightenment” shall end when fire and ice meet. The sky will burn, and the oceans boil, while the earth shall freeze and the fires of the core cool.  In this age shall the people be split, forever becoming many; forever becoming a diversity of races. In the hollows of the world shall they cower from the wrath of Dragons, and with time, become attuned to the world as the Architect always desired. Some will seek darkness; be embraced by it; and live in peace until forced into confrontation. Others will stay in the light, and be forged in its fires. Some will harden like stone, refusing to be altered by others, while others soften and embrace the changes wrought upon them. Some will embrace cruel rulers, and be tormented by them, while others shall hide, forever becoming one with the elements.
Of hearts and minds, there will be no change, for within each individual lies the choice of Good and Evil. Only through intervention shall minds be shattered of disbelief, and hearts opened to truth. Through the energies of the world shall these changes be made, following fate's hand. Peoples will look to each other to survive, and the will of nature itself will grow, for in a world of change, only those that are able to adapt will survive.
The creatures of the land itself will adapt as well, growing smarter, more violent, more cunning or aggressive. Intelligence will be pushed to its limits as the creatures of the world struggle to survive the Dragon Wars, and though many will fail, others will succeed.

The Age Of Gates

The Age of Gates will be vast, and discoveries in this age will be made that will change the world forever, for in their finding, will the laws of the land be shattered. Time will be shattered, and people lost to the elements, but through such sacrifice, will a new world be discovered.
This world will be akin to its sister, yet molded of the old world. Creatures once thought lost forever will be discovered alive, and new ways of life forged to incorporate vast changes to the understandings of the world. Energies thought uncontainable will be proven safe, while others will break free, and unleash fresh destruction upon the world.
Power will be available to all, and only the will of the Architect, and his plan, will contain the forces of the world within the bounds of creation. New stories will be written and in this moment, will the fate of that creation be at risk, for these new stories will threaten all that was, all that is, and all that will be, and in this age, will the power of the two be tested.

The End Age

Little is written of the fate of all creation at the end of time. None know if time will cease to be, or if it will continue on forever, and none but the Architect can truly know what fate holds for his creation. Time and space may cease to exist, or may continue on forever, blending with other realities; merging with the wills of other gods. The answers may be out there, waiting to be discovered, or may not exist at all.