1999: The Red star Anthelios appears in the skies, visible only to the supernatural, each having their own name for it. For the garou, however, it is Anthelios and it is described as a sign of the end times. It is the herald of the apocalypse.
2000: Y2k was a thing, albeit briefly, a sort of wakeup call for people who hadn’t really gotten on the bandwagon of technology for some it was a thing to fear and those who feared it went further underground and those who did not embraced technology when it turned out Y2K wasn’t the society killer it had been made out to be. Tech wasn’t something to be feared anymore and so it went. Anthelios remained burning bright at this point though still only visible to the supernatural eye. Corporate America was on the rise and things were looking good. Eastern tech giants out of China and Japan were on the rise as well and working to create a brighter future.
2001: Pentex offices in Japan find themselves under attack financially. Word spreads of a corporate takeover by Shinzui corp. A unified corporate conglomerate of Japanese tech companies backed by the influential and some might say the most powerful family in Japan. It does not take long and Shinzui corp manages to take over the Pentex offices in Tokyo allowing them some prime information to exploit.
2002: A huge media campaign starts, outlining the corrupt dealings of mega corporations and their ability to influence and maneuver global politics. Magadon Inc. and Endron International are targeted. Many within the nation are pleased, assuming that such a campaign must be coming from a concerted financial effort from their own people. Anthelios begins to glow brighter and mystics within the garou start to have portents of doom. Garou relations become even more strained as whispers of dark prophecies begin to trickle in.
2003: A conclave is called between the tribes to be held in a remote region. The location chosen is to be Whittier, Alaska. Jonas Albrecht leads the conclave which hosts delegates from across the globe. Some refer to this conclave as the great betrayal. Spiral Dancers led by Zhyzhak arrive at the conclave and claim to only wish to speak. Albrecht attempts to hold back the swelling tide of rage among the garou present but it is the Wendigo who hold these lands that loose themselves on Zhyzhak and her followers, the result is a blood bath and many of the delegates are killed, as are many of the spiral dancers. Having taken to war and unable to regain any semblance of diplomacy Albrecht enters into combat with Zhyzhak and ultimately falls to her. This is a great blow to the nation as their king is killed. While the Wendigo claim no responsibility and in fact levy blame on Albrecht for not upholding the litany, Zhyzhak with what is left of her followers leave the conclave with the information they came with, unspoken.
2004: Garou have been going missing since the slaughter at the conclave of 2003 with no signs of a solution in sight. The perfect metis that some have prophesied as a herald of gaia’s return and still others have stated is a manifestation of the Wyrm’s ultimate influence, has gone missing. The Get of Fenris sound the horns of war as the battleground for the final battle manifests itself in the near umbra with a host of the Wyrm’s minions in attendance. Accounts of what actually happened that day are sketchy at best and while the histories will tell you that the battle was glorious with the Wyrm’s minions falling by the thousands and major manifestations having met their end, others will say that it did not seem as though things were complete. No one, however, could say just what seemed wrong, only that it did.
2005: Endron international and Magadon Inc. come under serious legal fire, with indictments pouring in on their executive staff. Many are found guilty in what is displayed as one of the largest white collar crime cases in history. Entire boards are found to be corrupt; politicians are put under the spot light as money trails are traced. More and more documents begin to surface containing information on Pentex subsidiary companies, such as Consolidex Worldwide, Herculean Firearms Incorporated, Tellus Enterprises and Nastrum Enterprises. Political ties to these subsidiaries continue to surface and more pressure is placed on American and Global politics to clean things up.
2006: Riots break out across Europe and America, while Asia sees an economic boom, manufacturing and trade spikes throughout Asia and exports see an all-time high throughout the nation. Meanwhile the western front is devastated by political corruption, corporate greed and a media campaign that simply will not quit as expose’s file in from all across the nations. Russia’s economy begins to tank as many of their holdings in oil had been filtered through Consolidex and Endron and their gold reserves depleting. This left Russia in a dire situation needing to find a way out and with the help of China were beginning to see resurgence in the Russian economy but this would not stabilize for at least five more years. Rumors of supernatural influence begin to spread though it is vague and held mostly by conspiracy theorists.
2007: Political pressure has reached a melting point in the U.S. and with riots breaking out across the country, senators and representatives of the house began finding themselves impeached and indicted for crimes against the state. A reform was called for and this seemed to help ease the rioting across the country. Religion had always played a big part in all things government and a figurehead arose from the chaos, Donovan James a respected leader in the religious community and political activist for human rights. With the presidential primaries coming up he took to the campaign with a fervor garnering enough support this time around to be placed on the body of candidates for the presidency. Photos begin to circulate of strange creatures though not much stock is placed in it, relegating said photos and stories to such things as tabloid reports.
2008: Scandal rises from the government as it becomes clear that Chinese and Japanese money is funding campaigns for presidential elections, bringing with it a whole slew of problems. Donovan James does not win the elections and instead continues to help sow peace from the discord that is rocking the country in the face of so much turmoil. He quickly begins to move on making a campaign of internal unity encouraging the nation to secure itself first and ensure that its own people were taken care of before spending and guiding of other nations could happen. The new president elect, Barack Obama takes office on a platform of hope and change. The country is moved forward on these new ideas and change is in the wings. Quietly though a secondary group is forming among conservatives rallying behind Donovan James’ cause. A rally is held and video footage is released to the media of a werewolf like creature attacking a James support rally and killing six people.
2009: The office of the president manages to move the public eye away from all of the political and corporate scandal plaguing the country, instead focusing on getting the nation back on its feet. Employment begins to rise, a platform for medical insurance is announced, an end to war in the Middle East is called for and true equality seems to become the buzz word in American households. Civil disorder no longer seems to be on the table and order appears to be restored while under the blanket of the current leadership, corporate indictments continue in closed hearings. Media is suppressed on the video footage surrounding Donovan James’ rally but YouTube and other social media becomes the outlet for wild speculation and analysis of what might have actually happened or what might have been there.
2010: Barack has managed to ensure a revival of the American economy getting things moving once again at the cost of military and conservative criticism. Diplomatic relations are improving with South Korea, Japan and Israel. Jobs begin to take off as the tech sector begins to flow in across the east coast. Regulatory commissions begin to take notice of a chaotic and fragmented communications infrastructure. Science takes an upswing and more people are interested in progress once again. The American people are encouraged to succeed and take financial chances. Stimulus is engaged for young people everywhere and education reform is in the process of becoming a reality. Obama’s health care initiative is seeing real progress and conservative criticism is not lessened by any margin. Vampires are discovered to be real as several are caught on local media being busted in a large drug raid. Vampires use the media to broadcast their existence. This begins the political downfall of the Obama Administration. A vote is taken among congress to allow for the director of homeland security to be elevated in the line of succession to just after the attorney general. The vote passes with a landslide.
2011: The world is thrown upside down as supernatural life is discovered to be factual among the populace. All across the globe court proceedings and inquiries into corporate and political corruption take a back seat as the world deals with this new situation. Donovan James becomes a pronounced opponent of the supernatural, bearing the scars of the last attack on his group of supporters. Barack attempts to get the nation back on track but it is of little use. Campaign initiatives begin to form discrediting the president, including his heritage and his ability to manage the country from economics to civil rights. Donovan James on the other hand continues to point the camera at the supernatural influence infecting the country. Other countries begin special task forces to help round up and inspect for supernatural influence. Science teams begin to investigate the supernatural “threat”. Another attack on Donovan James is caught on video and this time he does not survive. Twelve more are killed including Donovan and his family at a campaign rally for the 2012 presidential election. A patriotic sub-group is formed called the Church of the Templars. They found themselves on a basis of religious purity and manage to avoid the stigma of racism or non-secularism by focusing on protecting the country from the supernatural menace.
2012: America closes its borders on the cusp of immigration reform and looks to secure itself from the supernatural threat. The presidency is held to be ineffectual at maintaining internal security and all the while back end politics and corporate dealings are kept out of the spot light. People do not notice when corporations take over communications and infrastructure. No one pays too much attention when religious movements begin to openly donate to governmental candidates. Conservative candidates begin to become more pronounced and the Democratic Party begins to head in the direction of the minority. Homeland security directs FEMA to step in and help regulate the supernatural threat and spearhead the organizations attempting to weed out the problems that plague the American people. The supernatural condition is classified as a disease. The James foundation is created as a safe haven for those terrorized by supernatural threats and is closely tied to the Church of the Templars. David Tenet is placed on the presidential card for the Republican Party, the man who was Donovan’s running mate and supporter of all things James. The campaign is as expected a failure as not enough people know who David is or what he stands for. Barack wins another election and he continues on in his campaign for hope and change. Werewolves have become exposed from previous video footage and more and more people live in fear not only from the unknown but through the influence of the delirium. Video footage begins to surface of small groups of people that are fighting and sometimes winning against werewolves, killing them and showing that they can be stopped, often in scenes where the werewolf is killing humans, and in some cases eating them. The Church of the Templars is gaining ground across the country with various groups and unions, most notably the policemen’s unions. Templars are called in as special investigators to work hand in hand with the police and Homeland security. Barack moves to secure the country by appointing David Tenet as a cabinet member and advisor on the supernatural threat as it becomes clear he has controlling influence on many of the organizations that are backed by the Church of the Templars.
2013: The New Year starts off with what is called the Holy March. Knights from the Church of the Templars have taken to the streets, enforcing check points at major intersections in most major cities. As of now they are volunteers but public opinion has shifted so much in the past few years that they are regarded more as the police than the police themselves. Filmed executions happen of several werewolves, including raids on homes that display the crinos form on film and subsequent death of said werewolf. The Templars move with incredible precision and organization inspiring confidence. More and more of these videos begin to go viral on the internet. Homeland security officially welcomes the Church of the Templars as a recognized branch of peace keeping and their department is officially ratified by executive order. June 18th it is reported that the president has been hospitalized, though no further details have been released. August 20th the CDC reports an outbreak of a mutated version of the flu virus as over 26,000 cases have been reported across the United States. The President has not been released from hospital care as of yet and it has become clear that he has contracted the virus. Members of the President’s cabinet are not safe from the virus either as the Vice President, Speaker of the House, President Pro tempore of the Senate, Secretary of State, treasury and the Secretary of the Interior have all contracted the virus, the rest of the President’s cabinet have been placed in a quarantine and Congress is effectively shut down as the virus continues to spread. By November the Virus has been reported with over 200,000 cases across the country with no signs of stopping. December 2013 is the month when the virus that had now hospitalized over a quarter of a million people seemed to have reached a peak. Like clockwork over the course of three weeks people begin to die from complications from the virus including the president and those previously infected within his cabinet.
2014: The year is a year for mourning with the loss of so many in congress, and multitudes within the populace. No one was safe as children, women and men succumbed to the virus cities began to impose their own quarantines, many blamed the supernatural for the virus, claiming it was an attack of terror on the human race. While the virus seemed to be centralized in the U.S. other countries were denying entry to Americans. David Tenet resurfaces and begins to direct the Templars in a new initiative called “The Bulwark”. A project to begin walling off the major cities and impose quarantine until the virus can be dealt with. While over a quarter of a million people have died the virus appears to have mutated again and even more people are getting sick. Hospitals can no longer keep up with the disease and a state of emergency has been called over the country. Homeland security in concert with FEMA is working to stabilize the country and find a cure. The Templars have taken a much larger role in the security of the country as well and coupled with the national guard are offering people safety within the major cities for refuge. A voluntary registration program is instituted, much like the firearms registration act in which supernaturals may turn themselves in for testing and quarantine. The Attorney General, now acting president, is found dead in his bed of an apparent suicide. David Tenet, now head of Homeland Security is thrust into the role of President and enacts several executive orders including the criminalization of all supernaturals outside of those who register. An immediate order to round up and detain any and all supernatural creatures is set in place, supported by the populace. The Virus continues to spread and more people continue to die, some entire communities have vanished from the illness leaving behind ghost towns. The American economy is in a shambles and the public are destabilizing fractioning themselves from the wealthy that seem to remain alright and have the resources to afford health care. The Templars take on a much larger role as a unified police force with Templars dispatched to each city and acting much like the SWAT would in extreme cases, or in cases where supernatural influence is detected. Each city has begun work on their Bulwarks and a critical eye is kept on each person. Crime is rampant outside of the major cities and teams of Templars make regular trips outside of the major cities to round up dissidents and supernaturals. Religion becomes a central part of politics, citing a need for more security and less corruption. President Tenet is in support of this joining of religion and state while others are not, they are far from the majority and the people rally behind anything that can give them relief from the spreading disease.
2015: With the New Year we find ourselves in Seattle, Washington one of the last cities to take up the Bulwark initiative. People continue to die from the disease that moves across the country unabated and paranoia of the supernatural continues to flourish. Some enterprising werewolves have attempted to make a living for themselves outside of just being a scavenger or surviving. Some are more tolerant of the supernatural than others and utilize those brave enough to make themselves known and still others remain hidden, wary of the Templars who have become a force to be reckoned with. These Templar seem to have manifested ways of dealing with supernatural beyond the pale of reason and some question just what they may have become. Personal freedoms in an age of security and tight religious control are at an all-time low, with many giving up freedom for the promise of security. It is by now that
scientists discover the plague is mutating far faster than even nature allows and decide on a theory that it is being manipulated by the supernatural. This leads to mass arrests of known supernaturals many being brought in for questioning, never to be seen again and still others going on the run. It finally comes out that there is a group of Ratkin who are manipulating the plague and setting it on the people in order to cleanse the blight on the face of gaia. Plague lords are constantly on the move and the garou who are left are attempting to find a cure for the plague as it continues to wipe out humanity and with its recent mutation, kin and supernaturals.
2016: Judge Grier Townsend, working in concert with the scientific mind of Dr. Seraphima Payton are finding a trail leading towards the mobile cell of plague lords but in also doing this they uncover a terrible piece of news. In order to bring the wyrm back into power, it has become clear that some of the upper echelons of power in the government were fomori being directed by some unknown power. While this was definitely a threat which had to be dealt with, it was clear that the greater threat was the plague. The remaining packs of werewolves moved out in search of the plague lords while government was thrown into chaos trying to suppress what little media remains and keep the populace in control all while people are dying around them in droves. The plague spreads across the pacific moving into Asia and Europe. While they had been suffering from the plague as well, it was not to this degree and because the world knew where the plague had originated tensions were growing. Tensions continue to grow as President Tenant calls for a lock-down on the country preventing refugees from entering or from anyone leaving. This traps several dignitaries in the country and keeps many people from the shores of America. North Korea is hit hardest by the plague, with little medicine and very little aid, their population begins to dwindle and they blame America for biological warfare. South Korea wanting to avoid this kind of scenario moves to send aid to the North, however this is in direct violation of UN sanctions and Japan moves to blockade with their defense forces along with UN troops. Russia and China, both secret supporters of North Korea move to defend and the world watches on as Kim Jong Un declares the real threat to be America and as a result fires a ballistic missile towards the island of Hawaii. The missile is intercepted but the wyrm has received the hole it needed and the fomori in power urge the president to retaliate or be seen as a nation, weakened. December of 2016 is added to the history books as Black Christmas, as America retaliates with its own ballistic missile and even with counter measures deployed the missile manages to strike the capital of North Korea obliterating the majority of it. Korea, Russia, and China all vow retaliation and missiles are fired, which in turn begins global thermonuclear war. Orbital countermeasures stop as many of the missiles as they are able but the global scale of devastation is astronomical. Government is dismantled, as there just aren’t enough people left to govern, the people become nomadic and while a cure is found for the plague it is over shadowed by the fact that the world has gone dark.
2017: The world rebuilds or tries to and America is one of them, with the plague having been dealt with and the remaining survivors trying to find a way just to stay alive. It is a slow process and with most of the infrastructure of the country and world destroyed new powers come to the fore front, city government and lawlessness is the new age, and while the scare was about supernaturals that has
become somewhat less of a priority these days. Werewolves aren’t entirely safe but they aren’t always actively hunted either…or so many seem to think. The Bulwark of Seattle remains though it is crumbling and the walls are only half stable, though there is some comfort to be found such as beds and homes, though the ports are destroyed and shipping has become non-existent. Drones can still be seen in the sky at times though no one is certain where they come from or who is controlling them. Electricity is rare, as is clean water, though food is relatively common at this point, whether it is safe to eat, however, is left to the people to find out.
2018: The new year begins with ice and snow, as the nuclear winter subsides the devastation it leaves behind wreaks havoc on the weather and on the upper west coast where rain is more common, people find that it is instead acid rain, the kind which blisters the skin and leaves permanent damage, air is difficult to breathe and ice is much more plentiful. Beaches are plagued with trash and hit hard by Tsunami sized waves and undersea earthquakes. The world is in agony and you must all survive it.