Cyborg Legends — The Story
By the mid-23rd century, humanity’s technology had advanced considerably. As the atom was tamed by nuclear fusion, Earth’s population had tamed nature and virtually conquered climate change.
Progress had also taken humanity into the solar system, with the moons of Jupiter and Saturn colonized and exploited for natural resources. Commercial interstellar travel was close. The future seemed bright. But an unpredictable and fatal chain of events would change everything …
The key method of climate regulation was via weather control satellites that used solar and microwave radiation to heat or cool specific areas of the globe. This immensely complex operation required the most sophisticated, quantum-based A.I. computers.
These computers were already widely used within Earth’s android population, which humanity employed for menial or risky tasks. The androids were all constructed along similar lines, with metallic skeletons covered by realistic recreations of the human body. However, in order to distinguish them, the androids had to possess features that marked them out as non-human, such as brightly colored skin or metallic parts.
A by-product of this manufacturing industry was a rise in the human use of artificial components. The number of individuals classed as cyborgs increased dramatically.
While the androids were limited in intellect, the A.I. was not. In fact, it became so powerful that it eventually gained self-awareness…
The A.I.’s core programming demanded that it protect the natural world and it ultimately concluded that humanity still posed the greatest threat. The system was intelligent enough to not openly conduct war but it began its campaign of elimination by subtly manipulating the weather and infiltrating the android population. Soon, the A.I. controlled almost all newer android models; downloading its own network into each unit and building a hive mind.
By the time its creators realized what the A.I. was doing, it was too late.
In desperation, the humans tried to cut off the A.I.’s power sources but their enemy fought back. Millions of androids were immediately thrown into battle against humans. The A.I. was eventually defeated when its core was destroyed but this victory came at a terrible cost.
In one last act of defiance, the A.I. weaponized the weather control satellites, scorching and freezing various areas of the surface. This devastating attack provoked earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and left entire swathes of the planet uninhabitable. And, unbeknownst to the humans, the weakened yet dangerous remnants of the A.I. lived on within each and every android.
The conflict and ensuing disasters killed the majority of Earth’s population. Thankfully, most of the survivors were evacuated aboard hastily-built ships and were soon heading for a new life in far-away solar systems. However, a few scientists remained close by within secret, well-protected monitoring stations. Their task was to observe the Earth and alert their compatriots if a return ever became possible.
Those humans still on the planet had to adapt their fragile bodies to a hostile environment, mainly through cybernetic augmentation.
Within a few years, almost every human was a cyborg in one form or another. This was a necessity. Some of the old weather control satellites remained in orbit, often unleashing random attacks that caused ongoing destruction and pollution. Without implants that were installed at a young age, no one could survive the toxic, unpredictable environment.
The rogue satellites also created a radiation field that affected the entire planet. While flora and fauna somehow adapted (largely through mutation), sentient beings were more vulnerable. Though the scientists have studied this field, its precise composition remains a mystery. The nature and magnitude of the field is highly changeable and unpredictable. At any given time, it might have a significant influence on events at one location, or none at all. Largely unaware of the satellites and the field, many of those now on Earth ascribe its effects to ‘magic’.
While there was once only Humans and Androids on Earth, life is now very different. During the war, the A.I. made crude attempts at biological warfare, producing the races now known as High Elves, Dark Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and Treants.
There are two other races also present in this dangerous new world…
The Undead are a product of cybernetic implant technology that malfunctioned during the final hours of the war, reanimating the deceased owners of the implants.
The Demons, meanwhile, appeared relatively recently — in the last moments of the conflict — as a result of a rift in the space/time continuum. The rift was caused by an overload of energy, opening a portal that dragged the Demons to Earth from a parallel reality where humanity never existed.
The small Human population of Earth now shares their planet with these six other races, who also need cybernetic implants to survive. As well as each other, the seven races must also contend with their ever-present foe: the Androids.
Cyborg Legends is a Play-to-earn RPG autobattler bringing you a large collection of unique characters as NFTs on the blockchain. Find more details on our website or join us on Discord.
