It must have seemed as if the Four Horsemen had descended upon the Earth in the late twenty-third century. Famine, plague, war, and death held sway. Most of the natural resources of the planet had been ripped away, leaving the Earth an inhospitable, polluted miasma. The four megacorporations - those most directly responsible for the state of the planet - deemed Earth unsalvageable and decided to flee to the other inner planets. Using the last of their homeworld's scant resources, massive terraforming vessels were constructed and dispatched to Mercury, Venus, Luna, and Mars. Through an incredible amount of effort, both physical and financial, the surfaces of these barren rocks were made habitable. Each of the megacorporations gathered together their most valued members and abandoned Earth for their new homes in space.
Capitol Corporation, born of the capitalist democracy of the United States, first settled on Luna and there built the greatest city mankind has ever seen. Mars, too, would become Capitol territory, and now provides the majority of humankind's mineral resources. The Homebuilders of Bauhaus Corporation (primarily descended from mainland Europe and western Asia) took to Venus, and despite the bizarre creatures and difficult jungle terrain, carved out a new empire. Mishima, heirs of several Easternnations and philosophies, traveled first to Mercury and carved fantastic cities from that planet's interior. The Imperial Corporation, the progeny of the United Kingdom, took to a policy of Imperialism and conquered any unclaimed lands they could find. The great Asteroid Belt also became home to the people of Imperial. During all of this, the Earth and it's less-fortunate inhabitants was left to devolve into a state of uncivilized barbarianism, ruled by strength of arms.
With all the resources and space they could ever need, the megacorporations again flourished. Science and technology advanced at a breakneck pace, and great marvels were achieved. Humanity had reached a pinnacle previously unheard, but it was never enough - someone always wanted more. Desperate to advance beyond any boundaries, humans began to reach towards the outer planets. Imperial, ever the explorers, landed it's Conquistadors on the surface of Pluto. It was this accomplishment that would curse humankind for all time.
Although contact with the Pluto mission was soon lost, the repercussions of their visit quickly became apparent. The explorers found a ancient tablet of then unknown origin - they had disturbed this artifact and somehow awakened a great evil. A power known as Dark Symmetry spewed forth and loosed a terrible wrath upon humanity. First to be affected were the Thinking Machines - artificial intelligences that was the core of humanity's day to day life. Automatons ceased operations, or worse, turned on their makers. Computer systems of all kinds failed with catastrophic consequence. Without the Thinking Machines, the entire economic system collapsed. Riots erupted on every planet - in every location man had settled, violence became the norm.
Faced with the direst of situations, the leaders of the megacorporations sought to turn blame away from themselves. Since the common people would never understand, let alone believe, that an alien force was causing such chaos, each corporation placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of their economic rivals. Feuds, both ancient and new, ignited between the megacorporations. Blame and tension soon erupted into open war. Fear, treachery, and hatred fanned the flames of these wars, and soon everywhere there was a settlement, there was war. The darkness of the First Corporate War had descended in full.
It was from Bauhaus that a beacon shown and cut through the darkness. Nathaniel Durand, he who was to be the first Cardinal, and founder of The Brotherhood came forth to lead humanity back to the light. Durand spoke first to the common people, convincing them that an evil force was responsible for the Corporate Wars and that the Thinking Machines were the true instrument of the Darkness. The commoners were urged to take up hammers and smash the machines, and this they did. Great factories and machines were destroyed during this war within a war, and it did not pass without notice. Many people, both common and corporate, began to listen closely to Nathaniel Durand. He gathered his people together and taught them what he knew of Darkness and Light. Once his Lightbringers were prepared, they were sent to the farthest reaches of humanity's domain to spread a message of hope.
As Durand and his Lightbringers grew in popularity, the megacorporations began to fall in line. All four began to support his efforts in earnest (though some were less ardent than others) and used their vast resources to follow his edicts. It was during this time that a great deal of technology was lost as the soldiers of the megacorporations were instructed to expunge the last of the Thinking Machines. As his words were spread and orders carried out, Durand realized that a greater level of organization was needed for humanity to stand against the Darkness. With a great deal of grassroots support, as well as financial backing from commoners and corporations alike, Durand established The Brotherhood. In the beginning he organized the Four Directorates, saw to the induction of millions of members, and oversaw the raising of the great Cathedrals.
It was now that Durand accomplished what no other man could - he once again brought peace to humanity. Through a Herculean effort, Durand brought together emissaries from each of the megacorporations and after a full twenty-five years of effort and negotiation, the Treaty of Heimburg ended the First Corporate War. Backed primarily by Capitol, The Cartel was formed to be a peace-keeping body among the megacorporations. Thanks to the efforts of this Cartel and The Brotherhood, mankind once again knew a time of peace.
Once again, this era of peace was not to last. Imperial was again unwilling to resist the urge to explore, and set course for the newly discovered tenth planet, Nero. Yet again, the Conquistadors discovered something best left hidden and yet again, disturbed that which was not to be bothered. This time they had broken The First Seal of Repulsion and now the evil hordes of the Dark Soul flowed freely into the system. Terror lead the way, and a great many humans, including members of The Brotherhood turned from the light and became Heretics of the Dark Legion.
The armies of evil, called the Dark Legion, swept down on humanity like ravenous vultures and brought death and destruction on a scale previously unknown. Territory was lost on every planet, and imposing fortresses - called Citadels - sprang from the corrupted ground. Every offensive launched against the Dark Legion met with horrible defeat, and soon great cities began to fall. Even the staunchest resistance could not turn the tide of evil. The names of the Dark Legion commanders was carved indelibly upon the crushed defenders - Ilian, Mistress of Symmetry; Algeroth, Dark Lord of War and Technology; Muawijhe, the Apostle of Madness; Semai, Lord of Spite, and Demnogonis, the Befouler. Each Dark Apostle brought to humanity their own particular form of evil and destruction both overt (Algeroth and Demnogonis, primarily) or through means of sedition and temptation (Muawijhe and Semai).
Algeroth himself walked the surface of Venus, and from here produced innumerable armies and weapons beyond the likes humanity had ever seen. Even the fallen corporate soldiers became fuel for the armies of Algeroth, and hordes of Undead Legionnaire trod across the battlefields. None could oppose these armies, and those who tried were mercilessly slaughtered. The defeat of humanity seemed imminent.
When all again seemed lost, Cardinal Durand stood firm and brought hope to the masses. After a brief discussion (and more than a little coercion), Brotherhood Missionaries joined the fighting units. Through use of the benevolent power of the Art, these Missionaries were able to shield the human forces from the power of the Dark Symmetry. This glimmer of hope gave many of the beleaguered defenders the ability to stand against the Legion and slow their inexorable advance. Durand used this brief respite wisely and gathered together the most elite force humanity had to offer. Lead by Durand himself, an army of Doomtroopers - the military arm of The Cartel - and hundreds of special forces from every megacorporation marched to battle. This small army did the unthinkable - they attacked Algeroth in his own fortress on Venus.
An epic battle raged for hours, Durand and his crusaders struggling to wipe the blight of Algeroth from the face of the planet and the Legion throwing endless hordes of zombies in their path. Finally, Durand reached the Apostle and a great combat between Light and Darkness ensued. Day and night the two tested one another, until finally Durand struck Algeroth a telling blow, but in so doing was terribly wounded. The damage, however, had be done. Humanity carried the battle to the Legion, and the forces of Darkness were beaten back on all fronts. Thanks to the sacrifice of Durand, humankind survived.
Durand was succeeded by another Bauhauser, Toth. In the days following the defeat of the Legion, Cardinal Toth lead The Brotherhood to its fullest ascendancy. Cathedrals were raised, and the Word was spread to all who would hear. In hopes of preventing further Dark Legion incursions and the chaos that follows, Cardinal Toth issued his three Edicts: No man shall build a Thinking Machine; No man shall travel beyond the planet of Jupiter; and No man shall seek knowledge of the Dark Legion.
As often follows a great war, a new age of peace and prosperity once again descended upon humanity. Brotherhood Missionaries traveled to all reaches of human civilization, keeping humankind safe from Heresy and the associated evils. Knowledge of both the Legion and forbidden technologies were stamped out where they were found, and the threat of the Legion receded. For nearly ten centuries the planets enjoyed a blissful peace.
The Brotherhood, however, achieved their goals in too zealous a manner. Such was their war against forbidden knowledge that even belief of the existence of the Dark Legion became rare. Soon the Legion had passed from history to legend to a tool used by the Brotherhood to hold dominion over mankind. Men began to join The Brotherhood as a path to power, not to promote the teachings of the Cardinals. The Brotherhood's control over the megacorporations evaporated and one by one mankind returned to their previous ways. New wars began between the great merchant affiliations, and people forgot any other distant threats.
Suddenly, a new player appeared on the scene. In one day of economic upheaval and stock-market manipulation, Cybertronic was born. A new megacorporation, devoted to the advancement of science and previously forbidden technologies, had taken shape. Capable of producing radically new technologies, even the Thinking Machines, Cybertronic worked to usher mankind back to the level of advancement they had known over a thousand years in the past. Despite the vehement demands of The Brotherhood, the other four megacorporations embraced this new initiative and likewise struggled to advance their research.
All the while, the corporate wars continued - now with a new player and new weaponry. Thus was the age of The Second Corporate Wars began. Conflict, both small and large, was everywhere. The only cessations of battle were for the opportunity to rearm or realign. The Cartel and The Brotherhood, both embroiled in their own political maneuvering and infighting, were helpless to avert these conflicts. The quest for power lead the megacorporations into both continued fighting and continued research. Old technologies were rediscovered, and old desires were once again fanned into life. Ships again explored beyond the inner sphere, and some even traveled as far as distant Nero. Humankind once again seemed bent on ignoring both their own past and the advice of their own "ruling" bodies.
Then, as in the past, the Dark Legion appeared. A new Citadel of Darkness took form on the Martian landscape. Capitol, recognizing a threat, quickly launched an air offensive against the fortress, only to be destroyed by Imperial fire. Emissaries were sent to the Cardinal and The Cartel. The Doomtroopers were reformed and dispatched to investigate the new evidence of the Darkness and found a legend become reality - the Dark Legion had returned. More Citadels began to appear, and the armies of humanity quickly mobilized against this old threat. Even so, the Corporate Wars continued, and each megacorporation looked to use the Legion as an advantage against its foes.
This is the present. A time when humankind is threatened both from without and within. Great heroes and dark villains walk the worlds of humanity. The Cartel and The Brotherhood work to keep the Dark Legion at bay, and while the megacorporations fight amongst themselves, humanity again teeters on the brink of Darkness.
All of the many facets of the Mutant Chronicles Universe are set in this era of strife and war. Many technologies have returned, but most are tools of war and destruction. Great spaceships span the gulf between planets, yet hundreds die daily from lack of food or medical care. Great vehicles of war dominate the battlefields, but fuel-burning trains and mass-transit systems are still in common use among the civilian population. It is a time and place of contradictions, and this is what makes the Mutant Chronicles a truly diverse and attractive setting.