HavenGuarde

Sanctum

Sanctum

- ­And those that built the ancient world came to this place seeking refuge -

The Chronicles of F. Vanyaga, Year 2149, Entry 1.

It all began here. 

The end of the world we knew but the beginning of the world we now know. We settled in the deeps of the mountains. High above the world below. Far from the destruction and devastation. Far from those who usurped our rule over the earth. Here we came, seeking shelter, a place to lay our heads to rest. We came, in vast numbers, turning behind always, to see if we were followed. For many of us had fallen behind, cut down, left to die upon broken rocks of the shattered world we left behind. But they did not come. And we were alone. For now.  

From within the mountain, we tunneled upwards, creating space within its hollow confines. We carved the rock and shaped it to form pillars of strength that would last throughout the ages. We had brought metals, materials, paints, and all manner of iron tools, with us from the old world. These we used to fashion our home deep within the mountain. Finally, we emerged into the light above, and looked down at the earth below. It was but a speck beneath the clouds. We cared nothing for it. For now, we would build our first structure above ground. It would be atop this mountain, far from the reach of any creature below. Here in the sky, we would be safe from harm.

And so we set out to build for ourselves a wondrous fortress. A white structure. A beacon of hope in a darkened world. There was vast space atop the mountain face and so we laid the foundations of the fortress and named it Sanctum.

I have never seen another place like Sanctum. Truly. In all my years. For it is here, in the vast halls of white unblemished stone, surrounded and hidden by plain, hill, forest, water, ice, cloud and mountain, where the rocks levitate on electomagnetic waves and warp rings dot the horizon, and where Genesis and Corridor technologies were first developed and tested, that we call home. Here we also created the Dreamscape, a dark and shifting techno world accessed only through virtual projection, and later, experimented with the first technoviruses that now dwell in that same twisting netherworld. Unseen corridor pathways and majestic sky bridges span Sanctum's dimensions in an interconnected network across time and space, valley and mountain ridge. And finally, with the help of the Scientists, we perfected heat-signature tracking technologies on a scale never seen before and created the World Map, that giant holographic canvass located in the high tower, accessible only to few such as I. Here, the wonder, mystery and beauty of the natural and elemental world must contend and coexist with the cold, uncaring and terrible technologies forged in the fires of science, and mankind's desire to subdue the earth and all in it. A fortress of war. A beacon of hope and peace. A symbol of unity and of astounding vision. A place of dreams. 

It was also here, at Sanctum, where we held our first meeting as an entire species. And it was at this meeting that a proposal to establish a governing authority first surfaced in the common consciousness.

Then, not before long, there came upon us, a power struggle. For remnants of political power, from the old world, had survived and desired to rule and to control the remaining masses of humanity. Though more can be said, and will be said about these things, the meeting was concluded with the selection of leaders who would henceforth be known as the Unity. In their day, these leaders wielded considerable political power for they had sat within the global government that had arose to combat the terror that had engulfed the world. These leaders had realised the need to evacuate and had reacted quickly to organise and to coordinate evacuation. However, the vast majority of world leaders defiantly chose to focus on the use of force and military action. Later, these actions would result in the series of terrible earthquakes and sky-high waves that struck the earth relentlessly and reshaped the continental landmasses of the old world. The earth's climate and atmosphere were changed so drastically that strange storms would generate in the skies that made vast portions of the earth uninhabitable.

The Unity developed three key institutions. They were the Military, the Judges and the Angardian Council. The Military would protect the civilian populace and protect HavenGuarde from any threats that came from within and from beyond its walls. The Judges would ensure order amongst the populace, and through a delegated arm of power in the Wardens, prevent society from descending into chaos. The Angardian Council, the governing body of the Angerius Order, would serve a special task. Together, they served as an organisation with the sole purpose of carrying out the will of the Unity, including being sent out into the world outside to investigate and to report. They would also serve the function of advising the Unity on the reclamation of the earth below from those that usurped our rulership over the earth.

With the help of the council, the Unity decided to expand. They decided the time was ripe for movement and relocation to the earth below. The Order had scouted the land below and saw that it was without threat and that the land was good. Eventually, plans were made to build a great city below sanctum, just beyond the great mountains. Great numbers of people set off from Sanctum across the plains toward the markings for foundations that had been already laid out by the Order. And so began the construction of the great city, the last city. We called it HavenGuarde, the mighty fortress that would be impregnable and safe from the darkness raging outside its walls. After the Unity came into power, they divided the land up into different sectors, appointing officials to manage each, whilst they pondered on the next course of action in preserving humanity.