INTRODUCTION

Have you ever wondered how much Earth would have changed if Hitler had won the war? How about, if President Kennedy wasn't shot, or something equally as unoriginal as that?

Well, have you ever wondered how much Earth would have changed if nine Obelisks landed on Earth before we rose from the goo? No? How about nine Obelisks that gave off power, enough power to influence mankind and make them super-human? You see, the power these Obelisks gave off became stored in humanity, giving them an inner resource of power. They can expel the power from their feet and body and take flight, they can use it to coat their outer body and become highly durable, they can use it to fire at each other… and kill each other. Now there's a sight. You know war? Using expensive weapons to kill each other over some international squabble? Well, no weapons have ever really been built here. Some swords and other cutting implements, sure, but generally the battlefields of this Earth throughout time have been the same: akin to a laser light show, people using their power to blast each other. Each blast not quite the same colour, a mystery to the science of this world. Sadly war has become more common on this Earth thanks to the fact that it costs nothing… except lives.

Peace is such a rare event throughout this planet's history (or the start of Recorded Time, 1 RT on their calendar), that during an unusual span of peace, the governments of the world got together and declared 1999 RT the last year of the RT calendar, then declared that from the following year all borders would be open for travel, calling this age New Earth (or 1 NE). In the end it made very little difference. Sadly human nature is something that didn't change through the Obelisks power.

"It may as well not be called Earth then!" I here you cry. Sure enough, the Obelisks crashed to Earth with such a mighty bang that the very landmass we're used to has changed shape. But don't worry! You see the thing about fate is that it's very strict, and although this Earth has had major changes, there are still some familiar cultures. Britland, for instance, is not unlike Britain, though have a bigger island and their empire only just collapsed recently. Why not visit the good old UST, or Unified States of Torontia, or their neighbours to the north Washington Island? Okay, that's quite a bit different.

I could go on about this, but I'm sure you're anxious to jump in, see the sights and characters of this bizarre Earth. There is plenty of fun to be had, though this tale is a tragic one. The date is August 20th 103 NE and the place is Sarushima, a country not far removed from Japan, and a country that has had a total of seven wars with its Northern border country of Chung-Kuo (not unlike China, see, what did I tell you about fate?) One lonely Washington Island native has arrived in its Capital: Shuto, in hopes of getting some training, training in order to fight someone who was once his best friend…