Hundreds of thousands of millennia ago Cardania was launched as a deep-space colonization project. An impressive Earth-like biome was constructed, supporting continuous evolution and expansion.
Numerous civilizations have risen and fallen across, around and inside Cardania. Countless calamities have befallen the structure, but she remains a habitable, albeit treacherous, place to call home.
Today, in around the year 1M CE, Cardania is a glorious, chaotic testament to the perseverance of life in the void of space.
Within the FOUNDATION sector at the very heart of the megastructure is the SUMMONING POOL. A mystical interdimensional portal and limitless source of energy. It also summons an endless array of creatures, magic, and trouble from the void of interdimensional space.
Ancient Cardania Lore
In the earliest transcripts of Cardania, human colonists designed and manufactured large-scale climate control systems that would support human life in what became known as “the biome”. The primary goal was to replicate the atmospheric conditions of Earth within a self-sustainable environment. After hundreds of years of development, it finally became possible for ‘Terraforms’ to be constructed within vast terrain sectors. These Earth-like landscapes were fully supported by the advanced technology, which automatically maintained temperature, light and other conditions.
Underpinning almost everything that allows the megastructure to exist is The Quantum Dark Energy Drive is the beating heart of the Cardania megastructure. An ancient megalith that enables limited teleportation of Cardania across space, time and dimensions. The Quantum Dark Energy drive is powered primarily by the Summoning Pool. Cardania thus travels to new locations for limited excursions, though often without the control or consent of her citizens. Cardania always (eventually) returns to her anchor point in the Sol system of the material dimension.
Earth’s finest AI architects created the ‘CS1’ system to make Cardania largely self-sufficient. CS1 represents the accumulation of human-led Artificial Intelligence. The AI is extended through a network of robots to service and maintain the structure. The AI robots that provide support and aim to enhance the lives of humankind are known as ‘The Custodians’.
The Cardania biome was effectively ‘grown’ from a variety of Earth genome samples. The architectural concept for the biome was that the terraforms would provide a variety of terrains and landscapes that had existed on planet Earth. Advanced biotechnology and synthesized climates would then support as many of the species that had been recovered from Earth. The architects had celebrated their great success in achieving what was thought to be an impossible goal.
Whilst the biome is undoubtedly a marvel of science, it is also a wonder of evolution. The architects had created the perfect conditions for Earth life, yet at the same time had also paved a pathway for many new forms of life to thrive. Over many eons a wide variety of organisms emerged, evolved and prevailed. Many species that humans could never have anticipated are now competing for territory and natural resources within the vast ecosystems of Cardania. Skirmishes and battles are commonplace and periodically large-scale wars are fought. The last Great War concluded with Imperators retaking control of the Alpha sectors. Humankind now largely exists only within colonized areas of the Alpha sectors.
Humankind
Through the progression of many millennia the tree of human evolution ‘forked’ a number of times. Several human subspecies emerged and prospered, whilst many withered and became extinct.
Around half a millennia ago, biotechnological development made symbiosis possible between organism and machine. Initially this was limited to animals but later ‘grafters’ were performing underground human-cyborg enhancements for anyone with enough RAD to cover the ‘upgrades’. This allowed for certain individuals within society to increase their capabilities and prolong their life.