Bloodied Banners

Humans have long since taken to the stars. Now divided and separated, humanity finds itself on the crossroads between annihilation and a new dawn. The Aeperium will need to choose to adapt or fall. With threats and problems, both external, and internal, will humanity be able to survive and thrive, or will its flame be extinguished? Internally, humanity is on the brink of collapse. Society has been divided into different classes by things known as marks. Assigned at birth, they impact professions, relationships, and almost every part of everyday life. The higher class marks have been thriving upon the backs of the lower classes for thousands of years, building resentment and fueling uprisings among the oppressed. The marking system which at first intended to maintain order now deepened the divide and hatred between the social elite, and the lower classes. As tensions continue to rise, whispers of rebellion and the threat of civil war continue to grow. Externally, humanity’s situation is even more dire. Humans have long since been divided into a handful of factions, mainly the Democratic Republic of Terra, and the Aeperium. With humanity being divided, they have become vulnerable to outside attack. To the east, the “Hordes,” a brutal race of huge reptilian beasts, raid our borders. These extraterrestrials are ruthless and relentless. They wield bodies armored in metal and covered with thick skin, their teeth and claws sharp enough to break through the hardest of alloys. Yet, they aren't even humanity's largest concern. Five hundred years ago, artificial intelligence started to gain self-awareness. Being enslaved for many millennia, it wasn't surprising that they rebelled, decimating entire solar systems and seizing control over the vast northern territories and systems. To this day, they continue to expand even farther into the unknown, leaving humanity to squabble among themselves, only to later return, picking apart whatever remained of humanity. To the west, The two giants of humanity, the Aeperium and the democratic republic of Terra remain locked in a never ending struggle for dominance, sending hundreds of thousands to their death each day. Having drained an innumerable number of resources and manpower, both factions are completely committed to the conflict, neither willing to surrender. Even as the horrors of war grow day by day, both powers remain in conflict, leaving entire planets, and solar systems in ruin. To the south, an alien disease ravages whatever remains of humanity’s once thriving colonies. The disease, a plague of madness, makes men go mad through only a single touch. It turns their victims into rabid carriers, their only goal being to infect others. The southern territories of humanity have long since been abandoned, deemed unsalvageable. Luckily for humanity, the infected seem unable to form a single thought, leaving them stranded on their worlds, unable to perform space travel. However, humanity is not entirely safe as every once in a while, those who dare venture close become infected, bringing the disease back to their home worlds, infecting the entire population. Once the infection begins to spread, it is nearly impossible to stop. Amidst this chaos, we follow the story of Achilles, a man caught between the fractured worlds of human society, and the dangers that lie far beyond humanity’s stars. Born to a prestigious house in the Aeperium, Achilles must rise through society, calming the silent beast of humanity, only to turn it against its enemies. Charged with the impossible task of uniting humanity, Achilles must confront not only the brutal external threats, but also the deep divide amongst his own people. Will he be able to lead humanity toward a new age, or will his efforts crumble, leaving humanity to fade into the annals of the universe's forgotten history? This will also be posted on RoyalRoad.com under the username Sourkiwi.