The Third Sun –

Roughly five centuries ago, a new celestial body made its presence known in the night sky, a star so bright that it could not be ignored. At first, it was a point of curiosity, spotted by sailors who relied on the stars to navigate and then observed by astronomers and mystics alike. Yet, unlike other stars, it did not remain distant and eternal. It grew larger, day by day, until its light could be seen even during the bright hours when the twin suns ruled the sky. This period became known as the "Time of the Three Suns," a phenomenon that captured the imagination and fear of every nation.

As the mystery object drew closer, it became evident that this was no star, but a harbinger—a massive meteor, hurtling towards the planet. The impact was cataclysmic. Smaller chunks of the meteor broke off, peppering the oceans and lands, causing tidal waves, fires, and devastation. The main body, however, struck with such force that it flattened everything for miles, sending a shockwave across the continent. In the following days, the world was plunged into chaos, not just from the immediate damage, but from the blanket of ash and dust that choked the skies, plunging the world into a year of darkness, a period now remembered as the "Eternal Winter."

The Dust Settles –

The long winter was harsh and unforgiving. Crops withered, ecosystems collapsed, and even the most resilient of races found themselves struggling against starvation. But as with all things, the dust cloud eventually dissipated, and light returned. Slowly, life began to heal, and the survivors emerged from their enclaves, determined to rebuild.

When explorers finally braved the impact site, they found an eerie, desolate expanse, the land blackened and dead. No flora dared to grow in the barren soil, no creatures ventured too close. What was once a verdant landscape had been transformed into a wasteland, radiating outwards from the massive crater. Despite the strangeness, some saw opportunity; new settlements began to spring up along the fringes of the wasteland, unaware of the lurking threat that slumbered within.

Dark Omens –

The early settlements were tentative, yet hopeful. They saw themselves as pioneers, venturing into an untamed frontier. However, this hope was short-lived. One by one, entire villages disappeared without a trace, as if they had never existed. When search parties ventured out, they found no signs of struggle or battle, no bodies, only the barren wasteland, creeping ever outward as if it had swallowed the settlements whole. The rumors of these disappearances were quickly dismissed as exaggeration, or mere ghost stories—until the night the Catastrophe revealed itself.

The attacks began with no warning. Survivors spoke of dark, chittering swarms emerging from the wasteland, of monstrous creatures with alien, chitinous forms. They described eyes that burned like coals, bodies that gleamed in the moonlight, and claws sharp enough to rend steel. These creatures did not simply kill; they captured, dragging the screaming survivors back into the heart of the wasteland. Armies were mustered, but they were not prepared for what they faced.

The Grand Council –

Fighting alone no one had any success, every time they came up with a strategy to beat the new menace, they encountered strange new creatures as part of their forces that always turned the tide in the favour of the aliens.  It was like they were adapting to overcome any resistance they encountered.  It was the Council of Magi that first recognised the threat for what it was, and they left their island home to seek allies from the four corners of the globe.  They went to the different nations and told them that their legends that spoke of a threat from the skies that would devour a world completely and assimilate it so that they were the only life form that could live on it.  This was the fate for this planet if they did not put aside their rivalries and fight back together before the Catastrophe grew too large to ever be defeated.

Not all came to the council.  Ancient enmities ran to deep, and others thought themselves safe from the threat.  Some hoped that the other nations would weaken themselves so much they would be able to take some or all their territory in the aftermath.  Others however were less selfish and saw the Catastrophe threat for what it was and agreed to go to the council.  It was not easy.  Luckily for the assembly the alien threat was not fast.  Every time they had a large victory instead of pushing on, they would return to the crater with their recently acquired raw materials.  Still, they knew the longer they took the stronger the Catastrophe would get.  The Magi explained that their attackers were part of a hive mind.  One great central intelligence was controlling the mass of creatures against them.  They could not be sure but surmised it would be located in or around the impact crater.  Being able to strike so deep into enemy territory would be a problem but they thought they had a way to use the instincts of the hive mind to their advantage.

Assault on the Crater –

High above the impact creator, nowhere near the fighting the final fighting force was revealed.  An army of Dragons and Angels descended from the heavens and attacked the impact crater itself.  With most of the hive minds forces preoccupied elsewhere there was minimal resistance.  They broke the surface of the crater where they found an underground alien world had been tunneled out from the crater wall.  They came up against a token guard which they swept aside and pushed into the heart of this strange world.  As the hive mind realised where the real threat was it broke off all the fighting and called its forces back to the crater.  The fighting had been brutal in each of the locations and as soon as the Catastrophe forces tried to break off the plan had been to delay them as much as possible and fall on them from behind, massacring them all if possible.  In reality though, the combatants were too fatigued to pursue, and the hive minds forces too quick so all they could was watch as the remnants of their foes sped back to the crater.  Even though they had inflicted terrible casualties they knew the forces were still too much and it was now a race against time to destroy the source before they got back.  Time was against them though as the Dragons struggled to make their way through the honeycombed underworld.  The Angels could move faster but as they made their way deeper in, they met heavy resistance and had to wait until the Dragons could catch up to them.  There was something they did not know about though, the Hive Queen herself.  The huge monster appeared with her Queens Guard and smashed into them forcing them back to the crater wall.  It was then they saw the returning forces on the horizon, the gambit had failed, and the remaining Dragons and Angels had to flee.