Human

Humans are a species native to Earth.

Overview

Humans are completely outclassed by the Infernals when it comes to size, strength, and speed, but can hold their own through the use of technology.^[1] Humanity's greatest strength is its ability to adapt to survive, and humans have mastered the ability to quickly mass-produce anything they need, given sufficient resources.^[2] Humanity reached its technological apex by the late 21st/early 22nd century.^[3]

For humanity, every life counts.^[4]

History

Early History

c. 4900 BCE, Earth was the site of a war between the Infernal Host and the Celestial Armada, ending with the Infernals being sealed from Earth through the Suppressor.^[5] The Infernals became the basis for demon myths in various human cultures.^[6] Archeological findings from this period indicate that the Infernals and/or Celestials provided inspiration for human art and mythologies in the aftermath of this conflict, influencing the cultural development of areas such as Egypt and Mesopotamia.^[7][8]

The Brink

In the 21st century, humanity had made significant technological progress^[9] and had become a spacefaring civilization,^[10] but was in a perilous state, due to the effects of overpopulation and climate change. The Sigma Program was initiated to deal with these issues.^[3] Scientists spoke of "the Brink"—a hypothetical point of no return for human civilization in the wake of ecological collapse. While the Sigma Program was able to stave off the Brink, it was unable to reverse Earth's deterioration. By the mid to late 21st century, while over 200 individual countries still existed, a number of geopolitical alliances had been formed, including the North American Federation and the Allied States of the Southern Hemisphere.^[5]

During this period, the Sigma Program began construction on the Exodus Armada, promising that its passengers would be selected from a global lottery. The announcement filled the masses with hope, leading many to turn a blind eye to Earth's inequality, not to mention that in truth, places in the Armada were being sold to the highest bidder. The Fifth Wave movement emerged as a counterpoint to the techno-optimism, and sought the end of technological progress altogether.^[5]

In what would be the last week of normal human existence, sometime in the 2110s, the Exodus Armada was launched, the general public still unaware as to the deception Sigma had played on them. A week later, Project Stormgate Mk. II was activated in Sigma Polar. Clive Cullin, by then a thrall of the Infernal Host, used Sigma's technology to disable the Suppressor, granting the Host access to Earth.^[5] A stormgate was opened inside Sigma Polar, unleashing the Host.^[11]

The Second Invasion

The Infernals were unlike any foe humanity had ever encountered, as not only were they very different biologically, but their weapons relied on magic. As humanity was unable to understand how the Infernals' weapons were powered or operated, Earth was nearly overrun.^[9] Despite this, humanity successfully defended its homeworld, but at horrific cost. Earth was devastated,^[12] with some regions devastated by humanity's use of chemical and/or nuclear weapons,^[13] and humanity itself nearly rendered extinct.^[14] Humanity had spent the 21st century trying to stave off the Brink, but through the Infernal invasion, the Brink had been reached in the early 22nd.^[7]

In the wake of the chaos, diverse factions begin to form, with survivors, militias, and marauders carving out their niche in the post-apocalyptic landscape.^[15] Humanity thrived in small clusters, protected by the Vanguard, but was bereft of much of the technology it once possessed.^[3] Other humans formed ragtag survivalist/marauder groups.^[16] Despite humanity's pyric victory, the Infernals' plans of conquest were not thwarted, and two decades after the initial invasion,^[17] Earth remained a battlefield between the Host and humanity,^[14] with humanity remaining an endangered species.^[2]

Notes

• 'Poke lines' from the MedTech mention that human life expectancy has gone "way up."^[18] However, it is unclear if the baseline is the 21st century, or if this increase is from a decreased baseline (assuming that human life expectancy would fall because of the Infernal invasion).
• Before the release of Stormgate, lore given in developer interviews gave information on humanity that appears to have been rendered null by more recent information. It was stated that sometime in the "near future" (compared to the early 21st century), Earth went through an apocalyptic event. Humanity endured the event, and began to turn into a more hopeful civilization, with conditions improving^[19] (this being before the Infernal invasion).

References