Testament - Firestar, #7

After a hundred years of conquests and reformations, the world transformed under the united banner of the Order. The immortal handlers of this administration transitioned from agents of domination to stewards of humanity, and the head of the regime tended to the variety of cultures with the care of an attentive gardener. Not all were content with the guidance he provided, however, so those with ambition sought power for themselves and plotted against him.

Despite the best efforts of these resistance movements, none succeeded. Instead of breaking the Order, they tested its resiliency and gave it new problems to solve. The Four Pillars rose as a bulwark against corrosion, and the governing houses were purged of corrupt officials. Cooperation and resource sharing increased, and regional connections strengthened to discourage infighting, but a contingency of malicious actors continued to appear throughout the ages, and they chipped at the collective confidence in the administrator.

The Sureshot Rebellion was the last attempt on the Order's stability. Armed companies, wealthy benefactors, religious zealots, and political ideologues banded together to overthrow the Order and bring the regime to heel, but before their plans could reach fruition, the movement and the majority of its members were terminated overnight. Since then, the administrator was silent, and the Four Pillars carried out their roles in hushed tones. Something had changed. In the midst of these developments, a new mission was drafted to unearth an ancient secret hidden deep within the earth, but unlike the Rebellion, its emergence would change not only the Order but the world forever.