Chapter 2 - The Evolution

Over time, the shared knowledge and constant battles caused greater power, and greater champions, to emerge, from each Civilization. Liquid People learnt of speed overland, defensive tactics, and powerful methods of breaking enemy defenses, and through this, some evolved, gaining the ability to become Crystal Warriors. Lancers, and Paladins, to deal with opponents who had allied themselves with creatures that had the skills for defense. The Guardians were the first to evolve amongst the creatures of the Light Civilization, but, as they had still been isolated, they gained mostly greater unity.

The same could be said for the warrior champions that arose amongst the ranks of the Beast Folk. Their power to lead and find new lands was matched only by their power on the battlefield. The Fire forces found the greatest evolution to be amongst the Humans, who mastered such great and powerful arsenals of weaponry that even their allies could be spurred to greater power through their presence. These great warriors fought for glory, power, and extension of the beliefs and ideals of their mighty Civilizations.

It was deep in the catacombs of the Darkness, that the 'trouble' began. For the Darkness holds no such noble ideals. Worse yet, the first to evolve amongst the creatures of the dark, were the insatiable Parasite Worms, their evolution manipulated by the great dark leaders.

Tired of the contaminated 'hell' in which they lived, and having used up much of their resources in their experiments and constant search for immortality, the Dark Ones set a plan into motion that would change the world. They began to deploy their forces, and any creature willing to be loyal to them, against the forces of the Nature Civilization.

The Parasite Worms moved into the Fiona Woods first, devouring... fighting... warping the very essence of the once-beautiful groves. The worms were many, and the great Ultracide Worm was stronger than any champion of nature, able to defeat the great Fighter Dual Fang, Roaring Great-Horn, or just about anything else that Nature's forces could throw against it. Not even the Ligers, had they chosen to assist the populace of their former home, would have been any match for the immense worm. The cry went out to the Light Civilization, a plea for help, and energy was gathered to awaken the great Comet Elemental Miar, the only creature known with enough power to stop the murderous Worm. Up until that point, the Light Bringers had chosen to remain silent and watch, as the Silver Beard tribe fought on...

Unfortunately, it was too late. There was no way to awaken Miar in time. The Chaos Worms that followed in the wake of the Ultracide Worm seemed to be able to kill anything that was not aware that they were already there. Without the help of the Water Civilization's teleportation technology, the Nature forces were restricted to their Natural Snares and other, mostly ineffective methods of battle, since even the creatures defeated would mysteriously seem to revive at times and continue their onslaught.

Despite all efforts, the first wave of the Darkness' invasion was, indeed, successful, and the Fiona Woods, known to many as the heart of Nature's Civilization, fell, crushed by the evolved doom brought forth by the forces of Darkness. What few expected, was the disruption of the energy of the planet itself...