Genesis Season Lore: Chaos Backstory — Take Back the Power

CHAOS is more a movement, elevating the rights of the individual. Disgusted by the power hungry MetaMasons and confident in the eventual failure of centralized government, the ethos of Chaos is to return total control to the people, to destroy any who would claim to rise above anyone else.

Their constant attacks on the MetaMasons have obliterated the totalitarian infrastructure, leaving room for The Order to gain a foothold — but they reject democratic control as much as they reject the tight fist of centralized power.

Backstory- Take Back the Power

From the moment the MetaMason founders began harnessing the incredible strength of the Dark Shards, schisms were inevitable. Power corrupts and, like water, always flows to the path of least resistance. And so… The Order was formed, an offshoot, a power-hungry sprout, a subcategory of the devout and arcane MetaMasons. Instead of numinous interests, the Order trafficked firmly in the affairs of men, and set out to centralize the so-called “spiritual” strength of the Shards.

They embedded themselves in social movements, wielded papal power like a hammer, and always, always placed themselves at the top of the political pyramid schemes.

To oppose this affront against humanity, to stop these archaic values from spreading, Chaos was formed — a faction designed to elevate the very best of the individual, valuing freedom, equality, and independence above all else. This focus on the person instead of the tribe may seem simple, but it was a radical idea in a time of total serf subservience.

In fact, this approach to individual autonomy flew in the face of everything The Order (and the MetaMasons) were trying to build, as those factions understandably didn’t trust the unwashed masses with such impossible amounts of destructive potential. The founding members of the Chaos faction knew instinctively that people didn’t need to be ruled, they needed to be allowed to rule themselves.

However, given the sheer force contained in the Dark Shards, that proved an extremely complicated maze to navigate. And then… the meteor struck, and the gameboard was reset. Opportunity arose. Surely, in such a contained group, true individualism was possible? Surely, finally, every man and woman could be allowed space to choose their own destiny?

Aboard the research station, members of Chaos set out to make this a reality, preaching true equality, not centralized government. For a man to eat, must he not be responsible for his own food? For a woman to drink, must she not find her own water? The ship was the perfect laboratory for such an experiment, because every element necessary for life was perfectly constructed and wholly accessible.

People would succeed or fail on their own merits. Chaos refused to be ruled by anyone, and believed that man’s true nature was free, that everyone should throw off the yoke of oppression wherever it was found.

This aggressive stance caused some enemies aboard the ship, primarily The Order, who was busy trying to centralize power, while Chaos was doing their best to disperse it. Realizing that the ends justified the means, independent clusters of people loosely aligned with Chaos began sabotaging efforts to create and sustain a hierarchy on the ship. Food sources were damaged, political rallies were disrupted. Above all, this message united Chaos: True power comes from hard-earned personal worth, not titles or charity. The best weapon was the one that was most effective. The best food was the one that nourished. The best person was the one who could care for himself.

Surely, with the bulk of humanity having perished in the meteor strike, the remaining few were capable of self-governance? If not now, when? This, finally, was the age of the individual. Now was the time for freedom fighters to rise and claim power. Wherever the ship was going, Chaos knew that humanity’s survival rested on them becoming wolves who could fend for themselves, not sheep blindly following orders. After all, the Dark Shards were a gift that ultimately must be shared with all… or at least those most able to effectively wield their power.