The New Era

The New Era is the time period begun after the Common Era (also known as AD). It refers to the period of history since the end of the Mediterranean War, the last major war of the Common Era.

## A Brief History

### First Century

After the Mediterranean War, no sovereign states remained. In places, various Federal institutions continued to attempt to operate in some capacity, but none successfully. The world lived in a state of relative anarchy as population continued to decline. Halfway through the century, the first major warlords began consolidating power. A few modern royals are descended from these warlords.

### Second Century

As the power of warlords grew, refugees began to flee the burning countryside and collected in cities for protection. Around 175 NE, the first municipal councils began to form in order to organize militias and preside over trade disputes. In some places, rudimentary electricity was experimented with, but large scale operations were impossible. The decline of population due to disease, war, and famine continued, but was slowed as the collection of people in cities led to greater rates of reproduction.

### Third Century

By about 250 NE, most remaining warlords had taken up residence in cities and asserted monarchical control. Rural areas remained lawless lands, and science was still limited by the lack of many natural resources that had been present during the First Reign of Man.

### Fourth Century

At the beginning of the Fourth Century, many city-states officially organized and asserted greater control over territory. Cities began to assert control over lands outside the urban area in order to secure the food supply. Around the end of the century, archaeology took off as a scientific field, as scholars sought to reconstruct the knowledge of the past.

### Fifth Century

At the beginning of the Fifth Century, scientists applied the Common Era knowledge of vaccines. The practice was rediscovered in Geneva, Atlanta, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro within a 10-year span, and it soon spread across the globe. By the end of the century, vaccines were available in most cities, and the population had begun to grow. Also around this time, the first major wars between city-states were fought over territory.

### Sixth Century

As inter-city wars became common, larger cities tended to prevail and subjugate smaller ones. In some cases, smaller cities formed confederations in order to defend against larger threats. The use of vaccines became commonplace. As people became more inter-connected, trade increased as well. By the end of the century, most of the world was experiencing rapid economic growth.

### Seventh Century

In the Seventh Century, few simple city-states remained; most had laid claim to large swaths of territory and began to engage in diplomacy, trade, and warfare with neighbors. Some minor industrialization began to occur, especially on rivers. In San Jose, California, a computer was briefly powered for the first time in the New Era.

### Eighth Century

As states often began to borrow symbols and names from the past, rivalries heated up as well. A conflict in North America led to the breakup of multiple larger states in the Appalachian region. Many larger states, such as Sao Paulo, Mexico, Egypt, Castile, England, Paris, Thrace, Muscovy, Delhi, Honshu, and Shanghai were defeated by coalitions of their neighbors and their territory was greatly reduced. Australia unified into a single country while the Italian Empire broke into many smaller states over regional divisions. The state of Maharashtra was forcefully separated from Kanara and established as a buffer to neighboring states from the expansionism of Mumbai. Iceland annexed the country of Labrador, giving it territory on the North American mainland.

### Ninth Century

Over the course of the century, border conflicts began to become less frequent. Major powers were licking their wounds while smaller ones became more comfortable with their lot. The world economy began to slow without the engine of war. Then, in 845 NE, a hydropower plant proved successful in Wuhan, Yangtze. In 855 NE, a functioning solar panel was constructed in Phoenix, Arizona. By 860 NE, wind farms had also begun cropping up in many regions. These three advancements began to proliferate. In 865 NE, the first electric railroads were built in Brandenburg. In 866 NE, the first electric automobile was built in Michigan. In 868 NE, the first electric boat was launched in Honshu. From 870 to 900 NE, no wars were fought (although a border skirmish did occur in Bosnia). Electricity-driven industrialization occurred rapidly, and by 899 the capability to produce large amounts of electricity had spread to every country on the map. At the turn of the Tenth Century, new, electric-powered economies stood toe-to-toe, brandishing electric-powered militaries with which to challenge their opponents.