Plot

In the beginning, there was the Virus: a malign and cancerous presence that clawed through the barriers separating our world and a strange, wonderful dimension that sits parallel to it — the Digital World. Within this plane of reality exists a species of bio-digital organisms that are collectively referred to as "Digimon", shorthand for "digital monsters".

According to legend, eight human children were selected to combat the Virus with special Digivices, electronic artifacts created for the purpose of enabling their own unique Digimon partners to unleash their true potential through a process called "Digivolution".

Together, these eight chosen warriors became known as the "DigiDestined" and stepped forward to face their enemy, but even with their combined powers, the Virus made it perfectly clear that it would not accept defeat with gracious intentions; in a desperate gambit, the Virus supposedly destroys itself in a final suicide attack, claiming two of the DigiDestined's lives in the process, and possibly a third one as well.

Four of the five known survivors, the oldest members of the group, went on to be crowned as heroes to both humanity and the Digimon, living legends in the flesh. The fifth and youngest member faded away into obscurity, for reasons entirely unknown.

In the aftermath of this crisis, more and more humans with these Digivices have begun to emerge as a stopgap solution to intermittent problems and minor threats, saturating both worlds with a flux of people possessing the "spark" that once made the DigiDestined uniquely singular in their power and purpose. These new children call themselves "Tamers" as a sign of the bond between them and their Digimon, but their increasing abundance is proving problematic.

From the swelling populations emerged three coalitions, each headed by one of the original surviving DigiDestined, all of them suddenly hellbent on wrenching control of Tokyo for their own machinations. Another supposedly went on to organize and establish the covert monitoring agency "HYPNOS" as a counter-terrorist force against the Digimon they once fought side-by-side with, and all that would use them for selfish means. It is even said that a fifth member of the original group is active somewhere in Tokyo, lending a helping hand to those that need it. As for the sixth survivor, their status continues to remain unknown.

But no one is certain as to what the future holds for both worlds.

## Important Notes

* It has been ten years since a malignant aberration known by history only as "the Virus" suddenly emerged from from across the boundaries separating our world from the Digital World in an attempt to eradicate the human race.
* It was assumed defeated by a handful of children that became known as the "DigiDestined", but two were claimed by the calamity, and it is possible a third one may have been lost as well, but results have been wanting. Those that have survived are well on their way into adulthood, or have already reached the age of majority.
* Factions have cropped up as a direct consequence of the unchecked acceleration in the population of Japanese youth armed with Digivices, combined with a steady weakening of the barriers that separate the worlds from one another. The most dominant of these Tamer groups is also its largest in terms of both membership and its scope of public influence: the "Maddened Royals".
* On the opposite side of the spectrum sits the "Winged Heralds", a quasi-religious foundation backed by funding from several important research institutions dedicated to studying the impact and long-term effects of the Virus that once threatened to extinguish the human species. They hold the controversial idea that only by understanding the very thing which tried to destroy us will mankind be able to achieve a means of surpassing any and all future threats to itself.
* Those whose lives were affected by the Virus ten years ago, or the folks that have found theirs invariably marred or stripped away by the fighting brought about from each Tamer faction, have found sanctuary and fraternity with one another behind the scenes, away from the eyes of the public. Inspired by the charitable deeds and heroic acts of a single person that refuses wealth and fame, these "No-Namers" without families of their own perpetuate the cycle of virtue by doing good unto others without the expectation of reward.
* There is immense sociopolitical division surrounding the existence of these so-called "Digimon Tamers" and their non-human companions, who are viewed by conservatives and extremists alike as the single greatest menace to humanity since the atomic bomb. A standing rumor surrounding the Japanese government suggests that several backdoor policies allowed the formation of a secret covert agency founded with the sole purpose of containing the issue and establishing a system of regulation for Tamers and Digimon alike: "HYPNOS".
* In the world of popular entertainment, the collectible trading card game *Digi-Modify* has reached a new record number of total players across Japan.