"Erin Tarn once wrote of the world around her as she saw it through her eyes. Despite her own biases, she presented one of the most accurate renditions of our modern world and it's history. But the world has changed much since her last writings nearly two decades ago, dramatically so. I have been travelling the world myself since I was 19, doing so since I read her book, "Traversing Our Modern World". In many ways, I'd hoped to become like my idol Erin Tarn. I even walked the world with her and her group for a few years (106 P.A.-113 P.A.), after finally coming out of my amnesia and shock. A story I will relate to you a little later on. Something about my own hardships early on in my life. I was also one of the honored few who attended her funeral only a couple years ago. Which brings me to my current project.

"When Erin died, it left a kind of gap in a historical context. Unfortunately, there was a major lack of willing writers and historians, especially since the Coalition States tried to exterminate every known dissenter on the North American continent. Those who survived taking refuge in the Free Nation of Quebecoi, Lazlo, or the New American Empire. Needless to say, many aspiring writers gave up the idea of travelling especially with the incredible dangers now out there waiting for unsuspecting adventurers. It's never been easy for us since the Rifts came, Gods no. But with the problems we have now… No, life on Rifts Earth has never been easy, but now, now it's hell on earth."

No one knows exactly when the Rifts came, but a calendar had been established a little more than a century ago, not out of any real significance, but becauase the people needed a way to keep track of time in a fashion that seemed normal to them. So, the term 1 P.A. is basically our first year out of the dark times after the Rifts, though few have any idea how long that truly was. At the moment of this writing, it is currently August of 139 P.A. (ed-note--"I know the publishing date says 142 PA, but that was when we actualy published the book), thirty-four years after Karl Prosek initiated his "Campaign of Unity" and revealed his war machine. The events following became known as the Great War.

When he began his Campaign, many beings, including those among the Coalition itself, felt that Prosek was overreaching himself by declaring war on Tolkeen and then Free Quebec, and all non-CS allied nations and city-states. But none questioned him about it, at least not openly. And for the first few months of the Campaign, it seemed as if Prosek's war machine was running out of steam, figuratively speaking of crouse. He had moved several groups into position and had actually made a few bold moves into enemy territory, but aside from a few skirmishes, he'd made no more moves than he normally would against his enemies. To them it seemed as Prosek was blowing hot air. They should have known better.

He struck in the spring of 106 PA, using his ever vaunted blitzkrieg assault he decimated the Tolkeen defenses with minimal losses and maximum effectiveness. In two days, the battle had gone right to Tolkeen's very doorstep. Though Tolkeen was in no way going to be defeated so easily. Gathering together their defenses, they struck at the CS forces with a kind of viciousness not seen before then on our planet since the coming of the Rifts. For nearly a year Tolkeen forces held off the CS, using every last trick in the book they could think of. Even aggravating the Xiticix enough to assault the CS and destroy points between Tolkeen and the Cs forces.

Free Quebec and the city-states far to the south did not sit on the laurels during this time. For a while it seemed as if the people simply waited for the outcome with Tolkeen to determine what they should do. Then footage of the siege against Tolkeen came to light. The scene was horrible, and most of it had to do with the CS overriding and decimating the forces. Normally this would only serve to subjugate the masses that much more when they saw it. There was a little sign in the footage, it read "Caretown" The small village was a CS affiliated town that was unfortunate enough to sit between Tolkeen and CS territory. What the people saw horrified them, CS troops slaughtering their own people during the heat of battle. Of course there had been the stories, and witnessess. But never before had there been televised evidence broadcast over so large an area before, not like this. That sinched it for the people of Free Quebec. Despite the fact that they'd so long been a member of the CS, they couldn't take it anymore, not this way. From then on they'd decided the CS wrong. And not just the CS, but the Proseks too. Seeing what they were doing to Tolkeen, Free Quebec had one of two choices. Wait out the rest of the war for Tolkeen to be decimated and then have the CS turn their full attention on them, when they'll either die or surrender, forever losing their freedom. The other choice being to ally now, join with others, draw the CS to a stalemate, and hope Prosek will stop the war.

And so the preparations began. It took nearly the full year the CS was involved in the conflict with Tolkeen. They had been getting hints that their opponants to the north were up to something, but they had nothing to go on, and were investigating the matter as best they could. After all, they were at war. And committing the full resources of the CS to swiftly end the fight was not possible at that time. And so they were stuck with their options. Strike down Tolkeen, then assault Free Quebec until they give in unless they did so after Tolkeen fell.

But no one figured that Free Quebec would be so desperate. They counted several mercenary forces among their new allies. One of them being the famous "Larsen's Brigade," who were working for Tolkeen. But the new alliance meant relaying info to FQ and acting as a liason between the failing Tolkeen defense and the new independent Free Quebecoi government. The Quebecoi had already been somewhat accepting of Lazlo and its policies in a kind of "you don't bug me, I don't bug you" policy. Now they knew the advantages of using the other resources at hand. They knew they had no choice, and that chances of a peaceful settlement were unheard of.

Looking back, the Proseks probably didn't know about the town. They claimed themselves as a CS town but had no real aid from the military. But that kind of atrocity could not go unnoticed, it was a PR disaster for Chi-Town, though young Joseph was quick enough to catch it and quickly calm the people about it. Hell, the officers in charge of the operation were summarily discharged and then executed, publicly. Though enough to maintain basic stability in the Coalition itself, the act outraged all those against the CS, and Free Quebec made a final stand, a solemn vow that they would never participate in that kind of wholesale destruction, never again. From that pont, Free Quebec launched a campaign against the CS. Not wanting to destroy, but merely to end the conflict in any way possible.

At first they thought about aiding the CS in destroying Tolkeen, or at least tempering them in their zealousnous, firmly convinced that Tolkeen was decimated and would never again be a threat to the people of the Coalition. But that idea ended the day the Cs initiated a small skirmish outside the city of Old Bones. The fight pushed into the city, turning the place into a battleground. Among the buildings destroyed was a school, along with everyone inside. Nearly two hundred children and sixty teachers lost their lives when the building was struck with a barrage of missles. One of the CS soldiers even gunned down a thirteen year old child running across the street. That cinched it. One way or another, this conflict would end.

Free Quebec moved it's own troops into position, while giving the people at Chi-Townb the idea that they were simply responding to the various assaults. An alliance with Lazlo was struck. And then, through them, Tolkeen. It was about then that a new player entered the fray. A little known kingdom on the east coast calling itself the New American Empire.

They were far enough from the main grouping of the Coalition States to avoid any real form of recognition, and had been more or less cut off by the Magic Zone. Aside from a few brief interactions with CS patrols and adventurers, the New American Empire had little contact with the Cs itself, but Lazlo had known of it well. The New American Empires open policies so resembled Lazlo's own that it had been easy for the two to ally themselves. And though few in number, the Americans provided Quebec with technology and new types of weapons and power armors. Ones that the Cs had never encountered before. It took a whole year and a half to pen the deal and move everything into position. During that time, Tolkeen was being pummeled into submission. They were losing. Unfortunaterly, the CS had something Tolkeen didn't numbers, and something seemed to be attacking them from within. Sources later said that it was the Federation of Magic, but no one treuly believed that. Not until later anyways. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Anyway, moving on...

Then the new allied forces struck out at the Coalition, pressing in on the forces moving on Free Quebec. At first, it was only Free Quebec, using what they had before they upgraded their equipment. The CS responded in kind. For a while, Free Quebec, played it out as they would have before hand, and with Tolkeen not so pressing a threat anymore, the CS had that many more troops to throw into the other conflict. After a four months of attacks, setbacks, and failures, the allies moved in. Larsen's Brigade was at the forefront of the attack, supported by his own numerous forces and the army of the New American Empire, which boasted many magic users and creatures among it's ranks, meshed in with high technology. Then came the battle of Carrintown, when CS forces met the allies head on. The battle lasted for five days and was the largest battle ever fought in post-Rifts time, three times as large as even the fight at Newtown (JU). But a clear cut winner emerged, the allies had succesfully eliminated all CS opposition, having simply outnumbered the CS forces during the battle.

Having obviously lost, the CS had to pull it's forces away from Tolkeen to now concentrate on the allied problem in the northeast corner. A defensive line was set-up at Lazlo. New Lazlo tried it's damndest to join the alliance, many were saved by doing so. But the Coalition, so intent on destorying all opposition now, simply bowled over them. Eliminating nearly twenty thousand beings, and half dying by year's end.

And now with renewed vigor, Tolkeen struck at the CS. It managed to take some land back and accidently destroyed half of an innocent village during the war. Nothing saved Tolkeen by now. The CS left only a cursory force to fend off the allies, content to hold back as were they. But they moved in on Tolkeen with a full strike force. And by the Fall of 108 P.A., Tolkeen had fallen. Most thought it would always happen, but seeing it and guessing that it would are two totally different things. By now, the whole thing had been named a Great War. Some would have liked to have named it a world war, but found the idea ridiculous as only one continent was involved.

The war raged on with the factors in the northeast. The CS tried once to circumvent the area and tried surrounding the area by sending a whole battallion around and up through Canada. Half the group was reported dead, killed by some unknown demons, and then wiped out by remaining factions loyal to Tolkeen.

Then the Pecos Empire decided it was time they got a piece of the action. For all of three months. The CS wasn't going to put up with any intereference, not now. The action was swift and destructive, with half the tribes falling before they knew what hit them. The Pecos Empire went back to being the Pecos Bandits before the Coalition fully wiped them out.

Then tragedy struck. By now the Great War had been raging for nearly six years. With neither side gaining ground for one reason or another. I had the unfortunate opportunity to be fighting in the defense of Lazlo, though I only spent three years doing that before I went adventuring with Erin Tarn. I had seen too much death, and caused too much of it myself. I had once been afraid that I was a coward, even covered my identity up with my own delusions because of what I'd seen, what I'd done.

But enough about me for the moment. The Coalition was about to face it's greatest loss, and all of it at the hands of the Federation of Magic. Until that point, no one had really suspected that they were evn active again, much less involved in the fall of Tolkeen. But Alistair Dunscon thought the carnage quite refreshing, and saw the hell the Coalition was going through as quite just. At which point, he'd decided to spice things up, just a bit, and then get a bit of revenge for himself. But he'd be trading off surprise for fear, a good trade, in his opinion.

And then, with a small group of his own, Dunscon literally walked on in to Chi-Town, the very heart of the Coalition itself!!! There he finally confronted the object of his hatred, one Emperor Karl prosek, and then, after making a speech about Prosek being so presumptuous as to presume himself an Emperor, or that any of this would really protect him, he killed him. Slowly, painfully, publicly. Joseph tried to save his father, but was injured in the attempt. And General Cabot was killed by one of dunscon's minions during the ensuing fight. He left, a wide smile on his face saying he'd avenged his father, and that now it was time to sit back and enjoy the fun. With that he left, leaving behind him a scarred nation, and a slew of dead bodies.

Joseph wasted no time, he immediately took over for his father and used this for ever last bit of manipulation he could squeeze out of it. Most people said that Joseph could be even more manipulative and dangerous than his father. Given the following years, I'm prompted to belive that. The Great War lasted for another three years, before Joseph decided himself that the conflict was going nowhere, and that the losses were already far too great. So, he proposed a treaty. Which the allies accepted whole-heartedly. In actuality, the Coalition may have won, but it would have been at least another decade before real headway was made. By then, the Cs would be weak against other enemies. The attack by Dunscon, and the annoying raid of the Bandits proved that. War isn't the key here, survival is. And survival meant ending the drawn out war and leaving it at a stalemate, a Cold War of sorts. As such, things have been tense and troublesome ever since.

The Coalition and the rest of continent tried it's best to recover from the cataclysmic events of the Great War. The Coalition had become even more tightened up than before. The patrols in the burbs had become more increased, all known D-Bees were found and eliminated, or at least chased off. Every area within a few miles of any CS borders have been seized and turned into a kind of safety zone. If anything, the Coalition is even more intolerant than ever regarding anyone not a member of the CS.

The allies hadn't done so badly either. I was happy to return from my travels with Erin to see that the alliace lasted between the three countries. Though it had cost us dearly, we gained two new allies into the fold of understanding. The former Coalition state of Free Quebec, and the New American Empire.

Though not all is happy. The former city of Tolkeen has been occupied by Coalition forces. Two divisions stationed there, as well as a skelebot factory having been built in the city. Not to mention a fair sized portion of RCSG scientists have been stationed there. Aside from an occasional attempt by Tolkeen forces to retake the city, it has remained solidly in Coalition control. As has almost all the land between there and open CS territory. The Xiticix have been pushed back, far enough that the CS have begun occupying and using the area. The Xiticix are stirring now, and no being knows when they'll lash out at the CS fully. Luckily, none are able to access the Rifts and bring their kin through.

But the Mechanoids did. Apparently, when a small group of them arrived back in 102 P.A., we thought they'd all been destroyed. Killed by the heroes defending us from some sort of dark prophecy. But some survived, enough that they found and convinced a being to open a Rift leading to Mechanoid Space, bringing them to Rifts earth. The being died because of the resultant forces, but enough of them got through to terrorize the earth in 119 P.A. Though they tried to eliminate everything on the continent, swift action decimated their forces again, but more of them are still around. We know that now. I would be dealing with that, but I am currently dealing with a more pressing matter, even today.

Accordding to dear Erin's stories, back in 103 P.A., four demons came to earth. Four horseman, trying to ring in the apocalypse. All of them very powerful, all of them incredibly evil. But, to her knowledge, all four were destroyed sent back to whatever hell they had come from. But, for some unknown reason, they've come back. Somehow, they've found their way back to Rifts earth. This time, far more scattered than before. On different continents, and the power they need to complete their ritual will not be available for another five years. I only hope I can find and help destroy them by then. Here is what we know, War is on the North American continent, and aside form an occasionaly appearance, he keeps to himself. No one knowing where he is. Death is in South America and is coming North, apparently interested in the Vampires in Mexico. Pestilence and Famine are suspected to be in Africa and China, but no one knows for sure.

Rumors are that War has been sent back, because he has not been seen for nearly three years, at all. And this is not like this particular horseman. But no one knows. No one knows how they even came back, or if they really ever left. All they know is that we're in trouble, big trouble. And I'm going to do my damndest to help us all.

I haven't had much time to write these past months, I have spent too much time searching for any sign of the Horseman. But I have noted at least that things have settled down back to their normal, hectic pace. We always live on the brink of war, but, for now at least, things have become peaceful.

The Coalition has taken up a new hobby, vampire hunting. A few years back, they were nothing but rumors until Lone Star surfaced with photos and tape and evidence of a fully dissected vampire. No one knows how it's possible, but the Lone Star director Desmond Bradford had done it. Now everyone knew of the campire menace to the south, but not the extent of the menace. The CS is looking into it now.

The allies are busy, Lazlo is doing as it always did, researching the events of the time, and making new alliances with a new magic zone city named Magestar. Free Quebec is fortifying relations with the New German Republic in Europe, who is still around, by the way, and still fighting it out with the Gargoyle Empire. I don't know the specifics, but I have some friends over there, and I will get as much information as I can about the area. The New American Empire is dealing with the minions of Atlantis. Three times they tried sending people over to check the area, and separate the truths from the legends. All three times, the people never returned, not alive anyway. As it is, at least the people are doing as they always do, survive.