Scourge

Fear the spawn of the Chained Sun, those angelic abominations. Once, they guided and protected us. Today they seek the radiant annihilation of us all.

Prior to the Scorching of Mercury, the Scourge were known as Angels. They guided humanity on their way among the stars, and served as protectors against the horrors beyond Sol. Over the centuries, they retreated. Slowly they withdrew back to Sol, for so long that people started to doubt they had ever existed. Until they attacked.
The Scourge take many forms: some scourge appear humanoid, others are chimeric. Some have several sets of wings, but all are capable of flight. All forms seem to have an inordinate amount of eyes. Not only is their appearance unsettling, the Scourge are highly radioactive and radiant. Their presence alone can ignite and melt materials around them.

From Angels to Anathema

Angels feature prominently in the myths and legends of the system. They were the near-divine messengers of Sol, intermediaries between the sun and the planets. It is said that every Keystone had at least two angels by her side, one to guide her and one to guard her.
Over the course of history sightings became less common. The angels withdrew from the worlds. They left the side of the Keystones. Some scholars began to argue that they never had existed at all, that they were metaphorical or perhaps exaggerations of saint-like figures. These scholars were proven brutally wrong when they returned in 220010 .
When the angels returned, they returned as a devastating force. Mercury was laid to waste by the angelic host, now dubbed the Scourge. The beings that had once defended the System were turned upon it. Only for a few years was there any relief for Mercury, when its own Keystone sacrificed herself to chain the sun and restrain its violence.
The crusade continues. So far the attacks have been contained to Mercury by the sustained collaboration of the Interplanetary Solar Defence Council. The Solar Pulses have been extinguished by the Orbital Missiles of Caduceus and the forces at Penumbra.

by Annie Stein

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