I read through the RoI lore and am attempting to create the backstory. Since this is all new lore, any errors, omissions, or areas that can be expanded that anyone sees, please feel free to add. This is a high level summary. [u]Rise of Iron Backstory:[/u] In the Dark Ages, a group of guardians gifted with the Traveler’s light banded together to help protect the remnants of humanity. Up until then, those with light were using its power selfishly, as Warlords controlling their lands through force. The various Iron Lords had wandered through much of the known area looking for surviving humans, information on the past, lost technology. Two of the Iron Lords found something in the cosmodrome. Lord Felwinter discovers an unknown entity, a golden age machine, a Warmind. In a meeting in the mothyards, Lord Felwinter gets the first reports from Lord Timur on the promises of SIVA. (source: http://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/felwinter-peak ) So what is SIVA then, and why would they care, and why was it in the cosmodrome? SIVA is a nanotechnology developed in the Golden Age to allow humanity to reach out and colonize the stars. It was made by research under Clovis Bray that started on Mars, and was later implemented on Earth. [spoiler]“Developed in these laboratories built to my specifications, by my handpicked team, these nanites will double, triple, maybe even quadruple construction rates, reduce colonist casualties, and serve us in our spread across the system. Our first replication chamber sits beside the cosmodrome, ready to outfit the colony ships.” (source: http://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/ghost-fragment-clovis-bray-2 [/spoiler] And with the warminds assistance, SIVA is loaded into the colony ships, the very same ones we see today in patrol in the cosmodrome. Rasputin has the colony ships AI put SIVA in their cargo holds. [spoiler]“The Tyrant says take the SIVA, and so I take the SIVA. The Tyrant says go to the stars, and so I go to the stars.” (source: http://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/ghost-fragment-old-russia-4 [/spoiler] When Timur discovers this technology, he becomes obsessed and sees it as a possible way to restore humanity. He puts all his thoughts and efforts into discovering more about Clovis Bray, SIVA, and the Warminds [spoiler] What does one do when one’s master has gone mad? I have followed his latest missives on SIVA and it is flooded with mania. Whatever he thinks this Clovis Bray might hold would you believe that they were the only entity of any technical know-how, that they owned every piece of that tarnished Golden Age. source: http://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/ghost-fragment-the-dark-age-3 [/spoiler] And in his journey’s, Timur and Felwinter eventually find Clovis Brays replication chamber on earth: [spoiler]“With all respect, Lord Timur, whatever game you are playing with me gone on far too long. This is just another Dead Zone.” “Oh, is it?” Timur directs Felwinter’s eyes towards the eastern horizon, where a building crowned with the initials “C.B.” is now in view. (source: http://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/lord-timur [/spoiler] The two entered the facility and in doing so, drew the attention of its Warmind, Rasputin. And Rasputin was not happy. Rasputin awakes for the first time since the collapse and after a brief assessment of the state of humanity and the world around him, he detects the intruders, the guardians. In defense, he releases the SIVA nanites in an aggressive state and his machine frame army on them: [spoiler] “This is a SUBTLE ASSETS IMPERATIVE (NO HUMAN REVIEW) (NO AI-COM REVIEW) (secure/GLAVNAYA) SITE 6 has been breached by unauthorized users with [O] energy. I am invoking PALISADE IMPERATIVE. [O] lifeforms in restricted areas will be suppressed. SIVA use authorized. Self-destructs disengaged. Security codes reset. All defenses activated. Frames activated. REPLICATE. ELIMINATE. IMMUNIZE.” (source: http://www.ishtar-collective.net/cards/ghost-fragment-rasputin-6 [/spoiler] The SIVA and Frames attack as anyone who has seen the opening cinematic, killing of most of the Iron Lords as some sacrifice themselves to contain the plague. [spoiler] Records from 2 of the Dormant SIVA: Dormant SIVA: Iron Lords 2.5 We should have been more careful. Should have never contacted the Warmind. Trying to help. Trying to rebuild. Thought ~consume enhance replicate ~ was the key. Feels like we’ve been fighting for days. Weeks. But we’re close. Once we get the replicator, we ~consume enhance replicate~ Go! I’ll hold them off. Dormant SIVA: Iron Lords 2.6 Felwinter tried to communicate with the Warmind. Called it Rasputin. ~consume enhance replicate~ Said he could make it understand. Tell it we meant no harm. [/spoiler] The Iron Lords, in the efforts to restore humanity, sought a golden age technology they thought could help, only to have that technology turned against them by a Warmind. This takes the perception of Rasputin and his intentions in a new direction. More lore theories on that to come.