Praetoria Overview

Overview

Praetoria, humankind's last and best chance for survival, shines like a beacon of hope across an embattled world. Emperor Cole established this stronghold to protect the lives of his people and to provide a safeguard in which to plan the defeat of humanity's greatest enemy. Though much was lost in the Hamidon Wars, both in lives and land, Emperor Cole built the capital of Praetoria into a safe haven where the citizens of the Empire can live in peace and prosperity. While the rest of the Empire struggles to meet its obligations to the Emperor for the safety he provides, the citizens of the capital city enjoy abundance, security, and opportunity so that their dreams, and the dreams of their Empire, can be realized.

Praetoria had its genesis in the ascension of Marcus Cole as the world's prime guardian. No one will ever forget how very close the human race came to annihilation in those dark years before Emperor Cole's rise to glory, or how the very earth itself turned against humanity at the command of the renegade scientist, Doctor Hamidon. The misguided leaders of the world sought to beat back the Devouring Earth with nuclear fire to no avail. Only through Emperor Cole's intervention was the world saved. In gratitude for his efforts, the people of the world chose him as their sole guardian, forever turning their backs on the archaic notions of nation-states or ethnic identities. From then on, they were citizens of the Empire--they were Praetorians.

Praetoria stands at the location of Hamidon's first great defeat at the hands of Marcus Cole, the man who proved to the world that the Devouring Earth could be beaten. Cole dedicated himself to the Earth's protection in this place, and it was here that Cole drew his line in the sand against the Devouring Earth. He established the city of Praetoria as a stronghold for those who suffered at the hands (and claws, fangs, and tentacles) of the Devouring Earth.

The world's super-powered heroes united behind Cole and became his trusted lieutenants, his Praetors. These Praetors serve him and the people of Praetoria to this day. A flood of refugees flocked to Praetoria during the war to shelter under Cole's aegis for protection. In the stress of the burgeoning and downtrodden influx of population, the city swelled beyond the capacity of its limited infrastructure to support. Hemmed in on all sides by the enemy, Cole had one choice within this stronghold: Expand it or allow it to die. His decision to fight heralded the start of the Hamidon Wars, the wars to reclaim that which was lost in the land, mind, and spirit of humankind. With each victory, Marcus Cole's power and the dream for a safe and prosperous Praetoria expanded.

In the aftermath of the Hamidon Wars, it is hard to believe that humanity had devolved so far that simple electric power was a rare commodity. With the energy afforded by the invention of Praetor Keyes' powerful anti-matter reactor, the newly crowned Emperor Cole laid the foundation for the Imperial capital city of Praetoria, from which he would govern the efforts to reclaim all that humanity had lost. With so much devastation left in Hamidon's wake, Emperor Cole has invited the people to live safe and free in his utopian capital. From this shining paradise, he sends forays to reclaim the world, and he plans the return of humanity's primacy over the Earth.

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