At the end of the 21st century, a chain of cataclysmic events led to a global winter and the beginning of a new era in human history called AGD: After the Global Disaster. In the 2nd decade AGD, massive facilities under the control of Guilds restabilized the world markets for water and energy. A global economic revival began in the 4th decade AGD with the emergence of the Ultra-light Component Production (UCP) economy, which has supplied the raw materials for the construction of Globopolis; the Global City in space. Today the enormous complexes making up the city sustain a human population of over 5 million in geo-stationary National Space orbits above each territory on the planet's surface. The Alliance of Governors, est. in 6 AGD, managed the crisis and relative world peace for over 50 years. In the 6th decade AGD however, bitter competition within the alliance led to the elimination of 31 of its 36 members.

-- Rear of box flavour text.