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The Great Work

During the Dark Age and through the Recovery the Illuminati committee continued to develop and fulfill its plan. One of the committee's goals was to develop cultural diversity, and from that tolerance. They aided in the formation of the Bluegrass Elves, the Mountain Elves and Centauria, as well as a number of other new intelligent species and many human societies. Some examples of their areas of interest are listed below.

The Restoration Project: With the human population now so low, the opportunity was

taken to restore Earth to a more natural and self-sustaining ecosystem. Forests were spread, or planted from scratch. Endangered species were encouraged to increase, and many extinct species were recreated. One of the most thorough efforts was the Great Forest in Central Kentucky. Working with the Restoration Project, the Bluegrass Elves

returned the land to something very like the old growth forest conditions which the first European explorers had seen. Additionally, they altered a number of species to dupli-

cate creatures from the fictional works which had inspired them.

Dire Wolves: Created as beasts of burden by and for the Bluegrass Elves, these ca

nines have average Characteristics of Int 5, Will 5, Per 50, Str 40, Agil 40, Fit 40, Speed 35, HP 23, with a range of only five points from average. They also have the Special

Talent of Toughness. Adults stand an average of just under a meter tall, and mass 50 kg. They are intelligent, cooperative and enjoy the company of Bluegrass Elves and - to a lesser extent - other human or human-derived species.

Note that a few Dire Wolves are equal to average humans in intelligence.

Bluegrass Elves: The first generation of Bluegrass Elves (the Founders) were Gifted

whose alternate form - either initial or bought later - was inspired by a popular series of illustrated fantasy stories. After the Long Fall, those members of this group who had not already done so altered their DNA so they could breed true to their appearance.

The first children were typical of the offspring of Gifted, except for their appearance. They had the expected benefits, and when they developed their Gifts enough to acquire

powers they generally chose those appropriate to the fictional characters who had inspired their parents. However, this still wasn't exactly what the Founders wanted. After consulting with a number of experts, including their old friend The Last Dragon, they began a long-term program to shape their descendants.

From the third generation on the offspring received progressive changes, to both their genes and to the Gifts that were passed down. Instead of having the 10D6 Characteris-

tic bonus normally available to the children of Gifted, they had uniformly increased Characteristics and inherent psi abilities. The end result was much the same as for the second generation, but now the desired effect was automatic, instead of requiring work. Mountain Elves: The first generation of Mountain Elves were Gifted whose alternate

form - either initial or bought later - was inspired by a series of illustrated fantasy stories. Unlike the Bluegrass Elves, they preferred to pattern their lives after the more traditional elves of European folklore. After the fall of civilization, those members who had not al-

ready done so altered their DNA to breed true to their appearance. As with the BE, the first generation are known as the Founders.

Their children were typical of the offspring of Gifted, except for their appearance.

They had the expected benefits, and when they developed their Gifts enough to acquire powers they chose those appropriate to the fictional characters. However, this still wasn't exactly what the Founders wanted. After consulting with a number of experts, including their old friend the Last Dragon, they began a long-term experiment to shape their descendants.

From the third generation on the offspring received progressive changes, both to their genes and to the Gifts that were passed down to them. Instead of having the 10D6 Characteristic bonus normally available to the children of Gifted, they had uniformly increased Characteristics and inherent psi abilities. The end result was much the same as for the second generation, but now the desired result was automatic, instead of requir-

ing work.

It should be noted that the goals of the Illuminati are not universally accepted, even among the original Gifted. Many feel that technology has had its day, and that future civilization should be based on magic. Others feel that Gifted and their descendants

should replace humans, either entirely or as rulers. Still others feel that their representative group (Bluegrass Elves, Mountain Elves, Centaurs, Original Gifted, later genertation Gifted, and so forth) is the only "right" group and that all others should subjugate themselves to their rightful masters, or be eliminated. The more extreme views are rare, and generally held by individuals who are regognized as being antisocial or even insane.