Timeline of the War
The Riots - Starting in March, 2025 in Louisiana and spreading out from there, pre-Avarus across the country begin to officially make their presence known. This causes tensions to rise as humans are fearful of these supernatural creatures, leading to mass rioting across the country throughout the summer. The military begins to mobilize in late summer, and by October, the country is under a complete state of martial law as the situation quickly spirals out of control.
Civil War - The United States officially declares civil war on November 2, 2025. Shortly after, both Canada and Mexico issue travel warnings before eventually closing their borders altogether, and other countries quickly begin to follow suit. As winter rolls on, civilians begin to take over sections of major population centers, erecting blockades and walls in an effort to keep military and other forces out.
Black August - Supply chains begin to destabilize and resources become scarce, leading to mass starvation. With fewer resources to maintain the power grid, rolling blackouts become increasingly common, and lower population areas are forced to go without electricity. In an effort to combat this, the government issues an order to round up remaining humans into the cities and the construction of walls around said cities, and the military enacts this order with abandon.
The Second Rising - In the early morning hours of November 18, 2026, thousands of people - humans and pre-Avarus alike - rush the major entry points of Los Angeles in a desperate bid to gain entry to the city, and the rumoured supplies within. Word of this spreads like wildfire, setting off a wave of similar attempts across the country throughout the winter. A bill is passed to designate cities as pre-Avarus free zones, arming the military with shoot-to-kill orders.
Chemical Extermination Begins - While the world sleeps on April 13, 2027, unmarked planes begin to fly overhead, releasing an aerosolized chemical agent into the air. Much of the population begins to experience skin rashes, dizziness, and shortness of breath as a result. The pre-Avarus begin to quite literally drop dead in the streets, and humans more than 3 months into a pregnancy carrying a pre-Avarus experience miscarriages.
The Birth of a New Species - On September 19, 2027, the first fetus to survive the chemicals is born, and with it, the Avarus as a whole. The prevaling theory is that something in that lethal cocktail of chemicals fundementally changed the genetic makeup of the species. As more Avarus are born in the coming months, this theory would all but be proven the truth.
Military Withdrawal - Throughout the fall and winter, military patrols outside of the cities becomes more and more infrequent, thanks to a marked lack of supplies. By spring of 2028, patrols have all but stopped in most areas. This leads to visible communities beginning to appear throughout the country. These new communities are mostly allowed to exist under the caveat that the military may forcibly seize property and supplies when it is deemed necessary.
Detroit Falls - After months of struggle, the city is officially deemed a lost cause on October 2, 2028. Rampant starvation causes mass rioting in the streets, and the walled city is the first to be abandoned by both government and military, leaving the residents to their own devices. Throughout the winter, nearly every city in the Midwest and East Coast suffer the same fate.
Scorched Summer - Beginning with Boston seeing its residents forced to migrate to New York City in May, the summer of 2029 proves the bleakest yet. Massive heatwaves throughout the southern states leave thousands dead, and even more cities abandoned, only Charlotte, North Carolina, and Kansas City surviving. Meanwhile, wildfires break out across California, driving people to the relative safety of Los Angeles.
Raiders Emerge - Throughout the winter of 2030, military trucks begin moving between the abandoned cities and those still active as supplies grow scarce, and rumors begin circulating that the military has begun scavenging for supplies. By spring, even more rumors start, claiming that small groups of civilians have begun hijacking the trucks to steal supplies. At the same time, strangers begin turning up in various communities to trade with items not seen since the war began.
The Cities are Breached - Under the cover of blowing snow and darkness, the Raiders begin to find ways into the cities in search of supplies to raid, and even bringing refugees back out with them on occasion. On March 7, 2031, an order is passed to prevent non-military from entry into the cities, and ramp up patrols both inside and around the cities. Coupled with this is another order, this one a shoot-to-kill against any civilian within half a mile of the walls.
The Denver Seige - As June draws nearer, the citizens of Denver grow ever more tense. This sets in motion a violent civilian revolt, taking key points in the city by force to protest the squalid conditions. After weeks of riots and stalemates all over the city, additional military forces are brought in to reclaim the city, resulting in an all-out massacre of any civilian trapped within the walls, and hundreds of thousands of lives lost.
The Silence - Sobered by the cold violence in Denver, people nationwide seem to become far more docile as a whole, fearing that they or their families could be next in front of the firing squad. Though small waves of aggression break out, this marks the first period of peace since the war began, though it is not declared over just yet.
Tennessee Falls - In April 2038, military presence in both Nashville and Memphis is markedly lax, leaving both ripe for a group of overzealous Raiders. Chaos soon breaks out, and by the end of the month, only stragglers remain as residents flee.
Kansas City Collapse - With a sudden, unexpected influx of people escaping Tennessee rushing to the city, Kansas City struggles to keep up through May. Soon, infrastructure begins to break down, and supplies are wearing thin. Mass starvation and violence becomes the norm, and the military abandons the city, retreating to Washington, DC.
The Great Divide - With resources so dramatically split between the coasts, the government makes the call to completely abandon the center portion of the country on June 19, 2038. The military and supplies are sent to serve the east and west coasts exclusively.
War Ends - A week after the divide, on June 27, a ceasefire is officially announced. A few days later, the United States' civil war is declared over, though martial law and a state of emergency remains in effect until this day due to tensions between humans, the military, and the Avarus still running high even now.