The Schwabenland expedition - In 1938 the German scientific ship Schwabenland, was sent to the remote Antarctic Circle on a secret mission. Its real assignment was never completed, as the scientists onboard made a discovery that was destined to change the course of world history.
And the world was no longer the same - Returning to the Fatherland the Schwabenland brought back its discoveries; an alien vessel and an apparent member of its crew still alive! So, while the rest of the world spiralled into global conflict, a selected team of scientists commenced secret research into possible military applications for the Antarctic discovery.
From Nuclear to Alien Tech - A parallel underground war started: spies, undercover operations, battles for supremacy, and ambitions of power. All the brightest minds, that had been treading the first uncertain steps in atomic development and its applications, abruptly left behind those projects and turned their attention to this new scientific frontier, goaded on by the heads of the military hierarchy.
The VK - Vrill Kultur - Before long, occultists and experts of ancient religions joined the scientists. These figures were aware of an ancient tale: the "Vrill Kultur", the myth of a supposed advanced civilization that was said to have vanished overnight leaving few traces of their existence. The discovery of the alien artefacts and the resulting studies would bring to light the ancient legends. So long ignored and considered absurd, a small piece of truth was to be revealed.
The VK mines - Through the revelations coming from the alien traveller, a re-reading of the ancient myth was conceived. The "Vrill" was not an arcane power of a mystical civilization but an energy source (the "VK") so rare and precious that it was worth, for the alien, the risks and dangers of interstellar flight... or, for the human race, the risks of a new world war.
The new weapons - The scientific progress initiated by the alien technology brought rapid development of new strategies and weapons, which were destined to change the world order. All at once, trusted knowledge become obsolete and uncertainty reigned.
The end of the coalitions - The VK mines geographical distribution and their control brought to a quick end most of the consolidated alliances. The geopolitical balance of the planet never knew such dangerous times of fragility.
The Dawn of DUST - History has been re-written. It's the dawn of a new era, new strategies, new weapons, new armies. It's time for DUST; a new game begins...

