Since I have been gone for a while and I am trying to catch up on the progress of the game. Could someone please give me an update?

I realize that this has probably been adressed somewhere before but I am having trouble tracking down the type of details I am looking for. If someone could at least point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

Oh... Matress.... I have just found the PM update you sent me... I have been scouring through information so fast that right now I am not even sure what I know...

I think at this point what will help make sense of it all would be just a basic summary of the major events...

I have found out about Allegiance and Beginnings but am still somewhat confused as to the specifics of what sets the games apart. Also, is there a third game or did I just misread something?