Lore Codex
Lore Codex Entry 1. House Lycanis
There is no higher virtue to House Lycanis than loyalty. Loyalty to the Emperor first, to Lycanis second, and to the Empire third… Or so it was meant to be. Somewhere along the way, the proud leaders of this family chose loyalty to their own first, second, and last. Much as some might think Lycanis’ actions were driven by an ideology that was to see the Empire radically transformed, none dare to voice such heresy—especially not after the rebellion’s brutal purge.
No House worked as one quite the way Lycanis did. Whether in combat or across negotiation tables, the chosen of this House struck with singular intent, maneuvering their foes with pack tactics developed to perfection. For purposes of communication, Lycanis developed both an intuitive sign language for use during combat and a secret code based on everyday language that allowed House diplomats to communicate sensitive information to one another in plain view.
But Lycanis’ strength in the bond between its people is also its weakness. A vengeful House, it leaves no slight against one of its own unpunished—even when the politically sensible choice would dictate a different course. Other factions within the Empire found the nobles of this House too hot-blooded—the murder of high-ranking member Julius Lycanis proved as much. For all that weakness, House Lycanis had a history of successful diplomats, even having chaired one of three Imperial positions on the Universal Council for an extended period of time. Lycanis saw any opportunity to serve the Empire as a chance to further the House standing and interests.
Perhaps it was inevitable that this opportunism would see Lycanis make moves against the Emperor. Perhaps the House allowed Gloria Morell’s dulcet tones to silence the voices of reason. Whatever the case—there will be a steep price to pay.
Lore Codex Entry 2. House Lycanis Part II
Loyalty to the Pack
Marcia gazed at the approaching starships through the viewport of The Clavalum. The battered flagship vessel of Lycanis, the Wolf-Hound, was escorted by a pair of dreadnoughts. They couldn’t be more different than one another and still of Imperial make: the austere, functional design of the Neputus vessel was contrasted by Neru-Gal’s craft. The very sight of it awakened some primal fear in Marcia.
Was this to be their home’s destiny? One ship to provide the veil of legitimacy; the other to do Solas Craine’s dirty work? Marcia brushed two fingers against the sole ring resting on her hand. The compartment within held a small capsule. Taking it would provide a quick, painless exit from her current bind. An insurance policy against a far more unpleasant alternative, cooked together by a Gorgona contact ages ago. Marcia was sorely tempted to take it.
They had been so close. Gloria’s plan had worked to perfection, at first. The break-away Houses’ united front had blindsided the loyalists, their astonishment allowing Lycanis and its allies to carry one devastating coup after another. It had all seemed to click in those final hours that led up to Solas’ terrible reversal. Now? They had lost. Gloria had lost, Marcia had lost, and all Lycanis would pay for it.
A shuttle each broke away from the dreadnoughts. The ring on Marcia’s finger grew heavier by the second as she watched them close the distance.
“Ma’am?” One of the pilots said. Some distant kind of cousin, no doubt, he had the look about him, the bone structure that announced his bloodline better than anything else could. “If we engage The Clavalum’s Drive now, we might be able to get away before the shuttles board.”
Marcia shook her head. “Where would I go? No Imperial House, no matter how friendly, will risk Craine’s wrath.”
“Perhaps the Federation, or the Union—”
She gave a bitter laugh. “Perhaps. And be treated as a curio, all of us dragged across their newsrooms and made mouthpieces in their propaganda machine? Or worse, conform to the Union’s demented views? Is a little living worth such compromise? I ask, how many of you—”
The intercomms display came alive without warning, cutting her off. The aged face of High Lord Marcus Lycanis, now bloodied and bruised, looked upon Marcia. Behind him, she could see a few familiar faces—Aki, a few of her other brothers-in-law.
“Father,” Marcia forced out. Not hers, but Julius’s, though that had never made a difference in the old man’s eyes. Their shared grief over these last two months had reinforced an already powerful bond, made both rely on the other like never before. To see him beaten to a pulp lit a rage inside her, made impotent by the knowledge that she could do nothing to remedy the injustice of it.
“Marcia. I have news.” He glanced to the side—was that shame, or was he reading something? She did not know. “After Gloria’s broadcast, he contacted me. Forgiveness for our allies, mercy for Lycanis rather than eradication. That’s what the Imperator offered. I—I took the deal.”
This was not all he had to say to her. She knew it by his eyes, by the trembling in his voice. “Solas Craine’s mercy always has a sting,” she told him at last. “What else did that man demand?”
“Forgive me, my blossom,” Marcus said. “The Imperator, may he outlive the stars—” the words were a curse from his lips, “—demanded that, for his mercy, I sacrifice what I hold most dear.” His eyes filled with tears. “It’s your life I had to trade, to spare us all.”
Marcia’s breathing slowed as she turned her gaze back to the viewport. She rolled the ring on her finger, again and again. Julius’ last gift to her, that. What would he have done? Marcia pulled the ring from her finger, let it fall down with a clank.
“My life for Lycanis,” she said to no one.
Lore Codex Entry 3. Federation Corporation PMG Security
Federation Corporation PMG Security, Entry 1
PMG Security is among the faction’s biggest military contractors, a corporation with the capacity to deploy massive Federation fleets at nearly any point across the faction’s territory within days or even hours of a hostile act of violence. Static, automatized defenses carrying the PMG logo are arrayed across the faction’s borders, equipped with scanning tech aimed at monitoring for breaches, courtesy of espionage industry leader OTK Comms. This corporation has attempted to provide candidate-pilots for VasTech’s powerful experimental weaponry but has been stonewalled by VasTech. The move has turned the relationship between the two corporations bitterly adversarial.
While PMG Security holds some of the biggest-name contractors any entity in the Federation could have, that isn’t to say they don’t offer smaller security packages for the deep of pocket. These are tailored to the client’s needs, often following exacting specifications. Suppressing riots, protecting officials, and cleaning up corporate experiments gone terribly wrong are all commonplace assignments to cells within this military outfit. When it comes to corporate espionage, PMG Security prefers to outsource, attempting to either bribe personnel members at their competitors or else hire Nexus Divers to raid their mainframes. Like with military expenditure, PMG does not cut corners when it comes to intelligence—they have been market leaders in the field of security for a long time and intend to remain such.
Lore Codex Entry 4. Federation Corporation: PMG Security
Federation Corporation: PMG Security, ENTRY II
Head of Military Operations File:
While decision-making across PMG Security’s business interests is the purview of CEO Glenn Prestt, arguably the most important figure at the corporation is Jasna Farrah, the Head of Military Operations. Lovingly nicknamed “The Marshall” by her troops, Madame Farrah is one of the Federation’s bona fide war heroes, a veteran of dozens of conflicts celebrated for her leadership and cool-headed decision-making in the midst of battle. She is the architect of PMG Security’s award-winning training regimen, one of the most effective—if incredibly demanding—methods of unlocking the full potential of fresh recruits. No sacrifice demands too high a price for the Marshall, not when it counts for the defense of the Federation’s borders, for the prosperity of its citizens.
To those who lay eyes on Jasna Farrah at present, it might be difficult to imagine how the compact (if sturdy) frame of the fifty-two year-old could once handle heavy-grade military armor with legendary proficiency. As much has been immortalized in dozens of media types based on Farrah’s heroics—yet even those fictionalized accounts pale in comparison to the real deal, though the Marshall will never say as much. Her reticence about the early years of her military career is as well-known as the openness of those who served shoulder to shoulder with her. Nor have those early years of putting riots down across the Federation’s sectors gone by without taking their toll—the Marshall’s disposition is far from sunny at the best of days and her relationship with the Federation’s most expensive alcohols is…complicated, to say the least.
Lore Codex Entry 5. Serpent’s Tooth
An assassin’s blade, turned away from its original target and in the service of a cause, is a potent tool. The Union tribe known as the Serpent’s Tooth began life in this way, when a group of Imperial assassins from the Glycon and Gorgona houses switched allegiances. Sent to wound the leadership of the Union in the early days of Solas Craine’s reign, these spies had their worldviews altered in the line of duty. Persuaded to turn their weapons against their former masters, they shared their skills with those best suited to perform them. Some operatives of the Federation would later be swayed into joining the tribe, sharpening the Serpent’s Tooth to a still deadlier edge.
The days of recruiting spies from the other sides are all but gone, now. Clandestine operatives are only sent into enemy territory if their ideological beliefs are reinforced to the point of fanaticism. Beyond the razor-thin veil of civility the three factions are each forced into, the Serpent’s Tooth has waged a hidden war across the galaxy, a war of knives and secrets in the dark. The Tooth is no worse prepared than its counterparts. Few in the Union know the ideologies of the Empire and Federation as a Serpent’s Tooth does. Few are as capable of arguing against them—the arguments all the stronger for those in the Serpent’s Tooth have held onto a semblance of their forefathers’ Imperial and Federation accents.
There is little in-fighting between tribes members—discipline is key to the task performed by the Tooth. An internal hierarchy places those with the greatest amount of experience in leadership roles. By its nature, the tribe’s activities are layered in secrecy. Both the Union at large and the Vox understand this; yet some mistrust them. As many are in awe of this small, dedicated tribe, whose purpose has been defined by serving and protecting a society they can never be entirely a part of.
Lore Codex Entry 6. Bitter Taste
After a tragic collapse during a routine mining operation, members of Tribe Sunless come together for a wake to honor their lost brethren. But not all is as it seems in the silent Sunless-ran bar on the frontier world of Xylen-4…
Not much, thinks Rem, can compare to this.
She raises her glass to the Sunless workers lounging all over the dimly lit bar, takes another swig of the liquor before half of them have raised theirs in return. It burns just right. Some of it almost goes the wrong way and Rem struggles not to choke. A quiet chuckle on her right tells her Gwyn’s seen the struggle. She won’t hear the end of it for a while, but he’ll remain silent, for now. For a while longer, too. Not even he’d make light at a wake, rowdy as he is.
It’s been hard going, this last rotation at the mining gig. She’s proud to be Sunless, so she is, but there’s something to be said about artificial light for weeks on end. None of it good, ‘course, but that’s the way of it. Rem scoffs. Not like she’s seen the sun much since making planetfall. She should get out of town tomorrow. Its cramped alleyways remind her of the mines a little too much. After what happened—no, she isn’t ready to go back there just yet.
Space would be best, but not with Barb in the state she’s in. Her engine’s busted worse than anything Rem’s seen. Plenty of work she can do in the meanwhile. Not as foreman, sure, and that’d mean maybe the spares for Barb take a little longer to find their way to this old dump of a planet. Priority lists the way they are, seems only fair. No one can ever charge Rem with being pushy. Not her. When Gwyn told her to take a shift with him, hadn’t she shrugged and listened to him?
And ain’t she just flush with gratitude? To have survived where the better part of her family, the people she’s grown up with, seen grown up, all rest beneath the cracked stone. This life…
The silence is broken when a man bursts in. He is tall, lithe, his face non-descript—but fast, faster than just about anyone Rem has seen. The explosion of movement is so unlike the lethargy in the air, no one but Gwyn so much as has the time to react. He shifts in place, begins to say something—but not before the newcomer pulls out a gun, aims it at her friend’s head, pulls the trigger.
The crack of the gun as it discharges, its clatter as it hits the ground, yanks the rest of them out of suspension. Not Rem. She remains dead-still, her eyes glued to the corpse that used to be Gwyn. Rem takes the body in as the few survivors in what was a mining crew of two hundred pull the stranger to the ground. He doesn’t struggle but speaks in a calm, collected tone of voice after their cries of outrage begin to quiet down. She hears the surprised exclamations as he presents the amulet he’s been holding into his other hand, a serpent’s tooth, its meaning known to all. The words of explanation of the man who has killed her friend slowly register as her eyes, unblinking, gaze into nothing.
The stranger’s explanation comes to a close. It hangs there, a snake whose poisonous sting is felt by everyone, and by Rem most of all. She looks away from Gwy—whatever his name was.
“It wasn’t an accident?” she asks at last. “You’re sure?”
The man gives a brisk nod. “Wouldn’t do what I did if we weren’t sure.”
Rem gives a slow nod. Her glass is still in one hand, she realizes—and empties its contents in one last swallow. This time, she has no trouble stomaching its bitter taste.
Lord Breckard Morell – Empire
The Morells were just another minor noble family until Lord Breckard ascended to the role of House leader. He has since brought renown to the Morell name through shrewdness and cunning by building up alliances and making sure the scions of the family would hold their own even with those of better birth and more noble upbringing than themselves. The Morell patriarch possesses a mind for intrigue, and the will to follow through—no matter the price. He has passed along both qualities to his heirs, qualities that took his daughter Gloria far indeed, to the prestigious position of Imperial Adviser and even governess of an entire world. Reports of the governess having been involved in misdeeds against the empire are dismissed by Imperial aide and House Glycon Voice of Truth Nomoro Hiyaku. The Honorable Nomoro dismisses these claims as rumor mongering; to the contrary, she served in these positions faithfully before the family’s interests demanded her early retirement.
Fifty years after he first took on his position, the House head must once more chart a course in uncertain weather. With heavy loss weighing him down, is Lord Breckard Morell the right man to serve the Empire’s interests during this time of change?
High Lord Akilles Lycanis – Empire
Akilles Lycanis, called Aki by close family members, is the youngest direct descendant of the Lycanis family, recently hand-picked by Emperor Solas Craine himself to lead the House. An honorable graduate of the Imperial Academy, Akilles has consistently shown his mettle: as a prefect within the academy’s walls, as a talented commanding officer beyond them, even as House Contact to the Universal Council. Despite his youth, he has led whole regiments into battle, and never lost an engagement. Fellow graduates from the Imperial Academy define Akilles as a stable, even-tempered voice who served to anchor his peers during the most tempestuous years of their lives. He would do the same for the Empire at large.
His loyalty to House Lycanis is indisputable; his service to the Emperor beyond the merest shadow of reproach. The Emperor’s eye is ever on his favored champions–Akilles will not fail him.
OTK Comms – Federation
OTK Comms is strategically positioned to provide non-standard solutions to the information needs of its clients. Company employees perform many roles—information brokers, facilitators between corporate clients and highly-sought freelance agents, suppliers of specialized hardware. These functions are clearly delineated across internal divisions. The Intelligence division employs both aboveboard and clandestine methods to gather a basic portfolio about the current goings-on at the forefront of tech, military development, manufacturing, and sustenance development, among other sectors. With former employees working across many of the largest corporations in the Federation, OTK has many avenues of approach in this task. Human Resources establishes contact between clients and independent intelligence operatives, or recruits moles within the corporate competitors of OTK’s clients. The Tools & Appliances division both develops specialized gadgets in-house and customizes modular technology from third-party suppliers for specific uses. OTK’s Internal Communications department looks to provide further synergy between these objectives.
Sonar Electronics – Federation
Many Federation entities are small-scale businesses operated by hundreds or even only dozens of people. Sonar Electronics is one intriguing example, both due to its earnings margin and atypical structure. Sonar hires highly educated technical specialists (engineers, Nexus researchers, medical professionals) who work in close collaboration with one another to create made-to-order tools for a variety of clients. As for its organization, Sonar Electronics employs a flat structure. This is a fiercely meritocratic business where only the best ideas, judged so by popular support, make it all the way through development. Little is known about the company’s founder except for their initials, B. A., and their insistence on embracing an unusual mode of operations in the aim of persistent research cooperation. The company’s current mode of operations is viewed by many within as little more than raising of capital for the research and development of exciting new developments. These aims are pursued with a doggedness and resolve that make the efforts of much larger corporations pale in comparison.
Fellow Kase Marshle – Union
Many in the Forlorn Brotherhood thank their lucky stars for Fellow Kase Marshle. His role is that of administrator in charge of the Brotherhood’s drive to process refugees and exiles from the Federation and Empire. It's a role he excels in. Structure might not be the Union’s best-known trait, but it is folks like Kase Marshle whose tireless work allows the faction to function the way it does.
Decades of experience have shaped Kase into one of the Union’s most capable coordinators, and one of its savvier political operatives. The systems he has put in place have eased not only the constant demands on the Forlorn Brotherhood’s resources, they have also made easier the task of recognizing hidden spies among those within the refugee camps. The question now is: will Fellow Kase Marshle be given the opportunity to structure the greater Union in more efficient ways?
Flint Schaqtre, Speaker of Tribe Sunless – Union
Flint Schaqtre represents some of the finest attributes of Tribe Sunless. His thirty years of life have been spent extracting precious ores from the cores of asteroids, first working the most dangerous mining jobs before becoming a foreman. In the tradition of his tribe, Flint is well-versed in warfare—and no slouch in the combat ring, either. A hard-working nature and oratory skills earned him the prestigious role of Speaker, as well as the admiration of his fellow tribespeople.
Fiercely driven, Flint’s versatile personal qualities could carry him far indeed, offering the kind of influence that would amplify his voice across not only Tribe Sunless but the Union at large. Yet, ambition is a dangerous trait to have—it is as likely to bring about his downfall.
Venthe Etruscus – Empire
The heir apparent to his House, Lord Venthe Etruscus intends to climb to the top of the Empire, even if he has to wade through countless other nobles to get there. The ill fortunes of his family have taught Venthe to tackle every problem he comes up against with a practical approach, devoid of any moral considerations. Already he has made enemies across the minor houses that owe fealty to Etruscus, using and discarding them according to his needs only. Yet, Venthe’s shrewdness has strengthened his House and, for the first time in a century, begun to fill its coffers with Imperial coin.
Venthe Etruscus has acumen to spare—in this dawning age, how might the Empire benefit from it?
Chrysana Gorgona – Empire
One of the Empire’s best-known socialites and entertainers, Lady Chrysana Gorgona is a mainstay at Solas Craine’s court. Her connections among the powerful span the length of the Empire and beyond into the Federation’s high society. This high-ranking Gorgona heiress possesses an entrepreneurial spirit unrivaled by most. It has been served well by her circle of acquaintances, virtually all of whom are willing to spend a fortune to have Chrysana play the part of hostess to their expensive functions. Deals—trade and otherwise—take place over these informal functions as often as they do across formal diplomatic channels. Yet, more even than most Imperial nobles, Lady Chrysana is aloof from those below her station; as a result, her relationship to the Union is one of antagonism and disdain.
Would the Empire benefit from Chrysana’s touch?
Tonocom Defense – Federation
Small enough to operate across only one of the Federation’s three sectors and big enough to draw plans for its eventual expansion, Tonocom Defence is an ambitious provider of lightning-fast security services with a secondary accent on military tech research. Its armed forces have seen action across several planetary riots over the last two decades, as well as during the Morn Incident, when the attempted retrieval of a proprietory military-grade fusion generator gave rise to a large-scale conflict between the corporation and the terrorist forces of the Ojin-Kai. Despite losses, the Tonocom Defence fleet proved victorious. Coinciding with the first months of Mr. Gladson’s tenure as CEO, this development has raised Tonocom’s profile across the Federation, giving its stakeholders and employees the much-awaited chance to expand across faction space.
With the Galactic Defense Commission’s military contracts now well within reach, Tonocom’s ambitions may well be at their tipping point: will the Federation’s citizens give them this vote of confidence?
VasTech – Federation
Among the many corporations to originate from Sector-2, VasTech may well be the largest. This corporation is the creator and owner of the proprietary tech behind some of the Federation’s most potent tools of war. A privately-owned corporation rather than a publicly traded one, it is the property of the powerful Huxley family, which has spent the last few generations growing and refining the business. VasTech began as the passion project of a retired PMG Security executive a little over a century ago. Historically a supplier of innovative weapons for PMG Security, VasTech risked everything to step outside of other corporations’ shadows. Its rapid expansion into one of the largest business entities across Federation space proves the gambit has paid off. Today, VasTech has prestige to spare—and it knows it, too. Its smugness, based on recent successes, is well-known, within the Federation and without; more than a few of its past partners have become adversaries over it.
With its refined corporate structure and innovative weapons, VasTech is well-positioned to head the Galactic Defense Commission. Has this corporation earned the confidence of the Federation’s citizens?
Hayden Blunt – Union
Hayden Blunt has not yet seen twenty cycles, Earth standard. Where citizens of other factions might see inexperience, members of the Union recognize potential. One of a dozen representatives of the SNTNLS, Blunt was picked among countless others for her inquisitive nature. Unlike so many of her fellow tribespeople, Hayden doesn’t accept things as they are—she questions what others take for granted. This includes not only the way the SNTNLS go about protecting the Union’s borders, but involves the interrogation of the structures of power that define Union relationships at large. She’s undaunted by age or experience, and doesn’t care much for the past achievements of those she confronts. Hayden champions transparency with zeal, for the sake of both her own questioning nature and all others.
Her voice has become a familiar one across the Vox’s assemblies—will it be given the platform to define the values of the Code of Information for generations of Stewards to come?
Mongrel Lars – Union
Not much is known about Mongrel “Mo” Lars. The lone Serpent’s Tooth to join the Vox is perhaps the body’s most secretive member. Despite initial suspicion over the veracity of his claims, he seems to speak with all the authority of the secretive clan; the fact that no other Serpent’s Tooth has stepped forward to corroborate his claim seems confirmation enough to this. Others of the Vox have described him as a watchful presence. More an observer than a participant during assemblages, Mongrel’s eyes always measure each and every one of his colleagues. When choices are to be made, however, his solitary voice may impart hitherto undisclosed information that can shift hearts and minds alike.
It’s a spy’s prerogative to be disliked, at least when he is out in the open. What is certain is that Mongrel Lars will steward the Code of Information with responsibility - whether he inaugurates it or inherits it from Hayden Blunt.
Mímir – Planet
The original locale of the Cradle, Mímir is the biggest atmospheric body within the sector. It originally caught the interest of the Factions due to an emission of strange signals first picked up in Federation space. The first signal to ever interfere with the Nexus’ communication network, it called for a response: a task force was quickly assembled under the mandate of the Universal Council. The expeditionary force, led by Sera Varse, tracked down the source of the signal to Mímir, and began to uncover the mysteries beneath its phosphorus atmosphere and silicate rains. They stumbled onto a cave system rich in high-density deposits of Quantum, discovering the Cradle soon after. The phenomena and conflicts that followed made the planet both an object of immense scientific curiosity and a deadly battlefield.
There are yet secrets to be wrenched away from the caves beneath Mímir’s violent surface—what answers might they offer the Factions?
The Cradle – On Mímir
Found deep within a system of caverns below the surface of Mímir, The Cradle has been at the center of several recent emergencies brought before the Universal Council. Its initial discovery and the subsequent tests done on it showed a profound connection between the mysterious artifact and the local lifeforms, exemplified by the creatures known as Qyllits. Their destructive frenzy not only put the entire mission in jeopardy, it also gave humanity a glimpse at how intertwined the Cradle can become with its surroundings. That the entire planet disappeared soon after the artifact was activated cannot be a coincidence. Soon after Mímir’s return, the Cradle became the prize at the heart of a bloody conflict between the Factions and the Crimson Wolves. The clash’s resolution was ultimately cut short by the appearance of several “wormholes” (as they were referred to at the time) across known space.
There must be a link between this artifact and the appearance of Einsen Bridges throughout Factional space—but how deep does it run?
Einsen Bridges – Historic Discovery
Originally dubbed “wormholes” and “Anomalies,” the disturbances in space-time that have shaken Faction space to its very foundations have been designated “Einsen Bridges”. The name has been popularized as short-hand for “Einstein Rosen Bridges”. As the Federation, Empire, and Union each look to make the best of the cards the universe has dealt them, it is worthwhile to recall that, while the link between the Cradle and these Einsen Bridges is not yet fully clear, the artifact’s activity has time and again affected their behavior: the similar Quantum energy signatures, the visual lensing and unique quality of the light between each Bridge, the identical growth and behavior between them.
The Factions have barely scratched the surface of the secrets behind these phenomena.
One question drives each of the three: What secrets will passing through these Einsen Bridges unearth?
Einsen Bridge Events
When Mímir first disappeared from its orbit, taking with it an entire Universal Council ground taskforce, the galactic community was struck by confusion, dumbfounded at the impossibility of it all. Then, questions came one after the other in a barrage, helped only a little by Mímir’s eventual return.
Soon after, the conflict between joint faction forces and the Crimson Wolves around Mímir led to a catastrophe whose outcome is still reverberating through known space. Outside of the material and human costs, Mímir also emitted one of the largest recorded waves of Quantum energy, opening up the Einsen Bridge near the planet. The mechanism through which the Cradle affects Einsen Bridge events is uncertain—but the Empire, Federation, and Union are united in their desire to avoid another calamity like the recent one. No one yet knows what has happened to the ships caught in the vicinity of these Bridges. Even just sending an unmanned probe inside one of these Einsen Bridges has proven to be of immense technical complexity. Yet, thanks to continued inter-factional collaboration, it is now a possibility. What data might be glimpsed of what awaits on the other side? And how will it aid the joint scientific task forces in overcoming the issues of traveling through the Bridges?
The Empire
A New Dawn Beckons
Through hell and high water, the Empire perseveres in its quest to be the dominant power across the galaxy. With a new age dawning on humanity, there is little question Emperor Solas Craine will continue to craft his domain into the tool necessary to achieve just this; yet not even the Empire can do so alone.
Despite recent events, its power is undiminished. Its response to the present crisis has been swift and decisive—a marked improvement on what has often been an onerous bureaucratic system keeping effective change from materializing. The Empire has embraced knowledge and shrewdness as it prepares for tomorrow’s challenges. Yet no great change may address all a society’s ills: the Imperials remain who they have always been, over-reliant on their stringent hierarchy, and altogether too exploitative. Offer an Imperial a hand and they are as liable to bite it as they are to take it.
What secrets does the Oracle whisper to the Emperor? What knowledge might he have of the future? To be allied with this faction is to have at least some measure of access to its vast knowledge and resources—but it is also vulnerability to the singular influence of this faction.
The Federation
Opportunity Calls
Times change. Those who cannot change with them are waylaid to the side, carcasses to be picked on by the reactionaries and the radicals. The Federation cannot permit that such a fate overtake it.
Thankfully, where catastrophe strikes, there is also opportunity—and the Federation likes to think it capitalizes on opportunity better than any other faction. It is better connected, for one, with the Nexus serving as the linchpin to its instantaneous communication technology. Though this is arguably the greatest single advantage the Federation has over its adversaries, reliance on the artifact is also its greatest vulnerability. Such companies as OTK Comms, recently awarded monumentous contracts by the newly formed Department of Intelligence, are very much reliant on the artifact’s technology. Similarly, the Galactic Defense Commission’s chief contractor, Tonocom, is capable of lightning-fast responses throughout Federation space in no small part due to the Nexus.
Technology, no matter how sophisticated, is only a tool—it is the Federation’s unrelenting hunger for individual advancement that will drive the faction to new heights even in these difficult times. Yet even the Federation must admit the need for collaboration in these trying times, and so it turns to its neighbors in the hope of advancing humanity’s interests.
The Union
Change is In the Air
The Union adapts with whatever tools it has on hand, the same as it always has. Shaped in the fires of adversity, it welcomes the first sparks of the coming blaze.
The people grasped at the heavens before, with Empire and Federation boots pressed against their throats. They survived, they held strong, and they prospered. With the very cosmos split open by the Eisen Bridges, they dare to dream once more, of new possibilities and better lives. These will demand changes and sacrifices, including to the diverse ways of life its many tribes and clans are used to. Already it has begun—the Union’s Ethics give form to formlessness, rigidly organizing aspects of Unionite life that were previously a question of each community’s choice. Yet they also encourage that every member of this faction be inquisitive, that they ask questions without fear, without allowing outdated notions of civility to stand in the way of greater understanding of both the universe and the human being itself.
The power rests in the people and the people are restless. Change is coming—and it will demand that the Union collaborate with the Federation and Empire.
Mathias Voden – Empire
No one should question High Lord Mathias Voden’s capabilities. House leader for half a century, he has guided to fruition many of the most important scientific discoveries in the Empire over that span of time. His leadership can be characterized through an accentuation of good science over all else. Where other Houses might have lost influence over such a move, Voden’s standing has only increased—thanks to Mathias’s proficiency, not only as scientist but as scientific administrator. His inexorable approach to projects both big and small is a boon to the House’s researchers. It is also a reason for frustration among many within the Imperial Administration, whose attempts to enforce a scientific agenda on the House are met with continued refusal on Mathias’ part.
To doubt High Lord Voden’s qualifications for this Ministry is to court recklessness. Yet, is a man as uncompromising in his vision as Mathias the right choice to lead the charge into Eisen Bridge research, a novel field that might demand flexibility, in both thought and action? Only time will tell.
Sakura Kogawa – Empire
Sakura Kogawa is the principal engineer of House Voden, the latest of many in the Kogawa family to have held this esteemed position. Born in one of Voden’s longest-serving affiliate families, Sakura has spent her life turning the dazzling inventions of the House’s theoreticians into reality. Her intuitive understanding of machines is complemented by the administrative abilities necessary to take on the responsible role of Principal Engineer. A reliance on bureaucracy as a failsafe against the loss of life and limb of her engineers has slowed down projects more than once. As a result, it has given cause to more than one furious argument with High Lord Mathias Voden, whose inexorable nature would often see such impediments be done away with.
Sakura Kagawa has practicality in spades; her desire to keep the people she commands is admirable. Yet, what she views as due diligence, some would call sluggishness. With the importance of the Einsen Bridge research to the Empire’s future, can she be counted on to choose the Empire’s interests over any one group of individuals?
Hygeia – Federation
Hygeia Systems is best known as a dominant force across the Federation’s competitive healthcare market. It operates advanced medical centers that provide both life-saving and cosmetic health services, available to corporate clients and independently wealthy individuals capable of paying for Hygeia’s exorbitantly priced services upfront. Decades of innovation well justify the corporation’s fees. From a variety of drugs capable of virtually exterminating many of the diseases that have plagued humanity for centuries to procedures that have changed the face of modern surgery, Hygeia is a trailblazer, revolutionizing every aspect of medicine it touches. But the very open corporate structure that encourages its specialists to make these stunning discoveries is also what holds the corporation back somewhat—its internal structure is flat and wide, relying on personal passion and communication. It’s haphazard at best, chaotic at worst.
The contracts awarded by the Department of Human Advancement would go a long way to channeling Hygeia Systems’ creativity towards the Federation’s continued prosperity.
Eve-N Technologies – Federation
Eve-N Technologies has carved itself a big piece of the Federation’s sustenance market through a mixture of diplomacy, discretion, and finesse. Their most well-known line of products, commonly referred to as the SynthSnack™, is a synthetic substitute for organically grown food. Eve-N has built up countless connections and partnerships: with algae farmers and supermarket chains, with fellow chemical producers and shipping companies, all throughout the three Federation sectors. Its business model is set to rhythms that wait for no one, servicing a massive and inflexible distribution chain. This corporation has grown rigid, safe in its success. Much of its business comes either from SynthSnack™ capsules or the food printers Eve-N developed to work in tandem with these.
Offering the Department of Human Advancement’s new contracts to Eve-N Technologies might be just the push this corporation needs to once more find the spark that gave rise to its market-defining product. Will you give them your vote of confidence?
Jase Yosen – Union
When Jase Yosen joined the Redeemers ten years ago, few trusted that he would make the changes he spoke about. Now, to disbelieve him is to deny reality. Yosen has, through force of personality, carved out a band of followers within the clan of medics and health researchers. What these disciples see in him is a visionary, a forward-thinking man whose brilliant mind has given birth to some of the most effective advances in Union medicine in a century. Yet some who have worked with Jase share a certain disquiet about his methods. He is not beyond testing out new types of medicine on himself or his followers, and darker rumors abound as to what other taboos he is breaking in the name of progress.
Jase Yosen uses unorthodox methods to achieve his ambitious goals; is that not the Union’s way? Perhaps it is exactly what the Ethic of Health demands.
Stefan Sagge – Union
Stefan Sagge is an elder of the Snow Dawn clan, a healer from the icy wastes, whose experience and skill have saved countless lives. Stefan has wisdom to spare, having traversed the stars between the planets his people populate, having even served among the Vox once a decade over the last thirty years. Though he would never see himself as such, many in the Vox view him as one of the Union’s dignified statesmen, an even-tempered voice in the tumultuous waters of faction politics. Stefan’s path—both in medicine and statecraft—follows the tried and tested ways of tradition, tenets passed down the generations of Snow Dawn.
Some see him as unoriginal, even reactionary; yet politics has always been a means to an end for Stefan Sagge. His aim is to provide the sick with comfort—is there a better reason than this to lead the Ethic of Health?