Lore basics ErisEn

Lore basics

The Ship

Cosmic Exploration Vessel “Eris” is a private ship, owned only by its captain. This old spaceship, which was used to transfer prisoners and cattle, had been restructured on a Valhallan Foundation shipyard. Stuffed with relatively expensive modern equipment, it is perfectly suited to deep space research missions.

Technology

Technological level varies from area to area, and many factions diverged their technological advancements heavily from each other due to their ideologies, socio-political environment, and economic needs, which purpose might not apply well to other civilizations. Due to the devastation left by Corporate War, much of the man-made technology was lost, leading to the general regression. This, combined with the Hansa Trade Union's policies and repression against independent research and over-reliance on copyrighted blueprints, has left the largest nation in the known galaxy at a low technological level. Much of the electronic technology has regressed into easy-to-manufacture components whose designs date even to the 21st century. Regardless of that, implants and prosthetics are common. Due to their easy and versatile construction, which proved their effectiveness in the war against NanoTrasen, Ballistic weapons have gained a much more significant presence on the civilian and mercenary market than energy weapons. Cloning technology serves primarily to produce spare organs and organoids, while only the likes of NeoTheology are capable of providing sapience to their clones. Interstellar travels are provided using bluespace technologies. Vessel engines can carry out short travels.

Factions Present in Null Sector

Major Factions

Hansa Trade Union

The largest and most powerful state-like organization within the known Galaxy. Serving as a coalition of nine Megacorporations, HTU is the only interstellar state that, despite technological stagnation and corporate oppression, manages to develop at a rapid pace and expand beyond its home sector. As such, it is no surprise that HTU was the only organization capable of laying claim of ownership on the whole of Null Sector when it emerged back into reality, and subsequently organized minimal oversight over the traffic in and out of the transfer of equipment, goods, and discoveries from within the Sector into Hansa Sector proper.

• Ironhammer Security: Megacorporation that deals primarily in general security services within HTU. Tasked with annexation and pacification of the freshly emerged Null Sector, Ironhammer had established a Central Command governing body overseeing and protecting various expeditions within the Null Sector. With the Ironhammer Expedition Fleet Poltergeist at their disposal, their primary line of duty is the elimination of unaffiliated hostile vessels, suppression of numerous anomalies, termination of mutants, and hostile alien fauna, oversight over synthetics, and border cell control, preventing any kind of illegal goods smuggling. Every HTU vessel entering the Null Sector is required to either employ Ironhammer mercenary personnel or submit a full list of the onboard crew with detailed backgrounds and occupation duties.
• Asters Guild: HTU Megacorp which holds a monopoly over logistic services, mining, and small-scale manufacturing. Widespread across Null Sector, with many trade stations scattered around the wild space, ensuring exchange fluidity of the various goods found in the Null Sector, refueling, repair services, and safe havens for various HTU vessels that happen by them. Many of their trade stations are also often leased to other Organizations for standard fees as well as a small cut of any monetary transfers.

• Moebius Laboratories: HTU Megacorp that holds a monopoly on a majority of the research initiatives and medical services within Hansa Space. Due to anomalous and uncharted properties of the Null Space holding great potential for the scientific development of the human race, Moebius Laboratories are the primary sponsor and investor behind the majority of various private expeditions of HTU prospectors, universally forcing them to sign a clause that any and all scientific discovery and strange artifacts found during their expeditions will be considered Moebius property; however, authorized personnel may trade those away if the situation makes it necessary.

Technomancers League

Due to the massive crisis of homelessness that emerged from the ashes of Corporate Wars, many of the Technomancer clans have become stranded on various planets within Hansa Space. With the resurgence of Null Sector, many private prospectors in possession of a ship and desire to explore that accursed regions seek cheap, skilled, and desperate engineering labor with connections to a technologically advanced empire, and stranded technomancer clans fall into that category perfectly, as a mere promise of their own personal space on board of ship is enough to convince them to partake in suicidal voyages. However, technomancer clans had proven to be quite unreliable when it came to abiding by their contracts. For ambition to own a ship and acquire freedom which Technomancers League promises so much, is stronger than any agreement, and as such many exploration vessels are prone to coup attempts committed by rowdy technomancer clans.

Neotheology

No one really knows the true nature of the Church of Neotheology’s interest in the Null Sector. For many, it would seem heretical to explore the remains of an atheist fallen empire in a zone filled with bluespace anomalies, rogue synthetics, and alien creatures. By the definition of their doctrine, it would be a place of absolute evil, yet along with Moebius Laboratories, they remain the largest funders of various expeditions into the old Solar Cloud. Many could interpret this as a form of a crusade against the evils or an effort to ward off unsuspecting crews that would have traveled there no matter what from evils. The most accepted conclusion, however, is that Null Space is full of secrets and people, and if Neothology were a moth, then secrets and people would be the largest lamps you could find in Hansa Space.

Danube Confederation (Potentially):

While the failed federation state is barely even existing and is in no position to organise any kind of activity within the Null Sector, the more stable statelets that rose from its decaying corpse and many of the refugee entrepreneurs find plenty of work and potential within this rogue sector, that would either help them set their lives straight or find ways to restore the glory of their nation from ruins.

• Serbian Autonomous Military (Potentially): The Official military force of the Serbian Government of Pedestraza is in high demand for their mercenary work within Null Sector. For as much as the Null Sector offers potential for profit and discovery, it also offers a safe haven for any debt evaders, corporate enemies, and many other undesirables trying to hide from the repercussions of their life choices. Serbian Mercenaries, however, take contracts that can’t be solved via the slow bureaucracy of an Ironhammer termination or silent contractors. They are hard hitters, their goal is to blow the target sky-high, and everyone trying to protect them. As such, the encounter with any of their mercenary ships results in either quick disengage or violent hostility. Ironhammer Central Command warns against any attempt of contact with SAM, and as such, within Null Sector, they are considered enemies of the HTU.

One Star - Extinct

Prosperous and Technologically sophisticated Empire once inhabiting the region of space now known as Null Sector. Along with the re-emergence of the Null Sector into the common reality, so came back various ruins, research complexes, treasures, and shades of this once Hyperpower. Their legacy makes for the primary target of any prospector wishing to acquire riches and power beyond comprehension for themselves or their respective organisations.  

Minor Factions

Excelsior (Potentially)

Terrorist Organisation bent on integrating humanity into one shared machine hivemind under the guise of old Earth communist ideals. While it is unknown if such an organization would have any unique scientific interest within the Null Sector, it is beyond doubt that with the lack of larger Ironhammer oversight, isolated exploration vessels lost within the wild space frontier make for ideal targets of various infiltration cells bent on hijacking ships, acquiring intel and subjugating crews to their monolithic cause.

Oberth Republic (Potentially):

• MakroRobotiks: Primary Megacorporation of the Oberth Republic mired in the civil with Republican and Criminal Underground forces on their home planet. That, however, does not stop them from offering contractor services of many robotic and cybernetic platforms adept at infiltrating the environment of the space vessels and causing havoc, the most notorious example of the such platform being the infamous Blitzshells.

Full List of Factions in the Setting

Hansa Trade Union

The Hansa Trade Union (Hansa) is a territorial unity of several trade corporations, which protect their rules, interests and monopolies. Formed from reshaped Syndicate, four main corporations have monopolized the most crucial and most profitable markets, but leave minor sectors for small businesses and enterprises. CEV “Eris” is registered as one of Hansa’s Free Vessels.

Diplomacy: HTU is rather pragmatic in diplomacy, it is ready for trade with everyone who doesn't encroach its rules, integrity and independences. That’s why Cyberchristianity's expansion annoys them, and the communistic cult of Excelsior must be eviscerated. In general, they do not care about the rest of humanity.

Artificial Intelligence: Only simple, law-approved models are allowed, but Main Corporations can create much more efficient AI’s.

Civil rights: Drugs and weapons are allowed literally everywhere, though planets and stations may have restrictions. Drug consumption at work has also been regulated. Slavery is restricted, but civilians can sign a contract with a corporation in order to be enslaved by it (which is really not that rare). There is no “universal” passport for Hansa, or citizenship, instead there are many different passports of organizations, planets, stations, which have different types of insurance, protection, rules and duties.

HTU was inspired from a romanticised hypercapitalism: pirates after each asteroid, half-cyborgized corporate elite, which measure people in money, and overcrowded hive cities. There are gray fumes, which are filtered by old-fashioned terraforming systems, the last chance for humanity to save itself.

[HTU] Ironhammer Security

Private Military Corporation which performs police functions at HTU’s vessels, stations and planets. Provides a large amount of services, from hunting criminals to escorting convoys. About fifty years ago Ironhammer Security was the Military Forces of Syndicate. Ironhammer Security has several departments, which fulfil different tasks. Here are five most important divisions:

Expeditionary fleet: Created from the money of remaining planetary states and major corporations. These are the main military power of Hansa, the protection from an external invasion.

Marshals: These people are bounty hunters. They capture and eliminate targets by the order of their contractor, an organization or a state, outside the contractor's area of influence. Despite all the Central Command’s efforts, Marshals often conflict with the local Ironhammer forces for obvious reasons.

Special Anomalistic Unit (S.A.U.): This department is responsible for seeking, securing, suppressing and destroying anomalistic objects. S.A.U. protects Hansa from the communistic cult called Excelsior, from NeoTheology agents, changelings, and other threats beyond one’s understanding. A pair of operatives from this division are among CEV “Eris” crew, hired in order to protect ship from various dangers on derelicts.

Corporate Security: This division secures property, buildings, space stations and vessels. CEV “Eris” guards are a part of this division.

Turing Police: They deal with lawless synthetics and cyborgs, or with powerful AIs without a license. This department is one of the few that acts under their own rules. These guys are very influential. Their financing comes directly from Hansa, as well as their orders. Equipment that operatives use depends on tasks they complete, and also from places where operatives are located. However, most of their weaponry is kinetic. They are severe and discreet professionals when it comes to business.

[HTU] The Frozen Star Company provides a huge variety of cheap weapons and ammunition, highly valued among the Galaxy. A lot of their firearms are kinetic, however, they also have a few, rare, energy firearms. Naming of the weaponry comes from the sci-fi genre of the Old Earth: books, films etc. In their advertisements they make references of Earth archetypes or specific works. The guns are mostly modern, but they also make replicas of 21st century weapons.

[HTU] Asters Guild

The Asters Guild is a union of spaceports, trade stations, shipyards and factories.A majestic organization which target is to control the market of deep space travels and shipments. Only Guild members have access to the most advanced engines, navigation devices, AIs, and some prosthesis for direct connection to a vessel. It’s nearly impossible to become a member of Asters Guild, and people usually get in only by commercial or other such connections. The Captain, First Officer and Merchant of CEV “Eris” are Asters. Moreover, the Merchant and Cargo area are independent, which means they are not directly subordinated to Captain.

[HTU] Moebius Laboratories

This company produces pharmaceuticals, drugs, prosthesis, and provides genetical operations. They also have the most advanced hospitals. A significant part of their business is rather mysterious, though it is known that they are involved in secret genetic experiments, using people as consumable material.

Due to all this, and because of some stories of abductions, Moebius Laboratories are rather infamous. In their marketing policy they emphasize, by modern and sterile style, on “new mind horizons” when they sell drugs, on hide potential that prosthesis can provide. Compared to their main rival, NeoTheology, they are absolutely lambs.

NeoTheology

NanoTrasen was, perhaps, the most successful megacorporation in human's history. The key to their success was in two things: first, for a long period of time, they were the only company who had an access to Alliance worlds, thus being the first ones to claim their technologies. Secondly — they had a full control of systems with plasma giants, which made them the biggest and the most powerful monopoly company out there. With such power in their hands they grew more and more majestic, just as more dangerous. The more they grew — the more dangerous they were. They even managed to provide researches in the arcane spheres of wormholes and biological AI (using pure and modified brains of humans).

They also created their own weapons, which are being used by IronHammer, among other organizations. One of the most important achievements of the Corporation was the establishment the basics of Cyberspace technology, using bluespace for information transfer, creating constructs of pure energy which could perform various tasks, even connect with machines and devices through wormholes.

Years gone by, and NanoTrasen become huge, as a state. Corporation had suffered a period of stagnation… And then the rebellion happened. Suddenly, almost all the directors were eliminated in a couple of hours, and NT Military Forces were under rebel control. The next day the Church stated that corporation was purified, and would be reforged by the hand of the Church. Thus, the corporation had got a new name — NeoTheology.

Their belief was Judgement Day approaching. But God gave them technologies in order to create the civilization of righteous people, giving them the Last Chance.

Cruciform — a Tau Cross-like implant, which embeds into one’s chest. The Church assures that it keeps one’s soul for cloning. Biological age always drops to 33-35 years during a cloning process, and those who implanted with Cruciform age much more slowly. That means, that, in theory, the life of an implanted human being is... everlasting.

In addition to that, The Church has the Angel's technology. Angels are energetical constructs, which are created in bluespace after one’s death. According to information that we know, so-called Angels are early prototype of cloning technology. If one dies, his mind transfers to this construct. But this amount of information is not enough to actually perform cloning process. Angels are used like autonomic bots to work in cyberspace, to fix errors and to make repairs, or, for instance, to jam enemy’s communications. Angels stations are spread across the Galaxy, guaranteeing an access to after-death consciousness of the humanity to the Church. That’s a rather terrific thing.

Generally speaking, Angel's technology, Cruciform and cloning are beyond human comprehension. All attempts of other factions led to nothing when they tried to create something similar.

Diplomacy: being in a cold war with Hansa, The Church, however, has some kind of partnership with the Trade Union in several fields. The cause of cold war is Church’s expansion inside Hansa. Cruciforms become more and more popular, and the Trade Union thinks that it can be a dangerous factor when it comes to internal integrity, that’s why Hansa has a propagandist company against Cruciforms — for example, implanted Cyberchristians cannot be on head vacations in the Trade Union’s.

Artificial Intelligence: restricted everywhere, with only few exceptions.

Civil rights: religion is crucial for Christians, but the Church cannot control everything yet. There is a huge gap between social layers in hive cities, between righteous civillians and lowlife. In slums, where lawlessness, drugs and guns (illegally imported from Hansa, by the way), people live from day to day without any hopes and expectations. However, the quantity of righteous plodders is increasing gradually.

When it comes to the Church’s laws, among others holy commandments, Christians can’t have any implants except Cruciform. A Cyberchristian’s body will deny other implants, or Cruciform itself, which is much worse.

Deus Ex Machina stand out and constantly look upon its flock, read their thoughts, look through their souls. The Inquisition purifies other factions’ influence from NT territory, slum areas are being rebuilt into beautiful gardens, the fleet is being refreshed with the latest technology. Worlds are getting clearer and decent, but humans barely understand what is actually happening. Bulky machines activated by litanies do not reveal their inner secrets, police officers don’t know where do their orders come from, new vessels have minimal crew amount because of the miracle machines of the Church. When science comes to the background, people do not ask questions anymore. Reality slips through their fingers.

Technomancers League

The colonists who had survived in an anomalous space filled with asteroids, became known as Technomancers. Dead asteroids were their colonies, and they built their under-dome cities on depleted planets. An aggressive vacuum environment moved their science forward. After one and a half of the century the state of Technomancers became technological utopia. They prolong human life for several centuries, and, generally, had things that humanity can’t create now… But it could not last long. Bluespace's peculiar properties were the double-edged sword: they disrupted teleportation, protecting Technomancers from an invade from the outside, but also trapping Technomancers in their sector, leaving them little variety. Soon enough, Technomancers started to fight each other for resources and space for living. This quake cracked the League, and it drowned in anarchy and internecine conflicts. This crisis is lasting now: clan leaders die like flies, territories change owners daily, and any unions are unstable.

Many technologies have been lost or forgotten intentionally. Prejudices and illogical conviction fill the science, and the the tendency to create everything with excessive luxury has ruined many originally perfect technologies. But, however, Technomancers technological level is higher than Hansa’s.

The lady calling herself the Empress managed to bring together most clans, when one of her’s scientists figured out how to break the trap of the abnormal bluespace, and when the Gates were created. Now Technomancers League has only one purpose — to colonize systems in order to no longer fight for resources.

Diplomacy: it’s rather difficult to be a diplomat in the Technomancer League. Despite the fact that the Empress provides sort of stability, chaotic atmosphere among League clan leaders (and their frequent death too) provides diversity. One part of the society can freely declare war against Hansa in the morning, but change their mind in the evening. But because of huge technological potential, which is a bargain, both HTU and NeoTheology keep their patience. The main enemy of the Empress is Excelsior, with whom she and her state fight for a few systems of destroyed Hansa, which are still good for living.

Artificial Intelligence is a crucial thing in League’s culture. AI can only exist together with a human, and this connection called Covenant. AI without owners are to be annihilated, and Technomancers without AI is considered to be a beggar person. Technomancers use their AI to perform a huge variety of purposes.

Civil rights: depends on clan and differs greatly, but the laws of the Covenant are equal among the state. The justice is performing by many assassins’ guilds, or by clan’s forces.

The Empress promised a great and honorable future for the nation. Technomants are awakening. They fill stations and Hansa territory. Sooner or later League is going to be majestic. But by what cost?