Groups
The Rabble of Sentience
Humans
People of the Communion, referred to as the communards…
inhabit Communion Space, which is controlled from Centarion. It is the most advanced civilisation in the galaxy, and for thousands of years, its inhabitants believed that they were the only humans to exist. Only a system of strict social order could allow this secret to survive for so long. The Communion’s daily affairs are addressed by the Parliament House with delegates from every constituent star system, but society itself is led by the age-old Xarinthian Alliance – leaders of religion, diplomacy, and security. However, the Communion, despite its collective intentions, has ever been upheld by powerful corporations – some of which command entire star systems. There are also darker forces interwoven amongst the order. The Gorgon Criminal Network is prolific amongst the built up regions of the galaxy, whilst factions like the Dosho Cartel plague more rural regions such as the Livestock Worlds.
The Elders are the descendants of those exiled from Centar during the Third Schism…
They fled across the stars, following the path set out by the first interspace engineers and ancient megacorporations. Now, Elder Space is made up of many societies and distinct cultures, reminiscent of those which used to exist on Centarion. Chief amongst these is the Triphate Empire, ruled over by a mysterious, nameless emperor. This civilisation is controlled from Triphus – a sandy planet, of a few ancient cities and many thousands of expansive underground settlements. The rest of Triphate Space is divvied out to archaic, powerful houses, who balance out their nobility with neuroticism. Other Elder societies include the nomadic Yor and the Nonsuch Collective. The Elders come into frequent military conflict with the Communion, despite the people of the Communion being unaware of these battles taking place. As such, the militaristic Triphate Empire have developed a strong hatred towards Communards and would like for nothing more than to watch them burn.
The Forgotten Folk are the original interstellar colonists…
They set sail on ark ships during the height of the Second Communion. It took them centuries to reach their destinations, which were four close together star systems (now located in No Man’s Land). These colonies existed in a unique partnership for millennia, despite losing contact with Centarion. It took upwards of a year for messages to reach other systems and five years to travel between systems. At first, this resulted in capable, independent societies. However, it ended with paranoid, militaristic states that wanted a quick end to their rivals. Of the four planets: Paradigm is now a futuristic paradise, having won the old wars and stolen much. Barbur is a wasteland, its surface ravaged from years of orbital bombardment. Tenax is a penal colony, where Paradigm sends its prisoners to do hard labour. Lithos is the sole survivor, its people hanging on to their planet with an arsenal of weapons and pure hatred. Space is heavily contested between Paradigm and Lithos with societies on space stations and moons constantly changing hands in this never ending war.
The Communion are aware of the Forgotten Colonies. Upon the discovery of interspace, it was of primary importance to discover the status of the colonists. However, so shocked by the aftermath of their wars, the Parliament House voted on a policy of isolation. If Paradigm or Lithos ever discovered interspace, they would be destroyed. Having No Man’s Land around these systems ensures limited contact with the Forgotten, especially with the raptids. That being said, the Forgotten are under constant surveillance by the Communion, with the Nameless Truth going as far to send XA operatives undercover.
Aliens
Having surrendered to their technological evolution long ago…
the raptids are a shadow of the perfect avian race they used to be. Though strong enough to overpower most humans, they have acquired a universal, dishevelled trait – wings that no longer fly but serve as a pointless vestige. Where raptids have kept much of humanity from their realm, they deal with the greedy corporates within the Communion. This has subjected many enterprising birds to predjudice over the years, consequently leading to their widespread disdain for communards.