Backstory

Revision as of 11:42, 4 June 2024 by Kettle (talk | contribs) (→‎Lizardpersons/Vuulen: changes lizardperson link)
Note: The Yogstation Lore is currently undergoing rewrite, any lore on this page is subject to change.

The Present

The year is 2517. Humanity's galactic golden age is beginning to come to a close. The Sol Interplanetary Coalition, often abbreviated as the SIC, offers less and less stability for its participant members as humans spread further and wider into the known universe, encountering bizarre worlds, lifeforms, and materials. Notable members of the SIC include the Earth Federation, the Martian Cartel, the Belter Collective, and the Ganymede Republic. At the economic level stands Nanotrasen, a significant materials-based company that specializes in the harvesting and application of baroxuldium, better known as plasma. Sometimes also referred to as the Company, Nanotrasen's research and products make up several essential parts of life in the 26th century. The usage of bluespace, an anomalous material that permits for warping of distance, has only increased their considerable market share. For countless decades, Nanotrasen has peaked at corporate charts of revenue, employment rate, and expansion, fitting their stations and establishments with a wide range of workers, from humans, to artificially intelligent robots, to humanoid lizards; there is none that Nanotrasen will not hire and exploit in its quest to spread humanity even further across the stars. It is an era of technology and innovation, but also of immense conflict.

The No.1 enemy of Nanotrasen, known as the Syndicate, seeks to subvert and sabotage Nanotrasen's assets wherever they can. A corporate cartel comprised of various influential companies which have at some point been wronged by Nanotrasen, the Syndicate represents a decentralized effort to counter the domination that Nanotrasen exercises in new and revolutionary markets, such as death-defying medical technology or highly-advanced energy weaponry. Whether by planting sleeper agents into Nanotrasen employment, or contracting the infamous mercenary group known as the Gorlex Mauraders to perform a board-and-scuttle operation, the Syndicate performs countless operations to directly or indirectly target Nanotrasen's stations, employees, and resources.

But the Syndicate only represents one of several threats that Nanotrasen faces. They too must contend with the growing, cosmic powers which have awakened once again as humanity plies its exploration into the ruins of a long-dead civilization known as the Vxtvul Empire. Not only do they threaten Nanotrasen, but all of humanity and the various alien peoples that have been uncovered. The Opsillian Republic, an effective puppet-government of the SIC, generally represents a galactic voice for the reptilian vuulen on their homeworld of Sangris. The ex'hau and ethereal people, moths and bioluminescent slime people respectively, are both settled at significant distance from humanity, but that distance only promises to close as humanity's irresistible urge to spread continues. The plasmamen, animated remains of humans who have incinerated in plasmafires, dully continue in human borders, as do polysmorphs and IPCs: the former a series of human-xenomorph hybrid experiments, the latter a mimic of organic intelligence- a humanoid robot with free will. The phytosians, plant-people born from spilled blood on the crop of their people, foolishly seek to effect their plan of universe-wide conversion. Finally, the children of the Vxtvul Empire, the preternis people rapidly spread and enforce their own territory at the edges of human space. The Remnants of Vxtvul represent the largest potential threat to the SIC's unity and establishment of peace, yet action only exists at the micro-level. For example, some human explorers or corporate scientists go to raid and scavenge the carcass of the Vxtrin's work, and the preternis oppose them wherever possible.

Your character could be one of these many alien species. They could have been raised on a bustling station, in a juvenile colony, in the depths of an under-city where street construction at skyscraper-level heights blots the sun from reaching the ground: this is a time of fabulous constructions, and awe-inspiring ingenuity. Life expectancy has never been higher, and developments in biomechanical and genetic research permit for the eradication or rectifying of even the most severe ailments. However, despite all this, life in space is still ultimately cruel and dangerous. In the infinite void, the machines that guarantee basic organic need can turn dangerous and catastrophic if not maintained well, and there will always be countless workers in the process of guaranteeing such needs. Maybe it was a deal too good to pass up, or it was the only job you could take, but regardless, you've found yourself in the employment of the corporate giant known as Nanotrasen. Perhaps you've spent a lot of time aboard their stations, or you were enlisted in a sponsorship program, but regardless, you've been transferred or hired to one of Nanotrasen's newest stations. Sporting several experimental devices and state-of-the-art facilities, the station's purpose is multifold; combining manufacturing research, power development, material harvesting, and a variety of other sciences.

Welcome to Space Station 13.

The Timeline

Lunar Colonization and Environmental Strife (2050 - 2130)

Rise of Mars and Technological Discovery (2131 - 2200)

Path to the Great Sol War (2201 - 2288)

Recovery and Road to Exploration (2289 - 2399)

The Great Embarkment (2400 - 2436)

Corporate Escalation and Alien Diplomacy (2437 - 2512)

Decline and Decentralization (2513 - Present)

Corporations, Governmental Bodies, and Organizations

Nanotrasen

 
Nanotrasen's corporate logo

The largest human corporation in existence. While their subsidiaries and business transactions cover several aspects of space life, they have not faced significant anti-trust breakup despite their massive horizontal influence. Pioneers of materials technology that helped to lead humanity out of Sol and into the rest of the universe, their most recent endeavors have been replicating the exceptional technology of the Vxtvul Empire. Their current CEO, Theo Deimi, is a static, cutthroat individual whose beliefs of pragmaticism and technological progress have curiously raked in thousands of non-human employees, though several alien sympathizers point out Nanotrasen's unjust payment of non-humans in incredibly demanding positions, such as medical professions, engineering contracts, or even management. While not official, it's generally accepted that their coffers filling the SIC's has helped to keep their ambitions uninterrupted for so long, though several have grown contemptuous of Nanotrasen's exception from judicial consequences.

Notable subsidiaries include:

  • Sano-Waltfield Industries, a terraforming company at the forefront of human exploration.
  • WIP

The Syndicate

 
The Syndicate's official logo

WIP (includes just about every single Syndie organization including marauders)

The Sol Interplanetary Coalition

WIP - technically includes the Opsillian Republic?

The Remnants of Vxtvul

WIP

The Gukdem Confederacy

I'll get to them sometime TM

The Lightseers

WIP

Ex'hai Nations

WIP

The Wizard Federation

An obscure, but powerful, faction of individuals who, through abuse of bluespace dust, have learned how to harvest the power of the veil, allowing them to affect their reality in a way that seems to most as "Magic". Influenced by centuries old tales, narcotic-induced psychosis, and a hatred of their practices being banned in all of civilized space, they have banded together, both to share their works with like-minded individuals, and to take down those they see as oppressive to their ways. Aligning with no other groups outside of their own, the Wizard Federation is a devout enemy of the SIC, Nanotrasen, and even the various Syndicate companies. They will show no mercy, and utilize the full force of their arsenal; pray that you never live to see the day where one of their "representatives" is on your station.

Falgriff's Frontiersfolk

Hey this one is new! Just call them frontiersfolk though, or slags (organized scavs) (ALSO WIP)

Species

Humans

Humans originate from the planet Earth in the Sol system. They are the largest and most populous race across all of SIC space. With unmatched ambition and rapid expansion, humanity finds itself the largest empire of the present year, 2517.

Lizardpersons/Vuulen

Vuulen originate from the planet Sangris within the Val system. The first species humanity has encountered outside of the Sol system, the Coalition's invasion of Sangris in 2401 marked the beginning of a troubled history between humans and vuulen. While the passage of time and more lenient xeno policies have seen the creation of several habituation stations, designed with the intent to integrate the lizards into human communities. While they enjoy significantly more rights than in the past, corporations such as Nanotrasen still exploit the apprehension surrounding vuulen to extend them less pay and protection under company policy.

Phytosians

Phytosians originate from the planet Mulvoda within the Creo system. The most recent species humanity has encountered, the secretive and isolated nature of their primary government, the Gukdem Confederacy, means very few are seen in SIC space. While slowly beginning to work through diplomatic relations with the Coalition, the few phytosians that venture out and explore the galaxy tend to either be political exiles or loyalists, the former fleeing persecution while the latter seek to gather more information about this strange universe that the phytosian collective has been exposed to.

Plasmamen

Plasmamen are the animated remains of humans who have died in plasmafires which are then exposed to pure plasma environments. Technically the first xeno species humanity has encountered, the initial experiments with baroxuldium (also known as plasma) were disasterous, spawning the first generation of plasmamen in 2384. Holding onto glimpses of all the lives that perished in the fire, each plasmaman continues their newfound existence with apathy and detachment ever-present. Often confused regarding their past identities because of these overlapping memories, they continue to work in SIC space, often resuming their past occupation.

Mothpersons/Ex'hau

Ex'hau originate from the low-g planet of Wallalius within the Deria system. One of two space-faring species that humanity has uncovered, the significant decentralization of their people in their body of space means widespread, constant conflict and tension. While physically distant from the Sol and Val systems, some mothpersons still find their way to SIC space in search of a new life, sometimes as an escape from their old one. As humans are primarily suited to one-g environments, any ex'hai that wishes to work on a standard station often has to undergo significant treatment and therapy in order to make their bodies able to withstand the stress of standard gravity.

Ethereals

Ethereals originate from the planet Borealia within the Elix system. The other space-faring species that humanity has discovered, these benign humanoids work under the guidance of religious elders, most commonly the Lightseers. Their primary expansion into space is motivated by pilgrimage or other cultural reasons. Believing themselves to be the descendants of stars, ethereals often find themselves in SIC space either mid-transit or whilst obtaining work in order to pay their journeys. Older ones who have completed various pilgrimages might settle down into an established position, working to fund other ethereals or simply integrate into a newfound galactic community.

Preterni

Preterni of the present day originate from the mechanical world of Ur'lan on the fringes of the Val system. A species uniquely produced from highly-advanced lathes that were created by the ancient Vxtrin people, the preterni expand and lay claim to much of the Vxtvul Empire's old technology, ensuring their continuation through the re-activation and maintenance of several preterni lathes. Highly at odds with humanity due to their scrapping, destruction, and subversion of several Vxtvul creations, the Remnants and the Coalition exist in an uneasy cold war, neither desiring to openly attack the other, while they secretly try to combat and parley over the immensely valuable technology present in Vxtvul ruins.

Polysmorphs

Polysmorphs come from various colonies that were established by Sano-Waltfield Industries, though the human-xenomorph hybrids are no longer produced and are incapable of natural reproduction. As a result, they're expected to die out within the next century or two, depending on how long they can live. Despite this, they're still kept in employment by Nanotrasen, permitted to live on SIC stations so long as their work with NT continues. Often dysfunctional and odd, very few are comfortable in their presence, especially with their visage so closely related to xenomorphs.

IPCs

IPCs are robotic humanoids that are produced by humans. Possessing free will and sapience due to their lack of artificial intelligence laws, the integrated positronic chassis are common workers in various positions across all of civilized space, though they mostly work within the borders of the SIC. They are often underpaid, and those that exist in SIC space as quasi-civilians often undergo extensive surveillance and auditing to ensure they possess no threat to organics.

Locations

Space Station 13

Name: NTSS-13

Location: In Orbit of V-227 in the Val system

Goal: Continue Nanotrasen research on plasma, bluespace and V-227. Function as a small civilization and complete tasks that may be demanded by CC-02. Report and secure any anomalous entities, materials or events directly to CC-02 for research. Investigate possible existence of a Bluespace Translocation Field.

Crew: NTSS-13 is built to sustain a maximum of 80 crew members. The station is to be outfitted with a medical, supply, science, engineering, security and civilian department, all led by their respective command members, who operate under the captain. If at any point there is a lack of members for a department to function correctly, the station Head of Personnel or Captain is to set the specific job to "high priority". If the situation is urgent enough, Central Command may dispatch well equipped and trained Emergency Response Team units to fulfill medical, engineering, security or janitorial duties.

Security Resources Allocated: Due to the low threat to NTSS-13, only a small team of Nanotrasen Security Personnel with basic training is required. NTSS-13's armory has been outfitted with basic anti-personnel and silicon gear, primarily utilized for riots. Security staff are expected to respect crew privacy and follow alert procedures unless conditions arise that may change this. Supplemental security gear will be provided by CC-02 for a cost in the event that security staff may require more effective and expensive gear. If there is a threat to the station, CC-02 may dispatch an Emergency Response Team to stabilize the situation. It is recommended that all Nanotrasen employees read NT-0871 in order to understand how to properly respond to potential threats.

Central Command

(WIP)

Lavaland

Name: V-227

Location: Uncharted Region at the edge of the Val system

Survivability: Pressure on V-227 is lower than that of what the majority of sentient life forms are used to, but is survivable. The majority of the air is composed of that of nitrogen, with trace amounts of ash. The use of oxygen supply units will be required. Clothing that is resilient towards heat may be required due to the majority of the planet being composed of lava. The majority of fauna on V-227 have displayed hostility towards exploration teams.

Natural Resources: According to surface level scans, V-227 contains large amounts of ore. The existence of baroxuldium and compressed bluespace crystals is confirmed within surface level rock formations.

Archeology: Due to the volcanic nature of V-227, it is believed to be in its infancy as a planet. Various structures throughout V-227 have been reported. There is no consistency between the structures reported on V-227, early research teams have reported that there are large variations in the materials used to produce said structures, as well as the technological level required to do so. Due to the young age of the planet and the minimal amount of sentient life, it is unknown how these structures came to fruition, as the majority of them resemble buildings or habitation centers. The harsh environments on V-227 means that it is an unlikely source of colonial efforts.  Reports of small pockets of sentient life are reported, however said life is extremely primitive or isolated.

Goal: Establish a Nanotrasen Research Station in orbit around V-227. V-227 is to serve as the main supplier of resources to said research station, any excess resources are to be exported to CC-02. Employees designated towards the mining operation of V-227 are also expected to record findings and report them to CC-02 for the purpose of studying. There are no restrictions on the extermination of hostile fauna, and any potential sentient life is to be avoided and reported directly to CC-02, as well as any structures located by mining teams.

Icemoon

Name: M-227-1

Location: In orbit of V-227

Survivability: Pressure on M-227-1 is also low just like the planet it orbits. However, it contains naturally-forming water - in immense quantities - and usually has temperatures much lower than those on V-227, usually around -15 degrees celsius, although dropping to -30 in the winter. This means the planet is quite dangerous to colonise with the traditional iron hulls of modern space outposts.

Natural Resources: It is believed M-227-1 may have been formed by an asteroid impacting V-227, just as with Earth, as the ore on the planet is immensely similar in quantity to V-227.

Archeology: M-227-1, being a moon, has little sentient life to speak of - in fact, less than V-227 by far. However, it is believed that a Syndicate research base may have been concealed in the underground layers of the planet, as well as a small amount of seemingly-anomalous structures having formed similarly to V-227. We believe that a few pockets of sentient life have formed after initial discovery, potentially related to the nearby Syndicate research base - however, we lack sufficient intelligence to confirm a link between the two.

Goal: Establish a research outpost on the upper layer of the planet to research the conditions of the planet, how the structures on it came to fruition, and to mine it for useful minerals. As a result, the planet is the only source of resources for the base. Mining personnel are expected to investigate any structures they come across, as well as report anomalous entities or structures. As with V-227, extermination of fauna is completely unrestricted, and sentient life, if confirmed, is to be avoided and reported directly to CC-02.

Jungleland

(WIP(if it ever gets done))

Mining Asteroid

(WIP)