# **Citadel Lore Bible:** *A Maintainer’s Guide to Citadel Lore*

###### *(For Internal Use Only)*

## **Section One: Galactic History, Galactic Cultures, ‘Deep Lore’**

### **Galactic History**

Galactic History in Citadel’s lore is based around the concept of epochal cycles. No author has established what numerical epoch the setting is currently based in, largely because that information is irrelevant. In terms of historical presentation, there are only about three epochs that matter for authors: The First Epoch, The Skrell/Geishani Conflict, and The Modern Epoch.

**The First Epoch:** Although not literally the “first” epoch, this period of time is notable thanks to it being the first instance of sentient life expanding throughout the Milky Way Galaxy. The First were an advanced precursor race driven to extinction during an existential war with the denizens of Redspace. Nothing remains of their empire except for the Galactic Exclusion Zone, and the wreckage of Ratvar.

**The Skell/Geishani Conflict:** This epoch immediately precedes the Modern. During this period the Skrell and Geishani colonized the Milky Way and dominated it as opposing powers. The friction between these two empires eventually sparked a war, during which the Skrell developed biological weapons which would target and eradicate the Geishani. However, these weapons mutated and turned on the Skrell as well, leading to the decimation of both empires. Those Skrell who survived exiled themselves to Qerr’balak, where much of their history would be forgotten during their reversion to a tribal state. The Vox, who were developed by the Geishani as a slave and warrior race, are the only entities in the galaxy who have a living memory of this conflict.

**The Modern Epoch:** The time period in which the game is actively set, and the most relevant to the players and contributors. The prior epochs might inform events or lore in this area, but primary focus should be directed here. Much of the information relevant to this era exists on the formal timeline.

Citadel’s history is already formalized in an expanded timeline article on our wiki. The information presented here is intended only to establish a broad-strokes understanding. If it is requested, a formal document representing the Wiki Timeline may be drafted.

### **Deep Lore**

Thanks to the large breadth of time covered by the epochs, and many contributor’s historical fondness for establishing canon that ought to be obscured to prevent metagaming or abuse, Citadel has a fair volume of so-called ‘deep lore’ data. In the interests of lifting that obfuscation, intentionally hidden lore will be outlined below.

**Redspace:** There are wiki pages outlining the metaphysics of this dimension. It is obscured IC due to its volatile and explicitly supernatural nature. Redspace is an ever-expanding dimension of twisting spaghettification and confusion. Concepts and thoughts mirrored in this world eventually ‘stretch out’ into conscious beings who grow more powerful as they are acknowledged by sentient beings in Greyspace.

**The First and The Oldest:** This conflict has already been outlined on the wiki. In brief terms, the First discovered Bluespace and Redspace, and sought to exploit both for their own ends. Although Bluespace was largely sterile and its denizens passive, the entities in Redspace were intelligent and interested in inhabiting the material realm. These entities convinced the First to construct bodies of obsidian for them to inhabit. Over time these interactions became more predatory, until the First and Oldest became embroiled in an existential war. Technologies and summoning rites on both sides began to poison the very fabric of reality. The First managed to construct an army of Clockwork Automata capable of withstanding and overcoming the reality-warping influence of the denizens of Redspace and the ‘gods’ that had been summoned forth. However, the resolution of the conflict came too late. The First were eradicated, though the Oldest were also banished. The poisoning of reality remains to this day as the ***‘Galactic Exclusion Zone’***, a dark area of space from which anything that enters does not return.

**The Clockwork God:** Ratvar, the only remaining Clockwork Automaton, lies dead in this zone, forever emanating a psychic request for repairs. Although its creators are long gone, sensitive creatures from other races have heard this call throughout time, leading to the formation of Clockwork Cults who seek to revive their dead god. So far, none have been successful.

**The Geishani/Skrell Conflict:** This information was already outlined in the Epoch notes above. However, it is mentioned again here due to its status as obscure lore.

**Old Vetala:** This planet was once inhabited by an unidentified race of sapient creatures. We have no established lore on how old the civilization was, but it is presumably a remnant of the Skrell/Geishani Epoch. The race warred with another equally advanced race in their system, until yet again, another bioweapon was released. This genetic weapon converted the population into what could be succinctly described as vampires. Without a food source, the inhabitants of Old Vetala starved to death. The bioweapon proved to be resilient, however, as thousands of years later it managed to infect an archaeological team in the Modern Epoch. From this exposure point, Vetalan Syndrome has spread across the inhabited galaxy. (*Author's note: I need to change the term 'Old Vetala' sometime. I keep referring to this as the 'Doom of Old Vetala', and I only realized a little while back that it's literally because of the 'Doom of Old Valyria' from Game of Thrones. I don't mind leaving it in as a reference if we want to, but I don't want to just straight up rip that phrase if we have something else we can go with.*)

**The ‘Wizard’ Colleges:** I’m hesitant to put a formal name on this concept at all. It is only described this way here for the purposes of explanation. There is a metaphysical cycle to the material realm. For long periods of time Redspace and Greyspace are close enough that the former may bleed into the latter, and then there are equally long periods of time where it barely trickles in. This ebb and flow causes a natural cycle to the expression and perception of the supernatural. However, researchers and occult scientists in the active periods often develop technologies or ritual objects that function as funnels or taps for Redspace energy. During the off periods, it is often only these devices that retain supernatural function. As such, secret societies and schools are occasionally founded around the study and construction of such items. That’s more or less the current concept of a “Wizard Federation”. It is currently unknown if we intend to do anything more with the concept as it currently stands.

**Abductors:** The Abductors, sometimes referred to as the ‘Greys’, were the primary rules of the galaxy in the second to current Epoch. That is to say, before the Skrell and Geishani rose to power, the Greys were the dominant culture. Due to their relatively recent existence, much of their technology and even some intact ships may occasionally be discovered. The Greys themselves, however, are believed to be fully extinct.

### **Galactic Cultures**

**Prominent Religions:** *This section calls for a description of extant religions in the galaxy. This list would be fairly long and I do not have information regarding the relevant religions on hand yet.* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

**Prominent Cultural Subgroups:** *This wasn't originally on the list, but I realized I've been needing somewhere to put the stuff explaining the weird nostalgia for 21st century media in the 26th century. We can add more data here as others wish.*

* **Retro-Humanist:** For humans, it cannot be denied that a sort of shared trauma still remains regarding the Final War. Although it did help to bring the Solar colonies together in a way previously thought impossible, there was much of Humanity's shared origins that were lost in this conflict: monuments, cities, works of art and media, natural landscapes, and of course the human cost. Over the years, groups have always sought to dig up portions of this lost past and memorialize them. Archives of works of art stand in galleries where the original paintings no longer can. Music drives brought up into space by colonists are shared openly to ensure the songs contained within are never at risk of being forgotten again. Archivists dredge the Exonet in search of files and packets that might revive films or old games. There is a cultural nostalgia for the pre-war culture of Old Earth that remains pervasive into the modern day.

**The Human Diaspora:** This term is used to describe the retention of Old Earth cultures into the modern day. During the Final War, almost all Terran governmental bodies were eradicated: this includes real world entities like the United States, Russia, India, etc. However, prior to the War, enough colonial initiatives from the majority of these cultures were launched to retain those identities. Many ethniticies and traditions that would have been lost to the war exist as distinct colonies and systems in space. Notable examples include Kyoto XII, the Dene Reclamation Initiative, and the TSC.

## **Section Two: Galactic Technology (or: The Average Tech Level)**

### **FTL - Faster Than Light Travel**

**The FTL Jump Hierarchy:** In Citadel's setting, you will often hear Bluespace jumping mentioned as the primary mechanism of intergalactic transit. This is *technically* correct, but it lacks scope. FTL is actually divided into three ranges: Sublight, Bluespace, and Tachyon Hyperlanes.

* **Sublight:** The most divergent form of FTL technology, sublight engines are any engine that can move a vessel in local space but cannot attain Light Speed. Definitionally, this is any engine from a fighter thruster to a cargo hauler's main engine array. Sublight engines are by no means slow, in relative terms, and may allow a vessel to transit from the star to the edge of a system in just a few hours.
* **Bluespace:** Bluespace Engines are powerful reality warping drives capable of enveloping a vessel in a bubble that shifts them out of reality and into a parallel dimension. Bluespace transit is possible, but incredibly complex, requiring intense computation and vessel maintenance. It is therefore relatively expensive and hazardous - miscalculations can throw a ship entire systems off course. It is also very strenuous for a vessel to experience prolonged exposure to the dimension. Due to these issues, long-range Bluespace jumps are too difficult to calculate and too taxing to undertake. It is utilized as a mid-range solution to the fact that Tachyon Hyperlanes cannot go *everywhere*.
* **Tachyon Hyperlanes:** Long-range galactic travel can take weeks, or even months. However, this is much faster and cheaper than any of the alternatives. Vessels configured for long range flight utilize Tachyon Hooks - essentially a form of 'sail' to surf along the Tachyon Hyperlanes, a network of long currents which spout out from the galactic center and course through the galaxy. Navigation of the lanes is by no means simple, but is computationally far less taxing than most Bluespace jumps.

**Actual Speed of Travel:** *This is being discussed still. It is vaguely somewhere in the weeks/months range currently, I believe.** ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

**Parallel Technologies:** Different cultures have developed different forms of sublight travel. There should naturally be nuances to these designs, but one culture's mechanisms should not be so overwhelmingly efficient or otherwise superior to another. Little differences and quirks help races stand apart, but we should avoid giving direct advantages over the objective standard.

### **Military Technology**

**Mechanized Warfare:** *This is a matter of doctrine, and is therefore of interest to the milsimmers (me included) on the team. This is really here to address the amount of Mecha we have with clear combat applications. There is a concept of larger battle mechs being deployed by militaries and concentrated corporate interests. We should expand on this, although it is just niche enough to really only serve as a trivia blurb. Named mech units like Ishmael and 8-Ball have helped to establish a sort of mythos around organized mech units and mercenaries.* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

**Ballistics vs Energy, The Modern Debate:** In a world where laser weapons are commonplace, why do we still see ballistic guns? The answer is pretty straightforward: different tools for different jobs. Laser weaponry relies on focusing crystals and battery packs, which are expensive and require a lot of logistics to service or repair in the field. Ballistics have their own drawbacks, like recoil, ammo weight, actual *ballistics* - as in training to understand how bullets interact with atmosphere - and so on, but they are also cheaper and easier to maintain over long periods of time. Generally, it might be understood that ballistics are preferable in-atmosphere, and lasers are preferable in space. Issues with beam diffusion have largely been corrected, but over long distances an energy rifle in a sandstorm is still going to lose the punch that a bullet would bring instead.
Beyond these simple utilization concerns, cheapness is a primary factor. In the Corporate and Private sectors it is trivial to provide power to an energy gun. NanoTrasen (and presumably some others) possess hand-crank sidearms that can be recharged on the go. However, the average colonist does not have access to this lastest-gen technology. It is often easier for settlers and citygoers to invest in hunting rifles and classic firearm patterns. In some gang-infested colonies, such as Kyoto XII, using a laser weapon over a blade or pistol is seen as a symbol of status.

**Cyborg Soldiers and Drone Warfare:** *The idea of putting human brains in cyborgs and using them for combat carries some serious ethical questions. Why **wouldn't** we do it if we could? Why wouldn't be use drones in warfare? Do we? The answer is that we probably utilize voluntary transplants, pre-programmed positronics, and drones. It may not be seen on the player side of things because it's a question for war, not Corporate operation. There are instances where we interact with hostile drone swarms that were subverted or lost. Perhaps the risk of hacking and electronic warfare makes them niche. Perhaps after the HIVE war everyone is shy about using exclusively silicon forces? It's worth discussing.* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

**Strategic Artifical Intelligence:** *Paired with the above, it's interesting to consider how AI might be applied to warfare. As with drones it has sweeping implications. Are the larger powers still shy about using AI after the HIVE war? Have we learned new safeguards since then? NanoTrasen seems to practice debt slavery, but does still treat its free silicons as sapient creatures with rights. Could an AI volunteer for military service? Would it be trusted? Are there regulatory boards or commissions that might be recognized by most Corps and powers?* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

### **The Scale of Technology**

**Technological Disparity on the Frontier:** Calling the modern zone of expansion the 'Frontier' is not a mistake. This period of time in galactic development is in many ways a fusion of American Expansion and the Age of Sail. Colonies are established around resource rich zones, or habitable planets in general, depending on the mission of the settlers. However, logistical chains to these colonies are not always fully established and functional. Some settlers do not have the funding to bring anything more than what they can fit on the hauler. Although these little collectives may grow over time in the same way other cities have on Earth, they lack the technological edge of other expeditions with more funding. So on the Frontier you may find settlements still utilizing cheap Old Earth replica rifles and primitive medical and communications technology just as easily as you will find fully equipped outposts and stations. Some colonists see this as a bonus, as they wish to find a more rural state of living that does not carry all of the modern age's baggage.
Corporate technology is the cutting edge of development. Many prototypes used in the corporate sphere trickle down and get simplified into consumer-grade products, which are then disseminated to galactic consumers. For someone who works and lives entirely in the Corporate sphere, it is easy to forget that there are entire portions of the galaxy where wealth is measured in whether there is food and firewood stocked at home, and nothing else.

**Entertainment in the Modern Age:** No matter where in the galaxy Humanity is, and really no matter what species we're speaking of, a need for entertainment will always exist. In the modern age, many different forms of recreation have risen to prominence.

* **VR:** Virtual Reality suites are the most popular and advanced forms of recreation available to galactic citizens. Full haptics and complete immersion have been perfected, and a VR system only requires a pod that can be installed in any home or ship. VR suites are utilized for Soulcatchers (*name pending*) and many other forms of full-dive experience. Pods are commonplace and affordable enough that even the poor can save up and invest in one if they are inclined. In fact, VR usage amongst the impoverished continues to rise.

* **EM-VIDs:** The tech jockeys who engage in this niche form of entertainment are more akin to data archivists than gamers. EM-VIDs, or Emulated Vidgames, are rare files dug out of dead or obscured portions of the exonet, or fished out of antique stores and ruined colonies. Over the centuries many games have been lost or forgotten, with only pirated copies or rare physical media left behind. EM-VID enjoyers are techno-archaeologists who seek out these old games and films to try and revive them for a new audience. / Unlike the Corporations, most EM-VID hunters are radically open source, and provide copies of whatever files they secure for open proliferation. In the modern age, they are literal Cyber Punks. (*Ha ha ha. I couldn't help myself.*) / These archivists are responsible for the retention of data over the centuries that would otherwise be lost, and are a key facet in the continuation of the Retro-Humanist movement.

* **Holographic Entertainment:** Popular in the 25th century, holodecks are now on the decline. Compared to VR, the fidelity and quirks of holographic suites are considered inferior and clunky. Holographic systems are still quite popular for home entertainment and interior design, and some companies and colonies retain holodecks in areas where it would otherwise be untenable for crew to engage in physical recreational activities externally (ie; ships and hazardous colonies). However, the larger consensus is that holographic technology as an *entertainment* vector is on its way out.

* **Contemporary Console Devices:** Some companies produce console devices still. The PC vs Console war has never ended for Humanity. These are considered far inferior to VR pods, or even holo suites - both of which are usually configured to run the same games with more freedom and fidelity. However, consoles are far more attainable for the lower classes of society - or those less advanced portions of the Frontier. Due to this, consoles remain present in a market that has otherwise left them far behind.

* **The Exonet:** The concept of an Internet did not only occur to Humanity, but it is the Human Exonet that concerns most entities on the Frontier. Similar in many ways to the Internet of old, the Exonet is a galaxy-wide communications network that, in some ways, exists as its own alternate reality. Run through subspace, the Exo links to the Orion, Vikara, and Moghes networks, although all three are heavily firewalled and access is restricted in ways very similar to the Internet in our real world. The Exonet is massive and distressingly deep in a way one might understand by considering our Internet, but on a scale of magnitude higher. The Archivists who dredge through the Exo their entire lives will still only touch a bare portion of it, because the net expands outwards with the Frontier, and every new birth and new colony makes its scope that much grander.

### **Pinnacle Technology**

The concept of pinnacle technology could be more aptly described as a 'niche', perhaps. This term was used to sum up the idea that each Corporation and race/faction should have an area of expertise in which they outperform. These would be technologies that were better than their contemporaries, but would not still provide an overwhelming advantage in the long run. It is important to understand that these are not intended to be avenues for backdoor power-ups. They should be used to show the priorities of a culture or organization. *Only three examples come to mind currently. Other examples will need to be discussed and added over time.* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

* **Pulse Weaponry (NT):** By integrating artificial Bluespace crystals into the focusing apparati of their laser weaponry, NanoTrasen has discovered a way to hyperfocus a beam and tighten its wavelength to an incredibly destructive degree. This tighter waveform allows for less degradation of beam quality over range or inclement weather. It also allows for more damage on target, including a much larger destructive potential. Due to the tight waveform, a steel wall is subjected to more molecular excitation, resulting in the laser's ability to penetrate steel walls with relative ease. These weapons are incredibly expensive to produce and maintain, and are only issued to NanoTrasen's elite forces. Upscaling them to mount on vessels has so far proven impossible, as the methods to fabricate bluespace crystal lenses at that scale remain out of reach.
* **Blue Space Artillery (NT):** During their intensive studies with Bluespace crystals, NanoTrasen made many refinements to their engine systems and protective transit barriers. Although these are largely marginal changes, their innate standing of Telescience at the small scale gave them insights into how small objects might be translated precisely via Bluespace. Although this technology is occasionally utilized for practical systems like teleporters, Fulton packs, and...*pizza delivery vouchers*, it was primarily designed for military use. Utilizing specialized cannons that perform complex computations usually reserved for jumping entire spaceships, NanoTrasen technicians can beam explosive payloads directly into a point in space. Alas, this does not give NanoTrasen impunity to start striking wherever they please. The technology is expensive and requires thorough knowledge of the layout and relative positioning of the target area in question. A vessel must be relatively nearby to launch the attack as well, leaving it open to reprisals - the further away a vessel is, the more intense the calculations and the more likely the payload will be destroyed in transit. However, if there are spies aboard an enemy ship that can highlight *where* to target, a BSA-equipped ship may gain the upper hand by decapitating a vessel's Command crew, or killing their engines, with one surgical strike.
* **Biomechanical Integration (Vox):** *This one is more for Krick to lay out. Though I will put down what my overall understanding is.* The Vox have an innate understanding of their own biology, and through the oversight of the (*Big Boys in the center of the Arks*) they have learned how to grow and shape organisms into potent weapons. Many weapons carried by Vox into battle, such as the brutal Spike Thrower, are in fact creatures cultivated over generations into effective killing machines. Vox mechs, although largely unseen, are likewise rumored to be living organisms.

### **Medical Technology**

**Mirrors:** *There is apparently more lore coming out on these soon?* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

**Genetic Modification (Genemodding):**

**Cybernetics and Cyberware:**

**Biotechnology and Bioware:**

**Roanoke Enhancement vs Genemodding:**

### **Galactic Resources**

**Phoron:**

**Pre-Phase Metamaterials:**

**Supermatter:**

**Vaudium:**

## **Section Three: Megacorporations** *or How I Learned to Stop Fearing and Love the Free Market*

### **The Frontier Act**

Following the breakdown in logistics and supplies between the Orion Confederation and its outermost colonies and client states, the government enacted **The Frontier Act**. This law gave the outward-facing borders of the country sovereignty to govern and attend to their own affairs. As systems became their own sovereign entities and new governments began to form on the borders, corporations flocked to this new zone to begin exploiting its wealth and lack of regulation.
Over time, these Corporations grew and rose to prominence. By leveraging their assistance over the local governments of the systems they operated within, these corporations gradually became even more powerful. In some systems they *became* the Government. With this change in dynamic, the Megacorporation was born.
Many of these founding Megacorporations no longer exist, supplanted and cannibalized by younger, more aggressive companies. Whether it's simply hostile takeovers in the boardroom, espionage, acts of sabotage, or literal shooting wars, Corporate warfare has become a fact of life.

### **Major Frontier Megacorporations**

* ***NanoTrasen***

### **Life Cycle of the Frontier**

The Megacorporations possess many 'holdings' across their various zones of influence. Each Holding is a colony or system in which the Corporation is significantly invested. In return, they gain wealth from the development of these colonies. Over time a colony will grow and expand, and eventually the corporation will cede its controlling interests.
The corporation does not cede its interests entirely out of altruism. The Frontier Act was a stop-gap measure. Orion and the other Powers are all still expanding. The Frontier provides a buffer zone that allows OriCon to build up its logistical support for incoming colonies, instead of being spread thin everywhere all at once. So as Orion's borders expand to subsume Corporate holdings, the Frontier and the Corporations are expanding outwards to continue enjoying their freedom and profits. Therefore, the Megacorporations fund further expansion, occasionally subsidized by the Powers, and in return they sell developed colonies and systems *to* the Powers when they are ready to take them on. In this way, the Frontier Megacorps foster growth and development of new colonies and facilitate expansion.

### **The Bluespace Race**

This period of time is largely only relevant due to the fact that Phoron's scientific potentials were fully discovered during unrelated study. Consqeuently, this era immediately precedes the Phoron War.
The actual focus of the Bluespace Race revolved around the fabrication of artificial Bluespace crystals. The natural variants of these crystals commonly accreted around wormholes and singularities - as well as other anomalous zones of space. Due to this, harvesting and processing these crystals was time consuming and often too relativistically hazardous to be profitable. Bluespace Drives did not *require* crystals at the time, but it was known that integration of crystals allowed for smaller and more efficient engines capable of longer jumps using less fuel. This made Bluespace crystals an incredibly coveted and expensive resource.
Several different corporations began to experiment with synthetsizing their own Bluespace crystals to gain a foothold manufacturing these engines. This was rightly seen as a field of research that would impart strong advantages over the competition. NanoTrasen participated in these fabrication tests, and indeed managed to crack the riddle of complex metacultivation required to construct a functional Bluespace crystal artificially. Although other corporations figured out the science relatively soon after, this small jump helped NanoTrasen secure resources it otherwise would have failed to attain. Chief amongst these was Phoron.

### **The Phoron War**

The Phoron War may be a bit of a misnomer. In many ways this period of time was more of a Cold War than World War II. There were 100% open engagements and literal battles that occurred over this roughly century-long conflict, but it was not the norm. This conflict was fought via corporate kill teams, espionage, sabotage, and some frightening applications of experimental technology. Several black sites were destroyed using nuclear or biological weapons, and not all of them belonged to NT.
The seeds of this conflict were planted during the Bluespace Race, when NanoTrasen started to experiment with cultivating crystals in different atmospheric environments. During testing with Phoron, more intense study of the gaseous element revealed that it could be refined into an incredibly powerful fuel additive. The corporation understood that this application, paired *with* Bluespace crystals, would set them even further ahead of the competition. So, quietly, NanoTrasen began to secure the rights to every known Phoron deposit it could find on the Frontier.
Using their research into Bluespace crystals as a smokescreen, NT began to conduct a long campaign of aggressive purchase and siezure until it controlled a staggering majority of known Phoron deposits.
With this chokehold on the market, NT started to determine who would and wouldn't gain access to the chemical for parallel development. Deals were made with Vey-Med over Zeng Hu, and Hephaestus over Gorlex Manufacturing. Gorlex would take this very personally, as they saw it as a deliberate attempt to undermine their position in the market - which, in all fairness, it was.
Gorlex approached several other snubbed competitors, namely Donk and Waffle Co.s, and proposed an alliance of convenience, whereby they might work together to sabotage NanoTrasen's holdings and weaken its position until it was forced to give up its stranglehold.
This decision would thrust the Frontier into almost a hundred years of conflict and unease, from which NanoTrasen and its allies would emerge battered, beaten, and in a sense, defeated. Although it held on tight and firecely defended its monopoly, time was not on NanoTrasen's side. New sources of Phoron were discovered and procured by other companies, and eventually the reality of this new state of parity became clear. NanoTrasen possesses a significant head start in the field of Phoron study and exploitation, but years of corporate espionage have ensured that its competitiors are not impossibly far behind.
NanoTrasen lost the Phoron War, but it did *survive* it, something that cannot be said for many other belligerents, such as Gorlex and its later successor Cybersun.

### **The Galactic Corporate Commission**

Following the Phoron War, many truths about the nature of the conflict became public news. A wash of scandals and public outcries struck all involved parties, compelling the three Galactic Powers to come together and lay out an ultimatum: Establish an oversight body, or the Powers would invade.
In reality, such a threat had some teeth to it. Although the Powers would almost certainly wind up turning on each other, they would do it in the Corporation's back yard, and it was the Frontier and their holdings that would suffer. So, in the interests of avoiding *more* unnecessary bloodshed, the most prominent Megacorporations all came to the table to establish the Commission.

**The Corporate Commission:** Formally presented to the Frontier as a pseudo-governmental body where representatives from the major Corporations could come together and discuss their concerns and initiatives, the Commission bears superficial resemblances to the real world UN. Different corporations spend terms as the Chair of the Commission, from which they oversee and vote on proposals fielded by the other companies. There are allied voting blocks largely falling along wartime lines, although these are very flexible and allied companies do not always vote in each other's interests. The Commission may call upon a trium of arbitrators - one from each of the Powers - to serve as a Tribunal presiding over legal complaints and deadlocked votes, but this mechanism has not yet been invoked.
(*Author's Note: Perhaps we should include a private body of internal officials to manage the Commission, sourced from its constituents, similar to the EU? I know this form of governance carries its own baggage. Maybe it's worth hashing out.*)

**The Disposition of the Commission:** The current Chair of the Commission is (*Firstname Lastname*), a representative of the Vey-Medical board of directors.

### **Lesser Conflicts**

*This is something Free has brought up as a complaint a few times. He feels the Frontier isn't wild enough (to paraphrase) and that there should be more conflicts between corporations. I'm certainly open to this and I think it's a fun idea, but we'll need to come up with ideas/entries for it.* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

## **Section Four: Races of the Galaxy**

*Author's Note: This section exists moreso to explain the broad-strokes **needs** we have for certain races. As this Bible is a guide for Maintainers to know what to request/expect from entries, we should not focus on **describing** races here, but instead listing what they **need**. For example, Skrell **need** the historical factor of having been the previous Epoch's hegemons, even if they do not remember it. Etc etc.*

### **Major Races**
* ***Humans***

* ***Unathi***

* ***Skrell***

* ***Narmadi***

* ***Teshari***

* ***Zaddat***

### **Minor Races**

*What if, instead of listing each species individually, we classify them and offer the species we do have as examples? Nomads versus vassals versus independants, so on and so forth. -Merne23*

## **Section Five: Galactic Governments**

### **The Major Powers**

* ***The Orion Confederation:***

* ***The Vikara Combine:***

* ***The Moghes Hegemony:*** *A recent government construct of three distinct cultures, officially known as the Alliance of Three Hands. Each of the Unathi, Naramadi, and Zaddat have their own internal management while participating in the central committees. The Naramadi in particular are comfortable with a more centralized format, but the Hegemony is still in its formative phase. (I'm not entirely sure how best to put this concisely. -Merne23)*

### **Minor Powers**

*Author's Note: This area is meant to be dedicated moreso to the majority bodies like Tyrmalin who are not recognized Powers, but have relationships as client species or protectorates of the formal entities.*

## **Section Six: Galactic Hazards**

### **Dimensional Weather**

Although seemingly niche, dimensional weather patterns have had an impact on galactic stability before.

**The Bluespace Flicker:** This galaxy-wide storm heavily disrupted galactic transit and trade for two years. Although no cause has been determined, reports from the time indicate that jumps into Bluespace were so hazardous that many vessels would simply never exit. Vessels that performed emergency drops were often severely damaged, and several were shorn in two - their missing halves left in Bluespace. Routine probing by unmanned vessels eventually allowed the galaxy to determine when transit was safe again. However, with no identifiable cause, many people worry about whether such an event could happen again, and when.

**LFDW (Low Frequency Dimensional Waves):** These waves are measurable prior to incursions from Redspace. When the fabric between worlds is ruptured, the energies that spray forth into reality can be quantified by specialized arrays. The monitoring of these events is vital to identifying and preventing parantural incursions.

### **Space Weather**

**Asteroids:**

**Ion Storms:**

**Solar Winds:**

**Space Dust:**

**Wormholes:**

**Roaming Singularities:**

### **Hostile Migratory Fauna**

**Blobs:** These life forms are as strange as they are dangerous. Blobs are actually mutated mold-like predatory networks. The blob's prime instinct is to expand and consume. As it grows, it is able to establish nests from which it can produce defensive organisms and specialized nodes that can convert solar and thermal energy into nutrition. When a blob is able to attain critical mass, it forms a specialized structure from which it propels 'spores' out of the atmosphere. Most incidents of blobs on vessels or facilities are simply signs of astronomically bad fortune. However, repeated occurrences may be an indicator of a fully formed blob somewhere within the local area.

**Space Carp:** This alien species has a mysterious (*re: unestablished*) point of origin. They are able to ambulate through space and do not experience any difficulty existing in a vacuum. It is unknown how these carp schools have spread across the inhabited galaxy - or whether they were always there. More curious is what they eat as a primary source of food, as spacefaring vessels and spacewalking organics are most likely targets of opportunity.

**Kudzu aka; Space Vines:** Kudzu are a species of carnivorous plant. Invasive and aggressive, Kudzu will consume anything they can overpower. Their seeds spread by clinging to fabric and skin until they are eventually shed. Kudzu seeds may take up to a month to germinate, meaning that it can be difficult to determine the extent or origin point of an infestation.

**Undetermined Mynoc/Mi-Go Analog:** *I'm not sure what this means. It was just in my skeleton notes. I think we want to add something like this as a sort of 'pest' species?* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

### **Rogue Factions**

**The HIVE:** *This entry relies on Synth Lore that is WIP but mostly written? I need a general entry from Ex3 regarding it before I put anything concrete here.* ***This section is under construction, and requires further input from the Lore Team.***

**Piracy:** The Frontier is large, and the inhabited galaxy is even larger. Although Civilized Space is heavily patrolled and mostly secure from such threats, the Frontier is ripe and poorly guarded. Areas outside of Corporate or SysDef control are easy pickings for marauders and thieves, and it is something of a golden age for piracy. Bands of pirates may be as small as the crews of single ships, or large multi-system crime syndicates.

**HPOs - Hostile Paranatural Organizations:** Otherwise known as Cults, Hostile Paranatural Organizations seek to leverage supernatural power to serve the ends of entities that they are enthralled to, or worship willingly. The most memorable of these organizations was the Blood Cult of the Geometer, but there are many more, such as the Brass Order, the Servants of the Meat Throne, Le Gourmand's coterie of diabolical chefs. Each HPO has their own unique way of operating, their own goals, and, naturally, their own source of worship. This focal point does not need to be a Redspace denizen - it could be an anomalous item, or a charismatic figure.