The universe is seemingly limitless. Stars, planets, and stranger celestial bodies are waiting to be explored by intrepid beings from across the galaxies. Day to day, life is much the same for people as it always has been. People are worried about finances, keeping their stomachs full, and having a roof over their heads.
The volume of space most thoroughly explored by the various races spans the width of the Milky Way galaxy’s Orion Arm. The thousands of inhabited worlds are scattered among the billions of star systems within, most of which have never been explored. Billions of other galaxies and millions more inhabited planets, races, flora, fauna, and other phenomena lay beyond.
The majority of business, culture, trade, and other important facets of life take place in The Known Worlds. This term refers to the collection of home worlds or inhabited worlds in which a long term, stable presence has been created. The Known Worlds are generally considered to be safe and fruitful despite the lack of a central government. Most interactions between civilizations are conducted through local diplomacy, trade agreements, and treaties. Most inhabited worlds maintain at least a small navy to enforce their laws. It is possible to be a wanted criminal in several systems while utterly free in others, which has led to the existence of the lucrative, though oft scorned profession of bounty hunters.
A number of system-spanning empires exist such as the United Confederation in the Milky Way or the rakashan Tazanian Empire, but even these are tiny compared to the vastness of the Known Worlds, and certainly to the last parsecs of space far, far beyond. Between the stars, what law exists is usually enforced at the end of a blaster. While you will visit the Known Worlds from time to time, and likely were even born and raised there, the majority of this campaign will take place out on what is known as the Frontier.
The Frontier refers mostly to the regions that have not been fully explored yet. Empires, corporations, and other factions send off their representatives to these yet unknown worlds to terraform it and create communities in hopes of staking claims to precious lands and resources. Possession seems the be nine tenths of the law out there in space and while there are territory disputes from time to time, the various factions largely tend to avoid it thanks to the amount of options out there. If one planet is already taken, then just fly on to the next one. Of course, not all planets are made equal, but it’s a give and take relationship for many.
The Frontier is where many people go to pursue their dreams. Some sign up on these expeditions for the good pay that it offers; sending it back across to the stars to their families in needs. Others seek to create a new home for themselves and their loved ones; leaving behind their old lives and starting anew. Others are just looking to capitalize; whether that means exploiting a place for its resources, exploiting the people there for services or supplies, or taking advantage of the general lawlessness to run criminal enterprises or stay ahead of the law.
Work is available in abundance out on the Frontier. Whether you’re striking it out on your own or signing up with a crew, you will find that everything from farming, mechanical work, transportation services, and mining expeditions can be pursued. There are some out there that are doing it for scientific pursuit; that is cataloging new species, flora, and studying ancient (or even still breathing) cultures. Many hope of finding the ‘jack pot’ discovery; that is the origins of all life. Some believe in a progenitor race that predates the Known Worlds. Whether there is any truth to this rumor who knows.
It’s not all rainbows and sunshine out on the Frontier though. Many of these worlds are inhospitable and the denizens on them may not like newcomers. In some cases, the Frontier is just a collection of criminal enterprises trying to eke out a meager existence while avoiding the justice they’ve avoided. It’s hard to tell what the reputation of a planet will end up being until the people have lived there a few decades at the very least.
Although in many cases people out in the Frontier are acting on behalf of a faction, there are some cases it’s just a small community of people trying to make their own claim. This is often scary and dangerous for these people as there is a constant fear that a legitimate government or faction may roll in and lay ‘official’ claim to the area; taking over their homes and possibly their lives. Threats like piracy, slavers, weapon and drug trafficking, and all other manner of illegal activity are just as real as the ‘official’ threats too.
The Frontier has the good, the bag, and the ugly. What will you try to make of it?
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