Eldra System

The Eldra System stands as a poignant testament to the fragility of civilizations and the relentless onslaught of cosmic calamities within Eldrispace. Once teeming with life, culture, and the spark of ingenuity that propelled humanity to the stars, this system now bears the weight of plagues, cognitohazards, and menacing extradimensional incursions. Quarantines, automation, and the unwavering resolve of the surviving population sustain a fragile semblance of trade and stability amidst the encroaching darkness.

Eldra

Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: 10,732 km
Moons: 3 (Telluris, Char, Wex)
Atmosphere: Breathable
Climate: Temperate
Population: 1.8 billion (pre-plague), 93% infected currently
Major Exports: Rare elements, medical technologies, culture

Karnas

Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: 8,622 km
Moons: 0
Atmosphere: Toxic post-Scourge
Climate: Formerly tropical, now ash storms
Population: 0 (Formerly 560 million)
Major Exports: Rare minerals, chemicals

Valus

Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: 11,149 km
Moons: 1 (Iterna)
Atmosphere: Breathable
Climate: Mediterranean
Population: 112 million (13% unaffected)
Major Exports: Agriculture, machinery

Maztum

Type: Oceanic
Diameter: 13,689 km
Moons: 0
Atmosphere: Breathable
Climate: Subtropical
Population: Unknown (morphed Maztumi in deep ocean)
Major Exports: None currently

Over five billion years, the Eldra System coalesced and evolved into a crucible for burgeoning life. Primitive organisms stirred to life upon Eldra's fertile soils, sowing the seeds of a remarkable legacy that would ascend to the cosmos. Eldrans, displaying an innate predilection for innovation and curiosity, eventually fashioned an advanced spacefaring civilization. In a bid to traverse the vastness, they harnessed warp travel and forged artificial intelligence that sparked a golden era of cosmic exploration.
Yet, amidst the crescendo of their ascent, a torrent of catastrophe befell the Eldran people. Successive waves of cognitohazards, necrotic viruses, and harrowing dimensional breaches unleashed existential threats, hurling the system into a downward spiral. It became a place of desolation, where dread and devastation loomed at every corner.

Survival Amidst Cosmic Despair

Unstable warp lanes to the system caused by dark matter fluctuations require extremely skilled Eldran navigators. Asteroid fields rich in rare minerals exist here, but also pockets of strange matter with psychic emanations. Eldra retains 83% of the system's population but is declining. Valus has surviving unaffected human enclaves. Xeno-archeology teams study the ruins on Karnas in brief, secured expeditions. Maztum has proven to be difficult to explore.

Culture in the Eldra System

Economy

A few functioning mining facilities persist in the asteroid belts, yielding precious resources that fuel intersystem trade. The scavenging of relics from long-extinct civilizations also sustains a meager income. However, the perilous black market trade with quarantined worlds poses an ever-present danger.

Exploration

A pall of nihilism enshrouds the remnants, with any discussions of the past viewed as taboo and an affront to the survivalist creed. For them, the sole aspiration lies in the persistence of existence. A profound trust is placed in AI systems, whose unwavering determination supersedes the frailties of mortal minds.
From other systems, expeditions venture to explore the catastrophic fate of this once-flourishing civilization, unearthing the secrets behind its tragic demise. Exploration endeavors, however, prioritize the cautious extraction of resources, as these expeditions navigate a labyrinth of danger and trepidation.

Unyielding Adversaries

Within the Eldra System, a gamut of unyielding adversaries conspires to eclipse any glimmer of hope. Quarantine breakdowns, insane populations, rogue warships, uncontrolled dimensional warp rifts, raiding from nomadic bands, self-replicating berserk defense systems guarding abandoned settlements, and lurking black holes near warp lanes all cast an ominous shadow over the remnants of civilization.
Speculation pervades whether redemption or a continued downward spiral awaits the Eldra System. Will hidden Eldran relics yield the salvation humanity seeks, or are they better left buried and forgotten? The enigma of the Eldra System persists, beckoning daring souls to unveil its profound mysteries. Only time will unravel the cosmic enigma that remains.

Tidbits from the Eldra System

Valus hosts the warped ruins of the Imperial Academy, where expeditions hope to recover lost Eldran warp drive schematics.

Psionic resonances from the time-space distortion surrounding Eldra are known to cause hallucinations and insanity.

The automated mining platforms in the Onyx Belt occasionally send garbled messages in forgotten languages.

Legend speaks of a vault on Eldra's moon Char containing the pre-cognitive archives of the Eldran seers who foretold the coming planet-wide tragedies.

Unverified theories suggest the instability of the Eldra System stems from a dark matter fissure at its formation, letting eldritch energy pervade all within.

Attempts to resettle Valus led to the disappearances of all seven expedition teams, with only twisted organic remnants later found.