Starborn Sector

Starborn Sector Overview

The Starborn Sector is a vast, rich, and complex science-fiction universe set in the distant future, shaped by centuries of colonization, technological advancement, and brutal factional warfare. It spans multiple star systems and is populated by a variety of human and post-human civilizations, each with its own history, culture, and political landscape. The central powers in the Starborn Sector include the Kingdom of Averia, the United Systems Confederation (USC), The Dominion of Naxtor, the Independent Systems Alliance (ISA), and the Interstellar Labor Coalition (ILC), among others.

Factions

1. Kingdom of Averia

• Government: Feudal monarchy with powerful noble houses controlling different regions of the kingdom.
• Background: Averia is the oldest and most advanced faction in the Starborn Sector. Built upon the foundations of the Starborn Ascendancy, it retains some of the most powerful technologies, but after centuries of peace, it is experiencing stagnation and social unrest. Averia’s power is challenged by internal power struggles, scarcity of resources, and the rise of other factions.

• Military: The Knights of Averia are legendary, with an unmatched reputation for bravery and strength. Their armor, weapons, and ships are technologically superior, though they haven't developed much in recent centuries.

1. United Systems Confederation (USC):

• Government: A seemingly utopian democracy controlled behind the scenes by corrupt mega-corporations and politicians.
• Background: The USC presents itself as a progressive and ideal society, but underneath, it is deeply corrupt, using propaganda to control its population. It is a technologically advanced faction, with a focus on innovation, trade, and diplomacy. There are dissidents and rebels within the USC, aiming to expose the truth and resist the corporate control.

1. Dominion of Naxtor:

• Government: A totalitarian regime ruled by a sinister dictatorial overlord known as the Cybergod.
• Background: Naxtor is a brutal and oppressive faction that augments its population with cybernetic implants, lobotomizing and controlling them through the Cybergod. However, a group known as The Forsaken has escaped from Naxtor’s control, fighting to retain their humanity.
• Military: Naxtor's military consists of highly augmented soldiers and powerful machines. Their forces are vast, but they rely on the Cybergod’s control to function effectively. And the Grims are its mindless, cybernetically enhanced soldiers, and any dissent is ruthlessly crushed.

1. Independent Systems Alliance (ISA):

• Government: A loose coalition of independent worlds governed by local rulers with a central parliament for major decisions.
• Background: The ISA represents the spirit of freedom and individualism. Made up of frontier worlds and colonies that have rejected the centralized power of the USF, the ISA is marked by its rugged independence and frequent internal conflicts. It is a place of opportunity for those who wish to escape the control of the larger powers, though it often struggles with lawlessness and chaos.
• Military: The ISA relies on local militias, mercenaries, and pirates for defense, often leveraging the chaos of war to their advantage.

1. Interstellar Labor Coalition (ILC):

• Government: Originally a labor union, the ILC evolved into a powerful faction controlling vast labor forces.
• Background: Formed out of dissatisfaction with labor conditions, particularly those of the genetically engineered Ne'Bor (a race of lab-grown humans created as a labor force), the ILC now stands as a faction fighting for labor rights and autonomy. The Ne'Bor rebellion led to their emancipation in some regions, though in others, like Naxtor, they are still brutally enslaved. The ILC is heavily involved in interstellar trade and manual labor across many systems.

Playable Race

• Humans: The majority population, spread across the various factions, with significant diversity in culture, technology, and ideology.
• Ne'Bor: Genetically engineered beings originally created as laborers. They are tall, muscular, and lack reproductive organs, with their numbers grown in labs. After gaining freedom from slavery, they have become a significant part of the Starborn Sector’s population, with varying levels of integration.
• Mutants: A once-human race, mutated due to environmental factors or genetic experiments. They were discovered after centuries of isolation and now represent a new faction, attacking Averia in a surprise invasion.
• Defects: Former Naxtorians who have escaped from the oppressive Cybergod. They retain their cybernetic augmentations but are free-willed individuals fighting to reclaim their humanity.

Technology

• Astralium Crystals: A unique energy source discovered in the Starborn Sector that powers ships, colonies, and weapons. It’s one of the most valuable resources, and control over it often leads to conflict between factions.
• Simulated Intelligence (SI): After the dangers of AI were deemed too great, Simulated Intelligence (SI) replaced it. SIs are advanced computational systems, but they lack the autonomy of true AI, reducing the risk of rebellion or corruption.
• Mechs: Giant mechanical suits used in battle, though extremely expensive and difficult to produce. The legendary Excalibur Mech is a prototype from Averia’s past, mothballed for centuries until rediscovered during the Great sector war.