You've already read an overview of the sector's major players, but if you're curious about the minor players, or some of the workings of the bigger ones, then you might find this information useful.
This is the stuff I don't let out in public. This is the stuff I'd never in a million years sign my name to, because if certain people realize you're telling their secrets well...you get disappeared. Magically or otherwise.
Don't share it. Don't admit to having it. Don't advertise the information. You've been warned.
The Importance of the Dragonflights
I'm assuming you're reading this to either make money, or gain magic. Successful runs require you to understand history. It's why we employ Relic Hunters, because they know where ancient Catalysts are, and they understand the history of the dragonflights that left most of them.
For something like a hundred millennia the Dragonflights ruled our entire galaxy as one unified empire. That empire was ruled by a Council of Wyrms, which is still used as a form of government by Virkonna, the last dragonflight.
These Dragonflights had rules and procedures aboard their ships. They had standardized schematics that to them were common, but to us are rediscovered lost tech. If you know where the battles took place, then you can find and salvage the ships, stations, outposts, and worlds of this ancient empire.
I've seen a few myself, and have maps to many others. I'm one of the relic hunters mentioned above, but I'm not going to give any more clues as again I cannot have my name associated with this.
Here's the skinny on some things I've seen, or know about, that might make you and your crew rich. They're meant to be quick thumbnails, and you'll need to puzzle out the details yourself.
The Vagrant Fleet
Roughly ten thousand years ago the age of the dragonflights ended abruptly and violently when the forces of Nefarius, a Void Wyrm, betrayed and murdered the other flights.
The surviving ships in our sector were pursued to what became the Kemet system, so named for the Admiral that led the Vagrant Fleet at the time. You've heard me mention the Kemet system, which is no longer with us. The Inurans quite literally destroyed my planet, and killed nearly everyone on it. Thanks, guys!
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Apparently there has always been a Vagrant Fleet. For millions of years it has roamed the galaxy. Who controls it changes over time. No one knows who began it, or if they do they aren't saying. I'll pay top credits for any reliable lore on the subject.
We know a great deal more about the iteration of the fleet that reached the Kemet system. Eight vessels, each forged by a different god and to honor a different aspect of the Circle of Eight, rampaged all over the Unseen Fleets who'd ruled before them. More on the unseen when I get into Sanctuary.
Virkonna's Saber is believed lost in the Umbral Depths. The other seven Great Ships made it to Kemet where the admiral launched a daring plan to fool their pursuers. He simulated a self-destruct for all seven ships, and their enemies assumed the Vagrant Fleet had been wiped out.
It hasn't.
Most of those ships are still there. I had a direct hand in getting the Word of Xal back online, but most of the rest of the ships are still viable. The only one I personally have been aboard is The Flame of Knowledge. You can read my fictional account in the novel Hatchling from The Magitech Legacy if you want to slide some credits my way. It's 100% true with no exaggerations.
If you happen across the Inura's Grace be forewarned that the crew murdered the ship, and animated it as the Maker's Wrath. They've already wiped out a full Inuran trade moon, and I'd advise you to steer clear unless you're a god. A powerful god.
Here's a list of the surviving ships.
Inura's Grace
Status: Re-designated the Maker's Wrath. Controlled by Necrotis.
Primary Aspect: Life
Known Catalysts: Unknown
Hazards: Necromancers, unliving troops, Necrotis
Notable Loot: All the illegal necrotech you could ever want.
The Inura's Grace was the fleet's forge. The spellblades and armor, the fighters, almost every schematic and breakthrough originated on this Great Ship. If I had to pick one ship to salvage this would be it.
Unfortunately, this vessel no longer exists. It was murdered by a goddess named Necrotis, and raised as the Maker's Wrath. The maker refers to Inura, a toothless deity who has as of yet been able to stop Necrotis from nuking trade moons with the ship he once built.
The Inuran Consortium must be gunning hard for Necrotis, and it's believed that after the events within the Kemetian system (see my novel Necrotech for details...I need those credits) that they will follow her to Sanctuary, the storm in space.
If you're suicidal and happen upon her ship I'd bet there are any number of spirit Catalysts within, and possible both earth and life.
The Unliving troops will include wights, bone golems, angers, spites, and of course the necromancers themselves.
If you come to the attention of Necrotis you'll be dealing with a goddess who's got ten thousand years of combat experience. Good luck. Get in. Get out. Be sneaky.
Virkonna's Saber
Status: Lost in the Umbral Depths
Primary Aspect: Air
Known Catalysts: Virkonna's Trial
Hazards: Finding the vessel, salvaging while in the Umbral Depths (no magic use), and whatever lies inside
Notable Loot: Advanced weaponry, spell fighters, a fleet of smaller ships.
The Virkonna's Saber was, as I understand it, a carrier that could deploy smaller carriers, battleships, and a swarm of fighters that could blacken the sky of most's worlds.
One of the knowledge scales I recovered showed a battle where the Saber took point. They were fighting demons, and it ended very, very badly for the demonic fleet.
We know little of her whereabouts, but it would have to be along a straight line beginning at these coordinates, and ending in the Kemetian system. Maybe her drive died. Maybe she was scuttled. Maybe she survived and isn't there at all.
Most relic hunters consider the Saber to be a legend, but I believe she's out there in the darkness.
Shivan's Echo
Status: Unknown
Primary Aspect: Dream
Known Catalysts: Mirror of Realms, Pool of Life, Searing Path
Hazards: Unknown
Notable Loot: Advanced weaponry, spell fighters, a fleet of smaller ships.
We don't know much about who controls the Shivan's Echo, but it lies in the Kemet system along with most of the other great ships. The Echo was a battleship, and man did it win battles. The only ship considered its equal in combat might be the Word of Xal, but if the Echo is fully crewed ancient scholars seemed to feel it would win in an engagement.
I don't know much about etherealtech, but this ship was one of the last to be outfitted with it. Unlike demotech or necrotech they never outlawed etherealtech, but it's too unstable to forge in our realm, and if anyone is still making things in the dream realm they aren't sending them our way. That makes the relics and artifacts aboard this vessel extremely valuable, because they cannot be produced.
The Catalysts might be of interest, and we have some first hand accounts on another of my knowledge scales. The Flame was really good to us.
The Mirror of Realms forced the user to confront themselves as they might have been. If the wielder passed they were granted dream magic, and could serve as officer. Serving as captain required all three Catalysts.
The Pool of Life was considered a necessity by Shivan. He raised a minor life goddess to watch over it as guardian, and used it to create life mages both to heal his troops, and to purge both demons and unliving. I'm willing to bet that it's a pool...of life.
The Searing Path prepared their front line troops for battle by granting them either tremendous strength, fire magic, or for the lucky few, both (I think that required multiple trips, and don't know how long is required to wait between them).
The Flame of Knowledge
Status: Dangerous but navigable
Primary Aspect: Fire
Known Catalysts: The Web of Divinity
Hazards: Insanity, Death, Spiders, More Spiders, Arachnidrakes, Cinder Hatchlings
Notable Loot: Dragon scales with maps and schematics from the age of the dragonflights.
There are probably a whole lot of threats I didn't see as I only explored a few levels, but on those levels I saw some terrible things. You'll never sleep right again after you encounter The Swarm.
The Swarm is comprised of billions of spiders that can form structures...like faces to talk to you, or prehensile spider-tentacles to tear your ship apart. The swarm is generally distracted, but if you run into parts of the ship where you start seeing webbing up your caution, and get ready to turn back.
The Cinder Hatchlings are led by an ancient Wyrm named Cindara. She remembers the battle that marooned the fleet here ten millennia ago, and could probably eat us all for lunch. Thankfully she's given in to apathy, and spends her days playing Arena. Her children patrol the ship though, and tend to shoot first and ask questions never unless you are also a hatchling.
The Arachnidrakes are a tribal society who appears to worship their more powerful mages. They're extremely hostile to outsiders, and I was greeted with a fire bolt to the face.
The Web of Divinity is attached the the temporal matrix on the ship's bridge. Unless you are a powerful true mage I'd avoid using the matrix, but there's a well on the bridge that gives access to the fire Catalyst itself. The web sits above the Catalyst, but is accessed via the bridge. You can use it to peruse all possibilities. I brought a ship 10,000 years forward in time. Be aware...there is always a cost.
The Word of Xal
Status: Occupied thanks
Primary Aspect: Void
Known Catalysts: No
Hazards: Me
Notable Loot: Bitch I will cut you
The Word of Xal was a jointly forged Great Ship between Inura and Xal and is meant to be a kindler gentler world destroyer. The ship's main cannon can fracture a planet without breaking stride.
The ship is currently in need of many repairs, but is fast becoming the center point of the newly commissioned Vagrant Fleet by the Confederate Pantheon.
Most of our crew are between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two, and come from our Academy. They're the last survivors of our race, trying to make the ship our home.
We've gone toe to toe with the Maker's Wrath and stood our ground. There are scars, though. Unliving infest many parts of the ship. So many wights. There are also many parts of the ship that are completely unexplored, and we have no idea what might be uncovered.
If you're a friend you're welcome to visit. You try relic hunting my ship though? I'm cutting you off. No more intel. No more holiday invites. And I'll downvote all your posts.
The Earthmother's Bulwark
Status: Unknown
Primary Aspect: Earth
Known Catalysts: Shield of the Earthmother
Hazards: Unknown
Notable Loot: A whole lot of amazing spellarmor, shields, vehicles and ships.
The Earthmother's Bulwark is one of my bucket list ships. She's deep in the Kemetian system, and seems largely intact, but without power. We have no idea if she's completely derelict, or if there's an army of earth hatchlings ready to retake the sector.
Everything I know comes from before the fall of the dragonflights, and even that is sketchy. The Bulwark was the toughest ship by far, and was said to have taken a titan's fist, whatever that means.
Officers who emerged from the Shield of the Earthmother could turn their skin to rock at will, and were notoriously difficult to kill. Among other properties they also gained full immunity to poisons, venoms and toxins.
The Ward of Krox
Status: Unknown
Primary Aspect: Spirit
Known Catalysts: The Reformer, The Ward, The Eye of Infernus
Hazards: Unknown
Notable Loot: Unknown
I hate that I basically know nothing about the Ward of Krox. When the ship was commissioned he was a trusted member of the pantheon, and they all took him at face value that his ship was designed to add magical protection to the fleet.
Sure, it did that, but it was primarily designed to enslave the will of others. The Ward infamously fired its main cannon and dominated an entire fleet, which then turned on and burned its homeworld to the ground.
Krox didn't turn on the Dragonflights until after they'd dealt with Nefarius. They were weakened, and he used this ship to take full advantage. It departed the Kemet system on the day of the battle, and has not been seen since.
The Reformer bonds the user's mind with Krox, which dramatically increases their intelligence, and grants them permanent godsight.
Unlike the Unseen Fleets Krox did not use necrotech to construct his vessel. He utilized magitech because he didn't want to inherit the weaknesses to life, void, and dream that necromancer vessels posses.
Instead he built an earth Catalyst called The Ward which rendered his troops all but immune to magical assault. These binders were unleashed on his enemies, and easily enslaved their wills as they were immune to most responses.
Krox realized he'd need to be able to fight other spirit gods, and installed the Eye of Infernus, which he ripped from the dead god's head. The eye produces massive fire magic, which powers the Ward's main cannon, and provides fire mages for offense.
Getting Around Confederate Space Without Getting Caught
Sure, you can hit up a Great Ship and come away rich, but there are avenues to wealth and power on every confederate world. The Confederacy punishes the theft of magic with forced conscription into their military, which in practice means
Shaya
Danger Level: Moderate
Known Catalysts: The Tree of Shaya
Hazards: Zealous paladins, fire dreamers hunting for trouble before it happens, and death by paperwork
Notable Opportunities: Smuggling driftwood, Hunting, Confederate Mercenary Work
Shaya is the Confederate capital, which means it sees more commerce in a day than the rest of the sector does in a month. Dozens of ships open fissures daily, and there are even conventional FTL trips from Yanthara and Drifter Rock.
The most common way of earning money for an unattached adventurer is smuggling driftwood. Whenever a branch falls some of the extremely valuable debris falls into nearby waterways. That wood is swept downstream into a snag, and that's where adventurers come in.
If you're the first to reach the snag you can fill your hold with wood before anyone else gets on scene. If no one sees you do it, then you can sneak off world without paying customs and make the most profitable run of your life.
If you're the more legal-minded sort (like everyone reading this, right?) then hunting is extremely popular. When Lady Voria breathed life onto the planet she didn't just add trees. She added all the traditional lifeforms that existed on Inura's homeworld.
Some of those include things like spectral tigers, great wolves, and even a plant that can eat you called the coil. Anyone can legally create a new settlement on an unoccupied branch of any Great Tree, but doing so means that they become prey for those predators. They often hire adventurers to remove threats, and pay quite well.
If hunting isn't to your liking, and you're good at making things dead, then the local Confederate office always has a list of bounties, and often skirmishes. The pay is decent, but not great, and they tend to ask a lot of you. But the work is steady, and they always live up to their agreements.
Ternus
Danger Level: High
Known Catalysts: None
Hazards: Incredibly lethal orbital security. Even more lethal planetary security. Cameras everywhere.
Notable Opportunities: Cyberware acquisition, Mercenary contracts, Sewage Processing
Ternus isn't my favorite planet. If you live below the midlevels the poor on most world's suddenly consider themselves fortunate they aren't you. You may as well live underground, because you won't see light, or fresh air. Toxic gasses are a constant hazard, and occasionally a city block on the lowest levels just doesn't wake up.
There are a ton of opportunities on the lower levels, everything from cyberware acquisition, which translates into selling the cyberware off the bodies of people you kill, to security contracts to guard shops or marketplaces.
If you get really desperate sewage processing is always an option. You're processing the lifeforms that spawn in the sewers. Giant slugs, feral mutants, and free androids are all found somewhere. Most have a bounty, and while the work is messy, and stinks, it can be quite lucrative if your crew is efficient at tracking and killing.
A final warning...Ternus has gotten much better about magical security in the last few years. They're no longer the luddites they once were, so your relic of domination is not going past station security.
New Texas
Danger Level: Low
Known Catalysts: None
Hazards: Incredibly lethal orbital security. Armed citizenry on the surface. Boredom.
Notable Opportunities: Ranching, Supply Runs, Construction
New Texas is one of my favorite planets to visit. The beef is excellent, and the people are hardworking, don't tolerate B.S., and don't mind paying strangers to do work they don't want to do. Their big claim to fame are the orbital shipyards, which is where most of their wealthy engineers work.
Those engineers all have money to play with, and almost every one owns a ranch the same way people love to own wineries on Colony 3. They don't love running those ranches though, and all ranches require security, and heavy lifting. They're more than happy to hire you to do that, if you like mediocre credits, great food, and few complications.
Supply Runs are exactly what they sound like. You bring food or luxuries from Colony 3 to a supplier on New Texas. They arrange the whole thing. All you have to do is pick up the goods and hope they don't screw you when it comes time to pay.
Construction is mostly post-orbital at the shipyards. They're always creating new berths, and expanding. There's also some construction on the ground, but most of their population was wiped out during the last war, so there aren't as many people on the surface. Plenty of empty buildings.
Nebiat System
Danger Level: Extreme
Known Catalysts: Echo of Nebiat, the goddess Frit
Hazards: Unknown, but lethal
Notable Opportunities: Unknown
The planet Nebiat is a mystery. No one on that world is more than a year old, and yet there are countless adult Wyrms finding their place in the world. Along side them are the Ifrit who rejected Shayan slavery, and have become something altogether unique.
Their plant has been host to untold magics, for the Earthmother had a lair here prior to her death. Both Krox and Nefarius have claimed credit for her death, though the facts tend to support Krox's story. Nebiat's death is a lot more clear cut. Frit and Voria killed her in the sky over their world, in full view of her children.
Most of the hatchlings and Wyrms accepted her death, though a small minority have apparently formed a sect that is trying to resurrect her. That sect apparently pays adventures quite handsomely to bring specific artifacts back to their world, though most are caught trying to make planetfall.
Virkon System
Danger Level: High
Known Catalysts: Echo of Virkonna
Hazards: Adult Wyrms, Zealous Outriders
Notable Opportunities: Gladiatorial combat
Virkon is a world renewed. The death of their mother invigorated the Outriders, and they have decided to carry her name into the stars. They are contracting with New Texas and the Inurans for ships, and have built a navy to support the dwindling last dragonflight that has always ruled their world.
Kheross, the de facto leader of the Council of Wyrms, and the Guardian of the Catalyst, faces a great deal of push back every time he cedes another right to the Outriders. The Wyrms are proud, but have reluctantly accepted that they need more and better outriders.
To this end Wyrms have begun giving out their own lucrative scales as a reward for winning gladiatorial combats. Some of these combats are solo, and some are five versus five, as Outriders must learn to work in a squad. Both award lucrative prizes, and truly skilled combatants are sometimes blessed by the echo of Virkonna, who only respects martial prowess.
Win in the arena, and taste of her magic.
Yanthara System
Danger Level: Low
Known Catalysts: Flame of Van, Memory of Shi
Hazards: Dream fever, Weight Gain, Too much fun
Notable Opportunities: Supply Runs, Exotic Hunting, Import / Export
Yanthara is a peaceful orderly system with a relaxed populace that recovered nicely in the wake of the war. They suffered damage, but nowhere near the other planets assaulted by a goddess. They are possibly the only self-sufficient planet in the sector and grow enough food to feed themselves and export the surplus.
Supply Runs to New Texas, Ternus, and Shaya are common as all love the fresh fruits and vegetables that grow in Yantharan's divinely rich soil.
Exotic Hunting is quite popular, as anyone can venture into the jungle and try their luck hunting creatures like ghost leopards. The leopards are just as excited, and win the engagement more often than the hunters. Hunters that succeed, however, can get a massive bounty for a live cat from any of the local zoos, and swiftly hunted down by flame readers if they even think about killing a cat.
Yanthara has grown to love Ternus technology, and are always in need of importing new gadgets, weapons, ammo, and most importantly entertainment. If you've got a hold full of holochips, and a fist full of players to run them on, then you can absolutely clean up on Yanthara.
Drifter Rock
Danger Level: Moderate
Known Catalysts: None
Hazards: Muggings, Theft
Notable Opportunities: Merc Board, Smuggling, Gambling
During the time of the last Vagrant Fleet drifters formed an integral part of every crew. They were the chefs, brewers, and medics who kept the fleet fed and on their feet. They were good natured, trusted, and valuable. No one minded that they loved their own concoctions, and ate and drank to their fill.
After the dragonflights fell drifters found they had no voice for themselves. They weren't given positions of power, and were overlooked when the Inurans and Shayans split as a race. Many drifters elected to go with the Shayans, who still tolerated them. The Inurans would not.
Many proud drifters decided they didn't need no Shayans, or no Inurans. They had powerful magic, and skills of their own. So they founded Drifter Rock. Drifter Rock is a haven for anyone who doesn't want to answer to the law. As long as you abide by station rules, which means you don't steal, and you don't murder, and you don't get caught cheating.
Do all that and anyone is welcome. In practice people are eliminated all the time. Drifters respect other drifters, and anyone they know as an ally. If they don't respect someone they'll wait for you to leave, and steal the armor right off your ship. Never leave gear unattended, and never travel in groups smaller than 3.
Most of the thugs working the marketplaces are looking for single targets, or someone with a partner. They'll wait for the partner to use the backroom or do something similar, and will make their move. If you've got three people they're much less likely to be able to get a victim alone, and will usually seek easier targets.
Most drifters are honest to a fault, and will turn in thugs and footpads if they hear of them. They want more commerce, and fair trade. By fair they mean getting you to agree to things you didn't realizing you were agreeing to so that you're walking away with a half-empty mug of beer and they're piloting your starship.
Drifter Rock isn't nearly as dangerous as holos paint it out to be, but you'll need to watch for muggings while traveling. Groups of thugs will try to relieve you of your valuables, though such encounters are almost always non-lethal.
Adventurers in need of cash can check the merc board for all sorts of jobs, pick up a smuggling contract, or try their hand at either dice, arena betting, or some other form of gambling.
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