“Battles that last five minutes spawn legends that live a thousand years.”
One thousand five hundred and two years ago, The Rheaton Empire collapsed, plunging the space-faring peoples into a dark age unlike anything that had been seen for millennia. Advancements, both social and technological, stagnated, as settlers fled the ruins of the old galaxy, and swept out to the fringe systems.
Life endured, and civilisation eventually resurfaced.
Out of the ashes of the shattered empire, the Silver River Union was born, which set about establishing order in a universe riddled with frantic chaos and rampant crime. Most greeted the Union with open arms, but there were some who rejected their oppressive dominion.
The separatist governments formed the Confederate States of the Winter Chain, and broke away from the Union’s totalitarian regime. An uneasy truce existed between the two powers, until the expansionist nature of the Union grew too great, and Civil War swept across the galaxies.
The war was won. The Confederates lost.
The Outer Rim territories became home to those whose hatred of the Union ran deeper than their common sense, and a bustling expanse of lawless badlands and wild plains sprung up at the farthest reaches of known space.
Most savage and unruly of all these swathes of the void, was the Leaning Gale Expanse.
The Setting
The Leaning Gale Expanse is a notoriously scummy and downtrodden cluster of planets, some of which have access to only the most primitive forms of technology. A few Union ships patrol these perilous backwaters, but the bands of raiders and outlaws are the most dominant authority.
There are a few notable species which call the Leaning Gale home.
Terran- Colloquially referred to as “humans”, the terran originate from their home planet of “Earth”. They are a diverse species of bipeds, who’re capable of sustaining some genetic and cybernetic modifications.
Ruthekk-( Pronounced ROUGH-FEK) Cold-blooded stalkers, with sandpaper tongues and a sturdy exoskeleton, the Ruthekk are notoriously guile and stealthily. Their facial features resemble a sort of jagged perversion of an ape's skull, and they have large colourful eyes, like those of a lizard. They have two claw-like blades of pure bone, hidden within their wrists (called “Arakkar”), which they can extend and retract at will, owing to the veins which run through them.
Quinunaki- (Pronounced QEE- NUN-A -KEE) A humanoid peoples, with pale skin that takes on a faint purplish hue, silvery white hair, gaping mouths full of razor-sharp teeth, and entirely black eyes. The Quinunaki evolved in notoriously harsh environments and extreme conditions, having grown into some of the toughest fighters ever encountered by man. The Quinunaki were a simple and primitive people, with no experience of the outside worlds, until the more advanced species arrived in the Leaning Gale.
They’ve been driven out of their homes, hounded by raiders, and forced into slavery by the Zaetarians. All this has only strengthen the Quinunaki’s iron will, and the fiery passion which burns within their very souls.
Quinunaki warriors must prove themselves by single-handedly hunting and killing a Katheen bird. When this is done, a warrior wears the bird’s skull as a mask, which serves to indicate their furious might to the rest of their tribe.
Zaetarian- (Pronounced ZAY-TAR-REE-UN) A people of vibrant colours, outrageous trends, and social extremes.The Zaetarians delight in corruption and wickedness, being considered by many to be hedonism made flesh. Theirs is a culture of piracy and slavery, with an emphasis placed on achieving a life of unparalleled luxury and pleasure. Given their lack of a moral compass, most Zaetarians are very much at home amidst the Leaning Gale.
Zaetarians come in many shapes and sizes, a reflection of their indulgent inclinations, but are universally reptilian and humanoid. Much like a crocodile, they have two eyelids, and a translucent nictitating membrane. In place of hair, Zaetarians have slick, multi-coloured frills, which are naturally more prominent in females of their species.
The Plot
It ain’t easy to make a name for yourself by way of the Leaning Gale, and Eliot Robbins knows this better than most. Robbins is a former confederate soldier, but nowadays he’s the captain of the SV (Space Vessel) Brightburn, and its motley crew of rag-tag mercenaries.
His goal is to keep himself and the men and women under his command fed, and he’s not too fussed about how they go about accomplishing that. They got the means to get most any job done, without too many reservations as to the finer details of what it is they’re doing, or who they’re screwing over. You can’t be havin’ a strong moral compass out here in the Leaning Gale, after all.
That’s how it is in these parts. You look out for yourself and those around you. Anyone else? Well, that’s what the revolver is for.
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