Normalspace Variant 1

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A variant of the normalspace universe in which the events of the original classic OtherSpace story arcs never transpired.

This realm can only be reached via riftdrive, assuming an intrepid explorer finds the proper rift to reach it. Until then, Variant 1 is isolated and will continue evolving on its own.

All the known worlds are divided into three regions: the Stellar Consortium, The Fringe, and the Parallax. Since these worlds never experienced the upheavals of the Kretonian Invasion and the Sanctuary era, many of them may seem almost unrecognizable to players who played in Normalspace between the Sanctuary Arcs and the Rift Crisis.

The Stellar Consortium

The Stellar Consortium is a confederation of planets that extends through much of known space. Its capital is on Earth, and it is governed by a council of representatives from its member planets. It is diverse, including a wide variety of alien races, and is economically prosperous and politically stable. The Consortium's military force is called the Vanguard, whose headquarters is the Citadel, a space station in Sol System located between Earth and Mars. The member planets of the Consortium have no independent military forces apart from the Vanguard. Genetic engineering of sentient species is outlawed under the Genetic Engineering Limitations Treaty (GELT), signed in the aftermath of the Specialist Uprising on Luna in the 2100s. The Consortium is heavily dependent on the Otherspace Drive for travel, which cannot function without the aid of the Il'Ri'Kamm hive mind, located on the planet Sagittarius. While the Hivers are nominally allied to the Consortium, no vessels are permitted to approach Sagittarius. Those that do are quickly destroyed by the planet's immense defense network.

Castor

World Info

Home of the bear-like Castori, Castor is a member of the Stellar Consortium. The planet is entirely covered by a dense forest, and the inhabitants live in cities built among the treetops.

Race Info and RP Hooks

The Castori resemble small bears, about three to four feet tall. They have some psionic abilities, and they are renowned throughout the galaxy for their skill with machines. Castori engineers are some of the best in the galaxy, and their technological contributions to the Consortium are considerable.

The Fringe

The Fringe is a poorly defined region of space between the Stellar Consortium and the Parallax. It consists of a number of planets, all of which either rejected membership in the Consortium or were established by settlers looking to escape the influence of Earth. Whereas the Consortium is a stable, law-and-order society, the Fringe is an anarchic, frontier society where individualism and independence are highly valued. The worlds of the Fringe are all under the domination of Lord Fagin, the Pirate King, whose vast criminal organization, Fagin's Riches, reaches out from Fagin's world of Tomin Kora to exert his will on the region. None of the worlds of the Fringe are strong enough to resist Fagin, so they have all reached an accomodation with him; he will leave them to govern their internal affairs mostly unhindered, if they agree to acknowledge his sway over their worlds, allow his criminal enterprises to operate unmolested in their territory, and provide support and shelter for members of his organization when they are in need. Most commerce in the region flows through Tomin Kora, where Fagin's powerful Guilds, the Smugglers' Guild and the Pirates' Guild, have their headquarters. The Guilds operate with impunity throughout the Fringe; they also are known to operate within the Consortium, though the Vanguard does its best to stop them there. Fagin has a vast network of informants, spies and servants on his payroll throughout the Fringe and on many worlds of the Consortium as well, though there they operate strictly underground. Fagin also employs an unknown number of highly skilled assassins. But the ultimate instrument of Lord Fagin's will is the highly feared Elite Guard, Fagin's personal bodyguard and private mercenary army. The Guard is ruthless, brutal and powerful, and fanatically loyal to Fagin himself. Its members are feared throughout the Fringe. Fagin himself is never seen publicly; he remains in his secret, legendary palace on Tomin Kora, and conducts business with outsiders through a majordomo.

The Parallax

Beyond the Fringe lies the vast and powerful empire of the reptiloid Nall, known as the Parallax. As one approaches Parallax space, one encounters a vast floating graveyard of derelict vessels. This is the Line of Pain, the shattered remnants of ships that attempted to enter the Parallax without permission. The capital of the Parallax is Nalhom, and most other worlds under Parallax control are little more than slave planets. The will of the Nall is carried out by the immensely powerful Clawed Fist Fleet, and no opposition to Nall rule is tolerated. The Consortium has had limited contact with the Parallax, and most of what is known of the Nall empire there is just rumor. It is widely speculated that Fagin's Riches may have more extensive dealings with the Parallax, but that again is only rumor.

Undiscovered Worlds

These are planets that existed in the main timeline of Normalspace, but in Variant 1 they have not been, and may never be, discovered. In many cases, these worlds were discovered and named by PCs during the course of the original Otherspace story arcs, and so if they are discovered again, they may be given different names and evolve quite differently.

Waldheim

Race Info and RP Hooks

Back to Multiverse Canon and RP Hooks.