Mankind is adrift, shattered and divided. Following the First Exodus from Earth after the total collapse of its ecosystem, its fleets scattered amongst the galaxy; some were destroyed in their first encounter with the void currents, others survived to become nomadic, self-sustained civilizations. Some settled onto newfound worlds capable of sustaining their development, while others became orbital void stations offering safe harbour to others, in exchange for materials and resources.

The dream of mankind becoming a galactic spanning empire died before it even started, and rather than a unified race, humanity is now constituted of innumerable factions, with very little in the way of overarching organisation, hierarchy or communications. Due to their isolation, some have degenerated or evolved to the point they can no longer be recognized as human, forming their own subspecies.

Mankind

The Princess of Pele is a scavenging ship, belonging to the nomadic fleet known as Orion IX. Records of the origins of Orion IX are incomplete and fragmented but, it is believed that its bulk is composed of an agglomerate of multiple fleets, orbiting around the Ark ship named “Silent Archimedes”. The fleet possesses all that could be expected from a human fleet: A central Ark ship, refurbished and reinforced to act as their capital ship, supplemented by its flock of military craft to ensure its protections. Civilian craft, each with their own role, follow in its trail, as all must contribute to the effort.

The Princess of Pele is a relatively unremarkable scavenging ship of the fleet, specialized in shipwreck expeditions and planetary exploration. Originally, it was an industrial forge ship, resulting in a comparatively low crew capacity and a huge roster of equipment for its size.

Its manufacture capabilities, although far diminished since its heyday, are still capable of manufacturing most of the everyday necessities and some advanced materials and parts. Some of the heavy industry equipment has been decommissioned to free up some space for the installation of a hydroponic farm for further self-sufficiency. While relying on the military might of the fleet to ensure its safety, the Princess of Pele possessed a range of close-range kinetic weapons to repel lighter crafts and boarding parties. Its hull also harbours a variety of plasma cutters to allow navigation in Fungi’s infestations, although the chances of it successfully extracting from heavy infestations are slim to none.

Its main blast cannon, the standard issue on most human vessels, has been replaced by a concealed rail cannon. Non-standard to the extreme, this upgrade is a secret only known by a few crew members, and well-kept for the fear of seeing their craft being ripped apart by the Ark engineers, who would be all-too hungry to study and attempt to retro-engineer it. While unsuitable for planetary insertion, it carries two void capable insertion crafts, as well as a variety of walkers, rovers and other vehicles for wider ground exploration. While its capabilities are extremely limited compared to specialized mining ships, it can still extract easily accessible hydrogen and ore deposits, further reducing its reliance on the fleet ecosystem for hydrogen supply.

The crew, numbering in the low twenties, is a mismatch of strong-willed individuals of diverse origins, well-versed in the art of void survival, and capable of handling most minor threats which could occur.

Their given role within the fleet is to extract advanced knowledge, blueprints and complex materials from shipwrecks and abandoned outposts. Although not military operations by design, reality demands field teams often operate with dual-roled individuals. All those who exit the ship must be able to carry a weapon and fend for themselves, in addition to making use of their distinct skillset.

The Princess of Pele and Orion IX