The Great Schism between the Emancipated Star Realms (E.R.S.) and the Woven Expanse (W.E.) has continued for a thousand years depleting most of the natural and unnatural resources in the Immortal Realms. Times are becoming dire. The millions of grand scale battles that have been fought in orbit around planet after planet, colony after colony, sector after ever-expanding sector have created a wasteland of scrap and debris. But each faction knows that the technology and resources in these wrecks still hold immense value, in fact, whoever controls the scrap from these ship graveyards could tip the balance of the war.
You are a freelancer, "Scrapper-for-hire". Scrapping is a dangerous and challenging endeavor. In order to make it easier your ship is armed with turrets and other weaponry aimed at minimizing giant hulks and maximizing profits. Your ship is your lifeblood, without it you would be begging on the streets of Bangdalin or cleaning portholes on the waste planet Scree-ose, so take good care of her. Be on the lookout for other scrappers, smugglers, and opportunists trying to encroach on your spoils because in the black expanse there are no rules. The only real authority is the turret by your side.
The Expanse is cold and dark. It's filled with planets, creatures, derelict ships, asteroids, scrappers, merchants, space stations and more. It is open for you to roam and gather as you please.
The Immortal Realms was split in two by the successors of the Immortal Throne. The King had never named his heir and his death was unexpected. Confusion set in as the only children of the King were twin boys: Ardemis and Arris. This confusion lead to the Kings Court taking sides. The Armsmaster and a handful of the inner Sector Lords choosing Arris and many of the Outer Colony Lords choosing Ardemis. Mysteriously both boys were poisoned on the same night too early in their reigns to have produced any heirs of their own. For the past one thousand years the two factions have fought. Gaining ground, losing ground, having armistices, parlays, shaking hands and stabbing backs all to no avail. The entire galaxy is in flames and you are here to profit from it.
Emancipated Star Realms
Lead by the Council, the Emancipated Star Realms live free of heavy government rule. Planets are left to govern themselves and do as they see fit. With only a handful of rules laid upon all.
Woven Expanse
A rigid militaristic kingdom whose motto is: "Success through discipline." The Woven Expanse lives by the letter of the law. When flying through Woven space make sure to have your credentials at the ready and a clean cargo space.
During the Great Schism, natural and unnatural resources became scarce. Opportunists saw this as a good chance to put some cold hard cash in their pockets. At first this act was deemed illegal by the Two Factions, as they didn't want anyone touching what belonged to them. But as the war pressed on the two factions became aware of their dwindling resources. So instead they began making deals scrappers to sell them their materials so that one faction could hopefully gain an upper hand on their rival.
While scrappers are hot-shots most began to realize that they couldn't do this job alone. The scrap bogged down their ships making them susceptible to not only other scrappers but goblin raiders, crater worms, embermite swarms, pirates, and hostile military. So they began forming groups with friends and contractors to provide safety and bring in more scrap together than any one person could do individually.
The expanse exists because magic could not be contained. The old gods, being the purest form of magic themselves, attempted to keep it contained inside them but the magic was just too powerful and burst out flooding the universe. The old gods scoured the expanse looking for every bit of magic and devouring all they could find. They say that some of the old gods can still be found searching at the edges of known space for what remains of the illusive magic but only a few lived to tell the tale.