Major Factions
Darilum Corporation: A highly fractured business that somehow manages to maintain its grip on the galaxy's eastern quarter, the Darilum Corporation is steered by its all-powerful Chairman… in theory. In practice, the position has not been filled for many millennia and the corporation's subgroups wage petty wars with each other over literal cents of profit. More impressively, they manage to keep up a façade of cooperation in front of their citizens. A healthy amount of dazzling commercials and products serve to conceal the truth from ordinary consumers, many of whom end up as nothing more than glorified, mindless slaves to the various Darilum subgroups.
But while they might squabble over various matters, the leaders of this 'state' display an uncanny amount of willingness to team up against outside influences. No matter who tries to conquer Darilum, they always end up being repealed by the Corporation's well-oiled mercenary forces. In fact, Darilum military firms are known galaxy-wide for their excellent qualities. Unfortunately, the largest and most influential of these charge so much money that no other state can afford their fees. If it was otherwise, then the war would have ended a long time ago with the victory of those who hired these mercenaries.
Named after the scientific convention that eventually lead to the foundation of this nation, Neytonia sees itself as a bastion of science. For hundreds of years, it has been the very picture of scientific progress, not that this is without its costs. The logical world-view imposed upon people here has created an environment that crushes emotions before they have a chance to manifest. Science rules every aspect of people's lives, essentially turning them into highly efficient machines. Any citizen straying from their pre-determined path is charged with high treason and summarily given an inhumanly cruel punishment designed to 'correct' their way of thinking.
As a result of Neytonia's policies, its people burn with a white-hot flame that is quickly extinguished. The life expectancy of ordinary citizens is a couple of decades even with the augmentations they receive from the government. At the same time, no one can deny the ruthless efficiency of this nation. Neytonia is well-known for its ability to adapt to changes affecting the entire state within a matter of hours on a bad day. The massive infrastructure and extreme flexibility of this nation allows it to constantly rotate their forces to keep their enemies on their toes.
Nothing shines more than the star of Marsarad, or at least so it would like you to believe. If one takes its word, then the unity of its citizens is unmatched. Everything is picture perfect. There are no slums, no crime, no problems, nothing that would inconvenience the citizens. There are, however, death camps and re-education camps hidden far away from the public eye. While most of the populace is kept happy and unquestioning by various incentives, those who question Marsarad's ways tend to disappear even from the memories of their friends and family. Almost as if they have never existed.
Truth to be told, Marsarad's methods are as frightening as they are ingenious. Layers upon layers of subtle reward-punishment incentives form a great system that brainwashes the individual into serving the collective first and themselves later. The few who manage to escape from this web are then collected by the state's secret police, then used in times of crisis to keep up appearances. As a result, almost every citizen is more than willing to give their lives for their homes even if that means serving as a sacrificial distraction while the rest of the state moves forward.
It would be easy to assume that humanity has long outgrown the need for superstition, but there are many mysterious things in the universe which defy scientific explanation. Syxtaros exploits these to create a grand narrative about a humanity who followed the Path and used to have power over reality. Then, the unbelieving heretics arrived who dared to question the righteous nature of the Path, thus fragmenting humanity and causing its fall. These heretics are the reason for people losing their ability to manipulate the fabric of space and time. One should fear not, however, as it is always possible for the pious to regain what they have lost.
Preying on people's inherent need for a purpose greater than themselves, this narrative trapped billions of people and it was not long before its predictions came true. A few select followers of the Path found themselves gaining miraculous abilities, thus cementing the power of Syxtaros' priesthood along with the validity of its dogma. Now it is an unquestionable truth that the Path is this state's cornerstone. It even has its own inquisition and gives its preachers nearly unmatched authority so they can deal with those who would reject or question their beliefs.
Far older than all of the four great powers combined, this research station dates back to a time when humanity was not so polarised. According to the documents which can be accessed, it was established to study the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy. However, it was quickly abandoned when scientists discovered that the protective fields that protected station interfered with their research. Left forgotten for centuries, it was rediscovered four hundred years ago by a group of desperate refugees seeking to escape persecution. Not only were they fortunate enough to evade their pursuers, they also had enough expertise to establish a small, self-sufficient settlement.
More and more refugees arrived over the course of the years as people became tired of the conflict between the great powers. Now home to tens of thousands of souls, it is no surprise that Liberty Station has developed a loosely-organised society. Fuelled by resentment along with the tales of their ancestors, its citizens are now burning with desire to end the current status quo. And as fate would have it, they have the tools to enact their will. They only need hands capable of wielding them.
