Proxima
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Proxima Galaxy was ruled by the Shapers, a highly advanced race native to the Novis system. As their name would imply, the Shapers were responsible for numerous advances that helped shape the galaxy into what it is now during their long, galaxy-spanning reign, terraforming and colonising countless worlds, uplifting many species, creating the vast network of Starways that form the basis of FTL travel, mastering the magic-like power of Psionics, and achieving technological advancements that bordered on sorcery, creating a Golden Age (known today as the Novan Age) that lasted for thousands of years. Unfortunately, at the tail-end of the Novan Age, the galaxy was hit with a mysterious calamity known only as the Voidfall, the result of a massive breach between the material universe and the formless Void beyond that engulfed much of the galaxy, creating a period of chaos that lasted for 500 years (known today as the Void Age). While the actual cause of the Voidfall is, and possibly will forever be, a mystery, its end result is known and clearly understood: When the chaos had finally died down, the Shapers had vanished from the galaxy entirely, leaving only ruins and derelict technology in their wake.
In the millennia that followed, the various younger races across the galaxy would grow and evolve, becoming the masters of their worlds in their own time. Eventually, these races would find remnants of the Novans in remote corners of their worlds in many forms, from ruined installations to wrecked vessels, and use the technology and knowledge salvaged from them to advance their own by leaps and bounds. These advancements would pave the way for colonisation of other worlds, and eventually interstellar travel, marking the beginning of the Age of Discovery.
Just a little over 150 years since they've left their home worlds to explore and colonise the stars, the various races of the galaxy began encountering one another in space, resulting in numerous first-contact events. Now aware of just how much more crowded the galaxy actually is, these races began a wild scramble for territories and resources, which often resulted in armed conflicts, particularly if any Novan artifacts or ruins are involved. While the conflicts eventually died down and borders were established, the events of this chaotic time laid the groundwork for intergalactic relations from that moment forward, from the most stalwart allies to the most bitter rivals.
Currently, the galaxy is divided into four major powers: The Alliance and its various members, the Imperium and its vassals, the pirates and criminal syndicates of the Outlier Systems, and the mysterious Elder Races, who claim to have existed since the time of the Novans. Beyond the borders of "civilised" space lies the region known as Dark Space, an almost unexplored region of the galaxy filled with Novan ruins and artifacts, as well as numerous other treasures. Despite the dangers found within Dark Space, this hasn't stopped others from venturing into it in search of the many treasures said to be found within, from looters, to expeditionary forces, to the freelance adventurers collectively known as Wayfinders.
In the millennia that followed, the various younger races across the galaxy would grow and evolve, becoming the masters of their worlds in their own time. Eventually, these races would find remnants of the Novans in remote corners of their worlds in many forms, from ruined installations to wrecked vessels, and use the technology and knowledge salvaged from them to advance their own by leaps and bounds. These advancements would pave the way for colonisation of other worlds, and eventually interstellar travel, marking the beginning of the Age of Discovery.
Just a little over 150 years since they've left their home worlds to explore and colonise the stars, the various races of the galaxy began encountering one another in space, resulting in numerous first-contact events. Now aware of just how much more crowded the galaxy actually is, these races began a wild scramble for territories and resources, which often resulted in armed conflicts, particularly if any Novan artifacts or ruins are involved. While the conflicts eventually died down and borders were established, the events of this chaotic time laid the groundwork for intergalactic relations from that moment forward, from the most stalwart allies to the most bitter rivals.
Currently, the galaxy is divided into four major powers: The Alliance and its various members, the Imperium and its vassals, the pirates and criminal syndicates of the Outlier Systems, and the mysterious Elder Races, who claim to have existed since the time of the Novans. Beyond the borders of "civilised" space lies the region known as Dark Space, an almost unexplored region of the galaxy filled with Novan ruins and artifacts, as well as numerous other treasures. Despite the dangers found within Dark Space, this hasn't stopped others from venturing into it in search of the many treasures said to be found within, from looters, to expeditionary forces, to the freelance adventurers collectively known as Wayfinders.