The Nomad

Orbiting the ice-locked, uninhabited world of Arcturus is the great Space Station Sumerian, one of the galaxy’s premier trading hubs. Valued for its lack of loyalty to any of the galaxy’s Great Civilizations, Sumerian has long survived as an independent way station, a haven for smugglers, acquirers of the rare and esoteric, and those generally wishing to flout the edges of galactic law while raking profit hand over fist.

Within the ring structure of Sumerian, there once existed an uneasy equilibrium of factions, each constantly vying for a greater slice of the station. Various tycoons, crime bosses, and alliances ruled Sumerian, the balance of power sometimes shifting dramatically due to a lucrative long-term contract, key sabotage, or outright assassination, but always resettling into a new status quo.

In such a place, the arrival of strange signals emanating from the center of the galaxy warning of a galactic-level apocalypse passed by unremarked, apart from the slight oddity that they were transmitted on ancient radio frequencies rather than the far more efficient superluminal communication networks. If they had perhaps paid more attention to the signals, the factions ruling Sumerian might have had a chance to prepare for what occurred next. Or perhaps not.

Prior to the fall of Sumerian, an individual calling themself the Nomad had appeared in several places throughout known space. Clad in an environmental suit and the clothes of a humble merchant, they looked to make incredibly valuable trades with the galaxy’s information and data brokers, trading in secrets as often as they paid in aurei. They were particularly interested in any data regarding the recent failed Creuss expedition to plumb Shaleri space, and especially in concrete evidence to back up the rumors of nightmare demons haunting the borders of Shaleri.

The Nomad had visited Sumerian a few times, but not to buy information. A trade license here. A contract deal there. A legal loophole or two. Following a tip-off by a previously unknown Sumerian merchant named Artuno, the station’s magnates and mercenary leaders discovered that their figurehead leader, the trader Huro M’es, had been quietly arrested and imprisoned. Control of the station’s operations and systems now belonged to the Nomad. To their shock, some of them realized that old contracts between themselves and Artuno held buried clauses that ceded control of their slice of the station should the events unfolding on Sumerian ever occur.

Of course some resisted, but after a few eye-wateringly high bribes, some threats of ventilation, many bruised prides, and one or two convenient disappearances, a new order was established on Sumerian: the Nomad and their cadre of supporters now had full run of the station, and of all the trillions of aurei that flowed though it.

The Nomad Today

With Sumerian in hand, the Nomad began to expand their control over the neighboring systems, pulling from a seemingly limitless reserve of funds beyond even what ownership of Sumerian could explain. Multisystem corporations, entire shipyards, and planetary governments alike were simply bought out. Fleets of starships were purchased wholesale, and arms trade contracts bought out at double or even triple the usual rate. Soon the dockyards at Sumerian were filled with new vessels bearing the Nomad’s symbol—and enough armaments to rival the fleet capabilities of even the Great Civilizations. The posting of lucrative contracts for engineers, pilots, commanders, and sundry crew caused a massive influx of mercenaries, retired military, and opportunity seekers of all species flocking to Sumerian to crew this new fleet.

With a major new galactic player taking the stage in such a swift and dramatic fashion, many Great Civilizations have taken a vested interest in gathering more intelligence on the Nomad and their band of companions. Reports show that rather than descending into a hive of chaos and villainy, Sumerian is now a haven of egalitarianism and fair trade. All who work there are adequately provided for, and troublemakers are dealt with in a firm but uncruel manner, ranging from assigning mandated services to the community to simply expulsion from Sumerian and a shuttle to their home planet.

Information regarding the Nomad’s origins and identity are often contradictory and difficult to believe. Given their ability to conduct business in several different star systems across the span of a few days, a theory emerged that the Nomad was a shared identity, the environment suit and mask worn by members of a larger organization. However, gait and body-language analysis has indicated it is likely that the Nomad is a single individual. How this lines up with the multiple confirmed reports of Nomad sightings in far-flung locations is yet to be adequately resolved.

Goals of the Nomad

What is definitively known is that whether from their seat on Sumerian or from their flagship, Memoria II, a single individual now controls more power and influence than several of the Great Civilizations. However, their goals are still entirely unclear. Attempts at diplomatic relations have rarely led to meetings with the Nomad themself, but rather with one of their close allies. Those allies, at least, are more transparent about their motives, but even then, motives differ from person to person.

Visits to Sumerian are often fielded by the Human Artuno, who wears her title “The Betrayer of Sumerian” with pride. “Of course it’s an honor,” she explains from her seat in the Nomad’s spacious office, the view of Sumerian expanding forever in both directions before it encircles Arcturus. “They’re doing so much for the galaxy’s welfare, after all.” When pressed for details, however, Artuno demurs.

In a rare interview with galactic news networks, Field Marshal Mercer explained that zie left the Argent Flight to help the Nomad out of zier sense of duty to the true calling of the Shikrai: preventing the Mahact from taking over the galaxy. However, when the same networks followed up with the Argent Flight, they found no mention of Mercer (or any Shikrai that shares zier unusual name) in the organization’s records. The Nomad’s master of ships, the Hacan Navarch Feng, once gave a tour of Memoria II, but after a member of the Jol-Nar delegation tried to conduct an unauthorized investigation of its engine room, the party was asked to leave.

Little is known of the Thundarian, a mysterious cloaked figure who spends most of their observed time among the Nomad’s fleets, possibly overseeing training efforts or war games. It is also a matter of intense speculation how the Creuss warrior Ahk-Syl Siven, whose armor glows with intermingled blue and crimson sparks, came to leave the famously united Ghosts of Creuss and stand by the Nomad’s side. Rumors abound of a bounty placed upon the capture of Ahk-Syl Siven by the Ghosts, a claim the Creuss strenuously deny.

What is known is that the Nomad is preparing for something, and that their activities began around the time of the expedition to Acheron. Could they be somehow linked to the mysterious warning harkening from the center of the galaxy?

Only time will tell.