Natural 7

The Splintered Galaxy

I designed this setting for a series of short adventures with science-fantasy and space themes. I took inspiration from Star Wars (particularly The Mandalorian), Star Trek, Firefly, and Warhammer. This post is written to introduce new groups to the basic facts about the Splintered Galaxy.

A little space ship, soaring through the cosmic flux of outer space. What a dream, you think, just before the first meteorite strikes your ship’s hull, knocking you back to reality. Surely Aeion-6 has the least pleasant asteroid fields in the whole galaxy to AutoNav through. Hopefully the pay makes this trip worth it.

“Alert! Alert!” screams the telecom next to the pilot’s seat. You hit the bright red PLAY button. “New mission received from . . . Stewie Starshine . . . Mission Objective . . . Steal the moon!”

Truths of the Splintered Galaxy

There are several things anyone living in the galaxy would know:

The Splinter

The Splintered Galaxy is Pac-Man shaped. The mouth is a void of stardust, asteroids, and derelict machinery called the Splinter. No one remembers how it formed, when it formed, or if anything lives there. Only one person in recorded history has ever crossed the Splinter in a space ship: Lyktos, Usurper of the God-King. Everyone else just flies around it.

Space Travel Made Easy

Cities, space stations, outposts, and home-worlds span multiple star systems across the Splintered Galaxy. Space travel has advanced enough to allow quick travel between same-system planetary bodies and mostly painless travel between different-system planetary bodies using an Omnium JumpDrive.

Contested Imperial Systems

The Seven Sovereign Systems of the Splintered Galaxy are ruled by the Empress Pentesseleia. The half-dozen smaller systems of the Splintered Galaxy are at odds with the Imperial Legion and their conquest to ever-expand the Empress' domain. What few planets are not contested by the Empress are often under another great threat: be it the hyper-advanced xenophobic Dorokhin aliens, an ancient world-eating space dragon, or the corrupted machine warriors left behind by God-King Olyzket.

Imbalanced Factions

Three key groups vie to keep the Splintered Galaxy from ripping itself to pieces. None of them have been able to succeed very much thus far.

The Vanguard of the Red Throne (Sentinels of the Dying Heir). Exiled soldiers who believe the Empress had the previous Emperor and his rightful heir assassinated so that she could claim the galactic throne. They infiltrate imperial bases, hijack tech manufacturer's cargo ships, and work to destabilize the empire.

Key NPC: Helios Noaad (sharp, proactive, rebel)

The Conclave of the Lunar Path (Witches of the Dark Moon). Moon-witches, wizards, and acolytes devoted to a sacred oath of protection, preservation, and illumination. They wield the strange magic drawn from celestial bodies to combat forces of evil in the galaxy. (Very much like the Jedi in Star Wars)

Key NPC: Serrath LeShae (meditative, empathetic, devout)

The Galactic Regulators (The Pearl Syndicate). Merchants, rogues, and space druids who work to restore the balance in a corrupted galaxy, one credit at a time. Returning life to a dying planet, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, and preventing the creation of vile technology are all valid goals for their crew. They are both hated and feared by galactic nobility.

Key NPC: Stewie Starshine (epic, reactive, wild-card)

StarFIST Enterprises. A covert mercenary company that sticks to the ever-darkening shadows of space, sending their specially-trained and enhanced crews to do the dirty work no one else is capable of. Frequently they work with the other three factions in order to truly make a difference in the universe.

Key NPC: The Hummingbird (tiny drone, corporate, infected)

Brief Governance History

Long, Long Ago: The Seven Sovereigns established colonies of life across the Splintered Galaxy. Some say they came from beyond the Splinter, but that's probably just a myth.

The Seven Soveriegns (And Their Star Systems)

  1. Maxxer Beryllium (The Maxxium System)
  2. Jazyzal Horne (The Horned System)
  3. Yutri Sei-Ov (Sei-Ov's Cradle)
  4. Kaedan Modak (The Twinfold Complement)
  5. Haali Nata (The Haali Nata System)
  6. Dolly Sarn (Sarn's Twister)
  7. Bossk Illmind (The Bossk Four-Body)

Long Ago: The God-King Olyzekt marched armies of machines through the galaxy, uniting everyone, everywhere, beneath banners of fear and pain. He was undying, a metal lich, and discovered the last secrets of star magic and bioengineering.

After An Age of Despair: The God-King was usurped by Lyktos Splinterwalker, the first and only living being to have genuinely navigated the deadly Splinter. It is whispered that the God-King escaped death and lurks somewhere beyond the Splinter, biding time for his inevitable return. The people seem to like the Usurper.

Several Lifespans Later (Now): Emperor Mogul IV and his heir are assassinated by his wife, Pentesseleia Contractia IX. She takes the throne, naming herself The Red Empress. Rebellion begins almost immediately.

Final Thoughts

I used the Splintered Galaxy to great effect with the FIST RPG, and it was a lot of fun coming up with lore about all the factions and previous galactic rulers. There's plenty of space for more interesting things to happen, and you can always abandon one star system for adventures in another. I'm hoping to come back to this setting in a future campaign, maybe trying the rules of Intergalactic Bastionland, Offworlders, Arathi Sector, or Stars Without Number.

Hope this worldbuilding gets you inspired!

Thanks for reading, it means a lot to me that people want to read my thoughts each week!

Things on my radar: