Strandbound Galaxy

A GALAXY IN HARMONY

Long ago, the galaxy was not a place of war, but of harmony. It was bound by the Strand, a cosmic lattice of creation, memory, and connection that flowed through all life. This golden age was guided by the ancient and wise Elari, beings who were the Strand's consciousness made manifest.
They formed the Luminar Order, a galactic coalition that, for half a million years, ushered in an era of unprecedented peace and enlightenment. Allied with other Strand-sensitive species, they connected thousands of star systems through a network of stabilized temples and cosmic portals, protecting their harmony with legendary, Starblade-wielding Luminar Knights.

THE SUNDERING

This peace was shattered by the rise of the Varkh Ascendancy, a human Colonial empire that lacked Strand attunement and instead embraced technology and military might. Viewing the Strand as a chaotic force to be suppressed, the Ascendancy developed anti-Strand weapons and launched a cataclysmic strike on the core Elari temple of Solarii Magna.
This was the Sundering of the Thread: a cosmic rupture that fractured the Strand itself. The consequences were apocalyptic: worlds were destroyed, 90% of the portal network collapsed, the Elari were decimated, and the Luminar Order fell into ruin, plunging the galaxy into an age of darkness.

THE POWERS THAT BE

In the 50,000 years since the Sundering, three major powers have come to define the galactic stage:

• The Varkh Ascendancy: In the power vacuum, the Ascendancy surged to dominance, becoming a tyrannical, galaxy-spanning empire ruling from its capital, Caer Aeternum. Their society is built on the myth of the Pyre-Born—heroic survivors of the Sundering—and the anti-magic doctrine of "No Strand. No Chain". Control is absolute, enforced by a rigid caste system, an obsession with genetic purity, and the overwhelming might of the Grand Stellar Legions and their legions of bio-engineered soldiers.
• The Lucent Pact: Opposing them is the Lucent Pact, a "spark in the dark"—a fractured web of resistances born not of unity, but of necessity. This fragile alliance is a hotbed of conflicting ideologies: the zealous Ash Vow seeks purification by fire; the pragmatic Federation aims to build a new republic; the diplomatic Concord of Remembrance tries to weave a new shared culture; the ruthless Scepter of Ashaya seeks to turn the Ascendancy's tools against it; the spiritual Light of the Hollow Star attempts to heal the wounded Strand; and the fiercely independent Severed Fold fights to preserve their freedom and lost memories.
• The Voidborne Syndicate: Thriving in the endless chaos is the Voidborne Syndicate, a pervasive criminal enterprise that serves as a necessary evil in the galactic underworld. Operating through Seven Clans—each specializing in a different illicit trade from slavery (Sable Chain) and piracy (Ember Maw) to assassination (Whispered Knife)—the Syndicate profits from the endless war, loyal only to credits and their own shadow government, the Sable Concord.

YOUR STORY IN A SHATTERED GALAXY

The galaxy is a dangerous place. The Strand is fractured, empires clash, ancient secrets linger in ruined temples, and terrifying extra-galactic threats like the logical Forgeborne stir in the darkness.

Will you be a Luminar Knight, seeking to reclaim the light of a fallen order? An Ascendancy Deserter, using the master's tools to tear down their house? A Syndicate Enforcer, carving out a life of profit and fear? Or something else entirely?

In a universe of broken stars and fractured hope, your story is waiting to be written.