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This is a new player's summary of the totality - or at least, as much as we can summarize quickly - of the Aurora server's most essential lore.

This is the first in a series of multiple guides connected to Guides/Character Creation. Once you're finished reading this, you are more than equipped with the knowledge necessary to create your character using that guide!

Below is recommended reading if you are new to the server!

This page's purpose is to get new players acquainted with the server's lore and help them understand the ins and outs of the Orion Spur in the 25th century and its history. Aurora Lore is vast, and trying to get into it as a new player can feel overwhelming at times. This page represents a solid overview of the lore important to new players.

The year is 2467 CE (Common Era). Humanity has long since begun its trek into space, and explored territory that reaches dozens of lightyears in every direction. It now shares the galaxy with many different species, in addition to being divided into many different nation-states formed in the long years since it first began to reach for the stars. However, it can be said that these states are secondary to the true power of the spur, the transtellar megacorporations.

History Overview

The purpose of this overview is to give new players a general grasp of the background of the Aurora Setting, and how we got to this point. The Early Years and Rise of NanoTrasen segments deal with deep background history, whereas the Early Scarcity, Period of Rebuilding, and Contemporary Spur sections deal with history that occurred in-game since 2019.

The Early Years

The first megacorporations arose out of the fast-paced landscape of Earth’s 22nd Century, a period defined by fierce economic competition between Earth’s nations – particularly across the East and West divide – and the start of the race to colonize the planets of the Sol System, spurred by the strife of Earth’s climate crisis. Corporations began to quickly conglomerate, first nationally and then across regions. Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals is unofficially recognized to be the first true megacorporation by this definition; formed out of an agreement between Chinese biomedical companies and then joined by neighboring Singaporean and Japanese companies, it came to dominate Asian markets. Their success was quickly followed by others, with Hephaestus Industries formed out of North America and West Europe’s defense and heavy industry corporations being declared three months later. Since then, at every generation-defining moment, there has been a megacorporation to witness and capitalize upon it. During the climate crisis, the early megacorporations worked to mitigate disasters and reintroduce what was lost, at first only with their respective regions and/or states, though all the megacorporations rapidly expanded to be planetary in scale, managing to achieve what was initially thought a lost cause – resurrecting life on Earth. The Interstellar War, which we need not go into detail about here, would cement the power of the megacorporations for the coming centuries in human space, as the consequences of the war saw the decreased power of national governments, and humanity’s first contact with aliens. The megacorporations, now trans-stellar, were quick to broker deals with the alien states, seeding their influence into any fresh market they could. These moves paid off as, subsequently, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and Einstein Engines began to soar ahead of all the other megacorporations through their ties with the technologically superior Nralakk Federation. Known contemporarily as members of the Founding Megacorporations, they are the logistical and industrial titans that drive the Spur forward, the weapons manufacturers and security solutions to drive the Spur back into the dirt, and the bureaucratic and pharmaceutical giants to keep us going just a little longer. For this, their holds on the markets across space are unshakable, their sway behind closed doors decisive, and the repercussions for their mishaps fleeting. They could have collectively dominated the spur for more than a century with cooperation, but none had the power to force even one of the others to let go of divisions. In the end, this was to their detriment, as in the 25th century a dark horse corporation that everyone had little expectation of managed to ensure that cooperation through its immense power.

Megacorporation	Overview
Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals ‘Building a brighter future.’	The biomedical giant and the oldest megacorporation in the Spur, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals dominates the practice of medicine and the many fields of research that relate to it. Arranged in a keiretsu structure, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals is composed of many smaller subsidiary companies which all cross-invest to ensure each subsidiary dominates its place in the market, with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals acting as an admin and legal hub for its members and only swooping in to take control of paradigm shattering research. Today, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals focuses on perfecting the human body, through both genetic and cybernetic means, a line of research that has led to embryonic cloning, limb cloning, and the most advanced synthetics yet. Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals has strict hiring standards, as the corporation is known to only hire the best or those showing the promise to become the best. Not only paid well, but prospective employees are also often enticed by the promise of high-end cybernetics and genetic treatments that are often handed down as benefits by veteran staff. Aboard the Horizon, Keiretsu employees are employed in Science and Medical.
Hephaestus Industries ‘The anvil on which the world is shaped.’	The industrial titan, Hephaestus Industries was born out of West Europe and North America's military industries that snowballed in size from the 21st century onwards, where some now consider it the second most powerful megacorporation after NanoTrasen Corporation. Divorced from its history in military industry, Hephaestus is known for its bulk resource exploitation, mass-scale industrial manufacturing, and logistics which have kept the Spur's journey into the stars fuelled and stays on planets comfortable - for most.... Hephaestus Industries continues to pursue monopolies on everything industrial, most recently through the development of relations with the Izweski Hegemony where it has established a monopoly using none of its workforce. With a reputation as the company for the blue-collar worker, Hephaestus Industries can hire far and wide and attract those disenfranchised by more bureaucratic work environments – for those who can look past often slack safety standards at certain installations. Many are enticed by Hephaestus' benevolent company atmosphere, the investment options given to grow alongside the company, and the opportunity to soar to higher positions through only merit instead of socioeconomic background, seeing Hephaestus as one of the few companies to care for its workers. Naturally, this all comes at the cost of brand loyalty, with Hephaestus employees instantly losing these benefits or their position if appearing to dissent from the company line. Aboard the Horizon, Hephaestus employees are employed in Engineering and Operations.
Zavodskoi Interstellar ‘Even one matters on the battlefield.’	With a patchy history, the business of killing is the driving force behind Zavodskoi Interstellar's contribution to technology across the Spur and the profits that come with it. For Zavodskoi, conflict is another resource to exploit and a battleground is the perfect setting for testing experimental technology. Previously in the genetics market, today's Zavodskoi has become the merchant of death for nation-states across the Spur, from the Empire of Dominia – rarely short of its conflicts and conquests – to defending liberty and corporate interests by supplying the fledgling Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Due to their patchy history and to contrast against the more gritty figures in the Arms Trade, Zavodskoi Interstellar has a hyper fixation on maintaining an image of professionality. As a result, Zavodskoi Interstellar's hires are often regarded as some of the most courteous contractors out there, a positive image of the company always comes first. Those who excel in this environment can find themselves with a most-paid trip to Moroz; etiquette lessons befall those who slip up too publicly. Aboard the Horizon, Zavodskoi employees are employed in Security, Science and Engineering.
Idris Incorporated ‘Astronomical Figures. Unlimited Power.’	Where credits flow, Idris Incorporated can be found; the corporation's empire of influence is fueled by the countless Idris banks across the Spur and an ornate web of lucrative loans and insurance plans. Expensive insider secrets can be offered to the highest paying of their finance clients. In recent times, Idris has expanded into the tourism industry and consumer goods market, using their vast fortune to create both iconic brands known throughout the Spur and to outmaneuver competitors. With the ongoing phoron crisis, Idris Incorporated's wealth and sage advice has never been more needed, whether they be individuals, states, or megacorporations. Idris Incorporated contractors are expensive, coming with high expectations from both employer and consumer. For those who thrive in this environment, equally high salaries are afforded which can make it all the more worth it. With a degree of class expected from employees, it only makes sense for Idris Incorporated to lease and provide discounts on their designer brands – a taste of Idris' immense wealth for those who will never have such. Upon employment with Idris Incorporated, all employees sign an NDA that covers every inner working of the company, from training to pay to the content of any meetings you have with Idris company liaisons – nothing gets out. Aboard the Horizon, Idris employees are employed in Service and Security.
Einstein Engines ‘Lead by our history, leading our future.’	Throughout the Spur's history, Einstein Engines was the indefatigable megacorporate power, triumphing in every field they broke into and reaping the benefits of their close relationship with both the Solarian Alliance and Nralakk Federation. Following the discovery of phoron however, the status quo was shattered and NanoTrasen Corporation stole the throne; now with the phoron scarcity reaching its apogee and warp travel back in fashion, Einstein Engines is eager to seize it back with the promise of reduced dependence on phoron. Due to their close relationship with the Solarian Alliance and market conflicts with NanoTrasen, Einstein Engines continues not to support or join the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Einstein employees are not employed aboard the Horizon.

The Rise of NanoTrasen

Initially founded in 2366, the yet-to-be-distinguished NanoTrasen was a small company revolving around genetic research and development on Mars. Xavier Trasen, Chief Executor of Operations for NanoTrasen (as well as its founder) managed to propel the fledgling corporation through the ranks after aggressively utilizing business tactics and effective patenting methods to buy out or destroy the local competition. By the end of the century, NanoTrasen had acquired enough capital to begin their operations on Biesel, even managing to secure mining rights in Tau Ceti. However at this point, NanoTrasen barely even qualified as a Transstellar corporation, and barely even registered with the original Titans. However, all that would change in the early 25th century. In 2471 NanoTrasen made the most significant discovery and technological innovation to date, when they found the priceless element Phoron within the Oort Cloud of the Tau Ceti system, and quickly found an application in the revolutionizing of interstellar travel through Bluespace which made traversing the void of space a far easier ordeal. NanoTrasen rapidly expanded mining operations in Tau Ceti's Oort Cloud and established a monopoly in the Phoronics Industry as the demand for phoron continued to grow across the spur, eventually becoming the wealthiest corporation in the history of the spur, and arguably its most powerful entity. It forced the Solarian Alliance to allow the independence of Tau Ceti, creating a state in which it held almost complete political influence, and quickly soared above the older megacorporations. By 2455 NanoTrasen was at the height of its power, wielding massive amounts of influence across the spur and having what amounted to a monopoly of influence over the government of the state it helped create, The Republic of Biesel. Yet only two years later, it would see its position shaken.

Megacorporation

Overview

NanoTrasen Corporation ‘The leader in all things phoron.’

The largest megacorporation and arguably the most influential entity within the Spur, NanoTrasen's position can be wholly attributed to two factors: its iron grip over the Republic of Biesel and the discovery of phoron it was quick to form a monopoly over. However, today phoron supplies dwindle and their chosen pawn no longer sits atop Biesel's government, making the future of the megacorporation rather uncertain. Due to NanoTrasen's influence across the Spur, employees from all walks of life can find employment with the megacorporation. For many wishing to start a new life, NanoTrasen Corporation is an easy ticket to getting a full-length work visa to the Republic of Biesel. Further enticing for employees, NanoTrasen Corporation is known to offer the most generous contract terms out of the Chainlink's megacorporations, be it: wide insurance coverage; excellent legal protection for those practicing in a medical field; scientists having full credit for any published research (excluding ground-breaking!), contrary to other megacorporations. Aboard the Horizon, NanoTrasen employees are employed in Science, Medical and Service.

The Early Scarcity

The Scarcity began with short news articles by the Mendell City Bugle in May of 2642, the first to show a steady decline in the deposits of phoron located throughout Tau Ceti, and that shipments, while still coming, started to become slower and slower to fill quotas. This is the article that would set off a chain of events that saw the status-quo of the spur that had held since the end of the Interstellar War completely upended - more can be read about that here. For this summary, all that needs to be said is that as 2462 continued, pressure slowly built up throughout the spur as it became clearer this issue would not go away anytime soon, until finally, there was a violent, explosive release that shattered the post-IW status quo in a single week with the catastrophe known as Violet Dawn.

Violet Dawn was the name of the operation run by the Solarian Government which would cause a cataclysmic disaster on Mars in the later months of 2462. The operation's goal was to create a self-replicating, synthetic phoron gas as the scarcity was beginning to cause the Alliance's economy to falter. They were indeed able to accomplish this goal, however immediately discovered that there was no way to 'stop the self-replication, and the compound quickly breached containment, growing exponentially to become a raging atmospheric firestorm centered on Mar's South Pole, which the other residents of humanities most populous system watched turn the Red planet violet in horror. When the news finally broke on November 10th with specifics of the catastrophe on Mars, and that the Solarian Government's response to the crisis was to ignore or try to suppress calls for aid from the planet and order its vessels not to assist in evacuation efforts, though it must be said many brave captains and officers disobeyed these orders, the last nail in the coffin of the Solarian Alliance as it had been since the end of the interstellar war was hammered home; the Alliance erupted with massive civil unrest and began to collapse. The then Prime Minister Frost was assassinated within a day, supposedly by a Zavodskoi Interstellar Kill Team, and in desperation what remained of the Alliance's civilian government ordered the abandonment of all space outside of the Core Worlds, which are centered on Sol itself. Many fleets disobeyed this order, setting up statelets as Warlords within former Solarian Territory which would come to be labeled the Human Wildlands, a home to anarchy and limited governance.

However, one fleet that disobeyed the order to retreat did not set up a warlord state immediately, instead burning hard towards Tau Ceti in a bid to invade; the 35th Fleet, under the command of Admiral Ozdemir. In response, the formation of the SCC, or Stellar Corporate Conglomerate was announced by Miranda Trasen, CEO of NanoTrasen, to much fanfare; comprising of all the megacorporations of the Orion Spur except Einstein Engines, the SCC is perhaps the single most powerful entity in the spur with Miranda Trasen at it's head. Behind that fanfare and celebration though, the concerning reality is that Miranda Trasen used her power and influence to force, bribe, sway, and bully all the other megacorporations, except one Einstein Engines, to cooperate under a single banner with NanoTrasen at the top years before the 35th's invasion, secretly forming the SCC in 2458. Nothing is known about the decision to go public. While it certainly helped by providing weaponry, and ships, to put the final nail in the 35th's coffin with a phoron WMD, the 35th was only beaten with help from the rest of the spur, primarily Elyra and the Coalition of Colonies, who sent large expeditionary forces to the Republic as allies. After their defeat, the 35th set up a statelet like so many other Warlords within the Human Wildlands, a fascistic and genocidal one known as the Solarian Restoration Front. The Republic, Coalition, and Elyra meanwhile expanded their borders in the power vacuum left by the Alliance's retreat, taking in planets that had been abandoned by the Alliance. As for what remained of the Alliance proper, the civilian government who ordered the retreat would go on to cede power to a temporary Military Junta, established to restore stability and control both in the core worlds and the Human Wildlands, with the promise that once this had been achieved new elections would be held, transferring power back into the hands of a democratically elected civilian government.

It is in this way that the status quo of almost a century was shattered, and the pieces are still being picked up.

Megacorporation

Overview

Stellar Corporate Conglomerate ‘The unbreakable chainlink, holding the Spur together.’

A tenuous alliance between eight megacorporations, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate is a giant on the Spur's stage, with access to the immense resources and influence of each of the members beneath its shell. Originally firmly under the control of NanoTrasen Corporation, currently the megacorporations under the Chainlink now grapple for control behind closed doors, each with their own interests to push for the Conglomerate to coordinate efforts and resources towards. Aboard the Horizon, the SCC fills the majority of its positions with staff loaned from member megacorporations of the Chainlink, who hold dual contracts with their original company and the SCC. These contracted employees are employed in Command and Command Support.

Period of Rebuilding

Since the cataclysmic events of 2462, the spur had undergone tremendous changes, the most notable of which occurred within the once small Republic of Biesel. Following the collapse of the alliance which left many planets close to Tau Ceti unsupported, the small republic offered its assistance in exchange for these planets joining it. In this way the nation which used to be a single system came to take control over vast swathes of what was previously the Soalarian Outer Ring, including planets such as Mictlan and Port Antillia. However many of the people on these planets, Mictlan especially, felt betrayed by their planetary government, as they believed the possibility of independence a larger boon than whatever assistance the Republic could offer. When the Corporate Reconstruction Zone was announced, comprising all territory outside of Tau Ceti's gravity well, this discontent turned to violence as terrorists and revolutionaries began to fight back against the Republic. The planet that would see the worst of this violence would be Mictlan, where continuing incidents would force the republic to declare the planet under martial law and deploy the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. Their main opposition was two groups, the Founding Movement was a former political organization that turned to terrorism to try and throw off the Republic formerly led by Isabel Alvarez before her death at the hands of a lynch mob in 2466. They are mostly known for their bombing campaigns across Mictlan, the most notable of which is the bombing of Valtas Square, located directly in front of the Mictlan Defense Forces Headquarters, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds. The Samaritans, on the other hand, were a paramilitary organization originally formed by deserters from the Mictlani Defense Force, led by Xiomara Salvo, who waged a guerilla war against the forces of the Republic directly.

However, the deployment of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion did little to stop the violence gripping the planet, resulting in the formation of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, a fully professional military force compared to the part-time volunteer force that was the Foreign Legion. Many bills were passed in an attempt to give the new armed forces the tools they needed to defeat the insurrectionists, however, nothing worked. Violence continued to grip Mictlan until the failed gamble known as Operation Jakali in 2466 and facing mounting civil unrest in Tau Ceti itself over the continued military occupation of Mictlan that the violence finally ended with a peace deal signed between the Samaritans(as at this point the founding movement had collapsed) and the Republic of Biesel/Mictlani government. All members of the Samaritans were pardoned on parole, and now the planet of Mictlan is finally at peace for the first time in many years.

Yet Mictlan was not the only place to experience violence within the CRZ. In the South within the region known as Valley Hale, the SCC discovered something that would help to stave off the scarcity for a time; the asteroid that would come to be known as Orchard Moon. A large deposit of Phoron, it was located right on the border between the Serene Republic of Elyra, which resulted in a border dispute between the two nations, which the Horizon played a pivotal role in. The result of that dispute was Orchard Moon remaining within Biesel territory, only to then for the newly built mining installations to be attacked by remanents from the Southern Fleet Administration, pirates out of the southern wildlands.

Over in the Alliance, the state turned inwards and began to focus on consolidating its new, nationalized industry, with Einstein Engines padding out more specialist industries, and began the slow effort to return the Alliance's government to the hands of the people. Navy reforms were planned, and purges of officers who collaborated with Warlords were conducted. The embers of populism were now beginning to be stoked with the promise of a civilian government. The Alliance's inward eye, however, left certain Warlord states bold and, at the start of 2465, war would break out between the Middle Ring Shield Pact and the Solarian Restoration Front, with the SRF launching a full-scale invasion on San Colette. With an act that sent a message across the Spur, reinforcing the Alliance's military integrity despite the shift towards a civil government and beginning the reintegration of the Warlord states into the fold of the Alliance-proper, an Alliance navy group spearheaded by a battleship would effortlessly rout the Solarian Restoration Front.

Two new megacorporations also sore their rise in this period: the Private Military Contracting Group, which created a shortlist of vetted private military companies that were approved to work with the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate (later, a trusted source for other bidders in need of guns) and Orion Express, the solution to the Chainlink's growing logistical woes amid the phoron scarcity and their steady expansion.

Megacorporation	Overview
Private Military Contracting Group ‘Always on guard, always on watch.’	An amalgamation of private military companies of variable backgrounds, styles, and characters that have been permitted to work with the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. The Private Military Contracting Group was established to provide a point of contact for the Chainlink and its subsidiary corporations to be able to browse more trusted PMCs, a service that has since been rolled out to the public. No military contractor from the PMCG is the same due to the varied groups that have been permitted to work with the SCC. Aboard the Horizon, PMCG employees are employed in Medical and Security.
Orion Express ‘Faster than light.’	Blink and you'll miss them, Orion Express is a fledgling megacorporation whose freighters and mobile stations zip around to ensure corporate supply needs are met around the Spur. Having secured a stable footing, Orion Express now lends its various services to the rest of the Spur, with speed and convenience owing a premium - fast deliveries, fast mail, fast food, and fast mining. New on the scene, Orion Express has very low hiring standards to keep its workforce bolstered, making for a great foot in the door to a megacorporate job for those young or with gritty pasts. Aboard the Horizon, Orion employees are employed in Operations and Service.

The Contemporary Spur

Now the Spur stands on the edge of a new age. The worst of the phoron scarcity seems to be receding for now, instability and uncertainty persist. Through the cooperation of its constituent corporations, the SCC controls all but a sliver of economic productivity, and so long as they continue to cooperate little can be done to change this. However cracks are already starting to show, and the SCC's members are at best, semi-unified and continue to quarrel amongst themselves, looking out for their interests first. Hephaestus Industries – after years of careful planning – have acquired what even NanoTrasen struggled to sieze after Biesel’s secession: the monopoly over an entire nation in the Izweski Hegemony, to the alarm of all the other SCC members, who revised their approach to Hephaestus to ensure they do not gain too much power with rumors of megacorporate backing for the Trinary Perfectionist attack on Burszia; but there is no rumor more likely then the ones circulating Zavodskoi Interstellar, already bitter rivals with the Industrial Titan, who have recently been accused of hiring pirates to attack Hephaestus assets, alongside supplying anti-Hephaestus terrorist groups within the Izweski Hegemony. The relationships on which the SCC depends are tenuous ones, only held together by Miranda Trasen using every tactic she can think of; assurance of mutual profit, NanoTrasen's power, a healthy amount of fear, political corruption, bullying, threats, bribery, blackmail, corporate espionage, the occasional convenient death, and masterfully playing the constituent corporations against each other. Still, hold it together she does, and the power it gives her makes her one of, if not the most, powerful individual in the entire spur; though only time will tell how long she can maintain her position.

The SCCV Horizon

With the unveiling of the SCCV Horizon, the setting to which players have access stretches across the entirety of the Orion Spur. The SCCV Horizon is under the joint control of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, a holdings corporation that has significant influence over the direction of the setting. You, among others, have been assigned to work aboard the SCCV Horizon, a state-of-the-art general-purpose vessel that travels across the Orion Spur with the primary objective of uncovering Phoron, however, secondary objectives exist at the whim of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Due to the SCC operating the Horizon, they have the final say on Occupation Qualifications. While many jobs will have specific qualifications that can be found on their job pages, the baseline qualifications to work aboard the Horizon can be found here: Stellar Corporate Conglomerate Occupation Qualifications.

In recent times (2462 and beyond) the setting has taken a turn for the worse as phoron scarcity threatens to drive the galaxy into the ground. While phoron remains in steady supply, its finite sources grow thinner by the day - soon enough, civilization will suffer the consequences.

Your Place in the Workplace

All players including staff are subject to the believable character rule. More details on that rule can be found in the server rules, found here.

With this said, your place in the workplace is extremely flexible. It would not be a stretch to say you can be whatever you want on the Aurora server, within reason. Get creative! The possibilities are endless, and storied lore backgrounds are always here to help guide character creation.

Ultimately, in the grand scheme of things, your binding rules are generally things such as being related to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and being aboard the SCCV Horizon legally. Opportunities to subvert even these rules are available but are not the same as player characters made from character setup unless exclusively permitted by staff. More details on these exceptions can be found on the Guide to Ghost Roles page!

The vast majority of characters on the server are employees of the corporations beneath the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. These individuals come in all shapes and sizes, with all of them sharing similar and quite low ranks in the megacorporate hierarchy. Certain ranks are afforded different privileges, such as medical practitioners and corporate security. Playing an official of higher rank is barred behind a whitelist to ensure quality control. Independent individuals or unaffiliated individuals are accessible as well through character setup. These roles include megacorporate-unaffiliated journalists, passengers, and third-party vessel teams who have found their way to the setting somehow.

Recommended Starter Planets

Callisto - low reading

Biesel - medium reading

Xanu Prime - large reading

From this point, you are again encouraged to move onto Guides/Character Creation provided you're at a loss for what to do.