The Selvat Spur
Even in a space virtually limitless in size, there always seems to be a single point in which every hero has their moment, every great evil must arise, and where the gods and overseers of existence congregate and do battle. In an insignificant looking galaxy, nestled beyond the vast Vulkate Strait, species began to take to the stars, as has happened to millions of species before them. They began to colonize, improve, make mistakes, and learn quickly as they fought tooth and nail against unseen and exotic dangers hiding amongst the unknown. They expanded their reach to thousands of worlds, conquering star system after star system without a thought for what lay beyond the reaches of their society. They saw the stars stretch out before them and, species by species, made a promise to explore every single one.With this purpose they claimed their territory and named it “Selvat” after the ancient Wanderer word for “Salvation”. Amongst the vast emptiness of space, The Selvat Spur stands out as a symbol of prosperity and power. Home to the species and peoples of The Starskippers Handbook, it is used to describe the collection of known and foreign planets in the Galaxy. The known star systems of Selvat number in the tens or hundreds of thousands, with thousands of populated planets to house the bulk of society. Even though this grand expansion counts as less than 3% of the entire Galaxy, they provide ample space for the ever expanding nature of civilization in its current form.
Countless worlds make up the Selvat Spur
Worlds of Timid Peace
Star systems in Selvat are as varied as the people who call them home, with even quintuplet systems being commonplace in the news of the people. Planets made of burning ice, dense liquids, or vast riches either serve as outposts for colonies or lie dormant until their usefulness is fully realized. Unfortunately, due to the vast number of star systems being discovered, a fair amount do end up falling by the wayside or fading into obscurity, meaning the potential for criminal organizations, rebel groups, or dangerous beasts to take over an uninhabited system is quite high.Because of this, exploration in Selvat is immensely lucrative, with the danger being the only trade off. Fighting against the vacuum of space is only a small portion of what awaits in the darkness of the abyss, and even fewer have returned to tell the tale of such anathema hiding in the unknown. Legends speak of enormous creatures floating amidst the wreckage of entire worlds and consuming entire frigates whole. Others speak of powerful mages that lie in gruesome temples, or soft spoken spirits that lead unsuspecting pilots to their doom. If one can overcome such threats, however, the riches and rewards just might outweigh the risk, and in an instant they can obtain wealth beyond their wildest dreams.
Corporations and governments work hand in hand in Selvat to provide everything for the people, from the essentials to immense luxury items; simple weapons to powerful cannons; humble housing to vast mansions. Corruption is always a blemish on any organization, and powerful people will pay big bucks to ensure their positions are held, or to tear down the position of another. Greedy politicians, power hungry CEO’s, disgruntled employees, you name it. Every city has its own issues, every planet has its own nightmare. Yet through it all, most people simply try to live out their own lives, working towards their own goals, regardless of intentions.
The world of Starskipper is vast, with multiple species either uniting under the banner of a universal governing body known as the I.P.C. (Intergalactic Peace Coalition) or claiming their independence and leaving the galaxy to fix their own problems. Hundreds of thousands of worlds have been discovered, with only a fraction inhabited or terraformed, and to this day exploration is one of the hottest topics of the Galaxy. Each species has a deep history spanning back to when they were a young planet-locked people, some with a widely known past, with others preferring to hide mistakes made long ago.