Adapted from Grimdark Future Lore - One-Page Rules and Starfinder Playtest
Traveler, when one speaks of civilization, industry, and the grand, if fading, vestiges of galactic order, one speaks of the Inner Sphere. Occupying the heart of the Starfall Galaxy, this three-dimensional region encompasses the galactic core, a dizzying maze of countless star systems and the most densely populated bastions of the galaxy's sentient species. With an approximate diameter of 10,000 light-years, it is a colossal realm. Here, towering ecumenopolises pierce the void, and vast trade networks hum with the flow of Yoms.
For millennia, the Inner Sphere enjoyed a period of relative stability, establishing itself as the undisputed economic hub of the entire galaxy. Unique for its unprecedented level of cooperation between species – driven by mutual gain, if not always true unity – it became a beacon. From the farthest reaches of space, many dream of visiting its gleaming spires, sometimes undertaking long and perilous routes just to witness its grandeur. Its traditional forms of government have largely been eclipsed by the immense power of the ultra-wealthy. Rival coalitions among the most powerful cabals, cartels, corporations, guilds, and unions exist in a tenuous balance, nominally maintained by the Commission. This Commission, often comprised of representatives from the Inner Sphere’s dominant economic entities, strives to impose its ancient laws to maintain fragile peace and restore prosperity.
Life in the Core
The many worlds that make up the Inner Sphere form a galactic-scale metropolis. Its main population centers are planets covered in dense urban sprawl, hosting hundreds of billions of inhabitants, countless factories, and corporations. Countless Riftgates facilitate travel, while merchant and passenger ships alike add their gleams to the skies of every planet. Long gone are the days of open war, as the commercial and industrial networks have created a complex web of interdependencies that bind disparate powers.
Many worlds, particularly its dazzling ecumenopolises, boast populations vastly exceeding what their natural ecosystems could ever support. These megaworlds are sustained by intricate networks of fief systems – entire star systems given over entirely to resource production. From vast agricultural complexes that cover continents to immense mining operations that strip planets bare, these fiefs exist solely to funnel raw materials, synthesized food, and vital Dei components to the Inner Sphere's teeming populations. This creates a parasitic relationship, with the core worlds thriving on the exploited labor and sacrificed environments of these often-bleak resource colonies. Centuries of such relentless exploitation have devastated natural ecosystems, resulting in widespread extinction of native flora and fauna, severe pollution (air, water, and soil), and rendering many planets naturally uninhabitable, requiring artificial life support.
In some populated systems, people can find themselves having to live on space stations, priced out of planet-side real estate. For example, the K'tharr system has seen a whole culture grow in the communities of downtrodden workers who live dangerous lives in small ships, dealing with problematic amounts of space debris from derelict satellites and orbital stations. These examples barely scratch the surface; the Inner Sphere is so vast that the number of its worlds can only be guessed at.
Beyond fixed systems, a unique breed of merchant thrives. Many do not reside in a specific system but prefer to wander. The Gleamsmidia, for instance, transform small asteroids into orbital habitations and expertly navigate from system to system, forming massive space caravans. Their vast network of contacts makes them the best resource for anyone looking for rare goods and unusual items. Some worlds specialize in tourism, their climate, coastlines, and even the color of their clouds, expertly engineered to offer the most pleasing and beautiful experience to those who can afford it at extraordinary prices. The Bloodrock Mining Consortium board chairman famously spent an incredible fortune to acquire a small planetoid featuring only a single, minuscule island lost in an endless ocean.
The residents of the Inner Sphere have developed a language known as the Galactic Standard Language, which adventurers, brokers, and diplomats have widely adopted throughout the galaxy to communicate with different cultures. While numerous factions in the Outer Sphere are composed of a single species, such homogeneity is seen as rustic and backward in the Inner Sphere. An often-recited slogan is that there are more cultures in the Inner Sphere than stars in the galaxy. The diversity is striking for anyone walking down the Commission corridors on the Void Exchange, where one might run across a feathered Strix diplomat arguing with a green-skinned, four-armed Skittermander while the hulking shape of an Orc listens on, amused by their quarrel. Other species require specific environments, and the business of protective suits, life-support bubbles, bio-tanks, and mobile clouds is thriving.
Culture evolves rapidly in such a melting pot, and strange fashions regularly sweep across the Inner Sphere. There was once an incredible craze for a specific type of flower: the mysterious Luxindra, only grown on the small planet of Kharan Dal. These flowers would change colors to reflect the emotional state of the beings around them and became a highly valued status symbol. Speculators went wild, and the ensuing economic crash caused a political crisis that led to several Commission members losing their seats.
The Scars of Cataclysm
The Rift-Storm Cataclysm forever altered the Inner Sphere's landscape and consciousness. The Cataclysm severely disrupted many of these vital population support networks; hive worlds that survived the initial storms found their food shipments missing and their populations starving. Strong factions preyed upon weaker ones, and Inner Sphere systems began cannibalizing themselves, dramatically increasing the strain on what few support planets remained. Worlds were ripped from their orbits, consumed by the unleashed fury of the Rift, leaving behind haunting Ghost Worlds and the enduring terror of the concordant rebellion. This cataclysm, paired with the psychic density of the Inner Sphere, makes Rift-Space far too tumultuous for conventional travel, making the colossal, ancient Riftgates the sole arteries connecting its systems – and thus, the ultimate tools of control for these powerful entities.
The "exploited labor" populations on these fief planets, already suffering from extreme poverty, harsh working conditions, and a lack of fundamental rights, found their plight intensified. Their existence, solely to fuel the consumption of the Inner Sphere's ecumenopolises, led to widespread unrest, open rebellion, and a profound breakdown of social order. This desperation ultimately drove a massive exodus from the Inner Sphere, as countless beings fled on massive generational colony fleets, seeking new, less brutal lives in the unknown. Within the gleaming spires that remain, poverty and inequality still simmer, and even the subtle, insidious influence of the Outer Planes begins to seep into the collective psyche, hinting at deeper battles yet to come.
The Commission
The Commission itself is a rigid, ancient bureaucracy clinging to the remnants of a past golden age. While its advanced technology is impressive, it may be unreliable or poorly understood by newer generations. Poverty and inequality aren't just social issues; they're symptoms of a system struggling to maintain its advanced infrastructure, with the wealth of the core unevenly distributed, fueling resentment. The Commission is always watchful, doing everything possible to maintain peace and prosperity for the people of the Inner Sphere. Each faction able to influence interstellar politics in the inner sphere is invited to appoint a representative at the Commission, and trade decisions and external affairs are debated there. It is almost its own world, home to countless politicians, spies, and lobbyists. While not omnipotent, the Commission holds a lot of weight and power in the Inner Sphere’s affairs.
The Commission hosts their assemblies on an enormous spacecraft called The Void Exchange. At its very heart lies an ancient, mysterious construct, the true Crossroads, a nexus of clandestine Riftgates situated within its labyrinthine tunnels. The precise nature and full extent of these Riftgates, connecting to sites across the galaxy, are among the Commission's most closely guarded secrets. Its origins are unknown, predating the oldest species still residing in the Inner Sphere. During the terrible wars of yesteryear, the Crossroads (the construct) was a strategic point over which many battles were fought due to the extremely high number of Riftgates within its tunnels and was almost destroyed a few times during the most intense bouts of fighting in and around it. Once peace was established, the Riftgates present there made it a convenient meeting point for the peoples of the Inner Sphere, and it was there that the first meetings were held that put in place the complex agreements that allowed peace to endure and commerce to flourish for everyone.
During the early crises that threatened the recovering Inner Sphere’s stability, The Void Exchange (also referred to as the Crossway) again became the neutral ground where enemies could meet, their safety guaranteed by the Administrator, commander of the Void Exchange. She is not a member of, nor is she subject to, the Commission and is rarely seen outside the Void Exchange's command suite. A few have seen her and describe her as an uncannily beautiful and stern personage. Since she emerged as the ship's Administrator, the Void Exchange has demonstrated its ability to defend itself with weaponized teleporters. Hostile soldiers or sufficiently rowdy rabble-rousers would find themselves teleported into the brig section or, more chillingly, out into the void of space. Space vessels that attack the Void Exchange find themselves rifted back to the system's edge or even into a star's corona.
After a number of similar close calls, the need to turn the Void Exchange meetings into a permanent assembly became obvious. A group of representatives were elected; thus, the Commission of the Inner Sphere was born. Soon, extensions were added to the original halls, and a vast network of offices, trading posts, homes, and much more was built, covering much of the original construct. Eventually, a complex system of powerful engines was installed on the structure, making it one of the largest ships in the galaxy. It is now home to millions of people, some of whom have never left the giant vessel.
The Commission travels along an ever-expanding itinerary across the whole Inner Sphere as a symbolic gesture of inclusion and to respond to crises. For instance, during the Barthaba Singularity, when a rogue AI took control of a whole planetary system dedicated to building nanocomputers, The Void Exchange was moved nearby so that orders could be dispatched as events unfolded. Diplomats, negotiators, and police could report on new developments quickly. The Commission has no standing army. Instead, they commission professional militaries from the various factions of the Inner Sphere. Despite the loose ties to these mercenary legions, the Commission rarely wants for a force ready to protect its territory from any outside threat. It is rarely necessary because few factions would dare to challenge such a powerful institution openly, and the Commission’s influence can impose devastating commercial sanctions that would make most wish they had been bombed instead.
While the Commission does address the gravest threats to the whole region, much of its activity has to do with arbitrating local commercial and political conflicts; thousands of trials and conciliatory meetings take place in its halls, with highly trained magistrates and experts striving to protect the Inner Sphere’s internal balance. These courts focus on reaching a consensus between parties, and a resolution can take a long time to be reached. Whether it concerns a territory dispute, a trade deal gone awry, or a contested election, the Commission’s view will hold much weight once it is divulged. Some decry the Commission as an unjust institution controlled by the rich and powerful. Such opinions get more common as you go further away from the galactic core, towards the edges of the Inner Sphere. The people in these regions face the neighboring threat of the Outer Sphere’s bellicose inhabitants, while their peripheral situation puts them at a disadvantage regarding trade. There are sometimes whispers of rebellion or secession, resentful grumblings, feelings of neglect or unfairness, and wild conspiracy theories. But even in the most disenfranchised planets, the majority still consider themselves better off as members of the Inner Sphere than outside it by a long stretch.
Notable Locations and Phenomena
The Inner Sphere is a vast expanse of planetary systems comprising thousands of worlds. Having been densely populated for such a long time, it is full of notable places, many of which hold a significant place in galactic history and culture.
The Vla’an Yards
The Vla’an Yards is one of the largest spaceship manufacturing complexes in the Inner Sphere. Starting as a small commercial shipyard on a well-situated moon, the Yards have been part of the Inner Sphere since its inception. As more and more factions and planetary systems joined, the rulers of the Yards skilfully exploited their contacts and Riftgate access, scoring long-lasting contracts with powerful merchant houses while maintaining control of their operations. Now, the whole Vla’an system is involved in spaceship production, with six planets, twenty-three moons, and an untold number of space stations orbiting its large blue star. The extremely wealthy family of owners has long retired from public life to the point where even the exact species they belong to is an object of speculation. Billions work in the Vla’an Yards, generating so many profits that rumors claim that some of it has been used to create a hidden combat fleet rivaling that of the Commission. The system’s owners, of course, deny it, and many feel this is a farfetched conspiracy theory. But the Vla’an workers know very well that some ships disappear, some parts are not logged, and something is happening. What it is exactly remains a subject of hushed debates and knowing looks.
The Tibburat Marches
The Tibburat Marches are a network of systems, part of a long-extinct Hive World Network. They are connected by a series of impressively stable and numerous Riftgates. In the Inner Sphere, space is at a premium, and abandoned places are usually quickly reclaimed. This is not the case for the planets of the Marches, empty since the old wars. The stars they orbit are all eerily similar, almost extinct, casting their dim reddish light over a frost-split, barren ground. No life grows in their depleted atmosphere, and any attempts at creating a settlement were quickly given up on, even by the grisliest space miners. Something about them exudes death. If the secrets of Tibburat lie in the cold ruins of these planets, no one so far has come back to tell them. Pointing to the darker line, the Marches form among the shining stars of distant skies; some have named it the Silent Trail. It is a widespread symbol of death and bad luck in many cultures.
Tanagoe’s Death Wish
In an isolated part of deep space, two giant Riftgates face each other. A stream of asteroids and space debris flows between them, barrelling from one to the other, only to come out from the first again. This immense river of jagged rocks is known as Tanagoe’s Death Wish. The Death Wish has become one of the most famous space races in the Inner Sphere. The incredibly rich pilots that compete each year are idols to many, but many of the participants, including Tanagoe themselves, have died attempting to beat the speed record.
Beyond the Inner Sphere lies the Outer Sphere, a region exponentially larger than the core, a vast tapestry of empires and battle-scarred territories. Further still, the Frontier stretches into the unknown, a realm exponentially vaster than the Outer Sphere, a truly uncharted and wild expanse.
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