Before humanity spread through the galaxy, another civilization — the **Ur** (sometimes called the Precursors) — built the jump gate network. They have been gone for a very long time. What they left behind still shapes the sector.
The Precursors & Ur Artifacts
Before humanity spread through the galaxy, another civilization — the Ur (sometimes called the Precursors) — built the jump gate network. They have been gone for a very long time. What they left behind still shapes the sector.
The Ur Legacy
No one knows exactly what the Ur were. They built the jump gates that make interstellar travel possible. They built structures on various worlds — ruins, temples, installations — many still unexplored or inaccessible. The Ashtari Cloud in the Rin system is the remnant of a massive Ur ship, its wreckage generating an in-system nebula.
The Ur also seem to have manipulated stars: the Holt system star burns white but is far older than stars of that type should be, which Hegemonic scientists attribute to ancient Ur manipulation.
Ur Artifacts
Ur artifacts surface occasionally, usually in ruins or via deep-space salvage. They are extraordinary — and often dangerous.
Known artifact examples: - Lightblade — A melee weapon of pure energy, its blade adjustable from hair-thin to broad. Can cut through almost anything, and through some things that don't have a physical form. - Anzani Key — A black key that opens almost any door, vault, or sealed container. - Cloak of Night — A shimmering cloak that bends light, making the wearer near-invisible. - The Heart — A fist-sized crystalline object that pulses like a heartbeat. Causes strange dreams and seems to affect the Way in its vicinity. - Void Gate — A portable doorway device that creates a short-range point-to-point passage.
Artifacts in Play
Artifacts are not just weapons — they're leverage. They're what factions fight over, what Guilds want to control, and what mystics believe are keys to understanding the Way. Bringing an artifact to market means navigating who wants it, who will kill to get it, and whether it does something unexpected when you pick it up.
The Church of Stellar Flame seeks to eradicate dangerous artifacts. The Cult of the Seekers wants to open the Hantu Gate. The Ashtari Cult communes with Ur gas from the Ashtari Cloud. Suneaters are Ur-archaeologists obsessed with recreating jump gate technology.
The Hantu Gate (Holt System)
The Hegemony has never been able to activate this jumpgate. It seems to be missing a few small but key pieces. Some speculate the Ur locked the gate and hid the keys — though it's anyone's guess as to why. The Cult of the Seekers (whose members include the Hegemon's own mother) is determined to open it.