| Stellar Nation (People) | Background | Game Benefits |
| Austrin-Ontis Unlimited
("Austrin") capital: Powder |
- began as arms industry on Old
Earth
- arms sales to mutants sparked GW2 - Austrins have affinity for firearms; tend to glorify violence and honor |
-1 step to all skill checks for either Heavy Weapons or Modern Ranged Weapons |
| Borealis Republic
("Borealin") capital: Sapphire |
- aristocratic; dominate galactic
media
- clones are half of population - educated, philosophical, artistic |
+1 INT (to maximum of 15); must take moderate Obsessed flaw (+4) |
| Hatire Community
("Hatire" or "Brethren") capital: Haven |
- began on Old Earth as religion
opposed to technology
- worship ancient alien spirit Cosimir - still distrust technology (cybertech) |
Begin with Faith perk (free); may spend points to buy it with -d8 on base roll |
| Insight
("Inseer") capital: Vision |
- began as VoidCorp division in
2198
- became independent during GW2 - consider themselves Grid artists; Insight dialect laced with Grid lingo |
-1 step to all skill checks for computer activities and Grid shadow action checks; +1 on real-world action checks |
| Nariac Domain
("Nariac") capital: Naria |
- began by settlers from many
sources
- expansionist in GW1 and GW2 - communist-like state with no private property, privacy rights, or religion |
Begin with 1 free cyber gear (does not affect tolerance); automatically get cybernetic surgery with surgery skill |
| Orion League
("Orion") capital: Jaeger |
- formed after GW1 when four small
nations freely merged together
- free, open representative democracy - diverse society built on toleration |
+1 PER (to maximum of 15); -1 step to all skill checks for Culture |
| Orlamu Theocracy
("Orlamu") capital: Prophethome |
- spiritual space explorers led
by the Church and its First Prophet
- incorporated the werren after 2246 - scientific; believe universe is divine |
-1 step to all skill checks for Physical Science, Navigation. All Mindwalker skills cost 1 less; -2 steps to navcognition< |
| Rigunmor Star Consortium
("Rigunmor") capital: Bazaar |
- began as trade cartel on Old
Earth
- merger with mechalus after 2273 - space capitalists who praise profit |
-1 step to all Interaction and Deception checks (pay 1 less for Bargain); free Filthy Rich |
| StarMech Collective
("Starmech") capital: Delight |
- began on Old Earth as robotics
corp
- citizens are corporate shareholders - brilliant engineers, but hedonistic |
-1 step to Technical Science checks; x 2 skill points for Oblivious & Obsessed flaws |
| Thuldan Empire
("Thuldan") capital: Thuldan Prime |
- militarily strongest stellar
nation
- ruled by an autocratic Emperor - militaristic, expansionist, patriotic |
Maximum 15 STR & CON; Thuldan mutants suffer 1 less drawback point |
| Union of Sol
("Solar") capital: Sol (Earth) |
- began after defeat of Terran
Empire
- Earth dominates Solar Council; the "Sunlord" is chief executive - Solars cherish Old Earth history |
Begin with 62 points to assign to Ability scores (may not exceed 14 in any score) |
| VoidCorp
("VoidCorp employee") capital: Catalog |
- began on Old Earth under Microtel
- dominates galactic communications - has ruled over Sesheyans since 2274 - all citizens are corporate employees |
Begin with Business and Business-corporate for free (-1 bonus); advance levels 1 achievement point faster |
| Galactic Concord
("Concordan") capital: Concord (Concord Prime) |
- political realists who keep
the peace
- operate Star Force, Defense Corps, Marines, and Diplomatic Service - protect t’sa as "Concord Neutrality" |
+1 RM (player’s choice); Administrators get Tri-Staff weapon (symbol of office) |
The six Earth powers use the stardrive technology to colonize more than 100 star systems in the "Stellar Ring" surrounding the Sol system by 2241. Breakaway governments, such as the Borealis Republic and Orlamu Theocracy, also colonize independent portions of space. As ties between Earth and the space colonies begin to fray, the six Earth powers join together in 2250 and proclaim the Terran Empire with self-endowed authority over all human colonies everywhere. This does not stop the creation of new interstellar governments, such as the Nariac Domain and the Hatire Community. Neither does it slow down the pace of human expansion into new star systems. The Orlamu Theocracy make first contact with Kurg in 2246 and incorporate the weren as citizens by treaty in exactly the same way Earth had incorporated the fraal; the Rigunmor Star Consortium stumbles across the mechalus in 2273 and bribes them into joining their federation; in 2274 VoidCorp seizes Sheya and enslaves the sesheyans. In 2296 independent explorers encounter the t’sa. Competition between the Terran Empire and its rebellious colonies over the t’sa sparks the First Galactic War (GW1) in 2299. Conducted by the new Thuldan Empire, a series of campaigns brings the Terran Empire to its knees and forever ends Earth imperialism. The Treaty of Earth signed in 2312 ends the war and replaces the Terran Empire with a much smaller Union of Sol.
The 26 stellar nations continue to compete for power after GW1, especially when the Verge (the region separating Old Space from the rest of the Milky Way) is explored and colonized after 2314. Interstellar tension explodes into the Second Galactic War when a "mutant uprising" erupts on Tau Ceti in 2346 and rival nations take sides. Over the next century, many interstellar nations are destroyed (although Insight is created as a new nation when it breaks away from VoidCorp in 2460). The remaining nations divide into three alliances (the Expansion Pentad, the FreeSpace Alliance, and Profit), and GW2 rages until 2472. The Treaty of Concord establishes the Galactic Concord, a new nation built with regions, resources, and personnel donated by all surviving stellar nations. The purpose of the Concord is to prevent future galactic war by acting as a powerful and independent buffer between rival nations. By 2501 the Concord has successfully kept the peace, and once again rival nations begin to return to the long-isolated Verge.
The above information represents what any educated person with the Knowledge broad skill would know about galactic history. Characters may choose to know more with the specialty skill Knowledge-history (cost 1). At Rank 1 the character is an expert in the history of his home nation, and at every additional rank he becomes an expert in one more stellar nation of his choosing (including alien races and Old Earth history).
| Stellar Nation | GW2 Alliance | Diplomatic Relations |
| The Austrins | Profit Confederation | avoid entangling alliances; still friendly to former Profit allies; hate the Nariacs (main GW2 enemy); main goal is to sell arms |
| The Borealins | FreeSpace Alliance | maintain close ties to FreeSpace allies; still resent Pentad foes (especially Thuldans and Hatire); rely on Concord as buffer |
| The Hatire | Expansion Pentad | under the thumb of Thuldan Empire; crusade against the Nariacs (over their cybertechnology) despite wartime alliance |
| The Inseers | joined FreeSpace near end of the war | enjoy modest support from former FreeSpace friends; refuse all close alliances; still disdain VoidCorp |
| The Nariacs | Expansion Pentad | do not return Austrin ill will; resent VoidCorp domination; resist being VoidCorp client state; looking to Solars as allies |
| The Orions | FreeSpace Alliance | "sister state" with Orlamu Theocracy; as FreeSpace leader, still close to Insight and Borealis Republic; strongly pro-Concord |
| The Orlamu | FreeSpace Alliance | a democratic theocracy, they share many ties with Orions |
| The Rigunmors | Profit Confederation | mutual dislike shared with VoidCorp (business competitors); not close with former Profit allies; growing closer with Insight |
| The StarMech | Profit Confederation | enjoy healthy business relations with most other nations; still resent Thuldans; benefit from neutral Concord presence |
| The Thuldans | Expansion Pentad | main goal is to unify humanity; healthy relationship with former Expansion allies; conflict with Borealins, Solars, and StarMech |
| The Solars | Profit Confederation | need to more worlds to relieve population; few enemies but no strong allies; often disruptive for the Galactic Concord |
| VoidCorp | Expansion Pentad | many enemies and only one friend (Thuldan Empire); continues to wage underground war against Insight; anti-Concord |
| The Concordans | enjoy support of Orions (who called for the creation of the Concord in the first place); serve as neutral mediators |