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Rifts and Rivets
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The Galaxies of Rifts and Rivets
Rifts and Rivets takes place over parts of multiple galaxies, each with their own factions, empires, species and more. The scale of this setting varies greatly, with adventures spanning from a single planet or continent, to multiple star systems and even larger. There are many strange and unique places to discover within the galaxies, and no matter what kind of story you want to tell at whatever scale, Rifts and Rivets is designed to help you tell these stories.
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Below are a few examples of some places you may come across in the Galaxies, varying massively by size.
Lobe Station
A fairly large station, Lobe is a seemingly neutral station where traders often go to sell their wares, with a small amount of people making the station their permanent home. It is well known, however, that the station is run by the Iron Life Syndicate, a criminal group that takes inspiration from the natural world and it’s creatures for their technology. They rule with ruthlessness, and anyone there to trade or explore will quickly notice their army of mechs just behind the seemingly calm settings of Lobe Station’s markets.
Rubega Minor
A small moon orbiting a gas giant, Rubega Minor was looked over for a long time as being an unimportant barren wasteland, until one day it was discovered that the core contains Crytium pure, the key ingredient for FTL travel. Since this discovery, multiple factions have laid claim to the moon, setting up bores and mining rigs to reach the core and plunder it’s natural wealth. These companies often skirmish against each other, and all of them have to deal with the Morett, the Moons natural, vicious inhabitants.
Talos
Homeworld of the Monarchy, one might expect Talos to be one planet-spanning city, with not a tree in sight. As Talos developed, the at-the-time King foresaw what would happen to Talos, and was determined to ensure that the planet’s natural beauty was enhanced. Whilst some cities do exist, including the city surrounding the royal residence, much of the planet is protected, with buildings not allowed and visitor numbers limited. Green rolling fields, continent-sized forests and thick jungles can all be found here, and citizens of the monarchy wait for years to be granted permission to visit, even for a day.
NWS 92.3.86 - "The Huro System"
Controlled by the Non-Organic Union, North-West system 92.3.86 is one of many solar systems they control, optimising almost every aspect of it. Surrounding the star is a large Dyson Sphere, designed to harness the energy for use by their collection of civilisations. The space in the system is crossed by multiple FTL lanes for their public transport system, and unlike most systems, almost all the planets are inhabited, with the union neither needing nor wanting atmosphere on their planets. These planets are all grey and burned, with the Union deciding that plant life only serves as a nuisance to their operations and development.
The Chandelier Cluster
The result of an interstellar nebula igniting, the Chandelier Cluster is a large area of space comprising dozens of star systems. The result of the intense heat and pressure turned almost everything in the area to glass, with whole planets being transformed. Whilst some of these planets remain, others shattered, leaving the whole area full of shards of glass, ranging from centimeters to thousands of miles across, making navigation through the area perilous. Many do try however, as the intense heat and pressure not only created glass, but also many rare, unique minerals, which factions are itching to obtain.
The Empty Space
Scarring almost a quarter of one of the galaxies, the empty space is a harrowing reminder of the Supreme War, the deadliest conflict the area has ever seen. With billions of systems destroyed, planets crumbled and areas where not a single star is visible, the area is avoided by most sensible travelers, and although species and rare natural treasures do exist there, for many it is simply not worth it. Some do look to reclaim the space and their ancient homes, however, such as the Addenwyr, an alliance who were displaced by the war, and seek to recolonise what was once theirs.
Check out a free introductory adventure set in Rifts and Rivets!