It has been 5760 years since the Romans nailed a jewish preacher to a tree, and changed Terra for millenia. Mankind has found that there are many worlds, and many of them are inhabited. As mankind left the cradle of Terra, they found that someone before had spread humankind across the known universe. But Mankind is not alone. 8 groups discovered the secrets to travelling the stars... The enigmatic and tradition-bound Droyne, The proud and fierce Aslan, the brash and chaotic Vargr, The manipulating Hivers, the militant vegetarian K'Kree, and three groups of humans: Zhodani, perfidous psionicists; The Vilani, calculating bureaucrats; and the Terrans, now called Solomani, the bringers of change.
The Third Imperium.... for 1100 years of the Nobility keeping the 11000 worlds from annihilating each other. One man, Strephon Alkhalikoi, sits on the Iridium throne, binding together the remenants of the Vilani and Terran Imperiums.
The Imperium is run by the nobility, scattered about, all in fealty to their Emperor, Strephon. Under their control, the various fleets of the Imperial Navy maintain the peace. The Imperial Marines, carried with the navy, provide the iron fist the Archdukes use to keep their underlings in line.
The Imperial Interstellar Scout Service keeps the official lines of communication open, providing electronic mail services, perfoming the census and internal mapping surveys, and keeping tabs upon the worlds in and near the Imperium.
The tasks of keeping the lines of trade and communication open are mighty, as the Jump Drive, which allows ships to punch into hyperspace, can only travel at best 6 parsecs per jump, and any jump takes a week, no matter how short. And every so often, a ship never comes out of jump, or exits far from the intended exit point. Try as they might, no known power in the universe has been able to send messages any faster than light speed except by sending a ship, nor to attain a controlled jump of more than 6 parsecs distance.
Local tensions often run high, and worlds are permitted local government of choice, merchant and self-defense fleets, so long as they meet their Imperial quotas for recruits, ships, fuel, and food. The Imperium has learned that hostilities will break out, and regulates them rather than prohibits them... including piracy and espionage.
Despite the hazards of thousands of subject governments, state permitted piracy and internal warfare, the vagaries of jump space, hardy souls take to the stars, some as merchants, some as tourists, some as mercenaries or pirates, and some as criminals... These are Travellers, and this game tells their stories.
