When?

A lot has changed since you (players) have visited the Bright Realms. The year is 3999 A.R, in the Empyrean Era. For a point of reference, the first year of the Academy of Knighthood Campaign took place in 3 A.R. 

That means we are 3996 years removed from the last time you set foot in Draconem. Now, humanity has reached out across the stars, settling in millions of locations across the Star-Scape. 

Where?

Your party will be convening on a planet known as The Khel (72-Khelsereia-d), which has a reputation for being unsavoury. While plenty of people make an honest living by sustaining the infrastructure of the planet and its vast and singular city, it first and foremost is a haven for criminals to hide out, or continue their operations with little to no consequence, as long as they play nice with the gangs that run the city. After that, the entire cosmos is yours to explore.

Aliens?

In terms of who inhabits the Galactic Webbing, nearly everyone is of a race originating from Draconem. That means every race you can find in the species codex can be played. There is, however, one race that does not originate from Draconem. In this way, you could classify them as 'aliens.' This race, called the Réoux, are similar to sheep-folk. Their planet was colonised shortly into the galactic era by Feder'feld, and their people were enslaved. Now, in most Strands, they live as second-class citizens, slaves who work hard and laborious jobs that cannot be automated by machinery. 

AI/Droids?

Unlike many other sci-fi universes, AI is NOT known to be sentient in the world of the C.O.D.A Protocol. On top of that, droids and robots do not resemble humanoids, aside from being bipedal. Androids, the type that are indistinguishable from humans, the likes of which are in Fallout and Detroit: Become Human are not present in this setting. For more of an idea what droids look like visually, check out the [Mood-Board].

How prominent is magic?

As players in previous Draconem adventures will know, magic is a vital and foundational part of society and culture. In the Empyrean Era, the ‘space age’, magic is still important, but not in the same ways it was in the Atlesian Era, when the Academy of Knighthood adventure took place. Magic takes mastery, time, practice and dedication. Sometimes it can lead to injury. In the modern day, technology can replace (albeit sometimes significantly less effectively) the effects of magic - rather than flinging a fireball, you can simply pick up a blaster. It’s simpler to take an interstellar cruiser to another planet or a hypersonic train to another city than it is to spend decades gaining mastery over teleportation, of which it is unknown if it can even be done on an interplanetary level.

While magic novices exist, the majority of people favour the convenience of technology over the skill it takes to sing with The Anthem. It’s often considered rare to have any talent with magic, and most people who do learn any do so on a superficial level, usually only the most basic of cantrips such as minor illusion or mage hand as a sort of party trick. 

The world favours intuitiveness, that which can be picked up easily and operated with little skill and training - magic has become alike to martial arts in the actual world. As such, magic is kept alive by dedicated groups, monasteries and conclaves whose teachings harken back to ancient mediaeval times.

Where are the Gods?

All is known is that the Gods, for the most part, are scattered somewhere amongst the bright realms. That means they no longer live in the dim realms that they formerly called their home. Now, they are hidden somewhere out amongst the stars, still revered, but far less involved in the politics and functions of the universe.

Where are the Draconae?

The Draconae, as always, are hidden similarly to the Gods in the modern day. As creatures who are constantly growing, will never die of age, and are impervious to most forms of harm owing to their hide, the Coven saw fit to leave their ancestral grounds of Draconem to venture out amongst the stars. As amphibian creatures who are already resistant to temperature, they have no problem navigating space. No one truly knows where they are at any given time as many of them roam, but it is known that there are a great many more adult draconae than there were in the Atlesian Era, and the draconae that make up the coven are now older, wiser, and more powerful than ever.

Do champions/heirs still exist?

Champions are rarer than ever. Most people will never meet one in their lifetime. Due to the change in structure of the Primal Gods, and with Exo Gods being unable to grant championship, it is an esteemed rarity to meet a champion, and they themselves are treated almost with the same reverie that the gods to bestow their powers upon them are.

As for heirs, their numbers have increased since the Atlesian Era, but given there were so few at that time, they are now on par with champions in terms of amount. Moreover, they are no longer outlawed or attacked, in fact given similar (though slightly different) reverence as champions. A mighty being has chosen this mortal, whether that be a god or a draconae: and that, to most, is awe-inspiring.

Read more about modern religion [here].

What’s the level of technology? + What is the aesthetic?

The aesthetic is cassette/retro futurism mixed with more modern sci-fi elements. That means that while the age is extremely advanced and futuristic, interfaces and mechanisms often have the vibe that it was designed in the 90’s and 00’s. You might find a commodore 64 style interface, which activates an advanced, touch-receptive hologram. Some ships have CD players and cassette slots, but also access to inter-galactic radios that allow two-way communication from star systems away. These aesthetics blend and mesh together. Guns with physical ammunition are long outdated, and usually blasters powered by sun-cells are used. While you might still find gunslingers with good old fashioned lead in their irons, don’t hold your breath. 

What is the political state of the galaxy?

There is always war somewhere, at all times. Atlas and Feder’feld just concluded a war that lasted three years and exhausted both sides considerably. It was ended in order to address the ongoing Chorus Crisis (that’s the a-plot for this adventure) and to reintroduce Atlas back into the DUSC, strengthening it considerably. Currently, the Strands are pulled too thin with their own expansion to fight each-other and this batshit rogue AI at the same time.

How does exploration work?

This question was originally pretty broad so I simplified it. To attack its first point: do people need special clearance to fly out into the ink (unexplored space)? The answer is simple: no. Anyone can go out into the ink for any reason they please. As for claiming land in a legal sense, there are very few exo-planets that are worth claiming, but if one does find a world they’d like to make their own, there are complicated processes involved to be recognised legally - and if it is a goldilocks planet, it is altogether not possible to claim as an individual.

If one does so illegally, they would likely run into significant roadblocks when trying to import supplies, as it would be supremely difficult to either live without import or to hide the fact that the planet that the supplies are bound for is unregistered. It’s not impossible, and it’s known that many criminal syndicates likely have unregistered planets to store illicit supplies. Heavy fines might be in order for those found in offense, and if the planet is found to be a goldilocks planet, it is considered treason, the planet is claimed by the DUSC and the offender faces life in prison.

Do corporations monopolise resources?

While there are laws in place to attempt to prevent egregious pricing for life-saving medical equipment, medication, and supplies, it is worked around relatively easily by many corporations. Often, corporations own entire moons of goldilocks planets to act as their headquarters and production facilities and buy out planets with valuable resources in order to harvest them down to their cores.

What sort of social climates are there?

Everything from old western classics and rough and tumble bars to cyberpunk dystopia and solar punk utopias. The Empyrean Era has gone on for 3000 years, in that time empires have risen and fallen, entire civilizations have formed on various different planets, ancient and storied histories and cultures. As such, some people will live in almost mediaeval settings or western frontiers. All that is guaranteed is that there will be variety.

Mantle-Mail suits?

No, you cannot have one. You can be trained in the use of them, you can even formerly have had one, but if you do have a mantle-mail suit currently, it will have to be some level of non-functioning due to damage/etc and only function as regular armour.