By the 31st Century, the Milky Way Galaxy has been mapped and explored by mankind using starships powered by the incredible warp space drive. This time of galactic exploration, conquest, and colonization is known as the Infinite Age. The Milky Way Galaxy is roughly 100,000 light years in diameter and contains roughly 200 billion star systems. The majority of these systems lie in the dense Core region. The Galaxy is divided into four equal quadrants: The Orion Quadrant, the Sagittarius Quadrant, the Centaurus Quadrant, and the Perseus Quadrant.
The Orion Quadrant is the home of the Sol System and Earth. The star systems around Earth were the first colonized and are now heavily populated Core Worlds. These colonies are still owned by the traditional governments of Earth such as the U.S., China, European Union, Japan and others. Collectively, these worlds and their governments are called the Old Earth Empires. They are constantly embroiled in petty wars and strife, but still maintain uneasy relations with both the Interstellar Federation and the Pan-Solar Empire.
The Perseus Quadrant is home to the Interstellar Federation. The Federation is a strong union of former colonies that have gained their independence from Earth. The government is a Republican Monarchy with a President being elected for life. For the most part, the Federation is benevolent and fair in their government and laws. Citizens of the Federation enjoy a high standard of living.
The tyrannical Pan-Solar Empire governs most of the Sagittarius Quadrant. The Empire, like the Federation, is also comprised of old colony worlds. Unlike the Federation, they did not gain their independence. Instead, the mad Emperor Gregor Veroveren, who has ruled his quadrant with an iron fist for more than 300 Solar Years, conquered them. The Worlds of the Empire have all been raped of their natural resources to fuel the huge military/industrial complex of the Imperial Armed Forces. Citizens of the Empire live in squalid misery with no human rights. They view the Federation with jealous eyes. It is the Empire's ultimate goal to conquer the Federation and take its wealth.
The Centaurus Quadrant is home to many new Federation colonies and countless small independent governments. It is on the edge of explored space and most of the new planets are being discovered there. For this reason, it is called the Frontier. The Centaurus Quadrant is home to pirates and bandits and is considered a wild area of space. Many independent freighters try their luck against both the Empire raids and bandit piracy to deliver goods back and forth between the colonies and the Federation and the Old Earth Empires.
In all, the Galaxy supports an estimated 4.9 trillion human inhabitants on over 150,000 worlds worlds, and expanding. Core worlds are heavily industrialized worlds with populations exceeding ten billion. These were some of the first worlds colonized during man's expansion into space. There are less than 1000 Core Worlds in the Galaxy. Core Worlds are usually not self-sufficient and rely on supplies and resources from the outer Colony Worlds. Colony Worlds are relatively recently discovered worlds that are self-sufficient in terms of population, but have difficulty producing high-end goods. Some Colony Worlds have been settled for over 400 years and are on the verge of becoming galactic powers in their own right. Recently colonized worlds on the Galactic Frontier are heavily dependent on other worlds for technology and supplies. Their populations usually number less than one million, often in the thousands.
Federation Rangers are tasked to enforce Federation law in the Galactic Frontier and on Federation Colonies and Associate Worlds. They have no jurisdiction on Federation member worlds. There, Federation AstroPol maintains bases for permanent law enforcement.
Lightspeed IF is a Role-Playing Game set in the Galaxy of the 31st Century, a period known in the Infinite Futures game system as the Infinite Age. This is a time of exploration and adventure. The conflicts of the Core Wars are over and the Galaxy is at peace, though old animosities simmer just below the surface and new rivalries threaten to flare into conflict. The galaxy of the Infinite Age is vast, and its possibilities are limitless.
Lightspeed IF is a campaign sourcebook for use with the Infinite Futures 2.0 core rulebook and the Pathfinder role-playing game.
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