The Dark Sea of the Cosmos
An Independent Cylarn Production
An Action/Horror RP with an emphasis in space exploration, naval combat, boarding actions, crew dynamics, and mind-breaking Lovecraftian horror.
I have seen the dark universe yawning
Where the black planets roll without aim,
Where they roll in their horror unheeded,
Without knowledge, or lustre, or name.
H.P. Lovecraft
Where the black planets roll without aim,
Where they roll in their horror unheeded,
Without knowledge, or lustre, or name.
H.P. Lovecraft
An Introduction
*** ROGER L. STRAHAM, CAPTAIN OF OSIRUS STATION ***
“Do we own space? To be more specific: do we, humanity at large, lay claim to dominate the entirety of the Milky Way Galaxy? My answer is no.”
“Does that answer surprise you? It definitely should, given that on the veneer of things, we are purportedly the sole form of intelligent life in our galaxy. In almost four-hundred years of space exploration and colonization, we have found prosperity in the stars. We have colonized planets, connected them with Quadrant Gates and FTL travel, launched space stations, and given life to new nations - and our home planet.”
“What we have seen of our galaxy is beauty and mystery. Garden worlds have been discovered, rife with alien flora and fauna - along with the long-forgotten evidence that we are not the first species to live in the Milky Way Galaxy. Buildings of foreign design have been discovered, weathered by time and steadily reclaimed by jungles and deserts and snowy mountains. We have found crashed ships, dried blood, clear signs of strife and confrontation - but no records. Around us were remnants of alien societies that came before us, but no concrete evidence of any other intelligent life.”
“What we found next, after we seemingly conquered the stars, has changed everything. I’m sure that you’re not socially inept, that you know the situation. If not, lemme give you the rundown.”
“There is something else out there, something that is alien way beyond our understanding. Something out on the fringes of colonized space; our frontier in the Perseus Arm. Horrors that we thought to roam the realm of science fiction, capable of manipulating time and space and causing untold, unpredictable destruction for anyone or anything unlucky enough to cross paths with them. We call them “Anomalies,” and while our species has warred amongst ourselves for thousands of years, there are those among us - myself included - who privately fear for the destruction of mankind.”
“We know very little about these creatures, even after two years of consistent encounters, hundred of ships destroyed, five space stations disintegrated with all hands lost, and over a thousand dead. SolFed won't comment on them; the best way to describe them - the best phrase I have found is “corporeal chaos.” People have reported Anomalous “hellhounds” emerging from angles of light during FTL, tearing apart entire crews in transit before disappearing right back into the ether, leaving nothing but a ghost ship filled with mutilated corpses. I’ve seen naval engagement vids with Anomalies as big as dreadnoughts, slinging fire and tentacles about. Most of what we know comes from wild speculation, drawn-out theories, unconfirmed reports, and - lastly, what's left in the wake. Occasionally there are survivors whose stories change all too often, but most of the time, what's found is twisted wreckage - or nothing but a distress call from a lost ship.”
“Where do they come from? I do not know, but people have reported seeing Anomalies appear at random, unpredictable intervals. It all started four years ago - the disappearances. A freighter passing over to the Frontier would turn up AWOL from time to time. Pirates were the first culprits to get the finger pointed at them, which prompted SolFed to undertake a massive naval operation in the regions where the ships were going missing. They killed a ton of pirates and declared the operation a success, but eight-hundred sailors didn't come home. They hang to that excuse; that they 'won.’ We know it's a lie, and it's in their best interest to confine this problem to the Frontier.”
“Where did they come from? Were they even from this galaxy, or this universe? Those are just a few of the questions being asked.”
“And besides the Navy and the corporations, who is fighting the Anomalies? It takes a special kind of person to chase a monster, but as long as there is a need for them to be exterminated - and an incentive to fulfill that need, the “Coursers” are the ones stepping up to the plate.”
“Call them mercenaries, cowboys, hunters, or whatever - but they mostly prefer being called Coursers. These guys specialize in hunting, pursuing, and killing Anomalies for a payday. The contracts for disposing of an Anomaly pay good-enough money. Most Coursers operate with a crew; usually, a large mothership - a “Mount” - with a functioning hangar and cannons will go out with several smaller vessels, often called “Lurchers,” or “Hounds.” Essentially, the Mount will cruise in an area of space while the Lurchers and Hounds patrol around until they find an Anomaly - or until the Anomaly finds them. They'll whittle it down and draw it back towards the Mount, which will then make its move with superior firepower. After that, if the Mount survives, they drain it of its Lifeblood and part ways.”
“The life of a Courser is not an easy one; then again, any job with a life expectancy lower than that of a colonial advance scout should never be underestimated. Like I said, it takes a certain caliber of person to do this work. That's not me - but if you wish to embrace that life, I’d be damned if I stopped you.”
“Does that answer surprise you? It definitely should, given that on the veneer of things, we are purportedly the sole form of intelligent life in our galaxy. In almost four-hundred years of space exploration and colonization, we have found prosperity in the stars. We have colonized planets, connected them with Quadrant Gates and FTL travel, launched space stations, and given life to new nations - and our home planet.”
“What we have seen of our galaxy is beauty and mystery. Garden worlds have been discovered, rife with alien flora and fauna - along with the long-forgotten evidence that we are not the first species to live in the Milky Way Galaxy. Buildings of foreign design have been discovered, weathered by time and steadily reclaimed by jungles and deserts and snowy mountains. We have found crashed ships, dried blood, clear signs of strife and confrontation - but no records. Around us were remnants of alien societies that came before us, but no concrete evidence of any other intelligent life.”
“What we found next, after we seemingly conquered the stars, has changed everything. I’m sure that you’re not socially inept, that you know the situation. If not, lemme give you the rundown.”
“There is something else out there, something that is alien way beyond our understanding. Something out on the fringes of colonized space; our frontier in the Perseus Arm. Horrors that we thought to roam the realm of science fiction, capable of manipulating time and space and causing untold, unpredictable destruction for anyone or anything unlucky enough to cross paths with them. We call them “Anomalies,” and while our species has warred amongst ourselves for thousands of years, there are those among us - myself included - who privately fear for the destruction of mankind.”
“We know very little about these creatures, even after two years of consistent encounters, hundred of ships destroyed, five space stations disintegrated with all hands lost, and over a thousand dead. SolFed won't comment on them; the best way to describe them - the best phrase I have found is “corporeal chaos.” People have reported Anomalous “hellhounds” emerging from angles of light during FTL, tearing apart entire crews in transit before disappearing right back into the ether, leaving nothing but a ghost ship filled with mutilated corpses. I’ve seen naval engagement vids with Anomalies as big as dreadnoughts, slinging fire and tentacles about. Most of what we know comes from wild speculation, drawn-out theories, unconfirmed reports, and - lastly, what's left in the wake. Occasionally there are survivors whose stories change all too often, but most of the time, what's found is twisted wreckage - or nothing but a distress call from a lost ship.”
“Where do they come from? I do not know, but people have reported seeing Anomalies appear at random, unpredictable intervals. It all started four years ago - the disappearances. A freighter passing over to the Frontier would turn up AWOL from time to time. Pirates were the first culprits to get the finger pointed at them, which prompted SolFed to undertake a massive naval operation in the regions where the ships were going missing. They killed a ton of pirates and declared the operation a success, but eight-hundred sailors didn't come home. They hang to that excuse; that they 'won.’ We know it's a lie, and it's in their best interest to confine this problem to the Frontier.”
“Where did they come from? Were they even from this galaxy, or this universe? Those are just a few of the questions being asked.”
“And besides the Navy and the corporations, who is fighting the Anomalies? It takes a special kind of person to chase a monster, but as long as there is a need for them to be exterminated - and an incentive to fulfill that need, the “Coursers” are the ones stepping up to the plate.”
“Call them mercenaries, cowboys, hunters, or whatever - but they mostly prefer being called Coursers. These guys specialize in hunting, pursuing, and killing Anomalies for a payday. The contracts for disposing of an Anomaly pay good-enough money. Most Coursers operate with a crew; usually, a large mothership - a “Mount” - with a functioning hangar and cannons will go out with several smaller vessels, often called “Lurchers,” or “Hounds.” Essentially, the Mount will cruise in an area of space while the Lurchers and Hounds patrol around until they find an Anomaly - or until the Anomaly finds them. They'll whittle it down and draw it back towards the Mount, which will then make its move with superior firepower. After that, if the Mount survives, they drain it of its Lifeblood and part ways.”
“The life of a Courser is not an easy one; then again, any job with a life expectancy lower than that of a colonial advance scout should never be underestimated. Like I said, it takes a certain caliber of person to do this work. That's not me - but if you wish to embrace that life, I’d be damned if I stopped you.”
