The Lore

1. Forward

    This is a not at all conclusive or comprehensive description of the station’s lore and inner workings. Much will be intentionally obfuscated by design; the point isn’t to know how the station works, who runs it, or why off the bat. Such things can be explored in character.

 

    While we try and avoid tying our lore to any specific universe; if you’re looking for specific source material on the gritty sci-fi we have in mind, the most comparable series would be The Expanse and Firefly. We do not have the tech level of Star Wars or the optimism of Star Trek (Though Deep Space Nine would be somewhat comparable). Of course, characters from those universes are welcome as long as it complies with our rules.

2. The Station & Location

    Kyoshi Station is located in a portal world between realms; a close example would be Xen for those familiar with the Half Life series. It isn’t of any particular universe or dimension; instead it sits on a cross-roads with wormholes to various universes and galaxies at various points of space time. This enables two popular entries for new characters:

• Space faring: Space faring characters have a very easy in and out to enter and leave the RP; the wormholes. Most wormholes are stable and allow people to leave and exit their home universes essentially at will, though there is always the risk the wormhole suddenly closes, stranding the character. This allows entry from ‘canon’ universes such as Star Wars, Trek, Mass Effect, etc. Refer to the rules thread on canon characters!        
  • Note: Wormholes into sci-fi universes are only big enough to support small to medium sized ships. For example, you could fit a X-Wing or a Defiant, but you probably aren’t fitting the Enterprise E or a star destroyer through the wormhole. This limits sci-fi characters to smaller craft sizes so no one tries parking the Death Star outside.            
• ‘Snatched’: The pocket universe works in weird ways. It has been known that portals spontaneously open up into other universes then close, including less advanced ones. This allows fantasy characters, vikings, even modern characters to be spontaneously dumped on the station through a random portal, though leaving the station for these characters is rather unlikely.    

    The pocket universe the station resides in is particularly rich in natural resources; a form of small solar system inside the pocket universe, multiple planets exist in-system that are rather rich in resources, and the station and private companies alike mine these resources.

3. Station Management

    It is not publicly known what entity actually manages the station, why, or for what motive. Carbon dating the station (for characters with tech capable of doing so) places some parts at hundreds, if not thousands of years old. Station Management is largely delegated to private corporations, currently half a dozen private companies largely provide for the stations upkeep. There is a singular Station Administrator, but who he reports to or what the stations actual motive is are largely unknown.

4. Station Philosophy

    The station practices a rough form of anarcho-capitalism. There are no guaranteed ‘rights’ on the station, nor does station management provide much of any services for residents and visitors. There is a contracted security firm, but its contract is protecting station interests, not necessarily the residents of the station. Security does enforce a non-aggression principle when able, but, generally, for the average resident or visitor, security is essentially their own responsibility.

    Advanced medical care is offered on the station, at a fee, by the Shock Trauma Armed Rescue Service, or S.T.A.R.S, who provide armed medical evacuation and medbay services for those who can afford it. Housing and lodging, as well as most food items, are provided at a fee.

    This ‘pick yourself up by the bootstraps’ approach has left many visitors, especially ones ‘snatched’ from lesser advanced societies, quickly falling into debt without means to repay it. That leaves them with two options; a life hiding in the stations’ slums, or servitude.

     

5. Slavery (And how to avoid it)

    The station’s non-aggression principle philosophy largely bans underground slavery and crime, when security cares enough to enforce it, anyway, but unwilling servitude is a valued method for repaying debts and ‘righting wrongs’ on the station. When taking on debt, most loaners have a verbal or written agreement that a failure to pay/default can include servitude for a defined term, though, many contracts are worded in such a way that the ‘defined term’ can exceed someones lifetime when factoring room and board and food deductions during indentured servitude, etc.

    As far as the station’s principles are concerned, signing such a contract satisfies the non-aggression principle and defaulting on the loan is grounds for enslavement, and the lack of rights therein, including physical punishment for disobedience and no right to choose work performed. The station’s principles state the enslaved must have done some wrong to deserve the fate, though; snatching someone off the slums to work the mines isn’t going to be legally recognized. Slaves can usually buy their freedom, but, of course, the system works against them on gathering any real wealth.

    As a result of this system, new arrivals, especially those from lower technology universes, are frequently targeted by schemes for ‘easy money’ without reading the contract or just not having a choice. As such, many lower income residents flee to the lower levels; i.e, the slums, to avoid corporate bounty hunters looking to cash in on their defaulted contracts. Once captured, most debtor slaves are fitted with a tracking/’discipline’ collar, so the trick is to avoid capture all together. In the crowded unregulated slums, this is relatively doable.

     

6. The Slums

    One would think on an aggressively capitalistic space station ‘lower income’ areas would essentially be eradicated, but for one reason or another the slums on Level 5 of the space station remain. The largest level by land area, this is where over 60% of the station’s population resides, usually the poor and ill-doing. Station Security is relatively unseen down here, though they do appear occasionally for raids. As such, gangs and organized crime runs the slums, though bounty hunters from the upper levels make a living down here hunting for fugitives and debtors for enslavement alike. Much of the ‘civilian’ population down here are low-income workers or slaves working for one of the stations megacorporations, though it is possible to start your own business down here beyond the watchful eyes of the stations upper management.

     

7. The Corps

    The Corporations, shortened to Corps, really run the stations day to day operations. Large ones include Veyrand Logistics, responsible in some way for most of the incoming and outgoing trade on the station, STARS, aforementioned for the stations’ medical contract, and x Security Services, the stations’ security contractor. The only major station service kept in-house to station management is Engineering, which is simply Kyoshi Engineering.

    In any case, almost everyone on the station ends up either directly working for, or having to deal in some way with, the corporations. While acting under the veil of shareholders or corporate interests, in the largely lawless station, these corporations don’t function much different than the organized crime rings down in the slums.

7. Entertainment

    While most known for being a intergalactic trade hub, the stations’ upper levels have some more lavish attractions, including a casino, restaurants, and a night club. Drugs are effectively legalized which makes the club a more unique experience most nights. The upper levels are largely full of wealthier station residents and visitors from other universes, leaving the slums to find their own means for entertainment down below.

     

8. Conclusion

    Kyoshi tries and blends multiple elements from different multiverses, but most closely would resemble a mix of Deep Space Nine for the setting and the Cyberpunk series for its laws and anarcho-capitalist principles. Our open-ended entry allows basically any character from any universe to drop in and roleplay with us; so feel free to stop by and find out more! Do remember to read the rules first!