As worlds are drawn inward to the core of the Maelstrom, the beings occupying those worlds strive to move outward in order to remain in the relative safety of the Outer Ring. Those who fail must engage in an even more desperate struggle for survival in the Central Ring. The Central Ring is much denser, much deadlier than the Outer Ring. Collisions are more common. Confrontations are more common.
Death is more common.
Races battle for resources, battle over technology, and battle simply to survive in an increasingly dangerous environment. As their worlds are drawn inexorably toward the core of the Maelstrom, the ground writhes and buckles, spewing magma and cracking and crumbling beneath their feet. Planets smash together and explode or are fused into strange and terrible landscapes that should not exist. Meteors the size of continents determine the outcome of battles as random impacts destroy warring forces. As worlds are drawn closer to the core, fewer survive.