Conglomerate Exploration Zone

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The Conglomerate Exploration Zone is a large area of the galaxy immediately surrounding the perimeter of the Coreworlds. The CEZ was charted by the Coreworlds Conglomerate via expeditions originating from Aglostarros and other Coreworlds, following the invention of faster-than-light travel. The outside edge of the CEZ is known as the Frontier, but that border is not clearly defined and continues to expand rapidly as new planets and systems are mapped. Under Aler Genn’s treatise on “Galactic North”, the Coreworlds Conglomerate and its Exploration Zone would span from the ‘west’ to the ‘south’, with the Empire of the Queil occupying much of the ‘northwest’ segment of the galaxy and the Ele Dominion covering functionally the entire ‘eastern’ half of the map.

Citizens from the Coreworlds have colonised many planets in the CEZ, including Dor, Adene and Indroskir. Colonists also frequently established luxury hotels, restaurants and spas on so-called ‘resort worlds’ such as Morithe. The Conglomerate typically gains a foothold on newly discovered planets within the CEZ by deploying colony habitats, which allow settlers to live and work while being protected from dangerous environments. The travel company Intrepid runs regular cruises through the CEZ, visiting wildernesses, colonies and the cities of other civilisations.

As the CEZ expanded, it eventually included parts of the Medial Ring, including worlds within or near the Iniir Protectorate, such as Tyriss in the Goh III system. The CEZ also integrates many planets and systems formerly designated by the Conglomerate as exo-worlds, such as the Tresh system.

A number of resorts on the frontier of the Conglomerate Exploration Zone, including Tyriss, were attacked by wildlife native to their worlds’ ecosystems. Almost all reports implicated local fauna acting unexpectedly, but some theories suggested that these raids were being driven by nearby communities of sentients, though there was no issuance of demands to suggest an intelligent agenda. Intrepid claimed no responsibility for protecting guests from the dangers of the frontier, saying that its customers knew and accepted those risks.

Intrepid’s later hiring of Gridlock Transgalactic to protect its tours in the CEZ and on the frontier marked the beginning of an armed private security presence in the area. The tour company also cited an increased threat from neighbouring communities of sentients, though there had been no open hostility between galactic civilisations.

The Family Oramande is known to maintain a number of corporate interests throughout the Conglomerate Exploration Zone, including a controlling share in the prestigious Montreau Conservatory.

Spacers on the frontier of the Coreworlds and throughout the Conglomerate Exploration Zone often tell stories of strange phenomena they find while travelling. These include tales of strange eggs found in the void, which likely refer to criminals exiled from the Ele Metanation in antipsychic cages, and sightings of the ghost ship *Mial's Bane*.