Voidrunners

**Voidrunner** is an occupation that involves entering black holes and exploring them without compromising yourself, usually by using special technology, and leaving with various valuables that you may find in them. Voidrunners have existed throughout the galaxy for many years in different forms, most notably the Black Hole Buccaneers and the group of Voidrunners who entered the Ultravoid.

The **Voidrunners** seen in *Solar Ash* are a group of explorers who enter black holes with the help of Voidtech with the aim of general adventure and potential recovery of valuable items. They are highly-skilled and well-equipped entities, perfectly capable to perform their seriously perilous job. The Voidrunners herald from a single planet, though they are all clearly of different species.

When Voidrunners need to enter a black hole, they will drop from their spaceship and into the void.

## History

Nothing is known about the origin of the Voidrunners or whether the current team, sans Rei, were even the first Voidrunners to exist. They were certainly not the first beings to enter black holes and retrieve valuables from them, as evidenced by the Black Hole Buccaneers, though it is possible that this pirate group shares a historical link to the Voidrunners. It is however likely that the Voidrunners we know of are the only ones to have existed, as the technology they employ to enter black holes, Voidtech, was only invented after the discovery of an ancient artifact deep beneath their planets' crust by the group's technology specialist and geologist, Tufte, where the Voidrunners were exploring.

It is also possible said artifact was put there by a former black hole-exploring group.

## Known Voidrunners

* **Rei** – The protagonist of *Solar Ash*. She is the newest recruit in the Voidrunners' group. Not much is known about her past, or her specialty and role in the group, but she seems to be a caring and determined person. It is implied that she also joined the team to see the Ultravoid, which she found beautiful. The religious technology expert, Pyat, convinced Rei that activating the Starseed was the only way to stop the Ultravoid. Rei was the one who eventually activated it and consequently creates a time-loop in which she repeated the coming to the Ultravoid and activating it repeatedly until the day that she finally deactivated it.
* **Erving** – The Voidrunners' medic and a veteran of three planetary wars. He was known to have a disdain for robots (C.Y.D. bearing the brunt of this dislike) and had a dog named Darb who he brought with him on the mission. Erving is dead now, having been trapped by a time distortion created by the original activation of the Starseed by Rei. Darb survives him now.
* **Verse** – The youngest of the group with an unknown specialty, he was known to be hotheaded and rash with decision making. Verse had a strong belief in action above all else and deeply resented the government of his homeworld for how long it took to come up with a solution to the Ultravoid's threat. Verse is dead now, having been trapped by a time distortion created by the original activation of the Starseed by Rei.
* **Ghozam** – The leader of the Voidrunners. Described as logical and caring by C.Y.D. and Rei. Ghozam is dead now, having been trapped by a time distortion created by the original activation of the Starseed by Rei.
* **Pyat** – One of the technology specialists. He was known to have advanced Voidtech very much and may have been present when the ancient artifact that started it all was unearthed. Pyat was very religious and spiritual, believing that the Starseed was holy in some way and that everyone would be saved if they gave themselves to it. Pyat is dead now, having been trapped by a time distortion created by the original activation of the Starseed by Rei.
* **Tufte** – Tufte was a technology specialist and geologist in the team. Notably, she was the one who discovered the ancient artifact that would create Voidtech and was the one who created a manual override in the Starseed upon realizing what Pyat planned to do with it. Tufte also created the C.Y.D. artificial intelligence and their nodes. Tufte is dead now, having been trapped by a time distortion created by the original activation of the Starseed by Rei.

## References

1. ↑ *Solar Ash* Interview: Lead Developer Discusses Accessibility, Transitioning to 3D, Speedrunning, & More. *Twinfinite*. Banat, Omar. November 11, 2021.