Coreworlds

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The Coreworlds are a collection of neighbouring habitable star systems located somewhat near to the Galactic Core. They are highly populated by sentient beings, and governed by the Coreworlds Conglomerate.

Aglostarros, the capital world of the Conglomerate, and Ourinia, a leading industrial hub, are key planets in the Coreworlds. Other planets in the area include Gil Tol and Ortekk.

Another notable coreworld is the planet Oramande, formerly known as Irin, which was once ruled over by the Family Oramande and became a signatory of the Conglomerate Charter and a foundational member of the Coreworlds Conglomerate. Though the Oramandes later abdicated all but their ceremonial responsibilities on Oramande, they continue to exert a powerful influence on the politics of the Coreworlds, including the enactment of several unpopular laws and the cultivation of numerous corporate interests in the region.

The compound Astrum-36 is known to be scarce among the Coreworlds, due to the presence of light and radiation from the Galactic Core.

Faster-than-light (FTL) travel is required for citizens of the Coreworlds to leave the region. Following the commercialisation of FTL travel the Coreworlds, and particularly Aglostarros, experienced a large-scale exodus, as citizens moved out to colonies in the Conglomerate Exploration Zone. Coreworlds citizens, like the military of the Queil Empire, typically favoured fabricated metal components in the construction of their starships. While the CEZ expanded out to the "North" and "West", the Coreworlds themselves remained relatively accessible via a backdoor route through 'Uncharted Space'.

The introduction of FTL travel also allowed cultural exchanges to become more frequent. One example of this was the visit of the Xunne Operatic Players from the Xu system in the Drakonwing Expanse to Aglostarros, where they performed the traditional Xun opera *The Fall of Exia* at the Gardolos Theatre eight times in a single week.

Citizens of the Coreworlds occasionally partake in an event known as a "potluck", a communal meal in which each invitee brings one or more dishes they have prepared or purchased themselves, which are each shared among the group of attendees. This is similar in concept to the Feast of Elforsht, which is observed in the Ele Metanation, though the Ele place much greater cultural importance on their Feast.

Children in the Coreworlds are customarily gifted a "Wonder-Ball" matrix at birth, and the device is durable enough to survive many years of use, as well as extensive modding. For this reason, the toys are also popular among older generations, who find that it helps to focus their mind. *The Sleepy Robot* is a nursery rhyme commonly told to children in the Coreworlds.

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*.

In the year 2270, after reports by Project Centennial's Centurions from within the Ele Dominion's borders began to reach the Coreworlds, citizens began to emigrate to the Dominion in their hundreds, tantalised by the promise of a better life as part of the Ele Metanation. As one anonymous source explained to the AlTime News Channel, to "live in harmony with their fellow beings" was preferable to "shovelling Astrum for ViCorp". The Conglomerate and the Queil Empire attempted to stem this exodus by setting up checkpoints along the border with the Ele Dominion. The Dominion, in turn, took offence to this, with ambassador El-Deen noting that, while the Ele had set few terms when joining the Trifold Union, free movement across borders was one of their main demands.