Togra University

**Togra University**  is one of the six playable factions in *Pandora: First Contact*.

## Abilities

* Scientific: +50% research from scientists
* Resourceful: -50% refit costs
* Curious: free Seeker ATV
* Free-spirited: -2 morale

## History

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*Since the beginning of time, mankind has traveled towards new horizons and discovered new wonders along the way. However, we scholars of Togra University travel even further by discovering the natural laws that exist behind each and every wonder*

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-- Doctor Alpheus Schreiber, Discoveries of a New Age

Togra University was founded in 2022 with a specialism in cutting edge research in materials science -- that is, valuing practical products over pure research. Despite that, in the 21st century. Togra's professors received more Nobel prizes than the rest of the world put together.

Set up in 2022 by an anonymous donor, initially as a research lab specializing in frictionless material science, the University grew fat on corporate donations for its research. Soon the joke spread that if you wanted to do something immoral, and impossible, then you asked Togra. Despite that jibe, the scientists of Togra are mostly good, honest and upright people -- just forgetful and a little keen to chase truth at the expense of, say, a thousand lab monkeys' brains.

It's hard to show a history of people who sat in a lab for seventy years but, as those Nobel Prizes indicate, Togra has been behind most of the 21st century's transformational innovations. It was Togra that supplied Noxium with the theory that allowed it to develop its expertise in zero-g mining. It was Togra which advised the Solar Dynasty on cloning techniques, so Prime Minister Sheng Xi could rule [in some sense] for ever. It was even Togra which devised the schemata that allowed the interstellar probes and the great colony ships to actually reach near light-speed, without using up the energy of a small sun.

However, Togra's board of governors, chaired by Doctor Alpheus Schreiber, has a severe dedication to information being 'free'. So it was probably also researchers at Togra that helped Terra salvum build their own interstellar colony ship. It's likely to be Togra that let Imperium know about Noxium's plans for the ship. And it was delfinitely Togra that supplied the open source AI cores that look like they could save Earth from global warming -- and might eventually take over more branches of government.

Most irritatingly for Togra, it was also these open source software AIs that helped Lilith Vermilion set up the social media / data-harvesting sites that eventually turned into Divine Ascension. Togra's scientist are mostly disgusted with her manipulative, truth-avoiding religion [though, as the saying goes, 'where you have two Togra, you have three opinions'.] On Pandora, their first aim is research; their second is to destroy Lady Vermilion.

Togra's scientists and engineers value the human intellect and academic virtues, particularly respecting personal freedom. While this freedom might result in a lack of discipline or motivation at times, this faction shows unrivaled creativity, with the brightest minds in the known universe. However, just because they're clever, doesn't mean they're all nice people.