The Requiem for Innocence ("RFI") universe is a soft sci-fi universe with supernatural elements based on the concept of using 'willpower' as a fundamental force in the universe. This provides for a "magic system" that is still strongly rooted in the story's sci-fi roots. It's a "post-modern" history, meaning all the events of the current world are accepted as canon. This includes other science fiction, political events, and technological advances.
¶ A Message from the Creator
I've been working on this universe, on and off, since the 90s. I was a kid then, but I had the idea of creating my own version of the amazing science fiction worlds I grew up with. Babylon 5, Star Trek, Star Wars, and the fictional worlds of numerous authors filled my mind as I set out to build my own world with my own characters. And while I've yet to publish anything in this world, I feel like I've succeeded in creating something very special.
While the main timeline is pretty set in stone, one of the appeals of this universe is that while I've been it's primary creator, many people have contributed to it over it's long lifespan, and my intention has been to allow anyone to tell whatever stories they would like to in this universe. Those stories might not be canonical with the main stories I've been working on, but this is the kind of project where you can pick your own canon, if you want to.
I want everyone to be able to enjoy this universe and have their own fun with it. Feel free to use it for personal use (rpg settings, your own stories, etc). I just also ask that you respect that you do not own any of the canon characters.
For the legal details of this, see the License page.
--Chris Case
It's the late 27th century. Humanity has been a space-faring race for four hundred years, and at war with itself for most of it. There are a handful of other races we've made contact with, the Lyndri and the NorAellians being the primary two others that hold territory in the half of the galaxy we've explored. While we've found some hints at other, long-dead races, none of them seem to have been much more advanced than humanity was centuries ago.
Known space is split primarily between the two major Human factions, The League of Allied Worlds and The People's Republic of Terra. The Confederacy of Freelance States control an area of space near the galactic core that borders both the League and the Terrans. Towards the outer edges of the galaxy is NorAellian space, with the Lyndri holding a few star systems between the League and the NorAellians.
Humanity has been at war since shortly after the establishment of the first Mars colony. That war has shaped galactic politics, as in a few short centuries Humanity and it's various factions have become the dominant political forces in the galaxy. It's hard to find a corner of the galaxy where the war hasn't left an impact.
While most of the galaxy has been concerned with Humanity's war, there has been a force moving quietly, gathering information, and preparing for... something. The NorAellians are one of the few races that acknowledge this threat, but even they aren't stupid enough to discuss such thing publicly. Instead, they work with their Human and Lyndri allies to prepare for a war they hope will never come.
Exactly who, or what this new group is, no one is quite sure. But, taking the NorAellians at their word, they are made up of two races. Known to the NorAellians as 'The ancient enemy', the Sooni, are an ancient branch of humanity. They seem to be in possession of technology centuries beyond the rest of the galaxy, but beyond that, they are a complete mystery. Officially, both the Terrans and League disavow their existence.
The second race, known only as the Grey, are even more of a mystery than the Sooni. They are said to have impossibly powerful ships, but themselves wear no discernable clothing, or use weapons of any kind. Instead, they attack like animals: ripping, tearing, and strangling anyone they've decided to kill. It's said that the way they keep others from knowing about them is to ensure that there are never any survivors.
Lately, there's been rumors of people with incredible abilities. These rumors remain unproven for now, but it seems that there exist some people who are able to do unexplainable things. From levitating objects to conjuring weapons out of nothing, these rumors grow stranger and more frequent by the day. Most people still dismiss them as tall tales told by spacers who've spent a bit too much time 'out in the black'.
Most of these rumors are blamed on the rather ingenious public relations campaign by one of the most famous, or infamous, public figures in human history. Lizbeth Locke, famed mercenary, is said to have extraordinary abilities, and may even be immortal. She has, over the years, claimed these rumors are in fact true, and has even demonstrated them, though none of the footage could be verified. As Lizbeth herself isn't believed to actually be a single person the voracity of these claims is very much in doubt. The most common belief is that it's a group of female mercenaries, all of whom have been surgically altered to look like the same person. But this is just a theory.
On the other hand, it's well documented that Locke has been operating as a mercenary for over two hundred years, so if it is a single person, then perhaps the rumors are to be believed.
"There's somethin' in the air, and it ain't the filters"
— Freelancer saying
Everyone has been getting more and more nervous as it feels like something big is about to happen. The war between the Terrans and the League has been under cease-fire for long enough now that it feels like the final explosion and push is coming. Both sides have been building weapons and developing new technology at a break-neck pace for decades now. No one's sure what's coming, but they feel like once the cease-fire breaks, there will be nothing left by the time the war is over.
Add to that the rumors that have been becoming more frequent, and even the people living comfortable in the capital worlds have been worried that something big is about to happen. But ask a NorAellian, and they will tell you that "the ancient enemy is about to make their move"... whatever that means.