The Core, as it is known throughout Aesgar, is the central region of the galaxy approximately 30,000 light years in length and breadth. It is the most densely packed region of stars and planetary systems in the galaxy. Despite its proximity to other major worlds, it is relatively unexplored. The League and other galactic powers keep access to the Core at a minimum, citing radiation hazards and difficult interstellar travel due to the concentration of stars and other heavenly bodies.

Rumors and myths have circulated for millennia regarding the contents of the Core, some more tantalizing to the scientific community than others. Past Nebulan philosophers explored the possibility that the Core was the center of the Cycle of Order that dominates existence in their belief system. Others believe that, while not the source of some universal force, life did originate in the Core and then spread beyond. These claims are largely considered superstition.

The only truly pertinent claims are those of contraband smugglers and other illegal exploration expeditions. The few that have returned and managed to circumvent League authorities speak of planets with fabulous ruins of an ancient civilization. Though artifacts have purportedly been brought back, none have been directly seen or studied. The League has been known to suppress, by force if necessary, any illegal Core operations and confiscates any materials found.

Most scientists agree that there is no physical evidence of any civilization within the Core in past or present. The region remains sealed and only observed from the safety of League space.

 

The Borderworlds comprise the region of Graedius and much surrounding territory, primarily along the Terra Novan-Nebulan border. These systems form the largest concentration of densely populated settlements in Aesgar due to their proximity to Graedius, the main hub of galactic trade. Borderworlds tend to be known for their vast planetary cities and opulence, but also for their well-defended nature. The shortest, most efficient, and most-traveled starlanes between the major League powers pass through this region – particularly those of the Graedian Confederacy – giving it unmatched importance to the individual galactic powers and the League as a whole.

Ever since the borders between the Terra Nova Empire, Nebulan Star Empire, and the Graedian Confederacy met, these major economic centers have generally seen extremely heavy fortification. Such examples are Salzus (the largest Nebulan shipyard) and, formerly, the Durson System (once a jewel of Nebulan defense, and later that of Graedius).

No less than four times in recent galactic history, the disruption of this region has led to near-catastrophic economic collapse throughout known space. The first instance came when the Nebulan Empire successfully invaded and conquered the Graedian Confederacy in 2623. The disruption of major starlanes and concentration of strategically valuable worlds caused an economic scare and brief recession, until it was learned that the Nebulan Empire intended little change to the region other than control of dispersing the trade revenue. In fact, the Nebulans lifted most Graedian tariffs (which were at this time crookedly set and enforced) in order to stimulate further economic growth.

However, the economic growth in the region – and the thus growing wealth of the Graedian people – came under a sudden and brutal collapse in the first Graedian Revolt of 2624. After just a year of control in the region, the Nebulans faced a full uprising across the old Confederacy. The revolt ended swiftly and brutally: the Nebulan military entered the region in force, obliterating the rebels and utterly erasing their ancient cities and colonies. This single act of defiance caused galaxy-wide economic depression for fifty years, until – by enslaving the locals – the Nebulans rebuilt the Graedian Confederacy’s worlds as new, efficient powerhouses, several times their former strength.

Another potential catastrophe occurred during the Fringe War, in which the Graedian Confederacy managed to win back independence from the Nebulans. Though they lost direct control of the region, the bureaucracy and general management the Nebulans had set in place remained largely unchanged.

The last and most terrifying scare in the region occurred during the bloody Durson War of 2888. The secession of the system from the Graedian Confederacy – and subsequent hostility to all major galactic powers – destabilized the region and nearly brought the Terra Nova Empire and Nebulan Star Empire to full-scale war. However, such an occurrence was avoided through the quick actions and decisive mediation of Admiral Targis Bulloc, General Cabal Raegen, and Baron Dean Astyr. Though the Durson System was ultimately retained by the Graedian Confederacy, its production facilities and military value were utterly drained by the war.

Since the end of the Durson War and the founding of the Aquian League, most Borderworlds have seen an explosive rate of population and economic growth. The freer movement of people and goods through the region has brought magnificent wealth and prestige back to it – a success unmatched in several hundred years.

Although the Borderworlds may be considered the most important planets in the League – and indeed civilized Aesgar – they are not centers of political power. Their political worth lies largely in their economic value, which is controlled from centers much farther from potential conflict zones.

 

 

Though some may refer to the Fringe in one geographic location as opposed to another, most scientists simply use the term to indicate any region several hundred light years beyond civilized space – save the Core, of course. Fringe worlds are usually known, but only occasionally charted fully, and rarely populated by League colonists. The western Terra Nova Fringe is much more undisturbed than that of the Nebulan frontier in galactic northeast (though this region is now referred to as Metron Territory).

Many sovereign worlds exist in Fringe territories across the League, and even some established trade routes. A large number of smugglers and other organized crime elements also make their abodes in these regions for their distance from the Borderworlds. Until the recent discovery of the organized Metron state beyond the Nebulan Fringe, little political interest or law extended to these far-off territories.

Before the beginning of the Metron conflict, it was widely rumored that the Nebulans were conducting aggressive campaigns of expansion into Fringe territory, effectively using a loophole in the League’s charter to conquer new swaths of territory. After the brutal massacre of a Nebulan colony on Isos, expansion was stepped up again, with nearly three years of bloody guerilla wars between the Nebulans and independent systems all along the border. A common story spoken of amongst all colonies on the Nebulan Fringe is that of the Red Devil – a man that appears with a demon army, and slaughters whole populations in hideous fashion.

Yet the sudden appearance of the Metron and their aggressive counterthrust ousted scattered Nebulan forces in the region, and though such stories have lessened in frequency, the fear visibly lingers among some.

The border is now closed to civilian interests, and any information regarding the region – including Nebulan activities within – has been completely sealed.

 

The Unknown is the ambiguous designation of the region beyond the furthest-known worlds of the Fringe. It encompasses a vast swath of territory to galactic northwest; being on the other side of the Core, no credible sources have been able to observe it. Reaching and exploring such a region has been proposed by League scientists, but never acted upon. The funding and danger involved in mounting an expedition, from either Fringe, and the inherent danger in entering un- or lightly- explored territory was deemed unacceptable.

Some advocated flight through the Core. This proposal was flatly rejected without further inquiry.

Yet stories have been told of the Unknown. An event known as the Kresh Invasion is the most common yarn, found throughout civilized Aesgar in relatively similar forms. Virtually every version is largely regarded as more myth than fact -- a Scale’s tale to frighten children. The summary is that the Unknown was once home to a race of demons that invaded what is present-day League territory, causing unimaginable destruction and committing atrocities beyond comprehension. Adjusting the term “demon” for “Kresh,” this is a rough approximation of a mass migration of advanced nomadic humanoids thought to have actually occurred at the dawn of galactic civilization. However, little evidence remains to corroborate a catastrophic invasion on the scope implied, or that any new species resettled their conquered or devastated worlds.

Some historians have put forth the theory that the Nebulan people may have originated from this mythical race; the Nebulans themselves have, amongst older generations in particular, passed down the tradition that they were once a nomadic people that conquered their now-ancestral land. Such claims have largely been deemed myths spread and mingled from an older tradition, due to Nebulan assimilation practices and expanding galactic trade. However, the similarities in the stories have proven tantalizing to some circles.