This is in reference to my last post and is a rough draft for the org mentioned in that post. This "lore" would not be binding to anyone that joined, RP would be optional, and I attempted to make it flexible to various play styles whilst still maintaining a, hopefully, interesting backstory that isn't super heavy with the already "established" Star Citizen lore. I can always add more, less, and/or edit what I have and I am open to comments and suggestions.

Some useful lore and commonly used terms:

UEE - United Earth Empire (Space Rome)

Vanduul - Like the "Vandal barbarians" but yah know... aliens

Persistent Universe - The MMO aspect of Star Citizen

Banu and Xi'an - Two non-hostile alien races that approximately represent Persia and the Chinese respectively

THE MALETHITES

A History:

In 2580 a band of religious zealots set out from the core systems of the UEE in search of a quiet, peaceful, world where they could live in peace and isolation from the rest of the galaxy. During their search they discovered a fortress planet filled with mountains that were riddled with vast verdant caverns and colorful tunnels that were lit by an enigmatic chemical reaction between two mysterious minerals in the planet’s soil. The planet featured a large asteroid belt that enveloped the planet and sheltered it from the radiation of a particularly harsh star.

However the Zealots were not the first to discover this hidden paradise. The planet had already been occupied by former pirates who had once used the planet as a base from which to launch raids on the outer colonies and trade lanes but by the time of the Zealots arrival they had forgone their dangerous pirating lifestyle and retired. The former pirates called their new home “Maleth” which means “safe haven”. First contact between the pilgrims and the retired pirates led to a short skirmish, known in the history books as the “Battle at Ancora Station”, above the planet at the small dilapidated orbital station setup by the pirates to gather nearby resources from Maleth’s asteroid belt.

After this short skirmish between the pilgrims and the pirates, discovering that both groups sought the same sanctuary and that there was plenty of room to share, they struck a peace treaty and the former pirates invited the pilgrims to settle on their “safe haven”. Over time the settlement grew, generations passed, and the two groups slowly melded into one. However, the newer generations drifted from the religious zeal, fear of the long arm of the law, and sedentary life style that their parents and grandparents had desired and began to once again travel into the stars. Now instead of seeking distance and sanctuary these sons and daughters of pilgrims and riffraff sought a new goal: profit. Many wished to profit off of the rich mineral wealth that Maleth’s surrounding belt and rich mines provided.

Maleth was located on the fringes of UEE space and thus trade was difficult for the Malethites as the route to the rich center of UEE control was littered with pirates and Vanduuls. Malethites wishing to do business in UEE space needed to travel in large caravans to reach UEE controlled space safely. These journeys were long and treacherous and required the majority of the Malthites fleet to undertake successfully. Political and generational squabbling made these large exhibitions quite rare and infrequent but when they were undertaken, they were carried out with the zeal of their forefathers. Large Malelthite fleets would caravan their way around UEE and occasionally, Banu and Xi’an space. The eldest and most credit minded shipmasters would stick to the business of trade whereas many of the younger and bolder Malethites would test their luck and piloting skills bounty hunting, racing, piracy, or anything that could possibly do for a quick credit before the fleet moved on.

One such fleet was docked at Terra in 26XX (need more info on when the Persistent Universe starts) conducting business when a Malethite explorer, a rare profession generally seen as an outcast even amongst the outcasts of Maleth, approached the captain of the Maleth trade fleet. He brought dire news. Maleth had been raided by the Vandal and the planets surface had been made uninhabitable. The explorer had been returning from a failed expedition and was able to hide amongst the asteroid belt as the Vanduuls attacked. The Vanduul carried out several asteroid drops on the planet’s settlements and those who survived the strikes on the planet’s few surface settlements were trapped underground in Maleth’s majestic underground cities. Their people were now unable to return to the surface due to contamination, environmental instability, and the ever looming Vandal threat of reprisal. After days of dodging Vanduul patrols he was discovered and had to flee but as he was fleeing he saw a rare sight, a number of Vanduul mining ships jumping into the system. The Vanduuls were planning on staying and mining Maleth for all she was worth. If the Maltheite fleet would need more than just a few ragtag trading vessels if they were to ever take back their home.

With their homeland devastated by the Vanduul, the massive Malethite trade fleet fell apart and only a small, heavily divided remnant remains of the original caravan. Ironically, as the trade power of the fleet diminished many of their trading partners became less tolerant of the Malethites’ tolerance and acceptance of former pirates. This distrust, along with some nasty rumors, led to a stereotyping of Malethites as untrustworthy and dangerous. This prejudice pushed most of the Malethites’ fleets and business out of the core worlds and to the outer colonies. Occasionally, they would have to deal with less than legitimate trading partners in less than ideal conditions. When trade wasn’t a viable option, Malethite fleets would take whatever job they could even if it was less than legitimate.

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Simple Org Description:

Although traditionally traders by nature, Malethites can be found in all sectors of the economy from private security, mining, bounty hunting, whatever it takes to survive, even if that means breaking a law here and there. However, Malethites have been known to hold very close ties to one another even if they are on opposite sides of the law. They have been known to “game the system” by “hunting” fellow Malethites who are wanted and sharing the bounty money with each other. Malthetites are also known for maintaining the tolerant and accepting ways of their ancestors and try to keep on good terms with both their fellow humans, lawful and unlawful, and alien species like the Banu and Xi-an. Naturally, however, they make an exception for the Vanduul who they are determined to take vengeance on for their fallen homeworld.

And finally some flag/emblem prototypes. I'm open to suggestions on these as well. (yeah I know one of them has screwed up lines in there, like I said... prototypes!)