Sons of Magnus / SOMAG

Some of you may be new to the system, or perhaps have never heard of our cause. Maybe you’ve barely heard of Borea, or don’t understand why its important. For those of you who have never seen our ships or heard our message, we are the Sons of Magnus. We want one thing: To see the Magnus system and the planet of Borea to flourish. We want to see our home of Borea to rise from its own ashes and continue to grow into a powerhouse of production.

We do not care what brought you to Magnus, nor do we care how long you’ve been here. Whether your family has been here since the beginning or this is your first day on the planet does not matter to us. We do not dislike those new to our system. Rather, Magnus needs new residents and connections if it is to grow. We welcome the new. All we ask is that you hold the well being of the Magnus system above all else and work together with our organization

However, some may not know the story of Magnus. Some may not know why this system needs or deserves help at all. So to know us, one must know the history of this system.

Magnus was discovered in 2499. It was a system consisting of three planets: a rich mineral world, a gas giant and a desert planet in the middle which was suitable for human life. At this time, Magnus was an out of the way system with no major trade routes that would benefit from it. Its remote location and the availability of ores, gasses and a habitable world made it a perfect military production system.

The middle planet was named ‘Borea’ and terraforming began in 2533. In the second half of that century, Borea flourished. The bulk of all military ships were produced on Borea, the planet filling with shipyards and ports. The system was technically closed to civilians for security reasons, but many were allowed in to work in the shipyards or provide services. Many historians call these the ‘golden years’. Magnus was secure and thriving, pumping out vast amounts of military ships and with ample work for all who wished to call it home.

The freefall began in 2631. Turmoil and shifting regions of power had changed the layout of the galaxy. While the politics might be debatable, the end result was not. The UEE decided that the Magnus system was no longer an ideal location for their shipyards. Many people have argued over this decision. Was it the right move? Did they understand what would happen? Perhaps they thought that everyone would leave and that would be that. The Magnus workers just move to the new shipyards Kilian. Unfortunately, that was not the reality.

It had been nearly a century since the terraforming. Many of the civilians who were employed by the shipyards had either been born on Borea or had worked there all their life. Unlike the military, they couldn’t just hop on the transport ship and move to their new outpost. These were their homes. These were all they had in the world, all of their assets left on that planet. With the system’s lifeblood moving away, most were left unemployed and with no way to gain wealth to start again.

Borea was left in squalor. It was still technically military owned, so no new settlers or industries were coming into the system. Most of its population was left with nothing and it became a planet full of squatters and shady industry. The only real manufacturing left on the planet was Kruger Intergalactic. Kruger was a local munitions company that had sprung up to help make parts for the military ships and was able to expand outward with the military gone. They became the sole business left on Borea, selling weapons and military-grade arms on a dead world.

For more than a hundred years, this was life on Borea. For longer than it was a shipyard, it was left to rust. It was in 2751 that the UEE finally opened the Magnus system to civilians. Unsurprisingly, the state they had left it in did not attract the most benevolent crowd. There were honest settlers hoping to take advantage of Kruger’s employment or the abandoned factories to re-purpose, but many saw other things. So many abandoned facilities meant plenty of places to hide or set up less savory operations. The Magnus system became a haven for pirates.

These pirates struck yet another crippling blow to the system. In 2785, a vital shipment of components from Kruger Intergalactic was hijacked. It disrupted their business and caused them to lose contracts to a major customer. It forced Kruger to look at what the Magnus system had become. When the world was still private, the squalor allowed for a cheap work force with privacy and security. Now that the public was allowed in, crime was booming. The decision was made to relocate from the Magnus system, taking away Borea’s last remaining large industry.

The next sixty years were the darkest time in Magnus’ history. No major corporations were headquartered in Borea, leaving crime, narcotics and piracy the only local businesses with any prosperity. And then Drake Interplanetary came.

Drake Interplanetary was a new, thriving company which had designed a ship known as the Cutlass. The Cutlass was a fighter, but a larger one with cargo room and living quarters. It may not have been as fast as dedicated fighters with no living space, but it was cheap, reliable and could be modified easily. It wasn’t pretty and all luxuries were cut to save costs, but it had everything one needed to make a living among the stars and the firepower and reliability to do it safely.

The Cutlass became a massive success. Many who wanted a quality, larger personal craft could now get one without breaking the bank. However, it also found a home among pirates. Its cheap price made it perfect for their often limited budgets compared to militias and militaries. Its ability to be modified let them attach tractor beams to catch their prey. Its living space and cargo hold let them live in the fringes with the supplies they needed, as well as giving them a place to store any stolen prizes.

It was a ship both hugely popular and seeped in controversy, making Drake Interplanetary both wealthy and well known. They grew quickly and their current factories couldn’t keep up with demand. They needed a headquarters. Their decision to come to Borea shocked everyone. But at the same time, it made sense. Drake had always been about quality for a lower price. Borea was near abandoned and was practically giving away real estate. It had massive expanses of abandoned shipyards which could be converted to manufacturing plants with ease. What’s more, it had a population desperate for work, people who’d felt abandoned for generations.

In 2845, Drake Interplanetary came to Borea. Things finally began to change for the better. The long-abandoned shipyards began to rattle to life. Rusting structures were demolished and new factories and warehouses were built. These provided honest production jobs and clean money in Borea’s economy. With this boost in legal commerce, commercial companies began to come to Borea with services for the honest workers to spend their pay on. Drake brought Borea back to life.

With this new life came new security. Drake’s presence made the system a safer place. They hired mercenaries and spearheaded anti-piracy initiatives, though some think it’s also that pirates don’t want to disrupt the production of their favorite line of ships. Regardless, while the Magnus system may not be as safe as a major UEE system, it is undoubtedly getting safer.

It’s 2947 and the Magnus system is in a period of revitalization. Drake has continued to expand and has introduced new ships into its production line, including the Caterpillar, Buccaneer and Dragonfly. A jump point has also been discovered to the Stanton system, putting Magnus right next to one of the most populated UEE systems and giving easy access to trade routes. And to top it off? Borea’s ‘frontier’ atmosphere is beginning to attract tourists. Its old desert outlaw culture has become commercialized with many coming to see this now-safer world and tour the old ghost towns. The future of the Magnus system finally looks bright.

We intend to help that bright future. The Sons of Magnus were formed recently and to humble beginnings. At first we were little more than a group of Borean natives who wanted to start a shipping company. As we succeeded, we began to look beyond personal success. We began to devote time and assets to our world and system, becoming proponents of its politics both in and outside of its bounds. We seek to expand its wealth and reach, to continue Borea’s second industrial growth and let it surpass what many believe to be its glory days. The Sons of Magnus all believe one thing about Magnus’ future. Its best days are still ahead.