Storyline

For thousands of years, the planet known today as Delta V was relatively peaceful, with a small human population scattered in tribes and living among beasts. As interstellar strip mining expanded throughout the galaxy, the travel magnate Baelius launched Project Delta to perform seismic scans in an effort to find valuable minerals. Delta V is so named for being the fifth planet Baelius had chosen. His geological surveyors were looking for tungsten, platinum, or gold, but instead they discovered a new mineral: Varium. Unlike other metals, Varium is both incredibly versatile and seemingly limitless; it can "grow" like a plant, replicating in size and volume, thus making it extraordinarily valuable. The loans Baelius had received for Project Delta barely had time to generate interest; the discovery of Varium was so profitable, it had far exceeded any prospects set by his investors. Within a few years, a rush of hopeful miners and investors arrived on Delta V, looking to cash in on the fortune promised by Varium. The planet's population grew exponentially, as did Baelius' bottom line and his political influence. As the planet's colonization continued, it was discovered that some people developed genetic mutations when exposed to Varium, giving them the ability to absorb and manipulate electricity. They were known as Tech Mages since their "magic" allowed them to revive electronics, send mining androids into overdrive, and even teleport over short distances. The ability to teleport was of particular interest to Baelius, who wanted to reduce the costs and manpower involved in transporting Varium. Special Varium-powered machines known as Quantum Energy Devices (QEDs) were able to augment teleportation in a similar manner to warp drives, but, if the energy was unstable, there was a risk of being transported to a different dimension and lost forever. With the help of Tech Mages and QEDs, Varium transportation on Delta V became much faster and its mining rate was accelerated. This positive feedback loop led to overuse of the QEDs. Their magnetic fields became unstable, leading to mine collapses, thousands of deaths, and even ruining the land itself. One healthy ecosystem in particular became a sand-blasted desert now known as the Wastelands. Baelius' investors became uncomfortable and desired to leave with their profits, but the contract they had signed included a clause stating that they had to have permanent residence on Delta V to be considered a shareholder. Choosing to remain on the planet, the investors gave Baelius an ultimatum: step down or be forcibly removed. In response, Baelius ordered his Elite Guard to round up every investor, throw them into gulags, torture them until they relinquished all of their assets to him, and finally "handle" them. Now in full control of Delta V, Baelius launched a brutal campaign to "cut spending". He made it impossible to leave the planet and split the workforce in two: one half was relegated to slave labor, while the other half was trained as his military to enforce the slave labor. His profits were fully optimized and Varium mining reached a fever pitch, all the while ruining the planet and making it nearly unlivable. An uprising eventually formed in the ranks of both slaves and soldiers, leading to a rebellion known as the War, but Baelius was prepared. He enacted his final "Efficiency Solution", ordering his loyal Tech Mages to use the QEDs to banish the rebels to alternate dimensions. However, the QEDs targeted indiscriminately, removing 80% of the planet's population instantly. Baelius gained absolute control of Delta V but lost many of his loyal followers; the planet became a desolate ruin. 20 years later, the banished population suddenly returned to the planet. They are now split into two factions: the Exiles continuing the rebellion and the Legion supporting Baelius and his vision for Delta V. Players can choose to join either faction and their actions will shape the future of Delta V forever.