Eventually, the Jackals began to meet and save survivors. These survivors were taken in with the tribes, and taught the Jackals about the wider galaxy. Eventually, jump gates were established on the planet, allowing safe travel to and from their world. Jackals began working with outsiders, who valued their survival skills, tenacity and inventiveness for use as scouts and mercenaries. Many Jackals view travelling off world as a continuation of their traditional nomadic life-style.

While some might view the Jackals as backward for their traditions, these traditions have proven adaptable and continue to unite them even as they spread through the sector. The Jackals have proven their ability to quickly adapt both new ideas and technologies into their way of life, but only time will tell whether their culture will survive the shock of galactic life.

How will you find your way among the stars?

History

Homeworld

Jackals originated on Ijida, a desert world close to the edge of the Zone. Any ship moving closer to investigate will have their electronic systems destroyed by the Radiance reflecting off their unique outer atmosphere.

Planet fall

Until recently, Jackals lived as tribes of hunter-gatherers who migrated from oasis to oasis after their prey. This changed when a Robot Legion ship crashed after coming into contact with their atmosphere near a Jackal tribe. The same radiation that disabled their ship also deactivated the crew. The Jackals were left without any clue to what they had discovered.

Salvage

Jackals found and repaired weapons, taking the remains of Robots for use as armour. The looted ship became a trading post and meeting place for the Jackals.

Visitors

Over time, the wandering Jackals discovered more wrecks, which they converted into a network of trading posts and cities for their tribes. The Jackals began to chase falling ships, to get to the salvage first. As they got quicker, they began to meet and save survivors. The tribes them took in, allowing these survivors to live with them until they could send out a signal to rescuers and warn them about the atmospheric radiation.

Contact

Once warned about the phenomenon, ships could weather the storm. Their crews set up stable wormholes on the planet’s surface connecting to a space station above known as Basecamp, as well as to nearby systems within the Zone. Some have sought natural wormholes on their world or to salvage particular wrecks, hiring Jackals as hosts and guides.

Society

Jackals are still adapting to the wider galaxy and some still view them as backward for their tribal ways. Still, Jackals have proven adaptable; they remain united by their traditions while learning and scavenging whatever they can to help them adapt to their new lives. Only time will tell whether their culture will survive the shock of galactic travel to stand on equal footing with the rest of Sirius.

The Jackals have earned a reputation for being very open-minded and principled, skilled fighters but averse to needless bloodshed. There are a few renegade caravans that have turned more aggressive, however, losing their way as they were exposed to the sometimes grim realities of war in the Sirius Sector. Such Jackals either turn into pirates, or find steady employment with less savoury patrons. They may become a Dark Elf crime lord’s security detail, guards in the mines of a greedy dwarf mega-corp, or hired blades for a Soul Snatcher’s secret raids.

Spirituality

It took a long while after the Radiance Cascade for the Jackals to understand what was going on beyond their world. During this period, they saw the crashed ships as gifts from their gods, or fallen soldiers of a war in heaven. These beliefs are still strong in their culture, although they are not taken literally. They see their long seclusion, then introduction to the wider universe as a test from the gods: a chance to gain riches and wisdom, with the looming threat of giving in to greed and losing themselves.

Caravans

On their planet, the Jackals form caravans, riding beasts they share a deep connection with. They patrol vast territories looking for crashed ships, and haul the most valuable parts back to their wreck-cities, medinas of adobe and scrap metal. With time, the largest of those cities has had a spaceport and a couple of Jumpgates built up.

Jackals are curious about the worlds beyond their own. Many Jackals view travelling these new worlds as a continuation of their traditional nomadic life-style. Adventurous Jackals now form space caravans: entire tribes will gain passage on a ship and start a long trek across the Sector, finding employment as mercenaries, cattle handlers or mechanics along the way. Their survival skills, tenacity and inventiveness also make them valuable mercenaries to anyone willing to hire them. Many of these Jackals hope that they or their descendants may eventually return to Ijida with a valuable treasure, whether it is material or spiritual.

Jackal encampments have become a frequent sight near battlefields, on farm worlds or in shipyards.

Nicknames

Jackals often collect nicknames as they travel, taking pride in those given to them by their fellow Jackals, employers, and even enemies. Those given to particularly accomplished Jackals become almost legendary.

Relations

Given their proximity to Robot Legion territories, Robot tech has been the lion’s share of what the Jackals salvaged, hence many Jackal craft and equipment have similar designs to those used by the Robots, inspired by scavenged technology. The two factions have since formed a strong bond, as Robots appreciate the laid back, accepting nature of the Jackals.

The Zone

The Jackal’s system of Ijida has become known as a relatively safe entry point into the Zone. Now that the chaos created by the Radiance Cascade has somewhat subsided, many eyes have turned towards the Zone as factions hope to understand it, tame it or exploit its secrets. Many space stations have been hastily built around their world, then abandoned, and every year brings its crop of new adventurers and expeditions. This increased traffic has been good for business, although the Jackals have to be pretty careful about maintaining their independence. For now, the difficulty of access by ship and the limited number of Jumpgates has kept greedy conquerors at bay.

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