Salutations, Colonisers!
By the time you set foot on the young, untamed world of the planet Hastaris, generations have lived and died here. But how did they get here? And why are they so divided? Here’s a look at how everything began, and why the planet now teeters on the edge of war.
By the year 2500, humanity had mastered space travel. Different groups and movements on Earth could now send their own ships into the stars. One such group, driven by a new religious belief, had grown disillusioned with the state of life back home. They believed humanity had become too dependent on technology, straying far from nature and their god. Seeking a simple, purer existence, they raised funds, gathered followers, and launched into space aboard the colony ship Ulysses.
Life aboard the ship was seen as a necessary burden. For over forty years, they searched for a new home. They explored planet after planet but found none that felt right. Then, they encountered a strange phenomenon - a swirl of warped light surrounding a planet. Interpreting this as a divine sign, they approached. The ship was violently pulled through the anomaly, damaged, and deposited in a new part of the galaxy. Ulysses broke apart upon reentry, scattering escape pods, supplies, and people across the surface of this new world. Most of the main vessel sank into the ocean. Many escape pods crash landed in different parts of the planet.
Survivors began setting up camps, foraging for food and searching for other escapees. One such group called themselves the Keepers. They saw themselves as guardians of the crash site and the remnants of their old world. They hoarded whatever technology survived, even though most of it was rendered useless by the anomaly.
Over the decades, the Keepers fortified their territory around the crash, turning it into a sprawling settlement. In their eyes, despite being thrown wildly off course, they will one day be saved and return to the stars and being close to the ship will somehow help that. To them, the further they stray from the ship, the further they stray from rescue.
That’s what caused the clash with others - while they saw themselves as the true inheritors of civilization, other tribes were viewed as fragmented, chaotic, or barbaric.
Centuries passed. The true story of the journey faded into myth. Survival took priority. The Keepers evolved into a deeply religious and militaristic society. But that’s a story for another blog post. We’ll see you next week when we’ll deep dive into Keepers tribe.
And yes, Coloniser is primarily a multiplayer game, but we plan to have a singleplayer campaign that will introduce you to the current lore, tribe differences and guide you through the game’s progression. You know, something to warm you up for the multiplayer experience.
Stay tuned, wishlist Coloniser, join our playtest and talk to you more next time.
Cantos Games