Lore

Fortuna III is now known as H-C5.09, a resource-rich habitable H-C5 class planet.

Before the Storm
In the year 2298, xenoarcheologist Dr. Juliana Irvine submitted a paper for review advocating multiple radical theories concerning H-C5 planets. During peer review, it caught the attention of an investment group who quickly purchased exclusive rights to the paper, effectively purging it from public view, and promptly hired Dr. Irvine and her research staff, having them sign strict NDAs to further ensure their research remained secret. The group organized a conglomerate of private companies, all aligned to the aim of discovering and claiming a resource-rich habitable H-C5 planet for themselves, without the involvement of any nation state or The Federation.

This new conglomerate, not directly affiliated with any of the larger mega-corporations or particularly loyal to their nations, set up an expedition the year after with a small fleet, the flagship of which would serve as a permanent orbital station. Other ships carried additional station components, cargo for planetary habitats and settling, and of course thousands of personnel. In addition, several colony ships were drafted but kept in the dark about their true destination, other than it being a new habitable planet. The setup costs for the operation were exorbitant, but it had the potential to the conglomerate to a status equal to established mega-corporations, and in an optimistic scenario could lead to the founding of a new planetary nation under their control.

Travel from The Federation’s closest jump point (a method of mass transport between two bases, at extreme costs from energy use) to H-C5.09 took ten years, and to the group's elation the planet was confirmed as an H-C5 type, with the solar system christened Fortuna after the goddess of fortune. First settled in 2309, Fortuna III was on course to be one of the most prosperous worlds under humanity's domain. After two years, with the research station set up, the planet's surface mapped, and half a dozen settlements installed, they announced the finding to The Federation to legitimize their claim. While far from a public announcement to the world as a whole, this still caught the attention of the mega-corporations who would be willing to buy land leases on an H-C5 planet, as well as the attention of other factions and potential settlers.

50* years later and with multiple corporate and colonizing fleets heading for the planet in deep space travel, and with the construction of a jump point underway within the system, The Cycle began.

'' * Note: There is a conflict of sources for this number. Badum's Codex within the game states 50 years. The Before the Storm article states 7 years, but is much older.''

After the Storm
The Teratomorphic Energy Field (TEF), also referred to as 'The Cycle' or 'Storm', is a hazardous radiation effect that encompasses the entire planet. Initially the TEF just caused delicate equipment to malfunction, but each wave, found to be following a predictable pattern, increased in intensity until even basic machinery failed entirely. The evacuation of Fortuna III took place during the intensification of these waves.

Present Day
This section talks about lore that is currently relevant, e.g. the discovery of the Crusher Caverns and the retaking of Tharis Island