The Reluctant Vassal's Guide to Living in the Frontier (with some Treason)

The Founding of Helm, and the Founding of Solarium
The first settlers of the planet Helm were a mix of scientists, miners, and metallurgists who had chosen their new home in search of new rare materials to enrich their patrons. Even in the seemingly infinite vastness of space, the factories of humanity were ever hungry for more. So at first, the location was meant to house nothing more than a mining and research colony at first, a simple outreach of their sponsors without a plan for larger growth.

Then, recorded as a popular origin story among your people, star watchers noticed a meteor entering the system on a near-collision course with the local star. This was first observed and noted with idle interest by local experts, who predicted rather mundane results at first and simply recommended attaching a disposable observation drone for data gathering. It was with disinterested expressions they watched the meteor rocket close to the star, with only lazy note-taking recording the meteor's material composition. Yet unknowingly, they had set the course of events for a truly inexplicable turn of fate for their people.

The observation probe that had latched onto the meteor had done so at just the right angle to subtly adjust its path, resulting in a near-slingshot around the star instead of a direct impact. This alone was enough to make most observers sit up in surprise, an accidental error that meant the cosmic entity instead entered a gravitational-assisted trajectory that slingshot around the sun and towards Helm itself. Small mercies that it was only a small meteorite all things considered, but appropriate caution was taken to ensure the impact site would not result in casualties.

After the panic passed and calm reasserted itself, observers checked the observation probes and were shocked. Recordings indicated that when the meteor's composition was exposed to the heat radiated by the stellar body, a previously unknown reaction was observed in which the materials melted and bonded together in a form that defied known alloy projections at the time. Now there was a scramble and race to collect the meteorite once it landed on Helm, with the first to arrive to the scene being a native-born patriot. With shaking hands, they collected the golden lump of what would soon become named 'solarium' and claimed it not in the name of their sponsor, but for the people of Helm. To create the Helmsmen.

Lab stress tests demonstrated that this new material could revolutionize the colony, and it did so. It was stronger than any known material while retaining only a fraction of its weight, leading to a wide variety of uses that turned Helm from an outreach colony into a power on its own right once production of solarium was established. Knowing that this was what made Helm a power in its own right, a strict gag order was issued about its creation process and all involved in the production were given only fragments of the formula related to their work. None save the leaders of Helm would be ever allowed to know the full formula and process, such was the intense secrecy surrounding its creation method.

The first attempts to make more revealed that the slightest error would greatly disrupt the integrity of the final product, with even the already unreliable heating process of using the star being a factor. It meant that the very best and purest solarium could only ever be made under the supervision of a master's eye. The unbalanced and impure forms were still usable, but to a much lesser degree and held far less value. Due to the strict restrictions of such knowledge, it meant that there was only ever going to be a limited amount of solarium, both pure and impure, being manufactured regardless of size.

Yet still, the impure was good enough for many and so, it entered widespread circulation.

The Development of Helm, and the Development of Circuits
New properties about solarium were still being discovered even while it was entering widespread usage across Helm. It wasn't long before everyday human life involved exposure to solarium at least once a day, even if in an impure form. This lead into a very nasty shock when scientists concluded there was a rather unique form of cosmic radiation emanating from the material, even in the lesser form. Thankfully it was swiftly reassured that this was not an immediate danger, and more of a new anomaly about the material needing to be followed up on. Soon, concern faded from public memory and slowly, but surely, the shackles on pure solarium were gently released though never eased with the leaders still maintaining their iron grip on its manufacturing process.

Pure solarium was still extraordinary rare, being made in a method not unlike that of artisans. Its value was immeasurable, to the point where it was considered almost wasteful to use. Thus, those who acquired it so did so more as a symbol of status, displaying their wealth and power openly as those who could lay hands on this incredible material. Pure solarium transitioned into an almost sacred material as a result, its ownership and display a symbol of greatness instead of its usage.

But then, as if that was simply not enough, the boundary for its usage was further pushed. In a rash act that could only be attributed to the recklessness of youth, one of them underwent a procedure in which pure solarium was carefully injected and weaved into the subdermal layer of the skin. This was a procedure only possible thanks to advances in medicine, and after confirming that when properly handled, pure solarium did not interrupt existing biological processes. It was an experiment meant to, at first, merely impress others with one's devotion to demonstration through cosmetic alterations. But once again, an idle curiosity soon blossomed into a new revolution.

When the procedure was complete, the seemingly cosmetic changes which took the form of glowing lines running across the skin were treated as they first were, with mild interest and amusement. Then, anecdotally, the newly augmented youth suddenly pulled an entire wall down on accident. That was when what seemed to be a cosmetic procedure on oneself suddenly became a scientific incident needing further study.

After many tests were run alongside careful biological observation, experts realized that the unique cosmic radiation emanating from solarium did indeed have an effect on the human body, namely by quietly warping some genetic sequences that seemed useless on their own. But what they did in reality was resonate with solarium, seemingly deriding and producing new energy stores drawn in from the background radiation of solarium. In turn then, when pure solarium was injected into the veins of the host, the warped genetic sequencing kicked into overdrive to merge flesh and metal into intricate circuit lines that ran along the body, filled to the brim with extra energy that would enable its host to perform superhuman feats. They were faster, stronger, tougher, and quicker now, more so than the baseline human.

Word of this development spread quickly and soon, pure solarium turned from merely something of incredible worth and property into something practically worshiped as sacred and holy. It did not help that its discovery was seemingly divine intervention itself, a collision of circumstances that had revolutionized once outpost colony into a system of immense wealth and power, fueled by its local stars. The demand for pure solarium skyrocketed as everybody wished for it so, but once again, the exacting nature of its refinement along with the drastically increased secrecy protocols meant that there was only so much that could be produced, both impure and pure.

Then, like much of humanity in space around these times, disaster struck.

The Troubles of Helm, and the Troubles of Guardian Suits
It all began when Helm's existing trade partners began to eye solarium with greed and envy. Soon, they began to demand a handover of the process to make their own solarium. The leaders of Helm rejected this, knowing that the moment the formula was leaked, their people would be reduced to a mere colony outpost once more, vassals to uncaring overlords. At first it was a polite refusal, then as the demands repeated, it became both firmer and more hostile.

Trade was soon cut off and a brutal closed borders policy enforced by the Helmsmen. But just right before, spy teams posing as traders slipped in and made their way quietly to the solarium refinery orbiting around the star. They then forced their way in and attempted to rip the secrets of solarium from the refinery by force, even going so far as to killing the surprised workers to try and maintain their cover. But word spread quickly of the assault and the remainder of the refinery staff were both outraged and terrified, knowing that if the knowledge fell into the wrong hands, the Helmsmen were doomed.

So they, most of them augmented humans by now, took action against this black ops team. But they needed protection, and there was a convenient source nearby in the form of experimental hazard suits meant to shield workers from the intense dangers of working so close to the sun. They had always had them before, but at the height of production for your people, these were made using plates of pure solarium in yet another casual experiment to see if it provided any additional protection against the stellar body.

With yet another turn of fate, it did just that, and more. Far more than what had not only been predicted, but made for when used in combat. Burning circuits of pure solarium in the skin protected by solarium armor sections resonated with one another, leading to even new heights of augmentation and power brought about by this harmonious union. Enhanced eyes allowed them to see the flight of bullets, enhanced reflexes meant that they could evade the projectiles, and enhanced strength gave them the ability to shatter both protective ballistic armor and bones with a single punch.

Unknowingly, they were the first breed for a new kind of warfare to their people, led by the chief refinery manager to drive out these intruders.

When the spies realized the danger, they chose to spite the Helmemen by instead destroying the solarium refinery by disrupting its orbit to cause it to fall into the star. Despite the workers' best efforts, they were ultimately unable to stop the destruction sequence, struggling up until the very last seconds where they desperately threw themselves from the refinery and into the vacuum of space. Their suits built with powerful thrusters for their work near the star allowed them to enter a safe orbit, watching the solarium refinery burn in the consuming stars. Soon, a shuttle came to rescue the survivors and bring the dire news back to Helm.

The loss of the solarium refinery was regarded as a powerful blow to the ego to the Helmspeople, coinciding with the renewed paranoid xenophobia against those who sought their secrets. The closed borders policy was escalated to a total cessation of all traffic, both trade and civilian with grave warning that the penalty for trespass would be death. Then, to the shock and horror of those watching, the FTL beacon which linked the system to the greater galactic community was willingly turned off, a true travesty that bordered on renouncing one's connection to humanity.

This threat of the outside went further still, fueled by earlier paranoid delusions. So eyes then turned to the survivors of the incident, wearing solarium power suits meant initially for just hazardous working conditions but now proving themselves of great combat prowess when combined with the augmented human. Almost immediately, orders for more suits were sent out, consuming even more of the rapidly dwindling stockpiles of pure solarium. These rebranded Guardian suits soon became the face of apex military might, only needing a few trained warriors in suits to match the equivalent of many platoons of ordinary soldiers.

This ultimately proved to be the final tipping point upon which paranoid, delusion, and fear consumed Helm.

Efforts to build a new solarium refinery was soon faced with surprising opposition from all sides when new voices made themselves known. Some called solarium a squandered gift from the divine, and the destruction of the refinery an act meant to humble its widespread usage. A few insisted that instead, it was the curse of solarium that had consumed their people, driving them to an obsession that none would ever be free from. All these and more voices combined to form a staunch anti-establishment movement, one that would insist on a new approach to the usage and distribution of pure solarium.

The present lawmakers and order keepers, already plagued with extreme xenophobia from the recent loss, jumped to false conclusions too soon. That this movement and all other dissenting voices were the work of spies and agents already sown within their populace. They perceived enemies where there had been protests, and so fittingly declared them insurrectionists with only one recourse: military action. In kind, the contrarians declared that only an armed uprising can break the hold solarium had over Helm. Both sides readied themselves for war, convinced that they were right, and deaf to all others calling for peace and reconciliation.

What followed was generations of conflict that was apocalyptic to the Helmsmen. Powered enhanced suits fought one another in the streets, their wielders pushed into killing one another in fulfillment of their sworn duties. All efforts to rebuild the lost solarium refinery were foiled when infrastructure on Helm began to collapse under the weight of such brutal armed conflict. More critically, the knowledge on how to create solarium was seemingly lost in the wars with every destroyed city, every destroyed repository, every destroyed archive. Slowly, surely, a crippling form of technological regression began to set in.

In the end, the Helmsmen obliterated almost every single major population center on their home planet through their infighting, with only populations that lived on the fringes who survived the catastrophes. These few untouched centers picked through the remains of those who came before, scavenging for every iota of pure solarium that could be pulled from broken armor and refashioned into replacement parts. It was unheard of for these suits to not be cobbled together from at least a dozen other models with mismatched connections.

Yet even with such drastic recycling measures, with how pure solarium had to be consume for new wielders to achieve their full potential, the material that had once made the Helmsmen was fading from history and turning into legend. Its true ability to both uplift and cripple civilization had been exposed. The question now was if it was too late to find the necessary balance.

Slowly, surely, these small settlements began to reclaim parts of the ruined planet back. There was still underlying tension, but the destruction beheld was a sobering sight for any with hot heads, so skirmishes were few and brief. Such exchanges were almost always duels between chosen warriors, those who had circuits, suits, or both. In this measured exchanged, a new attitude was developed: that with great might came about responsibilities and duties that only those gifted must bear for the sake of the common human.

The use of solarium transformed from an enabler of great power into a crown, one that was heavy for those who bore the power at their command with the responsibility it came with.

This new disciplined approach to the usage of solarium changed the Helmsmen into an ordered and focused people from their former selves. Those who lived without solarium were those with the least responsibilities, who had only to do their part in society to keep it functioning. But those who lived with it in their veins and bearing its arms must direct said society. It was a code of honor and chivalry, where those with solarium had an obligation to protect those without.

By the end of this period, civilization had rebuilt itself, but in a muted fashion. Without the ability to make more solarium, much of the old world's infrastructure that even used impure solarium was in a bad state of disrepair, and those left with circuits were dwindling every passing year. Small mercies that it had been discovered then that one could acquire biological immortality with enough control over their circuits, but they looked on in worry at their children who could not elevate themselves as such.

That was, until the sacred texts were unearthed.

The Reunification of Helm, and the Reunification of Humanity
A fortuitous discovery of a sealed data vault beneath the ruins of Helm's capital was what first sparked hope. Hope which turned into wonder when it was discovered to be still working after all these long years, and information was carefully coaxed out of it with all the gentleness of revered ancient knowledge. First was the record on the discovery of solarium. Then the doctor reports on circuits. Next the schematics for Guardian suits. And finally, much to the growing awe of the expedition leader, the complete formula for solarium.

At long last, what was once thought lost forever was returned to the people. This time, they would not be so foolish or reckless with it either. The information was still carefully guarded as it was the lifeblood of the Helmsmen, but now it would be sheltered as that of a religious holy text instead of a state secret. Those ordained and trained in the arts of its manufacture would be the only ones permitted to consult it, and those who partook in the gifts the obligation and responsibility to defend the knowledge to their dying breath. The unearthed data vault became a church of knowledge and honor, of where solarium was brought before, blessed, and then gifted to those who swore to become worthy of wielding it so in the name of those who cannot.

Word spread quickly and soon, the survivors of an apocalypse united a single banner, the humans of the planet under one banner once more. It was not long before finally, after so long, the solarium refinery was finally launched and put into orbit around the star, now crewed by those learned and oathsworn to provide for the people. Finally, the FTL beacon was reactivated, broadcasting the system's coordinates and routes back into the greater galactic community. The first ships soon jumped in, curious and shocked to see what had previously been a xenophobic and hostile people now stalwart guardians of knowledge. They were still wary of outsiders, but it was mixed with a hint of practicality and understanding that while solarium could never be shared with others, those who wielded it so were free to bring forth its blessings across the galaxy should they desire.

This resolve coincided then with the arrival of the United Empire, looking to integrate a new people into the greater human community among the stars. Leading the way was none other than the ruling Stellarch at the time, who was more than curious given the wondrous stories of solarium that had now since passed into myth. What they found only reinforced their desire to bring the Helmsmen in as a member of the United Empire, and a passionate plea was made.

In the end, the Helmsmen accepted, adding one last condition in addition to all the normal membership benefits. That their leader at the time, your sire, was to be taken in as a new member of the Stellarch court After much discussion and meetings between the two, the Stellarch agreed and extended a personal hand of welcome to your sire. This agreement turned out to be a mutually beneficial one that helped the United Empire weather a series of crisis in the years to follow, for your sire was indeed great.

They were long lived thanks to the circuits, and in them ran the blood of legends. The great figures of Helm were your direct ancestors, from the first person to lay their hands on that miraculous meteor of solarium to the first one to inject themselves so with the circuits. Then they were related to the ones who were among the first to use Guardian suits in defense of the first solarium refinery and, more recently, the one who led the expedition that excavated the lost data vault that brought greatness back to the Helmsmen.

Your line was great, and your House even more so. It simply meant that your sire had heavy expectations of themselves when they joined the Stellarch's court with naught but duty in mind, the belief that being the lone authority on solarium on the wider stage, they had an oath of responsibility to carry out. In time, the Stellarch themselves would learn of this zealous determination matched with great ability and come to rely upon your sire as a trusted advisor, a close consultant, and a reliable friend above all else.

Such companionship was what enabled the United Empire to weather a series of tumultuous events and happenings in the time, from the aggressive attack of the Free States to the machinations of the Great Houses. Your sire proved their worth time and time again, becoming known as the Stellarch's trusted arm in spite of their barely notable origins. It is recorded so that they were an individual capable of much, but they often preferred to return to your House's specialty. The question was if it was something you were proud of now.

Pick a House name. Write-ins are accepted so long as they are appropriate.
Pick a House banner from the list below, or make one of your own.

Through the reunification of Helm, a new form of government arose that your House took the reins of, with special titles for various roles of government. Pick or create one (1).

Your sire stood at the side of none other than the Stellarch themselves, forging an unlikely friendship among the stars built on trust and duty. Choose how they had made a name for themselves by picking one (1) of the options below. This will grant an inheritance aspect for yourself.
- I do think all this history is slightly too thick, but I feel like it's necessary given that it's your own people's story. In the future, hopefully other factions won't have this long of a backstory unless people actually like this. In which case, huh.
- You can mix and match or create your own for the name/banner/titles, so go wild in case none of these appeal to you.
- Remember that this is what your parent/predecessor has done, who was pretty much the right hand of the Stellarch at their height. The character you will be mainly seeing the eyes through did inherit some talent for that, but nowhere near the degree that they once specialized in unless you too wish to specialize in that category.