elytra
a beetle may or may not be inferior to a man
Stories passed along through trade are the only remnants of the old world left. Now, people are few and far between. The planets and civilizations are in ruins, and haven't been inhabited in centuries. The remaining populace of the universe is spread out, living among merchant and scavenger ships, the only navigation they have being the beacon of the Lighthouses, stations that let out a long-range beacon as an indication of where one's placement is in the cosmos. Even with those, the probability of accidentally coming across another ship with lifeforms still on it is near 0. Life has been near wiped out, leaving those left behind with only their desire for survival and a question.
What happened to the old universe?
SCAVENGER SHIPS: Scavenger ships are old, small and re-purposed ships that are used to take scavenging crews to different planets to allow them to beam down and get goods to sell off to merchants. Since they are put into hyper drive a lot to get from location to location, they usually get worn down, and are prone to breaking and having issues. A small scavenger ship can fit a crew of up to 3, a medium can fit a crew of up to 6, and a large can fit a crew of up to 10.
LIGHTHOUSES: Lighthouses are stations with a large, gyroscope-like glass dome in the center, holding a control deck, with two halls branching off from it, holding places like a bedroom, kitchen, and storage area, as well as a docking station. They send off long-range signals to different ships, allowing them to gauge their location off of that, and merchants restock it's supplies every now and then as a service of gratitude. They are usually manned by 1 to 2 people.
MERCHANT SHIPS: Merchant ships are large ships, with many levels, that are areas where merchants come to sell goods and purchase...other goods. The scavengers find the goods, then sell them to merchants for either food or other valuables, who then sell them to other merchants or scavengers. They don't travel much, and stay by lighthouses for easy finding. The actual crew of the ship usually consists of a captain, an engineer, and a few security guards/mercenaries, but the ship can hold hundreds of people at a time.
PIRATE SHIPS: Pirate ships are slightly larger than scavenger ships, usually with two levels. They have weapons that are kept in decent condition, unlike scavenger ships, who's weapons are either near out-of-order or nonexistant. They can hold a crew of around 15.
GENERATION SHIPS: These ships are slow, and can't go into hyperdrive. They, however, are also the most advanced ships, clean and sporting gardens. Being on a generation ship is a privilege, and it can hold up to 200 people, but barely anyone is allowed on if they are not already there. However, there is something odd about them that no one can quite place their finger on.
PLANETS: The planets are in ruins and uninhabited, other than vicious wildlife that seem to be morphed from their original forms. The only things the planets are used for is scavenging. They all have different, varying dangers, and some people even place down short-range beacons that indicate how dangerous they are.
CHARACTER TYPESSCAVENGER: Scavengers live off of things they find in the wasteland that has been left behind. They're street smart and either good runners or good fighters. They are not, however, book smart. They travel in small groups, and are general suspicious of other people.
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS: Lighthouse keepers never leave their post at the light house. They make sure its correctly functioning, enough that the beacon is able to reach ships. They survive off of the gratitude from merchants, who gain business from their location next to the light houses. They generally live alone
MERCHANTS: Merchants generally live on merchant ships for a short time, before taking their business to other merchant ships in small, personal pods. They trade with scavengers and other merchants, and generally are charismatic and sleezy. They either work alone or in pairs.
PIRATES: Pirates do exactly what it sounds like they do. They take down other ships, and they take their goods for themselves. Generally, they go for scavenger ships, and generation ships and merchant ships are big hits. Light houses are avoided, due to their importance to any ship
WEAPONRY & TECHNOLOGY
While technology and weaponry is advanced, it isn't always reliable. Either the technology is old and faulty, broken, or found in parts that need to be put together by someone competent. However, there are still advanced blasters and teleporters, even if using them is a risk.
HISTORY:Not much is known about the history of the world before the wipe-out, but it is known that there used to be more people, and that the planets had more of a population than just rabid beasts.
