What's Where
Campaign Start: Olympia Subsector
The campaign starts in the Olympia subsector of the Misted Veil sector on one of the worlds in the Olympia Alliance - Stratford. Here's what you know, which will vary based on whether your character is a refugee from elsewhere in the Terran Empire or the Perseid Empire, a native of one of the worlds in the Olympia Alliance (just inside the Terran Empire, on the border of Drago's Reach), or one of the native races from elsewhere in Drago's Reach.
The Olympian Alliance sits just inside the Terran Empire border of the Olympia Subsector. The Olympian Alliance does well, and there is trade with the Terran Empire and some worlds within the subsector. The Olympian Alliance consists of 5 star systems - four of them within 1 parsec of the Olympia star system: Olympia, Tortoise, Cotswold, Red Horizon, and Blue Shroud. The population of these worlds is 90%+ human.
Vulture's Rock, aka Dobolyxena, is where the historic pirate Paul Drago fell. The system is 6 parsecs "north" of Olympia. The main world, Dobo, is a heavily populated world that revolves around the mining industry. Where there would be outer worlds, there is a massive asteroid belt. Asteroid miners make a living from the array of valuable ores, but the belt is also home to pirates who use the belt to hide and to prey on the weak and unwary. Dobo conducts trade with willing worlds, as long as they understand the risks involved.
The Neller Pocket Empire comprises three systems situated within one parsec of one another: Itashira, Nelleriana, and Sandymion. Each of these systems exhibits a hostile stance towards outsiders. Itashira functions as an industrial world governed in a manner akin to a Japanese warlord. Access to its starports is restricted exclusively to Neller vessels, while ships from other worlds face hostile action. Nelleriana is the capital of a prosperous technocracy, characterized by advanced technological governance. Sandymion is a tumultuous mining world with minimal formal government oversight. Periodically, Neller ships dock to acquire resources amassed by the miners. Although Sandymion does not possess official starports, there exists ample flat terrain allowing for safe landings by spacecraft.
Aigenua star system contains an independent colony world, an agricultural world populated by 100,000 Heavyworlders. The planet's gravity is 1.5G. They welcome fair trade.
Ricent star system contains a virtually airless and waterless world inhabited by 200,000 plus sentient and tribal rock-like beings named the Lithoids. They are stone-age and tribal, often warring among each other. Travel to their world is heavily discouraged, as the lithoid do not appear to have normal senses and their first impulse is to bash whatever they encounter.
The subsector to the right (eastward) is the Prometheus subsector. The subsector to the north is the Korinthus subsector. Prometheus is home to 4 Terran Empire bases and numerous colony worlds, while Korinthus contains a couple of Pocket Empires at war and several interesting worlds. See the section on those subsectors for more detail.
Map: Each hex is 1 parsec (3.25 Light Years).