The state of the galaxy following the end of the Reaper war is still largely
unknown and likely to remain that way for at least a while. Yet previously
the Templin Institute briefly discussed our idea of what things might look like, and in
honor of today's significance to a great many in the galaxy, we’ve decided to revisit that idea.
Because this episode is at its core, a reimagining of the galaxy, and one likely far different from
what we’ll eventually end up with, we’ve made the decision to exclusively use concept art to portray
it. Some of the artwork might contain elements you recognize, others might be repurposed,
while others still might have never been brought to life. So while this artwork doesn’t always
perfectly reflect our version of the future of the galaxy , it serves as a fantastic starting point.
The destruction of the reapers ended a cycle of extinction that had existed longer than living
minds could comprehend. Every 50,000 years, galactic civilization in the Milky Way had
progressed along a predetermined course, only to be extinguished and then allowed to begin anew.
Now the galaxy entered an unprecedented era, one in which the future was not set.
But for the survivors of the Reaper War, their victory was in many ways as bitter as defeat.
Entire nations had been destroyed, whole species eradicated. The heart of the galactic community
lay burning and broken while the mass relay network was crippled. Great swathes of the galaxy
were now isolated from one another and there was no telling how long it might be before they were
joined together once more. One by one the fleets and armies that had fought and triumphed in the
final battle over Earth set forth into a ravaged galaxy, unsure if they would ever see home again.
For two centuries the galaxy suffered through an economic, intellectual, and cultural decline.
Hundreds of worlds, cut off from any higher government, withered in their confinement. In
the chaos of uncertainty, desperate populations turned to any who promised stability, creating
petty tyrants and merchant princes. What had once been proud colonies under the Citadel Council
became modern barbarian Kingdoms, striking out at what few worlds still lay in reach. Venerable
trading partners turned into jealous rivals, peaceful neighbors turning into warring states.
Across the shattered Mass Relay network arose hundreds and then thousands of great convoys.
Originally splinter flotillas of the Migrant Fleet, they quickly incorporated stranded trade
ships and passenger liners, mercenary forces and military remnants from the Reaper War.
Under the leadership of the surviving Quarians these fleets crisscrossed the galaxy, utilizing
hidden navigational routes and secret relays that the Qurian Admiralty had kept to themselves.
For many worlds these convoys became their only link to the outside galaxy, delivering information
and supplies. Yet all too often, the arrival of these fleets were years or decades apart.
And as the Mass Relay network continued to collapse, the journeys took longer and longer.
When news did arrive, it painted an incomplete and often contradictory picture of the galactic
situation. Civil war between three Turian primarchs. Collapse of the Asari Republics.
Massacres in the Terminus Systems. Declaration of a new Council
on Illium. Yet updates arrived years apart and it was impossible to sort fact from rumor.
The re-emergence of galactic civilization, when it finally occurred, did not arise from
a single source. The traditional superpowers, the Salarians, Asari and Turians were the first to
reestablish their respective domains, albeit in a greatly reduced form, but they were soon joined by
new aspiring powers. Some of these had existed before the reaper war; the Courts of Dekuuna,
the Drell-Hanar Compact, and still others had only come into being in the ensuing chaos;
the Caleston republic, the Yahg Empire, the Ismar Confederacy.
The geopolitical state of the galaxy had been transformed, split between those who
wished for a return to the pre-war status-quo, and those who desired a new balance of power.
Yet despite a genuine enthusiasm on all sides for some sort of restoration of the Citadel
Council, each attempt clashed with this new reality. No longer unchallenged hegemonies,
the legitimacy of an Asari, Turian, and Salarian based council was rejected by the rest of the
galaxy. And between these historical partners, new divisions began to form.
Shifting territorial claims during the post-reaper turmoil,
conflicting economic interests and even developing ideological rivalries almost
entirely overtook the moral and ethical premises on which the Council was first established.
In the forty years since galactic civilization reasserted itself,
it has been increasingly divided between two developing political blocs. The Taetrus Pact
considers itself to be the legitimate successor to the Citadel Council, uniting the Turian Hierarchy
and the Asari Federation. Like its predecessor, these two nations exert their authority over a
multitude of smaller associated-states that have joined the bloc for the promise of protection or
a chance to shape galactic policy by becoming full members. The Bloc’s assertion that it represents
a new Council is opposed by the Galactic Community of Nations, or GALCOM, consisting of several dozen
states, but most notably, the Salarian Union and United Krogan Clans. This improbable alliance was
based first on a “special-relationship” meant to cure the Krogan genophage, and later on the
political fallout that resulted from the partial disclosure of the Salarian Intelligence Archives.
With the Mass Relay network still only partially rebuilt, only a single direct route exists
between the Bloc and GALCOM. This thin line of star systems has become the most heavily
militarized region in the galaxy as tensions between each coalition continue to escalate.
While direct conflict between each side has not yet occured,
numerous proxy conflicts have started or expanded as part of this larger struggle.
Both sides are now competing for influence within the highly volatile border territories,
regions on the periphery of each power that are still recovering from the Reaper War.
While numerous smaller states have begun to extend their authority across these areas,
entire star systems have been seized by mercenary forces, piracy groups, and corporate
entities. Much of it remains lawless and wild. Of particular concern are the growing cults, believed
to have been influenced by the indoctrination technology left over from Reaper derelicts.
Neither the Bloc nor GALCOM has been able to achieve any significant advantage over the other,
but recent events have finally provided the means through which this stalemate might be resolved.
The last great power in the galaxy, entirely isolated for much of the post-Reaper era,
has finally restored its mass relay routes though the borderlands surrounding it,
and re-emerged on the galactic stage. The Systems Alliance represents a destabilizing element,
one that will decide the outcome of the ongoing cold war. Both sides are now desperate to either
court humanity, or prevent their ability to become a decisive factor. The situation has never been
so dangerous, and the fate of the galaxy might come down to the decisions of a single crew.
Thanks for watching the Templin Institute’s idea of what the Post-Reaper War era might look like.
We tried our best to create a plausible and interesting scenario,
but we’d like to hear your thoughts. Were there elements you found particularly interesting,
or areas where we fell short? Let us know in the comments below.