Bethesda games are well known for their expansive lore, from Elder Scrolls to Fallout. Their franchises feature countless in-game books and terminal entries for fans to read in addition to the lore that plays out in every game. Some fans make a point of collecting the weird, funny, or unusual ones.
The newest entry to Bethesda's roster of open-world RPGs, Starfield, is no different. Whether the lore is played out through quests, discovered from books or terminal entries, or pieced together through Bethesda's excellent use of environmental storytelling, there are always some pieces that hit different. And boy, does Starfield have some big, hard-hitting lore pieces to discover.
10 Colony of Cydonia Founded On Mars
Humanity Moves Beyond Earth
Cydonia is a mining colony owned by Deimos Staryards, a spaceship manufacturer with some seriously cool parts. Its founding on Mars in 2112 was a big deal for humanity.
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Representing the first planetary colony in the Starfield universe, the Cydonia colony served as proof that humanity could spread to the stars. Even if it was only to Mars, a cold and barren planet without much going for it other than its mineral wealth.
9 Jinan Va'ruun and the Founding of House Va'ruun
Confllict With the Settled Systems
In 2190, a colony ship was launched from New Atlantis housing Jinan Va'ruun and the people who would later go on to become House Va'ruun. House Va'ruun would go on to fight a war against the people of the Settled Systems.
Even after the war was technically over, a renegade faction of Zealots remained to fight their own unauthorized Serpent's Crusade. An uneventful colony ship launch ended up being a big deal for the people of the Settled Systems.
8 The Founding of New Atlantis
Humanity Leaves the Solar System
After the discovery and perfection of grav drive tech, humanity was ready to spread to the stars. The first colony outside the Solar System was New Atlantis, on the planet Jemison in Alpha Centauri.
By the time of Starfield, New Atlantis stood as the biggest and brightest city in all the Settled Systems and served as the capital world of the United Colonies. It achieved all that from its humble beginnings as a mere colony world.
7 The Founding Of Akila City
The Beginning of the Freestar Collective
Charted and first colonized by explorer Solomon Coe (ancestor of romanceable Constellation companion Sam Coe), Akila City is the capital city of the Freestar Collective.
As the driving force behind the Freestar Collective which would later come into conflict with the United Colonies, the founding of Akila City ended up being a big deal for the people of the Settled Systems.
6 The Narion War
The Freestar Collective vs. the United Colonies
As Bethesda made clear with Fallout, War Never Changes. As was perhaps inevitable, war came to the Settled Systems when the United Colonies moved a star station into a previously unaligned system, prompting fears of a takeover.
That system, Narion, voted to join the Freestar Collective and kicked off the first major war in the Settled Systems' history. What followed was a bloody and vicious conflict which only ended after many years because people in the United Colonies lost their desire for war.
5 The Serpent's Crusade
Va'ruun Asserts Power
After the spectacular reintroduction of House Va'ruun to the people of the Settled Systems, an uneasy diplomatic relationship was established. At least, until the members of House Va'ruun declared a religious war against the Settled Systems in the name of the Great Serpent.
Coming not long off the back of the Narion War, the Serpent's Crusade wasn't what anyone in the Settled Systems needed. But it established House Va'ruun as a major player, and a source of fear for many in the Settled Systems.
4 The Colony War
The Freestar Collective vs. the United Colonies (Again)
After a fragile and uneasy peace following the Narion war, and then a war with the members of House Va'ruun, the United Colonies had only a little time to really recover. War broke out again in the Settled Systems, this time over a breach in the Narion Treaty.
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The Freestar Collective colonized a fourth system in breach of the Treaty, and the United Colonies responded. War broke out, an all-consuming conflict which saw the proliferation of both xenoweapons and mechs that resulted in lost lives and devastation to ecosystems. Although the war had been over twenty years by the time players enter Starfield, people are still bitter, and it's a common topic of discussion among the game's NPCs.
3 The Discovery of Grav Drive Tech
A Cornerstone in Space Exploration
The discovery of the Grav Drive technology is the thing that allowed humans to spread to the stars. Without it, there would be no New Atlantis, no Akila City, no Neon.
When Victor Aiza and his team discovered a way to jump ships and achieve technically faster-than-light travel, the future changed irreversibly. Without the Grav Drives, the Settled Systems as players and NPCs know them simply couldn't exist.
2 The Destruction of Earth
Technology Has Consequences
Players are introduced to the concept of Earth being empty, uninhabited, and barren early in Starfield's main quest, but the reasons aren't at all clear. That is, until near the end of the main quest, after the Unearthed mission.
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Over the course of the mission, players find out that Victor Aiza and Grav Drive tech are responsible for the destruction of Earth's magnetosphere, burning away the atmosphere and resulting in the deaths of billions and the total extinction of almost all life from Earth. And the worst part is, Victor Aiza knew exactly what would happen.
1 Unity and the Artifacts
The Impetus Behind The Plot
The most mysterious part of the entire game, Unity and the Artifacts go largely unexplained within Starfield's narrative. What is clear is that they somehow predate human activity in the Settled Systems, and allow travel through the multiverse somehow.
But the discovery of Artifacts by Constellation kicks off the entire plot of Starfield, and more than that, alludes to a much deeper mystery than is ever explained in-game. The Starborn travels the multiverse seeking the Artifacts, gaining strange powers, and generally causing a lot of mischief. But the Unity and the Artifacts are technically the entire reason the Settled Systems even exists, so their importance in lore can't be understated.
