Barotrauma

Barotrauma takes place in the distant future, during an era where humanity is technologically advanced enough to achieve manned interplanetary space travel. The setting of the game is on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, which has become colonized since its initial arrival in 2022. Over many decades, colonies and outposts have been forced to establish under the layer of ice covering the surface of the moon, due to the surface being too irradiated for survival. Beneath the ice layer is a vast ocean, used as a transport network between colonies and as a source for natural resources. The ocean also allowed for the creation of transportation shafts that interconnect the colonies throughout the moon. The ocean itself is inhabited by a number of aquatic creatures, as well as naturally forming cave systems.

Over time, the colonies of Europa became more distant and disconnected from Earth, until fifty years ago, sometime after the initial colonization of Europa, all contact was mysteriously lost with the rest of civilization for reasons unknown. The people stranded on Europa were left to fend for themselves, cut off from the supply chain of Earth. With limited resources and the ever advancing Jovian Radiation, the abandoned settlers were forced to delve deeper and deeper into the vast, deadly oceans of Europa.

Jovian separatists, Europa coalition, The church of husk, Children of the honkmother, bandits/raiders/criminals.

"A small, underground organization seeking a more democratic society by any means, from petty resistance to full-blown terrorism, all with the end goal of disrupting the ability of the Europa Coalition to function, and to undermine its authority." The Jovian Separatists is a somewhat loosely organized group striving for a more democratic Europa. The group originates from a political party called the Jovian People’s Movement. The JPM was formed around the same time as the Coalition, and was in direct opposition to the political ideals and methods of their rival. The JPM wanted to build a democratic society on Europa through nonviolent means and model it after earlier civilizations on Earth. The Movement amassed a large number of supporters and became a noteworthy challenger to the Coalition in the general election of Europa.

A couple of weeks before the election was going to take place, however, there was a nuclear disaster in the colony of Tormsdale, the unofficial headquarters of the JPM and the independent colonies. The reactor meltdown and ensuing explosion dealt a devastating blow to the Movement, with many of their supporters among the deceased.

Despite this tragedy, the election was not rescheduled, and the crippled JPM could not gather enough votes to overtake the Coalition. Tensions boiled over and attacks were made against Coalition submarines and outposts. Even though the leaders of the JPM denounced the acts of violence, the party was declared a terrorist organization. Not long after, the JPM was no more and the Jovian Separatists rose from its remains.

After decades of Europa remaining firmly under the rule of the Coalition, the Jovian Separatists have slowly but surely regained their foothold. They have once again grown strong enough to provide a challenge for the Coalition, with multiple outposts joining the fight for freedom.

The Coalition is the most prominent faction on Europa; essentially the de facto government of Europa. It began as a trade agreement between two prominent settlements roughly a century before the events of Barotrauma, at a time when exonationalism, or the belief that Europa was no mere colony but an independent world, was coming about and gaining popularity. The leaders of these pro-Europan settlements pooled their resources and hired paramilitary groups to defend their investments and trade routes, funneling currency and power to where they needed them the most. The Coalition expanded their reach, allying with friendly settlements and taking over other ones which were not equally keen on joining. Soon enough, they controlled most of the important trade routes and industry on Europa and were well on their way to becoming the government of the moon. Their goal: to see Europa come into its own, without Earth’s oversight. A few decades later, after contact with Earth was suddenly lost and Europan society threatened to fall into complete chaos, the Coalition’s established system of trade and governance became even more important. Legislation developed by the Coalition, such as the Resource Balancing and Control Act, further cemented their rule by regulating trade with settlements which opposed the Coalitions’ ideology. The noble goal of the Coalition is to keep Europa safe and preserve humanity in an age where Earth has gone silent and there might be no motherworld to return to. Keeping the peace comes with its complications, however, and when the situation demands it, the Coalition will not shy away from using force. It has the military prowess to protect its citizens from horrible monsters, dangerous anarchists, and religious zealots. This has led to the Coalition gaining staunch supporters as well as sworn enemies – most notably the Jovian Separatists. Over the years, the Coalitions’ power and influence have become extensive, led by a handful of ejected captains.

The Church worships the alien species Velonaceps calyx, more commonly known as the husk parasite, which makes itself at home in an unsuspecting victim’s throat, eventually turning them into a mindless monster. That does not sound like a fate anyone would choose willingly, but the Church believes the husk holds the key to humanity’s survival on Europa.

As the husk takes over, the body undergoes a dramatic transformation which allows it to withstand the pressure and coldness of the Europan ocean. This transformation is what the Church pursues, through prayer and study. They believe the husk is the next step in human evolution, a chance to overcome our physical limitations and thrive. Their goal is a true symbiotic relationship, where the husk grants the body incredible resilience, but the host’s mind is not lost in the process. It’s not death they seek… it’s transcendence.

While not without nobility in their beliefs, the Church’s history has seen many sordid turns: allegations have been made of forcible communion to join an unwilling or unaware human with the husk, of ritual sacrifice, drug use, murder, and cannibalism. One of the Church’s leaders, the notorious and wildly colorful Jacov Subra, initially popularized the Church as an “alternative music festival”, but it has outgrown that facade many times over, both in scope and seriousness. Their days of public debauchery seem to be in the past, and their sermons are now held in more privacy.This has allowed them to become, if not quite accepted, at least more broadly tolerated in Europan society in recent years.

Perhaps the most baffling of all the Europan factions are the clowns. Some say the faction came to be as a result of the failed Coalition initiative to hire 'professional entertainers' to help crews cope with the stress and paranoia of working in the claustrophobic confines of their submarine. Some say they're just people who've lost it. And who in the heavens is the Honkmother?

These are questions that the clowns, or the Children of the Honkmother, seem to take great pleasure in not answering. In fact, they seem to take pleasure in most things in life, large or small. They are unfazed by the ever-present turmoil around them, and while their antics may cause no end of grief to other people, there doesn’t appear to be any real menace behind them. They are despised by all the other factions, yet the Children of the Honkmother call no one enemy.

However, there does seem to be some consistency to their ramblings, some recurring turns of phrase, some concepts they all share. It’s almost as if they know something other Europans don’t. The clown philosophy is so obscure it stretches the notion of religion, yet they all sing the same tune.

Cold Caverns, Europan Ridge, The Aphotic Plateau, The Great Sea, Hydrothermal Wastes

Natural formations, outposts, Abandoned outposts, Habitation Outpost, Military Outpost, Research Outpost,Mining Outpost, Colony, passageways, Hunting Grounds, Beacon Stations

Outposts are where the citizens of Europa have made their cities and towns. Most people reside in these outposts, the rest being part of submarine crews. Outposts have a variety of uses, from military to research to mining.

Abandoned Outposts are the result of other outposts succumbing to Jovian Radiation or nearby Hunting Grounds.

Abandoned Outposts are distinct from other outposts in that they are solely inhabited by either bandits or monsters that must be wiped out in order to restore the outpost.

Habitation Outposts are the first outpost type established to provide a base for development into a different outpost.

Military Outposts are one of the three specialized outpost types scattered across Europa, mostly occupied by Coalition security forces. These outposts feature prison cells and secure armories which are accessible only to Outpost Security.

Research Outposts are one of the three specialized outpost types scattered across Europa, mostly occupied by researchers studying surrounding fauna. Research Outpost contain state-of-the-art laboratories filled with electronics, terminals, and isolation cells for test subjects.

Mining Outposts are one of the three specialized outpost types scattered across Europa, mostly occupied by miners. Its interior can be distinguished from other Outposts by its unique mineshaft section.

Colonies are the largest type of outpost. Colonies will not transform into other outpost types.

Hunting Grounds are passageways with a particularly troublesome Abyss monster. Hunting Grounds can prevent certain locations from transforming and cause Outposts to become abandoned. The Coalition will reward anybody who can venture into the Abyss and kill the monster. A reputation bonus and cash reward will be given to the submarine crew who kills the monster and makes the area safe to inhabit.

Beacon Stations have the opposite function of Hunting Grounds; increasing the chance for an Empty Location to be settled and become an Outpost. However, they are initially inactive and must be activated in order for this to be effective. The Coalition will also give a cash reward and reputation bonus to whoever manages to reactivate the Beacon Station.

Captain, Assistant, Engineer, Mechanic, Security Officer, Medical Officer

Husks take on the form of Human divers which have become infected and taken over by an instance of Velonaceps Calyx. Their appearance is equivalent to that of a regular crew member wearing a rusted orange Diving Suit, with the biggest difference being three small stingers protruding out of their broken helmets.

Due to the broken diving suit, the parasite must be capable of adapting both the human body and its organs to withstand the cold temperatures and high pressures exerted by the ocean.

Husks tend to appear in small groups of 2-3 individuals, compensating for their individual frailty, they are usually found in ruins and Wrecks. I'm rare cases the husk transformation can result in Husk Chimeras or Husk Prowlers being created instead, which are far more dangerous than the usual husks.

Aboard a submarine there is a, largely, cohesive chain of command from assistants, to medical and security officers, up to the captain themselves. The assistant has the lowest authority aboard a submarine, followed by the gunners, then the engineers and mechanics, which are then followed by the medical officers, who in turn are beneath the security officers, who are only lower than the captain and any seconds or thirds appointed by the captain, the captain themselves being the supreme authority aboard the submarine. Most submarines are not subservient or specifically employed by any of Europa's factions but most tend to lean more towards one faction or the other.