The war began as a dispute over land rights when the Corporate Constellations attempted to reclaim abandoned mining zones around Iron Pass and Credence.
But there was a problem:
people were living there now.
Freecrews, settlers, small independents, and refugees had turned unused land into their homes and livelihoods. Constellation demanded evacuation. The locals refused.
When corporate surveyors brought enforcement squads, the first shots were fired.
Constellation deployed heavy industrial mechs to “restore order.”
The locals responded with:
homemade warframes
old mining machines retrofitted for combat
stolen corporate chassis
Freecrew volunteers
rogue Cartel pilots “helping” for unclear motives
The conflict spiraled into a low-grade war stretching across the Broken Belt Front.
Stray Rift anomalies began appearing near old mining shafts.
Each faction blames the other:
Constellation blames illegal excavation
Local crews blame corporate drilling
Pilgrims warn of a deeper instability
Every time a mech is destroyed with a reactor breach near Rift stress points, the planet’s dimensional stability worsens.
Some fear Credence may fracture — literally.
Most factions across the Reach refuse to fully engage:
Void Cartels only send small groups
Freecrews are divided
Marshals refuse to escalate without cause
A full-scale war would devastate Credence and risk destabilizing Wayfarer Crown’s orbital network.
Thus, the conflict remains confined to a single theater, even though tension radiates across the planet.
The Credence Mech War is intentionally OPTIONAL for players.
Characters can absolutely:
ignore the war entirely,
pass through the battleground stealthily,
work as neutral contractors,
or only engage when they’re ready.
The war is there for:
mech pilots
high-level Gearsmiths
players who love large-scale conflict
PCs seeking legendary mech upgrades
narrative arcs about reclamation, injustice, or corporate tyranny
This ensures no player is forced into a war plot if they just want to be smugglers, explorers, bar owners, or sky-racers.
The battle line barely moves.
Constellation has:
money
heavy frames
orbital support
The locals have:
terrain
numbers
grit
and nothing left to lose
The Broken Belt Front feels like a powder keg —
one wrong move, and the entire Reach will hear the explosion.