The mechs were originally created to repair colony ships on long multi-generational voyages across the galaxy. In a dark twist of fate, the mechs broke down over the eons but eventually figured out how to repair themselves. Once the parts to repair each other dried up, they turned to the sleeping colony ships and stripped them while the colonists died in their sleep. As some humans managed to defend themselves, the mechs figured out how to free themselves from the safety protocols that kept humans safe. Rogue Mechs then turned into lethal killing machines and now run amok throughout the galaxy.

On a distant planet, a mining operation was established to provide much needed resources to early settlers for terraforming and raw materials. It soon became a popular trading hub and eventually a large settlement. As mercenaries established a foothold in the region, lawlessness took root and the planet developed a reputation as a place to avoid. In the decades that followed, the outposts on the planet were essentially abandoned and the harsh environment reclaimed them. Myth and superstition fueled by lost riches led a few brave explorers to in search of the wastelands on the planet. There are rumors of mechs buried up to their necks in shifting sands and vaults of vast treasures left behind. Time and distance have washed the name and location of the planet from the minds of those still living in the age of rust.

No one remembers exactly how or why a band of Rangvok R11 mechs became the most savage and brutal bounty hunters in the galaxy. Rumor has it that they were betrayed by a group of mercenaries that attempted to hack and reprogram them. It is suspected that the hack was botched, which resulted in them pursuing a bounty that can never be caught or claimed. They wander the galaxy capturing and slaughtering innocent people or getting into firefights with other mechs. Unpredictable and overly aggressive, they can turn any situation into a chaotic one. You can only recognize them when they refer to you as The Bounty, but by that time, it's too late.

One of the colony ships that left earth was ravaged for supplies when the Age of Rust began. As mechs started to roam the ships and tear people from cryopods where they peacefully slept, a few people woke up. Some of them managed to escape or make it to the bridges of their ships and fight back. Some of the colony ships were left with the people still sleeping while the pilots were dead, some still in the captain chair. These dead souls became known as ghost pilots, spending centuries aboard doomed ships still cruising through the depths of space on autopilot.

Runners are nicknamed after a mysterious type mech often seen fleeing from ships and bases that have been attacked or damaged. In order to avoid capture they will run and often escape by any means. Several have been known to open airlocks and jettison themselves or jump into a reactor stream to meltdown. They are often seen carrying out sabotage attacks by any way possible including tampering with safety controls for weapons, reactors, and environmental systems. Just as mysterious, when caught before self-destructing, they have no means of communication or capability to transmit any messages. No one knows who or what has programmed Runners or how to stop them.

Crusade Heavy resistance fighters waged a fierce war against the Mechs on Taphao where the fighting spanned for decades. Humans banded together to fortify themselves in the Valley of the Siege where they made their last stand. Soldiers and colonists fought together in devastating attack on the Mech battalions and pushed them back to gain a new foothold. However, the Mechs had a fleet in low orbit and opened fire on everything on the planet, humans and Mechs alike. The Crusade to extinguish humanity had begun.

The great war against the mechs has taken its toll on the human race. As civilization has declined, the brutal and savage lifestyle of survival has led to anger and despair. Humans, modified or not, have sought violent revenge on those who oppress colonists or the innocent.

You've discovered a bit of hidden tech that disrupts the processing and command capabilities of the mechs. Turning it on causes them to freeze up or shut down for a brief period of time. While they are stuck in a feedback loop, you unleash a deadly volley of brutal weapons fire into their dark cold metal soulless bodies. You unleash a devastating assault that they may never rise from again.

A mysterious vault lies partly open somewhere on some planet. The location is a mystery to be researched and tracked down. Rumors about this vault suggest there is some cryptocurrency hidden inside. In order to access the vault you have to be in possessions of one of these cards.

Long ago on planet Kanbar, a dreadnought deep space cruiser landed to secure the planet for colonization. Mechs were dispatched to start constructing bases, roads, and living quarters for the colonists. A paradise was built for the first settlers from Earth on a habitable exoplanet. However, centuries later, the first report of mechs breaking down and turning on the colonists started to flood in from around the planet. Now, only dust and ancient technology remains scattered on the surface of the planet. The Age of Rust has its origins cemented into the foundation of the dry, cracked and lonely planetscape.