Summary
Bethesda’s most recent title,Starfield, took players on a vast space-faring adventure across a galaxy of hundreds of planets and other celestial bodies as they attempted to recover a set of ancient Artifacts and subsequently unlock the secrets behind the universe itself with their power.Starfieldprovided fans with an expansive set of locations and scores of interesting characters to encounter and interact with, and there are many hidden/unmarked stories and quests that can be found for those who diligently search them out.
Being grounded in aNASA-punk aestheticand design,Starfieldincludes elements like corporate espionage and ethically questionable scientific endeavors, and the worldalso plays host to a number of bigger mysteries and events that go beyond these. One of them thatStarfieldseemed to merely scratch the surface of is the faction of House Va’ruun. The depth of story lying beneath what tantalizing hints the main game provides contains enough to it that it could be greatly expanded, possibly even in its own separate tale or spin-off.
In addition to ongoing updates/patches,Starfieldwill be receiving a substantial piece of DLC,Shattered Space, sometime this year.
House Va’ruun in Starfield Has Enough Material Behind it to Be its Own Title
House Va’ruun’s Known History in Starfield
WithinStarfield’s lore, House Va’ruun is the third governmental body formed in the greater Settled Systems. A theocracy ruled via a feudal-like monarchy, it is centered on the worship of a deity known as the Great Serpent. According to the faction’s legends and records, the House began roughly 20 years prior to the present setting. At that time, a member of a colony ship, Jinan Va’ruun, allegedly experienced visions and revelations, spurring him to form a religion around them and launch what was known as the Serpent’s Crusade against other major factions.
Hostilities continued for years until Jinan’s death, whereupon his son, Jarek, sued for peace, and eventually a ceasefire and armistice were agreed to. The House then mostly withdrew from the larger galaxy, becoming more entrenched in isolationist policies. Still, fanatic Va’ruun zealots who refuse to recognize the halt to aggressive activities prowl the skies, and players can find themselves assaulted by their ships while traversing the universe.
By paying close attention to hints and other background information, fans can uncover further details, such as discovering that House Va’ruun is based in the city of Dazra, located on the planet Va’ruun’kai, the precise coordinates of which is a closely guarded secret even from other members within the organization itself. Even this is just the tip of the iceberg, as there remain many unknown factors andintriguing questions regardingStarfield’s House Va’ruunand its intentions and ambitions, which could be addressed in a fully fledged game or substantial piece of additional content.
How Starfield’s House Va’ruun Could be Expanded On in Future Content
The Serpent’s Embrace is a trait fans can choose when creating their character, marking them as being raised under Va’ruun culture, and could provide an avenue for storylines based on it. Another factoid players can learn from Andreja, one ofStarfield’s possible crew companions, is her revealing that she is part of House Va’ruun, but has somewhat distanced herself from their overall vision.
Starfield’s Serpentis System seems to also potentially contain some clues and is highly implied to be importantly related to Va’ruun. Now, any of these might serve as entry points for an adventure based around the House and its machinations. There are a couple of other possibilities for Bethesda to expand on Va’ruun too. For example, setting a game during the onset and heart of the Crusade conflict, and giving players a firsthand experience of it might work well.
Finally, while not much is currently known aboutwhatStarfield’sShattered SpaceDLC will entail, the title alone could be hiding a hint in plain sight, as it might be taken to mean the rift previously caused by House Va’ruun. In any case, the House, its clandestine High Council and network of spies, and existing secrets are all fertile ground for expansion, and could easily support their own release, should Bethesda choose to take that route.
