The Orien Nebula is a molecular cloud, or dark nebula, which coils around a star cluster of the same name. This cluster is inhabited by a handful of space-faring races who refer to the nebula as “The Veil.”

The Orien Nebula exhibits magnetic resonance properties which disrupt sensor readings and therefore hinder study of the nebula itself. Further, astronomical surveys from within the star cluster are contaminated by sensor artifacts attributed to the nebula’s proximity.

Local populations are equally unfamiliar with the scientific nature of the nebula, but view it with a trepidation that Society scholars conclude is rooted in superstition. What local populations do say about the nebula largely consists of tales of ships entering the nebula, never to return; victims of strange and powerful creatures that lurk in its depths.