Ten years ago, a pattern was identified within the Shiplords, that shook humanity to the core. The Shiplords did not take one price, but many. They would leave a race to rebuild, to grow anew, and then when they could be sure that there would be enough to merit the trip they would return and strip a world anew. What they used the older kin of the many worlds like our own remains impossible to say for sure, although some among the Potentials of Knowledge have guesses. Few know them, however, and all who do pray they are wrong.