Core Objective: 

The crew's mission is to hunt down the Seraph's Gift, a legendary prize established by the Seraph's Song, which rang out across the cosmos decades before our story begins.

The Crew's Origins: 

The crew was brought together by Kel Aster, largely by breaking them out of prison. Kel had been chasing the Gift his entire life, previously doing so with various other crews as well as his estranged wife, Mei Izumi, who eventually left him to pursue a career in the Expanse Vanguard after many years traveling together.

A few years prior, Kel tracked down a bird named Quark, who had been in extremely close proximity to one of the sources of the Seraph's Song and could repeat it perfectly. Kel believed something unique would happen to those exposed to it at close range.

Events on Zol: 

The crew stole a Score from Zol, as well as Kel's old ship, which was currently in the possession of Mei. During their short stay they also managed to greatly upset and offend all of the major factions on the Shard.

The crew gained an additional member during this time, a teen stowaway named Tandrew, whom they had previously encountered.

Quark sang his song and the crew was Awakened, gaining the ability to create music, a skill believed lost for hundreds of years. However, Kel was killed during the escape. Before his death it was revealed that he too could create music without a Score. His final request was that the crew would save a wish for Mei upon reaching the Gift, as his greatest desire was to make her big dream come true.

Departure and the Changing Score: 

The crew stole a Score to Yggris, but during their escape the notes changed before their eyes due to the effects of the Seraph's Song, creating an entirely new song that sent them to an unknown destination, later revealed to be Ayra Majon.

Mei Izumi's Awakening: 

It is later revealed to Pherus, while fixating on the line "Bring Me Your Broken Dreams" from the Seraph's Song, that following the crew's departure, Ranger Mei Izumi also gained the ability to create music when Quark played the song, presumably due to her relatively close proximity. Pherus is shown a depiction of Izumi singing while holding Kel's revolver, standing next to her apparently sentient sword. She appears to have shifted her focus entirely to hunting down the crew, blaming them for Kel's death.

The Drift and Sysica: 

During their journey through the Drift, it is revealed that following their Eryatsun, a leaf from their Wayfarer flew over and touched Valero, the Golden Comet. The next day, Valero gained the ability to create music just as the crew does, leading them to believe that either the leaf or their interaction with him was responsible. The Drift Tree, their Wayfarer, is also revealed to be Awakened and lyrical, and is named Sysica.

Two additional crew members joined the group during this period: Bellog, an ex-cultist lizardman, and Here Boy, a biological talking dog with wings.

Kel's Compass: 

The group discovered a stash of Kel's old notes on the Seraph's Song, along with some of his theories about finding the Gift. Among them was a special compass he had built, found aboard the ship. The compass features tiny numbers 1 through 1000 across five readouts, and upon arriving at Ayra Majon the first readout was set to 299. It bears the inscription: "The only thing faster than light is love. May our hearts travel together to the heart of the Expanse."

Arrival at Ayra Majon: 

The group arrived at their destination, a Shard called Ayra Majon, and were greeted by a new rendition of the Seraph's Song being played by the Shard itself.