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Post by Luna Tsukino on Jan 15, 2012 0:30:19 GMT
White Sun System Ariel[Core]-[/b][/u] Like the rest of the Core worlds, Ariel is a paradise of technology. Tall buildings constructed of gleaming glass and steel reach into the sky. Holographic billboards advertise all manner of wonders. The night is filled with light. The day with the hustle and bustle of business.
Ariel is known among the central planets for its excellent medical facilities. The technology in Ariel’s hospitals is the very latest, featuring such fancifications as holographic scanners and lots of machines that you gotta shout “clear!” to use. The restaurants on Ariel are so good that folk travel here from other worlds just to have dinner. All the famous chefs come from Ariel or go to Ariel to open their own restaurants. It is said that even the hot dog vendors on Ariel are gourmet.
As with most planets in the Core, Ariel is a restricted landing zone. Only those with legitimate business (such as bringing in a Companion for a yearly check-up) are allowed to land. (Though, in most cases, if you look like you belong on a Core world, no one asks many questions.) Berdanette[Core]-After the initial colonization of Londinum and Sihnon, Bernadette was the first planet to be terraformed and settled by humanity. The only remaining ship that brought the folk who made the Exodus stands in the capital city of New Paris as a monument to their courage. The ark is a monstrous starship, at least five times the size of an Alliance cruise. The sheer sight of the ark inspires all manner of awe and jaw-dropping. The inside of the ark is a museum containing information about the journey, and also information on the cultures and history of Earth-That-Was. The great ark is named Prometheus, after the legendary god who gave man fire.
Bernadette is a traditional launching point for those leaving to settle on other worlds. Settlers arrive here from other planets on the Core and make preparations to set off for a new life on the Rim. Many businesses cater to these settlers, selling tools and supplies.
Best watch your step here. There is an underground slave-trade on Bernadette. Settlers are captured and hauled off to work on terraforming stations. The slavers are smart enough to leave locals alone. They figure outsiders won’t be missed. Bernadette is also home to many churches and religious groups. Buddhists and Christians rub shoulders with Islamic clerics and Hindu fakirs. In addition, the planet is home to a number of fringe cults and fanatical devotees.
Bernadette is a restricted landing zone. However, if you claim to be a settler or you have a group of kiddies on board for a field trip to see the ark, you’re usually welcome. Londinuim[Core]-Of all the planets, Londinum is the most like Earth-That-Was and was therefore one of the first two planets to be settled, since it needed little work to make it ready for human habitation. Most of the original colonists from the European and American continents came to Londinum, where they honored their roots by combining old tradition with new technology. All the buildings are constructed of the most modern material, but they look as if they were built of stone and are of archaic design. The general look of the cities is what book-smart folk call the “imperial gothic” style of London from Earth-That- Was. May not look so shiny to those from the Rim, but it still makes the place popular with looky-loos and picture-snappers.
The Parliament building and government complex that surrounds it are the most impressive sights on the planet. As big as a small city, the Parliament building contains the great debating chamber (“The House”), while the surrounding building complex provides offices for all the ministers and civil servants. It also features a huge clock tower that has become the planet’s symbol. Seems like almost everyone on Londinum works for the government or for businesses who deal with the government.
Government is not the only business of Londinum, however. The planet is also home to some of the greatest collections of western art in the system. The Londinum Museum, which contains the Museum of History and the Museum of Art, is a splendid building that holds all manner of treasures. Most come from the early days of colonization, but the most valuable pieces are the ancient artifacts from Earth-That-Was.
As the center of Alliance control, Londinum has a strong military presence. The Alliance flagship, Victoria, patrols its space. The planet is home to the elite SAS (Special Alliance Support) troops. The Ministry of Intelligence also has its headquarters here.
Londinum is heavily restricted with “no fly” zones above and around government buildings. Any ship venturing near these areas is shot down, no warning given. Tourists arrive on Londinum via authorized shuttles that travel to and from the other Core worlds. Tourists may visit only those areas that are approved. Anyone caught venturing outside the approved areas without proper ID is immediately arrested. Osiris[Core]-Osiris is the heart of the Alliance’s judicial branch. Here the High Court hears important cases. Their decisions affect the interpretation of parliamentary law with repercussions throughout the system. The Court is housed in a large pyramid-shaped building (honoring the Egyptian god of the dead for whom the world was named) in Capital City. The most important law firms are also based here, linked to their branch offices on other worlds by the Cortex. The University of Osiris boasts the most prestigious law school in the Core, as well as a fine medical school.
The corporate offices of the Blue Sun Corporation are also on Osiris. Originally on Sihnon, they were recently moved into a massive structure that is attached to a combined manufacturing plant, distribution center, and spacedock. The Corporation complex is off-limits to everyone except employees. No one enters, even on business, without first undergoing a thorough background check. The very latest in security systems makes this complex nigh impossible to break into.
Landing on Osiris is restricted, though not as heavily as some planets (just so long as you don’t go near Blue Sun). If you claim you need to see your lawyer, you’ll usually be permitted to set down. University students and their parents are always welcome. Sihnon[Core]-The world of Sihnon is known for its beauty. Words alone won’t do the great city itself justice. At night, it is said to be an ocean of light.
Sihnon is the heart of the Buddhist religion, a fact made obvious by the many monasteries and temples located here. Those seeking to learn more about Buddhism travel here to study.
Sihnon is also the central hub for the guild system. The Companion’s Guild is based here, with multiple houses in the large cities, and a massive temple dedicated to the schooling of young girls and boys.
All other guilds have headquarters on Sihnon or maintain a large presence here. Guild business takes place behind closed doors. Disputes are handled by registered arbitration houses. The city of Chang’Pei is given over completely to trade administration, making it the largest civil bureaucracy in the ‘Verse. The penalties for bribes, taking or giving, are harsh, but that doesn’t stop some folk. Officers of the Sihnon Trade Commission work undercover to root out the worst offenders. The officers know that they cannot stop the corruption completely, but they work tirelessly to see that it doesn’t get out of hand. These folk take their jobs seriously. They are well trained in combat and interrogation procedures, as well as espionage and accounting.
The capital of Sihnon is Lu’Weng. Local legend maintains that Lu’Weng was once a fire-breathing dragon that fell from the sky and was bound to the planet with silken ribbons. The numbers of hot springs here seem to bear this theory out, and every home traditionally has a silken awning or a curtain across the door to keep the dragon bound. Lu’Weng (the city) is one of the largest producers of silk in the system. Raw silk is farmed all over the planet and then sent to Lu’Weng, where it is refined and bolted or made into beautiful clothing that never falls out of favor with the rich throughout the system. Landing on Sihnon is restricted, though there is so much traffic coming and going on this busy world that the government issues passes to those who come here on a frequent basis. Such passes aren’t hard to get, nor are they hard to forge. Bellerophon-[/u] Bellerophon is a world home to the private estates of the system’s wealthiest folk. Anything they want is shipped in from off-world, so they have no need for shops or local color.
The estates themselves are each the size of a small town and float gracefully a mile above the clear waters of Bellerophon’s oceans. Each estate is a selfcontained world of its own. They all share a similar basic design and standardized amenities—such as a rubbish collection system.
The wealthy pay well for their privacy and the skies above Bellerophon are patrolled by both the Feds and private security companies. Visiting the estates is by invitation only. Those who come to work on the estates have to provide a damn good reason why they’re here. (Fresh flowers anyone?) However, there is a lot of empty desert on this planet—a nice, quiet place to meet someone if you can sneak past the Feds. Persephone-Persephone is an interesting mix of people and cultures. The world’s environment is much like Earth-That-Was: desert, rainforest, plains, tundra, and such. While not as heavily populated as the worlds of the Core, Persephone still seems a very big place to those from the Rim. Persephone has a tradition-oriented aristocracy, a small but thriving middle class, a fair share of the poor and desperate, and a shadowy underworld.
The Eavesdown Docks is the largest spaceport on Persephone. Even folk who think themselves hotshot pilots are confused now and again by its chaotic layout. (And woe to the new pilot trying to make his way to a dock for the first time!) Ships often touch down only a few yards from street vendors selling cheap goods to the crews and potential passengers. The docks are situated in the poor section of town (the nobles and other rich folk have their own private airfields), but it’s just a short drive or a long walk to the business district—in which just about anything in the ‘Verse can be bought for the right price.
The docks are home to several criminal “lords,” who collect illegal salvage, move contraband offworld and have hundreds of other ways to make quick, if not Alliance-approved, easy cash. A good crew with a flyable ship could make good coin here, so long as their morals aren’t overly high and they don’t mind avoiding the Feds. Not far away is a famous racetrack that is home to a famous derby that brings in folk from throughout the system (not to mention the throngs of Cortex-viewers), offering a huge cash prizes to the winning horse.
Like the horses, the aristocracy of Persephone all lay claim to a pedigree. Then again, anyone with the right stack of coin can purchase his own lordship, what with its fancy sash and all. Noble families live on large estates, attending to business, dancing at opulent balls, playing golf or tennis, and settling matters of honor in formal duels.
Persephone is an impressive cross-section of humanity, which is just another way to say that it’s a world with an over abundance of opportunity and danger. Santo-One of the great triumphs of terraforming is the planet Santo. The planet is picture-perfect, with clear blue seas, azure skies and ideal weather. Though it has a thriving agricultural base, Santo was once known for the tourists who thought it a paradise. The rich flocked to the planet as an exclusive vacation spot, and resort communities commanded every good view to be had.
The war ended Santo’s glorious days as a destination for the rich and beautiful. Though the planet escaped destruction, no one from the Core worlds dared travel here while the fighting was about. Hotels and casinos were abandoned. Those that stayed open did so by finding other ways to attract customers. Brothels, strip clubs, and other ventures catering to less savory appetites opened up. Santos has become known as a “fun” place, no matter what pleasures you’re into. After the war, casino owners found that they could avoid Alliance restrictions by operating in this out of the way place. The world became a Mecca for high rollers (and those who were not so high).
Santo’s resorts are now beginning to recover. No longer a playground exclusively for the rich, Santos attracts a more middle-class crowd. Its resorts are still beautiful, its small towns picturesque, its casinos open twenty-four seven.
You’ll have a good time here, but you might not want to bring the kiddies.
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Post by Luna Tsukino on Jan 15, 2012 0:38:32 GMT
Red Sun System Paquin-[/b][/u] Known far and wide as the “gypsy planet,” Paquin is home to more carnivals and sideshows, galleries and theatres than you could shake a cruisersized stick at. It also seems to be home to every conartist and swindler in the system.
When it was being terraformed, Paquin was chosen to host a grand opera house. Paquin’s unique atmosphere produces sunrises and sunsets the likes of which would lift even the burden of death, with colors ranging from purple to blue to red to orange. This stunning display provides a wonderful natural backdrop for the opera house, which is located on the shore overlooking a vast ocean.
As the new opera house brought theater lovers to the planet, more theatres were built to take advantage of the new trade. Paquin is the place to see all manner of entertainment from Noh theatre to experimental dance. Many new plays debut here, and those that become popular travel to the Core where they play for the elite. Artists and writers make Paquin their home to be “closer to the muse.” Paquin is the artistic center of the Border worlds and rivals Sihnon in terms of culture (though the people of Sihnon will get all manner of indignant denying this!).
Like other worlds, Paquin has a dark side. Countless carnivals and sideshows dot the world, providing good honest entertainment for the prairie folk, featuring circus acts and magic shows, freaks and jugglers. But there are those carnies who exist purely to fleece their patrons of all their cash or use their bright lights as cover for even darker activities. Greenleaf-The world has a large tropical belt, creating massive jungles and rainforests. Tropical plants provide a variety of life-saving drugs that cannot easily be synthesized in a laboratory. Major drug companies set up shop on Greenleaf, providing the bulk of work for the locals.
Some of Greenleaf ’s residents, seeing the enormous profits that were being made, began to make “clippings” of pharmaceutical plants and grow them privately to sell on black market. The problem became so great that the drug companies began engineering new plant strains with traceable genetic tags, so that confiscated merchandise could be traced back to the origin point. The technique has not yet led to any major arrests, mostly because there are dozens of small cartels, and they are difficult to track down in the jungle.
The Alliance is aware of the drug-smuggling problem out of Greenleaf, and they are clamping down on enforcement. Landing is more restricted on Greenleaf than on other Rim worlds, though smugglers who know the jungle can always find ways to sneak through. Higgin’s Moon-A man named Higgins was appointed magistrate of a small, unnamed moon. (There were rumors that he won his appointment in a card game.) At the time the moon was founded, it did not appear to have useful resources or much potential for agriculture. A few years later, it was discovered that some areas have a mineral-rich clay that can be harvested, chemically treated and kiln-fired into a ceramic that is ten times stronger than steel at half the weight. It formed a new industry: mud.
The company town of Canton was founded near the largest mud pits. Over two thousand workers, known as “Mudders,” live in Canton and work for Magistrate Higgins. Many of these are slaves and indentured laborers (who probably will never be able to purchase their way out of debt). Higgins rules through intimidation and the use of force, and is hated by virtually everyone. The foreman and his prods enforce the company rules, either with longterm hard-labor, imprisonment, or hacking folk up and rolling them into the bog.
The Mudders of Canton sing songs of a hero who has twice defied the magistrate and sailed away: Jayne Cobb. The Hero of Canton, they say, will one day return to Higgins Moon and free them from oppression. The more likely way for conditions to improve will be the magistrate’s son, Fess, who is quietly working to reverse some of his father’s harshest policies. Jiang’yin-Jiangyin is a small planet suitable for cattle ranching and foresting and little else. Jiangyin is dotted with small towns, where folk generally go about their business without much interference from the outside. Those who do come here from off-world usually have goods to sell to the ranchers and foresters.
Since the planet really has nothing of value, it is ignored by the Alliance, which doesn’t even bother to patrol it. Jiangyin has no central government. Each town or village is left to govern itself. It is one of the most primitive and backward planets, its people in such desperate need that they are forced to steal what they can’t acquire by lawful means—such as doctors to treat their sick.
The people of Jiangyin are a simple lot, especially those who live apart from what little civilization there is. These “hill folk” are superstitious and mostly uneducated, easy prey for unscrupulous leaders. A strong show of force is usually enough to intimidate them.
St. Albans-One of the coldest planets in the ‘Verse, St Albans’ terrain is almost entirely mountainous. What really makes St Albans a whole lot of unpleasant is the gorram weather, for it snows almost continually. The entire planet is covered in drifts, even during what some laughingly call summer.
The people here are a hardy folk. The principal work is mining the world’s rich mineral deposits. The Consortium’s not interested due to the harsh climate. The planet is divided into claims that the inhabitants prospect for whatever they can find. Theirs is a tough and lonely life, so the folk have developed a very strong community. If you offend one of them, you have offended all of them. The reverse is true, however: if you make one friend on St. Albans, the entire community will look out for you.
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Post by Luna Tsukino on Jan 15, 2012 0:41:25 GMT
Georgia System Athens-[/b][/u] Athens is a world known for rapidly changing weather and winds that blow constantly. Aside from that, the climate is relatively mild. Certain crops thrive here, and there’s plenty of beautiful marble to be quarried and shipped off-world. One of the few outer planets to fully support Unification, Athens was captured by the Independents. “Ownership” of the world changed hands several times during the course of the war. Finally, running low on manpower and weary of ground battles on this otherwise minor rock, the Alliance took to bombing the world’s major cities to drive out the Browncoats. ‘Cept for the piles of dead civilians and heaps more hurt and homeless that lost everything, the strategy worked. Recently, the Alliance opened up the bombedout cities for legal salvage operations. Licenses for these operations can be obtained from United Reclamation or (more slowly) from the Alliance. Then again, these cities are so chaotic that it’s not so hard for the unlicensed to sneak in and out. The world’s farmers were more fortunate than the city dwellers. Those dwelling in rural areas found it easier to scratch by during the war. It’s taken time, but they’re slowly reconnecting their ties to the rest of the ‘Verse. Athens has four moons, all terraformed and a lot nicer to live on than the planet they circle. Folk on the moons live by farming and ranching. Everyone keeps an eye out for Reavers, since undefended moons are easy prey for the nearby marauders. On Whitefall, the fourth moon, the threat of Reaver raiding parties has made the settlers over-protective and perhaps a bit paranoid. There is also a rumor currently circulating that the Blue Sun corporation has a hidden factory or complex located in the mountains on one of the moons, though what they manufacture or why they would come here is anyone’s guess. Hera-Hera is a largely agricultural world, considered the breadbasket for the entire system. Food is grown, processed and packaged on Hera.
The planet is also the home of the infamous Serenity Valley, where the bloodiest battle of the war was fought. Lying midway between the Core and the outer planets on a major shipping lane, Hera was of great strategic importance during the war, making it an important staging ground for both sides. Taking Hera was a key to winning the war, and Serenity Valley became the turning point for the conflict. The war devastated Serenity Valley. Seven years past, the valley is still blackened and charred by the fire storm that swept through it. The only landmark is a graveyard on the hills next to the valley. Over half a million men and women—Alliance and Independent alike—are buried here, each with his or her own small identical headstone. Some have names. Most don’t.
The graveyard is located on the opposite side of the valley from the town of Serenity View. Families and friends of the fallen come to Hera to visit the graves, which bloom with flowers, photos and mementos. Even the unmarked graves have their share. Plenty of families never saw their children return, and many have picked an unnamed grave and honor it, hoping someone else is doing the same for their son or daughter.
Serenity graveyard is one of the most hallowed and sacred pieces of ground in all the ‘Verse.
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Post by Luna Tsukino on Jan 15, 2012 0:45:57 GMT
Kalidasa System Beaumonde-[/b][/u] The heavily industrialized planet of Beaumonde is the manufacturing hub of the system. Its cities are surrounded by factories that produce everything from computer parts to ceramic coffee mugs. Some of the factories are owned by Blue Sun, though there are rumors that a few of these are not really factories at all or, if they are, that they’re turning out something other than canned beans. Security is tight at all Blue Sun plants, so no one has ever been able to get inside one of these buildings to find out. Or least if they did, they never got back out to tell the tale.
Due to the high industrial output, pollution is a problem. Beaumonde’s cities are covered in a perpetual haze. Weather control systems process the worst of the pollution, but the science-minded reckon the long-term effects may not be quite so simple to take care of. Every year more pollutants find their way into the water and the soil, causing all manner of difficulty for those who live off the land. Some people have moved their homes and businesses underground to escape the air pollution. Once you get away from the cities and out into the countryside, the air quality improves a mite. Farmers and ranchers manage to make a good living. There is also a thriving spaceport on Beaumonde, much like the more famous port on Persephone. New Dunsmuir is the capital of Beaumonde. The city is the only one on the planet that has no factories. Located on an ocean, New Dunsmuir is a popular tourist destination. Many wealthy factory owners make their homes here, as do those who work in the tourist industry. New Dunsmuir is a beautiful city with avenues of trees and carefully maintained flower gardens.
Newhall-Newhall is a newly-terraformed planet with large oceans. Stands to reason that water is the planet’s primary commodity. Newhall’s people live on small island chains or on floating stations on the oceans. Newhall’s water plants are always in need of workers, hence the Alliance’s generous incentives for settlers who move here. Terraforming new worlds requires a lot of fresh water, and Newhall has water to spare. Processing the water and preparing it for shipping isn’t an unproblematic job, though. The water needs to be collected, desalinated, purified, packaged, then loaded for transport.
Those of Newhall don’t want to work the water plants can make a good living fishing. And there’s always the tourist centers, for those who like to swim and cavort—or who want to tend to those who do.
Verbena-Verbana is a lush world of thick forests., making the land difficult to clear and farm, though several fruit-producers have done well with large orchards. The world was largely underdeveloped until the Alliance made it a centerpiece of its “rejuvenation after Unification” campaign. Government incentives funded new construction, including a factory to supply parts for military vehicles.
The factory seemed a promising start for Verbena, but that ended when a former Independent soldier-turned-terrorist bombed the factory, killing hundreds of people and destroying the structure. The bombing sent the world into an economic depression and—far worse—created an atmosphere of paranoia, fear, and hatred for Browncoats and the Independence movement. There were riots, lootings, burnings, as both sides lost their heads.
The Alliance has pledged to help the people of Verbena, but the appropriate legislation and resolutions are trapped in parliamentary committees. The world is low on the government’s list of priorities. Some folk have fled, hoping to find a better life elsewhere. Many more would like to leave, but don’t have the means, and so remain trapped. A small security force is more or less permanently stationed on Verbena. While ostensibly there to guard against more terrorist action, it is really there to watch a restless population.
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Post by Luna Tsukino on Jan 15, 2012 0:46:55 GMT
Blue Sun System Haven-[/b][/u] A small mining moon, Haven is home to an independent group of miners who laid claim to this rock and are not about to be shoved off it. The miners of Haven have not yet struck it rich, but they have seen enough signs to believe that they are close to a major haul (just what, they’re not saying!).
Others in the ‘Verse apparently think that Haven has something worthwhile beneath the surface. The Corone Consortium recently sent in spies to try to dig up information. The spies were caught and, after revealing the name of their employer, they were sent back—a little the worse for wear—carrying a message for the Consortium to stay the hell out of Haven.
Since then, the mining communities of Haven have pooled their resources to buy a large surfaceto- air cannon which they have mounted near the edge of the largest mining town to discourage visitors. New Canaan-[/b] Known as a "sleeper" in terraforming circles, New Canaan has been in Stage 7 of the Dokia Planetary Engineering Scale for decades longer then projected. Despite early success in compression and sea level stabilization, there remains a remarkable amount of geological change and atmospheric upheaval. As a result, New Canaan remains decades away from supporting full colonization.
A large equatorial basin is successfully terraformed, although it is still subject to massive and violent acid-rain storms. This area houses the only active settlements on New Canaan. The Capital, Baal, contains most of the of the planets population.
The Alliance has appointed a regional governor and no longer maintains a regular presence. The Planetary monitoring station is now fully automated, transmitting updates to the Planetary Engineering Bureau.
The planet's moons were terraformed successfully and on schedule. Today they serve as the mining colonies, providing raw materials for the assembly of additional terraforming infrastructure for new Canaan.
New Canaan after the signal fell even further out of the hands of the Alliance and more and more in to the hands of former brown coats and smugglers.
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