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Post by H. "Wash" Washburn on Mar 28, 2006 19:34:00 GMT -5
The 'Verse as we know it. SYSTEMS MAP PLANETS UNDER THE ALLIANCE
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Post by H. "Wash" Washburn on Mar 28, 2006 19:34:57 GMT -5
Terrestrial Planets: Solid, rocky worlds. These orbit relatively close to the sun and therefore close to the star's natural zone of habitation, making these planets easier to teraform. They often have one to three moons in orbit which are too small to hold an atmosphere, but often service as refueling stations for cruisers too large to land on worlds. Local examples: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Gas Giants: The largest of all planets, these enormous worlds are made almost entirely of gas and are completely unsuitable for teraforming of any kind. They do, however, have dozens of moons each, ranging in size from large asteroids to Earth-like proportions. The larger moons can be teraformed, but never with the same success as most terrestrial planets. Local examples: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Cubewanos: A large Kuiper belt object. The Kuiper belt is the solar system's leftovers from creation and generally floats at the edge of the solar system. The Kuiper belt contains everything from dust particles to planet-sized rocks, the latter of which are called cubewanos. Cubewanos sometimes get knocked into a closer solar orbit, becoming planets. Using inertial dampening technology similar to the systems that propel spaceships and allow artificial gravity, cubewanos can also be towed further into the system and pushed into orbit around a gas giant, creating yet another moon suitable for teraforming. Local examples: Pluto, Varuna, Quaoar, and 2003 UB313 (the "tenth planet").
Black Rocks: These are uninhabitable planets due to teraforming mishaps or other disasters. Local examples: Earth. (Wait a couple of centuries.)
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Post by H. "Wash" Washburn on Mar 28, 2006 19:35:47 GMT -5
Planetary Guide - Core Worlds Asterisks indicate a non-canon world.
Note: All core worlds are restricted landing zones and require an order of business or a permit to land there--although these things can sometimes be dodged, bribed, or forged.
New Earth*: The first planet humanity attempted to teraform and its first black rock. Inexperience with the then experimental technology caused a series of problems that left the planet completely unsuitable for human life. The Alliance has since made many attempts to “fix” the planet, with limited results. The project has become something of a joke within Parliament, where a wasteful bill is often described as a “New Earth measure.”
Sihnon: The first successfully teraformed world in the system, Shinon is the the heart of the Buddhist religion and home to its most sacred temples. It is also headquarters for all the guilds; for instance the city of Chang'Pei is owned entirely by the trade administration. Shinon's capital is Lu'Weng. While legally Sihnon is a restricted fly zone, so much trade comes through the world that traffic is nearly impossible to regulate. Landing passes are easily bought or forged.
Londinum: The second teraformed world, and generally considered to be the most Earth-like of all the worlds. Londinum's culture is more in line with the United States and Europe than China. It is the home of the Alliance Parliment. Londinum is a restricted, no fly zone. Unauthorized transports will be shot down with no warning given.
Manhattan*: Despite its urban name, Manhattan's economy is largely agricultural, providing food to much of the core worlds and beyond.
Bernadette: This was the third planet to be teraformed by humanity and is the traditional launching point for settlers en route to the new colonies. As a result, Bernadette is also a major hub for the underground slave trade, and also, strangely a major religious hub for faiths of all kinds.
Osiris: Home to the Alliance Judicial branch and the finest universities in the core. Blue Sun also maintains its corporate office, although no one enters any of its complexes without a background check. Really, you'd have an easier time getting a landing permit on Londinium than a pass into Blue Sun HQ. Like, don't even try. I'm not kidding.
Qing-Jao*: A heavily industrialized planet, its name means "gloriously bright," and rightly so: The cities have horrible problems with light pollution.
Ariel: Yet another wealthy and advanced planet, Ariel is well known for its museums, theatres, and bioluminescent lakes. It also has some of the most advanced medical facilities in the system, as well as the best resturants. The core's wealtier citizens are sometimes known to holiday on Ariel for the food alone.
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Post by H. "Wash" Washburn on Mar 28, 2006 19:36:16 GMT -5
Planetary Guide - Middle worlds An asterisk indicates a non-canon world.
Bellerophon: One of the great terafroming success stories, Bellerphon has a temperate climate and landscapes that rival some of the core worlds. Thus, Bellerphon is a favorite retreat for the galaxy's wealthiest inhabitants, often on private floaty islands.
Santo: Prior to the war, Santo was one of the most beautiful worlds in the system and host to hundreds of resorts and hotels. The war devistated the world's economy, even though the planet itself pulled through mostly unscathed. Its resorts turned into brothels and its hotels into casinos. The world remains a hot tourist spot, but for a somewhat different crowd.
Paquin: "The Gypsy Planet," Paquin is home to innumerable carnivales and fairs, not to mention the famous Opera House, which rivals any theatre in the Core. Paquin is the cultural center of the rim world, and even rivals Sihnon in that regard--not that the Sihnonese will admit this. This makes Paquin a mecca for artists and performers throughout the system.
Beaumonde: Heavily industrialized, Beaumonde is a major manufacturing hub for the system, and home to several (very secure) Blue Sun factories. While most of the world is heavily polluted, its capital of New Dunsmuir is a beautiful, thriving tourist attraction. The moon's large merchant class makes the world a major waypoint for interplanetary trade.
Persephone: A largely agricultural world, its aristocracy is mainly made up of the landholding elite. Persephone also plays host to a robust criminal subculture, particularly when it comes to Persephone's famous horse races, which are somewhat similar to the Kentucky derby of today. Mal often has dealings on this word and has many contacts here, such as Badger and Sir Warrick Harrow.
Boros: Ares, one of Boros' moons, is home to the Iskellkian's primary military ship yards, with an average of five cruises under construction at any given time. While the moon is restricted, the planet is not, and is the best place in the system to aquire a ship or pick up spare parts. Note, however, that the Alliance maintains a strong military presence here.
Newhall: A newly terriformed planet covered mostly in water. Its inhabitants mostly live on island chains and export water to other planets still in the teraforming process.
Boca:* A top vacationing spot, known for it's beaches, fine dining, and relaxed atmosphere, Boca is home to the 'verse's largest Jewish population. Benefiting from supporting unification, the moon is home to one of the best med-acads as well as one of the top law-acads (which might explain the high rate of lawsuits filed on the moon). The majority of the population enjoy their wealth, though not everything is pleasant. Under the pastel brightness is a slowly churning conflict between the orthodox and unorthodox sects of the people here. Homeworld of Mr. Universe (supposedly) and Will Trubald.
Verbena: The Alliance made this world the test case for its "rejuvenation after Unification" effort by building factories and encouraging economic growth, but its efforts so far have been stymied by sabotage and terrorism from rogue Independents. It remains to this day a hotbed of resistance.
Hera: A largely agricultural world, Hera is considered the breadbasket of the system. Its key location between the core and the outer planets on a shipping lane made it a critically stragetic location during the war, leading to the Battle of Serenity Valley. The Independents suffered a crushing defeat there and is generally considered the turning point in the war. To this day Serenity Valley is barren and uninhabitable, home only to an immense graveyard, most of its tombstones unmarked.
New Melbourne: A planet covered almost entirely in ocean, save for scattered islands. It serves as a layover point for nearly every planet on its side of the system. New Melbourne's economy is based on fish and fish-related activities.
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Post by H. "Wash" Washburn on Mar 28, 2006 19:36:42 GMT -5
Planetary Guide - Rim Worlds An asterisk indicates a non-canon world.
Ezra: Most of Ezra's population gets by through mining, although the fumes from the process react badly with the lingering chemicals from the teraforming process, causing widespread cases of Bowden's Malady. Niska's Skyplex space station orbits this world.
Lilac: Xuantong Teraforming marketed Lilac as an Eden of perpetual springs, and many who have to live on the world wonder if the people who wrote those adds ever visited the planet. It’s suitable for little other than substance farming and to add insult to injury, it’s right on the edge of Reaver territory.
Athens: A Jupiter-sized world, its atmosphere is rich with several rare elements, which are harvested from low-orbit space stations in the upper atmosphere.
--Three Hills: This moon is well known for two things: High quality potatoes and the annual goose-juggling tournament. While their competitions are open to anyone in the galaxy, the treasured title of Top Juggler has yet to be held by an outsider.
-- Haven: A small mining moon, Haven’s residents have not struck it rich yet, but that hasn’t made the world any less appealing to corporate interference. The Corone Consortium recently sent representatives to try to acquire the mining rights, and returned somewhat worse for wear. The miners have since invested in a series of surface to air cannons to discourage any more foreign incursion onto their world, remaining one of the few economically independent worlds in the system
--Whitefall: A rough little moon. Its government and economy are mostly controlled by Patience, although Mal has other contacts there. Former Agent Laurence Dobson also lived here for a time.
Miranda: According to official Alliance records, Miranda is a black rock in the Burnham quadrant where teraforming failed and killed its population of 30 million. However, recent information has gone public suggesting that the world was subject to a failed experiment, and that it was the chemicals released by the Allaince and not the teraforming itself that killed the population. No concrete evidence exists to prove this and successful attempt to explore the planet is unlikely, since a large fleet of Reaver ships are known to occupy the area. It likely serves as a home base for the Reavers, perhaps even a "home world."
Dyton Colony: Dyton's settlers trace their roots back to the British colony ships that first colonized Londinum and have a pronounced dedication to their ancestral culture. Badger was born here.
Beylix: While the planet has many large farming communities, Beylix is best known as the system’s “reclamation and recycling center,” or more colloquially, “garbage dump.” United Reclamation runs most of its operations out of Brylix’s scrap yards and refuse centers, which supports a bustling economy of junk dealers and rebuilt spaceships. Monty was once arrested here on smuggling charges.
Juno*: A large gas giant that masses at four and a half times the size of Jupiter. Juno is best known for its large subsystem of moons and its vibrant red colour.
-- Jia Li*: Whomever named this place probably never set foot there. Good and beautiful is far from the truth of this little moon. First populated for the mining rights, it soon gave way to factories. Most of the inhabitants are indentured workers or slaves. Life is dull and tedious here. The last big thing to happen was an uprising at the Tao Industries in which the owner of the factory was murdered. This caused the security measures to be reinforced. Getting clearance to land on Jia Li is difficult and getting a chance to talk to any member of management at the factories is near impossible. Far too often strangers on the moon are shot on sight without questioning. No one wants another riot, afterall. Fiona Tao was raised here.
-- Kamchatka*: Heavily polluted from years of intense industrial waste, many parts of this world are uninhabitable. The rest of the planet is largely dedicated to manufacturing, mostly heavy machinery.
-- Silverhold Colonies: Another moon settled under a special religious charter from the Alliance. Unlike other colonies of its kind, its charter religion of Mahāyāna Buddhism (大乘, Dàshèng) did not take to the general population. However, the unique conditions of the charter allow certain scientific enterprises that are illegal on other worlds. Silverhold's many scientific institutes make the moon surprisingly affluent compared to its neighbors.
Eris*: The oddball of the system, Eris is a planet roughly the size of Saturn, however astronomers more often compare it to Uranus due to the radical tilt of its axis. Eris rotates perpendicular to the normal plane of the system, causing its satellites to orbit on the same direction. Eris' unusual situation makes the vast majority of its moons unsuitable for habitation.
--Hermes: Its thin atmosphere and artic climate make Hermes an unpopular world for colonists, however a few have chosen the moon as their home for its unique quality; Eris' intense electromagnetic field surrounds the moon in a dense, nebulous ion cloud that magnifies all ambient radio, cortex, and ansible transmissions, which allows receivers to pick up (and broadwave) signals from across the entire system with little effort. Recent reports of a large military confrontation here are unconfirmed. (Note: The canon does not provide a name for this planet.)
Greenleaf: This world possesses a large tropical belt with vast jungles and rainforests, thus Greenleaf hosts major pharmaceutical laboratories to take advantage of the many life-saving drugs available in the local flora. Rather than work for the corporations like most of the population, some of the local residents prefer to smuggle drugs off world as part of a very lucrative black market. The Alliance recently acquiesced to corporate pressure and declared Greenleaf a restricted landing zone, although the new security measures are still loose and too weak to put much of a dent in smuggling.
-- Harvest*: Due to unusual tectonic plate activity that’s just within the legal guidelines for habitable planets, Harvest is known for two things: Large mountain ranges and frequent ground tremors. While the unsteady ground is a mite unsettling, the moon’s snowcapped vistas are breathtaking, and its valleys are unusually fertile—hence the world’s name.
-- Haung He: A miserable ball of dirt run primarily by a Magistrate Higgins. The moon's primary exports are mud, clay and ceramics. (Note: “Haung He” is a name I created, because the canon does not provide one.)
--St. Albans: A barren hunk of rock that can barely support human life. Its citizens scrape an existence out of what they can mine out of its rocks. Tracy's family lives here.
-- Feng Du*: A penal colony, rumored to be one of the harshest worlds in the system, and not technically teraformed. Officially, the Alliance reserves this punishment only for those convicted for life sentences without parole, but overcrowding in the other penal colony sometimes forces the Alliance to house prisoners here for lesser offenses.
Sturges: Best known as the site of the Battle of Sturges, the second bloodiest battle in the War of Unification. Pilots should note that a large debris field surrounds the planet, posing a serious hazard to navagation.
Shadow: Shadow was one of the first worlds to mount an organized resistance to the Alliance, and one of the last to surrender. Once a thriving prairie world of grain farms and cattle ranches, extensive Alliance bombing during the war decimated the planetary climate, all but turning the world into a black rock. The planet remains uninhabitable to this day.
Jiangyin: A backwards moon, with no local government to speak of and virtually no Alliance presense. Some of its locals are known to kidnap people, mostly tradesmen and women.
Ita: Founded under a special charter from the early Alliance Parliament, Ita is a religious colony, populated almost entirely by orthodox Mormons. Its economy is largely based on shipbuilding and salvage.
Heinlein: A gas giant roughly the size of Saturn. It’s moons include:
--Triumph: This moon has little to offer than a few scraps of land worth farming, making it of little interest to “civilized” folk, thus the world has become a haven for those that want nothing to do with society, primarily Amish-like religious communities.
--Coyote*: Formed under a special Alliance charter, Coyote is a haven for the surviving tribal cultures of Earth that was. The moon's local government consists of a loose confederation of tribes, including the Inuit, Cherokee, Dakota, Aborigine, !Kung, etc.
--Tara: One of the newest worlds in the system, Tara was not opened for colonization until after the war, which made it an ideal candidate for rejuvenation after Unification program. Many of the guilds were given special tax breaks to open branches on Tara and gain a foodhold in the rim. The world is known for its beauty, but not always peace; the political nature of its colonization sometimes makes it a target for rogue, independent terrorists.
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Post by H. "Wash" Washburn on Mar 28, 2006 19:37:07 GMT -5
Planetary Guide - Rim Worlds Stars/Suns An asterisk indicates a non-canon addition.
Georgia: A F-class yellow-white star. Its satellites compose much of the Burnham quadrant.
Odin*: A K-class orange star in the Cherokee* quadra
Tian-Wang*: A B-class blue-white star in the Dravidian quadrant.
Báihuà*: A K-class orange sun, this system has a reputation as a hotbed of Independent sentiment. It is located in the Narang* quadrant.
Planetary Guide - Space Stations, etc. An asterisk indicates a non-canon addition.
Skyplex: A space station privately owned and operated by Adelai Niska. Skyplex serves as his base of operations for his numerous criminal enterprises.
Unnamed Space Bazaar: A space station that serves as a waypoint and refueling stop for transports on their way from the core to the rim. The bazaar has a solar orbit in the Georgia system between Lilac and Athens. Serenity's crew picks up their post here.
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