System: HYPERION O2v [44X 25Y 76Z]
PLANET: Hyperion IX [Spherinx]
CIRCUMFERENCE: 1.1 x 10^5 km
NATURAL SATELLITES: 1
MEAN ORBIT: 6.97 x 10^4 LS
DAY: 23.4 std. hours
YEAR: 2.79 x 10^5 Std. days
PROVINCE: Devon
STATUS: Independent within Devonian operating jurisdiction.
POPULATION:
Hyperians - 1.5 x 10^4 [?]
Spheranxe - 1.0 x 10^9 [?]
PRODUCTION EMPHASIS: Self-sustaining agriculture, black market technology.

Environment:  An ocean world with two major continental masses and a myriad of sub-continental island archipelagos. Maintains indigenous and diversified pseudo-hydrocarbon based marine ecology which is incompatible with Terran physiology. Oxygen/nitrogen (19/75%) atmosphere with no harmful trace elements. Atmospheric pressure Earth-normal. 90% hydrosphere of liquid and solid water. Despite the size of the world, it has a very small iron core creating a light gravity field. Background radiation is normal due to the great distance to the hot primary. Volcanism and meteor infall is normal. Average temperatures range from + 5° to +20°C in the temperate zone.

Spherinx is one of the few planets to be found with a hydrocarbon viable geosphere revolving a quick burning type 0 star. This has led to speculation that the world's ecological evolution had been synthesized in ancient times, possibly as an experiment, but no hard evidence to support this claim has been discovered. Note that the aboriginal lifeforms may not be consumed by Terrans and most other Hominoids. The land-based plant life now present on the planet has been introduced through the colonization process, but it had to be genetically tailored in order to be compatible with the prevailing chemical balances of the world.

HISTORY: Hyperion was settled during the infancy of translight exploration.  In Prelmp. 1174 the first colony ships, owned and operated by a now long forgotten religious cult, began arriving to settle this newly discovered world. The Spheranxe, as they were called, were escaping religious persecution, and subsequently became secretive and xenophobic. During the Integration Period (Prelmp. 1076-457), the Spheranxe were able to maintain their independence through tenuous bribes and threatened assassinations. Since that the Spheranxe leaders have instituted a sinister plot to avoid outside control.

By decree, all new Spheranxe citizens are cybernized with a neural stimulation device implanted at the base of the spine. Ultimately, manipulation of the device is quite capable of killing the subject.  With such control, the Spheranxe leaders now threaten to commit mass genocide if an outside governmental body should ever move to administer the Spheranxe territory. The Devonians, unable to justify the possible loss of life with the headache of controlling such a hardline group, have never bothered to usurp the Spheranxe leaders.

The Spheranxe only hold sway over one Hyperion land mass, and in that confined space the Spheranxe have set up an oppressively totalitarian government. All travel (never off-world), production, consumption, recreation, and procreation are controlled by the massive computer centers located in the major settlements. This has led to a widespread belief that the Spheranxe leaders are actually computers.  The computer facilities are administered by the old line of cult priests who lead exemplary ascetic lifestyles. They also run the country's policing forces. Citizens are often found trying to escape across the seas to “free” lands, but precious few make it. Those that have managed to escape Spherinx have adopted pastoral lifestyles, content with the knowledge that they may now live out their lives in freedom. A few of the refugee settlements have sprouted up into sizable towns but the technology level is invariably low as the inhabitants continue to shun the ways of the outsiders.

Hyperion is still an independent world to this day, and thus has attracted a sizable criminal off-world population who have settled many of the planet's island chains far from the Spherinx homeland.  Surprisingly, the Devonians are overjoyed with the influx of underworld scum into their jurisdiction because the Hyperians are an excellent source of classified interprovincial information. The Devonians also discovered that the Hyperians will do anything for the right price and are disposed towards secrecy when interprovincial missions are in the offering.

The independent lands of Hyperion IX are generally recognized as being controlled by five powerful organized crime rings (they tend to front as free traders). The privateers, as they like to be called are rarely in conflict with one another, and even cooperate in joint ventures. They all have vast intelligence networks and caches of military equipment, but often buy the services of other powers to move them from planet to planet. These crime lords deal mostly in information, although the traditional realms of illicit drugs, prostitution, racketeering, and slavery are not beneath them.  Two clandestine shipyards have recently been built on Hyperion IX to ease the privateers’ dependence on off-world transportation, their code names being 32N and 105P. The shipyards are reportedly capable of outfitting spacecraft with souped-up power plants which can boost power output by 10% with a 1 % cumulative chance of malfunction per minute. The builders also have access to banned weaponry like the new matter/antimatter torpedoes which are being installed on Imperial ships. Devonian agents are keeping a close watch on the development of these shipyards.

The criminals and mercenaries which constitute the Hyperian population have adopted the refugee Spheranxe lifestyles, living in relatively quiet communities until a challenging assignment comes along. It has been agreed that each of the five main privateers has access to the manpower resources of a given number of these isolated communities.  Local rosters are kept of the talent available at any given time.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:04, Mon 29 Apr.

World:  Oshima
Province: Meiji
--Earth-like atmosphere.  The planet is slightly larger than the Earth with no moon.  No large, continental land masses.  Mostly island chains.  There are quite a few large, floating cities as well.  The planet is one of the appointed trade planets in Meiji Province.  The capital city of Hakodate is a bustling trade port that started as a chain of islands that has become a combination of the land masses of the islands and the floating city that connects them all.

Planetary Governor: Matsumae Takahiro
Son/Heir: Matsumae Norihiro

[Hugh Shunjison Hoshikawa was raised here; Akechi Jinsei's home world]
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:41, Sat 06 Apr.

System Syracuse
Planet Dionysius
Station Damocles

SYSTEM: Syracuse - small 'A' class bright blue-white sun
PLANET: 1 - Dionysius
CIRCUMFERENCE: 1.3 x 10^3 km
NATURAL SATELLITES: 0
ARTIFICIAL SATELITES: 1 - Damocles
MEAN ORBIT: 0.6 AU
DAY: 12.7 std. hours
YEAR: 84.6 Std. days
PROVINCE: None
STATUS: wholy owned subsidery of Bethesda corp.
POPULATION: Damocles 1.43 x 10^3
Dionysius 4.32 x 10^4
PRODUCTION EMPHASIS: Hydrocarbons, Classified
Environment: The Planet Dionysius is a series of Domes on the surface with most inhabitants living in the tunnel system beneath.  A small Spaceport on planet has traffic to the satellite Damocles and from there traffic precedes out of the system. Damocles station consists of a satellite attached to a small iron core asteroid. In an emergency the satellite can detach and slow the orbit of the asteroid, causing it to crash into the planet, destroying the facility.

[Quirrel Tawny's home planet]
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:40, Sat 06 Apr.

JOYEUSE

Planet: Joyeuse  (Xi Volantis II)(31/43/+10Z)

Xi Volantis is a hot blue star and as such the habitabilityzone for standard humans is narrow and anything but comfortable. Joyeuse used to be a planet heavily mined for its metals but was soon adapted into a pleasure and leisure resort for the very wealthy, and for adrenalin seekers.
Gravity is within the standard range (1.05G) for human comfort, the atmosphere is breathable, and the climate is mostly cold.  The terrain is very rough and mountainous, many reaching heights of 20 km or more, with the habibtable zones limited to the valleys.  Winds are extremely harsh and strong, funneling through the narrow valleys at high speed, though fortunately stronger at the mid-altitudes near the mountain peaks.

High Speed Parachuting and Kiting (near Mach 1) has become the attraction, despite the extreme risks involved in such an endeavor. Not only does the prospective kiter need to handle the speeds and low pressure (air supply units are a must beyond 7km height) but must also consider natural flying predators.  While these predators are fairly small, they are many.  The danger they present lies more in damaging the gear (thus making maneuvering next to impossible) than actual attacks on the pilots.  The harsh light from Xi Volantis makes visibility yet another factor outside the valleys, where mountain shadows provide refuge from the harsh light.

Heat and warmth is a problem, temperatures are below -20°C during the day and drops well under -50°C during night, which lasts 8.4 standard days.  Food production is essentially not possible, there is some minor fishing industry, but with water only covering about 15% of Joyeuse's surface it does not suffice to feed the local population or the tourists.  The majority of foodstuffs are imported from off-planet and is expensive, partly because only the best pilots can handle the atmospheric conditions.  Further, only small transports can be used (less than 30k tons), so the few space ports existing on Joyeuse are large sprawling affairs, with small landing pads (less than 5k tons space vessels) clearly being the majority.

For those not brave (insane) enough to face the dangers of kiting (death rate is very high), the valleys are essentially immense gambling halls and the deeper one ventures forth the more depraved entertainments and pleasures can be obtained for the right money.

[Homeworld of Yom Argo]
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:57, Sat 06 Apr.

Jökull, a cold, frontier world in Frontier Zone 3 near Devon Province

Jökull was colonized in the early years of the Imperial Drive by refugees fleeing the inner worlds' conflicts.  A relatively brief "golden age" of genetic manipulation made popular by a consortium of bio-technical corporations in antiquity led to a diverse population of mdified individuals, eventually coalescing into specific 'models' or types.  The unfortunate effect on unmodified individuals was an ever lower "glass ceiling" as they found themselves unable to attain prestigious or lucrative positions without the right genetic profiles.

Over time this led to punitive "apprentice" generations, where employees would labor under almost slave like conditions while they strove to secure genetic advantages for their offspring at the cost of their employers.  Imperial intervention eventually broke this monopoly, and the power of the corporations that had made it possible, but the societal effects linger to this day, with legacy families still carefully intermarrying through an intricate system of arranged matches.

Unfortunately the Imperial occupation was not entirely beneficial, ushering a long history of  Political and religious strife, fueled by old fashioned human greed which devastated the world, and perpetuated a cycle of violence by local warlords, criminal syndicates, fanatical clergy, and aloof nobility installed by the Imperium.  The situation hasn't changed much in decades and among the exports from Jökull are the genetically modified offspring trained for specific tasks.

---

In essence, several lines of Transhuman peoples are continuing through the caste system, notably Transhuman I's recruited for shock troops by various militaries.
[Homewrold of Osgun Bassar]
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:58, Sat 06 Apr.

Carthon, a Mars-sized world, just inside the outer edge of it's systems habitable zone.

WIP

Nebezny

Province: Frontier Zone 3/ In proximity of Devon

Nebezny is slightly larger than earth but with a combination of factors which result in it having a gravity of approx. 0.9 G -- smaller iron core, rotational speed etc. The hydrosphere is somewhat less than that of Earth, roughly 60:40, sea:land.

Planetary atmosphere is breathable - oxygen-nitrogen with contaminants. The primary cause of contaminants in the atmosphere is the planet's extremely active volcanism. However, this same volcanism also results in Nebezny having very high levels of mineral wealth, and in areas where volcanic action has taken place sufficiently long ago for the lava flows to be broken down by weathering, to very fertile agricultural land. However, Nebezny also has a somewhat erratic orbit about its primary, which causes extreme seasons, i.e. summers are burningly hot, while winters are of near arctic intensity.

The native animals species are non-sentient, carbon based, but not suitable for human consumption. However, the planet was colonized at some time in the distant past by humans. The descendants of the colonization, the Nebesans, have adapted to the extremes of the planet, and have been classified as Type II Humanoids rather than standard humans by Imperial planetologists and geneticist. Planetologists are of the opinion that the Nebesan language is derived from old Earth Russian, but this has been altered significantly and includes many local dialect words in the vocabulary. The biosphere has also been altered by introduction of earth fauna and flora by the original colonists.

[Homeworld of LevSerdtse]
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:51, Sat 06 Apr.

Dhurg'haa

System: Phi lupetus [-29X -53Y -57Z]
Planet: Phi lupetus III "Dhurg'haa"
Province: None; possessed by the Churg, who have Minor Clan status, though within Augustus-Hayes territory
Status: Homeworld of minor clan
Population: 334,800,000
Productivity: 21.8%
Production Emphasis: Scholarly Research, Universities, Ore, Textiles, Foodstuffs
Rating: Producing
Circumference: 40,000
Gravity: l.1g
Natural Satellites: 2 plus 1 ring
Day: 28.6 hrs
Year:
Atmosphere: Oxygen/Nitrogen, few contaminants
Hydrosphere: Balanced
Climate: HTemperate mix
Mean Temperature: 23 C
Biosphere: Complex flora and non-sentient lower life forms

(WIP)
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:41, Fri 05 Apr.

Dozens of Deep-Space Outstations are scattered across the lnterstellar void of the Terran Empire. These installations were built to bridge the gaps between the unevenly distributed star systems in several ways. Communication and transportation especially have a very limited range, and these facilities serve as refueling, relay and repair docks.

Outstations are much more than this, however; they are veritable cities in space. Light-years from any inhabited worlds — or any natural planetary or stellar body, for that matter — they are completely self-contained. An Outstation orbits the galactic core like a star, and so is fixed in relation to other stellar systems. This also is necessary for Tachyon Beam Dictor relay functions. These huge constructs are also fitted with extensive docking and repair bays, as well as guest accommodations for thousands. Some of the finest recreational facilities are available at Outstations, and they are popular resorts for those who want to "get away from it all".

Akaisha Outstation is an unusual case, due partially to its position in the geopolitical scheme of things. Located on the edge of Delta  C Sector, Akaisha is on the borders of Devonian Provincial Space. Beyond is Imperial territory, and nearby are possessions of Houses Colos and Jade-London, as well as the Kashmere Provinces, a coalition of Minor Clans under Imperial supervision.  Because of this key (and sensitive) placement, the Emperor has seen fit to "supplement" the Devonian staff with a few Imperial Administrators and security troops.

Visitors to Akaisha Outstation will find in the huge station just about every imaginable necessity, not to mention quite a few luxuries. Outstations are invariably a more controlled environment than large planetary settlements, and people who think they can freely break the regulations will be taught a lesson, in the form of a fine or a visit to the holding area.

Standard Transmission to All Ships Entering Akaisha Control Zone:

"Welcome to Akaisha Outstation. This facility is jointly operated by The Terran Imperium and Imperial Noble House Devon. Visitors must observe all applicable laws and regulations of Devon Province. Firearms are strictly prohibited beyond the visitors' ship; munitions and non-personal weapons are forbidden entirely."  Followed by the docking instructions.

SERVICES:
— Six enclosed pressurized bays for repairs and maintenance overhauls of craft massing up to 7,500 tons.
— Three gravitic pads for minor repairs and refueling of ships up to 20,000 tons.
— Facilities available for docking larger vessels.
— Full spectrum refueling.
— Complete recreational facilities.
— Personal accommodations.
— Variable security and volume storage available.
— Personal interstellar communications at reasonable rates to anywhere in the Imperium. Discounts to Imperial and Devonian Citizens; Service to other House Citizens available at slightly higher rates.

Costs: [In Imperial Elmonits; subject to change without notice)
Airlock Berth 500 + 200/day
Gravitic Berth 200 + 400/1000 sq meters/day
Pressure Bay Berth 800 + 500/day
Stateroom 10 + 25/day [base rate)
Fissionables 6000/m3
Andrium 10,000/m3

Storage and repair costs will vary. See an attendant upon docking. If you are uncertain about what type of docking facility will be required for proper repairs, request a Remote Estimate (charge: 20 IE)