New Eden

History

New Eden was founded primarily as an agricultural colony at Earth's L4 point, and constructed largely from asteroid 2010 TK7 by the early members of the Edenite movement.  Edenites are a human culture combining the influences of the present-day subcultures of hippies and furries.  Edenites seek to live close to their conception of nature,  often by modifying their bodies to take on animal-like characteristics.  

The government and economy of New Eden was based on the tradition of hippie communes, combined with the practical concerns of a space habitat.  During the early part of Era-1, New Eden was the second largest exporter of agricultural goods in the Solar System, after Earth.  It was also one of the leading exporters of mind-altering drugs.  This state of affairs led to an uneasy alliance with the Planetary League.  The Planetary League outlawed many of the drugs produced in New Eden, but was at the same time dependent on the crops raised there.  New Eden was also dependent on the Planetary League, to a degree, for military protection.  During Era-1, the Solar System really didn't have any major military threats, (occasional pirates aside) but the Edenites, being pacifists, also didn't make any kind of military preparations.

Edenites spread throughout the galaxy, founding communes in various places, but many of them considered New Eden to be their home-world.  New Eden hosted a constant stream of Edenite visitors making pilgrimages to this major site for their culture.

New Eden never joined the Planetary League, but remained independent, until being destroyed by the Purification Fleet in the Great Reckoning.

Earth

History

In the near future, due to numerous factors, life on Earth becomes very difficult.  A changing climate brings increased warfare.  A host of new diseases arise.  The economy crashes.  With the arrival of affordable space travel, the construction of large-scale space habitats, and the colonization of nearby bodies, people leave the Earth in droves, seeking a better life elsewhere.  A great diaspora ensues, and the remaining governments unite with the United Nations to clean up and restore the economy on our home planet.

Later, Earth’s position as the main hub of commerce and communication among the inhabited planets led it to become the capitol of the Planetary League.  Earth remained the capitol, growing in wealth and sophistication throughout Era-1 until it fell at the close of the Great Reckoning.

After the Great Reckoning, the Emperor maintained a palace on Earth, even though the capitol of the Holy Empire of Man remained on Gabriel, where it was founded.  The holy cities and sites of Earth thronged with pilgrims seeking miracles, and a very substantial garrison was built up.

Earth was liberated by the Galactic Republic in one of the major battles of the War of Galactic Unification.

One of the unique features of the Earth is its single large moon, which is considered a sign of good luck in the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns.

Landmarks

Supercollider, TX is a town that exists between dimensions.

Cielius 5

Description

Cielius 5 is a terrestrial planet, with relatively little surface water (about 40%), but high humidity.  The sky is usually overcast, and the environment is typically dewey and/or misty (frosty and snowy at higher latitudes).  The high humidity tends to moderate the seasons, and the air temperatures average out around 50-60 degrees Farenheit (10-15 degrees Celsius).  The gravity is uncomfortably high for humans (around 2.8 Gs).

The natural biosphere of Cielius 5 includes plants at the level of development of ferns, and animals roughly equivalent to amphibians on Earth.  The first intelligent life on Cielius 5 was a band of Cielioid pirates who thought it would be a good place to hide out.

Cielius 5 became a rather infamous pirate haven during Era-1.  The first contact Humans had with Cielioids was with pirates operating out of this haven, which scholars in the Planetary League mistakenly believed to be their home planet.  This is why they are called Cielioids.  The name stuck.

Paradise

History

Paradise was one of the first planets to be colonized outside the Solar System.  It is a terrestrial planet, covered by about 75% water.  Most of the land is in the form of islands, with two small continents as well.  The planet has very little axial tilt, so most of the surface is in the tropical zone, with temperate zones near the poles.  Paradise has no ice caps.  The gravity on Paradise is slightly less than on Earth.  Like Earth, Paradise does have a significant magnetic field that shields the surface from radiation.

When first explored, the biosphere of Paradise consisted solely of microscopic organisms.  Despite its simplicity, the biosphere of Paradise was quite old, and the planet had a large reserve of petroleum in the ground from sedimentary activity.  Since it lacked multi-cellular organisms, Paradise did not have soil suitable for farming, but imported plants and animals took over and the planet was quickly covered in swamps and jungles.

The Planetary League set up a research outpost early on.  Soon, corporate colonization followed, largely to exploit the planet’s petroleum.  Neo-Polynesia was a portion of the planet that was set aside as a new home for Polynesians displaced by rising ocean levels.  There was also an Edenite commune that sprang up early on. Paradise was also a major resettlement site for the Ki’tak (Red Takarrans) during the lead up to the Second Robot War, eventually supporting the largest community of them in the galaxy.

Mega-cities sprang up on several islands, and over time the atmosphere grew quite polluted.  For a long time Paradise was a relatively lawless place, full of pirates, smugglers, vice and corruption.

Eventually, the Planetary League stepped in with terraforming equipment to clean up the oceans and atmosphere, and the colonial marines to stop the lawlessness.  As a result, Paradise joined the Planetary League.  The Planetary League undertook a soil-conditioning program as part of the terraforming effort, and Paradise became a major exporter of various crops that grow in tropical climates. 

Paradise was the birthplace of the Emperor of the Holy Empire of Man.

In the Great Reckoning Paradise was overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the Empire of Man, and fell quickly.    

A significant battle was fought on paradise during the War of the Gods.

In the War of Galactic Unification, the population was convinced to join the Galactic Republic, with only minimal resistance from Imperial forces.

The University of Aldebaran 2

History

In GSC 142, early in Era-1, when explorers arrived at the Aldebaran system, they found a semi-inhabitable world, Aldebaran 2, with a diverse biosphere.  It had a variety of unique geological features and a few semi-valuable mineral deposits.

A research outpost was established, and the science started pouring in.  New species were rapidly discovered, exotic mineral formations abounded, and the outpost grew.

The Planetary League Astrophysical Survey started using the planet as a training ground for explorers, and the first educational institution at Aldebaran 2 was the PLAS Academy, housed in an O’Neill Cylinder in high orbit.

As time went on, the outpost specialized as a place where new scientists were taught how to do field-work.  The outpost became a learning institution in its own right, eventually gaining accreditation within the Planetary League as a University in GSC 150.

The University of Aldebaran 2 rose in stature to become the preeminent center of advanced learning in the Planetary League.  The best and brightest of the galaxy flooded in to get the best education available.   As time went on the University continued to grow, until the entire planet was an enormous campus.

The ruins of several primitive civilizations, and one rather advanced civilization were unearthed, and the tide of new knowledge was further bolstered.  It is believed by many that the more advanced ruins were an outpost of the fabled, ancient civilization of Zanath.  For a planet as young as Aldebaran 2, the number of archaeological sites was remarkable.  Unfortunately, the events that followed would prevent a full understanding of these archaeological discoveries.

When the Great Reckoning swept the galaxy, The University, and indeed the planet suffered the worst at the hands of the Empire.  Various weapons of mass destruction were used, torture camps were filled to capacity, and all manner of hideous experiments were inflicted on the population.  After the planet was thoroughly brutalized, the entire biosphere was burned off by the Purification Fleet. Only the Hammer of Redemption was spared, and Aldebaran 2 remained as a lifeless ember.

Landmarks

The Crystal Canyon is both an object of study for scientists and a popular tourist destination.

Life-forms

Lantern-vine is a popular ornamental plant, native to Aldebaran 2, with bio-luminescent flowers.

Factoids

The University was the galaxy's largest employer of the Gorox, an intelligent species that hibernates most of the time, but lives a Methuselan  lifespan.  The Gorox are celebrated for their long-term memories.

Scientists working at the University discovered methods of reprogramming Virobots for a variety of useful purposes.